GOVERNMENT STEPS IN AFTER RETAILERS AND E-COMMERCE PLAYERS STOPPED

As the 21-day nationwide lockdown kicked in Wednesday, confusion prevailed

among local authorities and police over exemptions, causing major

disruptions in last-mile supply of food and grocery items, which are part of

essential goods and services and exempted from prohibitory orders.

While some authorities instituted mechanisms for allowing home deliveries,

including issuing curfew passes to the staff of Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket,

Grofers, Swiggy, Zomato, etc, many raised concerns over non-adherence of

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) orders in different states. Offline

retailers such as Future Retail, which operates the Big Bazaar chain, also

complained that police confiscated bikes and keys of its staff and even beat

them up on their way to stores.

With reports like these pouring in from many cities, the MHA asked all

states and union territories to draft standard operating protocols, set up

helplines and appoint nodal officers to coordinate delivery of essential

goods. “We got reports that labourers and truckers were man-handled in some

states when they tried to tell police personnel they were connected with

railway freight movement,” a senior government official said.

On Day 1 of the lockdown, freight movement for the Railways slowed down by

almost a third due to unavailability of labour for loading and unloading at

different locations, even though food grains, milk “specials” etc were run.

The Railways has pressed into 24×7 service its entire freight moving

apparatus.

CENTRE ISSUES FRESH GUIDELINES ON LOCKDOWN EXEMPTIONS

The home ministry on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines covering additional

people and services who will be exempted from the 21-day lockdown announced

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the new guidelines, the ministry said RBI and RBI-regulated financial

markets, pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum

products and supply chain and forest staff are exempted from the purview of

the lockdown.

Those people handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations,

coal mining activities, officers and staff of resident commissioners based

in Delhi and customs clearance at ports, airports and land borders are also

exempted.

Forest offices staff and workers required to operate and maintain zoo,

nurseries, wildlife, fire fighting in forests, watering plantations,

patrolling and their necessary transport movement, social welfare department

staff for operations of homes for children, disabled, senior citizens,

destitute women, widows, observation homes and pensions service are also

exempted, the guidelines said.

After Prime Minister Modi's announcement, the home ministry on Tuesday night

issued some guidelines for enforcement of the nationwide lockdown.

The guidelines listed several services, including government and private

offices, that will be out of bounds during the period, while exempting

establishments such as hospitals, ration shops, dairies, banks, insurance

offices, and print and electronic media.

Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical

equipment through e-commerce has also been exempted from the purview of the

lockdown.

"All enforcing authorities to note that these strict restrictions

fundamentally relate to movement of people, but not to that of essential

goods," the guidelines issued on Tuesday said.

In Wednesday's guidelines, veterinary hospitals, pharmacies (including Jan

Aushadhi Kendra) and pharmaceutical research laboratories, IT vendor for

banking operations, banking correspondent and ATM operations and cash

management agencies were exempted.

Shops for seeds and pesticides data and call centre for government,

manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceutical,

medical devices, their raw material and intermediates, coal and mineral

production, transportation, supply of explosives and activities incidental

to mining operations were exempted from the 21-day lockdown.

Manufacturing units of packaging material for food items, drugs,

pharmaceutical and medical devices, inter-state movement of goods/cargo for

inland and exports, cross land border movement of essential goods including

petroleum products and LPG, food products, medical supplies were also

exempted.

CENTREÂ’S STIMULUS PACKAGE LIKELY SOON

All eyes are now on a massive stimulus package from the Central Government

which may include cash into the bank accounts of all Indians earning less

than Rs 5 lakh annually and underwriting of a moratorium on loan and payment

obligations.

The government has already announced relaxations in several statutory and

regulatory compliance matters relating to filing of income tax returns,

renewal of life and health insurance policies and maintenance of minimum

balance in bank accounts.

After a crash that wiped out wealth worth Rs 10 lakh crore, the stock market

has risen for two days in anticipation of a stimulus package which may be

announced towards the weekend. India will be following the measures being

taken by countries such as the US and Canada that are readying $2 trillion

and $18.8 billion stimulus packages, respectively, to avert the hit to the

poor, the businesses and the salaried. Though the Covid Economic Task Force

announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to take shape, Union

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has suggested that several sub-groups of

academics, parliamentarians, industrialists, etc, have compiled suggestions

that are being deliberated upon by the Prime MinisterÂ’s Office, the Union

Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India.

The stimulus package will also have a special approach for the micro and

small industry, the biggest employer in the industry and which has become

the most vulnerable, besides measures to assist the tourism, hospitality,

retail and civil aviation sectors that have been worst impacted.

OUR DUTY IS TO FULLY BACK PM, HEÂ’S THE COMMANDER, WE ARE FOOT SOLDIERS:

CHIDAMBARAM

Former Home Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram today urged everyone

to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “stay at home” call saying the PM is

the commander and people are the foot soldiers in the fight against the

disease.

“The PM’s announcement yesterday of a nationwide 21-day lockdown is a

watershed moment in the battle against COVID 19. We should put behind us

the debates that took place before March 24 and look upon the nationwide

lockdown as the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot

soldiers and the PM is the Commander. We owe a duty to extend our total

support to the Prime Minister and the central and state governments,”

Chidambaram said.

The former minister also laid down a 10 point plan to ease the stress of the

marginalized who would be the worst hit in the lockdown period. The plan, he

said, is intended to put cash and food immediately in the hands of the poor

and the vulnerable.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD – (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE) at 0930 IST

Total Cases 664 (+102) / 471,311 (+48,482)

Total Deaths 12 (+1) / 21,293 (+2,387)

Total Recovered 43 (+3) / 114,642 (+5,540

Active Cases 609 (+98) / 335,376 (+40,556)

Serious / Critical Cases 0 / 14,792 (+1697)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

AFTER ITALY, SPAINÂ’S TOLL SURPASSES THAT OF CHINA

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has launched an appeal for $2bn in

international humanitarian aid to help poorer countries tackle the

coronavirus pandemic, as the death toll in Italy and Spain continued to

climb. Guterres said COVID-19 was a threat to the "whole of humanity and the

whole of humanity must fight back."

Spain's COVID-19 death toll overtook that of China on Wednesday, rising to

3,647, with 656 new deaths, the government said. The spiralling number of

deaths came as Spain entered the 11th day of an unprecedented lockdown to

try and rein in the COVID-19 epidemic that has now infected 49,515 people,

the health ministry said. 40,000 infections were among health workers.

Italy reported 683 new deaths in the coronavirus pandemic, bringing its

total to 7,503.

The US has 66,132 confirmed cases - an increase of more than 10,000 in one

day. At least 947 people with the virus have died in the US. But it's not

all bad news. New York's governor says the city's strict measures seem to be

working, as the rate of hospitalisations appears to have slowed in recent

days. Governor Cuomo said the arrows were "headed in the right direction"

In the UK, the death toll has risen to 465 from 422, as the number of cases

in the country passes the 9,500 mark.

France recorded at least 231 more deaths. The director general of the

countryÂ’s health service, Jérôme Salomon, said there are now 25,233

confirmed cases, while 1,331 people have died, meaning the known death rate

rose by 231 in 24 hours. But those were hospital deaths only and did not

include those in retirement homes or outside hospitals.

In China's Hubei province, life started returning to normal on Wednesday

after two months of lockdown, with traffic controls lifted, construction

resuming and people catching buses and trains across once-shut borders. On

Wednesday evening in Xianning, residents strolled outside, carrying

groceries or buying takeaway. Restaurants were only serving food for

takeaway. Loudspeakers blared out promotions like buy one get one free.

WHITE HOUSE, US CONGRESS AGREE ON $2 TRILLION RESCUE BILL

The White House and Senate leaders of both major political parties announced

agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush

sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the

coronavirus pandemic.

The urgently needed $2 trillion pandemic response measure is the largest

economic rescue measure in history and is intended as a weekslong or

monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession and a nation facing

a potentially ghastly toll.

Top White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement in a Capitol

hallway shortly after midnight, capping days of often intense haggling and

mounting pressure. The deal still needs to be finalized in detailed

legislative language. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are done," Ueland said. "We

have a deal."

The economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans,

expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small

businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home.

GUNMEN ATTACK GURDWARA IN AFGHANISTAN, MASSACRE 25 WORSHIPPERS

At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when heavily

armed suicide bombers blasted their way into a prominent gurdwara on

Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the

deadliest attacks on the Sikh community in the strife-torn country.

The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in

Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor

Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the

building.

Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack

on the Sikh worship place and expressed his condolences to the victims'

families, the report said.

THE REST

========

THIS NAVRATRI, ADOPT 9 POOR FAMILIES, MODI URGES RICHER FAMILIES

Characterising social distancing as a strategy to battle the global Covid-19

pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underscored no

individual was immune while reiterating that people should avoid

self-medication.

Interacting with constituents of his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from

here, PM Modi expressed regret for his inability to be among them in this

hour of crisis as their representative. He, however, said the city should

take a lead in showing the way in the battle against Covid.

Responding to a question about a perception prevalent among many that the

disease would not affect them due to their lifestyle, dietary habits, etc,

the PM said human psyche was such that it preferred the easy way out. He

asserted that so far the spread had shown the disease did not spare any

individual and there was no immunity. He reminded that so far there was

neither any medicine nor vaccine available for it.

Modi also urged people to refrain from self-medication, saying that studies

showed that it could result in serious consequences.

Taking strong exception to reports that certain house-owners, societies were

objecting to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals engaged in

treating Covid patients, the PM appealed to people to be sensitive even as

he warned that those indulging in such acts would face serious action. He

likened the frontline warriors in white coats to “living gods” who were

undertaking grave risk in this battle against the disease.

Modi said that on the first day of the Navratri (Wednesday), it would be a

good if each family, which is better placed, adopted at least nine less

privileged families and took care of their basic needs during the period of

lockdown.

277 EVACUEES FROM IRAN ARE COVID -VE

The authorities are collecting samples of stranded pilgrims in Iran and

around 2,000 samples have been flown into India and those found negative for

Covid-19 are being flown back in batches.

So far, 867 persons have flown back to India, including 277 who arrived

yesterday. These 277 have been put up at Army wellness centre at Jodhpur.

The evacuees were screened on arrival at the Jodhpur airport and then taken

to the medical facility which has been designed not just for isolation but

also mental and physical wellness.

Those found positive have been kept at a “wellness facility” set up in the

pilgrimage town of Qom in Iran with the support of the Iranian authorities.

LANDLORDS TO FACE STRICT ACTION FOR EVICTING MEDICAL PERSONNEL

The government has decided to take strict penal action against landlords or

house-owners who are forcing “doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare

personnel” to vacate their rented accommodations.

A decision in this regard was taken following a letter to Home Minister Amit

Shah by the Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS in which it was apprised

that many staffers were “stranded on roads” with all their luggage and

requested that the government should immediately issue an order prohibiting

landlords from evicting the healthcare professionals working tirelessly

against the Covid-19 outbreak.

In the order issued by the MHA, it is said such behaviour of landlords or

house-owners “not only strikes at the root of the fight against the Covid-

19

pandemic, but also tantamount to obstruction of duty and essential service”.

It directed all District Magistrates, Zonal Deputy Commissioners of

Municipal Corporations, District Deputy Commissioners of Police to take

strict penal action against such landlords or house-owners.

JAIL FOR TRAVELLERS IF THEY JUMP QUARANTINE

With Covid-19 cases in India crossing the 600 mark today, the government

warned recent travellers to the country, currently under official or home

quarantine, to follow protocols or face legal action. The country hasnÂ’t yet

entered the stage of community transmission of the virus, it said.

The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to minimise the

impact of the disease once it transmits into the community.

Currently, 64,000 people who returned to India since March remain under

strict disease surveillance because they have the potential to spread the

virus. Of them, 8,000 are lodged at government quarantine facilities and

56,000 are in home isolation but under surveillance. All these travellers

need to complete their 14-day quarantine cycle and additional isolation

until cleared of any potential infection and certified so.

DEALING WITH INTERNET DATA SPIKE

The “digital industry”, stakeholders met on March 24 to “ensure the

robustness of the cellular network” by either defaulting mobile videos to

standard definition, such as in the case of YouTube, or removing high

definition viewing options altogether, which Star India and TikTok have

done. Other companies that have signed the agreement are Sony, Facebook,

Viacom18, Amazon Prime Video, Zee, Netflix, MX Player and Hotstar.

The National Informatics Center has also enabled a Virtual Private Network

(VPN) to allow government officials to access the e-filing system from their

homes. The NIC has also seen an uptick of government officials using

video-conferencing to replace physical meetings.

FLOYD CARDOZ, THE PIONEER OF ‘NEW INDIAN CUISINE’, DIES AT 59

Restaurateur and Indian-origin chef Floyd Cardoz, the man who told the world

that there was more to Indian food than curry and chicken tikka, passed away

in New York on Wednesday after testing positive for coronavirus a week ago.

In a statement issued late on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Hunger Inc.

Hospitality, the company Cardoz founded in Mumbai in 2015 and which runs the

popular The Bombay Canteen (TBC) and O Pedro restaurants, said, “Floyd

tested positive for COVID-19, in USA, on March 18 and was being treated for

the same at Mountainside Medical Centre, New Jersey, USA.” Cardoz, who had

made New York his home since the late 1980s, was 59.

Widely credited with bringing the diversity and complexity of Indian cuisine

to the worldÂ’s notice, Cardoz grew up in Bandra, Mumbai.

GOVT ASKS CAR MANUFACTURERS TO EXPLORE VENTILATOR PRODUCTION

The central government has asked all automakers to utilise their

manufacturing facilities to produce ventilators and other medical gear

required to fight coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

In a communication to major automobile manufacturers, the Ministry of Heavy

Industries asked them to explore using their manufacturing facilities and

manpower to produce ventilators. The communication was issued after a joint

meeting of the top four companies — Maruti Suzuki, M&M, Tata Motors and

Hyundai.

In the United States, Ford Motors has started working with 3M and General

Electric to manufacture respirators and ventilators.

INDICATORS

Sensex 28,536 (+1862), Nifty 8,318 (+517), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores)

41,116

Nasdaq 7,384 (-34) Dow 21,201(+496), S&P 2,476 (+28)

US$-Rs. 76.00 GBP-Rs. 89.90, Euro-Rs. 82.32, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.68, Can$-Rs.

53.05, Aus$- Rs. 45.47

GBP 0.84 /US$, Euro 0.92 /US$, Jap.Yen 111.24 /US$, Aus$ 1.67 /US$, Sing

1.44 /US$, Bang Taka 83.19 /US$, Can$ 1.43 /US$, Mal Ring 4.39 /US$,

Pak Re 159.18 /US$, Phil Peso 50.98 /US$, Russian Rouble 78.23 /US$, NZ$

1.71 /US$, Thai Baht 32.74 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.64 /US$, Norway NOK

10.87 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 6,668

Dollar Index 100.93 Brent Crude 27.16 BDI 603

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,603 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,208 /

4,108, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 40,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things.

He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. - Ronald

Reagan

OFF TRACK

A man meets a friend after a long time & notices he is wearing an earring.

"When did u start wearing the earring?"

Friend: Ever since my Wife found one in my Car!