India

Delhi; 30 April 2021 (UMMN): In an online meeting with Indian ambassadors and high commissioners spread around the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the negative narrative about PM Modi’s incompetence in handling 2nd wave of deadly Covid-19 pandemic must be countered.

MUMBAI, Apr 29 (NNN-PTI) – India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, brought forward its nine-day biannual maintenance shutdown from June to May, to avoid consumption of more oxygen, amid the oxygen shortage across the country, under a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Dehradun, Apr 29 (PTI) The Chardham Yatra to the four famous Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, which was scheduled to begin next month, has been postponed in view of the massive surge in COVID-19 cases.

Announcing this here on Thursday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said conducting the yatra amid the raging pandemic is not possible.

However, the portals of the four Himalayan temples known as Chardham will open as scheduled, he said.

However, they will open only for priests to perform regular prayers and not for devotees, he said.

Jaipur, Apr 29 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 69-year-old Congress leader had isolated himself on Wednesday after his wife Sunita had tested positive.

"My COVID-19 test report too came positive today. I have no symptoms, and I am feeling fine. I will continue working while in isolation, following COVID-19 protocols," the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

Ahmedabad, Apr 28 (PTI) Veteran BJP leader Dattaji Chirandas, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19, died at the civic-run SVP Hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city in the early hours of Wednesday, family sources said.

Dattaji, 80, died within two days of developing symptoms of the infection, the deceased leader's son Sunil said.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Serum Institute of India (SII) -- the maker of the most used COVID-19 vaccine in the country -- on Wednesday announced a cut in price of the jab it plans to sell to states to Rs 300 per dose from the earlier Rs 400.

This follows widespread criticism of its pricing policy as it had sold the initial doses of Covishield to the central government at Rs 150 per dose.

SII's CEO Adar Poonawalla took to Twitter to announce the "philanthropic" gesture.

Shimla, Apr 28 (PTI) A court here on Wednesday convicted a 28-year-old man in connection with the rape and murder of a 16-year-old schoolsgirl in a forest in Himachal Pradesh's Kotkhai town four years ago.

Special Judge Rajeev Bhardwaj held Anil Kumar alias Nillu alias Charani guilty of rape under Sections 376 (2)(i) and 376 (A), murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault) of theProtection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Bhopal, Apr 28 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government extended the 'corona curfew' in the state till May 7 to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission, a minister said on Wednesday.

At present, 'corona curfew' is underway in several districts of the state, including Bhopal, Indore and other prominent cities, till May 3.

"Chief Minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) has decided to extend the corona curfew (or Janata curfew) till May 7," state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said here.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India set another global record in new virus cases Thursday, with another 375,000 people infected, as the country gears up to open its vaccination rollout to all adults Saturday.

It now has reported more than 18.3 million cases, behind only the United States. The health ministry also reported 3,645 deaths in the last 24-hour period, bringing India’s total to 204,832, according to the health ministry. Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much.

Ahmedabad, Apr 28 (PTI) Shutting down IPL is not the answer even as India is struggling to control the COVID-19-induced health crisis, insisted star pacer Pat Cummins, who donated USD 50,000 towards the fight against the dreaded virus.

There's been a debate whether the IPL should continue when India is facing a severe health crisis as thousands of people are dying of the virus.

While a few feel it should not continue, a section believes it was a happy distraction.