The number of active cases stands at 35,16,997, accounting for 14.09 per cent of the total infections. The national recovery rate has improved to 84.81 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. 

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,11,74,076, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.10 per cent, it stated. 

India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India's caseload crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4. 

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 31,64,23,658 samples had been tested up to May 16 with 15,73,515 tested on Sunday. 

The 4,106 new fatalities include 974 from Maharashtra, 403 from Karnataka, 311 from Tamil Nadu, 308 from Uttar Pradesh, 262 from Delhi, 202 from Punjab, 188 from Uttarakhand, 156 from Rajasthan, 147 from West Bengal, 144 from Chhattisgarh, 139 from Haryana and 101 from Andhra Pradesh. 

Of the total 2,74,390 deaths reported in the country, 81,486 were from Maharashtra, 21,837 from Karnataka, 21,506 from Delhi, 17,670 from Tamil Nadu, 17,546  from Uttar Pradesh, 13,284 from West Bengal, 11,895 from Punjab and 11,734 from Chhattisgarh. 

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. 

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.