A migrant family at Delhi border on their way to Kalyanpur village in Kasganj UP. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

As India stepped into the 72nd day of nationwide lockdown, the Union Health Ministry Thursday issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to contain the spread of COVID-19 in places of worship and religious gatherings. According to the guidelines, persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women, children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home.

With a single-day jump of 9,304 COVID-19 cases, the country’s nationwide tally stood at 2,16,919, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 6,075 with 260 new fatalities. Of the total, 1,04,106 people have been cured and discharged.

Here’s a curated list of some interesting stories from across the country on Day 72 of lockdown

Constable sprints along moving train to give milk to infant, Piyush Goyal announces award

A day after the video of a RPF constable going beyond his duty to arrange milk for a four-month-old baby travelling in the Belgaum-Gorakhpur Shramik Special train went viral, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal praised him for his exemplary gesture and announced a cash award.

In the CCTV footage, the constable, identified as Inder Singh Yadav, can be seen sprinting on the platform holding his service rifle in one hand and the milk pouch in another to give it to the lady passenger in the moving train that was gradually picking up speed. The mother of the baby thanked Singh and termed him a “real hero”, a government statement said.

The mother of the baby thanked Singh and termed him a ‘real hero’. (CCTV footage)

The woman, Sharif Hashmi, was traveling with her husband Haseen Hashmi along with their 4-month-old child from Belgaum to Gorakhpur. As the train entered platform number one of Bhopal station, the woman called the RPF constable and requested him to arrange milk for her four-month-old child who was continuously crying. She also informed the constable that she had been trying for milk from Belgaum, but could not get it.

“I was confident and never thought that I will not be able to hand over the milk pouch,” said the Class XII pass out, his confidence stemming from his daily fitness schedule.

Commending Singh’s actions, Goyal tweeted, “Commendable Deed by Rail Parivar: RPF Constable Inder Singh Yadav demonstrated an exemplary sense of duty when he ran behind a train to deliver milk for a 4-year-old child. Expressing pride, I have announced a cash award to honour the Good Samaritan.”

NLSIU alumni arrange flight for 179 migrants from Karnataka to return to Chhattisgarh

The alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) arranged a flight for 179 migrants stranded in Karnataka helping them to fly back to Chhattisgarh =Thursday. The Indigo flight carrying 179 passengers — women and children — took off from Bengaluru around 8 am and landed at Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur around 10 am, an airport official told PTI.

A few civil society organisations in Chhattisgarh decided to bring back over 350 migrant workers by flight from Karnataka and contacted alumni of the NLSIU and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, said Vinaysheel, who coordinated the effort. Alumni of the NLSUI paid for the air travel of 179 passengers while the travel cost of other 174 migrants, scheduled to land in Chhattisgarh on June 5, was being borne by alumni of NALSAR, he said.

A vendor waits for costumers on a road in Lucknow on Thursday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Returning migrants, for most of whom it was the first experience of air travel, looked relaxed and happy. “I am happy to have come back safely. I am thankful to all those who helped us return,” said Rajni Chandra (28) who carried her two-year-old child in her arms. Chandra, who worked as a construction labourer in Karnataka, was stuck there after lockdown was imposed in March to contain coronavirus. The Raipur district administration arranged for the medical screening of migrants arriving at the airport and provided buses to ferry them to their respective districts, said a local official. All of the passengers would be quarantined once they reach their home districts, he said.

‘Saath Do’: Shaan, Anuradha Palakurthi sing of hope during coronavirus crisis

Bollywood playback singer Shaan and Indian-American vocalist Anuradha Palakurthi have lent their voice to “Saath Do”, a music video about finding hope and positivity in togetherness at a time when people across the world are fighting with the coronavirus pandemic. Drawing inspiration from the popular Sanskrit verse “Tamso ma jyotir gamaya (from darkness, lead me to light)”, the video opens with Shaan and Palakurthi singing ‘Mushkilon ke pal phir jayenge nikal, rakh dil mein hausla’ as visuals of empty streets plays out and then get replaced by those with people from different walks of life holding up messages of hope.

Penned by lyricist Sameer Anjaan and composed by music director Bappi Lahiri, the music video of the song includes people across countries, including India, China, South Africa, Germany, England, and Italy. Los Angeles-based Lahiri, who came up with the idea for the song, said it is a difficult time for people everywhere and this music video aims to send a message that everyone is together in this.

(With inputs from PTI)