UNDER 5% POSITIVITY RATE IN 377 DISTRICTS; BUT NO HASTY UNLOCK, STATES TOLD

As of yesterday, 377 (up from 92 in the week ending May 7) districts in the country have less than 5 per cent positivity, but the government sounded caution on unlocking.

Last week, the ICMR had set three criteria for unlocking — less than 5 per cent positivity in a district, over 70 per cent inoculation of priority groups and community role in Covid-appropriate behaviour.

“We have to buy time to achieve a high rate of vaccination and want to keep practising intense discipline till then by way of continuing to enforce the ‘test, track, isolate’ strategy, self-discipline, masks and avoiding gatherings and parties,” said VK Paul, Member, Health, NITI Aayog.

“We are witnessing a consistent improvement in the pandemic situation. Positivity is declining. This has resulted from strong action by way of containment, Covid-appropriate behaviour, generous testing and restrictions. But the situation can again become unacceptable if we reverse our behaviour. When the peak is declining and we suddenly get into the same behaviour as in January, the virus will come back,” Paul cautioned.

Meanwhile, the DCGI has granted permission to the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture Sputnik V vaccine in India for examination, test and analysis with certain conditions, official sources said.

Zydus Cadila may seek licence for child vaccine in two weeks, said VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog. He said Covaxin trials too were being conducted on children. There are around 12 to 13 crore children in the 12-18 age group.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 15,51,104

New Cases in last 24 hours: 1,21,381

Recovered in last 24 hours: 1,98,322

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -80,323

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 3,382 (3,44,101)

Daily Tests (Thursday): 36,51,198

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 3.6%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 13.4% / 3.4%

Most Affected States:

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

1          Karnataka         2,80,186           /           16,068  /           364

2          Tamil Nadu       2,68,968           /           22,651  /           463

3          Maharashtra     1,96,894           /           14,152  /           1,377

4          Kerala              1,74,864           /           16,229  /           135

5          Andhra Pradesh            1,33,773           /           10,413  /           83

6          Odisha 71,332  /           7,729    /           39

7          West Bengal     53,023  /           7,913    /           113

8          Assam              50,765  /           4,548    /           54

9          Telangana        30,918  /           2,175    /           15

10        Jammu and Kashmir     29,615  /           1,723    /           34

11        Chhattisgarh     26,977  /           1,460    /           23

12        Punjab              26,277  /           2,005    /           87

13        Rajasthan         24,004  /           1,006    /           40

14        Uttar Pradesh   22,876  /           1,112    /           136

15        Gujarat 22,110  /           1,120    /           16

16        Uttarakhand      19,283  /           892       /           58

17        Madhya Pradesh           12,889  /           798       /           50

18        Haryana           11,054  /           895       /           73

19        Bihar                10,308  /           991       /           23

20        Himachal Pradesh         9,787    /           787       /           27

21        Puducherry       9,494    /           712       /           18

22        Goa                  9,099    /           576       /           17

23        Manipur            9,048    /           791       /           14

24        Delhi                8,060    /           523       /           50

25        Jharkhand        6,832    /           478       /           13

26        Tripura 6,377    /           650       /           5

27        Meghalaya        6,110    /           584       /           18

28        Nagaland          4,695    /           147       /           12

29        Sikkim              4,272    /           353       /           3

30        Arunachal Pradesh        3,829    /           404       /           3

31        Mizoram           3,321    /           205       /           1

32        Lakshadweep    1,209    /           89        /           1

33        Chandigarh       1,005    /           88        /           3

MoD CLEARS RS 43,000 CRORE PROJECT TO BUILD SIX SUBMARINES

Giving a fillip to the Navy, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Friday cleared a mega project to domestically build six conventional submarines equipped with state-of-the-art technology at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore.

The submarines will be built under the much-talked-about strategic partnership model that allows domestic defence manufacturers to join hands with leading foreign defence majors to produce high-end military platforms to reduce import dependence.

The Ministry also approved proposals relating to the acquisition of various equipment for modernisation and operational needs of the armed forces amounting to Rs 6,000 crore.

“This is a landmark approval, being the first case processed under the Strategic Partnership model. This would be one of the largest ‘Make in India’ projects and will serve to facilitate faster and more significant absorption of technology and create a tiered industrial ecosystem for submarine construction in India,” the MoD said in a statement.

The government also said that from a strategic perspective, the decision will help reduce current dependence on imports and gradually ensure greater self-reliance. The project will be implemented in a period of around 12 years and the final cost may go up depending on the weapons systems to be incorporated into the stealth submarines.

The Indian Navy plans to acquire 24 new submarines, including six nuclear attack submarines, to bolster its underwater fighting capability. It currently has 15 conventional submarines and two nuclear submarines.

RBI CUTS GDP FORECAST TO 9.5%, KEEPS INTEREST RATES UNCHANGED

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday admitted that the unexpectedly higher rates of morbidity and mortality in the second wave have impaired recovery.

“However, the impact on the economy is likely to be relatively contained because restrictions on mobility are regionalised and businesses have adapted to pandemic working conditions,” said Das, while announcing a one per cent cut in the RBI’s GDP estimates for the current fiscal to 9.5 per cent.

“We will continue to think and act out of the box, planning for the worst and hoping for the best. The measures announced today, in conjunction with other steps taken so far, are expected to reclaim the growth trajectory from which we have slid,” he said, while announcing the decisions of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

The MPC projected retail inflation at 5.1 per cent for this fiscal, within its target range of 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side, said Das.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

UK REGULATOR APPROVES PFIZER/BIONTECH VACCINES FOR 12-15 YR OLDS

The United Kingdom's medicines regulator on Friday approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds, saying it is 'safe and effective' in this age group and the benefits outweigh any risks.

Until now, COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the UK have been approved for adults aged 16 and over.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the decision followed a 'rigorous review' of safety and effectiveness in the lower age groups and its conclusion is that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh any risks.

"We have carefully reviewed clinical trial data in children aged 12 to 15 years and have concluded that the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group and that the benefits of this vaccine outweigh any risk," said Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive.

RELEASE ‘MEDICAL RECORDS’ OF SICK WUHAN LAB STAFF, FAUCI URGES CHINA

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has called on China to release the medical records of nine people whose ailments might provide vital clues into whether COVID-19 first emerged as the result of a lab leak.

“I would like to see the medical records of the three people who are reported to have got sick in 2019. Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with?” Fauci said.

hypothesis, saying the virus could have been circulating in other regions before it hit Wuhan.

GLOBAL STOCKS NEARLY GRASP ALL-TIME RECORD, AFTER US JOBS DATA

Global stocks rallied on Friday and closed near all-time highs, and oil and gold rose while the dollar dropped after U.S. jobs data was strong but not as robust as expected, easing investor worries that the Federal Reserve would soon rein in monetary stimulus.

On Wall Street, Microsoft lifted the S&P 500, followed by Apple, as the index gained 37.04 points, or 0.88%, to 4,229.89, marking an overall near-record jump of more than 12% this year. Those technology firms account for more than 5% of the MSCI's all-country index's weight.

Shares for Amazon.com Inc, Facebook, Alphabet's Google and Tesla also were up.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 179.35 points, or 0.52%, to 34,756.39 while the Nasdaq Composite added 199.98 points, or 1.47%, to 13,814.49.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.39% after hitting a record high this week. MSCI's all-country world index, which tracks shares in 50 countries across the globe, gained 0.71%.

A stronger-than-expected jobs report would have heightened worries that the Fed might contemplate paring back its bond-buying program and raising interest rates.

THE REST

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DELTA VARIANT BEHIND APRIL WAVE IN DELHI, SHOWS NCDC STUDY

The massive surge in coronavirus infections in Delhi in April was caused by the rapid spread of B.1.617.2, a sub-lineage of the variant first found in Maharashtra last year and recently named Delta, according to a new study.

Scientists have found this variant to be much more transmissible than other variants in the national capital, the study shows. This is the first time that a surge in any region has been directly linked to the circulation of a particular variant of the virus.

In the study, scientists from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) assessed the Delta variant to be at least 50 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was first seen in the UK and was predominant in the region in February and March.

By April, the study shows, the Delta variant had replaced Alpha as the most common variant in Delhi’s population, and accounted for nearly half of all the new infections.

The study also said that while the Delta variant had higher transmissibility and carried greater viral load, it seemed to cause a lesser number of deaths.

AFTER OUTRAGE, PUNJAB GOVT WITHDRAWS DECISION TO SELL VACCINES TO PVT HOSPITALS

The Punjab government on Friday withdrew its decision to provide one-time limited Covid-19 vaccine doses for people in the 18-44 years age group to private hospitals because it had "not been taken in the right spirit".

The government has directed private hospitals to return all the vaccine doses that are available with them. Additionally, doses that have been utilised also have to be returned once the private hospitals get direct supply from vaccine manufacturers.

Earlier on Friday, Punjab Health Minister BS Sidhu said he will set an inquiry and will personally inquire into allegations of the Punjab government earning profits from the Covid vaccination drive.

On Friday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa wrote a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh demanding an inquiry into the sale of 40,000 doses of Covaxin to private hospitals at more than Rs 1,000 per dose. "This policy is absolutely uncalled for especially in the middle of the second wave," he wrote. He alleged that the state government has made a profit of Rs 2.64 crore through these sales.

AMARINDER SET TO LEAD CONGRESS IN 2022 PUNJAB POLLS

The Congress will most likely head into the 2022 assembly election in Punjab with Capt Amarinder Sigh as the chief ministerial face again although the party is exploring the option of revamping the state unit, multiple leaders privy to the deliberations of an All India Congress Committee panel have reportedly said.

The Punjab CM held a three-hour-long meeting with a three-member AICC panel in New Delhi Friday.

The developments came in the backdrop of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu’s rebellion against the CM. Sidhu, a former minister in Amarinder’s government, has been critical of the CM and wants a larger role for himself in Punjab.

The three-member committee comprising Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, Punjab state in-charge Harish Rawat and J.P. Aggarwal met legislators and other leaders from Punjab before meeting Amarinder Friday.

“It is true that there is no alternative to Captain and most MLAs don’t want to replace him. But at the same time, they have complained about his accessibility,” a member of the AICC panel reportedly said. “A number of MLAs said they were unable to get an audience with him to get their local level works done. At the end of the day an MLA is accountable to the people.”

DON’T USE IMA PLATFORM TO PROPAGATE RELIGION: DELHI COURT

Mazhab nahi sikhata apas mein bair rakhna,’ a Delhi court said while directing Indian Medical Association president J A Jayalal not to use the organisation's platform to propagate any religion, and cautioned him that loose comments cannot be expected from a person chairing the responsible post.

Additional district judge Ajay Goel passed the order in a suit filed against Jayalal for allegedly starting a defamatory campaign against the Hindu religion . Complainant Rohit Jha stated that Jayalal is taking the umbrella of the IMA, misusing his position and misleading the nation and its citizens in order to convert Hindu to Christian religion. Citing articles and interviews of the IMA president, Jha sought a direction from the court to restrain him from writing, speaking in the media, or publishing any content which is defamatory to Hindu religion or ayurveda.

Noting that the suit seems to be an offshoot of a verbal duel with respect to allopathy vs ayurveda, the court said on Thursday that no injunction is required based on the assurance given by Jayalal that he will not indulge in such kind of activity.

OFFICIALS BACK HOME FROM DOMINICA WITHOUT CHOKSI

From the time he showed up bruised and battered in Dominica police custody, the story of fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi, a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda who is wanted by India for his alleged role in the PNB scam, has been one of twists and turns, and many unanswered questions.

Now, a chartered jet operated by Qatar Airways, to likely fly him out returned to Delhi Friday night after waiting at the Douglas-Charles airport in Dominica for more than a week.

The plane is said to have carried a team of eight officials to secure Choksi’s deportation to India — hearing of his case has been adjourned and no date has been decided yet.

Last week, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said that an aircraft had arrived in Dominica, carrying necessary documentation in support of the case for Choksi’s deportation to India.

RS 20 LAKH FINE, HIGH COURT JUNKS JUHI’S PETITION ON 5G

The Delhi High Court yesterday dismissed actress Juhi Chawla’s plea against setting up of 5G wireless network in India and slapped a cost of Rs 20 lakh on her and co-petitioners for abusing process of law and wasting its time for “gaining publicity”.

“No case is made out for granting permission to institute the suit… or to sue in representative capacity as the suit is defective and not maintainable. The plaint is stuffed with unnecessary, scandalous and frivolous averments,” Justice JR Midha said.

The court said the suit filed by the actress and others was to gain publicity which was clear as she circulated the video conferencing link of the hearing on her social media account, resulting in repeated interruptions by unidentified persons during the hearing. It wondered why 33 parties had been added to the plaint.

LIONESS IN TAMIL NADU ZOO DIES OF CORONAVIRUS, 9 OTHERS INFECTED

For the first time in Tamil Nadu, a lion has died of coronavirus while nine others in the pride have tested positive for the infection at a zoo near Chennai. “It is for the first time that the big cats have tested positive for the virus in Tamil Nadu,” an official said.

The incidence of the lions getting infected came to light on May 26 when five lions, housed in safari park area, showed loss of appetite and occasional coughing, an official release from the park said.

Immediately, the in-house veterinary team swung into action to investigate and treat the animals.

To ascertain whether or not the reported findings were in the nature of false positives or the lioness could have died of comorbidities, samples were sent today (June 4) to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, and to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, the release said.

Last month, eight Asiatic lions at a zoo in Hyderabad tested positive for Covid-19 making it the first such case in the country.

OLYMPICS-BOUND WRESTLER SUMIT FAILS DOPE TEST, PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED

Olympics-bound Indian wrestler Sumit Malik has been provisionally suspended after failing a dope test during the recent Qualifiers in Bulgaria, a major embarrassment for the country with just weeks left for the Games in Tokyo.

It marks the second consecutive instance of a wrestler being caught in dope net before the Olympics -- the previous being ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics when Narsingh Pancham Yadav had failed one and was slapped with a four-year ban.

Malik, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 125kg category at the World Olympic Qualifier event in Sofia, Bulgaria which was the last chance for wrestlers to earn quotas.

The 28-year-old's participation at the main event starting July 23 seems uncertain now.

FRENCH OPEN, DAY 6

Serena Williams powered confidently into the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-4 6-4 defeat of fellow American Danielle Collins as the draw opened up enticingly.

The 39-year-old seventh seed produced a calm and composed display against a dangerous opponent and is now the highest-ranked player left in the bottom half.

Williams, seeking a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, but first since 2017, will play Kazakhstan’s 21st seed Elena Rybakina for a place in the quarterfinals.

In Men’s Singles, World No. 6 Alexander Zverev’s French Open campaign gained momentum as the German dispatched Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-2 7-5 6-2 to reach the fourth round.

Zverev, who won the claycourt title in Madrid and lost to Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals in Rome in the lead-up to Roland Garros, had too much for his 55th-ranked opponent as he set up a clash with Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

INDICATORS

Sensex 52,100 (-132), Nifty 15,670 (-20), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 75411.58

Nasdaq 13,814 (+200) Dow 34,756 (+179), S&P 4,230 (+37)

US$-Rs. 72.82 GBP-Rs. 102.94, Euro-Rs. 88.40, UAE Dhm-Rs.19.82, Can$-Rs. 60.16, Aus$- Rs. 56.05

GBP 0.70 /US$, Euro 0.82 /US$, Jap.Yen 109.87 /US$, Aus$ 1.29 /US$, Sing 1.32 /US$, Bang Taka 83.33 /US$, Can$ 1.21 /US$, Mal Ring 4.12 /US$,

Pak Re 154.60 /US$, Phil Peso 47.69 /US$, Russian Rouble 73.03 /US$, NZ$ 1.39 /US$, Thai Baht 31.16 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.17 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 37,748

Dollar Index 90.12 Brent Crude 71.89  BDI 2,438

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,891 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,896 / 4,796, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 70,800

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind. - Theophole Gautier

OFF TRACK

Q.  What's the difference between a King's son, a monkey's mother, a bald head, and an orphan? 

A. One's an heir apparent, the next is a hairy parent, the next has no hair apparent, and the last has nary a parent.