The Centre has released Rs 1,237 crore to Punjab as <keyword id="6354679" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst">GST</keyword> compensation arrears for July 2017-March 2019. Punjab Finance Minister <keyword id="242001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manpreet-Singh-Badal">Manpreet Singh Badal</keyword> in a letter to Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said the funds came at a "crucial time" when the entire country is facing the Covid-19 crisis. Stating that the Union Finance Minister has kept her promise of release of funds, Badal said, "In retrospect I feel that the delay has turned out to be a blessing in disguise allowing us to obtain this reserve when it would be most needed." The Centre had earlier released Rs 12,857 crore to Punjab on account of compensation for July 2017-March 2019 and with the clearance of arrears, the total amount paid stands at Rs 14,094 crore. Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law, states are guaranteed compensation for revenue loss for five years if their revenues do not increase 14 per cent on the base year of 2015-16.

Indian government releases ₹1237 crore GST compensation arrears to Punjab

India is once again witnessing a massive surge in coronavirus cases as it recorded 40,953 <keyword id="6418348" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="infections">infections</keyword> in the last 24 hours, highest so far since November, taking the total tally to 1,15,55,284 on Saturday. A single-day spike of 41,810 new infections were recorded on November 28 last year. The country has been registering an increase in cases for the 10th consecutive day. According to the <keyword id="46535" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-ministry">Health Ministry</keyword>, <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword>, <keyword id="6354953" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab">Punjab</keyword>, Karnataka, <keyword id="6354766" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword> and Chhattisgarh are exhibiting a steep rise in daily numbers. The central government is closely monitoring and actively engaging with the states and union territories over the rising cases. With death of 188 people in the last 24 hours, the toll has reached 1,59,558 in India. The active caseload in country has mounted to 2,88,394. With the discharge of 23,653 patients in a day, a total of 1,11,07,332 persons have been discharged so far. A total of 10,60,971 tests were done on Friday. So far, 4.20 crore doses of corona vaccines have been administered in the country since the drive began on January 16 after approval for 'Covishield' and '<keyword id="9485939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="covaxin">Covaxin</keyword>'. More than 18.16 lakh doses were administered on a single day on Friday. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/easemytrip-ipo-listing-price-at-13-5-premium/articleshow/81581828.cms">EaseMyTrip lists at 13.5% premium – but gives up some of the listing gains soon after</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-9-pro-specs-oneplus-9e-specs-and-price-leak-and-oneplus-9-series-launch-date/articleshow/81168227.cms">OnePlus 9 series specifications and features leaked – here's everything we know about the upcoming OnePlus smartphones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/checkout-review-of-moto-g10-power-mobile-phone-review-and-features-information/articleshow/81583548.cms">Moto G10 Power mobile review – big battery on a shoestring budget</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/future-retail-shares-take-a-massive-hit-as-it-loses-the-case-against-amazon-in-delhi-high-court/articleshow/81583165.cms">Future Retail shares take a massive hit as it loses the case against Amazon in Delhi High Court</a>

India records nearly 41,000 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours, highest so far since November last year

(Eds: Adds quotes) New Delhi, Apr 11 () The national lockdown should be extended by at least a fortnight, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh suggested during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with chief ministers on Saturday.As India battles the COVID-19 crisis, the prime minister held a video conference with chief ministers primarily to take their feedback on whether the 21-day nationwide lockdown should be extended beyond April 14 to stem the tide of infections.Though the restrictions are causing a lot of hardship to the people, India cannot afford to take any chances, the chief minister said, a day after extending curfew in his state to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.The disease has claimed 11 lives and infected 151 people so far in Punjab.Singh also suggested a slew of health and relief measures for the people in the state's COVID-19 battle, and asked for special concessions for the industrial and agricultural sectors.The chief minister said there is huge uncertainty over the incidence rate of the disease and that the nation is in for a long fight. Given the trend in China and several European countries, it is necessary to continue the lockdown, he said.The chief minister informed the meeting that the Punjab government had already decided to go for curfew or complete lockdown till May 1, with all educational institutions to be closed till June 30. State board examinations have also been deferred till further orders, he said. The Code of Criminal Procedure's Section 144 ( that prevents assembly of five or more people at one spot) remains in place, along with prohibition of public service vehicles till May 1, a state government statement said.He also sought a special risk insurance for all government employees, including police personnel, sanitation workers and all other employees, who are working day and night to help mitigate the miseries and stress of people in these trying times, it said. He also stressed on the need to substantially increase the number of tests being done for COVID-19 and go for rapid testing.The chief minister requested Rs 500 crore for quick upgrade of infrastructure of government hospitals in Punjab, which is currently at Stage-2 of the pandemic, the statement said.He also called for speedy approval by the Centre to the state's proposal for a Rs 550 crore Advanced Centre for Virology. On urgent relief measures for Punjab, Singh urged the government of India to defer recovery or waive interest and penalties on industrial loans for six months. Emphasising that industrial establishments cannot continue to look after their workers for a long time, he asked the Centre to think of some innovative solutions for relief to daily wage workers and industrial labour either through ESIC funds or under MGNREGA. The government of India can allow village panchayats and municipalities to utilise the 14th Finance Commission grants for emergency relief, including food and medicines for the poor and needy, Singh suggested.The statement, quoting Singh, said he asked for a one-time increase in borrowing limit from three per cent to four per cent of the state's GDP by amending the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Amendment Act (FRBM) Act, 2003. The Punjab government is sending a complete proposal in this regard to the Union Ministry of Finance, he said.Referring to the massive harvesting and procurement operations set to begin in Punjab next week, the chief minister reiterated his demand for a bonus to farmers to incentivise staggered and delayed procurement of wheat. Singh also called for quicker movement of food grains lying in FCI godowns in Punjab, along with waiver of three months' interest on crop loans and deferment of recovery of crops loans by commercial banks.Thanking the Centre for releasing substantial funds since the last meeting with chief ministers, Singh stressed the need for early release of pending arrears of GST on priority to help the state. SKC CHS VSD ANBANB

Punjab CM suggests extension of national lockdown by at least fortnight

Coronavirus cases in India climb to 31,332— with Maharashtra and Delhi seeing a continuous rise

To pay or not to pay, waiver or moratorium--parents of school children are confused with announcements of several state governments offering relaxations for school fees during the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> lockdown period in the country. <keyword id="6355588" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword>, Punjab, Haryana and <keyword id="6357713" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> governments have announced that schools should not pressurise parents to pay fees during the lockdown. However, there is no clarity among parents about whether no fees will be charged during the period or they will have to be paid later. According to various school authorities, some parents have assumed that there will be no fees for the period and numerous queries are being received by them about fee waivers. "There is no clarity. Schools are still charging miscellaneous fees like meal charges and transport charges. No body knows what has been waived and what is still there. When we reach out to schools they say its only a relaxation in the time and not the amount," Sandeep Makhija, a <keyword id="6361586" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gurgaon">Gurgaon</keyword> resident, told . Similar concerns are being faced by Rajasthan's <keyword id="9035249" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="preeti-vashishth">Preeti Vashishth</keyword>, "The government circular says that schools should not take any advance fees during the period but there is no clarity on whether the fees will have to be paid later or not for the lockdown period". Rajneesh Kumar whose two kids study in a Noida school, said, "If the fees is anyway supposed to be paid then I would rather accommodate it in my budget now rather than facing a burden later. With the announcement it looked like a relief but I don't know if it actually is. Having clear instructions would have been helpful". According to representative of a leading private school in Gurgaon, parents are calling them with queries about why fees statements have been generated when there is a government order. "We explain to each of the parent that the fees has not been waived and only the deadlines have been relaxed. The teachers are working full time, regular classes are happening online, the staff needs to be paid salaries too," she said. Another school spokesperson in Gurgaon said, "We are not forcing the parents to pay right away, the deadlines have been extended already and a genuine case can be evaluated accordingly even later but we are advising parents that whoever can pay right now should pay. The fees cannot be waived off. Parents are calling with queries like while meal charges are being levied. We have a full fledged kitchen and team handling it. So will we not be paying them during the period as no meals are being cooked?" Both the schools did not wish to be identified. Noida's Kothari International School has waived day-boarding and transport fees for months of April and May. "The school continues to meet its commitments and responsibilities of salaries, housekeeping, security.... sanitation, tank cleaning, hardware, software, buses, networking, Wi-Fi, CCTV, up gradation of equipment, building repairs, sports equipment, estate maintenance and pest control. "While the school needs to continue to meet all these commitments, we fully understand that in the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, restricted access to banks, general hardships of the self employed businesses and the slowdown in economy we would need to support our parent fraternity pro-actively and at the same time continue to meet the high quality standards of infrastructure, teaching and deliverables to our students as every year. We have waived transport and day boarding fees", the school said in a letter to parents. Punjab government, however, had on Thursday directed schools to release full salaries to staff and not to force parents for books, uniforms and transportation fees and said that no school can demand fees from students on the pretext of online teaching classes during lockdown period. While several parents have reached out to Delhi government seeking fees waiver during the period, no decision has been taken in this regard yet. "We have been getting messages from parents that fee during the lockdown should be waived but schools say that how will they give salaries, which is also a genuine concern. The government has actively worked for parents as far as the matters about fees is concerned but right now it is a tricky situation. If anybody has concrete suggestions about a balanced way out of the situation, we request to share it with us," Deputy Chief Minister <keyword id="6354681" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="manish-sisodia">Manish Sisodia</keyword> had said last week in an online interaction with parents. The country is under a lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation. However, schools and colleges were closed a week before the lockdown was announced. GJS AAR

State governments relax school fees but that leaves parents confused

After Pakistan, China is also creating a dispute at the border with India as if it was part of a "mission", Defence Minister <keyword id="6355121" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> said on Monday, as Indian and Chinese troops remain locked in a standoff in eastern Ladakh for over five months. The defence minister, speaking at an online event after inaugurating 44 bridges, said India is not only facing the situations along the frontiers resolutely, but it is also bringing in major development including in border areas. "You are well aware of the conditions created along our northern and eastern borders. First it was Pakistan, and now also by China, as if a border dispute is being created under a mission. We have a border of about 7,000 km with these countries where the tension continues," Singh said. The defence minister was speaking after inaugurating the bridges built in strategically key areas of Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. A majority of these bridges are expected to significantly improve movement of troops in areas along the border with China in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors, officials said. Both India and China held a series of diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border standoff. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to defuse the situation. Singh said in the challenging times of COVID-19 and despite the border tensions and disputes caused by Pakistan and China, the country was not only resolutely facing them but also bringing about historical changes in all sectors of development. The defence minister also laid the foundation stone for Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. This 450 metre-long tunnel would ensure all-weather connectivity across Nechiphu pass. The bridges inaugurated by Singh included 10 in Jammu and Kashmir, eight in Ladakh, two in Himachal Pradesh, four each in Punjab and Sikkim and eight each in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh. In his address, Singh complimented the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for their achievements in improving infrastructure in border areas and said that dedication of 44 bridges in one go in itself was a record. He said the annual budget of BRO that varied from Rs 3,300 crore to Rs 4,600 crore in years between 2008 and 2016, saw a substantial rise and is pegged at over Rs 11,000 crore in 2020-21. "There was no reduction of this budget despite COVID-19," he said Singh said construction of the bridges will benefit both the civilian population as well as the military in the areas. "Our armed forces personnel are deployed in large numbers in areas where transport is not available throughout the year," he said, noting improvement in border infrastructure will significantly help armed forces. "These roads are not only for strategic needs, but they also reflect equal participation of all stakeholders in the development of the nation," Singh said. The defence minister praised the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for working tirelessly even during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown period. The defence ministry said despite unprecedented snowfall breaking a 60-year record, all strategic passes and roads were cleared for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates. "I am happy to know that over 2,200 kilometers of roads have been cut by the BRO during the last two years, using the latest technologies, and state-of-the-art equipment. Also, surfacing was carried out on about 4200 kms of roads," he added. Amid the border standoff with China, India is expediting work on several key projects including on a strategic road linking Darcha in Himachal Pradesh with Ladakh that will criss-cross a number of high-altitude snow-bound passes. The nearly 290-km-long road will be crucial for the movement of troops and heavy weaponry into the frontier bases of the Ladakh region and will provide a crucial link to the Kargil region. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/china-launches-earth-observation-satellite-amid-border-tensions-with-india/articleshow/78613147.cms">China launches Earth observation satellite amid border tensions with India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/massive-power-cut-reported-across-mumbai-discom-points-finger-at-tatas/articleshow/78613787.cms">Massive power cut across Mumbai due to grid failure —electricity restored in certain areas</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/sitharaman-offers-states-12000-crore-interest-free-for-the-next-50-years-if-they-can-spend-it-on-capital-projects-by-march-2021/articleshow/78616741.cms">Sitharaman offers states ₹12,000 crore interest-free for the next 50 years if they can spend it on capital projects by March 2021</a>

India-China border dispute created as if part of a 'mission', says Indian Defence Minister

New Delhi, Jul 5 () The finance ministry may assess the capital requirement of public sector banks after the September quarter as there would be greater clarity about a spike in bad loans by that time, sources said. There is widespread fear that non-performing assets (NPAs) of the banks will witness a surge due to the economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak and resultant lockdowns. This will need higher provisioning by banks as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. However, there could be a silver lining if RBI accepts request of loan restructuring for sectors hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic, sources said. The pain of NPA will surface only after the extended moratorium ends in August, the sources said, adding it will be appropriate to assess capital requirement only after the second quarter numbers are finalised. Veteran banker and CII President Uday Kotak had said the public sector banks would need financial support from the government to drive the economy, while private sector banks need to raise capital from various sources to meet the future challenges. "The COVID-19 outbreak and resulting lockdown has impacted adversely the real economy, businesses, individuals, government and financial sector. "While the government is facing the risk of higher fiscal deficit, the banking sector urgently needs the recapitalisation to the tune of Rs 3-4 lakh crore to meet the lending requirements," he had said last month. Ratings agency Fitch has estimated a shortfall of USD 15 billion (about Rs 1.25 lakh crore) by Indian banks to achieve a 10 per cent Weighted Average Common equity tier-1 (CET 1) ratio under moderate stress and in the absence of which banks would show high risk aversion. The banking sector's NPAs were expected to increase by 450 basis point through FY21 and FY21 under moderate stress. The government has infused over Rs 3.15 lakh crore into public sector banks (PSBs) in the 11 years through 2018-19. In 2019-20, the government proposed to make Rs 70,000 crore capital infusion into PSBs to boost credit for a strong impetus to the economy. However, the government refrained from committing any capital in the Budget 2020-21 for the PSBs, hoping that the lenders will raise funds from the market depending on the requirement. In the last financial year, Punjab National Bank was given Rs 16,091 crore, Union Bank of India Rs 11,768 crore, Canara Bank Rs 6,571 crore and Indian Bank Rs 2,534 crore. Merging entities like erstwhile Allahabad Bank was provided Rs 2,153 crore, United Bank of India 1,666 crore and Andhra Bank Rs 200 crore. Besides, Bank of Baroda got a capital infusion of Rs 7,000 crore, Indian Overseas Bank Rs 4,360 crore, UCO Bank Rs 2,142 crore, Punjab &amp; Sind Bank Rs 787 crore and Central Bank of India Rs 3,353 crore. In addition, LIC-controlled IDBI Bank too received additional capital of Rs 4,557 crore through the supplementary demands for grants. In all, the government has infused Rs 65,443 crore in PSBs in the last financial year as both regulatory and growth capital, as per Budget documents. DP ANZ ABM ABM

Finmin may review capital requirement of PSU banks after second quarter

Mumbai, Jun 9 () At a time when the financial sector is passing through a rough patch and looking at ways to conserve capital, country's second largest lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) has bought three Audi cars to ferry its top management. According to sources, the PNB took the delivery of these high-end luxury cars worth approximately Rs 1.34 crore last month, unmindful of the coronavirus outbreak, subsequent nation-wide lockdown and its crippling effect on the financial sector as well as the economy. The annual depreciation on this purchase will be around about Rs 20 lakh, sources said. These luxury cars, sources said, will be used by the managing director (MD) and two senior executive directors. Besides the MD, there are four executive directors given the size and scale of operation of the bank. These cars were purchased after the approval from the board and within the sanctioned limit for the whole-time directors, sources said, adding, this is a part of routine replacement and the unutilised Budget of the last year was carried forward for the purchase. Interestingly, the secretaries in the union government and even Cabinet ministers use Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, much less expensive than German car Audi purchased by the PNB. In protocol, the managing director of a public sector bank is equivalent to an additional secretary in the central government. Even the chairman of the country's largest lender State Bank of India who is considered a notch above the managing director of any nationalised bank uses Toyota Corolla Altis when in capital. In the wake of COVID crisis, the finance ministry last week asked all ministries and departments not to initiate any new scheme in the current financial year and said that there is a need to use resources prudently in these difficult times. Also, schemes that are already approved for the current financial year will remain suspended till March 31 next year or further orders. This would also include those schemes for which in-principle approval has been given by the respective departments. According to an office memorandum of the department of expenditure in the finance ministry, the changes have been made as there is a need to use resources prudently in accordance with emerging and changing priorities. It is to be noted that Punjab National Bank suffered heavily due to the Rs 14,000 crore Nirav Modi scam, which was unearthed in 2018. Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi duped PNB of Rs 14,000 crore through issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs), in connivance with certain bank officials. For the third quarter ended January 2020, the bank reported a loss of Rs 501.93 crore due to substantial increase in bad loan provisioning. The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 249.75 crore for the same period a year ago. The bank made a provisioning of Rs 4,445.36 crore for bad loans during the quarter under review as against Rs 2,565.77 crore parked aside for the year-ago period. DP HV CS MKJ

PNB buys 3 Audi cars for top management amid COVID-led financial downturn

New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) The Confederation of Resident Welfare Association, a pan-India apex body of RWAs, on Friday shot a letter to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking concrete actions to curb the air pollution menace in the country, instead of hiding its failure under the garb of stubble burning. The association put forth a nine-step solution model before the government. It urged the government to induct 200 CNG and electric city busses up to last mile connectivity in every big city on priority and restrict tempo and autos to arterial roads. This will lead to minimal use of personal vehicles by commuters automatically, it said. This comes in the light of the spike in air pollution in Delhi and adjoining states like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The situation has become grave due to the wrath of the coronavirus pandemic, which reportedly gets aggravated by the pollution. The confederation said, "The government could have taken the right steps from 2013 onwards instead of hiding its failure under the garb of stubble burning." "Every industry is supposed to install and run an effluent treatment plant (ETP) for its liquid and air discharge. In reality, most industries dump their effluent into the ground by reverse boring within their premises by stealth," the confederation said. It added, "Some of the industries have installed ETPs for show, they run them only during inspection. This happens with the tacit approval of the PCs. To break this nexus, let the civil society in each city be allowed to carry out surprise checks of ETPs." The RWA body, headed by Rao VBJ Chelikani, urged the Union ministry to ask the local administration to adopt green cremation system as it would save about six crore plants annually. "Since the 'kapal kriya' and other rituals can be performed as in conventional cremation, no one can raise a voice in the name of 'aastha' as against the electric crematorium. Two such units have been installed at the Hindon cremation yard in Ghaziabad," it said. Giving another solution, the confederation said that if 2,000 CCTV cameras are installed on the main roads passing through a city, the traffic will become smooth, accidents will reduce, jams will decrease. Traffic congestion increases vehicle emissions and degrades ambient air quality. Further, it asked the government to allow every district magistrate to decide one car free day per month. The idea of vertical gardening and e-waste collection centre was also put forth. "A research from Mexico brings out that creepers covered on the facade of a four-story building can absorb 40 tonnes of toxic gas in a year. Can we not start raising creepers on the walls of fly overs and Metro lines followed by government buildings and private buildings? It neither requires space, nor budget nor amendment in the Constitution," it said. The confederation said that there should be sanitary land-fills instead of dumping grounds. "Mumbai and Delhi have already burnt their hands by developing dumping grounds. Let there be sanitary landfills. It requires filing of solid waste in trenches and its daily consolidation and covering," it said. The confederation further said that unauthorised vehicles in north India and tractor trolleys carrying uncovered building material, which do not pay any road tax, should be banned for at least three months with immediate effect. --IANS aka/arm

All India RWA suggests 9-step solution to curb air pollution

(Eds: Combining related stories) New Delhi, Mar 31 () Seeking to ease hardships faced by people during the ongoing lockdown, several banks on Tuesday initiated steps to effect the RBI-suggested moratorium on loans taken by their customers and e-retailers began deliveries, but job losses and pay cuts continued to haunt many even as authorities promised special facilities, including for migrant labourers. As the 21-day nationwide lockdown entered its seventh day, the Centre also asked all states and Union Territories to ensure normal functioning of banks and ATMs during the lockdown period and said the Rs 27,500-crore financial package under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana will be disbursed in coming days. Separately, several public sector banks said they have started sensitising their branches about three months' moratorium on all term loans, including home, auto and crop loans, to help customers in overcoming financial difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent nation-wide lockdown. Similar steps are expected from the private sector banks also. The Retailers Association of India, however, complained that banks are unwilling to extend the three-month moratorium to borrowers even after four days of it being announced. It sought the RBI's intervention in the matter. Some telecom companies also announced free talk time and free SMSes for a limited period, especially for the low-income group customers and those distressed during nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Ride-hailing platform Ola said it will offer interest-free credit of up to Rs 3,600 to driver-partners to help them meet immediate household expenses amid the coronavirus pandemic. E-commerce companies like Amazon and Grofers are also gradually resuming services across various cities they operate in but it will still be at least a week or so before they can clear the pending orders, according to industry executives. However, job losses remained the biggest worry for many, for those working in the services sector as well as the contract labourers in the manufacturing plants most of which have been shut due to the pandemic. Besides, the Union Home Ministry said over 21,000 relief camps have been made operational in the country where more than 6.6 lakh destitute people and those stranded because of the COVID-19 lockdown are sheltered as of now. Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the ministry, told reporters during a daily briefing on the coronavirus and lockdown situation that over 23 lakh people are also being provided food at these camps and other locations. Separately, the Supreme Court asked the government to prevent migration of people due to coronavirus and said "panic will destroy more lives than the virus". It asked the Centre to get trained counsellors and community leaders of all faiths to calm down the migrants kept in shelter homes across the country. The court said these shelters should be run by volunteers and not the police, and there should be no use of force and intimidation. Experts, meanwhile, said domestic violence cases in India have increased since the lockdown began with husbands venting their frustration on wives, who have no escape from their abusers. India has been under a three-week lockdown since March 24 with its 1.3 billion people instructed to stay home in view of the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed 32 lives and infected over 1,200 people in the country. The National Commission for Women (NCW), for instance, received 58 complaints from March 23 to March 30. Many of these complaints have come from north India, particularly Punjab, said NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma. In Kerala, the state government has decided that special passes will be issued for tipplers to buy liquor but on doctor's prescription that they are showing withdrawal symptoms due to non-availability of alcohol in view of the coronavirus lockdown. At least three men in Kerala have committed suicide after allegedly showing alcohol withdrawal symptoms within days after liquor stores shut the doors. Similar incidents have been reported in other parts of the country including in neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka. Kerala has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the country. The sale of liquor in the state has continued on an upward spiral despite the prohibitive tax on legal alcohol and the many dry days. At the same time, more companies announced pay cuts for their staff, while a large number of people, including the contract workers and daily wagers, have already been rendered jobless. Budget carrier SpiceJet has decided to cut up to 30 per cent salary of its employees in March, though the company told its staff that Chairman Ajay Singh has opted for the highest 30 per cent cut in compensation. In the US also, foreign IT professionals, a majority of them Indians with H-1B visas, have urged the Trump administration to extend their permissible stay from 60 to 180 days after job loss, amidst the massive layoffs in America due to the coronavirus pandemic. The H-1B visa, most sought after among the Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows the US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. A record 3.3 million Americans have filed initial jobless claims for the week ending March 21. TEAM BJBJ

Lockdown Day 7: Banks begin loan moratorium measures, but concerns mount over job losses and pay cuts

By Gunjan Sharma New Delhi, Apr 9 () To pay or not to pay, waiver or moratorium--parents of school children are confused with announcements of several state governments offering relaxations for school fees during the coronavirus lockdown period in the country.Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments have announced that schools should not pressurise parents to pay fees during the lockdown. However, there is no clarity among parents about whether no fees will be charged during the period or they will have to be paid later.According to various school authorities, some parents have assumed that there will be no fees for the period and numerous queries are being received by them about fee waivers. "There is no clarity. Schools are still charging miscellaneous fees like meal charges and transport charges. No body knows what has been waived and what is still there. When we reach out to schools they say its only a relaxation in the time and not the amount," Sandeep Makhija, a Gurgaon resident, told . Similar concerns are being faced by Rajasthan's Preeti Vashishth, "The government circular says that schools should not take any advance fees during the period but there is no clarity on whether the fees will have to be paid later or not for the lockdown period".Rajneesh Kumar whose two kids study in a Noida school, said, "If the fees is anyway supposed to be paid then I would rather accommodate it in my budget now rather than facing a burden later. With the announcement it looked like a relief but I don't know if it actually is. Having clear instructions would have been helpful". According to representative of a leading private school in Gurgaon, parents are calling them with queries about why fees statements have been generated when there is a government order. "We explain to each of the parent that the fees has not been waived and only the deadlines have been relaxed. The teachers are working full time, regular classes are happening online, the staff needs to be paid salaries too," she said. Another school spokesperson in Gurgaon said, "We are not forcing the parents to pay right away, the deadlines have been extended already and a genuine case can be evaluated accordingly even later but we are advising parents that whoever can pay right now should pay. The fees cannot be waived off. Parents are calling with queries like while meal charges are being levied. We have a full fledged kitchen and team handling it. So will we not be paying them during the period as no meals are being cooked?" Both the schools did not wish to be identified. Noida's Kothari International School has waived day-boarding and transport fees for months of April and May."The school continues to meet its commitments and responsibilities of salaries, housekeeping, security.... sanitation, tank cleaning, hardware, software, buses, networking, Wi-Fi, CCTV, up gradation of equipment, building repairs, sports equipment, estate maintenance and pest control."While the school needs to continue to meet all these commitments, we fully understand that in the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, restricted access to banks, general hardships of the self employed businesses and the slowdown in economy we would need to support our parent fraternity pro-actively and at the same time continue to meet the high quality standards of infrastructure, teaching and deliverables to our students as every year. We have waived transport and day boarding fees", the school said in a letter to parents.Punjab government, however, had on Thursday directed schools to release full salaries to staff and not to force parents for books, uniforms and transportation fees and said that no school can demand fees from students on the pretext of online teaching classes during lockdown period. While several parents have reached out to Delhi government seeking fees waiver during the period, no decision has been taken in this regard yet."We have been getting messages from parents that fee during the lockdown should be waived but schools say that how will they give salaries, which is also a genuine concern. The government has actively worked for parents as far as the matters about fees is concerned but right now it is a tricky situation. If anybody has concrete suggestions about a balanced way out of the situation, we request to share it with us," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said last week in an online interaction with parents. The country is under a lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation. However, schools and colleges were closed a week before the lockdown was announced. GJS AAR

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