The outbreak and lockdown have thrown up a number of challenges, such as layoffs, pay cuts and a general slowdown. Many subscribers after their unsuccessful attempts to use the scheme have taken to social media to voice their complaints, as the EPFO website and grievance portal suffer outages and its customer helpline remains unreachable.
Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Public Health Foundation of India, V Ramana Dhara, said the unlock has resulted in a return to old habits of indiscipline in physical distancing and improper mask use.
'When you don't have food to eat, will you be worried about the virus or the next meal?'
A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed sports complexes and stadia to open without spectators, National Sports Federations were deliberating ways to facilitate training of at least the Olympic-bound athletes. The lockdown has been extended till May 31.
After dating for almost four years, Rakul Singh and Jackky Bhagnani are set to get married on February 21.
The UK prime minister stressed that a complete lockdown was the only answer to prevent the overrunning of the country's state-funded National Health Service, which would be a "medical and moral disaster" beyond the raw loss of life.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said there will be a move towards greater "personal responsibility" as the UK prepares to end lockdown restrictions from July 19.
The state government will review the lockdown situation in Guwahati after seven days from the enforcement of the restrictions.
Australia's limited overs captain Aaron Finch helped second grade student Alex Altube beat the lockdown blues by assigning the kid a cricket project through his school teacher, adding some joy to his daily routine.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said the government is expected to remain cognisant of the situation and evaluate it closely and if it is found that the rate of infection is going up, they can always review their decision and impose curbs, depending upon the situation.
'In the first phase, you might allow 30 per cent of the workforce to come in and see how it goes,' says industrialist Harsh Goenka.
The home ministry has already written to all state governments informing them about the exemptions given for holding the examinations across the country with certain conditions.
Swastika's father Sandeep, who is also her coach-cum-training partner, has been rendered jobless for more than four months and is finding it difficult to pay the rent for the house they are staying in at Navi Mumbai.
'Cricket is a game where if you come back after a gap, then it is not easy to perform immediately.'
Gandhi said if money is not given in the hands of the poor and small and medium industry, there could be "serious economic damage" in the country.
Will you be allowed to step out? Will you be able to go to work? Can you go out for a job? These questions will be answered by this simple table below.
Olympic silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar has started learning law online as part of his training for the DSP post he holds in Himachal Pradesh Police.
The announcement comes amid a rise in domestic violence cases due to the ongoing lockdown. It was found that many women who are victims of domestic violence are more vulnerable during the lockdown period.
The experts agreed that the lockdown has helped in slowing down spread of the virus but insisted that the situation has not reached a plateau and that there was an urgent need to upgrade healthcare facilities to deal with the crisis.
Young Rediff readers share inspiring messages to raise awareness about COVID-19.
Relationship problems? Let Love Guru help.
India's Ram Baboo on Saturday achieved the Paris Olympics men's 20km race qualification standard, clocking a personal best time of 1:20:00 at the Dudinska 50 Meet in Slovakia.
'I think it will be environmentally very beneficial. Life is such a hustle, and you never get the time to spend with your family and connect with them'
What is aggravating the situation is that e-commerce firms are facing huge shortage of delivery personnel. They have not been able to bring back their staff to work, despite offering higher pay and Covid-related insurance packages.
The forced lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak has brought out the innovative side of Indian sports fans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared 3D animated videos of him performing yoga.
As Covid-19 cases spiralled in China ahead of the next month's Beijing Winter Olympics, authorities effectively put Anyang under lockdown, the third city after Xian and Tianjin, confining over 20 million people to their homes to arrest the spread of the contagion.
Darshit Shah, 11, put together a drum kit using things from his house.
Pegging the cost of the covid-19 lockdown at USD 120 billion (approximately Rs 9 lakh crores) or 4 per cent of the GDP, analysts on Wednesday sharply cut their growth estimates and stressed on the need to announce an economic package. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is scheduled to announce its first bi-monthly policy review on April 3, is set to deliver a deep rate cuts and it should also be assumed that the fiscal deficit targets will be breached, analysts said.
'I have started enjoying outdoor workouts a lot more,' says Supermodel Sonalika Sahay.
The ICMR is working on a war footing to develop the testing ecosystem -- especially for the screening blood tests. NIV, Pune, is in the process of validating antibody-based screening kits.
Is it sustainable?' 'Or is it like an overdose of a medicine that saves your life in the short run but kills you through long-lasting side-effects?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
'India is the only large nation along with Argentina whose numbers have continuously and without a break risen from March,' observes Aakar Patel.
Mall owners have incurred a loss of around Rs 3,000 crore during the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last eight weeks due to lockdowns and restrictions imposed by various states across the country. In the wake of the second pandemic wave, around 25 per cent of the business of the retail side across categories has been lost and this is going to impact the mall owners as well, according to Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) Chairman Mukesh Kumar. However, mall owners would go ahead and complete their under-construction projects as they anticipate demands for commercial and office space once the pandemic recedes, the SCAI said.
The central probe agency had on Friday carried out a fresh round of searches in connection with the case, they said.
He said the lockdown rules will not be relaxed in haste.
Fresh guidelines were issued by the government on Wednesday for enforcing the second phase of the coronavirus lockdown, with the Union home ministry barring all kinds of public transport and prohibiting opening of public places during this period.
The confinement hasn't ended even though he is back home from one but celebrated Indian hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh is not complaining as, at least, there are no mental demons to fight. The two-time Olympian said the more-than-two-month long stay at the Sports Authority of India's south centre in Bengaluru owing to the COVID-19 lockdown was beginning to weaken his and several other players' mind and he took to reading motivational books to keep himself going.
Announcing relaxations such as allowing shops selling essential commodities to reopen and government offices to resume work, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday announced extension of lockdown by one week till June 14 to combat COVID-19.
Rajesh Srivastava from Greater Noida shares his suggestions.
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