LIVE: Sharad Pawar says in talks with Congress and TMC for Goa alliance

Live news updates: Employees of private offices in Delhi will work from home, except for those sectors exempt from the rule for their essential services. All restaurants and bars will close to prevent Covid-19 infections but takeaways are allowed, said the city’s disaster management authority on Tuesday.

India reported 168,063 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, less than the figure of 179,723 the previous day, the health ministry said. Deaths rose by 277 to 484,213, while the tally of infections reached 35.88 million.

More than 1 million Indians received their third Covid-19 vaccine dose on Monday as the country rolled out boosters for frontline workers and vulnerable elderly, with the Omicron variant fuelling an eight-fold rise in infections in 10 days.

The health ministry said only 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the infected have sought hospitalisation, compared with 20 per cent to 23 per cent during the Delta-driven last wave that peaked in May.

The government has decided to allow 20 per cent foreign direct investment in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), sources told 'Business Standard'. This is expected through amendment of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) rules in a move to attract foreign investors ahead of LIC’s public listing.