India

22 Apr 2021; MEMO: According to a report by Business Today, India sold twice as much oxygen to the world during the first ten months of fiscal 2020-21 as compared to entire financial year before it, shows data from Department of Commerce

This happened despite the fact that India was one of the three worst-affected nations from the coronavirus pandemic for a substantial portion of this period.

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) With several private and government hospitals in Delhi running low on medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients, the Centre raised the national capital's oxygen quota from 378 metric tonnes to 480 metric tonnes on Wednesday.

"Central govt has increased Delhi's quota of oxygen. We r very grateful to centre for this (sic)," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) The rupee opened on a weak note and fell below the 75 per US dollar level in early trade on Thursday as investors fretted over the prospects of stricter lockdown in some parts of the country amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Moreover, foreign fund outflows, and heavy selling in domestic equities weighed on the domestic currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 75.25 then lost further ground and fell to 75.26 against the US dollar, showing a decline of 38 paise over its previous closing.

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the new COVID-19 vaccine policy, terming it as arbitrary and discriminatory and urged him to intervene immediately to reverse it.

In a letter to to the prime minister, the Congress chief alleged that the new vaccine policy implies that the central government has abdicated its responsibility of providing free vaccine to all Indians between 18 and 45 years of age.

Kolkata, Apr 22 (PTI) Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre over the disparity in the price of vaccines being supplied to the Union government, states and private hospitals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said rates should be the same for every buyer.

Mocking the BJP over its slogan of 'One nation, one party, one leader', she stressed that every Indian needs vaccine free of cost, regardless of their age and location.

"One nation, one party, one leader shouts BJP all the time but to save lives they can't have one price for vaccine.

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) The Delhi government is making efforts to airlift its enhanced quota of oxygen supply from Odisha, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, as several city hospitals reported shortage of oxygen amid rising cases of coronavirus.

Kejriwal thanked the Centre and the high court for their efforts towards raising Delhi's oxygen quota for treating COVID 19 patients, and said supplies have started reaching the national capital.

NEW DELHI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ruled out a lockdown amid the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

Addressing the nation on TV for the first time amid the second wave of COVID-19, Modi also appealed to state governments to consider lockdown as a "last resort."

The prime minister said that serious efforts were being made to ensure enough production and supply of oxygen across the country, especially those cities where it is required urgently.

Amritsar, Apr 21 (PTI) The BSF has sought registration of an FIR against an intruder from Pakistan that happens to be a pigeon.

The Punjab Police are seeking legal opinion on this.

The pigeon perched itself on the shoulder of a Border Security Force jawan at the Rorawala post here last Saturday, apparently after flying across the border, an official said.

Chennai, Apr 20 (PTI) Rejecting a charge that some deaths at a hospital in neighbouring Vellore district were due to shortage of oxygen supply, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr C Vijayabaskar on Tuesday claimed there was no scarcity of medical oxygen or Covid vaccines in the state.

Responding to the charge that the deaths occurred at the Adukkamparai government hospital, Vellore, as the hospital ran out of oxygen supply - as claimed made by the kin of the diseased he said, "the fatalities did not happen due to shortage of oxygen."

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Terming pendency of around 57 lakh cases in high courts as docket explosion , the Supreme Court Tuesday activated a dormant constitutional provision to pave way for appointment of retired high court judges as ad-hoc ones for a period of two to three years to clear backlog and came out with guidelines to regulate appointments.