Unidentified persons allegedly tried to withdraw nearly Rs 26 crore through cheques by forging signatures of senior civic and health officials from Thane district in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday. However, their attempts were foiled by alert bank officials, a police spokesperson said.

Two banks informed the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) that some unidentified persons came to their branches in Pune and Chennai in the last few days carrying cheques worth around Rs 26 crore and bearing signatures of civic commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and health officer R T Kendre, the official said. They informed the TMC that these persons wanted to deposit the cheques in favour of some private organisations.

On cross-checking with the TMC about such high-value cheques, the banks got to know that those were not issued by the civic body, she said. Later, during verification, the cheques were found to be carrying forged signatures and stamps of the senior civic and health officials, she said.

Based on a complaint by the civic body, an offence was registered on Saturday against unidentified persons under various Indian Penal Code sections for forgery and cheating, the police spokesperson said. No arrest was made so far, she said, adding that a probe was underway in the matter.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

After receiving complaints regarding a screen flicker defect in some Surface Pro 4 devices, Microsoft has offered to replace the eligible devices free of charge.

The faulty devices qualified for replacement should be up to three years from the time of original purchase, Microsoft Support said in a blog post late Friday.

"We will ship you a replacement device as soon as you return your existing device. Typically, it will take 5-8 business days for you to receive an exchange device from the date that you ship your current device back to us," the post added.

Users that have already paid for a screen-replacement will get a refund.

In February, Microsoft had said that it was monitoring the situation.

The tech giant has clarified that the replaced devices will be refurbished.

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Microsoft

The fast-emerging field of Artificial Intelligence, which has suddenly caught the attention of the IT industry and the governments across the world, is facing a large skills shortage, a top Microsoft official has said.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also facing the challenge of appropriate use of data, group programme manager of Microsoft Learning Matt Winkler told PTI.

"There is a pretty large skills shortage. Lots of folks are talking about it (AI). A lot of folks are very, very excited about it and then they want to go and make that real. And when they go to make that real, there's a really large skills shortage," Winkler said.

That's why it's so exciting to be trying to bring these technologies to more developers because it's going to bring more people into the mix, he said. Winkler said the second challenge is really around data.

"How do you get the data in the right shape? How do you prepare the data? Because all of the AI in the world is based on data, and so what makes it interesting is the data that you have, the data that your business has, that what you understand about your customers. So how do you most effectively use that data to go and produce models," he said.

Then within kind of any individual product project, one of the key challenges is the same thing that the industry has seen with software, which is, if one tries and do too much, the project gets much harder.

"And so we'll often times see failed projects, which are the result of trying to create just the most amazing thing having done nothing," he said.

At the recently concluded developers conference ¿ Build 2018 ¿ Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella talked about how to make AI accessible for everyone.

"Our guidance to a lot of customers to pick a domain and pick a used case where you have a high, high-quality data and that it is really well understood. Start there, get some wins with that and then start expanding the use cases so far," Winkler said.

Microsoft is partnering with multiple players in both the private and governmental sectors to use AI for public good.

"Absolutely, AI is being used for public good. For instance, it is being used in school districts in order to predict drop-out rates in India.

"We see a ton of healthcare applications: patient re-admission rates is very very popular one. We have seen medical image analysis. We are doing some really interesting work doing diabetes prediction through scans of retinas," Winkler said.
Microsoft is working with the Snow Leopard Trust, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of the snow leopard and parts of Nepal and India to analyse in real time the presence of snow leopards.

"So it's fundamentally changed the way they do their research," he said, adding that the Microsoft is working with three-four other conservation agencies doing similar things.

"For a lot of the customers, what AI is enabling is not just an incremental... but It's something they fundamentally couldn't do before. So it really does introduce a step change for the things that they want to do in their business," Winkler added.

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The mystery behind the death of a group of brothers seems to have been solved, said a report in this paper. The Chavan cousins were found dead between Kandivli and Borivli stations earlier this week.

A day after their death, an eyewitness informed the police he saw them jumping from the train to cross the tracks when it had stopped at a red signal between stations.

An inspector stated in the report that when the train halted, the boys tried to jump to cross the tracks. In doing so, they missed seeing a train coming from the opposite direction and were hit by it. Investigations are on and eyewitnesses are being sought to corroborate the version. Yet, it looks quite certain that this is yet another track death amongst the many in the annals of railway track death history.

We need to see signage on stations warning people not to cross tracks. Even some signage inside train bogies about the danger of crossing tracks will be helpful. This may not be an absolute deterrent, but will at least make people stop and rethink before crossing tracks.

Maybe passengers' unions can put up warnings on social media. A track crossing survivor, who has had a narrow escape, could recount his experience. He could even speak about how lucky he was to escape with his life and exhort the lakhs who use the service not to endanger their lives.

From riding rooftop of trains to crossing tracks, there are so many dangers that commuters bring upon themselves. A service that is already strained to a breaking point is inherently dangerous because of the sheer numbers. It is safety first, when it comes to this service, commuters must realise there is a greater onus than ever on them to ensure their own safety. Crossing tracks is an invitation to a grievous injury or a tragic end.

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As the summer season calls for travel, invest in the right kind of bags before you set out for a trip. While women have a lot of options, so do men as they can invest in smart duffle or crossbody city bags, experts suggest. Tabby Bhatia, Director at Voganow.com, and Salesh Grover, Business Head, OSL Luxury Collections Pvt Ltd, Corneliani, have listed different styles of bags that men can use:

1. Crossbody city bags for business jet-setters: Available in different textures, these bags come with adequate space to store your notes, electric gadgets and clothes making them an ideal pick for every business outing.

2. Leather strolley bags: This bag comes in different types of leather and adequately sized pouches that not only help in segregating your luggage but also give a classy appeal to your travel ensemble. Always keep in mind to pick a strolley with high quality leather as it extends the durability and helps in withstanding rigors travel easily.

3. Duffle bags: This is the most ideal option for those who believe in luxury travelling. Stylish yet comfortable, these bags come in a versatile range and are a worthwhile choice when it comes to carrying a lot of stuff without making a mess. Be it a weekend escape or an adventurous trip to the mountains, duffle bags are always a go to option for any traveller planning a vacation.

4. Briefcase: One of the oldest and classic bags in the category is a briefcase. Carrying it simply adds to the sartorial elegance in your professional look. For the fashion aficionados, especially when it comes to that business meeting, a leather briefcase will boast of the formal status that one carries. Also, known as folio cases, this is definitely a must have to keep all your important documents at one place.

5. Backpacks: Well, whether you're a student or a professional or a wanderer, a staple accessory that can carry all your stuff and gives a cool vibe is a backpack. Always look for a superior quality backpack that is spacious, prior straps check should be made for a hassle free journey. Try choosing leather backpacks that last long and are durable.

Mutual funds are a great way for investors to channel their savings for long term investments and to generate returns.... [Read More]

A day before voting in the fourth and final phase for 48 seats in Maharashtra today, statistics available with the Election Commission of India (ECI) showed that the worth of drugs, alcohol, precious metals etc. seized here over the past 32 days, was Rs 156.52 crore. The total worth of seizures of such items across the country, is Rs 3,244.59 crore.

As per ECI data about the seizures (from March 26 to April 28), the worth of precious metals (gold, silver etc), Rs 70.12 crore, was the highest in Maharashtra. This was followed by cash worth Rs 52.91 crore. Liquor worth Rs 25.64 crore was also seized. Drugs worth Rs 7.33 crore and freebies worth R9 crore were also seized.

Mumbai specific data
As per a press release issued by the chief electoral officer, Maharashtra, cash worth Rs 18.14 crore was seized from Mumbai city alone and 15 cases related to the violation of the Model Code of Conduct were filed. As per ECI data, from the time the Code of Conduct came into place till date, there have been seizures worth Rs 3,244.59 crore across the country. Of these, the total cash seized was Rs 781.82 crore, the liquor seized was worth R245.738 crore, and the drugs seized were worth Rs 1,193.81 crore. The worth of the precious metals seized was Rs 970.953 crore and the worth of freebies etc seized was Rs 52.26s 7 crore.

Rs 18.14cr
Worth of the cash seized in Mumbai

Rs 52.91cr
Worth of the cash seized in Maharashtra

Rs 781.82cr
Worth of the cash seized across the country

Liquor sales spike this month
Liquor sales have increased in the past 25 days by 10% in Thane district. Last year this month, 19,62,000 litres of liquor was sold in Thane district, and this year this month 20,06,000 litres of liquor has been sold so far. According to an Excise Department official, despite the severe summer, people are consuming whisky, while compared to last year, the sale of beer has reduced.

Earlier this month mid-day had reported that the Thane Election Commission and ED have sent notices to wine shop owners regarding maintaining proper sale records, to avoid cancellation of licences. "We have told them that we will compare sales of this period during last year and take action if they have increased drastically," said an ED official.
The ED and EC have been extra vigilant due to illegal sales during elections.

ED official Y Rathod, said, "Owners usually keep their shops open for longer hours during elections and sell liquor illegally. We have extra teams this time and have followed with strict checking. Due to this the transportation of liquor reduced during the elections. Also wine shop owners have kept their records clear this time."

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Key, Chair

As the morning sunlight casts a warm glow on a terrace in Andheri, Yash Soni hands us a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. It fits between our thumb and index finger. Glinting at us from within is a tiny guitar carved out of the nib of a pencil.

Mic and fist, Eiffel Tower

A ‘wow’ escapes our lips as we squint to check out the intricate details — there are strings, tuning pegs, a saddle and Soni’s name carved on the instrument’s body. “It took me four hours to make it,” says the 26-year-old artist, one of the few in the city creating microscopic art out of pencil lead. This weekend, he will present a live carving session at Maker Mela, an event that celebrates art, engineering and science with a DIY mindset, at KJ Somaiya’s Vidyavihar campus.

Watch, Guitar

Russian inspiration
With a professional background in event management, Mumbai-born Soni’s tryst with pencil art began two years back, when he came across the works of experimental Russian artist Salavat Fidai on Instagram. “He carved a heart within a heart on a pencil. I was fascinated. Since art had been a hobby (he has created graffiti and speed painting works), I decided to try this too. I bought a pencil, a five-rupee cutter, and tried to carve a heart in a car, while travelling to Thane, and I was able to do it,” recounts the self-taught artist, who watched Fidai’s art-making videos repeatedly to learn the finger movements. “Now, we correspond too. His advice to me: be gentle and use minimal movements with fingertips,” he says.

Yash Soni with spool-and-needle carved on a pencil tip. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Be patient
Till date, Soni has created over 50 pencil carvings, including a key, a stiletto, a champagne glass, a watch, a chair, the Eiffel Tower, a fist with a detachable mic, a windmill with rotating blades and even a needle and spool, carved entirely out of the wood and lead of the pencil. On his wishlist are a scooter, a neckpiece and Mukesh Ambani’s tower of blocks, Antilla.

Soni’s tool set comprises two scalpels and a needle

“Carving on pencil requires a lot of patience. Since I prefer to focus on the details, it takes about four to five hours to make a piece, though I can make a heart in 20 minutes,” reveals Soni. The artist uses three basic tools — two scalpels with surgical blades and a needle fitted into a pen-like holder. “I start by shaving the wood with the scalpel and then, use a needle to carve the finer shape and details,” he adds. When we ask if he works in a particular kind of light, he confesses, “Initially, I would use a USB LED lamp attached to my laptop as a source of light when I needed to carve at night. My parents were anxious about it affecting my eyesight. Now, I’ve become more careful but I can work from any spot,” he adds.

Pencil matters
Soni uses a range of pencils, from 2B to 8B leads with a shiny finish, graphite pencils featuring matte-finish leads and carpenter pencils with a flatter surface. “Indian pencils aren’t great in quality and often, the lead within the pencil is already broken. The biggest challenge is breakage. 8B leads are thicker which helps me carve more intricately,” says Soni, who preserves the pencils in glass bottles or in customised frames.

Last week, he conducted a workshop-cum-exhibition at IIT-Chennai. Now, he also customises his works and sells them, starting from `4,000. “Most people are dismissive of the art since it’s on a pencil. My aim is to give micro sculpting the credibility it deserves,” he signs off.

Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the city, the Mumbai Police on Monday took to Twitter to thank Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar for his humble contribution towards the Mumbai Police foundation amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Mumbai Police thanks @akshaykumar for contributing Rs. 2 Crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation. Your contribution will go a long way in safeguarding the lives of those who are committed to safeguarding the city - the men and women of Mumbai Police!#MumbaiPoliceFoundation

— CP Mumbai Police (@CPMumbaiPolice) April 27, 2020

While extending a thank you note to the action-superstar of the B-Town industry, Mumbai Police said that the contribution will help to safeguard the lives of the Mumbai Police personnel who are committed to safeguarding the city to fight the global pandemic.

In the past too, Sooryavanshi actor donated Rs 3 crore to help the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in order to help them to make rapid testing kits, personal protection equipments and face masks in its battle against the deadly virus.

#RohitShetty has facilitated eight hotels across the city for our on-duty #CovidWarriors to rest, shower & change with arrangements for breakfast & dinner.

We thank him for this kind gesture and for helping us in #TakingOnCorona and keeping Mumbai safe.

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 21, 2020

Besides helping Mumbai Police and the country's richest civic body, Akshay also contributed Rs 25 crores to the PM CARES fund to help the country fight the epidemic. Earlier, Mumbai police expressed gratitude to Bollywood director Rohit Shetty for facilitating eight hotels across the city for Mumbai police personnel.

Thanking Rohit Shetty for his kind gesture, Mumbai Police said that the facility would help on-duty corona warriors to rest, shower and change with arrangements for breakfast and dinner.

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A total of 583 new COVID-19 cases recorded across the state on Thursday, has taken Maharashtra's total count to 10,498. Meanwhile, the first patient who underwent plasma therapy in the city couldn't beat the infection and passed away late on Wednesday night.

A 53-year-old man, who was admitted to Lilavati Hospital after testing positive on April 20, was the first patient to receive the therapy. Hospital sources said that he was in a critical condition and had been kept on ventilator. The civic body had arranged for plasma therapy, which was given to the patient a couple of days ago, which unfortunately didn't help him in the fight against the infection.

Meanwhile, 26 staff members of Nanavati Hospital have tested positive so far. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya raised an objection and claimed that the hospital administration was being negligent. "I was informed that the hospital is not taking all precautions to ensure that the infection doesn't spread. I have written to the municipal commissioner and I have been told that an inspection will be conducted," said Somaiya.

A civic official from K West ward said that the BMC had visited the hospital earlier and would visit again on Friday. "We carry out inspections every time there is a positive case. Due to the high volume of patients, we cannot close the hospital and management has been asked to sanitise the premises thoroughly. We will inspect the hospital again to check if all the precautions are being followed," said Vishwas Mote, assistant municipal commissioner of K West ward. Hospital authorities, however, refuted the allegations of being negligent. A source from the hospital confirmed that while 26 staff members have tested positive, only four of them were working in the COVID isolation ward. "During contact-tracing, it was revealed that the remaining staff members live in red zones and had contracted the infection from their respective residential areas. They have been kept at the hospital itself and they are being treated free of cost. Most of them are class 3 or class 4 employees and no management employee, including doctors working in COVID wards, have contracted the infection," said an official from the hospital.

However, the cases in Dharavi continued to increase, and on Thursday, 25 new cases were reported. Two positive cases were reported from Mahim. Civic officials said 20 deaths in the city were confirmed on Thursday, of which 16 patients were suffering from other ailments. State health department officials said 180 COVID-19 patients were discharged on Thursday after full recovery. Apart from the 20 deaths in Mumbai, three deaths were reported in Pune, two in Thane and one each in Nagpur and Raigad. Mumbai currently has over 7,000 cases.

10,498
Active coronavirus cases in Maha as of today

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Migrant labourers, who are stranded in Mumbai, have started crowding outside police stations, after the Central government directive that they could be sent home. They are doing this, so that they can give in their details. Some were in Mumbai for work, others to study and some just to visit their relatives. They now all want to return home.

Mohammad Ilyas, 25, from the state of Jharkhand, who works at a sewing factory in Kurla, has stopped working, and has no money. "The factory owner is not concerned, so I am eager to return." Mohammad Zaaim, 19, from Lucknow, who came to Mumbai for some work with his relatives, has been stuck since February.

A Mumbai police official said that they have appointed the DCP of each zone as the nodal officer. Those wishing to travel back, need to fill a form and submit it to the local police station. "We will send the details of this form to the Nodal Officer of that district, only after which the person will be able to to return." Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Prannoy Ashok said, "If there are many people from the same district who want to go back, then they can choose one person as their representative, and through that person, give their name to the police station. We appeal to everyone to not gather in crowds at the police station."

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With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the city, the total number of containment zones have crossed the 2,000 mark. Of these, 1,235 are in congested areas.

The Central and the state governments have ordered restarting some activities in the red zones across the country. As on May 4, the number of sealed areas in the city reached 2,083. Sixty per cent of the Containment Zones (CZ) are in congested areas like chawls and slum. Around 600 containment zones are in densely populated areas and require 24-hour police surveillance.

"While the exact number of people living in these containment areas cannot be calculated, around 400 to 500 people live in every CZ," said a senior civic officer, adding that CZs restrict the spread of COVID.

Till April 23, the number of CZs were 983 with 231 zones released after 14 days. The number of CZs increased two-fold in the past 11 days.

Shifting to CCCs
The BMC has now begun to shift mild-symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to Corona Care Centres II (CCC). The civic body has started these centres across the city with a total capacity of 17,651 beds. As of now, 1778 positive patients are taking treatment in these centres. The NSCI club in Worli with a capacity of 500 people, has 279 positive persons. Byculla which comes under the E-ward has 210 positive persons in CCC II. F-North (Wadala) has 210, G-North (Dharavi, Dadar) has 207, H-East (Bandra) has 124, K-West (Jogeshwari, Andheri West) has 194 and L-Ward (Kurla, Chembur) has 118 patients in the facility.

In institutional quarantine, the civic body managed to increase the capacity of CCCI to 20,462 beds. There are 7,771 high-risk contacts of positive patients staying in these centres.

There are around 10 lakh people living in containment zones in the city right now.

10 lakh
No. of people in containment zones in the city

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Ola Cabs began operations in 12 cities across Maharashtra, which are in green and orange zones from Monday. "Ola has resumed operations in over 100 cities across the country, adhering to the government guidelines. With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) easing restrictions in select zones across the country, Ola will ensure safety during all rides," a note from the company said.

Anand Subramanian, Ola spokesperson and head of communications said, "As we reopen our platform to millions of citizens and driver-partners whose livelihoods are dependent on this, the safety of both continues to be the priority. The fight against COVID-19 is a collective effort and will be possible with both our driver-partners and customers doing their bit to ensure that everyone has access to safe and high-quality mobility."

List of 12 cities in Maharashtra
Alibaug, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Latur, Kolhapur, Nanded, Sangli, Wardha, Amravati, Chandrapur, Gondia, Jalna.

100
Total no. of cities Ola resumed their services across India

Five-step safety

For driver-partners:
1. No travel in red zones: Vehicles will not operate to and from red or containment zones.
2. Selfie-authentication of drivers: All driver-partners are required to wear masks and need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through their partner app.
3. Equipped with hygiene kits: Driver-partners will be provided with masks, sanitisers and disinfectants.
4. Cars to be cleaned regularly: Common surfaces like handles, seats to be cleaned before every ride.
5. Flexible cancellations: Drivers and customers may cancel a ride if the other is not wearing a mask.

For riders:
1. Mandatory masks: Customers must wear masks and sanitise before and after the ride.
2. Non-AC rides: To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open.
3. Two passengers per car: Only two passengers will be allowed in the cab and they will be urged to sit by the windows.
4. Load and unload luggage themselves: To maintain social distancing, customers are urged to load and unload luggage themselves.
5. Cashless payments: Customers are encouraged to make cashless payments to avoid contact.

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The Maharashtra government collected more than Rs 62 crore revenue in two days of liquor sale after relaxations in COVID-19 lockdown were announced, said a senior official on Tuesday. The amount was collected by the excise department by Tuesday night with just one third of the total number of liquor shops in the state remaining open, he said. An estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor were sold, he said.

The state has over 10,000 licensed shops that sell country liquor, IMFL, wine and beer of which merely 3,500 operated on Monday and Tuesday, he said. The long queues of tipplers outside liquor outlets led to the excise department recording an estimated revenue of Rs 62.55 crore by Tuesday night, he said. Of this, Rs 11 crore was collected on Monday, the day one of liquor sale, the official said. Following relaxations in lockdown norms, long queues of tipplers were seen outside standalone liquor shops on Monday in various parts of Maharashtra though authorities in some districts decided not to permit alcohol sale.

All liquor shops were closed ever since a national lockdown was imposed across the country on March 25 to halt the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was extended till May 17, but standalone liquor shops were permitted to operate as part of relaxations by the state government. There are 10,822 license holders in the state of which 3,543 opened for business. The long queues outside every shop have now reflected in states coffers with the sale of an estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor.

"The estimated earnings from the sale stood at Rs 62.55 crore, said Kantilal Umap, state excise commissioner. There are 17 districts (out of total 36) in Maharashtra where liquor shops remained open. Collectors in nine districts have decided not to permit opening of liquor shops to avoid the spread of the coronavirus infection. Two districts - Osmanabad and Latur - had opened shops but due to crowding, the authorities immediately ordered their closure.

There are five other districts where liquor shops were not opened but the authorities are working out a plan to allow them to operate in the coming days. Maharashtra has three dry districts - Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The city's record for the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported in a single day increased to 769 on Wednesday as the total count reached 12,716. Bracing for more cases in the coming days, the civic body is planning to set up additional COVID-19 care centres in various open spaces across the city.

Civic officials said that the new COVID-19 centres will come up at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Nehru Science Centre, MMRDA grounds in BKC, Mahim Nature Park and NESCO ground in Goregaon. Once the work is complete, civic officials said that the current capacity of 14,000 beds will increase to 34,000 beds. For critical patients, the capacity will be increased from 3,000 beds to 4,750 beds in hospitals like Nair, KEM and SevenHills. Additionally, ICU beds will be set up at the centre in NSCI.

The G South ward (comprising Worli) with 903 cases and G North (comprising Dharavi) with 888 cases, continued to have the highest concentration of positive cases. While three deaths were reported from the G South ward, one was reported from Dharavi where a 64-year-old male resident of Naik Nagar died on Wednesday. Civic officials from G North ward said that 68 new cases were reported in Dharavi, eight in Dadar and 11 in Mahim. Civic officials in G South ward said 25 new cases were reported on Wednesday.

State health officials reported 1,233 new cases in Maharashtra and the total count of COVID-19 cases now stands at 16,758. There were 34 COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday of which 26 were in Mumbai which included one patient who was a resident of Uttar Pradesh, three in Pune, three in Akola and one each in Jalgaon and Solapur.

While 18 of the deaths involved patients who were senior citizens, 13 of them fell in the age group of 40-59 years and 27 of the patients were suffering from other ailments. Till date, Maharashtra has had 651 deaths due to COVID-19 and till date, 3,094 COVID patients have been discharged after a full recovery. Currently, more than 2 lakh people are under home quarantine while 13,107 people are kept at quarantine facilities.

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Taking serious note of the report in mid-day about a green activist writing to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding illegal chopping of trees and encroachments in Aarey Colony, the CEO office of Aarey visited the spot and began the procedure of filing an FIR against the culprits.

On May 7, mid-day had reported how a environmentalist Stalin D wrote to Uddhav requesting the forest department and Thane forest circle to monitor Aarey Colony against encroachers during the lockdown.

In his letter to Thackeray, Stalin D also highlighted the fact that on an average, at least 30 trees were being chopped down daily inside Aarey.

"Slum-dwellers are expanding encroachments, building illegal temples, clearing the vegetation regularly ever since the lockdown was imposed. We have time and again raised the alarm and intimated the authorities concerned.

But, the Aarey police have not acted on any of the complaints and instead have chosen to beat up citizens who send them proof of tree chopping and expanding encroachments," the letter stated.

Stalin D told mid-day that he also received a response to the email from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office stating that he letter had been sent to the department concerned to take necessary action.

CEO of Aarey Milk Colony Nathu Rathod told mid-day, "We have taken serious note of the illegal encroachments and alleged cutting of trees in Aarey and will be taking the help of the police to book those responsible. Our teams have visited the spot and the procedure of filing the FIR is in progress."

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Chef Saransh Goila and TV personality Mini Mathur at Silver Beach Cafe, Juhu. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

The glass walls overlooking a quiet street at Silver Beach Café are misty. Chef Saransh Goila is early and orders a plate of Eggs Benedict, Beetroot Cous Cous Salad and a glass each of orange and carrot juice, choices that TV host Mini Mathur is happy with when she walks in. "The last time we met we were both drunk," Mathur says animatedly. Both TV stars are currently hosting digital food shows. Goila has married his two loves — fitness and food — for his Facebook show Run to Eat (Singapore). Mathur has been cooking with Bollywood stars for her show The Mini Truck. One is a trained chef and the other a home cook, but when they speak, their love for rich traditional food takes over.

Sabhnani: How did an erstwhile vegetarian chef move to selling butter chicken?
Goila: In Delhi, my vegetarian family was tired of eating sweet paneer. So I smoked the gravy for them. That's how I came up with it. My friends in Mumbai loved it. We are actually Goels, my great-grandfather changed it to 'Goila'. When I was opening Goila Butter Chicken, my dad got calls asking him, 'Can't he just call it Saransh's Butter Chicken?' Once I graduated, I realised you cannot be a chef who is vegetarian.
Mathur: Mera butter chicken khaake dekho, hum bhi Dilliwalle hai! I am a Kayasth married to a Hyderabadi. Both the families are very proud of traditional recipes. I hate bastardised versions of food — if someone gave me Szechuan dosa, I'd spit on them! Every Diwali, I pickle six kilos of aloo or chana for achaar. I will make some for you and you can give me butter chicken instead.

Sabhnani: Your new shows are shot internationally, though…
Mathur: My next show, Mini Me, is about a bad**s mum travelling with her seven-year-old. We went to 15 cities across six countries in Europe in 25 days. It was originally shot for digital viewing, but a channel picked it up.
Goila: Run to Eat (Singapore) was originally supposed to be shot in India, but I didn't get support from the state tourism boards.

Sabhnani: You must have collected many stories while shooting.
Goila: Once, on an uphill trek in Himachal, we saw a tree full of apples. As soon as I plucked one, I slipped. I quickly grabbed a branch or I would have rolled down the hill. Things you do for apples and shots!
Mathur: Sunny Leone is such a cool woman. When she shot for my show, she said things like, 'Now let's grind.' I had to control my crew.

Sabhnani: Was the shift to digital platforms a natural progression?
Mathur: Digital is the future. The problem is figuring out how to monetise it.
Goila: Every time I enter a house party, there is a group of people watching something on their phones. My mom wants a Chromecast!
Mathur: People are waking up to the fact that watching TV at an appointed time is not necessary.

Eggs Benedict, Beetroot Cous Cous Salad and juices arrive
Goila: My plate looks beautiful! They have made an effort.
Mathur: Do you always shoot your food before you eat? The whole thing of 'let's tuck in yaar' is not happening any more.

Sabhnani: The impact of social media is huge...
Goila: People explore social media, and not colleges, for learning, which is fine. But one out of 100 people succeeds that way.
Mathur: I mostly find positivity on Instagram and YouTube. Twitter is a different universe.
Goila: Sometimes you have to choose to ignore it [trolls]. It's also driven by brands and PR.
Mathur: Today, you can backslap a star online and say, 'Hey, I don't like your moustache!'

Sabhnani: Do looks matter?
Goila: I am not the best-looking chef in the country. I generally believe in fitness (I used weigh 93kg). You can't judge a chef by his belly, though.
Mathur: If you are good-looking, it can't harm you.

Sabhnani: Dilliwallah's take on Mumbai's food?
Mathur: I love Maharashtra's coastal cuisine. Mumbai should give up on chaat; vada pav is your thing. The Mughlai scene is better in the north.
Goila: The international cuisine spread is better in Mumbai.
Mathur: Eat food at the place where it comes from. Don't go asking for vada pavs in Delhi.

Despite the sealed borders keeping him from returning home to India, Sonu Nigam has been neck-deep in work, supporting causes for daily-wagers, and raising awareness for relief funds for the country. It's been a month since Nigam, who is currently holed up in Dubai, began the cumbersome task of breathing life into a passion-project, the brainchild of his industry associate Srinivas. Along with Indian Singers Rights Association CEO Sanjay Tandon, the duo reached out to 100 artistes from across India for the creation of the 14-language track, One nation one voice, which is set to be unveiled by Lata Mangeshkar.

"We had been struggling to find a Sindhi [singer], and that's when we reached out to Ghanshyam Vaswani. Though disconnected from mainstream [music], he has been a ghazal singer for decades. My mother was proficient in Sindhi. So Ghanshyamji and I collaborated for those portions. Similarly, Papon [worked on] the Assamese [verses], Bhajan Soporiji and Kailash Kher did the Kashmiri track, Mame Khan crafted Rajasthani [verses] and Krishna [Beura], the Odia portions," Nigam tells mid-day of the song that also includes lines in Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, and Tamil.

The coalescing of an assortment of home-bound artistes for a single track becomes simpler when employing a digitally transferable background score that they can individually lay their vocals on. But Nigam was creating an acapella piece, which didn't have instruments to play second fiddle in supporting his endeavour.

"We sent two songs to all the singers. One [included] the base track that had been created by [a select few], and included sounds, layers and harmonies. No instruments were used to create this, and it was upon this piece that the singers [recorded their vocals]. We also gave them a reference piece of how we wanted the song to sound, but offered an empty space [for them to experiment]." Those singers who do not have a home-studio had to let the acapella piece play in the background as they recorded their vocals over it, he informs.

There's a peculiar cheer in his voice when he talks of Asha Bhosle's involvement in this number. "With her being by our side, this project has become invaluable. At 86, she has opened this song like a boss. You find yourself wondering how someone at that age can sing so beautifully. I was reduced to tears on hearing her 30-second performance."

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In a historic move, India's biggest fundraiser concert to raise funds for GiveIndia Covid-19 relief fund was met with an unprecedented response by millions of people across the globe. Held live on May 3, 2020, IST on Facebook Live, India's biggest virtual concert witnessed 85 plus Indian and global stars on one platform to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was more than happy to be a part of this noble initiative, urged everyone to contribute in whatever capacity they could. The superstar pulled off an interesting and engaging conversation with his ardent fans by singing the song 'Sab Sahi Ho Jayega' (created by Badshah) – a song about chances… good chances… about hope, compassion and love.

Shah Rukh Khan's adorable act with his son AbRam was loved and appreciated by one and all, bringing a magical end to the marvellous evening.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

‪Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, @badboyshah and @cacklerraj for music, lyrics & for working overnight. thank u Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. ‬ ‪Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’‬ ‪Par sab sahi ho jaayega!‬

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:08pm PDT

After announcing a range of initiatives, Shah Rukh Khan provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The actor's group of companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX recently announced several initiatives to support the efforts of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji and the Government in its COVID-19 fight.

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As several stars pledged contributions to aid the fight against the Coronavirus, actor-businessman Sachiin Joshi announced a Rs 3 crore programme to distribute food packets to the frontline workers. The move came as a surprise to former employees of Joshi's Viiking Ventures, who have claimed non-payment of dues over past several months.

Taskeen Naik, who had joined as the social media head, and public relations officer to the chairman in August 2018, says she has been waiting for her full and final payment to be cleared since her exit in May 2019. "When I personally reached out to Mr Joshi, he blocked my number. Despite following up [with the HR team] every month, I have yet to be paid," she rues.

This paper is in possession of a document that lists 30 former employees of Viiking Ventures and its communications wing Think Tank, whose salaries have not been cleared since as early as March 2019. The cumulative amount stands at a little over Rs 30 lakh.

Krishna Choudhary, former marketing manager at the company that has verticals across FMCG products, realty and entertainment, reveals that since his joining in October 2018, the salaries would usually be deferred. "On March 26, 2019, Mr Joshi sent an e-mail assuring that the salaries will be timely from April. That month, they cleared all our salaries up to February 2019. But I was not paid a dime after that. I tendered my resignation in June, and have since been pursuing the HR to clear my four months' salary. While my pleas fell on deaf ears, the department sent an e-mail last December citing lack of funds as the reason for delayed payments. How does the company have money for charity, but not to pay our pending salaries?"

A snapshot of the complaint  submitted to the Chief Labour Commissioner by an employee  

When mid-day reached out to Joshi, his spokesperson issued a statement that read, "We hired a particular CEO [now no longer with us] who undertook unlawful practices and fraud, with a bunch of employees. All those people working with the said CEO are now under scrutiny and their payments are being held. The procedure should be completed by end of June 2020. Those who are given a clean chit will get their rightful dues, and the management will take legal action against those found guilty."

However, the former employees in question maintained that they were not informed about being part of an ongoing investigation. Interestingly, another former employee, on condition of anonymity, revealed that he had joined the company in May 2019 — long after the said CEO's departure — and was still subjected to similar fate. "Of my eight-month stint, I have not been paid for three-and-a-half months. I was not allowed inside the office premises when I went to meet Mr Joshi. When he recently went live on Instagram, many [former employees] asked him to clear their dues, in the comments section. I'm contemplating legal action."

Joshi was in the news in 2017 when he bought Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Villa in Goa for Rs 73 crore in a bank auction.

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Sudip Sharma's Paatal Lok, which is produced by Anushka Sharma and will drop on Amazon Prime Video on May 15, was shot in 110 locations across six Indian cities. "We wanted to explore different cultures, and perspectives, and [narrate] tales from various regions of India. The idea was to present to the audience what they possibly didn't know, or at least, in a manner they weren't familiar with. It is set in parts of Delhi and Punjab," says Sharma of the nine-part investigative crime drama that follows an inspector chasing four suspects nabbed in the assassination of a renowned journalist, and the subsequent dangerous fate he is met with.

Anushka Sharma

"I have spent a lot of time in Delhi, Punjab, Bundelkhand, and UP while researching for previous projects. Delhi is also the apex of Indian politics, and where the power centres lie. That most media channels operate out of Delhi was another reason to set the series there. The city is fascinating owing to its location too. It has the feel of a frontier town, bordering certain lawless parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan."

Gurgaon, and parts of Haryana, particularly Rohtak, were the primary areas where the Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, and Gul Panag starrer was filmed.

Sudip Sharma

"While 70 per cent of the show has been shot at actual locations, the rest was done in Mumbai, where we recreated certain areas. We researched on various aspects, like what a cop station actually looks like, and the design and aesthetics of a Delhi policeman's home, and [integrated] that into the show to make it authentic," says Sharma, who filmed in Delhi, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Chitrakoot, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.

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Neena Gupta is on a spree lately! After taking Instagram by storm with her quirky and cute photos and videos, the veteran actress has also taken over cinema halls with her latest flicks. From asking for work on the 'gram to modelling her daughter ace fashion designer Masaba Gupta's outfits, Neena Gupta is unstoppable.

Recently, the actress shared a video of herself doing a happy dance and thanking her Instagram followers as she crossed 5 lakh followers on the photo-sharing app! Check out the fun video below:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you thank you

A post shared by Neena Gupta (@neena_gupta) onMay 7, 2020 at 7:46am PDT

We can't get over how adorable Neena Gupta is in the video! And the dance is kind of cute, too, don't you think?

Neena Gupta has been spending her lockdown her home in Uttarakhand and sharing pictures from the scenic locales. She shared a video showing off the beauty of the place, writing, "Good morning from Mukhteshwar Uttarakhand."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Good morning from Mukhteshwar Uttarakhand

A post shared by Neena Gupta (@neena_gupta) onMay 6, 2020 at 6:15pm PDT

On the work front, Neena will be seen sharing screen space with her daughter Masaba in her Netflix show Masaba Masaba. The actress was last seen in the hit comedy film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana.

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Sona Mohapatra continues to perform music for the soul and enthral audiences despite the lockdown. The songstress is set to perform an acoustic version of the song, O ri chiraiya, which was composed by husband Ram Sampath, for Aamir Khan's television show Satyamev Jayate with lyrics penned by Swananad Kirkire.

On Sunday, Mohapatra will join musicians Sanjoy Das on guitar, Tapas Roy on the folk instrument, Do-Tara — the five-stringed musical instrument — along with other singers who will join her from varied locations. Mohapatra feels it is the perfect time to revisit the song and share its essence of hope and healing with a world that has been ravaged by the virus. She says, "I dedicate the Chiraiya song to India, mother Earth and all the mothers. All three nurture us and [in return] we can all be more considerate. The song was originally composed with the intention of creating an equitable society for girls. The song was one of hope back then and now we need a different kind of hope to come out of the darkness of this pandemic."

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Amitabh Bachchan has shot for the upcoming season 12 of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" from the confines of home, in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new season of the popular quiz show is also set to go digital with the entire selection process.

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari remotely directed the registration promo featuring Big, where the actor invites KBC aspirants. "Har cheez ko break lag sakta hai, sapno ko nahi (everything can take a break, but not dreams)," he announces.

"Each year, when we start deliberating about KBC, we go through various insights that may trigger an impactful narrative. This time, however, the very environment that we are in, sets the context of the film," said Tiwari.

"KBC is not just a game/quiz show for people. It's more than that. It's an opportunity to realise one's dreams. One doesn't stop dreaming given the adversity. In fact, the dreams only become more significant, and that was the trigger for this film. Shooting this film was a challenge, though. First, I shot a scratch film with myself and shared it with Mr. Bachchan, for him to get an idea about my vision. After which, Mr. Bachchan shot the entire film at his own home, all by himself. I hope this campaign strikes a chord with the audience and they participate wholeheartedly," he added.

Registrations for the new season will start from May 9.

"We are certainly excited to announce the 12th season of our iconic show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. And for the first time in the history of KBC, the entire screening and selection will be managed digitally," said Amit Raisinghani, Head, business planning and communication, Sony Entertainment Television.

The show will be produced by StudioNEXT and the selection process will be conducted digitally, through SonyLIV.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Amitabh Bachchan has started shooting for the upcoming season of the popular quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) amid the COVID-19 lockdown, and from his latest blog post it seems like the actor is apprehensive about being judged for breaking social distancing rules. He seems defensive in the post, insisting that the shoot was done with essential precautionary measures.

"So yes I worked .. got a problem with that .. keep it to yourself then .. damned if you pour it out here in this locked in condition .. sufficient precaution as much that could be taken was taken .. and what had been scheduled for 2 days , was completed in one day .. starting 6pm .. ending a short while NOW … !!" wrote Amitabh Bachchan in his blog.

Viewers are wondering how the quiz show would be shot this year owing to the current restrictions including social distancing and the lockdown. Talking about the same, Big B mentioned in his blog: "Personal gratifications to the many that ask .. and then the KBC pile of several.. in all about 10 to 12 videos and then hours of audio recordings .. also for the same , KBC .. and the speculation as to how they shall conduct it .. there have been no definite answers for that .. but the authority hopes well and long .. so .."

The 77-year-old actor has also been suffering from a Hamstring pain. "Just back from work .. hamstring be damned .. social messaging videos .. acknowledging the 'angels' videos .. giving commendation to them that work so we exist .. and the invitations to the new season of KBC .. The show goes on ..heavy in heart , to all," Big B tweeted early on Wednesday.

Like everyone else, he is also concerned about the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Of one there is little doubt .. the debate on the outcome of this pandemic .. hesitation .. apprehension .. fear or recurrence .. strain of the conducting of the time of release .. and so much more .."

"How long then shall it hold the barrel .. what shall be the outcome when the barrel is held .. what alternatives shall prevail and what in God's name shall the future hold for us all. The World is all ‘shook up' .. as Elvis would say .. and would never be the same in the respects of community and reaction," he wrote.

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It's the time to rejoice for Kaun Banega Crorepati fans. The makers of the decade-old quiz show have finally revealed the registration date for the new season. The fresh season is expected to air in a shortly from now.

Kaun Banega Crorepati, is a show that most of us have grown up with and have participated in, sitting comfortably at our homes, yet feeling the same complex set of emotions as the participants on the coveted Hot Seat. We have all felt the adrenaline rush in this quest of knowledge, to deduce the answers to questions that can take one from being a nobody to a somebody.

KBC has been synonymous with knowledge and has constantly provided a platform to millions in realizing their dreams. From the civil services aspirant Harshvardhan Navathe, the very first Crorepati, to a mid-day meal cook Babita Tade, KBC has set an example for people to believe in themselves and achieve big in life.

9th May will see Mr. Bachchan asking the very first KBC Registration question at 9:00PM on Sony Entertainment Television. This will continue until 22nd May. There will be a new question presented by Mr. Bachchan every night. All one has to do is nswer these questions correctly via SMS or through SonyLIV.

Given the current times, while one ponders how to get through the day, KBC has come as an answer to use all your time productively, while at home. While we may be under a lockdown, knowledge knows no bounds, and it’s always good to value the power of knowledge and put it to good use.

Get ready to let knowledge fulfil your dreams with Kaun Banega Crorepati, starting 9th May at 9:00 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television

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The Coronavirus-induced lockdown will complete two months on May 24. And yet, the situation hasn’t improved, with the cases increasing everyday. The entertainment sector has been hit the hardest. They got shut first and hence, they might also be the last ones to open. And even if cinema halls commence operations, there are fears that viewers will not come in hordes. Taking advantage of this situation, OTT platforms have been approaching filmmakers with tempting offers. Few of them are already in advanced talks. This includes not just filmmakers of smaller films but also the producers of one of the biggest films of 2020, Laxmmi Bomb, starring Akshay Kumar.

Rumours were abuzz that the makers of Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai too were open to offers from web streaming giants. Jordy Patel, manager of superstar Salman Khan, who is the film’s leading actor and producer, was also quoted as saying that they were ready to accept the offer, provided that they be offered a staggering Rs. 250 crores.

When Bollywood Hungama contacted Jordy Patel, he declined having made any such statement. “I haven’t given any figure,” he told this writer. He adds, “All I said was that we are ready to release Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai on an OTT platform, once the film is complete and once we evaluate the situation. Only then, we’ll take a call.”

So if not Rs. 250 crores, do they have any figure in mind that they’ll like to quote when meeting the OTT representatives? He explains, “We don’t have a figure in mind. The film is not yet complete. How can I quote an amount? We have got songs which are yet to be shot and even a couple of scenes.”

So how long are the makers planning to hold the release of Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai? After all, cinema halls are expected to start in August or September. Jordy Patel retorts, “Would people like to go to watch a film in August? It seems unlikely. So we’ll see what the situation is then and take a call accordingly.”

Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai, besides Salman Khan, also stars Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff. It was to release on Eid 2020.

Also Read: Salman Khan keeping himself in shape to shoot for the climax of Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai post lockdown

Amitabh Bachchan was recently called out for breaking social distancing rules as he started to shoot for season 12 of Kaun Banega Crorepati amid the Coronavirus lockdown. The promo recently came out and after the backlash, Amitabh Bachchan justified his reasons through his blog post yesterday. He insisted that all the precautionary measures were taken to shoot the promo and that they did a two-day shoot in just a day. He asked people to keep their problems to themselves in the blog post.

It read, “So yes I worked .. got a problem with that .. keep it to yourself then .. damned if you pour it out here in this locked in condition .. sufficient precaution as much that could be taken was taken .. and what had been scheduled for 2 days, was completed in one day .. starting 6pm .. ending a short while NOW !! Personal gratifications to the many that ask .. and then the KBC pile of several.. in all about 10 to 12 videos and then hours of audio recordings .. also for the same , KBC .. and the speculation as to how they shall conduct it .. there have been no definite answers for that .. but the authority hopes well and long ..”

The registrations promo was shot at his house with Nitesh Tiwari as the director.

Also Read: Navya Naveli graduates at Jalsa, Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan are super proud

With 1,076 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,439, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. Out of the total tally, 9,756 cases are active while 1,306 patients have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 38 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll rises to 377.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra is the worst-affected state with 2,687 cases of which 259 patients have recovered/discharged while 178 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. Delhi comes in at the second position with 1,561 cases of which 30 patients have recovered while 30 patients have succumbed to the virus.

Tamil Nadu is the third state with over 1,000 cases at 1,204 cases of which 81 have recovered and 12 have died due to the deadly virus. Rajasthan is nearing the 1,000 mark with 969 cases of which 147 people have recovered while 3 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh reported 730 cases including 51 patients recovered and 50 patients dead.

On Tuesday, in an address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 21-day national lockdown has been extended till May 3.

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With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of positive COVID-19 cases with 2,916 cases including 295 recovered/ discharged and 187 dead. Delhi comes second on the list with 1,578 positive COVID-19 cases. The tally also includes 40 patients recovered/ discharged while 32 patients have died due to the infection. Tamil Nadu is third on the list and recorded 1,242 cases including 118 recovered and 14 patients have died due to the virus.

Rajasthan has crossed the 1,000 cases mark with 1,023 cases including 147 recovered and three patients dead. Madhya Pradesh is hovering around the 1,000 cases mark with 987 positive COVID-19 cases including 64 recovered and discharged and 53 fatalities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the nationwide lockdown--scheduled to end on April 14--will be extended to May 3.

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Thiruvananthapuram: A 50-year-old woman travelled 2,700 km in a car crisscrossing 6 states to meet her critically ill son, a BSF jawan in Jodhpur, despite strict lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19.

The woman was accompanied by her daughter-in-law and another relative during the journey, which they covered in three days' time. Speaking to PTI from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Sheelamma Vasan said the health condition of her son, Arun Kumar (29), who was suffering from myositis, (inflammation of muscles), was improving.

"Due to God's grace we have reached here without any problems anywhere", she said. The family was informed by a Malayali doctor at AIIMS in Jodhpur about Arun Kumar's condition following which they decided to undertake the journey from Kerala through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat to reach Rajasthan.

Thanks to the intervention of Union Minister V Muraleedharan, the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader Oommen Chandy, the family could get necessary passes for the travel across the states.

Volunteers of Hindu helpline, a VHP organisation, helped in arranging a cab and two taxi drivers free of cost to take them to Jodhpur. After getting necessary passes arranged by Kottayam District Collector P K Sudheer Babu, Sheelaamma accompanied by her daughter-in-law Parvathyand another relative set off on the journey from Panackachira village in Koruthodu panchayat in Kottayam on April 11and reached Jodhpur on 14th, "Vishu" (Malayalam new year).

The jawan, who had come to his village in February end on leave and days after his return had fallen ill, had expressed desire to meet his mother and wife.
Arun Kumar's one-year-old child is in Kerala.

The mother's journey comes close on the heels of another woman who rode 1400 km on her two-wheeler from Telangana to bring back her son stuck in Andhra Pradesh. The Burqa-clad mom, Razia Sultana, a school teacher from Bodhan town in Telangana undertook the journey on her scooter and brought her son, a student from Rehmatabadin Andhra Pradesh.

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India's total number of coronavirus cases has reached 15,712, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. Out of the total cases, 12,974 cases are active, while 2,231 people have been cured/discharged/migrated and 507 deaths have been reported, as per the ministry. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with a total of 3,651 cases. While 365 patients have recovered, 211 deaths have been reported.

Delhi comes next with 1,893 cases, out of which 72 patients have recovered while 42 patients have died. Tamil Nadu has reported 1,372 cases, out of which 365 have recovered and 15 have succumbed to the virus. Rajasthan has confirmed 1,351 cases, out of which 183 people have recovered while 11 patients are dead.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,407 cases, including 127 patients recovered and 70 patients dead. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh has 805 COVID-19 positive cases.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 400 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths. Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.

Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives. Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.

Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives. Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter on Friday morning informing that he will be interacting with 'Sarpanchs' from across the nation. He will also launch an unified e-GramSwaraj portal and a mobile app on National Panchayati Raj Day. "At 11 AM today, PM @narendramodi would be interacting with Sarpanchs from across the nation via video conferencing. All Sarpanchs will be able to join this interaction through Doordarshan, from their respective homes adhering to social distancing norms," Modi tweeted.

He added that the village heads who were participating and will be sharing their views with him will be doing so from a Common Service Centre close to them. National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on April 24 as it marks a defining moment in the history of decentralisation of power to the grassroots level, with the institutionalisation of Panchayati Raj through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on April 24, 1993.

The portal that PM Modi will launch is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj which will provide the gram panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

The Prime Minister will also launch the Swamitva Scheme on the occasion. The scheme provides for an integrated property validation solution for rural India; the demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas would be done by the use of latest surveying methods -- Drone technology with the collaborated efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India.

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India's tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 31,332, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With 73 more deaths reported, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country breached the 1,000 mark and stood at 1,007. The tally is inclusive of 22,629 active coronavirus cases, 7,695 patients who have been cured/discharged and one patient migrated.

According to the Ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 9,318 cases of which, 1,388 patients have been cured/discharged while 400 patients have succumbed to the virus. Gujarat has the second-highest number of positive cases in the country with 3744 cases including 434 patients cured/discharged and 181 deaths.

Delhi's tally stands at 3314 cases of which, 1078 patients have recovered while 54 patients have succumbed to the virus. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2387 positive cases including 377 patients recovered/discharged and 120 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Goa (seven cases; all seven recovered), Arunachal Pradesh (one case; now recovered), Manipur (two cases; both recovered), Tripura (two cases; both recovered) have reported no new cases of COVID-19.

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A 68-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Pune on Saturday, taking the total toll to 100 in the district, a health official said. The cause of the patient's death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with coronavirus infection.

"A 68-year-old patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 passes away in Pune. The cause of death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with COVID-19 infection. Total death toll in Pune district is now 100," an official said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the total number of COVID-19 cases across the country surged to 37,336, including 26,167 active cases, 9,951 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,218 deaths.

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Many government-run liquor shops which opened after a gap of over 40 days in the national capital on Monday had to be shut as people who gathered outside the outlets did not follow social distancing norms, and the police had to use mild force in some cases to disperse the unruly crowd.

People queued up in large numbers in the morning at the liquor shops. According to an official, about 150 government-run liquor shops have been allowed to open from 9 am to 6.30 pm in accordance with the latest lockdown relaxations given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Many people were not aware that only government shops were allowed to open. In most areas, including Burari, Mayur Vihar, Gandhi Vihar, Rohini and Janakpuri, a large number of people had lined up outside outlets.

An official said an alcohol vend had to be closed in Mayur Vihar in east Delhi as people failed to maintain social distancing norms. Similar cases were reported from north and central Delhi. With people gathering in large numbers, the police had to resort to mild force.

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The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 46,433 on Tuesday morning, the Union Health Ministry said.

Of the total cases, 32,138 are active, 12,726 people have recovered, and 1,568 have succumbed to the disease.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with the total number of cases rising to 14,541 and 583 deaths, though 2,465 people have recovered from the deadly virus.

Gujarat has reported 5,804 cases so far followed by Delhi with 4,898 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

The other states which have seen a sharp rise in cases are Madhya Pradesh (2,942), Rajasthan (3,061), Tamil Nadu (3,550) and Uttar Pradesh (2,766).

Maharashtra has the highest number of fatalities, among all the states, followed by Gujarat with 319 deaths, Madhya Pradesh 165, Rajasthan 77 and Delhi 64.

Among other major states, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,650 cases and 36 deaths so far, Bihar 528 cases and four deaths, Haryana 517 and six deaths, Jammu and Kashmir 726 cases and eight deaths, Karnataka 651 and 27 deaths and Kerala 500 cases with four deaths.

The states which have reported less than 10 cases are Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

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On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended greetings to the nation and the followers of Lord Buddha around the world.  I extend my wishes to all on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Today, the situation is such that I cannot participate in Buddha Purnima programmes physically. It would have been my pleasure to be with you all in the celebrations, but circumstances prevailing today do not permit us," the Prime Minister said in his address.

"It is my good fortune that I have got the opportunity to take your blessings. In 2015, 2018 in Delhi and in 2017 in Colombo, I had the chance of joining this event and being amongst you," he said. Praising Lord Buddha, the Prime Minister used one of his sayings to state that the lack of physical interaction on this occasion would not be a hindrance to the enthusiasm surrounding the day.

"Lord Buddha had said - the mind is the basis of Dhamma, the mind is Supreme, the mind is at the forefront of all tendencies. That's why since our minds are connected, we don't feel the lack of physical presence much," the Prime Minister said.

The festival of Buddha Purnima is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became Gautam Buddha.

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New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday issued notices to LG Polymers, Union Environment Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others regarding the Vizag gas leak incident.

The NGT has directed LG Polymers, India, at whose plant the gas leakage occurred, to forthwith deposit an initial amount of Rs 50 crore taking note of damages caused due to the incident.

Further hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 18.

On Thursday, a styrene gas leak at the plant of LG Polymers in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh had claimed 11 lives.

NGT's principal bench headed by its Chairperson AK Goel also issued notice to Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (PCB) and District Magistrate of Vishakhapatnam.

The Tribunal has also sought a report from a 5-member committee comprising former Judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice B Seshasayana Reddy, Former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Professor Ch V Rama Chandra Murthy, Head of Chemical Engineering Department of Andhra University, Professor Pulipati King, CPCB Member Secretary and Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.

NGT said that the committee may visit and inspect the site at the earliest and give its report before the next date via email and site visit may be initially conducted by members available locally in consideration with outside members online.

It said that the committee may specifically report on the sequence of events, causes of failure, the extent of damage to life, human and environment, steps to be taken for compensation of victims and restitution of the damaged property among others.

The bench has directed the District Magistrate of Vishakhapatnam and Regional Office of Andhra Pradesh PCB to provide logistic support to the Committee to enable their fact-finding and reporting.

It took suo-motu cognisance on the basis of media reports on the leakage of hazardous gas, Styrene from a chemical factory owned by the South Korean company LG Polymers. The incident has caused damage to the environment and habitat.

Styrene gas is a hazardous chemical and as per rules, it requires on-site and off-site emergency plans to ensure prevention of damage.

NGT noted that there appears to be a failure to comply with the rules and other statutory provisions and leakage of hazardous gas at such a scale adversely affecting public health and environment clearly attracts the principle of 'Strict Liability' against the enterprise engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry.

"Such an entity is liable to restore the damage caused under the Environment Law, apart from other statutory liability. The statutory authorities responsible for authorizing and regulating such activities may also be accountable for their lapses, if any, in dealing with the matter," the NGT said.

Stressing that it is necessary to ascertain the facts relating to the extent of damage, the extent of the failure and consider remedial measures, the bench listed the matter for May 18 for further hearing.

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Hollywood veteran Russell Crowe took a trip down the memory lane on Saturday and shared a throwback picture from the sets of his film -- A Beautiful Mind.

The 56-year-old shared the picture of the year, 2001, on Instagram. The actor is seen sitting along with actor Jennifer Connelly, also his co-star in 2001 released American biographical drama film. The duo have shared screen space in multiple films.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Love this gal. Been married to her twice. Awesome actress. I think we bring out the best in each other. This from the set of A Beautiful Mind. Somewhere in New Jersey, 2001.

A post shared by Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) onApr 17, 2020 at 11:08pm PDT

Addressing the 49-year-old star, Crowe tweeted: "Love this gal. Been married to her twice. Awesome actress. I think we bring out the best in each other. This from the set of A Beautiful Mind. Somewhere in New Jersey, 2001."

Directed by Ron Howard, the movie is about an antisocial but genius mathematician, John Nash who agrees to do some secret work in cryptography following which his life becomes a total nightmare. But his love for numbers is quite evident in the film.

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Hollywood star Russell Crowe has revealed that his character, General Maximus Decimus Meridius wasn't initially going to be killed in the 2000 acclaimed hit "Gladiator". Directed by Ridley Scott, the epic historical action drama was co-written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. Crowe, 56, explained that the script underwent major rewrites weeks before production began as the character surviving in the climax of the film didn't make sense of his story arc.

"That 'My name is Maximus...' speech is basically a suicide note," the actor told Empire magazine. "I remember Ridley coming up to me on set saying, 'Look, the way this is shaping up, I don't see how you live. This character is about one act of pure vengeance for his wife and child, and, once he's accomplished that, what does he do?' "And my joke used to be, 'Yeah, what does Maximus do? Does he end up running a f***king pizzeria by the Colosseum?'" he recalled.

Crowe, who won the best actor Oscar for his performance, said even he was in favour of Maximus dying in the end. "He has a singular purpose, which is to meet his wife in the afterlife and apologise for not being there for her. And that's it," he added. A major draw at the box office, "Gladiator" won four more Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001 -- best picture, best costume design, best sound and best visual effects.

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Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe on Tuesday took a look back at the movie 'Gladiator' which was released twenty years ago today. The widely lauded movie was released in the US on May 5, 2000, whereas in India the flick hit the theatres on September 1, 2000.

Today we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the US release of Gladiator. Congrats to Russell Crowe and the entire cast and crew. We can't wait to bring Russell back to the big screen later this year in @UnhingedMovie #WeLoveMovies #SolsticeStudios #UnhingedMovie pic.twitter.com/n5THGq4e9u

— Solstice Studios (@SolsticeStudios) May 5, 2020

The 56-year-old actor took to Twitter and wrote: "20 years ago today Gladiator was released in cinemas in the United States ... Strength and Honour ..."

Helmed by director Ridley Scott, the action drama won the Best Picture and Best Actor award at the Oscars and went on to make USD 460 million at the box office worldwide. 'Gladiator', which released in 2000, featured Russell Crowe as Maximus, a General in the Roman army, who is betrayed by the Emperor and left for dead while his family is brutally murdered.

He is eventually forced to become a gladiator after being captured by slave traders, who lead him back to Rome to fight as a gladiator while he plots his revenge against the Emperor who betrayed him. Crowe has proved his calibre as an actor in movies like 'The Insider, and 'A Beautiful Mind', but the portrayal of Maximus remains one of his finest performances.

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After repeated attempts to convince the Aurangabad police to register a case against Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dilip Kamble for his alleged involvement in a cheating case of Rs 1.92 crore failed, a businessman approached the judicial magistrate first class court to get the work done. According to victim Vilas Dadarao Chavan, the minister cheated him of the amount on the pretext of issuing a liquor licence and permit.

According to sources, the incident came to light when Chavan approached the police to file a complaint. As the cops did not take his grievance seriously, he approached the court and registered a private case. On Tuesday, the Aurangabad court directed the police to register an FIR at CIDCO police station against Kamble and three others under sections 420, 406, 120B and 34 of IPC.

Chavan said, "A relative of Kamble had promised to help me get the licence for selling liquor in Aurangabad. The first time we met at a hotel in Pune, he introduced me to the minister and said that I would have to pay Rs 2.15 crore for transferring my Mumbai sale licence. I had given him Rs 1.92 lakh in advance." He further said, "Neither did I get the licence, nor my money back.

I had approached the Aurangabad police, but they did not take my case seriously. Then I approached the court." Aurangabad CP Chiranjeev Prasad said, "We have registered a case based on the court order. The matter is being investigated."

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By failing to properly take gender interactions into account in research we are limit-ing today's science. EU-funded research is revealing how economic trends affect genders differently, as for example in the COVID-19 crisis. It is also looking at how the interaction between genders impacts macroeconomic trends.

Wales attacker Gareth Bale has said that he had donated ?500,000 ($615,000) to the hospital where he was born to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Real Madrid's Bale, 30, who has won four Champions League titles since joining the Spanish giants in 2013, made the announcement in a Twitter post by the Cardiff and Vale Health Board.

"I just wanted to make this video to thank everybody in the NHS for their hard work and sacrifice during this COVID-19 crisis," he said "The University Hospital of Wales holds a special place in my heart, it's where I was born and it's provided great support to my friends, my family and the wider community. "Me and my family we'd like to show our support. Keep up the good work, you're doing an amazing job and thank you very much," he added.

As of Wednesday 624 people had died from the illness in Wales with more than 8,000 cases recorded. Spain's La Liga has been suspended since March 12 due to the outbreak but football authorities in the country have agreed on a return to protocol for professional players.

League president Javier Tebas last week said play could restart as early as next month, although a fortnight extension of the nationwide lockdown until May 9 announced on Saturday appears to have scuppered those plans.

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Former England footballer Peter Crouch has plans to enter the Crufts, an international dog show held in UK, and walk away with the trophy. Peter and his model wife Abbey Clancy, who have a new Labrador named Sonny, were denied entry this March. And the football star is determined to win the coveted title with his pet dog in 2021.

In the latest episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, Peter said: "We couldn't get into Crufts last time so we're trying to train this bad boy up."

Meanwhile, Abbey revealed: "He likes getting in the cage with the dog. The dog cage is the biggest one we could get on Amazon. And it does fit Peter and all four children and the dog. He's trying to train him for little biccies. He's a good trainer. He doesn't like to fail at anything. So after the whole Crufts episode, he said, 'I'm gonna train a dog then I'm gonna enter it into Crufts'."

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Manchester City's Brazilian footballer Gabriel Jesus is doing his best to help his country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabriel has donated three tonnes of food to the poor in Brazil's notorious favelas from where he emerged as a footballer. He recently arranged for 400 food baskets to be delivered to Sao Paulo's Jardim Peri neighbourhood where he grew up.

The player has also got together with famous Brazilian singer Beto for a song that has been uploaded on YouTube to raise funds.

Gabriel, 23, has reportedly helped raised £370,000 (approx Rs 3.7 crore) alongwith fellow footballers to help some 32,000 families with relief material. Back in Brazil, when he played for Palmeiras as a teenager, Gabriel, then 17, earned around £3,500 a year (approx R3 lakh) before he went on to bag a whopping £75,000-a-week (approx Rs 67 lakh) contract with Manchester City in 2016.

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Coronavirus or Covid-19 is showing no signs of receding. On the contrary, the number of cases is increasing by the day and the situation is rather depressing, as almost every region of the world and country is infected.

Sadly, there is no antidote or a vaccine conclusively developed to fight this deadly pathogen yet. And according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Coronavirus will be with us for a long time. Most cases are still in the early phase of the epidemic and some countries which were affected early in the pandemic, are now seeing a resurgence in the number of cases, said the WHO Chief.

COVID-19 is truly playing havoc and may be followed with a financial crisis owing to the lockdowns imposed to contain the spread. The risk of global recession undeniably looms large. "This crisis is like no other", as what the International Monetary Fund's (IMF), Chief Economist, Ms Gita Gopinath wrote in the foreword to the World Economic Outlook, April 2020.

Graph 1: The virus has spread even to Indian equities

The graph above depicts the S&P BSE Sensex falling off the cliff and investors' wealth being eroded. Since the all-time high of the S&P BSE Sensex (42,273.87 points made on January 20, 2020), we have fallen more than -25% and overall sentiments seem downbeat and volatility has heightened.

On a year-to-date basis, Indian equity is down nearly -23.2% (as of April 27, 2020), while gold -- with uncertainty looming around the world -- has exhibited its sheen and demonstrated its trait of safe haven and an effective portfolio diversifier, clocking nearly +5.0% absolute return as of April 27, 2020.

Graph 2: YTD Performance of key asset classes

The graph above validates the importance of tactical asset allocation. The key lesson here is: all asset classes will not necessarily move in the same direction (up or down) always - over the long-term; some may even move in the opposite direction as what we have seen in the recent past (in the case of equities and gold).

As we (the world) continue to fighting COVID-19 and the aftereffects of it are conceivable, a further correction cannot be ruled out and the bottom is unknown. COVID-19 is likely to impact corporate earnings amidst a time when India is already facing slowdown blues. As people are quarantined, demand would remain muted and inflation risk will begin to surface, particularly in food prices.

So, although the current levels offer a decent value-buying opportunity, skewing your portfolio completely to equity as an asset class could endanger wealth creation. In such times you, as an investor, need to follow tactical asset allocation while you aim to generate wealth.

Tactical Asset Allocation with Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

To invest sensibly in the current times, you need a Multi-Asset Fund that invests in mainly three asset classes: equity, debt and gold; and is truly balanced.

Among the plethora of Multi-Asset Funds, the Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds (QMAFOF) incepted on July 11, 2012, is truly balanced and holds well-diversified portfolio (across the three key asset classes: equity, debt and gold) at all the times -- unlikely many of its peers who swayed by the excess exuberance in equities, lost sense, and eroded investors wealth.

Table 1: Asset Allocation of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

The Scheme predominantly invests in the units of Equity, Debt / Money Markets and Gold schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund. Currently, the following schemes are used to gain exposure to a particular asset class:

For equity - Quantum Long Term Equity Value Fund, Quantum Nifty ETF

For debt & money market instruments - Quantum Liquid Fund, Quantum Dynamic Bond Fund

For Gold - Quantum Gold Fund (ETF)

The Units of any other Equity and Debt / Money Markets scheme launched by Quantum Mutual Fund from time to time would be eligible to be part of the above asset allocation components.

Although QMAFOF aims to invest predominantly only in the schemes launched by Quantum Mutual Fund, QMAFOF may seek to invest in the units of similar schemes of other mutual fund houses in case of any investment and regulatory constraints that arise that prevent the Scheme from increasing investments in the schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund.

The investment objective of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds is, "to generate modest capital appreciation while trying to reduce risk (by diversifying risks across asset classes) from a combined portfolio of equity, debt/money markets and gold schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund"

QMAFOF benchmarks it against the Crisil Composite Bond Fund Index (40%) + S&P BSE Sensex Total Return Index (40%) + Domestic price of Gold (20%).

Being a fund of fund, this benchmark is most suitable to compare QMAFOF's performance. The unique combination clubs together the relatively risky assets with other stable asset classes in the portfolio.

Backed by an astute investment strategy, taking the relative valuations between asset classes into consideration such as Price-to-Earnings relative to historical averages; the relationship between earning yield to bond yield relative to historical averages; and macroeconomic factors prevailing globally and within India, the two fund managers of QMAFOF, namely Mr Chirag Mehta (MMS - Finance, M.Com, and CAIA with over 13 years' experience in research and investments) and Mr Nilesh Shetty (B.Com, MMS -Finance, and CFA with collectively 16 years in equity markets), have generated respectable returns for investors.

Table 2: Report card of QMAFOF versus some of its peers

Even as the equity market is panting for breath attributable to COVID-19 and volatility has intensified, QMAFOF due to its sensible asset allocation to equity, debt and gold through its underlying portfolio, has fared relatively better than some of the peers.

ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund, Axis Triple Advantage Fund, HDFC Multi-Asset Fund, and UTI Multi-Asset Fund, on the other hand, have all eroded investors wealth posting double-digit negative returns (see Table 2) in this downturn. Some of these schemes have fared well during upswings by keeping to the allocation to equities high, but on the downside, they have not managed the risk very sensibly. Investors, as a result, have experienced a roller-coaster ride in the journey of wealth creation.

A multi-asset fund, ideally, is expected to be truly balanced and sensibly allocate its assets whereby the downside risk of one asset class is compensated by the positive returns of the other asset classes.

Here are five good reasons to invest in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

1. You gain from a diversified portfolio across asset class which, in turn, reduces risk and optimizes returns.
2. You do not have to worry about portfolio rebalancing; the fund manager will astutely do it for you at regular intervals in the endeavour to achieve the set-out investment objective of the fund.
3. Portfolio tracking will be easy for you instead of tracking 10 different schemes
4. You will benefit from the lowest expense ratio in the category
5. And above all, Quantum Mutual Fund's strong research capabilities across various asset markets - equity, debt and gold, -- with robust investment processes & systems followed at the fund house.

Suitability of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

QMAFOF is a perfect fund for investors looking to tactically diversify the portfolio with a single fund across equity, debt and gold, plus leave the aspect of rebalancing to the discretion and expertise of the fund manager.

Furthermore, the fund is appropriate for investors seeking long term capital appreciation, who have a moderately high-risk appetite, and an investment time horizon of 3 to 5 years.

It is the best time to invest in the Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds. Valuation-wise, Indian equities look attractive and there appears to be a decent margin of safety (with a high return potential if the equity markets ascend).

Similarly, given the uncertainty surrounding the world, gold is expected to display its lustre. The economic uncertainty surrounded by the COVID-19, GDP growth rates being revised downwards, easy monetary policy action and stance followed by central bank across the world, geopolitical tensions, trade tension, and increased stock market volatility are likely to keep spotlights on gold.

Likewise, with credit risk getting amplified, it makes sense to have exposure to a pure Liquid Fund (that does not take exposure to Commercial Papers issued by private entities). Now that policy rates are already lowered by RBI to address growth concerns, it does not make much sense to take exposure to the longer end of the yield curve; it could prove less rewarding and risky (may encounter high volatility) in the foreseeable future. Deploying your hard-earned money is short-end of the maturity curve, would be far better.

By investing in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds, you will be able to balance the risk better with a sensible investment strategy in place.

Just as an excess drug dosage cannot treat COVID-19, your investment portfolio, too, needs just a fair amount of diversification to clock optimal risk-adjusted returns in the journey of wealth creation.

Go ahead and consider investing in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds.

Happy Investing!

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Author: Rounaq Neroy

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

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Belgian tennis player Kirsten Flipkens was fined by police during a cycle ride recently. World No. 77 Kirsten unknowingly rode across the border, entering the Netherlands and paid the price for the violation. According to Dutch newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, Kirsten had to pay the border police a fine of 250 euros.

"I had entered a route of 130km in my GPS [the system picks the route automatically] and then I saw that I found myself in The Netherlands [in Komoot] as it entered the shortest route back to Belgium. I saw them [police] from a distance of one kilometre and then immediately I was put aside like a criminal with sirens on the side. Really bad," a frustrated Kirsten wrote on Twitter, adding that another cyclist passing by told her, that he had received only a warning at the same crossing.

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