The passing away of two of the biggest names of Hindi Cinema, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, will never be forgotten. April 29 and 30 will be marked as two of the darkest days of all time when we lost the doyens of acting. Khan passed away on April 29 due to the complications arising out of the Colon infection, whereas Kapoor breathed his last on April 30 after a two-year battle with leukemia.

Almost the entire Bollywood took to their social media accounts to pay homage and tributes to their legacy and selfless contribution to Cinema with their powerful and path-breaking performances. And now, Meenakshi Seshadri, who worked with Kapoor in Damini in 1993, has also taken to her social media account to share her sorrow and pain on their demise. The video is surely likely to leave you emotional.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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Rest in peace Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Mr. Irfan Khan. You both will be remembered forever & our love and support for your family, friends and fans will be never ending. I know my words not enough but you both shall surely have a great life and fortune in your upcoming birth on this beautiful mother earth. RIP #bollywood #love #india #instagram #hollywood #tollywood #salmankhan #tiktok #mumbai #like #deepikapadukone #follow #instagood #actor #fashion #bollywoodactress #actress #kollywood #katrinakaif #aliabhatt #music #indian #priyankachopra #bollywoodsongs #likeforlikes #beautiful #shahrukhkhan #bollywooddance #shraddhakapoor #bhfyp

A post shared by Meenakshi Seshadri (@meenakshiseshadriofficial) onApr 30, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

And if you remember, Rishi Kapoor had even tweeted a picture of himself posing with his Damini co-star all the way back in 2015 when she paid him a surprise visit at his residence. Remember this?:

Any guesses who this is? I didn't recognise her for a moment. What a lovely surprise. Name in 30 mins no hints. pic.twitter.com/RbYfF1l7Wx

— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) June 30, 2015

Kapoor and Khan went away too soon but will always be alive in our hearts. The world, through their work over the years, will not let them die!

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For the uninitiated, the demise of Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan has left a void that will never be filled. The legends have only left millions of memories for all of us through their films and performances, both of which will always stay unforgettable. Their collective contribution to Indian Cinema was over a 100 years, yes!

However, a Pakistani host by the name of Amir Liaquat recently made fun of their deaths and that has forced another Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui to take to his social media account to apologise. Taking to Instagram, he wrote- "So I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling right now or what to say. But this needs to go out. I was invited on the live chat show 'Jeewey Pakistan' yesterday when this unfortunate incident happened." (sic)

He added, "The anchor Amir Liaquat Sahab joked about something extremely sensitive. Not only were they both close to me but also as a human it was wrong on so many levels. I cannot even call it 'hitting below the belt'." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

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🙏.

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onMay 1, 2020 at 3:30pm PDT

In case you were unaware, Siddiqui played the role of Sridevi's husband in Mom and also shared the screen with Irrfan Khan in 2007's International film, A Mighty Heart. He even shared a picture from one of the stills from that film to mourn the actor's sudden demise and wrote a long note. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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“Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un”..... "Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return."! . . . Disturbed and gutted!! A fine soul gone too soon. I had the honour of first meeting Irrfan as a co-star on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart.’ For one of the scenes after learning his lines I saw him doing the scene again and again which left me puzzled. I asked him, Irrfan Sahab ye kya kar rahe hain aap? He replied- We’re both playing CID agents which means we’ll be showing our ID cards everywhere. I’m practicising the scene so I don’t look clumsy while showing the ID card. And that was the first time I realised what a fine actor he was. We’d become friends on the sets and used to hang out together after the shoot. I remember for another scene, he wanted to know a word in Urdu used commonly in Pakistan and he asked me. He was a great actor but didn’t shy away from learning and perfecting his art. One of the evenings, he shared an incident where him and his friend got the role of an extra actor in James Bond series “Octopussy” which was shot in India. But because they cycled to the set, they were late and the shoot was over. He told me since then he wanted to do a Hollywood movie. Our careers in Hollywood started together, but he proved his mettle and conquered the fort. In 2018 while attending IPPA in London. I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me. We had a long chat about movies and world in general. He looked so positive. His last words were- “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah”! Who knew today, I would be penning this note. Condolences and strength to his family. Irrfan, you will be missed a lot. Rest in peace my friend.🙏

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onApr 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT

And this is what he had to say about Kapoor's unfortunate death:

 

 

 

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Another huge blow!. It’s very devastating to see two legends of Bollywood passing away in two days . Rishi Sahib , you will be remembered always! 🙏🏽

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) onApr 29, 2020 at 11:21pm PDT

What are your opinions on this whole issue?

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The Indian economy has suffered a major setback due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the underprivileged section of the society has to be taken care of financially. Amid this catastrophe, it was reported a few days ago that Bollywood Superstar Aamir Khan distributed money in wheat bags to help the needy. And there were a lot of reports doing the rounds about his donation.

Additionally, the video mentions that within each packet of flour, there was Rs 15,000 hidden in cash and that the truck was sent by Aamir Khan. However, the actor has taken to his Twitter account to clarify once and for all that he was not the one behind these donations and stated that maybe the real Robin Hood doesn't want to reveal himself.

This is what he wrote- "Guys, I am not the person putting money in wheat bags. Its either a fake story completely, or Robin Hood doesn't want to reveal himself!
Stay safe.
Love.
a." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Guys, I am not the person putting money in wheat bags. Its either a fake story completely, or Robin Hood doesn't want to reveal himself!
Stay safe.
Love.
a.

— Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) May 4, 2020

Last night, on May 3, he, however, did participate in the I for India concert to raise money for the unsung heroes who are fighting the pandemic. Accompanying him was his wife Kiran Rao and one of the actor's fan-clubs posted on its Instagram account to share the video of them singing together. Have a look:

 

 

 

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Aamir khan ve eÅŸi kiran yapılan baÄŸıÅŸ için ÅŸarkı söylediler... 😍. @_aamirkhan #aamirkhan .#india #covid19 #iforindia #kiranrao . @give_india Very good ! 👌 .MASALLAH HER KONUDA YETENEÄžİ VAR ...😍😍 .#laalsinghchadha #bolywood #zairawasim #katrinakaif #salmankhan #akshaykumar #saraalikhan #aliabhat #hritiroshan #parinetichopra #priyankachopra #kareenakapoor #ranbirkapoor #imrankhan #kajol #sidharthmalhotra #varundhawan #dishapatani #shaidkapoor #shahrukhan #amitabhachan #kritisanon #aliabhat #preityzinta #salmankhan #akshaykumar #love #shradhhakapoor

A post shared by AAMIR KHAN FAN 😍 14 mart 1965 (@aamirkhanfaneda92) onMay 3, 2020 at 10:09am PDT

As soon as the lockdown ends, Khan will get busy with the shooting of Laal Singh Chaddha, which is slated to release this year on Christmas and also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan.

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Actor Neetu Kapoor on Monday shared a post expressing gratitude to the medical staff for their efforts at the hospital where legendary actor Rishi Kapoor passed away.

The 61-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared two monochromatic pictures along with the post. The first featured the late star smiling, while the second one is an adorable picture that showed Neetu and Rishi sharing a smile. Along with the post she penned the message thanking the hospital and the staff who treated the late star like their family. She wrote, "As a family, we have a deep sense of loss.." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here: 

 

 

 

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As a family we have a deep sense of loss.. when we sit together and look back at the past few months what we also feel is immense gratitude - gratitude towards the doctors at HN reliance hospital! The whole team of doctors, brothers and nurses headed by Dr Tarang Gianchandani treated my husband like he was their own - they advised us like we were their own.. and for all that and more I thank them from the bottom of my heart..🙏 @rfhospital

A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54) onMay 3, 2020 at 8:40pm PDT

She added, "...when we sit together and look back at the past few months what we also feel is immense gratitude - gratitude towards the doctors at HN reliance hospital! The whole team of doctors, brothers and nurses headed by Dr Tarang Gianchandani treated my husband like he was their own - they advised us like we were their own.. and for all that and more I thank them from the bottom of my heart.. @rfhospital"

The gratitude post received more than 10 k likes within an hour of being posted. Celebrity followers including Manish Malhotra and Richa Chadha left heart emojis on the post.

Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully on Thursday morning, Apirl 30, after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia, his family said in a statement. In September 2019, the veteran actor returned to Mumbai after staying in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment.

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Call it nothing but the sheer herd mentality of the makers that every now and then we see something banal on the OTT platform disguising itself as bold after the cult of Sacred Games. This is why some of the shows over the past few months have stuck like a sore thumb! There's a glimmer of hope in the form of Amazon Prime Video and Clean Slate Filmz's Paatal Lok, which is much more than what you see in the trailer.

The promo shows promise and so does the ensemble. It's all set to be out on May 15 but going solely by what we have seen so far, here are the reasons why this series promises to be a must-watch:

1. Jaideep Ahlawat

Jaideep Ahlawat has been exploding on the celluloid ever since we saw him in the 2012 gangster drama, Gangs of Wasseypur. Eight years later, he proceeds towards the other side of the law and is hell-bent on tracking down the gangsters that have attempted to assassinate a renowned journalist. Expletives flow like poetry from his mouth, and so does the language of rural India. Here's an actor that can arrest you merely by his presence and make you root for him, even if you don't exactly know what his intentions are!

2. Abhishek Banerjee

Talking of herd mentality of Bollywood, Banerjee, who rose to instant fame with the staggering success of Stree, was cast again in comical roles in films like Bala and Dream Girl and has already signed Dostana 2, again a comedy. In Paatal Lok, the trailer begins with a glimpse of his character, and we directly meet him in jail. He's one of the assassins and a rather remorseless one. Sudip Sharma, the creator of the show, makes a fine casting decision that should live up to the expectations.

3. The Theme

Ram Gopal Varma has mastered the theme of gangsters with classics like Satya, Company, and Sarkar. Anurag Kashyap carried it forward and it now stops at the office of Clean Slate Filmz. This genre gives the actors involved a major room to improvise and nail it with their gritty performances. But this is one genre that can go terribly wrong too. Good thing the trailer suggests the show tilts slightly towards the former. This could be the surprise package of the year!

Watch the trailer right here:

4. Clean Slate Filmz

Anushka Sharma is as fearless as a producer as she's as an actor. She's driven by her instincts and the star purposely opts for esoteric subjects others would look at with disdain. From the makers of Pari, NH10, and Phillauri, comes Paatal Lok, and the production house continues to solely fascinate by their choices of subjects, and that's half the battle already won. The remaining will unfold on May 15!

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Even as they bravely fight the Coronavirus, Indian healthcare workers, over the past few weeks, have had to endure it all — from neighbours forcing them out of their buildings to being attacked by mobs. Appalled at the way a section of society is treating the Corona warriors, actor Raveena Tandon has kicked off a social media campaign, #JeetegaIndiaJeetengeHum, urging people to take a stand for them.

"In the current difficult situation, the medical forces have turned into real-life heroes. While all of us are safe at home under lockdown, it's so disheartening to see people attacking our doctors and nurses. At a time like this, it's our duty to give them their due respect. We ought to value them," states Tandon.

Several celebrities — including Shilpa Shetty Kundra, fashion designers Manish Malhotra and Masaba Gupta, music composer Shekhar Ravjiani, former cricketer Yuvraj Singh, and journalist Vir Sanghvi — have supported the campaign by sharing videos applauding the frontline workers. Through these daily videos, they try to debunk fake news, thereby combating the rise of violence against medical professionals.

Tandon hopes an increasing number of social media influencers will join the campaign and spread the good word. "Rumours about healthcare workers need to stop. They are sacrificing everything to ensure our present and future is safe. So, it's our responsibility to reach out to the masses and put an end to the cases of violence being reported across the country.

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Mandira Bedi, Shilpa Shetty, Malaika Arora, Katrina Kaif and Jacqueline Fernandez! These actresses have left the entire world drooling over their age-defying fit bodies. Courtesy: intense workout, and of course, a strict diet. Though these divas have their cheat days, still, one has to put in a lot of dedication and hard work to be as fit as these ladies.

Mandira Bedi:

 

 

 

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#day259 #quarantineworkout #365daysofexercise #365daychallenge #nobhay #getfitwithmandy #mandirabedi #selflove #fitindiamovement #happyfornoreason and MANNNNN do I need a haircut!! 🙈

A post shared by Mandira Bedi (@mandirabedi) onApr 26, 2020 at 10:20pm PDT

Often seen sharing how her life changed after pregnancy, and how she took her health and fitness seriously to get back in shape, Mandira Bedi stands as a big inspiration for many women. And why not? Her workout videos are age-defying, and we can't even get halfway flexible like her!

Shilpa Shetty Kundra:

 

 

 

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I had shared a little exercise-fun with Viaan a few days ago, and I was asked for the entire workout video. Well, I don’t have the entire workout captured, but sharing what I found from my archives. I truly believe that the family that eats, prays and works out together... stays together! Oftentimes when @rajkundra9 and I workout in the mornings, we get Viaan to join us too. We do understand that if it's not fun for him, he's not going to enjoy the process. So, while we roped in some abs workout for ourselves, we got him to hop, slide, and jump around. Our workout helps us build & strengthen the abdominal muscles, while it also helps improve the mind-body coordination and enhances speed & endurance capacity. Viaan, on the other hand, was just happy to be jumping around and using up some of that pent up energy. A morning well-spent, this was! I hope you all are staying home and staying fit too! . @thevinodchanna . . . . #SwasthRahoMastRaho #GetFit2020 #MondayMotivation #FitIndia #FitIndiaMovement #homefitness #homeworkouts #fitness #COVID19

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) onApr 19, 2020 at 10:30pm PDT

This Bollywood actress has left no stone unturned when it comes to fitness. Often seen performing yoga at multiple events, and also promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Swasth Raho Mast Raho' initiative, Shilpa Shetty is yet another diva who swears by fitness. We would suggest taking up Shilpa Shetty's fitness challenge if you, too, want to get fit. It's simple, scroll through her Instagram and try out the yoga poses, but strictly under someone's supervision.

Malaika Arora:

 

 

 

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Here’s a little motivation for you guys to call up your workout buddy or trainer and do an online session with them! Me and @j.patsss did a full body yoga workout, you can follow our movements to keep yourself fit and active! While we stay in, let’s also stay #CommittedToFitness and #WorkOUTfromHome #StayFitStayHealthy #PermissionToPause @reebokindia @divayoga

A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial) onApr 18, 2020 at 11:20pm PDT

This diva has ditched the term 'age' and it is working wonders on her body! Malaika Arora has also confessed how she took up yoga after 40, and her body has reversed its ageing process ever since she started leading a healthy life. Is she 45 or 35, we really can't say!

Katrina Kaif:

 

 

 

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#WorkoutFromHome #Part2 Since we are all practicing #SocialDistancing @yasminkarachiwala and I worked out at our homes and put the workouts together for you to do at yours. Stay home stay safe 😊 ⁣ ⁣⁣ ♦ï¸Â #Warmup⁣⁣ 1.Squat with feet hip width apart - 2 sets x 25 reps⁣⁣ 2.Squat with feet wide parallel- 2 sets x 25 reps ⁣⁣ 3.Squat with feet wide turnout- 2 sets x 25 reps ⁣⁣ 4.Squat with feet together- 2 sets x 25 reps⁣ ⁣⁣ ♦ï¸Â #Workout:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 1.Forward and Backward Lunge - 2 sets x 15 reps ⁣⁣ 2.In Hover, Hip Dips - 3 sets x 20 reps 3.Curtsy Lunge to Side Kick - 3 sets x 15 reps ⁣⁣ 4.Suicide Push- 3 sets x 15 reps ⁣⁣ 5.Landis or Single Leg Squat - 3 sets x 15 reps ⁣⁣ 6.Squat Jacks - 3 sets x 25 reps ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ @reebokindia #CommittedToFitness ⁣⁣ 🎥 by @isakaif 🌟

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) onMar 24, 2020 at 2:19am PDT

If you have seen Koffee With Karan, where she shared the 'koffee kouch' with Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif nailed the segment where she had to lift something and guess the weight. From where does such confidence arise? Of course, her intense workout has given her immense knowledge and judgement about everything fitness.

Jacqueline Fernandez:

 

 

 

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Time keeps on ticking!!

A post shared by Jac’kill’ine Fernandez (@jacquelinef143) onApr 17, 2020 at 9:54pm PDT

Jacqueline Fernandez, who is currently at Salman Khan's farmhouse in Panvel during the lockdown, has been sharing some good workout posts on Instagram. The actress recently wooed the audience with her out-of-the-box performance in Mrs Serial Killer.

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Superstar Mahesh Babu is one of the most critically acclaimed actors of the southern film industry and cherishes a humongous fan following throughout India. His social media is popular to spread messages that support certain social causes. The actor and his fans are known to storm social media with their social campaigns.

Recently, Mahesh Babu took to his social media to share a post about wiping away fake news and gossip websites that often spread misinformation and lies about celebrities.

These blogs or gossip websites leech off the actor's popularity and spread misinformation about them to gain views on their respective pages. It is crucial that these websites and rumors be put to a stop so that they can stop spreading fake rumors. Mahesh Babu shared the post on social media under the tag of "#KillFakeNews" against misinformation being spread with the caption.

Have a look at his tweet right here:

I stand by you brother @TheDeverakonda #KillFakeNews #KillGossipWebsites https://t.co/mk5enwj5Pm pic.twitter.com/ESYodVIQbw

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) May 4, 2020

It's highly commendable someone has finally spoken against these lies and false news!

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In a heartbreaking piece of news, Anushka Sharma's pet Bruno passed away and the actress took to her Instagram account to announce this. It was a throwback picture that had her, Bruno, and Virat Kohli in one frame.

Writing Bruno, RIP, she also commented with three hearts. For all those who have pets at their homes, this news will surely pierce you. Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

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♥️ Bruno ♥️ RIP ♥️

A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) onMay 5, 2020 at 8:39pm PDT

And the post attracted a lot of celebrity reactions and they all had their hearts for the actress and her pet. Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Sonali Bendre, Diana Penty, and Zoya Akhtar commented with a heart.

Even Kohli, who was very close to Bruno, commented with a heartfelt tribute on his Twitter account and wrote- "Rest in peace my Bruno. Graced our lives with love for 11 years but made a connection of a lifetime. Gone to a better place today. God bless his soul with peace." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Rest in peace my Bruno. Graced our lives with love for 11 years but made a connection of a lifetime. Gone to a better place today. God bless his soul with peace 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/R1XSF3ES5o

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 6, 2020

As we stated above, for all those who had or have a pet at home, they will surely be left teary-eyed.

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As Bollywood celebrities practice self-isolation in view of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, actor Sara Ali Khan on Wednesday shared her thoughts on social media and said that she misses being a "working woman on a working Wednesday."

The 24-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a collage of five pictures, each one being a picture of her holding the clapperboard of the movies she acted in.

 

 

 

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Missing being a #working #woman on a #working #wednesday 🤦🏻‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ¤·‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ˜¢ðŸ™ˆðŸ”™ But for now- I’m a cook, cleaner, binge tv watcher, nerdy reader, annoying sister, needy daughter, responsible citizen and hopeful human 🙏🏻 #stayhome #staysafe #staypositive 🏡💟☮ï¸Â

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onMay 6, 2020 at 5:38am PDT

In the shared photograph, she is seen holding the movie clapperboards of her first Bollywood debut movie 'Kedarnath', followed by 'Simmba' and the latest release 'Love Aaj Kal.' The actor also shared pictures from her upcoming movie, 'Coolie No.1' and 'Atrangi Re.' Taking it to the captions, she wrote: "Missing being a #working #woman on a #working #wednesday."

However, bringing comical twists to the captions, for which Sara is well known, the chirpy beauty also emphasised about the roles she has taken up during these trying times. "But for now- I'm a cook, cleaner, binge tv watcher, nerdy reader, annoying sister, needy daughter, a responsible citizen, and hopeful human," she wrapped up the post.

Earlier, Sara also pledged to donate to PM-CARES Fund and CM's Relief Fund of Maharashtra to combat the coronavirus crisis in the country. She announced the same on Instagram and wrote: "Time to do a good deed. Stay in and help those in need! Your contributions will protect and feed. I urge you to support, I request, I plead."

In her statement posted on her handle, the actor also added that "every contribution counts, and solidarity is our only hope against this pandemic."

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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:

 

 

 

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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."

 

 

 

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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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World Book Day, celebrated by UNESCO and other related organisations, is the global celebration of books and reading material observed in more than 100 countries. Also known as World Book and Copyright Day, it is an occasion to promote the joy of books and the art of reading. On the event popular television actresses lights up with the benefits of reading books in daily routine.

Shubhangi Atre seen playing the role of Angoori in the comedy series "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!" feels Reading books stimulates imagination. She says, "We are limited only to the extent to which our imagination is limited. When we read about unknown places, our mind itself creates the imaginative images in our heads, rather than simply saving images from small screens in memory. Thus, the imagination and creativity of our minds are being strengthened by reading."

Devoleena Bhattacharjee known for the iconic role "Gopi Bahu" from the family drama "Saath Nibhana Saathiya" feels reading books lights up new ideas. The Bigg Boss 13 contestant says, "Reading encourages us to think. Sometimes, we even start dreaming based on the content we read. In addition, reading gives us new perspectives, that the reader may not even have thought of itself! Thus, through reading, we get new ideas and inspiration, so that we ourselves may try something new or different, inspired the things we read."

F.I.R actress Mahika Sharma feels reading books gives us new knowledge. The Ramayana actress says, "It is true that what we experience gives us best impression, but it is impossible in everyday life to be everywhere and to try out everything. Humans are the only species on Earth that can transmit information and knowledge over a distance and over several generations. A written language separates us from all other species! It enabled us to transfer knowledge rapidly and allows us to develop faster, which in the era of technological progress already exceeds the limits of imagination. So we've been evolving for thousands of years by reading!"

Helly Shah known for her roles in television shows like "Sufiyana Pyaar Mera" and "Swaragini— Jodein Rishton Ke Sur" feels reading books makes you smarter. The actress who will be seen in upcoming drama, "Ishq Mein Marjawan 2" says, "Books are a real treasure trove of data and new knowledge, and are much cheaper than courses and education. We become more intelligent by reading books, more interesting and appealing. By reading you will become better in communication, you will improve your knowledge on various topics as well as rhetorical skills."

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Today, the world woke up to the sad news of superstar Irrfan Khan passing away. The actor, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, was admitted to the hospital recently as he had a colon infection. His passing away has left the industry in shock.

Arjun Bijlani: Last night, I saw Angrezi Medium I Tweeted also because Radhika Madan is also there and she is a good friend of mine. Suddenly this news came today and I am not able to understand what happened. My mind is disturbed and I am broken, it is too shocking. I was a huge fan and he was an actor who was everybody’s inspiration for the roles that he played. It is disturbing to hear that he is gone away especially in this lockdown because in this situation fans can’t even go to pay their last respects. So it’s a sad day and I am sure many actors are going to grieve this for a very long time.

Aniruddh Dave: It was shocking to wake up to this news today morning. He was an artist par excellence. I still can't get over it. He is from my hometown Jaipur. It is a sad day for me. From Piku to Hindi Medium to Angrezi Medium and TV show Banegi Apni Baat will never fade in my memories.

Shashank Vyas: I feel like I have lost someone in my family. it is a very bad day and I became very emotional when I got to know. I understand the acting. I have posted a scene on Instagram which was given by my acting guru and the scene was of Irrfan Khan only from the film Rog. In the scene, you will feel that the lines he said he didn’t say from mouth, he said from his eyes. My favorite films of his are Paan Singh Tomar, Angrezi medium, Hindi Medium. He was so natural on screen. I learnt so much just looking at him.

Jasmin Bhasin: It is sad to know of the sudden death news of Irrfan khan. I have watched all his films including Angrezi medium. He is a fine actor. He is irreplaceable in Bollywood.

Amal Sehrawat: Sir, thanks a lot for teaching us that the biggest achievement in life is to accept ourselves, you never portrayed any image, you never flaunted anything, you inspired all actors to be honest in front of the camera, your life journey is inspiring and gives immense power to everyone to fight bravely and live optimistically. Hasil, Maqbool, Yeh Saali Zindagi, Paan Singh Tomar, Hindi Medium are some of my favourite films.

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We've all heard of Bollywood celebrities using the unlimited free time during the coronavirus lockdown to work out and stay fit. But it's not just celebrities who have been keeping fit! In a post shared by Karan Wahi on Instagram, he shared how proud he is of his mum, Veena, who, at the age of 62, lost 18 kg in four months. Amazing, isn't it?

Wahi shared a before and after picture of his mother and wrote, "So proud of my MOM @wahi.veena
Thank you for listening to me and taking care of yourself before u took care of the world. My Mom is 62 and a hypothyroid. But I am glad I inspired her to do this for her. 18 kgs in 4 months..."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

So proud of my MOM @wahi.veena Thank you for listening to me and taking care of yourself before u took care of the world. My Mom is 62 and a hypothyroid But Iam glad I inspired her to do this for her 18 kgs in 4 months Lockdown ke bawajoood my MUMMA is the strongest... Thank you @tahirakochar for making this happen .. Age is just a number ,hence proved... INSPIRE People NOt Influence... #iloveyou Mom

A post shared by Karan Wahi ðŸÂÂ’ÂÂœ (@karanwahi) onMay 5, 2020 at 6:31am PDT

Along with the photos, Karan Wahi also shared a video of himself talking about his mother's fitness journey. The actor also gave a shout-out to his mum's lifestyle coach who helped her achieve her goal.

Well, we sure are inspired by Karan's mother's weight loss and fitness journey!

On the work front, Karan Wahi can be seen in the role of a DJ, who also doubles up as a police informer, in the web series, Hundred.

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Having accepted a settlement from the tobacco firm, the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Justice on October 2 dropped three tax evasion cases against Mighty Corp.

New Delhi: If you think your spouse is not watching Netflix shows in your absence, you are wrong. Forty-six per cent Indian couples -- second only to Hong Kong -- cheat on their significant other by binging ahead to watch Netflix shows, a new survey has revealed.

Surprisingly, 39 per cent streaming couples in India even said watching 2-3 episodes ahead would be a reason for a breakup.

Conducted by the online survey firm SurveyMonkey and involving 30,267 responses for on-demand streaming website Netflix, the report defines cheating as watching a TV show ahead of your significant other.

"In India where 79 per cent couples believe that streaming is a way to spend time together, almost 60 per cent of couples consider binging ahead as cheating and nearly half have even admitted to this 'offence,'" the findings showed.

The Indian culture has a reserved place for humour. So unsurprisingly, 61 per cent of the couples cheat on comedy shows -- higher than the global average of 44 per cent.

"A third or more of Indian respondents have watched ahead on every other genre polled, including documentaries, sci-fi, fantasy, drama and horror," the study noted.

Netflix cheating in India is not intentional as 78 per cent of cheating is unplanned. It is the temptation that makes Indian couples fallible.

Forty-three per cent of Indians 'cheat' out of 'fear of missing out' (FoMO) so that they could keep up with conversations with friends and co-workers.

Cheating on your partner even when you share a room requires special skills. Forty-two per cent Indians said that when one partner falls asleep, they secretly watch Netflix shows.

But some relationship rules are bizarre. A quarter of Indians said that a partner who falls asleep deserves to be cheated on.

Hong Kong has 59 per cent of cheaters in Asia followed by 46 per cent in India. Globally, the Netherlands has the most loyal viewers at 73 per cent.

With the increasing cases of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the lockdown till May 17. The lockdown first commenced on March 25 for a 21 day period. But had to be extended owing to the increasing cases.

However, the lockdown has badly hit the economy of the country with several people going out of a job. One industry that has completely shut down is the entertainment industry. The cinema halls were the first one to shut down in the country. Speaking to a tabloid about resuming Bollywood movies shoots, Ashok Dubey, the General Secretary of Federation of Western Indian Cine employees said that they spoke to CINTAA recently and are making guidelines on how they can proceed with shootings. Ashok Dubey said that nothing has been finalised. He said that Mumbai is a red zone and so they cannot think of shooting right now. Dubey also spoke to Sidharth Roy Kapur who said that they will have a conference call with Indian Motion Picture Producers (IMPPA), Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) and Western India Film Producers' Association on how to deal with the situation and go ahead.

A few days back, the Producers guild had shared a document that lists precautions to be taken while shooting including proper sanitation, use of masks, etc. Dubey said that the guidelines are correct but how are they to shoot when there are spot boys and workers who travel from their home and back and how they are supposed to test everyone daily when the reports take time to come.

He also questioned about reducing the number of people on the sets. He questioned how the people left out will manage their livelihood and how to assure them a salary. Dubey said that there are several factors to be considered before proceeding with the shoot.

Ashok Dubey said that the TV producer body is in a hurry to start shooting bit is not possible. He said that it will be like digging its own grave if it does something like this. He further said that social distancing is not possible on the sets and lightmen cannot work 12 hours with a PPR kit. Dubey said that there is a difference in giving suggestions and actually implementing it.

Dubey said that the Government has not released any guidelines for the film industry to start shooting. Producers' Guild has just said that these precautions are to be taken while shooting; they haven't said to start shooting and take these precautions.

ALSO READ: Actors to do makeup at home, doctors to be on set and more new safety measures set up by Cine bodies

An officer's hand was chopped off with a sword and two other Punjab policemen injured on Sunday when a group of Nihangs attacked them after being asked to show curfew passes at a vegetable market in Patiala district, police said.

Seven people, including five attackers, were arrested hours later after an exchange of fire at a gurdwara where the group fled after the 6.15 am incident in Sanaur town. One of the arrested men suffered gunshot wounds, police said. A mandi official was also hurt earlier. A video clip on social media appears to show assistant sub inspector, Harjeet Singh seeking help. A man picks up the severed hand and gives it to the officer. He is then taken away from the scene on a two-wheeler.

The ASI was rushed to Rajindra Hospital nearby and then referred to PGIMER in Chandigarh where he was undergoing surgery, police said. The other injured policemen include Sadar Patiala's station house officer. With a lockdown in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, barricades were put up outside the wholesale market and entry restricted to those with curfew passes.

The Nihangs — members of a Sikh sect whose adherents carry traditional arms and wear blue robes — arrived in an SUV and were told to stop by mandi officials, police said. "They were asked to show passes. But they rammed the vehicle against the gate and the barricades," Patiala's senior superintendent of police, Mandeep Singh Sidhu said. The group then attacked the police personnel and fled to Gurdwara Khichri Sahib managed by them in Balbera village, around 25 km from Patiala city.

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Eighty-two more cases of COVID19 have been reported in Maharashtra on Monday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 2064. According to Maharashtra Health Department, out of the 82 new cases of COVID19, three are from Pune, 59 from Mumbai, 12 from Malegaon, five from Thane, one from Vasai Virar, and two from Palghar.

82 new COVID19 cases including 59 cases in Mumbai reported in the state today; the total number of positive cases in the state is now 2064: Maharashtra Health Department pic.twitter.com/vQFBOh4rqr

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2020

India's tally of positive COVID-19 cases rose to 9,152 following an increase of 796 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

Out of the total number of cases, 7,987 patients are active cases while 857 cases have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, the death toll has mounted to 308.

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The penultimate day of 21-day lockdown saw the number of coronavirus cases in the country reach 9352 with 905 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The government's action plan to contain the spread of COVID-19 has stared yielding results in 25 districts across 15 states which have not reported any case in the last 14 days

Fifty one people died in the last 24 hours taking total toll 324. As many as 25 staff members of Mumbai's Bhatia hospital tested positive for coronavirus and number of cases in the city has reached 1549. The number of those who have died has reached 100 in the city. Maharashtra with 2,064 cases continues to be the worst affected followed by Delhi with 1,154 cases and Tamil Nadu with 1075 cases. The number of containment zones in Delhi has been increased to 47.

New cases have been reported from several states including Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Nagaland reported its first COVID-19 case following which several localities and a hospital in Dimapur hve been sealed. Uttarakhand Health Department said that no new positive COVID-19 case emerged in the state for the fifth day in a row.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 10 am on Tuesday and is likely to talk about the further course of action to deal with the crisis posed by virus. Union ministers and senior officials returned to work in their offices on Monday and work was done by following social distancing norms.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 2,06,212 COVID-19 tests were conducted till yesterday. "The pace at which we are conducting tests today, we have a stock with which we can conduct tests for the next six weeks easily," ICMR's head scientist Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said at the daily media briefing on COVID-19 situation.

He said consignment of COVID-19 kits is expected to arrive from China on April 15 In Delhi, traders at Delhi's Azadpur Mandi have been told to follow the odd-even rule according to their shed numbers to maintain social distancing. There will be staggered time for sale of vegetables and fruits in the mandis.

In Mangaluru, a case has been registered against two minors at East Police station after they violated the lockdown norms. They will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. A 17-year old was caught trying to sneak his friend out of his apartment complex using a suitcase.

"A17-year-old resident of Orchid Apartment Balmatta invited his friend, a resident of Motisham Apartment, Pandeshwar to stay with him on April 11, " said PS Harsha, the Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru. The friend wanted to return back to his apartment in Pandeshwar the next day but due to strict security put in place, he got inside a large trolley suitcase.

Based on the suspicion, security personnel alerted the residents of the building and opened the suitcase from which they were shocked to find a boy stepping out.

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Twenty-five districts across 15 states which had detected COVID-19 infections earlier have contained the spread and reported no new cases in 14 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. The ministry asserted that the government has enough stocks to conduct tests for up to six weeks and over two lakh samples have been tested so far. Addressing a press briefing here, Health Ministry Joint Secretary, Lav Agarwal said 796 new COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 9,352 and deaths 324.

"Twenty-five districts across 15 states which had reported cases earlier have contained the virus and have not detected new ones in 14 days. This is a positive development," he said. The districts are Gondia (Maharashtra), Raj Nand Gaon (Chhattisgarh), Davangiri (Karnataka), South Goa, Wayanad and Kottayam (Kerala), West Imphal (Manipur), Rajouri (J&K), Aizwal West (Mizoram), Mahe in Puducherry, SBS Nagar in Punjab, Patna, Nalanda and Munger in Bihar, Pratapgarh in Rajasthan, Panipat, Rohtak and Sirsa in Haryana, Pauri Garhwal in Uttrakhand and Bhadradari Kothagudem in Telangana.

Agarwal also said that the Core Strategy Group on COVID-19 was working on rapid and economical diagnostics as well as new drugs. "The group has been formed, based on a detailed review of COVID-19 research, undertaken by Union Health Minister, Harshvardhan along with CSIR and its 38 labs. The group is working on digital and molecular surveillance, rapid and economical diagnostics, new drugs, repurposing of drugs and associated production processes," he said.

324
Total no. of COVID-19 deaths in the country

125
No. of cities where Swiggy has enabled grocery deliveries

Nation fights to regain normalcy

People throng Palayam market to purchase fruits and vegetables on the eve of Vishu festival, in Kozhikode, on Monday. Pic/PTI

. The Delhi Police Crime Branch (CB) is all set to nab Maulana Muhammad Saad as sources said that a CB team might question the Tablighi leader and other people named in the FIR on Monday or Tuesday.

. Small retailers whose shops have remained closed during the current lockdown have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately announce an economic package under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to compensate the losses suffered by them.

. In a representation to the government under the aegis of the Federation of Retailer Association of India, the body of about 4 crore micro, small and medium retailers urged that the hardships being faced by them be appreciated and they be allowed to open their shops.

. According to the Prime Minister's instructions, all ministers of the Narendra Modi cabinet went back to their ministries on Monday physically, to resume work that was so far being done from home through video conferencing, in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

. The Indian Council of Medical research has sought letters of intent from institutions with necessary equipment and infrastructure to participate in a clinical trial to study safety and efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange in COVID-19 patients, subsequent to necessary approvals and clearances.

. A man from Nagaland has tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, the first case reported from the state, an official said on Monday. The man with Coronavirus-like symptoms was admitted to a hospital in Assam's Guwahati, where he tested positive for COVID-19, the official said.

. With the beginning of Ramzan just about 10 days away, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, the chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India and the Imam of Aishbagh Eidgah has issued an advisory to people on how to observe Ramzan during the lockdown.

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New Delhi: With 1,211 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country has reached 10,363 including 339 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Tuesday.

As many as 1,036 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "In one day, 179 people were diagnosed and found cured," he added.

"A total of 10,363 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 339 deaths and 1,036 people, who were COVID-19 positive have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 31 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Aggarwal said that an evaluation of each district and city will be done till April 20.

"An evaluation of each district and city will be done till April 20 in which it will be evaluated what measures did that authorities take in these cities and districts to combat COVID-19," he said.

"Based on the results of this litmus test approach, permission will be granted for some selective activities to those districts and cities which controlled the situation effectively. Detailed guidelines will be issued soon," he added.

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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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A heartwarming video of a monkey playing with a kite amid lockdown across the country is winning hearts online. The beautiful video was shared on Twitter by Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Service officer who is working in Odisha. In the video, a monkey can be seen flying a kite from the terrace of a building.

Evolution happening fast due to lockdown😂

Monkey flying a kite. Yes it’s a monkey for sure😁 pic.twitter.com/6W8MtpPK43

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 16, 2020

In the 12-seconds video clip, the monkey can be seen on top of a building terrace holding the string of a kite and pulling it towards itself. As the video moves further, the monkey can be seen successfully pulling the kite and holding it as people in the background cheer him.

Can't even imagine that a monkey can fly a kite

— Heena Mehta (@HeenaMe61603627) April 16, 2020

While sharing the video with his 30,000 followers, Forest officer Susanta Nanda captioned it: Evolution happening fast due to lockdown. Monkey flying a kite. Yes it's a monkey for sure. The heartwarming video which has left people suprised has garnered over 20,000 views and counting.

Superb video! In all probability, it might have caught hold of a cut string and pulling it in, but definitely a rare catch!

— Jyoti Shankar Roy Choudhury (@JSRoyChoudhury) April 16, 2020

Hundreds of netizens took to the comments section of the post to share their views. One user wrote, "Rise of the planet of the apes - RELOADED," while another user wrote, "And he is doing it better than I ever could."

Preparing to challenge the human after lockdown 😂😂😂

— Kalung Nyipa (@KalungNyipa) April 16, 2020

A third user said, "At this Pace, Brace for a Jumanji." While explaining the video a fourth user commented, "Superb video! In all probability, it might have caught hold of a cut string and pulling it in, but definitely a rare catch!"

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A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his administration from classifying some COVID-19 cases as "Tablighi Jamaat" or "Masjid Markaz", alleging it amounts to religious profiling. In Delhi, coronavirus has infected around 1,640 and claimed 38 lives. The petition by a lawyer on Thursday alleged that after the Tablighi event, Kejriwal via his tweets "deliberately" classified several affected cases under a separate caption -- "Masjid Markaz".

The petitioner, advocate M M Kashyap, claimed that such reporting of the coronavirus cases has led to "communal antagonism" and perpetrating of hatred against a specific religious community. It contended that when the atmosphere was already tense and sensitive in Delhi, post the riots in north east parts of the national capital, such reporting of COVID-19 cases would only deteriorate the situation.

The plea, filed through advocates Fozia Rahman and M Qayam-ud-din, said that it was the need of the hour that the nation is united in the fight against coronavirus and giving communal angle to the cases would hamper the same. The petition, likely to be heard on April 20, contends that communal reporting of the Tablighi Jamaat incident needs to be stopped immediately and any delay in doing so would promote ill-will, enmity and hatred towards Muslim community.

It also contended that Kejriwal has violated the advisory or guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has strictly advised to refrain from religious profiling of coronavirus cases. The petition seeks directions to Kejriwal and Delhi government to prohibit and stop dissemination of coronavirus infection data allegedly on the basis of religious or communal classification.

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The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 4,291 or about 30 per cent of the Coronavirus cases in the country have been traced to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. In Delhi, 63 per cent of the reported 1,707 cases are linked to the same gathering.

The total number of confirmed cases in India is 14,792. So far, 488 people have succumbed to the disease. The mortality rate of COVID-19 is 3.3 per cent. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said that 4,291 cases are epidemiologically linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz event. "These cases are spread across 23 states and Union Territories, which include most of the high-degree burden cases. There are 84 per cent cases in Tamil Nadu, 63 per cent in Delhi, 91 per cent in Assam, 61 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 83 per cent in Andaman & Nicobar.

"If lockdown and social distancing norms are not followed, then the entire country would have to face the consequences," said Agarwal. He also added that 47 districts in 23 states have shown positive trends in the fight against the outbreak in the country. "One district each in Puducherry and Karnataka has not reported a positive case yet. Along with this, 22 new districts, split across various states, have also not reported new cases in the last 14 days," added Agarwal.

Probe in Tablighi funding
The role of money exchanger RM & RM Associates based in Delhi's Nizamuddin and a chartered accountant working with Tablighi Jamaat is being scrutinised by Crime Branch sleuths of Delhi Police to ascertain foreign remittance received by the Jamaat, a senior IPS officer said.

The role of RM & RM Associates was flagged by senior police officers in the case against Tablighi Jamaat. Deputy Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey has been directed to probe the financial aspects in the case. Senior officers have issued directions to Tirkey to question owners and employees of RM & RM Associates. "They should be thoroughly questioned about the amount of remittance received from foreign countries by the Tablighi Jamaat," the direction stated.

Medical supplies flown
The Centre on Saturday said that under the Lifeline Udan initiative, 274 flights have transported around 463.15 tonnes of medical supplies across the country till April 17. "About 274 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private carriers. Cargo transported till date is around 463.15 tonnes," the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement on Saturday.

GoM may enlist retired docs
A Group of Ministers' meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the situation in the wake of lockdown. The meeting examined suggestions received to enlist services of retired doctors and medical students in the final year of their graduation.

Plasma Therapy in Gujarat
After Kerala, Gujarat has become the second state to have started Convalescent Plasma Therapy from Saturday to treat patients. An oral nod from the concerned Central Government agencies has been obtained and the state has started the preparations to commence the treatment of patients in two of the Ahmedabad hospitals. Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gujarat, said, "We have obtained the Drug Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval over phone."

Punjab cop succumbs
Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Anil Kohli, who was posted in Ludhiana city, on Saturday succumbed to the virus. The 52-year-old officer was diagnosed positive on April 13. The officer was on ventilator in a private hospital in Ludhiana since April 11, Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical use of convalescent plasma therapy in the state, doctors on Saturday decided to try to cure him by using plasma of another young volunteer patient. Doctors said he died due to multiple organ failure.

Railways makes contactless cubicles for COVID-19 doctors in Karnataka

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone's Hubballi workshop has produced a contactless doctors' cubicle to treat patients without direct contact, an official said on Saturday. "SWR Hubballi workshop has come out with an innovative idea by creating contactless cubicles so that doctors checking suspected patients do not come in direct physical contact with them," a SWR spokesperson said in a statement. Looking like a telephone booth of yesteryears, the transparent cubicle will enable a doctor to put his hands out through two flexible glove-like protrusions to reach the patient.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, the Punjab Police on Saturday took to Twitter to share a heartwarming video where they can be seen bringing smiles on its citizens amid lockdown. The Punjab police shared the video with their 60,000 followers where they can be seen going out of their way to celebrate the birthday of a little girl.

Mansa Police's sweet gesture for Maira's 1st birthday. Policemen gave her a surprise by delivering a Birthday Cake at her doorsteps.#TuhadiSevaSadaFarz #PunjabFightsCorona #Punjabpoliceindia@pp_mansa pic.twitter.com/nqL2nhfbDs

— Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 18, 2020

In the one-minute one-second clip, police officials of Mansa Police in Punjab can be seen delivering a cake to a kid's house on her first birthday. What's more? The police officials also sang Happy Birthday for the girl on their PA system.

Punjab police always great nd honest ji gbu ji

— Gursimran Singh Mand (@gursimranmand) April 18, 2020

While sharing the beautiful video with their followers, Punjab police wrote: Mansa Police’' sweet gesture for Maira's 1st birthday. Policemen gave her a surprise by delivering a Birthday Cake at her doorsteps. Not only did the police made the girl's day but they also took all precautions while delivering the cake. The police officials were seen donning face masks and even wearing hand gloves in order to protect themselves from the spread of coronavirus.

Police with a heart ❤ï¸Â

— Nicola (@cloudnikki) April 18, 2020

The heartwarming gesture by Mansa police officials has been praised by many on Twitter. On user said, "Police with a heart," while another user commented, "Great job by Mansa district Police." A third user said, "Punjab police with you, for you, always."

What do you think about this heartwarming video?

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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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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Sunday, addressed the state and said that there are 3,651 coronavirus cases in Maharashtra. While addressing via video message, Thackeray said the state government will allow the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner from April 20.

"The state government is allowing the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner. The industries will have to arrange the accommodation for their workers. They would not travel long distance for work," he said

Suggesting that few districts in Maharashtra have shown decrease in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the districts will be divided into red, orange and green zones. He further highlighted that district borders will remain closed.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/53JPZcmu13

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020

He furthur urged the people with milder syptoms to get themselves checked and not hide their symptoms as 70-75 percent cases in the state are asymptomatic while, 52 percent are in serious conditions.He mentioned that lockdown measures in the state will be relaxed in graded manner.

Thackeray requested the public not to venture out even though the commercial and industrial activities have been allowed to resume.

He issued a helpline on Sunday for those facing mental health issues. Thackeray said: "If you are feeling any mental health issue, do call 1800 120 820050."

Thackeray added that doorstep delivery of newspapers will be prohibited in red zones. He also said that the state government has allowed certain economic activities in orange and green zones. 

"Intra-district movement in green and orange zones may be allowed," said Thackeray.

With inputs from Agencies

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With 1,334 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 15,712 including 507 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Sunday. As many as 2,231 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This equals 14.1 per cent of the total cases," he added.

1334 new #COVID19 cases & 27 deaths have been reported in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 15712 & deaths to 507 in India. No new case reported in Mahe in Puducherry & Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days. Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/YsaMPJOnx5

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

A total of 15,712 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 507 deaths and 2,231 people, who were COVID-19 positive, have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 27 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal. The Joint Secretary said that no new case was reported in Mahe in Puducherry and Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days.

"A total of 54 other districts beside these two in 23 States/Union Territories did not report any cases in the last 14 days," he said. He informed that there are 755 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and 1,389 dedicated health care centres in the country, which takes the total dedicated facilities where severe or critical patients can be treated to 2,144.

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Seven more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, taking the total number of positive cases to 68, the Health Department said on Monday. Of the seven new cases, five are from the Bhadrak district and two from Balasore district.

"7 new Positive Cases of #Covid19 found in #Odisha. 5 new Positive Cases From Bhadrak. 2 new Positive Cases From Balasore. Total no. of cases detected: 68. Contact tracing and follow up action is being done," tweeted the Information and Public Relations Department.

Following the development, the Bhadrak district administration has notified containment zone in five Gram Panchayats while restrictions have been imposed in Basudevpur and Bhandaripokhari blocks, where the cases were reported.

With this, the number of active cases in the state stands at 43. 24 patients have been cured and discharged while one person died of the disease.

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With 1,553 new cases in 24 hours, the total tally of novel coronavirus cases stood at 17,265 on Monday, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare said.

The health ministry in morning update said that, of the total cases, 14,175 are active cases, with 543 casualties.

"At least 2,546 people have been cured and discharged from the hospital while one person has migrated," said the Ministry, adding "there are at least 77 foreign nationals, affected with the disease.

Maharashtra continued to be the worst hit with 4,203 cases and 223 deaths, followed by Delhi with 2,003 cases and 45 fatalities, Rajasthan (1,478 cases and 14 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (1,477 cases and 15 deaths)

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's father Anand Singh Bisht passed away at AIIMS in the national capital on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says he will not take part in the last rites of his father tomorrow, to ensure enforcement of lockdown and to defeat coronavirus pandemic in the state. pic.twitter.com/PPjy9xxLgB

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 20, 2020

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel expressed grief over Bisht's death. Several leaders including Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kamal Nath have condoled the death of Adityanth's father.

"Received Sad news of the death of Shri Anand Singh Bisht ji, father of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth. May his soul rest in peace and provide courage to his family in this difficult time," Singh tweeted.

"My deepest condolences on the death of Shri Anand Singh Bisht ji, father of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. May God give courage to the family to suffer pain in this hour of grief. Soulful tribute," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.

Kailash VIjayavargiya tweeted, "I am saddened by the news of the demise of Mr. Yogi Adityanath ji's father Mr. Anand Singh Bisht ji. I will salute the devotion of Yogiji, who completed the COVID-19 meeting, despite getting the information of his father's death".

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With 1,553 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 17,265, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Monday.

Since yesterday there have been 1553 additional confirmed #COVID19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/6EKGeIOWOe

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

As many as 2,546 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This takes the cure percentage to 14.75 per cent," he added. "A total of 17,265 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 2,546 people have recovered. A total of 36 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days. "The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he added.

Aggarwal said that the Health Ministry has expressed its views that India wants to work with G20 nations to develop the vaccine to combat COVID-19. He further said that ministry has also issued guidelines regarding precautionary measures to be adhered to in government offices.

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With 466 new COVID-19 cases reported, the total number of positive coronavirus cases have risen to 4,666, said Public Health Department, Maharashtra on Monday.

Of the total tally, 572 patients have been cured and recovered as 65 patients were discharged from hospitals today. With nine new deaths in the state, the death toll rose to 232. The total number of coronavirus positive cases on Monday rose to 17,656 in India, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of these, 14,255 patients are active cases and 2,842 cases have been cured or discharged and migrated. The COVID-19 (/topic/covid-19) toll now stands at 559.

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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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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, Maharashtra remains the worse affected state with 472 fresh cases of coronavirus as per report in the state till 10 am on April 21. With this, the state tally stands at 4,676 cases with 232 deaths, the highest among all states reported in Maharashtra.

As per the latest report prepared by the Public Health Department analysed by the Medical Educations and Drugs Department of Maharashtra, out of the 472 fresh cases Mumbai reported 308 positive COVID-19 cases and seven deaths.

Data: Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra

While Mumbai comprises the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, places such as Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Kolhapur, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, and Aurangabad among others have reported single digit cases of COVID-19. On the hand, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Malegaon, Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Yavatmal, Buldhana etc have reported coronavirus positive cases in double digit numbers.

Mumbai has 3032 positive COVID-19 cases followed by Pune (594), Thane 134, and Vasai-Virar (107) all reporting COVID-19 cases in three digit numbers. As per the data, with 4676 coronavirus positive cases and 232 deaths, Maharashtra's mortality rate is 4.96 percent with 572 people recovering from the deadly virus.

Another point to be noted is the age wise distribution of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra. The highest number of coronavirus cases has been reported in the age group 21 to 60 years with the highest number of deaths have taken place in the age group of 40 to 70 years. Of the 4,200 positive cases in Maharashtra, 2,529 are males while 1,671 are females.

As of Tuesday morning, Maharashtra has conducetd 75,838 sample test of which government labs have undertaken 38,255 and private labs undertaking 37,583 test for the novel coronavirus. Of 2,560 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, 84 percent is asymtomatic cases while 14 percent is symptomatic cases with 2 percent of critucal cases of COVID-19.

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With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated. Maharashtra remains the worst-hit State with 5,218 COVID-19 positive cases while Gujarat (2178) and Delhi (2156) are the two next-most affected states.

Maharashtra has reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate among the states. At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data of state's Public Health Department. The total number of deaths in the state, due to COVID-19, has climbed to 251 after 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours

With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated.

At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.

Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.

The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID 19 as on April 21 at 9 pm. "Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 20,471on Wednesday, with Maharashtra continuing to be the worst-hit state. Out of the total number of cases, 15,859 are active cases, 3,959 cured or discharged and 652 deaths.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases across the country, with the count at 5,221, followed by Delhi (2,156) and Gujarat (2,272). Maharashtra reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate than any other state. Fresh cases were reported today from Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kashmir among other states and UTs.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'. The funds sanctioned will be utilised in three phases.

While Rs 7,774 crore has been provisioned for immediate COVID-19 emergency response, the rest would be used for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.

Briefing mediapersons about the package here on Wednesday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks

Javadekar said that no decision has been taken so far regarding the resumption of flight operations. "No decision has been taken yet on the resumption of flight operations. An announcement will be made on time as to when it will resume," Javadekar told reporters.

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With 1,409 new cases and 41 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of COVID-19 positive cases reached 21,393 on Thursday, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of cases include 16,454 active cases and 681 deaths. As many as 4,257 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state with 5,652 COVID-19 positive cases so far. The state has reported 269 deaths, the highest fatality rate among the states.

Delhi and Gujarat are the next two worst-hit states with 2,248 and 2,407 COVID-19 positive cases.

Amid the total lockdown across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, a heartwarming video of a baby rhino is winning hearts for all the right reasons. In the video, a baby rhino can be seen making efforts to make new friends amid lockdown across the country.

A new friend in the colony👍

Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby’s 1st day out there. pic.twitter.com/Gfa5yxljDV

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 21, 2020

The adorable video was shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda, who is working in Odisha. In the 1 minute 15 seconds clip, the baby rhino, who is accompanied by his mother can be seen making innumerable attempts to make new friends in the forest.

New Kid on the Block... Backstreet Boyshttps://t.co/xfczdLYHx5

— Pankaj Thapliyal (@PankajT04765688) April 21, 2020

As the video moves forward, the baby rhino who is seen loitering around can be seen trying to form friendship with giraffes and fawn as the mother follows him wherever he goes. While sharing the adorable video with his followers, Susanta captioned it saying, "A new friend in the colony. Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby's first day out there."

Momma Rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way 😊

— Smitha Murthy (@SmithaOne) April 21, 2020

The beautiful video which was shared on Tuesday has garnered over 4,000 views and about 600 likes. The cute and playful video of baby rhino left netizens gushing over the one minute sixteen second clip. One user said, "Woww! What a debut!," while lauding the mother another user commented, "Momma rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way." A third user wrote, "So adorable..."

Woww! What a debut!

— Heena Mehta (@HeenaMe61603627) April 21, 2020

What do you think of the adorable video?

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As and when the present lockdown norms are lifted, over 10,000 private bus owners have decided to inform the Kerala government, that they will not be operating their buses, as strict social distancing norms will leave them reeling in losses. The bus owners points out that even without any such norms, they are incurring heavy losses and with this new scenario, they will be unable to operate.

Hence they will request the Transport Department to keep the buses in the garage and under the G Form application, they will not have to pay the road taxes also, as the buses will not be operating. State Transport Minister A.K.Saseendran said that their concerns are genuine under the new circumstances.

"Since I alone am unable to take a decision, we will bring this before the Chief Minister and the cabinet. This situation would also be applicable to the state-run transport department also. Things are not that easy," said Saseendran.

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With 1,429 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 24,506, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. Out of these, 18,668 patients are active cases and 5063 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 775, with as many as 57 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the morning update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit State with 6,817 cases of which 840 patients have recovered and 301 patients have died. Gujarat now stands in the second spot with 2,815 cases, of which 265 have recovered and 127 people have died. Meanwhile, Delhi's count stands at 2,514 of which 857 patients have recovered, while 53 patients have lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure stands at 1,755 with 866 patients recovered and 22 fatalities. Rajasthan has reported 2,034 cases of which 230 have recovered and 27 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,852 positive cases so far of which 210 patients have recovered and 92 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as 1,621 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 247 recovered and 25 people have succumbed to it.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 450 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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Amid the Coronavirus lockdown, there are some people at work trying to make sure people at home stay safe from the pandemic. One of them is police officers, who are working tirelessly to ensure people stay at home and do not get infected by the deadly virus that has already infected millions across the globe and claimed scores of lives.

A photo of two cops catching a wink on the ground has gone viral online. The photo was posted by Twitter by Madhur Verma, the Deputy General of Police, Arunachal Pradesh who also lauded the efforts by the police department amid the nationwide lockdown imposed by the central government.

"Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ? Yes it is... if you  are a cop !” said Verma, adding, “Proud of these #CoronaWarriors"

Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ?
Yes it is... if you are a cop !
Proud of these #CoronaWarriors pic.twitter.com/3H9ZrZupNp

— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) April 24, 2020

The photo posted on Friday garnered over 34,800 liks and was retweeted more than 6,400 times. Users commenting on the photo praised the police department for their efforts amid the lockdown and hailed them as ‘heroes’.

a big salute to true warrior let's always respect nd support them🙏🙏

— Uma j (@sona7777) April 24, 2020

We salute to all police force🙏🌹🙏

— vijay sinha (@vijayv2) April 24, 2020

Do they really deserve to rest on the roads?

I think that appropriate arrangements should be done for them. They too are human beings.

— archie (@TheArchitGaur) April 24, 2020

We need to well equip our police forces . Great work and salute to our forces

— Amit (@askamitsriv) April 24, 2020

Respect 💙

— esther (@EstherVPJC) April 24, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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When the country is under total lockdown, a picture of two cops is doing the rounds on the internet for all the right reasons. The picture shared by Madhur Verma, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Arunachal Pradesh has gone viral and won the hearts of netizens.

The picture shows two cops sleeping on the road with their helmets and the lathis besides them. The policemen look exhausted after long duty hours and catching up on a well-deserved nap on the footpath when many of us have the luxury to sleep in a comfortable bed within the confines of our homes. 

Take a look at the post 

Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ?
Yes it is... if you are a cop !
Proud of these #CoronaWarriors pic.twitter.com/3H9ZrZupNp

— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) April 24, 2020

DIG  Madhur Verma shared the picture with his 1.18 lakh followers and captioned it: Isn't comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury? Yes it is... if you are a cop! Proud of these #CoronaWarriors!

Many users appreciated the efforts of the cops and heaped praises on them.

Indian Police Force,contrary to it's bad reputation, is doing excellent duty in present time of grave fear&crisis.
I hope,they'll continue this good work.

— Mohan Garg (@mohangargg) April 24, 2020

a big salute to true warrior let's always respect nd support them🙏🙏

— Uma j (@sona7777) April 24, 2020

The hard-hitting picture struck a chord with netizens and garnered over 54 thousand likes and over 8 thousand re-tweets. Twitterati took to the comments section of the post to shower praises on the police officers for their selfless service to the nation.

We salute to all police force🙏ðŸÂÂÂÂÂŒ¹ðŸ™

— vijay sinha (@vijayv2) April 24, 2020

One user said, "God bless our corona warriors. Grateful for their selfless and much needed services," while another user said, "A big salute to true warriors. Let's always respect and support them." We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors No Words! 

We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors
No Words!https://t.co/wPvHvUMM3J

— पशà¥Âयनà¥Âतà¥Â€ शà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âला 🇮🇳Pushyanti S (@pashyantii) April 24, 2020

India has been under lockdown since March 25 and the frontline workers, including the health workers and the police have risked their lives to serve the nation

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The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country mounted to 26,917 on Sunday evening, the Union Health Ministry stated. Of the total cases, 20,177 are active cases, 5,913 people have recovered, and 826 people have succumbed to the disease.

Maharashtra remained the worst hit state with a total number of cases rising to 7,628, followed by Gujarat which reported 3,071 cases and Delhi which has reported 2,625 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

Besides the trio, other states which have jumped the 1,500 mark are Madhya Pradesh (2,096), Rajasthan (2,083), Tamil Nadu (1,821) and Uttar Pradesh (1,843).

Maharashtra has recorded 323 deaths, the highest number of casualties among all the states. The western state is followed by Gujarat at 133, Madhya Pradesh at 99 and Delhi at 54.

Among other major cities, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,097 and 31 deaths, Bihar stood at 251 cases and two deaths, Haryana at 289 and three deaths, Jammu and Kashmir at 494 cases and six deaths, Karnataka at 501 and 18 deaths and Kerala was docked at 458 and four deaths.

States which have reported less than 10 cases are - Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur, Goa and Arunanchal Pradesh. On the global front, the total number of cases has crossed 2.9 million mark and over two lakh people have died so far.

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The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 872 and the number of cases climbed to 27,892 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 20,835 while 6,184 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals. A total of 46 deaths were reported since Sunday evening of which 19 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 18 from Gujarat, four from Madhya Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Of the 872 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 342 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 103, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 33 and Andhra Pradesh at 31. The death toll reached 29 in Uttar Pradesh, 26 in Telengana, 24 in Tamil Nadu, 20 in West Bengal while Karantaka has reported 19 deaths. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to ministry data. According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 8,068 followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,096 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,868 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,097 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Cases have risen to 649 in West Bengal, 523 in Jammu and Kashmir, 503 in Karnataka, 458 in Kerala, 313 in Punjab and 289 in Haryana. Bihar has reported 274 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 103 cases.Eighty-two people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 50 in Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh has 40 cases, Chhattisgarh has 37 cases and Assam has registered 36 infections each so far. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 33 COVID-19 cases while Chandigarh has 30 cases and Ladakh has reported 20 infections so far. Meghalaya has reported 12 cases, and Goa and Puducherry have seven COVID-19 cases each. Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each. "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website. States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

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