NATION SHAKEN, SAYS PM; US, UK, EU PLEDGE HELP

From vaccines to its ingredients, oxygen tankers to oxygen concentrators — US, UK and EU have now pledged help to India. This comes the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann ki Baat radio address, said that the Covid storm had “shaken” the country and was “testing our patience.”

With the Covid-19 surge crippling the country’s healthcare system, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called up his counterpart NSA Ajit Doval Sunday and conveyed to him that “just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need”.

More than 600 pieces of vital medical equipment will be sent to India to support the country in its fight against Covid-19, the UK Govt said.

“The United States has identified sources of specific raw material urgently required for Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine that will immediately be made available for India,” a White House statement said, after the Sullivan-Doval call.

From the UK, nine airline container loads of supplies, including 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators, will be sent to the country this week.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted: “Our hearts go out to the Indian people in the midst of the horrific COVID-19 outbreak. We are working closely with our partners in the Indian govt, and we will rapidly deploy additional support to the people of India and India’s health care heroes,”

Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu thanked both Blinken and Sullivan for their “reach out and support”.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 28,07,333

New Cases in last 24 hours: 3,54,411

Recovered in last 24 hours: 2,18,559

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 1,33,046

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 2,806 (1,95,116)

Daily Tests: 17,19,588

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 20.3%

Most Affected States:

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

1          Maharashtra     6,98,354           /           66,191  /           832

2          Uttar Pradesh   2,97,616           /           35,311  /           206

3          Karnataka                     2,62,162           /           34,804  /           143

4          Kerala              2,18,889           /           28,469  /           30

5          Rajasthan                     1,36,702           /           15,809  /           74

6          Chhattisgarh     1,23,835           /           12,666  /           199

7          Gujarat             1,15,006           /           14,296  /           157

8          Tamil Nadu       1,05,180           /           15,659  /           82

9          Delhi                94,592  /           22,933  /           350

10        Madhya Pradesh           91,548  /           13,601  /           92

11        Andhra Pradesh            89,732  /           12,634  /           69

12        West Bengal     88,800  /           15,889  /           57

13        Bihar                87,154  /           12,795  /           68

14        Haryana                       74,248  /           10,985  /           64

15        Telangana        62,929  /           8,126    /           38

16        Punjab              48,154  /           6,980    /           76

17        Jharkhand        48,105  /           5,903    /           103

18        Odisha             42,485  /           6,116    /           7

19        Uttarakhand      35,864  /           4,368    /           44

20        JanK                19,558  /           2,381    /           21

21        Assam              15,470  /           1,844    /           14

22        Goa                  13,689  /           2,293    /           24

23        Himachal Pradesh         13,577  /           1,363    /           32

24        Puducherry       7,288    /           1,008    /           11

25        Chandigarh       5,236    /           749       /           2

CENTRE ADVISES 14-DAY LOCKDOWNS IN CITIES, DISTRICTS WITH OVER 10% POSITIVITY, 60% BED OCCUPANCY

Amid an alarming COVID 19 surge, the Centre on Sunday advised stringent containment and lockdown measures in districts reporting either more than 10 per cent positivity rate over the last one week or more than 60 per cent occupancy of beds supported by oxygen or in ICU.

Warning the states that the existing infrastructure may not be able to cope with the ongoing surge, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday that there was an urgent need for states to consider strict COVID management and control measures in surge areas to break the chain of transmission.

“Prompt and targeted action needs to be focused on specific districts, cities, areas to flatten the current curve of the epidemic which may be identified by states. Districts where test positivity has been more than 10 pc for the past week or bed (oxygen supported or ICU bed) occupancy has been over 60 pc must be considered for taking intensive action and local containment measures,” said the Centre asking states to prohibit social, religious and political gatherings in areas of high surge. It also advised closure of gyms, spas, restaurants and religious places in such areas.

The Centre said containment should focus on restricting intermingling of people for 14 days to break the chain of transmission.

DEATHS BEING UNDER-REPORTED, ALLEGES RAHUL GANDHI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the truth about the pandemic is shrouded and deaths are being under-reported. “Shroud the truth. Deny oxygen shortage. Underreport deaths. Govt of India is doing everything......to save his fake image,” he said on Twitter.

He shared the front page of ‘The New York Times’ showing a picture of cremations being conducted and headlined, “As Covid ravages India, true toll is undercounted”.

Rahul Gandhi earlier alleged that the “system has failed” and it is the duty of the party to provide help to fellow citizens suffering due to the sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases in the country.

“System’ failed, so it’s important to do Jan ki baat,” Gandhi said on Twitter. “In this crisis, the country needs responsible citizens. I request my Congress colleagues to leave all political work—just provide all help and ease the pain of our countrymen,” he added.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said “hiding data” and not sharing the total number of infections and deaths is doing a disservice to the nation. He said the data, howsoever serious it may be, makes us aware and alert, and urged for a “course correction”.

Terming the new anti-COVID vaccine policy “discriminatory and insensitive”, Surjewal accused the govt of allowing vaccine makers to profiteer to the tune of Rs 1.11 lakh crore. “How can such brazen vaccine profiteering be permitted? Why is the Modi govt complicit in this profiteering in the times of pandemic? Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer,” he told reporters at a virtual press conference.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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MYANMAR CRISIS: INDIA LAUDS ASEAN’S EFFORT

India on Sunday gave a thumbs up to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ new steps to help Myanmar resolve its political crisis.

An Asean leaders’ meeting on Saturday took the most proactive step thus far by appointing a special envoy to work towards some kind of political dialogue.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs in new Delhi welcomed the Asean initiative and said, “Our diplomatic engagement with Myanmar will be aimed at strengthening these efforts.”

Asean has come under a lot of criticism for looking the other way while a coup was effected under its nose. The sustained violence and the military junta’s targeting of Myanmar citizens — over 700 have been killed in military crackdowns — has given the impression that Asean is toothless.

“India will continue to play a constructive and meaningful role aimed at resolving the current situation in Myanmar. India’s support to the democratic process in Myanmar remains steadfast,” the MEA said.

According to reports, Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing has given his approval to participate in the Asean-led dialogue.

TURKEY SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR OVER GENOCIDE ANNOUNCEMENT

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara to protest the U.S. decision to mark the deportation and killing of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as “genocide.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal met with David Satterfield late Saturday to express Ankara’s strong condemnation. “The statement does not have legal ground in terms of international law and has hurt the Turkish people, opening a wound that’s hard to fix in our relations,” the Ministry said.

On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden followed through on a campaign promise to recognise the events that began in 1915 and killed an estimated 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians as genocide. The statement was carefully crafted to say the deportations, massacres and death marches took place in the Ottoman Empire. “We see that pain. We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated," it said.

Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman to the Turkish President, tweeted on Sunday: “President Erdogan opened Turkey’s national archives & called for a joint historical committee to investigate the events of 1915, to which Armenia never responded. It is a pity @POTUS has ignored, among others, this simple fact and taken an irresponsible and unprincipled position.”

THE REST

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GOVT COMPLETELY BANS USE OF ‘LIQUID OXYGEN’ FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES

Keeping in view the acute shortage of life-saving gas, the govt on Sunday completely banned the use of “liquid oxygen” for industrial purposes, as the Ministry of Home Affairs in a communication to all the states and the Union Territories, also made it clear that “no exception is allowed to any industry” with regard to use of the commodity.

In a letter to chief secretaries if the states and the UTs, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in the capacity of the chairman of the executive committee of the National Disaster Management Act said, “All the authorities need to ensure that use of liquid oxygen is not allowed for any non-medical purpose and that all manufacturing units may maximise their production of liquid oxygen, and make it available to the Govt for use for medical purposes only, with immediate effect and until further orders.”

He added that all stocks of liquid oxygen should also be made available to the Govt for use for medical purposes and “no exception is allowed to any industry with regard to use of liquid oxygen”.

GOVT ASKS TWITTER TO TAKE DOWN SOME TWEETS CRITICAL OF ITS COVID-19 HANDLING

Twitter and other social media platforms have removed about 100 posts and URLs after the govt asked them to remove content that was critical of the handling of the current medical crisis or spreading fake news around the pandemic.

Twitter said it has notified the impacted account holders of its action taken in response to a legal request from the Indian govt.

Sources said the companies have complied with the order. However, it wasn't immediately known what the removed posts were.

Govt sources said the IT Ministry, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, asked the social media platforms to remove the posts and URLs (uniform resource locators) to "prevent obstructions in the fight against the pandemic” and disruption of public order due to the said posts. They added that the order was issued in view of the misuse of social media platforms by certain users to spread fake or misleading information and create panic about the pandemic in the society “by using unrelated, old and out of the context images or visuals, communally sensitive posts and misinformation about COVID-19 protocols”.

RECURRENCE OF COVID IN MARCH COULD BE DUE TO LACK OF ANTIBODIES IN SEROPOSITIVE PEOPLE: CSIR SURVEY

The recurrence of coronavirus outbreak in March could have been due to lack of “meaningful antibodies” in seropositive people after a peak in September last year, suggests a survey by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

The CSIR conducted a sero-survey on 10,427 people comprising the staff members of its 40 laboratories, including contractual employees, and their family members from 17 states and two union territories. In 10,427 people, the average sero-positivity was 10.14 per cent.

The survey suggested that the neutralising antibodies declined significantly after 5-6 months, making people prone to reinfections.

The coronavirus cases in the country peaked in September 2020 and there was a nationwide decline of new cases starting in October.

“Our data shows that while anti-NC (nucleocapsid) antibodies provide long-lasting evidence of viral exposure or infection, about 20 per cent of seropositive individuals lack meaningful neutralisation activity after 5-6 months.” “Using more stringent measures (more than 30 per cent inhibition of surrogate receptor-spike protein binding), the loss of neutralisation may be even higher. We speculate that this may be related to recurrence of outbreaks in March 2021 after the peak in September 2020,” the paper said.

ACTION AGAINST PVT HOSPITALS IF THEY LIE ABOUT OXYGEN SHORTAGE, WARNS YOGI

A day after claiming there was no shortage of medical oxygen in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday reiterated that supplies were available in the state and warned of action against private hospitals if they falsely report a shortage. The state govt had claimed on Saturday that some people were trying to create panic by spreading rumours on social media about oxygen scarcity.

The latest denials of oxygen scarcity came even as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said his administration had facilitated the transport of a tanker carrying 16 tonnes of oxygen to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow as it was reportedly facing oxygen shortage.

UP chief minister directed senior officials to ensure that oxygen plants are set up at 39 hospitals and 855 community health centres (CHCs) on a “war footing”. A govt spokesperson said Rs 488 crore had been released from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to build these plants. The state govt has also asked the Centre to provide 50 oxygen tankers, according to the official.

“During the surge in Covid cases, swiftness of the process is a must. In view of the same, officials must ensure unabated supply of oxygen to all hospitals with a capacity of 100-plus beds,” the statement quoted Adityanath as saying.

US CEOs PAY REMAINS STRATOSPHERIC, EVEN AT COMPANIES BATTERED BY PANDEMIC

Boeing had a historically bad 2020. Its 737 Max was grounded for most of the year after two deadly crashes, the pandemic decimated its business, and the company announced plans to lay off 30,000 workers and reported a $12 billion loss. Nonetheless, its chief executive, David Calhoun, was rewarded with some $21.1 million in compensation.

Norwegian Cruise Line barely survived the year. With the cruise industry at a standstill, the company lost $4 billion and furloughed 20 percent of its staff. That didn't stop Norwegian from more than doubling the pay of Frank Del Rio, its chief executive, to $36.4 million.

And at Hilton, where nearly a quarter of the corporate staff were laid off as hotels around the world sat empty and the company lost $720 million, it was a good year for the man in charge. Hilton reported in a securities filing that Chris Nassetta, its chief executive, received compensation worth $55.9 million in 2020.

The coronavirus plunged the world into an economic crisis, sent the U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketing and left millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Yet at many of the companies hit hardest by the pandemic, the executives in charge were showered with riches.

The stock markets are up and the wealthy are spending freely, but millions are still facing significant hardship. Executives are minting fortunes while laid-off workers line up at food banks.

"Many of these CEOs have improved profitability by laying off workers," said Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, who has proposed new taxes on the ultrawealthy. "A tiny handful of people who have shimmied all the way to the top of the greasy pole get all of the rewards, while everyone else gets left behind."

RONNIE SCREWVALA'S UPGRAD HEADS FOR $1 BN VALUATION

Ronnie Screwvala pioneered cable television in India in the 1980s and then built a unicorn that was acquired by Walt Disney Co. At 64, the entrepreneur’s latest venture UpGrad is speeding toward a landmark $1 billion valuation.

The higher education and upskilling startup raised $120 million from Singapore-based investor Temasek Holdings Pte, according to its co-founder. That’s the first time UpGrad—which had been funded entirely by Screwvala and its founding team since it was established in 2015—is getting an external investor.

“We are not quite a unicorn but we’ll get there soon,” says Screwvala

A posse of Indian edtech companies target the K-12 and test prep market and two of them, Naspers and Tiger Global-funded Byju’s as well as SoftBank-backed Unacademy, are already unicorns. UpGrad Education Pvt, as the startup is officially called, focuses on a different niche: older Indians looking for specialist skills, an additional degree or better preparation for the ultra-competitive entry tests for top engineering, medical and business schools.

IPL MATCH 19: JADEJA THE STAR AS CSK BEAT RCB

Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 69 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday.

CSK scored 191 for four after skipper Dhoni opted to bat on winning the toss.

In reply, RCB were stopped at 122 for 9 in 20 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja smashed 62 off 28 balls, including 37 runs in the innings’ final over with the help of five sixes (including one of a no-ball) and a four and a two off purple cap holder Harshal Patel’s bowling.

Jadeja also shone with the ball and finished with excellent figures of 3/13 in four overs, including taking the big wickets of AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell.

IPL MATCH 20: SRH SINK TO SUPER OVER DEFEAT AGAINST DC

Sunrisers Hyderabad's inept middle-order show foiled their splendid bowling effort as they ended up losing Sunday's contest against Delhi Capitals via Super Over, in Chennai.

Hyderabad spinners Rashid Khan and Jagadeesha Suchith's tight spells had restricted the Capitals to 159/4 despite a quick 81-run stand between openers Prithvi Shaw (53) and Shikhar Dhawan (28).

However, Hyderabad's over-reliance on their top-order batsmen meant that once skipper David Warner (6) and Jonny Bairstow (38) were dismissed, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was left to anchor the sinking ship.

With Capitals packed with proven performers, it was not possible for Williamson (66 not out) to do the job without support from other end. His fighting knock was not enough to take the side home.  However, timely hits from Suchith (15 off 6) helped SRH tie the scores and take it to the Super Over.

In the Super over, SRH managed just one boundary, setting an easy 8-run target for Capitals who knocked off the required runs despite Rashid Khan's brillance. Delhi Capital’s barely managed to reach the target, with two leg byes over the last 2 balls.

Each team has now completed 5 games.

CSK, Delhi and RCB have 4 wins each.

Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan have 2 wins each.

Hyderabad and Kolkata have one win each.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. - John C. Maxwell

OFF TRACK

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Mom: maine to pehle hi kaha tha us chudail se shadi mat kar....