Migrant labourers are brought in special buses to Nashik Road Railway Station, from where they will board trains to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. (Express Photo: Prashant Nadkar)
The government on Friday decided to extend the nationwide lockdown for two weeks till May 18. The decision was taken after it noticed “significant gains in the Covid-19 situation” due to restrictions imposed since March 24. The announcement was made hours after the Centre categorised districts in the country into ‘red’, ‘orange’ and ‘green’ zones according to the number of cases and doubling rate. Restrictions will be eased as per the zones. (Here is the full list)
In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,913 cases of coronavirus, taking the total number in the country to 35,365, including 1,152 deaths.
Here is a list of striking stories from across the country on the 38th day of the lockdown:
Class 9, 10 students tutored through All India Radio
In Assam’s Barak Valley, students are being taught through audio lessons aired on All India Radio. Students of Class 9 and 10 are listening to recorded lessons by their teachers so that they do not miss out on their education due to the lockdown. These special classes will first be available to students from Cachar and Hailakandi districts, and later to Karimganj.
“The educational broadcast will enable students to learn through the medium of radio while sitting in their homes. The idea behind the initiative is to engage the students and to reach out to them during the nationwide lockdown,” Hailakandi Inspector of Schools Rajiv Kumar Jha said, reported news agency PTI.
In Pune, family returns from quarantine, finds valuables stolen from home
Family members of two persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 returned home in Patil Estate slums in Shivajinagar after completing 14-day quarantine on Friday, only to find valuables, including ornaments and television, stolen from their residence.
A woman member of the family said, “My brother and father tested positive for COVID-19 on April 13. The next day, I along with five other members of our family were taken to a hospital for test. All six of us tested negative for COVID-19, but were quarantined at the hospital for 14 days. Finally, we were released today. When we reached home in the afternoon, we found that valuables had been stolen.”
IIT-Tirupati students develop game to spread awareness about coronavirus
Two students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Tirupati — Dheeraj Vagavolu and Akhila Sri Manasa Venigalla — have developed a game ‘Survivor COVID-19’, to raise awareness about coronavirus as well as beat boredom during the lockdown. While Dheeraj is a third-year BTech student, Akhila is pursuing PhD from the institute. The duo was mentored by academician Sridhar Chimalakonda.
The game is set in a city where a player has to step out of their home to buy groceries and medicines, all while maintaining social distancing with their other virtual counterparts. Outside the home, players have to dodge infected people and virus-infected objects they encounter. They also have to collect personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and sanitisers without which their health will deteriorate. Once infected, the player will be “hospitalised” or even “killed” within the game if proper healthcare guidelines are not followed.
Doordarshan says Ramayana is world’s most-watch show
Doordarshan has tweeted that the rebroadcast of Ramayana on its channel has “smashes viewership records” worldwide to become the most watched entertainment show with 7.7 crore viewers on April 16.
Rebroadcast of #Ramayana on #Doordarshan smashes viewership records worldwide, the show becomes most watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers on 16th of April pic.twitter.com/edmfMGMDj9
— DD India (@DDIndialive) April 30, 2020
On public demand, the show had returned to the screens as India enforced lockdown. It was first aired in 1987. Over the years, the show has seen several reruns on television.
Six days ago, a video of a six-year-old leading the police to the house of his tutor during the lockdown went viral online. The boy was praised for his honesty, but the teacher was scolded for taking lessons during the lockdown. On Friday, the police admitted that it inadvertently exposed the 18-year-old tutor to cruel trolling online.
The Batala SSP said the “video showing the teacher, who is a young girl, should not have gone on social media”.