Modi address: 21 days lockdown

The Hindu Newsletter - Modi address: 21 days lockdown Tuesday 24, March 2020 [alt_text]( The Evening Wrap Welcome to The Evening Wrap, your guide to the day’s major news developments with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying home and staying safe. Here are the major stories you need to know about today: PM’s address: 21 days lockdown In his address to the nation today, his second in less than a week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide ‘lockdown’ for 21 days starting from midnight tonight. Stating that this would be like a “virtual curfew”, he appealed to the general public to stay put at home and not venture out during this period. Thanking the people for making last Sunday’s Janata Curfew’ a “success”, he said the country’s only chance to win the battle against the fast-spreading coronavirus is social distancing. Pointing out that even developed countries with far greater resources at their disposal compared to India were struggling to overcome Covid-19, he warned that India could go back 21 years if it fails to follow the 21-day lockdown. Adding that arrangements have been made to ensure the availability of essential supplies, he said the government has allocated ₹15,000 crore to strengthen public health infrastructure and build capacity to face the coronavirus challenge. He said the money would be utilised to increase the availability and numbers of personal protective equipment (PPE), isolation beds, ICU beds, and ventilators. Urging everyone to appreciate the tireless work being put in by doctors, nurses, ward boys, paramedical staff, police and others at a time of crisis, he said that in the coming weeks, all state governments should prioritise public health and the battle against Covid-19. Games put off by a year Since the first Olympics was held in Athens in 1896, the Games have only ever been cancelled because of world wars. Now, in a move that is unprecedented in peace time, the Summer Olympic Games that was set to be held in Tokyo in July has been postponed by a year. The Games will now be held by the summer of 2021 at the latest, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today. Abe was speaking with reporters in a briefing following a call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) head Thomas Bach. He said they both agreed to defer the Tokyo Olympics by one year. “We asked President Bach to consider postponing the event by a year to make it possible for athletes to play in the best conditions, and to make the Games a safe and secure one for spectators,” Abe said. According to Reuters, in a parallel development, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike informed reporters that the Games would still be branded “Tokyo 2020” even though it will be held in 2021. COVID watch: National The number of reported cases in India has now touched 564. This figure is derived from a combination of numbers reported by the Union Health Ministry, and updates from the States. Kerala reported 14 new coronavirus cases, taking the number of those undergoing treatment to 105. It means Kerala has narrowly overtaken Maharashtra as the worst affected -- the latter had 104 confirmed cases as of today. One more death was reported from Mumbai today. Follow all the updates on Covid-19 with our live page [here](. Preparing for a stimulus? Announcing a [slew of statutory and regulation compliance measures]( ahead of an expected stimulus package for an economy in distress, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman extended the deadline for filing income tax and GST returns, raised the threshold of default that could trigger the insolvency of a company, and waived charges on cash withdrawals made from ATMs of other banks. Some highlights in detail: 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 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 — that is, those with less than ₹5 crore aggregate annual turnover — without any interest, late fee, or penalty being charged. Shaheen Bagh cleared Over three months after protesters began a sit-in at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi to demand the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the police cleared the protest site [early this morning]( as a precaution against the Covid-19 outbreak. “They were informed that Section 144 has been imposed and that they should not sit and protest. They were also informed that this road connects Noida to Delhi and if emergency health travel needs to be made, the road needs to be clear, but they refused to leave,” a Delhi police official said. Facebook-Reliance Jio deal The Financial Times has reported that Facebook is in talks to “buy a multibillion dollar stake” in Mukesh Ambani’s digital venture Reliance Jio. If it comes through, this deal would greatly expand Facebook’s footprint in the Indian digital market. According to the FT story, the social media giant was on the verge of signing an agreement for a 10% stake when the negotiations were disrupted by coronavirus-related travel bans. India is a key market for both Facebook and its subsidiary, WhatsApp. Omar Abdullah released The Jammu and Kashmir administration has released former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from detention after more than seven months. Abdullah, now sporting a flowing white beard, called for the immediate release of others in [preventive detention since August 5](. “A lot has changed in the region since August 5. J&K is split into two Union Territories. There is a lot to talk about, but right now we need to focus on the outbreak of COVID-19 and people’s safety. Also, all other detained people should also be released, as their families would be equally worried due to the outbreak,” he said, speaking to reporters. That’s it for this edition of The Evening Wrap. 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