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Procrastination

Procrastination is that act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a “form of self-regulation” failure charactrised by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences. No matter how well-organized and committed you are, chances are that you have found yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits (watching TV, updating your Facebook status, shopping online) when you should have been spending that time on work or school-related projects.

Whether you’re putting off finishing a project for work, avoiding homework assignments, or ignoring household chores, procrastination can have a major impact on your job, your grades, and your life.

Causes

Remember that time that you had thought you had a week left to finish a project that was really due the next day? How about the time you decided not to clean up your apartment because you “did’t feel like doing it right now?”

We often assume that projects won’t take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have a plenty of time to complete these tasks.

One of the biggest factors contributing to procrastination is the notion that we have to feel inspired or motivated to work on a task at a particular moment. The reality is that if you wait until you’re in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and he task never gets completed.

The following are the few factors that cause procrastination-

Academics

Researchers suggest that procrastination can be particularly pronounced among students. According to researchers, there are some major cognitive distortions that lead to academic procrastination. Students tend to:

  1. Overestimate how much time they have left to perform tasks
  2. Overestimate how motivated they will be in the future
  3. Underestimate how long certain activities will take to complete
  4. Mistakenly assume that they need to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project

Depression

Procrastination can also be a result of depression. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and a lack of energy can make it difficult to start (and finish) the simplest task. Depression can also lead to a self-doubt. When you can’t figure out how to tackle a project or feel insecure about your abilities, you might find it easier to put it off and working on other tasks.

More Reasons Why We Procrastinate

In addition to the reasons why we procrastinate, we often come up with a number of excuses or rationalization to justify our behaviour. According to researchers, there are 15 key reasons why people procrastinate.

  1. Not knowing what needs to be done
  2. Not knowing how to do something
  3. Not wanting to do something
  4. Not caring if it gets done or not
  5. Not caring when something gets done
  6. Not feeling in the mood to do it
  7. Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
  8. Believing that you work better under pressure
  9. Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
  10. Lacking the initiative to get started
  11. Forgetting
  12. Blaming sickness or poor health
  13. Waiting for the right moment
  14. Needing time to think about the task
  15. Delaying one task in favor of working on another

The Negative Impact of Procrastination

It is only in cases where procrastination becomes chronic and begins to have a serious impact on a person’s daily life that it becomes a more serious issue. In such instances, it’s not just a matter of having poor time management skills, it’s a major part of their lifestyle. Unfortunately, this procrastination can have a serious impact on a number of life areas, including a person’s mental health and social, professional, and financial well-being:

  1. Higher levels of stress and illness
  2. Increased burden placed on social relationships
  3. Resentments from friends, family, co-workers, and fellow students
  4. Consequences of delinquent bills and income tax returns

How To overcome Procrastination

Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to fight procrastination ans start getting things done on time.

  1. Make a to-do list: To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item
  2. Take baby steps: Break down the items on your list into small manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
  3. Recognize the warning signs: Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.
  4. Eliminate distraction: Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most-whether Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news- and turn off those sources of distraction.
  5. Pat yourself on the back: When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.

RECYCLE YOURSELF, BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR

To understand about Organ Donation, it is initially important to understand about Organ Transplants. A transplant is a medical procedure where one person’s dysfunctional organ or tissue is replaced by that of a healthy person, thus restoring its function and health. In certain cases, despite major advances in medical science, transplant is the one and only alternative. Transplants drastically improve the quality of life of the patient and give them another chance to live. The need for organ donors has never been greater. More than half a million Indians are estimated to be in dire need of an organ transplant.

Did you know, In India every year nearly:

  • 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs
  • 200,000 people die of liver disease
  • 50,000 people die from heart disease
  • 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one
  • 1,000,000 lakhs people suffer from corneal blindness and await transplant

Yet, less than a thousand transplants from deceased donors are performed each year – an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world. Some of these people will find a living donor, who will donate an organ to them. The rest will probably die, waiting for an organ. Among all organs in our body, liver is the only organ which has the ability to regenerate, or grow back (a transplanted segment of a liver can grow to normal size within a few months).

A transplant takes place only if there is an organ available from a donor. While most organs that are transplanted are from deceased donors, patients may also receive organs from living donors. Living persons can donate a kidney, portions of the liver, lung, pancreas, intestines, blood, and still continue to live a normal life. For organ recipients, a transplant often means a second chance at life. Most important organs such as the heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys and lungs can be transplanted to those whose organs are failing. For some, an organ transplant means no longer having to be dependent on costly routine treatments to survive. It allows many recipients to return to a normal lifestyle. For instance, a cornea or tissue transplant means the ability to see again or the recovery of mobility and freedom from pain.

There are two ways a person may become eligible to be an organ donor:

  • Individuals who suffer severe brain damage may be candidates for organ donation. Before declaring death, a physician will perform a series of tests to determine the donor’s brain function. If the physician determines that all brain activity has ceased (a condition known in the medical community as “brain death”. Brain death is NOT coma. Coma is a state of deep unconsciousness, where the brain continues to function and the person can breathe on his/her own, without the help of a ventilator. Thus, unlike brain death, in a coma, the brain still has the capacity to heal. If there is activity in the brain, the person will not be declared brain dead), the patient becomes eligible to provide life to those on the transplant waiting list by donating their loved one’s heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas or small intestine.
  • After all lifesaving measures have been exhausted and it is determined that there will not be a meaningful recovery for the patient, the family – knowing their loved one’s wishes – decides to remove life sustaining measures such as the ventilator. Many families know that their loved one did not want to live in such a state and opt to let their loved one pass peacefully. This patient may be eligible to provide lifesaving organs to those on the waiting list for a lifesaving gift as well.
NOTTO taking steps towards saving lives: Prof. Vimal Bhandari ...

What makes organ donation difficult in India?

Finding a donor match is difficult to begin with. In India, this challenge is compounded by bureaucratic hurdles and lack of awareness.

  • The first challenge is red-tapism and lengthy paperwork. According to existing rules, if the potential donor is not related to the person who needs the organ, the transplant needs to be approved by a state-level committee or by a hospital committee that includes government officials.
  • The next challenge is that it is often difficult for family members to accept their loved one is brain dead. On a life support system, the person looks like he/she is sleeping. The fact that body is warm to touch and the heart is beating makes it difficult for  doctors to convince the family members to donate the organs of their relative. Even if the family is ready to donate organs, superstitions and misconceptions become impediments.
  • Another problem is that there are too few surgeons and hospitals equipped for transplants. Ventilators for preserving the organs of a brain dead person and intensive-care unit personnel trained to manage such situations are prerequisites for a transplant.

Here are a few facts to clear up common misconceptions:

  • Organ donation does not disfigure the deceased donor’s body. There is a single incision made through which organs are retrieved and it is ensured that the body is given back to the family in the most respectful manner.
  • Healthy organs should be transplanted as soon as possible from the donor to the recipient. Organs must be removed as soon as possible after the determination of brain death, while circulation is being maintained artificially. Tissues may be removed within 12 to 24 hours.
  • The donor’s family doesn’t have to bear any expenses for organ or tissue donation. All costs pertaining to the organs transplant surgery will be handled by the recipient’s family or the organ transplant program.
  • Organ donation waiting lists are made according to the severity of the illness, blood type, and time spent waiting in every hospital.
  • Unlike in many western countries, where an adult is asked to make a choice if he she wants to be a donor. But in India, the choice is left to the family. After a person carrying a donor card dies, the family still needs to approve the donation of organs. So, if you intend to be an organ donor, it is imperative that you inform your family about your wish.
  • There are very few medical conditions that would automatically disqualify you from donating any organs or tissues.

One organ donor can donate upto twenty five different organs and tissues for transplantation. This can save up to nine lives. Lets help make a difference by giving the gift of life.

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Tips to learn a language very fast

How do you evaluate languages? Just as a means of communication or as something more than that? It is normal to have an interest to know as many languages as possible. Every language has a sort of beauty of its own. Some people have the passion to acquire this beauty but often get failed because of the time and hard work needed. Learning a new language cannot be easy for sure as learning itself is a time consuming and hard working process. But it can be learnt indeed. Any body who wishes to learn it can actually do it no matter how much time it consumes. The social media platforms have now given the freedom to anyone who wishes to learn anything without even stepping out of his home. We have so many language learning courses and training available in the online platforms that too for free sometimes.But in order to learn something, you have to be more active than being passive. Here are several tips that can help your learning more easier.

  • Watch movies and series: This is a great method to learn a language. Movies and series will always held a story within themselves and it is a general quality of a human being to be keen to know stories. This curiosity lead us to listen to the dialogues and comments which is a major key to learn that language. Of course it takes time, but the result will be evident. Try watching it using subtitles if you are very new to that language and as the time passes try to hear it without subtitles.
  • Practice Daily. Unless and until you speak the language that you wish to learn, you will never be able to do it no matter how hard you try. Language should be learnt by speaking. Don’t try to overthink about mistakes because that is also a key to learn it. Make mistakes and learn from it. Try speaking about anything randomly, may be about your favorite place or movie or just explain how did your day go to your friends or anybody who you are comfortable with.
  • Be an active listener. Yes! That helps. Try listening to people who are very fluent in that language. Listen the common phrases they use and how they make each sentences using different words. This may help you to understand some phrases easily because you are well aware about the context and it will remain in your memory.

Battle of Northeast with Covid-19

The pandemic of covid-19 has worried to the whole world. Every country is trying it’s best to control this deadly virus infection.
In India the number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 9.3 lakh. Over 24,300 people have succumbed to the disease, while nearly 60,000 have recovered. Though the national level lockdown has been lifted by the central government but various states has extended it.

The worrisome reports are coming from the North East India. Until the month of may the NE states were free from the effect of the global pandemic but now within the two months the “seven sisters” are struggling to control the rising number of the cases. Let’s see one by one that how these northeastern states are battling with this pandemic.

Assam : Assam is battling in two fronts. First with the global pandemic and second with the floods.
Over 33 lakh people have been affected by the floods across 28 districts of the state. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority so far, 85 people have died in flood related incidents. This natural disaster has made the situation of pandemic in state even worse. Not only the numbers of corona virus cases has spiked but the fatalities has also increased. The state has recorded the 18,666 positive cases and the death toll has now gone up to 46. Assam Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has tweeted that, “859 new #COVID19 ve+ patients in Assam, 627 in Guwahati alone. Take care & precautions. Total cases 18666, Recovered 12173, Active cases 6444, Deaths 46.”

Arunachal Pradesh: This hilly state has reported 19 new coronavirus infections, taking the state’s tally to 359. While three health workers were also found infected with the virus in the Capital region. After increasing the number of active cases, The state cabinet has extended the lockdown in the Capital Complex for another week till July 20.

Sikkim: sikkim has reported the highest single-day spike of 45 new COVID-19 cases. With 112 active cases, total198 cases has  been reported in the state, while 86 patients have recovered.

Manipur: With 656 active cases Manipur has recorded total 1,626 covid-19 cases. Only in the last 24 hour the capital of the state Imphal has recorded 10 cases alone. A statement issued by the state health department read, that 970 patients have recovered from the deadly virus infection, the recovery rate now is 59.65%.

Mizoram: The state has recorded total 238 COVID-19 cases, in which 79 are active and159 people have recovered from the disease.

Nagaland: Nagaland has registered 18 new COVID19 positive cases, taking the state’s overall tally to 896. Active cases are 556 in the state. Confirming the detection of the new positive cases, Nagaland health minister S Pangnyu Phom tweeted that,
“Update! As on 14th July 2020, 3:20 pm. 18 more positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. All cases are from Peren.”

Tripura : After getting some reports of COVID-19 cases in the border areas of the state, the government has imposed a week long complete lockdown from july 17th. The lockdown will be in force within the one kilometer in rural areas and 0.5 km in Municipal areas, from the Bangladesh border. Tripura shares a 856-kilometre border with Bangladesh. The state has reported over 2,000 Covid-19 cases so far.

Blood donation

Blood donation refers to a practice where people donate their blood to people so it helps them with their health problems. Blood is one of the most essential fluids of our body that helps in the smooth functioning of our body. If the body loses blood in excessive amounts, people to get deadly diseases and even die. Thus, we see how blood donation is literally life-saving which helps people. It is also a sign of humanity that unites people irrespective of caste, creed, religion and more.

World Blood Donor Day

In order to raise awareness about this life-saving procedure, the world observes 14th June as Blood Donor Day. It promotes blood donation and urges people to save lives by donating blood. Furthermore, this day is quite an important day as it makes people about safe blood. People need to know the basics to be able to donate blood. For instance, there are certain criteria one must fulfill to donate blood. Not everyone knows that. Thus, this day helps in doing so Most importantly, on this day, the WHO organizes a campaign that invites people to donate blood. A person eligible to donate blood must fall in the age bracket of 17-66 years of age. They must weigh more than 50 kgs and have sound health. People suffering from diseases like diabetes, hypertension and more cannot donate blood. Therefore, on World Blood Donor Day, they also appreciate blood donors for their contribution to making the world a better place.

Benefits of Blood Donation

As we all know by now, blood donation has a lot of benefits. Why a person requires blood has various reasons. It may be an illness or also an accident, nonetheless, it is important. The blood that we donate helps a person in need. It enhances their health condition and makes them overcome their critical situation. In other words, blood donation does not simply help that specific person but also contributes to a responsible gesture towards society. Moreover, it also enhances the health of the donor. As the cell depletion allows a way for production, not new cells that freshen our body system. Furthermore, it also revitalizes our body for better health. Next up, a single blood donation helps at least three people in need. Thus, imagine how one donation can make a difference in so many people’s lives. In addition, blood donation makes the work of blood banks easier. It stabilizes their collection which helps other people get blood urgently. The demand is still higher than the supply in blood banks, so we must donate more and more of it to help people.

Other than that, blood donation also helps us know about our bodies. As a blood donation requires a preliminary health check-up, we get a complete diagnosis. It makes us aware of the levels of iron, hemoglobin, cholesterol and more. Thus, we see that blood donation is an important procedure in saving human life. It is a great initiative that must be encouraged everywhere.

Interpersonal relationship in organisation-Do’s and Don’ts

Interpersonal relationship refers to a strong association among individuals working together in the same organization. Employees working together ought to share a special bond for them to deliver their level best. It is essential for individuals to be honest with each other for a healthy interpersonal relationship and eventually positive ambience at the workplace.

Why interpersonal relationship in organisation ?

Why do employees need to be cordial to each other ?

Let us go through the importance of interpersonal relationship at workplace.

  • An individual spends around eight to nine hours in his organization and it is practically not possible for him to work all alone. Human beings are not machines who can work at a stretch. We need people to talk to and share our feelings. Imagine yourself working in an organization with no friends around!!!!!!!!We are social animals and we need friends around. An individual working in isolation is more prone to stress and anxiety. They hardly enjoy their work and attend office just for the sake of it. Individuals working alone find their job monotonous. It is essential to have trustworthy fellow workers around with whom one can share all his secrets without the fear of them getting leaked. We must have friends at the workplace who can give us honest feedback.
  • A single brain alone can’t take all decisions alone. We need people to discuss various issues, evaluate pros and cons and reach to solutions benefiting not only the employees but also the organization on the whole. Employees can brainstorm together and reach to better ideas and strategies. Strategies must be discussed on an open platform where every individual has the liberty to express his/her views. Employees must be called for meetings at least once in a week to promote open communication. Interaction on a regular basis is important for healthy relationship.
  • Interpersonal relationship has a direct effect on the organization culture. Misunderstandings and confusions lead to negativity at the workplace. Conflicts lead you nowhere and in turn spoil the work environment.
  • We need people around who can appreciate our hard work and motivate us from time to time. It is essential to have some trustworthy co workers at the workplace who not only appreciate us when we do some good work but also tell us our mistakes. A pat on the back goes a long way in extracting the best out of individuals. One needs to have people at the workplace who are more like mentors than mere colleagues.
  • It always pays to have individuals around who really care for us. We need colleagues to fall back on at the times of crisis. If you do not talk to anyone at the workplace, no one would come to your help when you actually need them.
  • An individual needs to get along with fellow workers to complete assignments within the stipulated time frame. An Individual working all alone is overburdened and never finishes tasks within deadlines. Support of fellow workers is important. You just can’t do everything on your own. Roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per specialization, educational qualification and interests of employees. An individual needs help of his fellow workers to complete assignments on time and for better results.

Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Interpersonal Relations at Workplace

Interpersonal relationship refers to a strong association among employees either working together in the same team or same organization.

Employees must get along well for a positive and healthy ambience at the workplace.

Let us go through some do’s & don’ts to improve interpersonal relationship at workplace.

  • Do not treat office as your home. There is a certain way of behaving at the workplace. It is essential to be professional at work. Never misbehave with any of your colleagues. Legpulling, criticism, backbiting are a strict no no. It is better to avoid someone you don’t like rather than fighting or arguing with him/her. Your office colleagues can be your friends as well but one must know where to draw the line. Too much of friendship is harmful and spoils relationship among employees.
  • An individual should not interfere in his colleague’s work. Superiors must formulate specific KRAs for all the employees and make sure job responsibilities do not overlap. Overlapping of job responsibility leads to employees interfering in each other’s tasks and eventually fighting over small issues. One should be concerned only with his work rather than trying to find out what the other employee is up to.
  • Give space to your fellow workers. Giving space infact is essential in all relationships. Overhearing anyone else’s personal conversation is strictly unprofessional. An employee must not open envelopes, couriers or letters not meant for him. Such practices lead to severe displeasure among employees and eventually spoil relationships.
  • Do not spread baseless rumours at workplace. Even if you know something about someone, learn to keep things to yourself. Discuss it with the individual concerned in private rather than publicizing the whole thing. Organization has nothing to do with anyone’s private matters.
  • Pass on correct information to others. If your superior has asked you to share some information with any of your colleagues, make sure it is shared in its desired form. Data tampering and playing with information spoil relationships among colleagues and lead to confusions at the workplace.
  • Do not share all your secrets with your co workers. You never know when they might misuse them. Even if you do, make sure you are doing it with someone you trust blindly.
  • Leave your ego behind. Do not bring your personal tensions to work. Think before you speak. Making fun of colleagues is something which is not at all expected out of a professional.
  • A team leader should not scold any of his team members in front of others. It might insult him/her. Call the individual concerned either to your cabin or conference room. Avoid comparisons among team members. The employees must be strictly judged according to their work and nothing else. Employees doing well should be suitably rewarded.
  • Stay away from nasty politics at workplace. Do not try to harm anyone. It is absolutely okay to appreciate someone who has done something exceptionally well. Avoid being jealous. It will harm you in the long run. There should be healthy competition among the employees for a healthy environment at the workplace.

Govt approves Rs 107 cr for firefighting facilities at Haldia Dock

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has approved 107 Crore rupees for augmentation of firefighting facilities on five jetties of Haldia Dock Complex at Kolkata Port.

The modern firefighting facility will enable the Haldia Dock Complex in safe handling of the movement of petro-chemical products. The existing fire fighting facility does not support the handling of the LPG and other petroleum products as per the guideline of Oil Industry Safety Directorate of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Shipping Ministry has prioritized safety and security of cargo operation on all Major Ports. It is a move towards compliance of global standards for fire safety.

LPG and LNG cargo on Haldia dock is projected to increase in the near future. The state-of-the-art firefighting infrastructure will help to manage the petro-chemical goods in a safe and secure manner at Kolkata Port.

2,95000 MT food grains lifted by States under extended PMGKAY

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said two lakh 95 thousand Metric Tonnes of food grains have been lifted by the states so far under extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana- PMGKAY

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said two lakh 95 thousand Metric Tonnes of food grains have been lifted by the states so far under extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana- PMGKAY.

This is out of 203 Lakh Metric Tonnes of foodgrains which was allocated under the scheme to the states for five months from July to November. Mr Paswan in a tweet said, since July 1, 13.69 Lakh Metric Tinnes of food grains have been loaded and dispatched to the states so far through 489 rail racks.  

The Minister also informed that from 25th of March to 30th of June, Food Corporation of India (FCI) has transported approximately 140 Lakh Metric Tonnes of food grains through 4,999 rail racks. Mr Paswan also said, that procurement of wheat and paddy from farmers under procurement targets for the Rabi season 2020-21 is continuing.

He said, FCI has procured 389.71 Lakh Metric Tonnes wheat till 13th of this month. Mr Paswan said, with the purchase of 128.85 Lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy in the Rabi season, a total of 750.16 Lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy have been procured so far in 2019-20 season.

BJP delegation meets Prez Kovind, demands dismissal of TMC govt in WB over political killings

BJP delegation today met President Ram Nath Kovind and demanded the dismissal of the TMC government in West Bengal.
 
The delegation that included Kailash Vijayvargiya, Arvind Menon, Babul Supriyo, Swapan Dasgupta and Raju Bista apprised the President about the political killings taking place in West Bengal.
 
Yesterday the body of Hemtabad MLA Debendra Nath Ray was found hanging from the ceiling of a verandah outside a shuttered shop near his home in Bindal village in North Dinajpur district yesterday.

On United Nations’ 75th Anniversary, PM Modi to virtually address ECOSOC on July 17

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the valedictory of high-level segment of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Friday.
 
This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first speech at the United Nations after India reinstated it’s place as a non permanent member in the Security Council earlier this year.
 
ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states of the United Nations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Council since it’s formation in 1945.

US drops plans to deport international students whose courses move fully online because of pandemic

US government has dropped its plans to deport international students whose courses move fully online because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision comes a little over a week after US President Donald Trump’s administration had announced the policy.
 
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued the government over the plan.
 
District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts has said the parties have come to a settlement.   Foreign students were told last week that they would not be allowed to stay in the US this autumn unless they switched to a course with in-person tuition.

CBSE to declare result of Class 10th examination today

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will declare the result of Class 10th examination this afternoon. Students can access their results through the websites- www.cbse.nic.in, www.cbseresults.nic.in and www.results.nic.in.
 
Results will also be sent to the candidates through SMS on their registered mobile number and on registered email id’s. In addition to it, results can be obtained by sending SMS on mobile number 7738299899 with required details.
 
Results of Class 10th can also be obtained through Interactive Voice Response System on telephone number – 011-24300699. Besides, students can also view their results on UMANG App and on www.umang.gov.in. Students can also access Digilocker Application on UMANG App to view their marksheets and other digital academic documents.
 
Candidate’s digital marksheet, passing, migration and skill certificates will also be available in DigiLocker. The DigiLocker mobile app can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

Corona virus recovery rate reaches 63.02% in country

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has said that the difference between the active cases and the recovered cases are increasing progressively and the total recoveries have reached 1.8 times of the active cases in the country.
 
It said, a total of five lakh 71 thousand 460 people affected with coronavirus have recovered in the country so far. With this, the recovery rate in the country has reached 63.02 per cent. Presently, the total number of active corona cases in the country is three lakh 11 thousand 565.
 
The Health Ministry has informed that India has 657 cases per million in comparison to the global average of one thousand 638 cases per million and the country has registered 17.2 deaths per million compared to the global average of 73 deaths per million due to Coronavirus. It said, the daily growth rate in new cases is showing a declining trend and it is now 3.24 per cent which was around 31 per cent in the March this year.
 
The Ministry said the case fatality rate has also declined to 2.61 percent. It said, 30 States and Union Territories have recorded lower fatality rates than the national average.
 
AIR correspondent reports that there are 20 States and Union Territories that have better recovery rate than the national average of 63.02 per cent. In terms of recovery rate, top five States and Union Territories are – Ladakh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Haryana wherein the recovery rate is above 75 per cent. 10 States and Union Territories have contributed 86 per cent in the total Covid-19 cases and 50 per cent of it alone came from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Government has said that adequate testing is being done in the country to effectively deal with this crisis.
 
There are 22 states in the country which are conducting 140 tests per day per million and overall 201 tests per day per million is being conducted in the country. Lab network has been ramped up to increase the testing and more than 14 hundred labs are conducting the COVID-19 test in the country. 

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, States have been advised to keep a continued focus on containment, testing and clinical management. It said, increased testing will help in early detection of the cases and COVID appropriate behaviour and community ownership is necessary to contain the spread of this disease.
 
On the question of higher prices of certain drugs used in the COVID-19 treatment, the Health Ministry said, the Drug Controller General of India has asked the companies to start helpline numbers for the people and publicize the distribution centres through their websites. In addition, the state governments have been asked to keep vigil on price hike of the drugs and ensure the supply of the medicines.
 
The Health Ministry said that a Sero Survey has been conducted in Delhi and 22 thousand 800 blood samples were collected from 26th June to 5th of July. It said, the report will be published soon as different kinds of stratification of the data is underway.
 
On the question of nationwide wide lockdown, the Health Ministry clarified that strict measures have been imposed in certain containment areas as it has been found that easing of lockdown in the containment zones increases the number of cases.

15th India-EU Summit to be held in virtual mode today; India has important role to play in post COVID world, says EU Ambassador

The 15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit will be held in virtual mode today. The Summit will be co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of European Council Charles Michel and President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
 
The Summit will review India-EU cooperation covering political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation. It is also expected to discuss developments around the COVID-19 pandemic and contemporary global matters of interest to both sides.
 
AIR correspondent reports that the Summit is taking place in the background of the EU wanting to play a more active role globally and also attaching higher priority to relationship with India and trying to look at the partnership in a more substantive way.
 
The new Presidents of the European Commission and European Council had taken over in December last year. The new leadership believes that the EU needs to play a stronger role in the global platform and has shown a lot of interest in India. It was in the year 2000 in which India and the European Union decided to institutionalise the mechanism at the level of the Summit.
 
This year marks 20 years of the Summit process between India and the EU. The last Summit between the two sides took place in 2017.
 
Ahead of the India-EU summit, the European Union representative in India, Ambassador Ugo Astuto, in an exclusive interview to AIR News, said that India has an important role to play in the post-Covid world. Speaking about the 15th Indo-EU summit, the EU Ambassador emphasised that economic cooperation, climate change, multilateralism and post-Covid response are going to be the focus of today’s discussions.
 
Mr. Astuto said that both India and EU share strong bilateral relations and the summit holds high significance as both the partners will pledge to fight the menace of COVID-19 together. He said, both the partners share the same values of democracy and have converging interests that have become more relevant in the current scenario.
 
The Ambassador asserted that the summit will focus on a new cooperation agenda to create the future roadmap for a strong bilateral strategic partnership in the years ahead.
 
Mr. Astuto said, both India and European Union will discuss multiple issues in the virtual bilateral summit ranging from climate change to security and global peace. He expressed confidence in development of stronger Indo-EU partnership on multiple fronts.

PM Modi to address a digital conclave on World Youth Skills Day today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a video address on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day today. The day marks the 5th anniversary of the launch of Skill India Mission. A Digital Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to mark the occasion.
 
Our Correspondent reports that skill India is an initiative of the Government of India to empower the youth with skill sets, making them more employable. Skill India offers courses across several sectors which are aligned to the standards recognised by both, the industry and the government under the National Skill Qualification Framework.
 
The courses enhance the technical expertise and companies don’t have to invest in training for the particular job profile.