CIVIL SNIPPETS

As COVID-19 toll touches 10, PM announces 21-day lockdown #GS3 #SnT

As the death toll from COVID-19 rose to 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-
day lockdown for the entire country, stating that it was the only way for the country to break the chain
of infection. The lockdown will be in effect till April 14.

In a nationwide television broadcast, Mr. Modi said the pandemic was a huge challenge to every country
and even countries like the U.S. and Italy, considered to have good health infrastructure, were struggling
to control the situation.

“In such a situation we have learnt from the experience of the countries that have managed to get some
control over the surge in cases, and these show that a lockdown for a sustained period of time is the
only way to break the chain of infection,” he said.

India on Tuesday recorded 564 positive cases, with the number of positive patients in Kerala and
Maharahstra crossing 100.

Stating that it was the priority of both the Centre and State governments to set up health infrastructure
as fast as possible to deal with the pandemic, Mr. Modi said the government had allotted Rs. 15,000
crore for the purchase of Personnel Protection Equipment for healthcare workers, setting up testing
laboratories and quarantine centres.

“Draw a Laxman Rekha outside your house door and do not step outside of it. Stay where you are. This
will be the decisive battle against coronavirus,” he said.

Sounding a note of caution, he said: “If we are not able to adhere to this lockdown sincerely for 21 days,
believe me, India will go back 21 years.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pm-announces-21-day-lockdown-as-covid-19-toll-touches-
10/article31158331.ece

Government extends tax deadlines to June 30 #GS3 #Economy

Deadlines for filing income tax and GST returns have been extended to June 30, as part of a slew of
relaxations of financial year-end compliance announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on
Tuesday.

The changes had been prompted by the shutdown of large parts of the country in a bid to control the
spread of the COVID-19 viral infection, so that taxpayers were not forced to endanger their health in a
bid to meet compliance requirements, she said.

Bank account holders would not be charged extra for using a debit card to withdraw money from the
ATMs of other banks for the next three months, and charges for not meeting minimum balance
requirements would also be waived. Bank charges for digital transactions were also being reduced.

Income tax returns for the financial year 2018-19 can now be filed until June 30, with the interest rate
on delayed payments reduced to 9% from 12%. The last date for linking Aadhaar with PAN has also been
extended from March 31 to June 30. Other taxpayer compliance deadlines, including for investment in
savings instruments or for roll-over benefit of capital gains, under the Income Tax Act and other laws
have also been extended.

The deadline for filing GST returns for March, April and May, as well as for opting for the composition
scheme, has been extended to June 30 for smaller companies — with less than Rs. 5 crore aggregate
annual turnover — without any interest, late fee or penalty being charged.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/government-extends-tax-deadlines-to-june-
30/article31158332.ece

Tokyo Olympics moved to 2021 over virus scare #GS3 #SnT

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9, have been
postponed to 2021, the first such delay in the Games’ 124-year modern history, as the COVID-19 crisis
wrecked the last international sporting showpiece meant for this year.
Though a huge blow to Japan, which invested $12 billion in the run-up, the decision was a relief to
thousands of athletes fretting over how to train as the world headed into lockdown over the disease.

Pressure had been building on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president Thomas
Bach, with some athletes and sporting bodies critical of the time taken to make a seemingly inevitable
decision. After a call with Mr. Bach, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the Olympics would be
rescheduled for the summer of 2021 at the latest.

“We asked President Bach to consider postponement of about one year to make it possible for athletes
to play in the best condition. President Bach said he is in agreement 100%,” Mr. Abe said.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tokyo-olympics-moved-to-2021-over-virus-
scare/article31158325.ece

Doctors cautious over use of malaria drug as virus preventive #GS3 #SnT
A day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved the use of hydroxychloroquine as
prophylaxis by healthcare workers taking care of COVID-19 cases and asymptomatic household contacts
of confirmed cases, the Council on Tuesday cautioned against the unrestricted use of the drug, stating
that “it is still at an experimental stage and is not recommended for public use.”

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug that is also used for treating rheumatoid arthritis. The
ICMR’s approval followed a recommendation from its task force for COVID-19.

“The recommendation is for empirical use of the drug based on available evidence and is restricted for
use by only two categories of people and under strict supervision of a doctor.

The clarification comes as none of the drug approving agencies across the world, including the FDA,
has cleared the drug for prophylaxis or for treating COVID-19 patients. The available evidence of the
efficacy of the drug is a small study by French researchers involving 26 COVID-19 patients.

The study found “significant” reduction in viral load in over half the number of patients at end of six
days of therapy. The results were published on March 17 in the International Journal of Antimicrobial
Agents even before the 14-day follow-up was completed.

During a White House press briefing a few days ago, asked if there was any evidence that the drug can
be used as a prophylactic or as treatment for COVID-19 patients, Director of the U.S. National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, said: “The answer is ‘no’ as it is [based on] anecdotal
evidence.”

Despite Dr. Fauci’s clarification, two Nigerians are reported to have over-dosed on the drug after hearing
U.S. President Donald Trump saying the drug could help treat people with COVID-19. A man in Arizona,
U.S., died and his wife was hospitalised after they self-medicated with a home remedy of
hydroxychloroquine.
Prof. Gagandeep Kang, executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute
(THSTI) in Faridabad, told The Hindu : “At this moment there is no evidence available [about its
effectiveness]. There are on-going trials. They must have waited for the results. Even the trials are for
treating COVID-19 patients and not for prophylaxis.”

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/doctors-cautious-over-use-of-malaria-drug-as-
virus-preventive/article31158219.ece

How safe are newspapers: WHO clarifies #GS3 #SnT

How safe is the newspaper that you get at your doorstep every day? As per the World Health
Organisation (WHO), the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and
the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and
exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.

This was WHO’s answer to a question on whether it was safe to receive a package from any area where
COVID-19 has been reported. Precautions at a personal level are a must, according to K.K. Aggarwal,
past national president of the Indian Medical Association.

“Newspapers are like any other item or material. Take clothes for instance or books. Viruses can stay on
any surfaces. So what can you do? Wash your hands before and after reading newspapers or books,” he
said.

The WHO stresses on cleaning hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water,
and avoid touching eyes, mouth or nose. Besides this, there is the recommendation for personal
distancing as well.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/how-safe-are-newspapers-who-
clarifies/article31158209.ece

Pune lab gets approval for COVID-19 diagnostic kit #GS3 #SnT
Pune-based MyLab is the first indigenous manufacturer to be approved for deploying its kits for COVID-
19 testing.

“Congratulations to our Biotech innovators first make in India COVID 19 diagnostic kit,” Renu Swarup,
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, tweeted. Ms. Swarup also leads the government’s
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) that supports biotechnology companies,
and MyLab was one of them.

While diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are largely reliant on foreign companies, several labs in India had
applied to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for getting their own kits vetted. Written
guidelines by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) require that only diagnostic kits that
have been approved by the United States Food and Drugs Administration or certified by the European
Union be allowed to offer commercial tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2.
However, Director General of ICMR Dr. Balram Bhargava on Monday said those approved by the NIV
would be eligible for approval.

The Managing Director of Mylab Discovery Solutions, Hasmukh Rawal, told trade magazine BioSpectrum
India : “With emphasis on ‘Make in India’ and support from local and Central governments, COVID- 19
kit has been made as per WHO/CDC guidelines. It was developed in a record time”.

The immediate action from regulatory bodies (CDSCO/FDA), evaluation centre of ICMR, NIV, BIRAC and
the Central and State governments during this national emergency was commendable, he said.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/pune-lab-gets-approval-for-covid-19-diagnostic-
kit/article31158210.ece

U.S. could become virus epicentre: WHO #GS2 #IR

The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that the U.S. could become the global epicentre of
the COVID-19 pandemic.

Britain joined the ranks of countries in lockdown to try to hold back the virus, and data showed business
activity collapsing from Australia and Japan and Western Europe at a record pace in March, with the U.S.
showing expected to be just as dire.

But amid the gathering gloom, the Chinese province of Hubei, where the virus was first identified in
December, said it would lift travel restrictions on people leaving the region as the epidemic eases there.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world exceeded 3,77,000 across 194 countries and territories as
of early Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, more than 16,500 of them fatal.

‘Very large acceleration’

WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said there had been a “very large acceleration” in infections in the
U.S. Over the previous 24 hours, 85% of new cases were in Europe and the U.S., and of those, 40% were
in the U.S. As of Monday, the virus had infected more than 42,000 people there, killing at least 559.

Asked whether the U.S. could become the new epicentre, Ms. Harris said: “We are now seeing a very
large acceleration in cases in the U.S. So it does have that potential.”

Some U.S. state and local officials have decried a lack of coordinated federal action, saying that having
localities act on their own has put them in competition for supplies. President Donald Trump said on
Monday he was considering how to restart business life when a 15-day shutdown ends next week.

“America will again and soon be open for business,” Mr. Trump told a White House news conference on
Monday. “We are not going to let it turn into a long-lasting financial problem.” “We can’t have the cure
be worse than the problem,” Mr. Trump said. “We have to open our country because that causes
problems that, in my opinion, could be far bigger problems.”
Of the top 10 countries by case numbers, Italy has reported the highest fatality rate, at around 10%,
which at least partly reflects its older population. The fatality rate globally is around 4.3%, though
national figures can vary widely according to how much testing is done.

Britain on Tuesday began curbs on movement without precedent in peacetime after PM Boris Johnson
ordered everyone to stay at home.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-could-become-virus-epicentre-
who/article31157163.ece

Economic package soon, says FM #GS3 #Economy

An economic package to deal with COVID-19 situation will be announced soon, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman promised on Tuesday afternoon, adding that the government and regulators are constantly
monitoring the state of the economy, markets and rupee depreciation.

However, she still offered little clarity on the composition of an economic task force announced by the
PM last week, and explained the delay in announcing an economic package by saying extensive
consultations were needed, and till yesterday, Parliament was in session and the Finance Bill had to be
cleared.

“Work is going on and we are very close to coming out with an economic package, which will be
announced sooner rather than later,” she said, adding that the Centre, the Reserve Bank and the
regulators have been jointly monitoring the volatility in the stock markets thrice daily. “Every attention
is being given to the economy. The Prime Minister himself is closely monitoring the situation. A multi-
layered composition of the task force is already working.”

As The Hindu had reported on Tuesday morning, the economic task force announced in the PM’s
address to the nation on March 19 has still not been constituted, with the Finance Ministry saying the
PM’s Office or the Cabinet Secretariat would be responsible for issuing an order to create it. On Tuesday
evening, after the FM’s press conference, a Finance Ministry spokesperson once again confirmed to The
Hindu that no order has yet been issued to set up the task force.

Ms. Sitharaman was more ambiguous about the status of the task force, saying that sub-groups of MPs,
academics and industry leaders were already generating ideas for the task force, but refused to
elaborate on its composition or specific mandate. “The Finance Ministry is working intensively on all
these suggestions which are coming in from the various sub groups within the multi-layered task force
that exists,” she said. “So the work of the task force which is multi-layered is already almost nearing a
conclusion. So the task force and the task force based report and the action following the task force’s
report are almost at its peak and that is why I have said we will announce the economic package sooner
rather than later.”

She did not respond to specific queries on how the economic package would provide relief for millions
of informal sector and daily wage workers who have been hit the hardest by the shutdown.
Ms. Sitharaman attributed the delay in announcing an economic package to the need for extensive
consultations and to first pass the Finance Bill. “I appreciate that you would have liked the package to be
announced last week. But most things which are as big as an economic package for this kind of unusual
situation requires a lot of consultation to get it right,” she told journalists.

‘No intention to delay’

“We had no intention to delay, we don’t want to delay, but then but let us be realistic. Till yesterday, the
Parliament was in session and the Finance Bill had to be cleared,” she said adding that she would have
been happy to announce the package in the House if it was ready and the Finance Bill had been passed.
“And once the Finance Bill got cleared, it was important for the MPs to recognise there is a lockdown in
this country, so everyone had to go where they had to go and serve and be of use for their own
constituents. So the Parliament adjourned sine die.”

In the final hours of the Lok Sabha session on Monday, a number of opposition MPs had been pressing
the Finance Minister to make a statement on the COVID-19 situation and the government’s package
before the Finance Bill was passed.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/economic-package-soon-says-fm/article31156606.ece

Is India prepared to meet the supply requirements of foodstuffs? #GS3 #SnT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that the Centre and state governments will take all steps to
ensure the supply of “essential items” during the lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus, which has
now been made nationwide and extended for a further 21-day period. The Indian Express takes stock of
how prepared India is to meet the supply requirements of the most essential of items: Food.

What is the domestic availability situation in foodstuffs? To what extent would the restrictions on
account of COVID-19 impact it?

There’s no real issue as far as production or supply goes for most agri-commodities, starting with
foodgrains. As on March 1, stocks of wheat and rice with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) stood at
around 77.6 million tonnes (mt). This was over three-and-a-half times the minimum operational buffer-
cum-strategic stock of 21.04 mt required to be maintained for April 1. Moreover, the new wheat crop,
which is a bumper one, will arrive in the mandis from the coming month.

The same applies to pulses, where the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India
or Nafed was holding 2.25 mt of stocks as on March 19. This, even as fresh market arrivals of rabi
(winter-spring) pulses such as chana (chickpea), masur (red lentils) and matar (field pea) have started.

COVID-19’s impact will not be on production, given that most rabi crops are close to ripening, if not
already harvested. The impact will be only on marketing the produce at the mandis and reaching it to
the final consumer. Simply put, it isn’t a “supply”, but a “supply chain” problem arising from the various
movement restrictions imposed under the ongoing lockdown. But for the rice, wheat and pulses with FCI
or Nafed, even that shouldn’t be a problem, as the grain has to merely be moved from godowns and
supplied to ration shops. This can, in fact, be an opportunity for the Centre to significantly offload its
surplus foodgrain stocks – including to regular grocery shops at open market rates.

What about stuff like milk, sugar and edible oils?

These, again, are produce not brought to be sold in mandis. Dairies procure milk directly from farmers
or through bulk vendors. The sugar that mills produce similarly comes from cane sourced straight from
growers. Two-thirds of the edible oil consumed by India is imported. There, too, the problem of the crop
having to first come to an APMC (agricultural produce market committee) mandi does not arise.

In the current lockdown situation, there are actually mitigating factors on the supply requirement front,
particularly for the three food items. The most important of them is the demand destruction due to
shutting down of HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering) businesses. With hardly any business-to-
business (B2B) sales happening, the demand for milk products, sugar and edible oil is now only in the
business-to-consumer segment.

This has had two effects.

On the one hand, direct consumer sales of milk, curd, sugar and branded oils have gone up in the past
few days, with households buying more in anticipation of shortages. R.S. Sodhi, managing director of the
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, claims that the daily sales of ‘Amul’ milk are currently
about 37 lakh litres in Delhi-NCR and 22 lakh litres in Maharashtra, as against their normal respective
levels of 31-32 lakh litres and 18-19 lakh litres.

But on the other hand, sales of skimmed milk power (SMP) to ice-cream companies and cheese to pizza
makers have crashed, as consumers aren’t eating out and focusing on basic foods. This has led to SMP
prices crashing to Rs 250 per kg, from Rs 320-330 per kg till roughly 15 days ago, with some
Maharashtra-based dairies mainly into B2B sales slashing their procurement price for cow milk from Rs
32-plus to Rs 20 per litre.

In sugar also, mills are seeing less buying from the sweetmeat, soft drinks and HORECA segments. Nor
are oil marketing companies lifting ethanol, a by-product of sugar manufacture used for 10% blending
with petrol. The reason: People sitting at home and not taking out their vehicles.

The above demand destruction on account of B2B is, nevertheless, ensuring that existing supplies are
enough to meet the requirements of household consumers or B2C.

So, which are the food products whose supplies are being affected?

Basically fruits and vegetables (F&V), which are produce sold through APMC mandis. Fruit traders and
commission agents at the Vashi market of Navi Mumbai have announced suspension of their operations
from Wednesday, fearing the spread of coronavirus. Such closures are, however, more likely in terminal
markets close to cities than the primary APMCs, where the bulk of farmers bring their produce.
Right now, the fear of the pandemic is less in rural areas, though Jitender Singh Hooda, a sugarcane
farmer from Kheri Bairagi village of Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, anticipates a 25-30% harvesting
labour shortage in the coming days. According to him, many migrant labourers have fled to their villages
in Bihar, which will hit cane harvesting when crushing operations in UP are at a peak.

What are the steps the government must take in the coming days?

In his first address to the nation on dealing with COVID-19, the Prime Minister mentioned that all
necessary steps would be taken to ensure “no shortage of essential items like milk”. That specific
reference has, perhaps, helped in the largely unhindered supplies of milk from the rural hinterland to
urban centres across India.

Unfortunately, the same approach has not been visible in other food items. Indiscriminately imposed
inter-state movement restrictions have resulted in tomato-laden trucks from Madanapalle in Andhra
Pradesh not crossing over to Bengaluru or brinjal and beans from Chikkaballapur in Karnataka not
reaching Hyderabad’s consumers. Alphonso mangoes and grapes not being allowed to move freely will
hurt growers in Ratnagiri and Sangli just when their crop is being harvesting.

There are similar reports about F&V collection and distribution centres of online grocers being forcibly
shut down; sugar mills in UP running out of lime, sulphur and HDPE bags procured from Rajasthan and
Gujarat; and labourers engaged in grading and packing of produce not being permitted to go their
workplaces. All these impediments need to go at the earliest – like in milk from day one of the
lockdown.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-food-supply-chain-6330203/

‘Coronavirus will stay; difficult to lock down for long’ #GS3 #SnT

Around a fifth of humanity is under lockdown, including all of India. How long can this work?

This approach will work to different degrees in different places. In temperate regions, there is intense
transmission for a few months; in tropical regions, transmission is throughout the year. In Europe,
lockdown is aimed at reducing transmission until summer starts, when we hope conditions will improve.
In India with more year-round disease, it will indeed be difficult to lock down for very long periods.

Will this virus stick around and become endemic?

This is not yet clear, but I believe it will, indeed, become endemic. We should expect that the majority of
the people globally will get exposed in the next year or two. A vaccine is the best hope for now — say, in
18 months. And importantly, Indian vaccine companies can get to manufacture it — decentralise the
manufacture to avoid global bottlenecks. Even then, the virus is likely to be around.

Studies show the illness is mild in most people and severe in those above 60, with underlying
conditions. What is the most effective treatment?
Yes, most cases are mild and do not reach the lungs, but just the throat airway. But when the virus does
infect deeper tissues, you get a strong inflammation of the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe.
Supportive treatment with oxygen and ventilators is key for severe cases. Several drugs are in trial
stages and many have efficacy, but it’s too early to say which ones and when.

Can India’s hot summer slow the spread of the virus?

The virus can stay on surfaces for several days in the laboratory. It depends on the type of surface and
environment. But the level does drop off quite quickly (in the heat). We are not sure what the clinical
significance is of finding small amounts of the virus on surfaces. Certainly, surfaces like door handles
that are used by many should be avoided or cleaned regularly.

There is a view that if 50% of the population is exposed to the virus there is a stronger chance of
building immunity against it.

This is the concept of herd immunity — that if enough people get it then transmission will slow down,
and non-immune people will be protected. The problem with the current lockdown is that it means in
Europe there will be more susceptibles when it (the virus) comes back next winter

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-lockdown-india-europe-covid-19-6330225/