On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acknowledged the emergence of a new coronavirus (COVID-19) that was spreading across China.[1] On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 disease to be a global pandemic. As of April 7, 2020, there are 4,421 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.[2] Of these, 326 patients have been cured/discharged and 114 have died.1

As the spread increased and more information about the virus was uncovered, the central government announced several policy decisions to contain it. Further, measures were also announced to support citizens and businesses who were affected by such containment measures. In this blog post, we summarise some of the key measures taken by the central government in this regard as of April 7.

Movement restrictions 21-day lockdown in the country The Ministry of Home Affairs announced a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 from March 25, 2020 to April 14, 2020.[3] During the lockdown, all establishments, other than those providing essential goods and services, and those involved in agricultural operations, have been closed. Essential goods include items such as food, medicine, and electricity. Essential services include banking services, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. Transportation of all goods (essential or non-essential) will remain functional. [4],[5],[6],[7],[8]

All state/UT governments have been directed to: (i) arrange for shelter and food for the needy, including migrant workers, (ii) quarantine migrant workers for at least 14 days, (iii) direct employers to pay wages during the lockdown, and (iv) ensure landlords do not demand rent from workers and students for one month.[9]

Financial aid Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to provide relief against COVID-19 On March 26, the Finance Minister announced a relief package of 1.7 lakh crore rupees under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor.[10] Key features of the package are:10,[11]

Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh will be provided to health workers (such as doctors, nurses, paramedics and ASHA workers) who are treating patients of COVID-19.[12]

Five kilograms of wheat or rice and one kilogram of preferred pulses will be provided for free every month to poor families for the next three months.

Women account holders under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana will get Rs 500 per month between April and June, and poor families will be given three free gas cylinders over the next three months.

Extension and relaxation in payment of taxes The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on March 31, 2020.10 The Ordinance provides certain relaxations, such as extension of time limits and waivers of penalties, in relation to specified laws. These include the Income Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act), some Finance Acts, and the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. Key provisions under the Ordinance include:

Extension of time limits: The Ordinance extends the time limits (for the period between March 20, 2020 to June 29, 2020) for compliance of certain actions such as: (i) issuing notifications, completing proceedings, and passing orders by authorities and tribunals, (ii) filing of appeals, replies, and applications, and furnishing documents, and (iii) making any investment or payment for claiming deductions or allowances under the IT Act.

Interest and penalty: Payment of any tax, made before June 30, 2020 (or any further date specified by the government), will not be liable for prosecution or penalty. Also, the rate of interest payable for the delay in payment will not exceed 0.75% per month.

Donations to PM CARES Fund: Donations made by a person to the PM CARES Fund will be eligible for 100% tax deduction. GST compliances: The central government may notify extension to time limits for various compliances under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.

Measures by RBI to address the financial stress caused by COVID-19 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also announced several measures to address the stress in the economy caused by COVID-19.[13],[14],[15] Key measures are detailed below:

Cutting Policy Rates: The repo rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to banks) was reduced from 5.15% to 4.4%. The reverse repo rate (the rate at which RBI borrows money from banks) was reduced from 4.9% to 4.0%.

Liquidity management: Measures are being taken to expand liquidity in the market to ensure that financial markets and institutions can function normally. These measures include the reduction of the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for all banks from 4% to 3% till March 26, 2021. CRR is the amount of liquid cash that banks have to maintain with the RBI, as a percentage of their total deposits. These steps are expected to inject total liquidity of Rs 3.74 lakh crore.

Relief to borrowers in repayment of loans: All banks and financial institutions (including NBFCs) are permitted to grant a moratorium of three months on payment of all term loan instalments (including agricultural, retail and crop loans) and interest on working capital loans (such as overdraft facilities), which are due between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020.

Short term credit to states The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an Advisory Committee to review the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limits for states and UTs. WMA limits refer to temporary loans given by the RBI to state governments. Until the Committee submits its final recommendations, the WMA limit has been increased by 30% from the existing limit, for all states and UTs. The revised limits will be in force between April 1 and September 30, 2020.[16]

PM CARES Fund The central government has set up a national fund to deal with emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. The public charitable trust known as the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) will provide relief to those affected by COVID-19. The trust is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes members such as the Defence Minister, Home Minister, and Finance Minister.[17]

Donations made by a person to the PM CARES Fund are 100% tax deductible.[18] Non-residents can also contribute to the Fund through foreign inward remittances.[19]

Health measures COVID-19 testing Currently, government facilities are offering free of cost diagnosis to all individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.[20] Further, the government has approved certain private laboratories to test individuals for COVID-19. The cost of screening in private labs may not exceed Rs 4,500.[21] As of April 7, there are 136 government testing centres for analysing samples of COVID-19 and 3 additional collection centres.[22] Further, there were 59 private labs offering testing in 12 states. These states are Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.[23]

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also laid down guidelines for those who may be tested at these laboratories. These include: (i) symptomatic contacts of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, and (ii) symptomatic persons with a travel history to COVID-19 affected countries, (iii) symptomatic healthcare workers, and (iv) persons with severe respiratory diseases.21

Containment plan for large outbreaks The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has created a plan to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Some of the measures suggested in the plan include:[24]

Geographic quarantine: This strategy requires the restriction of movement of people to and from a defined geographic area where there is a large outbreak.

Cluster Containment: This strategy will contain the disease within a defined geographic area by early detection of cases. Cluster containment will include geographic quarantine, social distancing, testing all suspected cases, and awareness amongst the public.

Restrictions on export of medicines and medical equipment The central government placed restrictions on the export of certain medical equipment and medication so as to ensure its availability in India. For example, the export of ventilators, surgical masks, diagnostic kits, and medications such as paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine is restricted.[25],[26],[27],[28]

Travel restrictions Domestic and international travel banned; issue of visas suspended Civil Aviation: All passenger domestic air travel within the country is banned from March 24 till April 14, 2020.[29],[30] All international commercial passenger travel has been banned till April 14, 2020 (cargo and certain other flights are exempted).[31] All existing visas issued to nationals of any country except those issued to diplomats, officials, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas are suspended from March 13 till April 15, 2020.[32]

Railways: Indian Railways suspended all passenger trains till April 14, 2020.[33] Transportation of essential commodities will continue.[34] Railways has also made parcel vans available for quick transportation for e-commerce companies and other customers including state governments to transport certain goods. These include medical supplies, medical equipment, food, etc. in small parcel sizes.[35]

The Standing Committee on Human Resource Development (Chair: Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya) submitted its report on issues related to safety of women in March 2020. Key observations and recommendations of the Committee include:

Strengthening of legislation: The Committee observed that several laws have been framed for the welfare of women. In spite of the legislative framework in place, women continue to face inequality, discrimination and violence. The Committee recommended that laws to protect women should be strictly implemented. Some ways in which implementation of laws can be improved include: (i) filing of charge sheets within 30 days, (ii) denial of bail to accused, and (iii) trial of pending cases within six months.

Representation of women: The Committee observed that crimes against women are due to their lack of representation in decision-making positions. It recommended 33% reservation for women at all levels of government.

Fast Track Courts: The Committee observed the importance of the timely delivery of justice in reducing crimes against women. It noted that states such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal have not given cofirmation for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs). The Committee recommended that the Department of Justice should ensure that 1,800 FTSCs become operational across India at the earliest.

Further, the Committee observed that there is a skewed distribution of FTSCs across states. For example, there are 18 FTSCs in Andhra Pradesh, 218 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Tamil Nadu, and 31 in Karnataka. It recommended that there should be a balanced distribution of Courts across states. Further, there should be one FTSC within a 500 km of radius.

Human Trafficking: The Committee observed that there is no comprehensive law for the prevention of human trafficking. It recommended that a National Anti-Trafficking Bureau should be established. It should be composed of police, NGOs, and other stakeholders. It should have the power to investegate intra-state trafficking cases, and coordinate anti-trafficking efforts with international bodies. Further, an Anti-Trafficking Relief and Rehabilitation Committee should be constituted for providing relief and rehabilitation to victims of human trafficking.

Nirbhaya Fund: The Committee observed that the total amount under the Nirbhaya Fund is Rs 7,436 crore for 32 projects and schemes across India. However, only Rs 2,647 has been disbursed to the concerned bodies for implementation of the projects and schemes. It recommended that the projects and schemes should be implemented in a timely manner and funds should be utilised effectively. Further, a Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary should oversee projects and schemes under the fund.

Infrastructure: To address crimes against women the Committee recommended certain infrastructural and institutional mesaures which may be implemented. These include: (i) setting up of women’s cells in police stations, (ii) increasing the number of women police officers, (iii) setting up a single helpline number for complaints related to women’s safety, (iv) setting up forensic labs in all state capitals to convict offenders, and (v) installing CCTV and panic buttons in all public transport.

Education and awareness: The Committee recommended that textbooks and school curriculums should teach values of respect towards women. Further, universities should set up Departments of Women Studies which can counsel distressed women. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should educate healthcare workers on dealing with victims of gender based violence.

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States to decide start date of procurement of pulses and oilseeds under PSS

Amidst the lockdown all States / UTs asked to implement Market Intervention Scheme to ensure remunerative prices to farmers for perishable crops

Trains supplying essential commodities including perishable horticulture produce, seeds, milk and dairy products to all important cities Posted On: 09 APR 2020 7:54PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister for Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar took a Video Conference with the Agriculture Ministers of all States and UTs, to discuss the issues related to farmers and farming activities, arising due to the lockdown in wake of COVID 19 pandemic. Following decisions taken by Government of India in follow up of those deliberations and the same have been communicated to all States/UTs today:

The Government has decided that start date of procurement of pulses and oilseeds under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) may be decided by the respective States. The procurement shall continue for 90 days from the date of commencement of procurement.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has circulated to all States/UTs the details of Market Intervention Scheme to ensure remunerative prices for the perishable Agriculture and Horticulture Crops. The States have been advised to implement the scheme wherein 50% (75% in case of North-Eastern States) of the cost will be borne by the Government of India. The Detailed Guidelines have been shared with the States in the Circular issued today.

OTHER PROGRESS – Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme during the lockdown period from 24.3.2020, about 7.92 crore farmer families have been benefitted and an amount of Rs. 15,841 crore has been released so far.

Advisory issued to State Governments/ UT on 4th April 2020 to facilitate Direct Marketing, enabling direct purchase from the farmers/ FPOs/ Cooperatives etc. by Bulk Buyers/Big Retailers/Processors by limiting regulation under State APMC Act. Several States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Jharkhand have already initiated action on lines of issued advisory.

Railways introduces 109 time-table parcel trains to supply essential commodities including perishable horticulture produce, seeds, milk and dairy products. Approximately, 59 routes (109 trains) for parcel special trains have been notified since the beginning of the lockdown. With this, almost all the important cities of India will get connected for transportation of essential and perishable goods at a fast speed. It may be noted that these services are expected to be further scaled up.

Logistics module had been added in the e-NAM App earlier. This module is being used by farmers / traders and already more than 200 people have started using it.

The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 for the month of February 2020 stands at 133.3, which is 4.5 percent higher as compared to the level in the month of February 2019. The cumulative growth for the period April-February 2019-20 over the corresponding period of the previous year stands at 0.9 percent.

2. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of February 2020 stand at 123.7, 133.5 and 149.1 respectively, with the corresponding growth rates of 10.0 percent, 3.2 percent and 8.1 percent as compared to February 2019 (Statement I). The cumulative growth in these three sectors during April-February 2019-20 over the corresponding period of 2018-19 has been 1.9 percent, 0.6 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.

3. In terms of industries, thirteen out of the twenty three industry groups (as per 2-digit level of National Industrial Classification-2008) in the manufacturing sector have shown positive growth during the month of February 2020 as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year (Statement II). The industry group ‘Manufacture of basic metals’ has shown the highest positive growth of 18.2 percent followed by 8.0 percent in ‘Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products’ and in ‘Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products’. On the other hand, the industry group ‘Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers’ has shown the highest negative growth of (-) 15.6 percent followed by (-) 14.8 percent in ‘Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products’ and (-) 9.9 percent in ‘Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment’.

4. As per Use-based classification, the growth rates in February 2020 over February 2019 are 7.4 percent in Primary goods, (-) 9.7 percent in Capital goods, 22.4 percent in Intermediate goods and 0.1 percent in Infrastructure/ Construction Goods (Statement III). The Consumer durables and Consumer non-durables have recorded growth of (-) 6.4 percent and 0.0 percent respectively.

5. Details of item groups exhibiting larger variations in production in absolute terms and weighted terms are at Statement IV.

6. Along with the Quick Estimates of IIP for the month of February 2020, the indices for January 2020 have undergone the first revision and those for November 2019 have undergone the final revision in the light of the updated data received from the source agencies.

7. Statements giving Quick Estimates of the Index of Industrial Production at Sectoral, 2-digit level of National Industrial Classification (NIC-2008) and by Use-based classification for the month of February 2020, along with the growth rates over the corresponding month of the previous year including the cumulative indices are enclosed.

Background: The 701-km Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Mumbai and Nagpur covering 10 districts, 26 talukas and 392 villages, will reduce the existing travel time of 15 hours to eight hours.

The project will require felling of over one lakh trees and passes through the 10-km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Katepurna and Karanja Sohal Blackbuck wildlife sanctuaries towards one end of the state while cutting through the ESZ of Tansa lake sanctuary closer to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

About National Board for Wildlife: It is a “Statutory Organization” constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Roles and functions: Its role is “advisory” in nature and advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country.

Primary function of the Board is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests.

It has power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the NBWL.

Composition: The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister. It has 47 members including the Prime Minister. Among these, 19 members are ex-officio members. Other members include three Members of Parliament (two from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha), five NGOs and 10 eminent ecologists, conservationists and environmentalists.

What is it for? It offers online training for doctors, nurses, paramedics, hygiene workers, technicians, Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMS), central & state govt. officers, civil defence officials, various police organisations, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS), Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Bharat Scouts & Guides (BSG) and other volunteers to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key features of the platform: It is set to be hosted on the Human Resources Development Ministry’s DIKSHA platform.

The iGOT platform delivers curated, role-specific content, to each learner at their place of work or home and to any device of their choice.

The platform currently hosts nine courses on topics like: Basics of COVID. ICU Care and Ventilation Management. Clinical Management, Infection Prevention through PPE. Infection Control and Prevention. Quarantine and Isolation. Laboratory Sample Collection and Testing. Management of COVID 19 Cases. COVID 19 Training.

Need for and significance of this platform: India’s first line of workers are already engaged in COVID-19 relief. But “a larger force will be needed to replace the first line” and to deal with “exponential or geometric increase” in COVID-19 positive cases in the subsequent stages of the pandemic.

Hence, the platform can be useful to combat COVID-19 for all front-line workers and equip them with the training and updates in coping with the pandemic. It provides a one-stop source to learn about critical areas and update their knowledge and capacity.

What is Diksha portal? DIKSHA Portal is an initiative of HRD ministry for providing a digital platform to teacher to make their lifestyle more digital. Diksha portal launched with a tagline “National Digital Infrastructures for Our Teacher Our Teacher”.

The portal will consist the whole teacher’s life cycle – from the time they were enrolled as student teachers in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) to after they retire as teachers. Teacher can learn and train themselves for which assessment resources will be available.

It will help teachers boost their teaching skills and create their own profile with their skills and knowledge.

What is peacekeeping? It’s significance? United Nations Peacekeeping is a joint effort between the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support. Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council. The financial resources of UN Peacekeeping operations are the collective responsibility of UN Member States. According to UN Charter every Member State is legally obligated to pay their respective share for peacekeeping.

Composition: UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel. Peacekeeping forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis. Civilian staff of peace operations are international civil servants, recruited and deployed by the UN Secretariat.

Features: United Nations Peacekeeping helps countries torn by conflict create conditions for lasting peace. Peacekeeping has unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy and sustain troops and police from around the globe, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to advance multidimensional mandates.

UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles: Consent of the parties. Impartiality Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Global partnership: UN peacekeeping is a unique global partnership. It brings together the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace and security.

Details: The bio fortified crop- Madhuban Gajar was developed by Shri Vallabhhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya, a farmer scientist from Junagadh district, Gujarat.

It contains high β-carotene and iron content. It is being planted in an area of over 200 hectares in Junagadh, and the average yield, which is 40-50 t/ha, has become the main source of income to the local farmers.

The variety is being cultivated in more than 1000 hectares of land in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh during the last three years.

Madhuban Gajar carrot variety possesses a significantly higher root yield (74.2 t/ha) and plant biomass (275 gm per plant) as compared to check variety.

What is biofortification? Biofortification is the process of increasing nutritional value of food crops by increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in a crop through either conventional plant breeding; agronomic practices or biotechnology. Examples of these vitamins and minerals that can be increased through biofortification include provitamin A Carotenoids, zinc and iron.

How are crops fortified? Conventional crop breeding techniques are used to identify varieties with particularly high concentration of desired nutrients. These are cross-bred with varieties with other desirable traits from the target areas (such a virus resistance, drought tolerance, high yielding, taste) to develop biofortified varieties that have high levels of micronutrients (for example, vitamin A, iron or zinc), in addition to other traits desired by farmers and consumers.

Agronomic biofortification entails application of minerals such as zinc or iron as foliar or soil applications, drawing on plant management, soil factors, and plant characteristics to get enhanced content of key micronutrients into the edible portion of the plant.

Why biofortification? Biofortification is one solution among many interventions that are needed to solve the complex problem of micronutrient malnutrition. It is considered one of the most cost-effective interventions for countries to employ in combating micronutrient malnutrition.

Biofortification reaches rural consumers who have limited access to industrially fortified foods, supplementation interventions, and diverse diets.

Biofortification combines increased micronutrient content with preferred agronomic, quality, and market traits and therefore biofortified varieties will typically match or outperform the usual varieties that farmers grow and consume.

How does Biofortification differ from food fortification? Biofortification has the increased nutritional micronutrient content imbedded in the crop being grown. Food fortification increases the nutritional value of foods by adding trace amounts of micronutrients to foods during processing.

ICCR was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Independent India’s first Education Minister.

It is an autonomous organisation. ICCR has been assigned the responsibility of facilitating the celebration of the International Day of Yoga by Indian Missions/Posts abroad since 2015.

Objectives: To actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.

To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.

Important awards by ICCR: Distinguished Indologist Award. World Sanskrit Award. Gisela Bonn Award.