-The Hindu Balram Bhargava says more Rapid Antigen Tests will be conducted from now on. The national COVID-19 positivity rate stood at 21% and 310 of the 734 districts had reported positivity greater than or equal to the national average, Balram Bhargava, Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said on Tuesday. At the Health Ministry briefing, Dr. Bhargava said the country now had the RTPCR testing capacity of about 16 lakh a...
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India records 1.7 lakh new COVID-19 cases, 904 deaths
-The Hindu Maharashtra adds 63,294 infections, U.P. sees 15,276 cases. India reported 1,69,899 fresh cases of COVID-19 as of 11.30 p.m. IST on April 11, marking the biggest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic last year. As many as 904 deaths were also recorded on the day. This is the second straight day the country reported more than 1.5 lakh new cases. The figures do not include cases and deaths from...
More »Over 50% don’t wear masks, finds government survey
-The Hindu Laxity leading to COVID-19 surge, Health Ministry tells 12 States. Almost 90% of the COVID-19 deaths in India continue to be in the category of those aged above 45. Internal surveys showed that while 90% people were aware of the importance of masks, only 44% actually wore them, a statement from the Health Ministry said on Saturday, reflecting “laxity” in adhering to strictures, such as wearing masks and avoiding crowding. These...
More »Justice NV Ramana, a judge who upheld civil liberties -Krishnadas Rajagopal
-The Hindu Justice Ramana, as Supreme Court judge, has been part of various decisions ranging from electoral issues to rights of women to bringing the Chief Justice of India’s office under the ambit of the Right to Information. Several years before he began his journey, which will eventually see him being sworn in as the 48th Chief Justice of India, Nuthalapti Venkata Ramana undertook an arduous journey by truck with ₹10 in...
More »The pandemic has hampered social auditing of MGNREGA
When a massive sum of public money is spent on a programme like Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGA)--a demand-driven programme, there is likelihood of financial misappropriations and mismanagement. Thankfully there are checks and balances in the rural employment guarantee legislation to counter such malpractices. It is worth noting that the total allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGA) for 2020-21 was Rs. 1,11,500.00 crore (R.E.), up...
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