oppn parties Coronavirus: Dangerous Surge

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  • Supreme Court questions the continuing relevance of two-child norms. The Court observed that falling fertility rates have weakened the population-control rationale behind laws disqualifying people with more than two children from contesting local body elections. It referred the issue to a larger Bench for consideration
  • Supreme Court declines to shift Tirupati laddu case outside Andhra Pradesh. The Court rejected a plea seeking transfer of the trial, despite arguments that political statements by Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister could affect the fairness of proceedings
  • Supreme Court transfers Azam Khan's fresh ED bail plea to Allahabad High Court. The apex court declined to consider the Samajwadi Party leader's bail request in a fresh Enforcement Directorate case and directed that it be listed before a division Bench of the High Court on November 16
  • Two killed in Delhi building collapse; contractor booked. Two bodies were recovered after a building collapsed in Chawri Bazaar. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the contractor had been booked and the concerned junior and assistant engineers suspended
  • Uttar Pradesh voter rolls show a 2.4-crore discrepancy. A difference of approximately 2.4 crore names has been reported between the state's panchayat and rural Assembly voter lists. The Election Commission has ordered the two sets of rolls to be matched
  • Gujarat announces 3% dearness allowance hike. The state government announced a three-percentage-point increase in dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali
  • Sensex and Nifty post their strongest single-day gains in months. The Sensex surged 2,008.61 points, or 2.60%, to close at 79,310.01, while the Nifty 50 climbed 576 points, or 2.40%, to 24,536.60. Financial and automobile stocks led the rally, supported by falling crude prices and renewed foreign investor buying
  • Maaya Rajeshwaran reaches WTA-level quarter-final. The 17-year-old Indian defeated Poland's Weronika Falkowska 6-4, 6-3, becoming the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza in 2012 to reach a quarter-final at a WTA Tour-level singles event
  • Tanvi Patri reaches Youth Olympics badminton final. The 15-year-old defeated Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-final, assuring India of a medal and becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach the girls' singles final at the Youth Olympics
  • India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship. India defeated Pakistan in a closely contested match, having led 3-0 before conceding two late goals. The victory was reported as a significant result for India's second-string side
  • India beat Japan 4-1 to win a record sixth Asian Champions Trophy. India recovered from an early deficit to defeat Japan in the final at Mohali, extending its record as the tournament's most successful men's team
  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which grants the CEC and Election Commissioners protection from legal proceedings for acts performed in their official duties. The petition argues that such blanket immunity could leave citizens without an effective remedy for alleged wrongdoing by the Commission
  • The Supreme Court told voters whose names were deleted from Delhi's draft electoral rolls not to be apprehensive about seeking re-enrolment through Form 6, after the Election Commission assured it that such applicants would not be prosecuted merely because their names had appeared in earlier rolls
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
  • Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi and questioned Bhagwant Mann's ability to tackle drug abuse, making personal allegations about the Chief Minister's conduct during their time together in Parliament
Stock markets on fire due to US results, Sensex gains 2008 points to reach its highest level in 8 months
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Coronavirus: Dangerous Surge

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-03-13 03:36:06

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

The surge in fresh Covid cases in March is a cause for grave concern. On Friday, the 12th of March, 24,866 new cases were reported in India, which was the highest in nearly three months. Out of this, Maharashtra alone reported 15,817 new cases, the highest single-day count in four-and-half months. This is a result of laxity all around. The state administrations all over India adopted a relaxed attitude when cases started dropping and people started to abandon the health advisories. Granted that physical distancing is becoming increasingly impossible with the opening up of all sectors (except education) and people going out to work in increasing number, other things like wearing a mask in public, washing or sanitizing hands regularly and not venturing out unless absolutely necessary are also not being followed.

More than 50% of the people out on the streets are without masks in almost all Indian cities and towns. People in congested places like wholesale markets and slums also go about their work as if the virus has gone away. People in public transport display a shocking indifference to the health crisis by not wearing masks and rubbing shoulders with strangers who might be asymptomatic carriers. If shops do not allow people to enter without masks, why can't public transport operators also be asked not to allow passengers without masks to board the vehicle? Why can't we once again start penalizing those who roam about without masks and put others at risk?

The people need to understand the gravity of the situation which still has the potential of going out of hand. Community transmission is still possible if the 25000 new cases jump to 100000 once again and the rapid spread will be difficult to control even as we vaccinate people. It is only through restraint on part of the people and vigilance on part of administrations that the spread can be stopped. Several questions need to be asked now. What is Maharashtra doing to stop the spread other than sounding warnings to the people about imposing lockdown once again? The time for warning is gone. It is now time for action and the state has to take the lead as it the worst infected.

The Centre must also make the vaccination drive open to all and must try and make the vaccine available in pharmacies. If we can inoculate at least 40 to 50% of the population within 6 months, we can achieve herd immunity. That, according to most experts, will stop the virus from spreading. But as long as that is not achieved, one feels that the administrations all over India have to once again be strict in implementing Covid health protocols if the people do not show self restraint. 

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