SAARC LEADERS DISCUSS VIRUS FIGHTBACK PLAN, INDIA PROPOSES EMERGENCY FUNDIn an unprecedented initiative, as SAARC leaders held a summit viavideo-conference to discuss the way forward to fight the coronaviruspandemic, India on Sunday proposed creation of a COVID-19 emergency fund,for which it committed "an initial offer of US$ 10 million".Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who initiated the idea of holding a summit viavideo-conference, was joined by Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepal Prime Minister K P SharmaOli, Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Bangladesh Prime Minister SheikhHasina, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan Prime Minister'sSpecial Assistant on Health Zafar Mirza.During the hour-and-a-half-long summit, many of the leaders expressedconcern over the economic impact and called for a strategy to deal with theaftermath.While the SAARC region has reported 177 cases so far, including 110 inIndia, the region accounts for one-fifth of the world's population, isdensely-populated and doesn't have robust public health infrastructure."It is clear that we have to work together. We can respond best by comingtogether not growing apart, collaboration not confusion, preparation notpanic," said Modi. "I propose that we create a COVID-19 emergency fund. Thiscould be based on voluntary contributions from all of us. India can startwith an initial offer of US$ 10 million for this fund. Any of us can use thefund to meet the cost of immediate actions. Our foreign secretaries, throughour embassies, can coordinate quickly to finalise the concept of this fundand its operations," he said."We are assembling a rapid response team of doctors and specialists inIndia, along with testing kits and other equipment. They will be onstand-by, to be placed at your disposal, if required," he said. "We can alsoquickly arrange online training capsules for your emergency response teams.This will be based on the model we have used in our own country, to raisethe capacity of all our emergency staff," Modi said.Meanwhile, Pakistan's Zafar Mirza took the opportunity to score politicalpoints, as he raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in his finalremarks. He said it was a "matter of concern" that coronavirus cases hadbeen reported from J&K. "In view of the health emergency, it is imperativethat all lockdown in the disputed territory must be lifted immediately,opening up communications and movement would facilitate dissemination ofinformation, and allow distribution of medical supplies and enablecontainment and relief efforts to proceed," said Mirza.NO VISITORS ALLOWED IN PARLIAMENTWhile no visitor will be allowed to witness the Parliament proceedings asthe practice of issuing visitor passes has been suspended in view of Covidscare, the government, it seems, is planning to run the ongoing session asper the schedule."The ongoing Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions will not be cancelled orcurtailed because of the coronavirus scare as all precautionary measureshave been taken. However, the number of general visitors to Parliamentcomplex has been restricted," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshiwas quoted as saying in Bengaluru.THE REST========RAJASTHAN: ITALIAN COUPLE WHO GOT ANTI-HIV DRUGS TEST COVID-NEGATIVETwo Italian tourists - a 69-year-old man and his 70-year-old wife - who wereadministered the Lopinavir/ Ritonavir combination, usually a second- lineHIV medication, after they tested positive for COVID-19 in Jaipur earlierthis month, have now tested negative."They have tested coronavirus-negative twice, (which means) they arecoronavirus free," Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Rohit KumarSingh, said. He said another patient, an 85-year-old man who had returnedfrom Dubai on February 28 and tested positive on March 11, has also testednegative now.Earlier, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that India had, for thefirst time, used the Lopinavir/ Ritonavir combination in the treatment ofthe two Italian patients. State health officials said on Sunday that theantiviral drugs were administered to the 85-year-old also.The decision was taken after their conditions took a turn for the worse, andalso keeping in mind the higher mortality risks associated with olderpeople, said officials. Due procedure was followed, including obtaining theconsent of patients.The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had earlier obtainedpermission for "restricted use" of the drug combination in the event of aCOVID-related "public health emergency" in the country. China is alsoconducting a 199-subject trial on the efficacy of the drugs.Senior ICMR officials cautioned that the results in Rajasthan cannot beinterpreted as proof of efficacy of the drugs. "We will wait for the resultsof the larger trial in China," said Dr R R Gangakhedhar, head ofepidemiology and communicable diseases.

UP PROPERTY DAMAGE ORDINANCE HAS DRACONIAN PROVISIONSUnder the new Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public and PrivateProperty Ordinance promulgated by Governor Anandiben Patel on Sunday,sweeping powers have been granted to a new claims tribunal, including oncollecting compensation ex-parte if required, that is, without hearing theindividual who is accused of vandalism. Further, the ordinance states thatthe award of compensation made by the tribunal will be final and cannot beappealed against before any civil court.The ordinance makes provisions for the setting up of claims tribunals, oneor more, to "investigate the damage caused (during protests) and to awardcompensation" and to cover "cost of action" taken by police andadministration for prevention of damage to public properties.The ordinance also places the burden of proving that one has no "nexus" to aprotest, hartal, strike, bandh, riot or public commotion - during which anydestruction of public or private property was caused - on the individual,failing which the individual's properties will be seized.Significantly, the ordinance states that the principle of absolute liabilityunder law shall apply once "the nexus with the event that precipitated thedamage is established". The law, however, does not specify what the natureof the "nexus" would be.AFTER PM MODI, AMIT SHAH ASSURES J&K PARTY: NO DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGEA day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to allay fears of ademographic change in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah onSunday repeated the assurance to visiting political leaders of Apni Party, anew political alignment of traditionally pro-New Delhi leaders."The delegation apprised the Home Minister about apprehensions with regardto demographic change. Responding to issue, the Home Minister dispelled thenotion. saying any such changes are against the interests of the country,"Apni Party said in an official release. "He said the perception aboutdemographic change is a figment of imagination which needs to be removed byone and all in the country."Shah, in fact, assured the delegation that J&K would get the best domicilepolicy.On statehood, Shah said it would be returned soon. "He said the statehoodwill be restored as soon as is possible. This too is because of our nationalinterest. It is not in the interest of India to have a weak J&K. It's aborder state, it needs to be very strong and it needs to have a stronggovernment," said a member of the visiting group.DELHI'S FIRST CORONAVIRUS PATIENT, NOW RECOVERED, RECOUNTS HIS EXPERIENCE"It was unbelievable. The isolation ward at Safdarjung hospital was not whatI imagined a government hospital ward to be. It was no less than a luxuryhotel. The staff also maintained a high level of hygiene - cleaning allsurfaces and changing linens twice a day," 45-year-old Rohit Dutta, Delhi'sfirst Covid-19 positive patient who has recovered from the infection, saidon Sunday.Having access to a phone that he could use to video-call his family andwatch Netflix, he did not feel disconnected during his 14-day isolation atthe hospital that ended on Saturday.Dutta said he found the staff at the hospital very helpful. "When I firsttested positive, I was scared. It is a new disease and I thought I mightdie. But the doctors came in and they explained that I had mild symptoms -just a cough and fever - and was likely to recover," said Dutta. "As for thenurses and cleaning staff, I thanked them for putting their lives in danger,and they told me that it was a profession that they had chosen, it was theirduty and I did not need to thank them," he said."The health minister called me and wished me on Holi. He asked how I wasfeeling, whether I had any problems, whether I liked the food at thehospital. He said that he and the PM were personally monitoring thecondition of all the Covid-19 patients," he said.SEBI CONSIDERS SHORT SELLING BAN, TRADING CURBS TO REDUCE VOLATILITYThe SEBI is working on a plan to arrest the deep market sell-off and reducevolatility, which has spiked to record levels owing to the damage caused bythe coronavirus pandemic. A ban on short selling, mandatory delivery-basedtrading, and invoking the so-called additional surveillance mechanism (ASM)for highly volatile stocks are among the proposals being considered, saidpeople in the know.If the market continues to fall, Sebi would announce at least some of thesemeasures to reduce excessive speculation and prevent traders fromexacerbating the fall, they added.Last week, the finance ministry hauled up the market regulator, seekingimmediate action to curb the free fall in the market, sources said.If India introduces steps such as a short selling ban, it will join othercountries, including South Korea, Spain, and Italy, which have announcedmeasures to bring stability to the markets, which have undergone their worstrout since 2008 on fears that the spread of coronavirus would push theglobal economy into a recession.OFF TRACKA young couple stopped an employee at an amusement park . "Excuse me," saidthe woman, pointing to a pond. "What is that water made out of?"Bemused, the employee replied, "Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.""See?" she said to her boyfriend. "I told you it wasn't real."