Tulika Chaturvedi
National Journalist
18 May 2021
IndiaCOVID-19: 270 doctors died in second wave, shows IMA data
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday said the country has so far lost 270 doctors in the raging second wave of COVID-19, which is wreaking havoc across India.
18 May 2021
IndiaICMR drops convalescent plasma therapy from COVID-19 treatment guidelines
The use of convalescent plasma therapy has been dropped from the recommended treatment guidelines for COVID-19 in India, as per an advisory from the Union Health Ministry on late Monday.
17 May 2021
IndiaPetition seeks cancellation of FIRs over posters criticizing Modi
A petitioner has moved the Supreme Court (SC), seeking the cancellation of FIRs registered by the Delhi Police against those accused of putting up posters criticizing the Narendra Modi government's move to export COVID-19 vaccines.
17 May 2021
IndiaUttar Pradesh prepared for third COVID-19 wave, says Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the state is prepared for the third wave of COVID-19 and that its pandemic situation is not alarming or out of control.
17 May 2021
IndiaCOVID-19: Virologist Shahid Jameel resigns from government's genome sequencing group
Eminent virologist Dr. Shahid Jameel has resigned as the head of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the scientific advisory group coordinating the country's genome sequencing work.
17 May 2021
IndiaIndia to produce 850 million doses of Sputnik V annually
Production of Sputnik V in India is expected to gradually increase to 850 million doses per year, Russian Ambassador to India, N Kudashev said on Sunday.
16 May 2021
IndiaDuring pandemic, entire globe a unit: Centre justifies vaccine exports
Facing backlash over the export of indigenously-produced vaccines during the second COVID-19 wave, the Centre has said that the "entire globe is a unit" during a pandemic, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court.
16 May 2021
IndiaCOVAXIN, Covishield effective, but produce fewer antibodies against B.1.617: Report
According to a series of early reports authored by scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), COVAXIN and Covishield—vaccines deemed effective at generating an immune response against COVID-19—appear to generate only half as many antibodies against the B.1.617 variant.
16 May 2021
IndiaCentre issues new guidelines to combat COVID-19 in rural areas
Noting the gradual rise of COVID-19 cases in the country's rural areas, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday issued fresh guidelines to ensure that community-based services and primary level healthcare infrastructure in these regions are equipped to manage the raging pandemic.
16 May 2021
IndiaCannot correlate deaths to oxygen shortage: Goa hospital
Days after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the supply of medical oxygen in the state has "caused some issues," Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Dean SM Bandekar said there cannot be a correlation between the drop in oxygen supply in COVID-19 wards and deaths of patients.
16 May 2021
IndiaCyclone Tauktae hits Goa's coastal areas; 4 dead in Karnataka
The storm in the Arabian Sea, Cyclone Tauktae, on Sunday claimed four lives in Karnataka.
14 May 2021
IndiaIndia at war: INOX chief Siddharth Jain on oxygen crisis
As India witnesses an alarming COVID-19 spike, instances of oxygen shortage continue to emerge.
14 May 2021
IndiaCyclone Tauktae: IMD issues red alert in Kerala districts, Lakshadweep
A cyclonic disturbance has formed over Lakshadweep and the Arabian Sea and "may evolve into a very severe cyclonic storm" by Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Friday.
14 May 2021
IndiaModi releases Rs. 20,000 crore to farmers' accounts under PM-KISAN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the eighth installment of financial benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme via video conferencing on Friday.
14 May 2021
India'Narrow politics': Health Minister criticizes states demanding more vaccines
Referring to demands by various state governments to increase their respective COVID-19 vaccines' quota amid reports of acute shortage, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said this approach harms the "whole-of-government" approach and arouses "narrow political passion among the masses."
13 May 2021
IndiaSputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to be available next week: Centre
The Union Health Ministry on Thursday announced that Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will be available in markets across the country from early next week.
13 May 2021
IndiaMP announces free education for children orphaned due to COVID-19
The Madhya Pradesh government will provide free education and a pension of Rs. 5,000 per month to children whose parents died of COVID-19, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.
13 May 2021
IndiaAccused of black-marketing oxygen concentrators, who's Navneet 'Khan Chacha' Kalra?
A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of businessman Navneet Kalra in connection with the case of alleged hoarding and black marketing of oxygen concentrators in the national capital.
13 May 2021
IndiaFloating bodies found in Varanasi; more found buried in Unnao
Days after dozens of decomposing dead bodies were seen floating in Ganga river of Bihar's Buxar district, at least four corpses turned up in different parts of the river along Varanasi ghats on Wednesday.
12 May 2021
PoliticsNCSC asked to postpone Bengal visit inquiring into 'Dalit atrocities'
The West Bengal government has asked the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) to postpone its visit to the state to inquire into alleged atrocities against Dalits during post-poll violence in the state, citing the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and protocols.
12 May 2021
IndiaPrashant Kishor slams Centre's 'positivity propaganda' to counteract COVID-19 criticism
Election strategist Prashant Kishor, the head of the Indian Political Action Committee, on Wednesday attacked the Centre over the tragedies unfolding across India in wake of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
12 May 2021
IndiaRs. 1cr compensation for polling officers' COVID-19 deaths: Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday observed that the state government must grant at least Rs. 1 crore as ex-gratia compensation to the families of polling officers who died due to COVID-19 in the recent Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls.
12 May 2021
IndiaUS looking to produce of J&J's COVID-19 vaccine in India
The United States is considering the production of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in India along with ways to help manufacturers like the Serum Institute of India (SII) to boost production, Daniel B Smith, Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy, said on Tuesday.
12 May 2021
IndiaICMR chief explains why COVID-19 second wave is affecting youngsters
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Dr. Balram Bhargava on Tuesday said that there are primarily two reasons why more young people are getting infected in the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
11 May 2021
IndiaCentre asks Delhi HC to dismiss Central Vista plea
In response to a petition that sought to temporarily halt the construction work of the Central Vista project, the Centre on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court (HC) that the plea was an "abuse of process of law" and sought its dismissal with a fine, according to Live Law.