Ahmedabad, May 2 () Ahmedabad on Saturday reported 20 fatalities due to COVID-19, its highest single-day tally,and 250 new cases, a Gujarat health official said. With this, the overall death tally in Gujarat'sbiggest city has mounted to 185 while the number of cases roseto 3,543, the official said."Of the total 26 deaths reported in Gujarat on Saturday, Ahmedabad accounted for 20," said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.Of the 20 deceased, 12 were suffering from underlyinghealth conditions, she said."Ahmedabad has reported 250 of the total 333 new COVID-19 casesfrom 12 districts of the state," the official said.A total 63 coronavirus positive patients were discharged after recovery in Ahmedabad, taking their total number in the district to 462, she said. See Also - Checkout the names

Kolkata, May 2 () Fifteen people have died in West Bengal due to COVID-19 in the last 48 hours, taking the toll to 48, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department on Saturday. It said 127 new cases of coronavirus were registered from different parts of the state during this period, as the new number of active cases rose to 639.The government did not issue any bulletin on the COVID-19 status on Friday.In the last 48 hours, 60 people have been discharged from various hospitals after being cured. Now a total of 199 patients have been cured of the disease in the state.The bulletin said 4,471 samples were tested during this period to check COVID-19 and the total number of tests in West Bengal is 20,976.The total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal till Saturday is 886 while

Bhubaneswar, May 2 () Eight people tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha's Jajpur district on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 157, officials said with 56 people cured of the disease and one death, the number of active cases in the state now stands at 100. Till Friday, a total of 36,593 samples were tested, they said All the eight newly detected patients, which include two women, have a travel history to Kolkata in West Bengal, officials said, adding they were kept in a quarantine centre and had no symptoms of coronavirus.Their samples were tested in view their travel history, the officials said.With these new instances of the infection, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased to 47 in Jajpur district which has emerged as the new coronavirus hotspot of Odisha.

Chandrapur, May 2 () Chandrapur district in Maharashtra on Saturday reported its first COVID-19 case after a 50-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus, officials said here. His reports came in positive at around 8:30 pm and the area around his residence in Krishna Nagar in Bengali Camp area has been sealed, said District Civil Surgeon Nivruti Rathod.Collector Kunal Khemnar, in a press release, asked people to ad here to lockdown norms strictly so that the spread of the virus can be stopped.A District Information Office release said three residents of Chandrapur are currently admitted for the infection in Delhi and Nagpur, due to which the district ispart of the orange zone.See Also - Total coronavirus cases in India till May 4Coronavirus hotspot and Containment zones in Hyderabad

Nashik, May 3 () The number of coronavirus cases rose to 360 in Maharashtra's Nashik district after 27 more people tested positive for the disease, the district administration said on Sunday. With this, 324 COVID-19 cases have so far been reported from Malegaon town, 16 from Nashik city and 17 from other parts of the district.Besides, three patients from outside Nashik are also under going treatment in hospitals here, the district administration said in a release.The district has so far reported 12 deaths, while 25 people have been discharged after recovery.

New Delhi, May 3 () Jet fuel (ATF) prices have been slashed by a steep 23 per cent in line with a slump in international oil prices and it now costs about one-third of petrol and diesel whose rates continue to be frozen for the 50th day on Sunday. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price has been cut by Rs 6,812.62 per kilolitre, or 23.2 per cent, to Rs 22,544.75 per kl in the national capital, according to a price notification by state-owned oil marketing companies. 75463339ATF, which is used as a fuel in aeroplanes, now costs less than one-third of the price of petrol used in cars and two-wheelers. A litre of petrol in Delhi comes for Rs 69.59 while jet fuel is priced at Rs 22.54 per litre. Diesel, used mostly in trucks, buses and tractors, is priced at Rs 62.29 per litre. In fact, even market

A number of aircraft of Indian Air Force conducted a fly past over different parts spanning the length and breadth of the country today (May 3) as a tribute to the frontline staff ⁠— doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police and others ⁠— dealing with the COVID-19 pandeminc in India. This flying activity was combined along with the training activity of the Indian Air Force and opportunity flight for transport aircraft and helicopters who are involved in moving supplies related to COVID-19 task, a government statement said. Watch the video here: Courtesy: The state-run broadcaster Doordarshan.From the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital in Kerala, the IAF aircrafts showered flower petals

This is an excerpt of an article originally published in the Observer Research Foundation. Viral load matters.Although there’s plenty we still don’t know about all the ways coronavirus ravages the human body, data are telling us at least this much: More than 10 in 100 frontline healthcare workers in the US are getting infected with COVID19.Frontline health care workers who are typically in closest proximity with confirmed COVID19 patients account for 11% per cent of US COVID19 cases according to the first national level data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).7551518275516736Doctors on the cutting edge of COVID19 research have been urging policy makers to factor viral dose and its relationship to severity. This CDC report based on data between February 12–April

While the new government guidelines have allowed IT manufacturing units including mobile phones to resume operations from May 4, there has been no official confirmation yet and Realme India is awaiting the nod to open its factory at Greater Noida and begin streamlining overall processes, its CEO Madhav Sheth said on Sunday.Due to the extended lockdown, there are many challenges faced by businesses with huge impact from sales, manufacturing and cost."With the recent extension of the lockdown period for two more weeks, we haven't received any official confirmation on when can the production will resume," Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme and CEO, Realme India, told IANS.75515809"We have reached out to the government for approval on opening of factory and now await their decision. We will

The nationwide lockdown has had deep ramifications on economic activity and according to a CEO Snap Poll by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 44.7 per cent of the corporate chiefs believe that it would take more than a year for the Indian economy to recover.According to the snap poll on the 'Impact of COVID-19 on Economy and Industry', as a majority of the firms continue to anticipate a significant decline in their revenues, they now foresee a delay in economic revival and demand recovery.SEE ALSO: Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40%Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40% "The survey results reveal that the country may experience a protracted slowdown in economic activity as a major proportion

Ahmedabad, May 3 () One more ward of Ahmedabad city was declared as a COVID-19 containment zone on Sunday, taking the total number of such wards here to 10, a senior civic official said. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is taking steps to ensure lockdown rules are strictly followed in these affected areas to contain the spread of coronavirus, he said.The Maninagar ward in south Ahmedabad is the latest to be added in the list of containment zones, the official said.The COVID-19 figures in Ahmedabad till Saturday are as follows: Total cases-3,543, deaths-184, active cases-2,815, discharged-525, total samples tested-30,166 (at the rate of 5,000 samples per million), the official said.Ahmedabad has been declared a red zone by the Centre, and the state government will decide on the lockdown

Indore, May 3, Two more people succumbed to coronavirus in Indore, taking the COVID-19 death toll in the Madhya Pradesh's worst hit district to 76, an official said on Sunday.The latest victims included a 55-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man, who died in different hospitals here in the last three days, Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.The woman had diabetes and thyroid problems, while theman was diabetic and also had high blood pressure, he said.Indore reported 23 new coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases in the district to 1,568 cases, the official said.So far, 350 people have been discharged in the district after recovery, he said.An analysis of the data shows the COVID-19 death ratein Indore stood as 4.85 per cent

Aurangabad (Maha), May 3 () The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases to about 300 over one week in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra can be largely attributed to augmented testing capacity, a senior official said on Sunday. Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar told that the administration had earlier been testing only primary contacts of coronavirus positive cases but has now included secondary contacts as well.Aurangabad has been classified as one of the 14 'Red'zones in Maharashtra, which has reported more than 12,000 COVID-19 cases so far."Augmented testing is the reason for the rise in the number of cases. This aggressive tracing (of contacts) has also helped us in detecting more patients," he said.Kendrekar also said that since majority of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, the rate

In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.In today’s interview, Prashan Agarwal, CEO of Gaana tells us how the app has seen a hike in its Monthly Active Users and a few changes in consumer behaviour that he has observed in the last month. COVID-19 has affected every industry. Today is anything but normal. To escape from this gloomy reality, people are looking for ways to cope. While many are finding new hobbies and developing new skills, there's also been a marked behavioural change in the way people are consuming content now. Since everyone is stuck at home, a lot of people are taking their minds off all negativity by consuming content on different OTT platforms. According

Jaipur, May 3 () Rajasthan recorded four more coronavirus deaths on Monday, while 123 fresh cases of the virus were reported, an official said.Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said four people died of the virus in Jaipur. The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 75. Jaipur alone has reported 44 deaths.As many as 123 new cases, including 73 in Jodhpur, 19 in Chittorgarh, 12 in Jaipur, 11 in Pali, three in Kota, two in Rajsamand and one each in Alwar, Bikaner and Udaipur have been reported, the Health Department official said.The state now has 3,009 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 923 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,578 active cases, Singh said.Jaipur has reported the highest number of cases with 1,005 infections, followed by

By Gurdip Singh Singapore, May 4 () Nearly 4,800 Indian nationals, most of whom are living in dormitories for foreign workers, have been tested positive with the novel coronavirus in Singapore till the end of April, the Indian High Commissioner here said on Monday.The total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore are 18,205 with 18 deaths, according to the figures released by Singapore Health Ministry on Sunday."Almost all of the infection among Indian workers is mild and their conditions are improving," Jawed Ashraf, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, told .Over 3,500 Indian nationals, including students, have also registered with the High Commission to return home or to seek assistance for accommodation and food due to their unexpectedly long stay here, he said.Over 90 per cent of the

As countries across the world continue to grapple with COVID-19, ZEE5 Global, which is present in 190 countries, sees a 60% surge in subscriptions and 20% growth in viewership in all markets. The platform’s focus this year is going to be on expanding across geographies, localization and strengthening its content strategy.Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global further shares the growth plan, which are the key markets for ZEE5 global, and its retention strategy once the lockdown is lifted. As most countries across the globe continue being under lockdown, viewers are turning to OTT platforms to stay entertained and escape from the much scarier reality. ZEE5 Global has also seen a 60% uptick in the number of subscribers globally and a 20% growth in viewership in the past month due

Bengaluru, May 4 () A 56-year old man from Kalaburagi became the 26th COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, as the state reported 28 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 642, the Health Department said on Monday. Davangere, which was in the green zone has seen as purt in cases with 21 out of 28 cases coming from the district.The deceased was a known case of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and was admitted on April 29 with complaints of cough and fever, the department said in its mid-day situation update.His chest X-ray showed bilateral patchy pneumonitisand he died at designated hospital in Kalaburagi, it said."Twenty-eight new positive cases have been reportedfrom last evening to this noon...Till date 642 COVID-19positive cases have been confirmed. This includes

Thane, May 4 () While the number of cases in Thane and Navi Mumbai municipal corporation limits has crossed 300 each, Kalyan Dombivali area, the district's third major civicbody, is close to 200 coronavirus positive cases, health officials said on Monday. As on late Sunday night, the total number of cases in Thane district is 1183.The number of cases in KDMC is 195, while it is 389 in Thane city, 314 in Navi Mumbai and 171 in Mira Bhayander.In Navi Mumbai, over 4,000 people have been tested forthe virus in the APMC market in Vashi, the premier supplier ofgrains, vegetables, fruits and spices to Mumbai MetropolitanRegion.In neighbouring Palghar district, the total number ofCOVID-19 cases stands at 177, which includes 10 deaths so far. CORBNM BNM

Jaipur, May 3 () Rajasthan recorded six more coronavirus deaths on Monday, while 130 fresh cases of the virus were reported, an official said.Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said six people, including four in Jaipur and two in Jodhpur, died of the virus.The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 77. Jaipur alone has reported 44 deaths.As many as 130 new cases, including 76 in Jodhpur, 19 in Chittorgarh, 15 in Jaipur, 11 in Pali, three in Kota, two in Rajsamand and one each in Dholpur, Alwar, Bikaner and Udaipur have been reported, the Health Department official said.The state now has 3,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 937 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,545 active cases, Singh said.Jaipur has reported the highest number of

Poynter Institutes International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) on Monday launched its chatbot on WhatsApp to help two billion users of the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform to check veracity of information related to COVID-19.The IFCN's bot connects people with independent fact-checkers in more than 70 countries and also with the largest database of debunked falsehoods related to the new coronavirus.75343540By using the IFCN's bot on WhatsApp, citizens from all over the world will be able to easily check whether a piece of content about COVID-19 has already been rated as false by professional fact-checkers.Since January, more than 80 fact-checking organisations from 74 countries have identified more than 4,000 hoaxes related to the novel coronavirus.All this information now forms the

This is an excerpt of an article originally published by the Observer Research FoundationWork will be exactly what it is right now as the ‘future’ has already made its way to our present realities. It is then important to know how to address one of the most prevailing obstacles of our ‘new now’ — building trust within our cyber-relationships (mostly focusing on daily transactions and remote working).We know the world is heading towards an economic recession. We, therefore, need to try to make our new cyber reality as akin to real life as possible. This translates into having digital economies that want to be like the very jobs we used to have.Perhaps blockchain will have the answer. Humans produce data every single day, and there have long been debates about its ownership. Web 3.0 may now

IANS“While the lockdown has helped in flattening the curve, the curve has not shown a downward trend. That is a cause for concern,” Guleria told The Indian Express.He also believes “the next four to six weeks will be very, very important because the lockdown cannot be there forever. The ideal, the dream would be to have zero cases.”Guleria believes “we are better prepared than we were before”, but the pandemic has to be “fought at the community level, not the hospital level.”Lav Aggarwal, the spokesperson, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted the fact that for the first time since the outbreak, India’s COVID-19 cases are doubling every 12 days. Which is a huge improvement since before lockdown began coronavirus cases were doubling every 3.2 days as of March 24. However, the

The International Fact-Checking Network has launched a WhatsApp chatbot to fact check information about Coronavirus.The chatbot allows users to check whether the information received by them is authentic or not.Users can also use the IFCN chatbot to identify fact checkers near them.The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life across the world and over 3.6 million people have been infected. Misinformation has also been a huge problem as social media platforms have been used to spread fake news about Coronavirus.WhatsApp has over 2 billion monthly active users and there have been several instances where the messaging app has been used to spread fake news. To help users stay safe during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has launched a

Columbia UniversityDar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand captured the life inside Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370. Pulitzer Prize is the highest honour US-based journalists can get.On August 5, Modi-government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and formed two separate Union Territories.Three photojournalists — Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand — who work at Associated Press in India have won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography. The three photojournalists won the prize “for striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout,” said the Pulitzer website. Thank you Colleagues, friends, brothers. I would just

IANSVAT on petrol was increased to 30% from 27%, previously. In the case of diesel, VAT has been almost doubled to 30% from 16.75% Petrol in Delhi now costs ₹71.26 a litre as against ₹69.59 previously. Previously, the Delhi government imposed a 70% fee on the maximum retail price of all categories of liquor sold through retail licenses for consumption off the premises.A day after imposing the special ‘corona fee’ on liquor, the Delhi government has hiked local sales or value-added tax on petrol and diesel. VAT on petrol was increased to 30% from 27%, previously. In the case of diesel, VAT has been almost doubled to 30% from 16.75%. Old PriceNew PricePetrol ₹69.59₹71.26Diesel₹62.29₹ 69.39Petrol price in the national capital was hiked by ₹1.67 a litre on May 5 and diesel by a steep ₹7.10 per

Nashik, May 5 () A 20-year-old pregnant woman died due to COVID-19 here, taking the toll in Nashik district of Maharashtra to 13, while four more persons tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, officials said. The woman, a resident of Bajrang wadi area of the city,was admitted in serious condition in the District Civil Hospital here on May 2, according to an official release.She died at the hospital after two hours, it said.Her swab report was received on Tuesday and it was found to be positive for the novel coronavirus, the release said.This was the first COVID-19 fatality reported from Nashik city, while the district's toll increased to 13, itsaid.Besides, four more persons - one each from Satana, Sinnar, Yeola and Malegaon towns - tested positive for coronavirus in the district on

New Delhi, May 5 () IT major Wipro on Tuesday said it has inked a pact with the Maharashtra government to repurpose one of its campuses in Hinjewadi, Pune, to a 450-bed COVID-19 intermediary care hospital in four weeks. The facility will be handed over to the state government by May 30, and the hospital will be converted back to an IT facility after a year, according to a statement. The 450-bed hospital, to be equipped to treat moderate cases, will include 12 beds to stabilise critical patients before shifting them to a tertiary care facility. "This is an independent, isolated COVID-19 dedicated complex that also includes 24 well-appointed rooms to accommodate doctors and medical staff," the company said. Maharashtra is among the worst-affected states by the pandemic. As on Tuesday morning,

The Telangana government has extended the Coronavirus lockdown till May 29.The government has issued new guidelines for opening of shops in urban and rural areas in the orange and green zones.Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Malkajgiri-Medchal have been classified as red zones.The Telangana lockdown has been extended till May 29, the state government today announced after a marathon cabinet meeting of around 7 hours. The K Chandrashekhar Rao government has decided that it will not allow any relaxations, and the curfew will continue as is for the lockdown period. The CM added that irrespective of the centre's decision, the lockdown will continue even after the nationwide lockdown ends on May 17. “The situation in the State capital, Hyderabad, and its neighbouring districts, Rangareddy and Malkajigiri-Medchal

Raipur, May 5 () A 26-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh's Durg district onTuesday, taking the number of such cases in the state to 59,Health officials said.Her sample tested positive at the All India Instituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, this evening, a publicrelations officer of the institute told .The woman is being admitted to the COVID-19 ward of AIIMS where at present, 22 active cases, including a nursing officer of the institute and some migrant labourers, are beingtreated, he added.According to a Durg district official, the woman,along with her two-year-old child reached Durg on Monday from Bhandara district of neighbouring Maharashtra by taking lift on a goods vehicle, amid lockdown restrictions.She is a native of Bhilai town in Durg, he said.The

Bhubaneswar, May 6 () Odisha reported its second COVID-19 fatality on Tuesday night after a 77-year-old man died due to the disease in Bhubaneswar, health and family welfare department officials said. He breathed his last at the KIMS COVID-19 Hospital here, they said.The elderly man had underlying co-morbidities of hypertension, diabetes and kidney ailments, the officials said.On April 6, a 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar's Jharpada had died due to the contagion at the AIIMS here.Meanwhile, an 18-year-old man, who recently returned from Surat in Gujarat, tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 177, an official of the department said.Till Wednesday morning, there were 115 active cases, while 60 persons have recovered from the disease, he

In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.Since retail has been impacted severely, we talk to Gitanjali Singh, Vice President Marketing, Select CITYWALK on how the organization is trying to bounce back and preparing for the post-Covid world.The last one month has thrown a lot of unforeseen challenges to the entire world. As people across the globe are trying to cope with this new normal, there are a lot of things that might change forever.The way businesses are being conducted might see a complete overhaul. People might be unwilling to venture out for a long time to come, at least till a vaccine is developed. This is also expected to bring about behavioural changes in

Jaipur, May 6 () The COVID-19 death toll in Rajasthan increased to 90 with one more fatality reported on Wednesday, while 35 people tested positive for the disease, taking the number of cases to 3,193 in the state, an official said. The state has 1,567 active cases now, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said.The death was reported from Swai Madhopur. The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 90, he said. Jaipur alone has reported 50 deaths.As many as 35 new cases, including 22 in Jaipur, seven in Pali, two each in Dungarpur and Ajmer, one each in Chittorgarh and Alwar, have been reported, the health department official said.The state now has 3,193 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 1,131 have been discharged from hospitals, Singh said.Jaipur has

Aarogya Setu has claimed that the Coronavirus tracking app is secure, and no privacy breaches have been found.Elliot Alderson, an ethical hacker had claimed that he had found a security issue in the app.French ethical hacker who goes by the fictitious name Elliot Alderson claimed that there was a security issue in Aarogya Setu, the coronavirus tracking app launched by the Indian government. In his tweet, Elliot Alderson had claimed that a security issue has been found in the Aarogya Setu app and that the privacy of over 90 million Indians was at risk. Soon after this, Alderson was contacted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). After disclosing the issue to them, Alderson said that he would wait for the issue to be fixed before

Coronavirus conspiracies are being spread by far-right groups across the world – from blaming 5G technology to targeting Muslim and other minority communities.Some of the Coronavirus conspiracy theories also say that this pandemic is a population control tool.In India, the Tablighi Jamaat incident has been used by far-right groups to target Muslims using hashtags like #CoronaJihad, using the pandemic to suggest that it is a form of terrorism.Other Coronavirus conspiracies in India suggest that hot weather, clove and herbs, and alcohol can help people avoid contracting Covid-19.The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the Indian government to announce a nationwide lockdown since March 24, but it’s not just the deadly disease that we need to worry about. There have been many conspiracy theories,

BCCLSanofi plans to get thousands of subjects onboard across the world for the trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines that it is developing with GSK. Once enrolled, the company will start early-stage trials in September. The pharma giant has already partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching also exploring other options simultaneously. It hopes to introduce the vaccine next year, reported Reuters.Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company, says it is working on two different projects to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The pharma giant has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching other options as well. It hopes to introduce the vaccine by next year, reported Reuters. The plan is to get thousands of subjects on board across the world to test

Shimla, May 6 () One more person tested positive for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on Wednesday, taking the number of cases to 44 in the state, officials said. The patient is a resident of Jamanabad in Kangra district, Superintendent of Police Vimukt Ranjan said.Of the total 44 patients in the state, 34 have recovered and three died. Four people were shifted to other states for treatment. Himachal Pradesh now has three active cases, one each in Sirmaur, Kangra and Mandi districts. Una has the highest number of recovered patients at 16, followed by Chamba six, Solan five, Kangra four, Hamirpur two and Sirmaur one, the officials said.

“Even after India approves the coronavirus vaccine, it might not be possible to produce more than 10-20 million doses in the first year.”The comments came from the Chairperson of Biocon in an exclusive chat with Business Insider.Syngene, a Biocon subsidiary, is involved in accelerating a bunch of initiatives to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that is spreading around the world.There are at least six vaccines under development in India, of the total 100 around the world including from the likes of Sanofi, Altimmune, and Pfizer. “Indian vaccine programmes will take some time before they get into the clinical trials, I think between 6 to 9 months depending on the programme. At least the ones we are working on, I don’t think they can get to clinics before 9 months,” Kiran Mazumdar

In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.We speak to Aalok Bhan, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance about the impact of the lockdown on the brand, and the life insurance industry in general and all that they have been doing to minimize business impact and ensure business continuity.The recent Covid-19 lockdown has impacted different sectors in different ways. Hospitality, travel, retail and aviation are perhaps the most impacted. With the lockdown now extended by another 2 weeks, its still some time till we understand what things look like in the post-Covid world. At the same time, there are a few sectors like FMCG, Telecom, Healthcare and Life insurance

After coronavirus lockdown, dining experience at restaurants will not remain the same as before. Social distancing norms will be in place as restaurants reduce their capacity by half and bring in new rules for dining.Hard Rock Cafe, which has 185 restaurants across India, has drafted a plan to ensure 3-feet distance between guests. Restaurants in India have been shut for over 40 days now, with only some working in minimal capacity for takeaways. According to reports, as many as half a million restaurants might not survive the extended lockdown.And restaurants are cognizant of the fact that survival won’t come without practicing strict social distancing norms. India’s restaurants are now preparing a post-covid-19 plan to open up. And the dining experience at these restaurants may not be the

Elliot Alderson has claimed that the Aarogya Setu app allows users to find out who is sick in a particular area.He has also contradicted the Aarogya Setu team’s claim that bulk calls to the API are not possible.A French ethical hacker who goes with the alias "Elliot Alderson" earlier claimed that he found security and privacy issues in India’s Covid-19 tracker app Arogya Setu. This was denied by the Aarogya Setu team and they said that the app is secure.After this, Alderson has come up with a post highlighting the issues found by him in the Aarogya Setu app.App allows users to access internal filesIn April, Alderson found that the WebViewActivity allowed users to access internal files of the app by using commands as there was no host validation. However, the issue has now been fixed.Aarogya

Dating apps tell us how millennials are readjusting their lives in the wake of COVID-19.They are switching to virtual dating, which has helped couples to build an emotional connect with their partners and ‘slow dating’ is thriving now. As Coronavirus restrictions continue to be imposed across the country, singles around the world are craving to laugh, socialise, love and build a meaningful connection, now more than ever before. They are looking for someone to shoulder their worries with, from within the security of their four walls. Amid all this chaos, dating apps continue to play cupid and help millennials find love online.Now that people have more time to spare, singles are welcoming ‘slow dating’ and getting to develop an emotional connection with their partner before a physical one. They

ICICI Bank is scheduled to announce its fourth-quarter results on May 9.It's share price inreased by over 2% today morning during early trade.The private sector bank’s retail-focused lending puts it at higher risk of bad loans due to the effects of the coronavirus lockdown than its counterparts.Last quarter, ICICI Bank managed to post a profit of 158% and its provisions were down by 58%.ICICI Bank is set to post its fourth-quarter results on May 9 and the outlook seems grim with the banking sector bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. “Banking is the first sector to get hit and the last one to recover. We’re already in a phase of credit issues,” Siddarth Purohit, a banking analyst with Angel Broking, told Business Insider.ICICI Bank is one of top ten stocks to buy, according to Maquarie,

The tech major expects a $50 million to $70 million hit in the ongoing quarter due to the ransomware attack.The management projected margins to remain below 16-17% in 2020. Cognizant shares are down 17.80% from the recent peak on February 6. They have under-performed the Nasdaq which is down 0.66% year to date. IT major Cognizant has reported a 16.7% drop in its March quarter net income at $367 million, and said it expects a challenging demand environment throughout 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cognizant follows January-December as financial year. Its net profit was at $441 million in the March 2019 quarter.In 2020, the company plans to continue investments in developing digital skills and wants to hire about 20,000 entry-level hires to adjust the employee cost structure. 41% of the

The first mother’s day was celebrated in 1908 when a school teacher Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She pressed to accept Mother’s day as a modern holiday in the United States. Though she started the idea, she died protesting against the commercialisation of the event.Every second Sunday of May, we celebrate mother’s day to honour our mothers. This year, we will celebrate mother’s day on May 12. It might be different from any other mother’s day as most of us are under lockdown. The first mother’s day was celebrated in 1908 when a school teacher Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She pressed to accept Mother’s day as a modern holiday in United

In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.While the wedding industry has come to a standstill due to the lockdown, Anupam Mittal, Founder & CEO, Shaadi.com tells us how they are ensuring the matchmaking industry doesn't impact too much for the lockdown.Mittal talks about all the things the organization is doing to ensure its seamless functioning while also innovating to bring people together in the midst of a lockdown.It's been over a month since we have been locked up inside our homes, venturing out only if absolutely essential. It has changed the way we lived our lives, went about our professional lives and it is bound to have a far-reaching impact on how we live in

Google Lens now allows users to copy handwritten text to their computers, learn new concepts and words.The update is being rolled out to both Android and iOS versions of the app.Google Lens is one of the search giant’s most useful products and now, it is getting some new productivity feature that will help you get some work done while you are stuck at home due to the coronavirus lockdown.The new features include the ability to copy handwritten notes to your computer, learning about new concepts and learning how to pronounce new words. While the first two features will be available for both Android and iOS users, the listen feature that allows you to learn pronunciations is currently limited to Android. 71071246Copy handwritten notes to your computerWhile Google Lens already allows users to

Moody's Investors Service said India’s Baa2 negative rating is unlikely to improve given the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.However, the report noted that the COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated the impact of some of India’s existing evils.The $2.7 trillion economy, the seventh largest in the world, is riddled by low household income, high government debt, and weak policy reforms and implementation.Moody's Investors Service said India’s Baa2 negative rating ⁠— while cutting growth estimate for the year to 0.2% ⁠— down from our previous forecast of 2.5%. is unlikely to improve given the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus outbreak. Over the next five years, India’s government debt could be as high as 81% of the country’s gross domestic product, it said.However,

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we reached out to the working mothers from the advertising industry to find out how they are dealing with quarantine blues and their kids being at home 24 hours. They also shared with us some policy ideas that they wish the industry could take into consideration and help them juggle smoothly between work and household chores. In wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown, juggling between both work and home life has taken an even bigger toll on working moms. They have always been swamped but now that the entire family is under one roof, we can only imagine what a storm that must look like. Working parents have lost the privileges of ‘me time’ as there is no external help from grandparents, nannies or schools to share their load. They are

Indore, May 8 () Three COVID-19 patients, two ofthem senior citizens, succumbed in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, taking the toll to 86 in the district, where the count of positive cases breached the 1,700-mark, a senior official saidon Friday. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadiasaid with 28 more people testing positive for the virus inpast 24 hours, the count has reached 1,727 in the district,the worst-hit by the infection in the state.Three men, aged 82, 63 and 40, succumbed to COVID-19,the CMHO said, adding they were also suffering from different illnesses.Of the 1,727 cases reported in the district so far,663 patients have recovered, while 86 have died.According to the latest data, the case-mortality rate(that is total deaths out of total COVID-19 infections),stands at 4.98