The health ministry sources said even if there is a wave, deaths and hospitalisation will be very low.
He urged people not to panic and clarified that there was no change in the guidelines for international air travel so far.
In a letter addressed to Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, Mandaviya said three MPs from Rajasthan -- P P Chaudhary, Nihal Chand and Devji Patel -- have flagged concerns and requested him that Covid protocols, including use of masks and sanitisers, be strictly followed during the march and only those who are vaccinated be allowed to participate.
Finding solutions to address non-tariff barriers would be important for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) and both sides are actively working on resolving these issues, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He said the two sides are "pretty" close to finalising the talks for the proposed free trade pact.
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has ended his hunger strike which he began on November 26, 2022, to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The announcement came after appeals from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu. Dallewal said he would continue to fight for the MSP guarantee and other demands.
On Tuesday, state health minister Veena George had said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the state was well prepared to handle the virus infection.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the hospitals were well-prepared to handle the virus infection.
India and Chile on Tuesday announced starting negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership pact as PM Modi and Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font held wide-ranging talks focusing on boosting the ties in areas of trade, defence, critical minerals and health.
Assembly elections are due in five states including Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Punjab for next year.
Among the new entrants to the Union cabinet, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been given the agriculture and rural development portfolios, Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda the health portfolio and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar the power portfolio.
The health minister said the Centre has taken timely measures ahead of the summer season to address heatwave-related illnesses.
Interacting with reporters in Kolkata, the Trinamool national general secretary reiterated that his party stood with the government in matters of national interest, combating cross-border terrorism, and safeguarding sovereignty.
WHO has urged people at risk to keep up with their vaccinations with boosters.
The minister will review the COVID-19 situation at 11:30 am on Wednesday 'considering the international scenario', they said.
Official sources said the last case of monkeypox in India was reported from Kerala in March this year.
The resilience of the economy and strength of domestic demand will continue to make India an engine of growth amid the rapidly evolving global trade landscape as a result of US tariffs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in London on Tuesday.
With Christmas and the New Year approaching, doctors at some hospitals in the city also referred to the detection of the first case of the new JN.1 variant of the coronavirus in the country and asked people to exercise extra caution.
The process of identification of victims by matching the DNA samples is currently underway, and the bodies will be handed over to their relatives once the process is complete.
Jaishankar said such a description would be like putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level.
'BSE has facilitated nearly Rs 35 trillion in capital raising across multiple segments.'
The family members of Border Security Force constable Purnam Kumar Shaw, who was released by Pakistan from its custody on Wednesday, expressed immense relief and gratitude to the central government and BSF authorities for securing his return.
The sources said 39 international passengers were found positive for COVID-19 out of the 6,000 tested on arrival in the last two days.
During a virtual meeting with health ministers and senior officials of states in view of the recent surge in coronavirus cases in some parts of the world, he said, "The Centre and states need to work in tandem and in a collaborative spirit as was done during the previous surges for Covid prevention and management."
'iNCOVACC' is priced at Rs 800 for private markets and at Rs 325 for supplies to the government of India and state governments.
According to data on the Union health ministry's website, of the 142 COVID cases reported in the country till 8 am on Tuesday, 115 were from Kerala.
There has been a sudden spurt in Covid cases in China and some other countries.
From January 2 to March 5, 451 cases of H3N2 have been reported in the country, according to data shared by the health ministry.
As the election nears, political positions on prohibition are shifting.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Station, interacted with students in Lucknow, answering questions about life in space, the challenges of readjusting to Earth, and the benefits of space exploration.
'CM face ko lekar NDA mein koi confusion nahi hai, Nitish Kumar hi NDA ke CM face hai'.
The Union health ministry has also directed airport and port health officers to be vigilant, they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated 11 government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and said the future will belong to societies that invest in healthcare.
The scare of communicable diseases seems to be gripping the country with Maharashtra reporting 28 Zika cases this year, the highest since 2021.
He also urged all the ministers, MLAs, and public representatives to respect party workers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, inviting her to visit India after her return from a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. In his letter, Modi expressed pride in Williams' achievements and said that India is looking forward to hosting "one of its most illustrious daughters." The letter was shared on X by Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh.
The ministry of finance will kickstart its massive budgetary exercise from October 15.
The Rs 1-trillion Research Development and Innovation (RDI) fund, which was announced in the July budget for FY25, of which Rs 20,000 crore has already been allocated, will be operationalised in the next two to three months, a top official said.
'What does Indira Gandhi want from me? At this age, what will I do to her?'
As the cumulative vaccine doses administered in India surpassed the 100-crore mark, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday launched a song and a film describing the efforts that went behind the launch of the world's largest COVID inoculation programme.
The COVID-19 virus got mutated 223 times in the world and its harmful effects have come down substantially over time, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha on Friday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances