The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India are expected to hold a meeting next week on the issue

The Election Commission also asked candidates and political parties to ensure absolute adherence to COVID-19 guidelines in letter and sprit. Violations, if any, shall be sternly dealt with and action, including criminal action, taken as per extant legal framework, it said

People coming from Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will have to show that they have tested negative for coronavirus in the preceding 72 hours while entering the state

Union Home Secretary AK Bhalla said no curb should be imposed on manufacturers and suppliers of oxygen to limit the supplies only to the hospitals of the state in which they are located, and there shall be free movement of oxygen-carrying vehicles into the cities without any time restriction

On Friday, only about 4,300 doses of the coronavirus vaccine could be administered, the lowest in a day so far, before the stocks completely dried up.

The Centre is providing financial support as grant to vaccine manufacturing facilities to enhance their production capacities.

Adar Poonawalla had said earlier that the US has implemented the Defence Act that bans export of raw materials leading to difficulties to several vaccine manufacturers

Cupertino giant Apple on Thursday, April 15, announced a first-of-its-kind carbon removal initiative called 'Restore Fund'; The Centre has given its nod to Mumbai-based Haffkine Institute to manufacture Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin; The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Thursday announced fresh curbs, including weekend curfew, to tackle the rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital; Delhi has left country's financial capital Mumbai, which at one point was the largest COVID-19 hotspot in the country, far behind in terms of daily coronavirus cases and is now the worst-affected city in the country. Watch this and more news on News Blast.

The report, titled \"Managing India's second COVID-19 wave: Urgent steps\", underlines the key elements of the second COVID-19 wave. It also suggests measures that should be taken now to help mitigate the spread of infection

Apple announces first-ever $200 million carbon removal initiative Cupertino giant Apple on Thursday, April 15, announced a first-of-its-kind carbon removal initiative called 'Restore Fund'. Under this new initiative investments will be made in forestry projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere. The new initiative is part of Apple's broader goal of becoming carbon neutral across its entire value chain by 2 COVID-19 vaccine: Centre permits Mumbai's Haffkine Institute to produce Covaxin...

The double mutation happens when two mutated strains of a virus come together and form a third strain. In India,  E484Q and L452R are the two mutated strains that have combined and form a new strain, now classified as B.1.617

On advice of the committee, an effective plan would be drawn up to curb the infection spread, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as saying in the meeting

In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, Renu Swarup, Secretary in Department of Biotechnology, said Haffkine Institute can manufacture the vaccine doses.

The variant, classified as 'B.1.617', has now been found in eight nations, with 70% of samples comprising mutations believed to have stemmed from India. Experts have termed the \"new double mutant strain\" a desi (Indian) variant

The company has got permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to import the vaccine. Reddy's is also going to tap domestically contract manufactured vaccines as and when companies are allowed to start commercial manufacturing in India

Rahul Gandhi tweeted, citing Mahatma Gandhi's quote: 'First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win'. He also tagged a media report, saying the Centre has fast-tracked emergency approval for foreign-produced jabs.

Coronavirus vaccination: After taking the first shot, the vaccine beneficiary will receive a message on his/her registered mobile number about the link to download the vaccination certificate

A total of 82,339 patients were discharged in the past 24 hours. As of April 14, India's total case tally stands at 1.38 crore; total recoveries 1.2 crore; active cases 13.6 lakh; and 1.72 lakh patients have died

Sensex closed 660 points higher at 48,544 and Nifty ended 194 points higher at 14,504. Top Sensex gainers were M&M, Bajaj twins, Maruti suzuki and IndusInd  Bank rising up to 8.02%

The vaccines which are listed in World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency use listing will also be granted emergency use approval in India.