VACCINE FIRST TO THOSE WHO NEED IT, NOT WANT IT: CENTRE

Amid demands from some sections to open up Covid-19 vaccination in view of rising cases, the Centre said on Tuesday that the aim was to protect the vulnerable population and to vaccinate “those who require it”, not those who “want it”.

Stating that the cases were “spreading faster than last time”, Dr V K Paul, who heads India’s Covid-19 task force, said the next four weeks will be “critical”.

“People’s participation is vital to control the second wave. The next four weeks are going to very critical. The entire country has to come together and make efforts to fight the pandemic,” he said.

Earlier, Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, had asked the Centre to relax the age limit for vaccination to 25 years. The Delhi government has also said that it will appeal to the Centre to open up vaccination for all age groups.

“When cases increase, there is a discussion on vaccines and a particular narrative is built, especially the narrative that everyone should receive it. We have to look at this narrative from a scientific point of view. The vaccines were developed in an unprecedented time, and, our country is lucky that we have ramped up production. However, we should not trivialise this. We still have not found an answer to the question as to when a population will reach herd immunity, because there are many factors that determine herd immunity and not just administration of a vaccine,” Paul said.

“There are suggestions that vaccination should be opened up for every adult. Whenever we conduct a vaccination during a pandemic, the basic aim is to reduce deaths among the vulnerable population and to protect the healthcare system. The aim is not to vaccinate someone who wants it; the aim is to vaccinate those who requires it the most,” said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

On Tuesday, India recorded the highest number of vaccinations in a single day so far: 43,00,966.

KEY COVID NUMBERS:

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 8,38,633

New Cases in last 24 hours: 1,15,125

Recovered in last 24 hours: 59,705

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 54,789

No. of deaths in last 24 hours: 631

Most Affected States:

(S. No. / State / No. of Active Cases / New Cases in last 24 Hrs / Deaths in Last 24 Hrs)

1          Maharashtra     4,72,283           /           55,469  /           297

2          Chhattisgarh     52,445  /           9,921    /           53

3          Karnataka         45,107  /           6,150    /           39

4          Kerala              29,960  /           3,502    /           14

5          Uttar Pradesh   27,509  /           5,895    /           30

6          Punjab              25,913  /           2,905    /           61

7          Tamil Nadu       25,598  /           3,645    /           15

8          Madhya Pradesh           24,155  /           3,722    /           18

9          Gujarat             17,348  /           3,280    /           17

10        Delhi                17,332  /           5,100    /           17

11        Rajasthan         16,140  /           2,236    /           13

12        Haryana                       14,080  /           2,099    /           9

13        West Bengal     12,775  /           2,058    /           7

14        Andhra Pradesh            11,809  /           1,941    /           7

15        Telangana        9,993    /           1,498    /           6

16        Jharkhand        6,844    /           1,264    /           4

17        Bihar                4,954    /           1,080    /           2

18        JnK                  4,483    /           561       /           2

19        Himachal Pradesh         3,740    /           428       /           5

20        Uttarakhand      3,607    /           791       /           7

21        Odisha             3,465    /           588       /           NIL

22        Chandigarh       3,037    /           319       /           2

23        Goa                  2,471    /           387       /           1

24        Puducherry       1,773    /           237       /           2

A TIGHTROPE WALK AS INDIA, RUSSIA FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET

In a bid to iron out divergences and build on the common “resilient” ground ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit later this year, Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers Tuesday sought to address each other’s concerns on a wide range of issues — from defence supplies to the S-400 air defence system, India’s role in Afghanistan and Taliban’s involvement in power-sharing to cooperation on Covid vaccines and Delhi’s participation in the Quad grouping.

Less than a month after the first ever Quad leaders’ virtual summit, visiting Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov Tuesday, with External Affairs minister S Jaishankar by his side, sought to downplay the growing ties with Beijing saying Russia-China relations are at their “highest ever,” but these aren’t aimed at a “military alliance.” He took a swipe at the Quad grouping and referred to it as an “Asian NATO” — a term, incidentally, used by Beijing.

Incidentally, Moscow played the meeting ground for Indian and Chinese ministers last year amid the ongoing border standoff.

However, both sides underlined the convergences — deepening defence and energy cooperation; longstanding partnership in space and nuclear sectors; economic opportunities in the Russian Far East and leveraging the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign; connectivity through the International North-South Transport and the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern maritime corridors.

Jaishankar called the cooperation “energetic and forward looking” while Lavrov said bilateral ties were “valuable, mutually respectful,” and not “subjected to political fluctuations”.

The contentious issue of the sale of the S-400 air defence system figured in the discussions. While India is keen on buying it, Washington has repeatedly expressed reservations.

FALSE NARRATIVES BEING SPREAD: MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the BJP was not an election-winning machine but a movement to win hearts.

Speaking on the party’s 41st ‘Sthapna Divas’ (foundation day), the PM accused BJP rivals of building “false narratives” around issues to create “political instability” in the country.

“The 21st century is watching the end of the dynastic rule. Masks of false secularism is also coming off and the BJP government’s ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’ has ensured it,” the Prime Minister said, addressing party cadres.

Asking them to remain watchful of such attempts, the Prime Minister said “imaginary fear” was being spread on issues like the CAA, labour laws and the farm laws with the purpose to create “political instability” in the country. “Rumours are being spread in the country, confusion is created… Sometimes they say the Constitution will be changed, sometimes they say reservation will be quashed and sometimes that farmers’ land will be snatched,” he said.

INDIA’S LEADERSHIP CRITICAL FOR DELIVERING COVID VACCINES ACROSS WORLD, SAYS KERRY

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry on Tuesday said that India’s global leadership has been critical in delivering Covid-19 vaccines to the world, adding that the country is “getting the job done” on climate.

Kerry is on a four-day visit to India, during which he is scheduled to interact with key ministers and others.

Addressing the South Asian Women in Energy Leadership Summit, Kerry said, “India’s global leadership has been critical across a range of issues including on delivering Covid-19 vaccines to the world, but I am particularly grateful that India is getting the job done on climate, pushing the curve. You are indisputably a world leader already in the deployment of renewable energy.”

Praising India’s recent budget announcement of a National Hydrogen Energy Mission and the country’s commitment to producing 450 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, Kerry, quoting the International Energy Agency forecasts, said that if India drives even more aggressively towards a clean energy transition it will create half a million additional jobs more than business as usual.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

370M PEOPLE, OR 4.7% OF WORLD POPULATION, INOCULATED WITH SINGLE DOSE

Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide crossed 3 million on Tuesday,  as the latest global resurgence of Covid-19 infections is challenging vaccination efforts across the globe. Health officials blame more infectious variants that were first detected in the UK and South Africa, along with public fatigue with lockdowns and other restrictions. It took more than a year for the global-Covid toll to reach 2 million. The next 1 million deaths were added in about three months.

Brazil is leading the world in the daily average number of new deaths reported and accounts for one in every four deaths worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis. WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said last Thursday that many hospital ICUs in Brazil are more than 90% full.

The European region, which includes 51 countries, has the highest total number of deaths at nearly 1.1 million. Five European countries including the UK, Russia, France, Italy and Germany constitute about 60% of Europe’s Covid deaths. The US has the highest number of deaths of any country at the world at 5,55,000 and accounts for about 19% of all deaths due to Covid-19 in the world.

At least 370.3 million people or nearly 4.7% of the global population have received a single dose of vaccine by Sunday.

THE REST

========

FATE OF KERALA, TAMIL NADU, ASSAM, PUDUCHERRY SEALED, CLASHES MAR WEST BENGAL POLL

Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted, while clashes between rival political groups erupted during the third phase of polling in West Bengal on Tuesday. Despite the violence, the state recorded 77.68 per cent polling till evening.

The police arrested five persons — three members of the TMC and two of the BJP — for their alleged involvement in assaulting TMC candidate Sujata Mondal in Arambagh.

Television grabs showed the TMC leader being chased in an open field by people wielding sticks and then hitting on the head. Her security officer was also injured.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged “blatant misuse of central forces to influence voters”.

Kerala witnessed around 73 per cent voting, Tamil Nadu 65 per cent and Puducherry 81 per cent in the single phase poll, while Assam recorded 82 per cent polling in the third and final phase.

JUSTICE NV RAMANA APPOINTED NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice NV Ramana as the next Chief Justice of India.

Justice Ramana will take oath as the 48th CJI on April 24

He will retire from the post on August 26, 2022

A notification with regard to the warrant of his appointment was issued today. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra and Secretary (Justice) in the Law Ministry Barun Mitra handed over the warrant of appointment signed by the President to Justice Ramana yesterday.

MAOISTS ASK GOVT TO NAME INTERLOCUTORS FOR RELEASE OF CONSTABLE

Three days since a CRPF jawan from its elite CoBRA unit went missing after a gun battle on Saturday on the Sukma-Bijapur border, Maoists on Tuesday asked the government to name interlocutors for the release of the jawan from their custody.

The police had Sunday said Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, a constable with CoBRA unit of the CRPF, was missing. Subsequently, a senior CRPF officer also met the family of Manhas in Jammu, and assured his relatives the government was fully behind them and trying its best to get him back.

ON KERALA VOTING DAY, SABARIMALA IN FOCUS

The Sabarimala temple issue, which had become a flashpoint in Kerala during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, took centrestage again on voting day for the Assembly elections Tuesday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remark that the “legion of Devas (Gods)” is with the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF, drawing a heated response from Congress and BJP leaders.

Responding to a comment from a top functionary of the Nair Service Society (NSS), a prominent outfit representing upper-caste Nairs, that “a government that protects faith” should be elected, Vijayan told reporters: “The people of Kerala will bestow a historic verdict on the LDF. The Government had stood with the people in crisis. It is believed that those people will support the LDF.”

Referring to the Sabarimala issue, Vijayan said that the deity at Sabarimala and the legion of Devas are with the LDF because this Government stood with the people in crisis”. He was referring to the state government’s welfare measures to tide over the floods and the Covid lockdown.

On Tuesday, the Opposition Congress was quick to latch on to the Chief Minister’s comments, with former chief minister Oommen Chandy saying that they showed he is “afraid” of the verdict. “The present stand of Vijayan, who has taken young women to Sabarimala with a police escort, is surprising everyone. If he was sincere on the issue, Vijayan should have withdrawn the affidavit the LDF government had given in the Supreme Court (favouring the entry of women of all ages),’’ he said.

BJP state president K Surendran, who is contesting from two seats, said that Vijayan had done the job of an “Asura (demon)”. “The somersault of Vijayan on polling day is not going to help the LDF. The people of Kerala will not forget the heinous act of Vijayan. He had taken atheist women to the shrine with police protection. After ensuring their entry, Vijayan had challenged the faithful,’’ said Surendran.

IMF RAISES INDIA’S FY22 GROWTH FORECAST TO 12.5%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday raised India’s growth projections for 2021-22 to 12.5% from its January estimate of 11.5%, making it the fastest growing major economy in the world.

The latest upgrade from the IMF for India’s economy comes against the backdrop of a surge in Covid-19 infections, which have prompted some local lockdowns and could have an impact on overall growth.

The World Bank had recently forecast the Indian economy to grow in the 7.5% to 12.5% range in 2021-22, given the significant uncertainty at this stage about both epidemiological and policy developments. It had also said that it expects India’s economy to grow more than 10.1% in the 2021-22 — a sharp upward revision of 4.7 percentage points from its January 2021 forecast.

The IMF’s World Economic Outlook (WEO) showed that China is projected to grow 8.4% in 2021 and 5.6% next year. India, at 6.9%, is also expected to grow faster than China in 2022-23 and retain its title as the fastest growing major economy for the second consecutive year. For 2021-22 if the IMF’s projection is realised, India would be the only major economy to post double digit growth.

ANSARI’S WIFE MOVES SC FOR HIS SECURITY

Apprehending a fake encounter, BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari’s wife Afsan Ansari on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking security and protection for her husband while he’s shifted from Punjab’s Ropar jail to the Banda jail in UP.

She urged the top court to pass necessary directions for Ansari's security in prison and when he’s produced before courts. She also wanted the court to ensure free and fair trial. Quoting sources, she said plans were being made to shoot her husband during the course of his appearance in court at the behest of some high ranking officers of the UP Government.

ADANI GROUP BECOMES 3RD INDIAN CONGLOMERATE TO CROSS USD 100 BN IN M-CAP

Billionaire Gautam Adani’s ports-to-energy conglomerate has become India’s third group to cross USD 100 billion in market capitalisation with shares of four of its six listed companies soaring to an all-time high on Tuesday.

The total market cap of Adani Group’s six listed companies at the close of trading on Tuesday was Rs 7.84 lakh crore or USD 106.8 billion, according to stock exchange data.

Adani Group is the third Indian conglomerate to cross the USD 100 billion market cap mark after Tata Group and Reliance Industries Ltd.

After starting out as a commodities trader in the late 1980s, Gautam Adani has over two decades built an empire that now spans from mines, ports and power plants to airports, data centre, city gas and defence.

In the last two years, his group has gained control of seven airports and almost a quarter of India’s air traffic, made rapid strides in renewable energy capacity addition, won a contract to co-develop a port terminal in Sri Lanka and bought ports in India.

RESTAURANTERS CRY OUT AS COVID-19 CURBS EXPAND

The closure of non-essential retail establishments, including malls, multiplexes, auto dealerships, and eateries in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra, could trigger a reverse migration of workers from the state for the second year in a row, industry bodies and top executives have told Business Standard.

Delhi announced a night curfew on Tuesday, hitting businesses in the crucial evening hours for bars, restaurants, and pubs.

“Seventy per cent of the business comes in the evening in both Mumbai and Delhi for restaurants. In Mumbai, non-essential retail has been barred for a month. In Delhi, night curfew begins at 10 pm. Takeaways cannot substitute for dine-in services. And there are restrictions on home deliveries in cities such as Mumbai. So what are we left with?” laments an industruy CEO.

Apart from the loss of business during peak dine-in hours, night curfews will also hit footfalls at bars and pubs during the Indian Premier League, which begins Friday.

Restaurants fear wage and salary payouts will be a challenge in April, pushing migrants out of job and cities. The retail sector in Maharashtra, for instance, employs close to 5 million people, while the restaurant industry in the state employs another 2-3 million people.

HYUNDAI HIGHLIGHTS BI-DIRECTIONAL CHARGING IN ITS EV PROMO

Hyundai Motor Co. is pitching its new Ioniq 5 as being able to do more than the average EV.

In a series of promotional videos on YouTube, a camper is shown running on a treadmill hooked up to the car’s battery, listening to their favorite tunes on a bank of speakers, and even rustling up a roast-chicken dinner in a portable oven. The car can supply up to 3.6 kilowatts of power, enough to run appliances like refrigerators and stoves.

It’s part of a push by Hyundai to appeal to a younger audience as it plays catch-up in the EV market. The South Korean automaker is behind EV pioneers such as Tesla Inc. and established brands like Volkswagen AG and BMW AG, only introducing its electric car in 2016.

Hyundai says it’s the first major electric-car maker to offer bi-directional charging, which means owners can power electronic devices from the car battery.

INDICATORS

Sensex 49,201 (+42), Nifty 14,683 (+46), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 64723.31

Nasdaq 13,698 (-7) Dow 33,430 (-97), S&P 4074 (-4)

US$-Rs. 73.32 GBP-Rs. 101.59, Euro-Rs. 86.76, UAE Dhm-Rs.19.96, Can$-Rs. 58.41, Aus$- Rs. 56.05

GBP 0.72 /US$, Euro 0.84 /US$, Jap.Yen 110.08 /US$, Aus$ 1.30 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 83.11 /US$, Can$ 1.25 /US$, Mal Ring 4.12 /US$,

Pak Re 152.11 /US$, Phil Peso 48.56 /US$, Russian Rouble 76.75 /US$, NZ$ 1.41 /US$, Thai Baht 31.29 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.53 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 57,725

Dollar Index 92.35 Brent Crude 62.69  BDI 2,072

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,737 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,520 / 4,420, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 65,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. - Wilhelm Stekel

OFF TRACK

On a whim a man decided to get his wife a dozen roses and surprise her after work.

The minute he opened the door, his wife took one look at the flowers in his hand and started screaming, "This is the worst day that I have EVER had! The kids have been terrible. They got in a food fight, the washing machine broke and flooded the basement, I burned dinner, the dog chewed up my best pair of shoes...AND NOW YOU'VE GOT THE  NERVE TO COME HOME DRUNK!"