-The Indian Express Launched in June to help vendors amid the pandemic, the PM SVANidhi scheme is a micro-credit facility that provides street vendors a collateral-free loan of Rs 10,000 at concessional rates of an estimated 7.25%. After being nudged by Municipalities to step up loan disbursements under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) programme, banks are writing back to report that many of these collateral-free loans are turning into...

-The Indian Express Mani Shankar Aiyar writes: Planning for withstanding the ingress of COVID-19 requires the full deployment of the mechanisms for district planning envisaged in Article 243 ZD involving all three tiers of the panchayats and the Municipalities brought together in the district planning committee An unintended but welcome consequence of the struggle against COVID-19 is that the “confrontational federalism” that has characterised the Centre’s relations with the states, especially those...

These days a lot many articles, reports, documents, etc. are appearing in the public domain on Coronavirus infection and related issues. An attempt has been made in the present news alert to put together in one place some of the best articles, reports, blogs, webinars, podcasts, etc., which can be useful for our readers. We have divided the resources under various themes for the convenience of our readers and social media...

-Livemint.com * The Centre has allowed all neighbourhood shops in the residential areas to open if they follow certain guidelines * Union home ministry added that the social distancing must be strictly maintained A month after nationwide lockdown, the Centre has allowed all neighbourhood shops in the residential areas to open if they follow certain guidelines. However, shops in market places, multi-brand and single brand malls as well as market complexes located in...

-ThePrint.in Once again, the prolonged period of Covid-19 pandemic crisis will shine the light on India’s state capacity. But should India depend only on its elite bureaucracy? As India completes the first week of its 21-day nationwide lockdown to battle the spread of the Covid-19 virus, it is increasingly clear that the worst is not over yet. If not another round of lockdown, India may witness at least similar measures that will...