If it can attack Amitabh Bachchan familly, you are no exception. Learn something from 'Angry Young Man's' experience

Do not Panic, Prepare yourself for the pandemic--God forbid tomorrow, it could be me or you

Today Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek, daughter in law Aishwarya and granddaughter Aradhya were tested COVID-19 positive. But frankly speaking, it did not surprise me. Doctors have already warned that nearly 30 to 40 % of the population would be infected by it, which means one out of three persons at least will be affected by it. The disease is so contagious that those who are taking utmost precautions would not be spared by it—Amitabh Bachchan is no different.

Do not panic, prepare yourself for Corona before it attacks you.

• Wash your hands every two hours, it would prevent the spread of Coronavirus to others and to yourself.
• Avoid touching your hands with your Mouth, Nose and eyes.
• Drink hot water (at least 150 ml) every two hours and also gargle if possible. It would minimize the COVID-19 virus in your mouth and windpipe. So even if Corona attacks you, its intensity would be very low.
• Always BRUSH your teeth before sleeping and gargle with warm salty water. (it is very important). When you sleep for 7-8 hours, COVID-19-- if it is in your body would multiply eating food which is in your mouth or in the windpipe. If you clean it before sleeping, the chances of multiplication would reduce considerably.
• Have supplementary doses of Vitamins mainly Vitamin C but not in large quantities. On average our body needs 100 mg Vitamin C every day.
• Take potion (काड़ा) that prevents viral diseases every day or make it at home.  Take one leaf of TULSI, a Giloy leaf, a pinch of tea and kali mirch, a leaf of dalchini (add whatever is available), boil it and then, in the end, add a few drops of lemon juice/concentrate take in three-four times a day. It would not only improve your immunity but would also clear COVID 19 in your throat.

If you take all these preventive measures, I do not assure you that you will not have COVID-19, but trust me your chances of getting reduces by 80%, it would not be that intensive.... and your chances of survival from the disease increases by 90 %.

What is COVID-19 

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

Now let's talk How we get COVID-19.

It enters into our body through NOSE, MOUTH (and in some rare cases through eyes), stays in our nasal path, throat and windpipe areas, stays there for nearly four to six hours before it enters our lungs. If it enters into our stomach it would die automatically. 

It may enter into our blood if there is any injury in our body (chances are very rare) or if there is any injury in the nasal, throat, mouth or windpipe area (here Chances are very high). 

MUST REMEMBER If it enters our blood, there is hardly any treatment except praying, increasing your immunity, and keeping yourself happy as much as you can. Once it is in your blood it will flow into your body and can attack any of your vital organs. 

 MUST REMEMBER: if it is in your blood, Chances of survival (by Europe experience) ARE just 5 out of 100… which means 95 % people who have Corona in their Blood might die of it. in this case, I suggest you write your WILL and try to complete your all uncompleted tasks (I AM NOT JOKING)... 

Survival (in case it is in your blood) only depends upon your age, immunity, your lifestyle, your state of mind, and lastly your will power. 

How to prevent its spread.

Preventing its spread is no rocket science. Understand your enemy and fight it out. 

We know it will enter through mouth and nose, and eyes….SO TRY NOT TO TOUCH IT UNNECESSARILY. 

 If you have any internal injury/infection treat it on top priority…. Because otherwise, it may directly enter into your blood. 

You know you only touch your mouth, nose and eyes through your hands. SO WASH YOUR HANDS, NOSE AND MOUTH EVERY TWO HOURS (IF YOU ARE OUT OF HOME), AND EVERY SIX HOURS (IF YOU ARE AT HOME).

Try not to invite anybody home or go out to meet somebody until it is important. 

Do not stay for more than 30 minutes at any place like shopping….acts. and avoid going to places which are centrally airconditioned. 

Use MASK only when it is necessary otherwise it may have an adverse effect. You do not need to put a mask when you are at home… or when you are driving alone. 

Avoid Air conditioner at home…and if you are using it do not use it for more than 12 hours a day and its temperature should not be less than 28 degree Celsius. During morning hours and evening hours open your windows for cross ventilation. 

There is no medicine for Covid-19 as of today June 29. There are some preventive allopathic medicines (I AM NOT MENTIONING IT BECAUSE ONLY DOCTORS SHOULD ADVISE IT). 

However, there are few things which can help improve your immunity and prevent you from all kind of bacterial/ viral infections including Covid-19. (BUT DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING IN EXCESS… IT WOULD PUT EXTRA PRESSURE ON YOUR VITAL ORGANS MAINLY KIDNEY).

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET COVID-19

1)   First thing that you are very lucky as it was diagnosed in time. Unfortunately, in 60 -70 % cases people do not get to know of it and keep spreading it to their near and dear ones.

2)     2)   ISOLATE yourself and listen to very light music of your choice (it would relax your brain from tensions) and all your organs would fight against CORONA. Forget all the worries of the world and only think positive to cure yourself. Always remember a person with tension free mind recovers 50 % faster than a person with tension so shun unnecessary worldly tensions.

3)     3)   BESIDES FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF COVID-19 EXPERT DOCTORS, You must be in regular touch with your family physician or a doctor you trust. Apprise him of every development and REMEMBER YOUR FAMILY PHYSICIAN KNOW YOU FOR AGES, HE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR BODY MORE THAN YOU AND WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTANDING THE TREATMENT GIVEN BY A COVID-19 DOCTOR.

1)     4) STRICTLY FOLLOW THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES AS MENTIONED. AND FOLLOW ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY YOUR COVID-19 DOCTOR and family physician...

5) KEEP HYGIENE DO NOT ENTERTAIN ANYONE EVEN YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. DO NOT SHARE ANYTHING with your family members WHICH MAY CREATE PANIC AMONG YOUR DEAR ONES. 

3)     6) NO ONE GUARANTEE THAT all these things would save you from COVID-19, but it is also a fact that your chances of entering into THE CLLUB of “COVID-19 DEAD”  would reduce substantially.

Ends.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

India looking for a local solution of the Global pandemic, Union Health Minister while releasing a White paper on “Focused Interventions for ‘Make in India’: Post COVID 19”

India on Friday issued a white paper on Focused Interventions for ‘Make in India’: Post COVID 19’ by TIFAC, where it sought industrialists to look for a local solution for a global pandemic.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who released the White paper asked industrialists, Research and Policy Bodies to refer the White Paper in designing the path for the upliftment of the economy and follow recommendations “directed towards giving immediate technology and policy impetus to make India ‘ATMANIRBHAR’”.

He said India has been largely successful in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 so far. “We got the opportunity to position ourselves as a global manufacturing hub with a big push under ‘Make In India’ with the adoption of appropriate technology and policy reforms and focused thrust in crucial sectors”.

The Minister said “This calls for furthering investment in developing infrastructure, industrialization, strengthening supply chain mechanism, creating demand for goods and services, converting farming into a business proposition …… The current pandemic is global, but the solutions to the challenge should be local.”

The white paper stressing on “Focused Interventions for ‘Make in India’: Post COVID 19” and “Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Status, Issues, Technology Readiness and Challenges” was prepared by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC)-- an autonomous organization set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to look ahead in technology domain, assess the technology trajectories and support innovation by networked actions in select areas of national importance.

The TIFAC said in its paper that the road to national economic recovery would traverse through measures like Policy support to unconventional strategies, leveraging into new international partnerships in important sectors of Agriculture, Electronics, Health, ICT, Manufacturing & providing new technology stimulus.

The White paper has highlighted five sectors that would be critical for India’s economic growth, using technology stimulus and charted out sector-specific as well as aggregate policy and technological recommendations. The document also presents models of recovery of Indian economy, leveraging new international partnerships in important sectors based on national priorities and technological strength.

The White Paper by TIFAC presents a compelling map of high priority sectors, technologies, and strategies to fuel growth in the time of COVID-19 and immediately beyond. The sector-wise reports being worked on currently would also be an invaluable resource in defining the opportunities even more sharply, says Dr. V K Saraswat, Chairman TIFAC Governing Council.

White Paper has captured sector-specific strengths, market trends, and opportunities in five sectors, critical from the country’s perspective, includes healthcare, machinery, ICT, agriculture, manufacturing, and electronics with reference to supply and demand, self-sufficiency and mass-scale production capacity.

It has identified policy options primarily in the areas of Public health system, MSME sector, Global relations: FDI, recalibrated trade alignments, and new-age technologies, TIFAC claimed. This is precisely important for the development of technology clusters in champion segments, creating Technology Start-up Exchange, identifying, supporting, and piloting ten blockbuster technologies and collaborating with new dynamics with incubators of Israel, Germany, towards promoting import substitution as well as evolving technology platforms in sunrise technologies, Dr Saraswat said.

Ends.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

After banning Chinese apps, PM Modi is now planning to promote Domestic industry engaged in manufacturing of Solar Cells, batteries and other hardwares related to Solar Industry

Inaugurating India's first Ultra Mega Power Solar Plant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is now focusing on reducing its dependence on imports of  hardware needed for solar power plants, mainly Photovoltaic Cells, Battery and other energy storage equipment.

While he did not directly mention China in his address, his mention of cutting Solar Hardware import bill was apparently hinting at China, which is the major supplier of PV cells, lithium-ion batteries, and other auxiliary solar items.  He said India has emerged as a very attractive market for the Solar Industry, which has targeted to produce 175 Gega Watt renewable energy by 2022. 

Modi said the Indian government is already encouraging domestic industrialists to take advantage of the growing Solar Industry in India and at the same time make India self-reliant in solar energy.

He further urged young entrepreneurs, startups and industrialists from MSMEs not to miss the opportunity and work for production and betterment of all the inputs required for Solar Energy. the Prime Minister said India wants the entire world to take advantage of the Solar Energy. 

The International Solar Alliance is working in this direction aiming at “one world, One Sun and One Grid”. The idea is to provide better quality solar energy to the entire world mainly underdeveloped nations at an affordable price. “Our farmers would now also grow power to meet their requirement and to export it as well, he added.

“Solar energy is going to be a major medium of energy needs not only today but in the 21st century.

Because solar energy is sure, pure and secure,” the Prime Minister said.  Sure because of the continuous supply of Energy from the Sun, Pure as it is environment friendly and Secure because it is a secure source for our energy needs, Modi said.

He said in all the programs of his the government, priority is being given to environmental protection as well as Ease of Living. India has focused on solar energy and other environment-friendly measures so as Economy and Ecology become complementary to each other.  The 750 MegaWatt Solar Power plant in Rewa , which he inaugurated on Friday, has emerged as a game-changer in Solar Power. When started, the project offered solar energy cheaper than coal power plants.

Rewa Solar power plant is the first solar power plant, which broke the grid parity barrier. Against the prevailing solar project tariffs of about Rs 4.50 a unit in early 2017, it had offered a tariff of Rs. 2.97 a unit for the first year with a tariff escalation of five paise over 15 years and a levelized rate of Rs. 3.30/unit over the term of 25 years

The project, set up in Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, spread in over 15 square Kilometer has been acknowledged in India and abroad for its robust project structuring and innovations claimed a senior officer of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Further, its payment security mechanism for reducing risks to power developers has been recommended as a model to other States by MNRE.

Its business model was even appreciated by the World Bank and it received World Bank Group President’s Award for innovation and excellence. Besides, the project is also the first renewable energy project to supply to an institutional customer outside the State. Its first customer was Delhi Metro, which would take 24% of energy from the project and with this DMRC is expected to save Rs 41 crore annually. The remaining 76% of the power would be supplied to the State DISCOMs of Madhya Pradesh—probably at the cheapest rate of that time.

Besides giving power at a very economical cost, this project would also reduce carbon emission equivalent to approximately 15 lakh ton of CO₂ per year, the MNRE claimed. It is also the first Solar project to get funding from the World Bank and also from Clean Technology Fund in India.

The bidding process of the Project started in January 2017 and in just three years the entire project was commissioned. In 2017 it was considered near impossible to commission a 750 Mwatt Solar Power Plant in mere three years before Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL)- a joint venture company of a Madhya Pradesh government-owned PSU (MPUVN) and a Centre PSU (Public Sector Undertaking)--SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India)—company.

The Union government had offered central financial assistance of Rs. 138 crore to RUMSL for development of the Park. After the Park had been developed, Mahindra Renewables Private Ltd., ACME Jaipur Solar Power Private Ltd., and Arinsun Clean Energy Private Ltd were selected by RUMSL through a reverse auction for developing three solar generating units of 250 MW each inside the Solar Park.  Rewa Solar Project is an example of the excellent results that can be achieved if there is a synergy between Central and State Governments, the Ministry claimed. 

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

PM launches one lakh AgriInfra Fund, releases 1000 crore to beneficiaries farmer societies. Will it really help?

A month after Centre announced one lakh crore Agriinfra Fund, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 9, finally launched the one lakh crore Agrifund--that would prove a game-changer in the long run especially for empowering small farmers and to create post-harvest infrastructure at the village level.

Modi government seems to be serious about its implementation.  Within 30 days after its announcement, the government releases the first sanction of over Rs. 1000 Crore was made to over 2,280 farmer societies. 

The event was conducted through video conference and was attended by lakhs of farmers, FPOs, cooperatives, PACS, and citizens joining from across the country.

The move would strengthen the existing post-harvest infrastructure facilities and ensure better income for farmers. It was launched through a video conference on the occasion of Balram Jayanthi--a day when farmers worship their plough.

"On this auspicious occasion, a special fund of Rs 1 lakh crore has been launched to create agriculture-related infrastructure facilities in the country....This will help in creating better storage facilities and modern cold storage chains in villages. Many employment opportunities will get created in villages," Modi said after the launch.

Modi said the scheme provides a good opportunity for start-ups in agriculture to avail the benefits and scale their operations, thereby creating an ecosystem that reaches farmers in every corner of the country. Modi also interacted with farmers from Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh who are among the initial beneficiaries of the credit facility under this new fund through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies for creating post-harvest facilities.

About the Fund announced on July8:

The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit guarantee. The duration of the scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years). Under the scheme, Rs. 1 Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3% per annum and credit guarantee coverage under CGTMSE scheme for loans up to Rs. 2 Crore. The beneficiaries will include farmers, PACS, Marketing Cooperative Societies, FPOs, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private Partnership Projects.

How the Fund would be beneficial?

The Fund would give easy and economical long term loan to boost up Agriculture infrastructure for post-harvest and food processing industries.

With this industrialist in the agriculture sector would have a long term debt financing facility for investment in the viable project for post-harvest management Infrastructure.

The decision was taken in the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on July 9, which approved the new Pan India Central Sector Scheme-Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

The scheme would provide a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.

Under the scheme, Rs one Lakh Crore would be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Group (SHG), Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Aggregation Infrastructure Providers and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private Partnership Project

The loans would be disbursed in four years starting with a sanction of Rs. 10,000 crore in the current year and Rs. 30,000 crore each in the next three financial years. The government said that all loans under this financing facility would have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crores.

This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years. Further, credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs 2 crore.

The fee for this coverage would be paid by the Government. In case of FPOs the credit guarantee could be availed from the facility created under FPO promotion scheme of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DACFW).

The total outflow as budgetary support from the Government of India (GoI) would be Rs10,736 crore_{. The government} said a moratorium for repayment under this financing, the facility may vary subject to a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years.

Government is expecting that this scheme would generate employment opportunities in the rural area where this farm processing-based industries would start.

The Monitoring and Management

Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform, Government said. It will enable all the qualified entities to apply for a loan under the fund. The online platform will also provide benefits such as transparency of interest rates offered by multiple banks, the scheme details including interest subvention and credit guarantee offered, minimum documentation, faster approval process as also integration with another scheme benefits.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

AIIMS COVID-19 specialists to train medical fraternity from states on COVID Clinical Management to reduce its mortality rate.

Specialists from AIIMS, who have been handling COVID-19 cases would train doctors through Tele-Consultation guidance to doctors from states who have been dealing in COVID 19 cases. During the two day session, AIIMS doctors would share their experience on the effective Corona- management and handing of complications in COVID cases

In the first phase medical staff of 10 hospitals with more than 1000 beds would participate in the first session where AIIMS specialists would provide guidance on effective clinical management of COVID-19 patients in the ICUs of different State hospitals through tele/video consultation.

The AIIMS specialists would handhold the States in clinical management of COVID-19 patients to reduce the case fatality rate. These tele-consultation sessions would be conducted twice every week on Tuesday and Friday.

In the first phase hospitals selected include NESCO Jumbo Facility, P South (Phase II); CIDCO Mulund Jumbo Facility – T (Phase II); Malad Infiniti Mall Jumbo Facility, PN (Phase III); Jio Convention Centre Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase III); Nair Hospital; MCGM Seven Hills; MMRDA BKC Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase II); MMRDA BKC Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase I); Mumbai Metro Dahisar Jumbo Facility, T (Phase II); and Govt Medical College and Hospital, Panaji, Goa.

The Tele-consultation exercise would then be extended to another 61 hospitals which have bed capacity ranging from 500-1000 on twice a week basis. A calendar of these expert-led teleconsultation sessions have been drawn up to cover the States till July 31. The Tele-guidance would cover 17 including Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

Two doctors handling ICU patients from each hospital along with the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) of the concerned State would participate in the VC interaction, Health Ministry said.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

India to carry out its Phase III trial of a COVID-19 drug--MUCOVIN ? Is Modi eyeing for an announcement on India's Independence day

India's premier Research Institute (CSIR) in collaboration with Laxai Life Sciences would be carrying out a four-arm randomized controlled Phase III clinical trial of MUCOVIN drug-using combinations of antiviral and host-directed therapies.

The clinical trial would be carried out in partnership with Medanta Medicity that would include a total of 300 patients in four different groups of 75 patients in the trial. It would be carried out for 17 to 21 days including screening and treatment.

The hurriedness shown by the CSIR indicates that they have been asked from the “Top’ to come up with some 'definite solution' on COVID 19 on or before August 15—if not vaccine at least a drug for COVID patients.

MUCOVIN is a unique combinatorial strategy (antivirals and HDTs) with repurposed drugs having complementary, additive and the synergistic role. The drug has been adopted to increase therapeutic options for Covid-19 treatment and help recover patients faster, claims the CSIR DG, Dr Shekhar C. Mande.

Earlier there were two vaccines going for Phase I & II trial—one COVAXIN developed by Bharat Biotech and second  ZyCov-D Vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila. However, when it was criticized world over by scientists that it is not possible on or before August 15, CSIR appears to have opted for Phase III trial of MUCOVIN drug targeting it to be over in 21 days maximum.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR—A premier Indian Government science research Institute) in collaboration with Laxai Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad has sought regulatory approval to undertake a four-arm randomized controlled phase III clinical trial.

The design principle of the study is to rationally combine and repurpose antivirals (viral-entry and replication inhibitors) and host-directed therapies (HDTs) addressing the disease-spread and pathology simultaneously and to determine the safety and efficacy of the three combination drugs (Favipiravir+Colchicine, Umifenovir+Colchicine and Nafamostat+5-ALA) and a control arm with the standard of care in COVID-19 patients.

The clinical trial named MUCOVIN, to be carried out in the partnership with Medanta Medicity will include a total of 300 patients in four different groups of 75 patients in the trials to be carried for 17 to 21 days including screening and treatment.

Dr Shekhar C. Mande, DG, CSIR highlighted that this unique combinatorial strategy (antivirals and HDTs) with repurposed drugs having a complementary, additive and synergistic role, has been adopted to increase therapeutic options for Covid-19 treatment and help recover patients faster. The partner CSIR institutes in this important clinical trial are the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad and CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu.

Dr Ram S. Upadhayaya CEO, Laxai Life Sciences stated that “the study aims to target viral proteins

essential for its replication as well as host factors that play a crucial role in the viral life cycle and contribute to the cytokine storm”. Mr Vamsi Maddipatla, MD of Laxai Life Sciences add “The co-sponsorship of this study by Laxai Life Sciences highlights the company’s commitment to bringing life-saving therapies in the service of humanity”.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

One crore test in the four months, Should we call it a big achievement' of feel sorry for our poor health system.

One Crore COVID-19 testing in past 4 months, now 3.5 lakhs in a day.

One Crore Covid-19 Test in the past Four months. Now 3.5 Lakhs in a day. Should we call it a “big achievement’ of the Indian Government or does it exposes our poor health management system?.

If we do testing at this pace, it would take 10 years to test our entire population. We may celebrate what Government call it a ‘Big achievement’, But actually it is time to feel sorry for our Health care the system.

It is time to mull over how many years we would take to treat our patient from this pandemic if it takes 10 years to test our entire population.

Here are a few testing figures of some of the worst affected countries.

The US with a population of 33 Crore, did nearly four crore tests  almost 11.5 % of its population.

Russia more than two crore tests for its 14.5 crore population—almost 14.7 % of its population.

The UK, more than one crore for a population of nearly 7 crore—against 15.6 % of its population.

Spain did nearly 6o lakhs tests for its population of 4.6 crores —12.5 % of its population.

Italy 5.6 crore tests for its population of 6 crores-- 9 % of its population.

Now see India where it stands. One crore tests for 138 crore population—0.7 % of its population.

Which means we have done

16 times less test than USA,

21 times less than Russia

22 times less than US

17 times less than Spain

And nearly 13 times less tests than Italy.

Should we claim to call it a ‘significant achievement’ of the Indian Government?

Some people may still find a positive Answer to this straight question. Let's see how.

For them. We might be many times behind than many developed countries, So What, yet we slightly better than Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Bhutan, Nepal…. Etcs.

While India has done nearly 7400 tests per million, it is performing marginally better than our Pakistan (6500 tests per million), Bangladesh (5300 per million), Sri Landa, Afghanistan (1900 per million), Nigeria (742 per million), Nepal and Bhutan….

Now we have reasons to celebrate as well as to feel sorry for our system. It is for you to see how to take it.

India pay pat its back saying it accorded importance to widespread testing and focussed  on “Test, Trace, Treat” strategy. It is testing 3.46 lakh samples in a day—yet, if we continue with this pace it would take nearly 10 years to test our entire population.

 

Presently India has increased its testing capacity-- more than 1105 labs have been created especially to test COVID 19 patients

Consistent and focussed efforts for containment and management of COVID-19 by Government of India along with the States/UTs have led to the number of recovered cases among COVID-19 patients rise to 4,24,432 as of today. During the last 24 hours, a total of 15,350 COVID-19 patients have been cured.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

Word Bank offers USD 750 million assistance to help 'COVID -19' cursed Indian (MSMEs) small and medim enterprise

World Bank offers USD 750 million to unlock liquidity, strengthening NBFCs and SFB and enabling financial innovations in the banking so as viable small and medium enterprise could get liquidity

India and World Bank on Monday signed a USD 750 Million agreement for Emergency Response Programme to support small and medium enterprises that are facing severe financial crunch due to COVID 19 Crisis.

The Union Finance Ministry said that the World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme would address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs. The World Bank would give $750 million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to Indian NBFC and Small Finance Banks with a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period.

The agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr Junaid Ahmad, Country Director (India) on behalf of the World Bank.

Khare admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the MSME sector leading to loss of livelihoods and jobs. He said the Indian government is ensuring abundant liquidity flow NBFCs and the banks which have turned extremely risk-averse. This project will support the Government in providing targeted guarantees to incentivize NBFCs and banks to continue lending to viable MSMEs to help sustain them through the crisis.

The World Bank Group, including its private sector arm – the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will support the government’s initiatives to protect the MSME sector by unlocking liquidity, strengthening NBFXs and Small Finance Banks (SFBs) and enabling financial innovations.

The World Bank has so far committed $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency COVID-19 response including the present USD 750 million commitments. The first $1 billion emergency support was announced in April this year for immediate support to India’s health sector. Another $1 billion projects were approved in May to increase cash transfers and food benefits to the poor and vulnerable, including a more consolidated delivery platform – accessible to both rural and urban populations across state boundaries.

·       

1)  Unlocking liquidity

India’s financial system benefited from early and decisive measures taken by the RBI and the Government of India (GOI) to infuse liquidity into the market. Give current uncertainties, lenders remain concerned about borrowers’ ability to repay – resulting in the limited flow of credit even to the viable enterprises in the sector. This program will support the government’s efforts to channel that liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees.

·     

2)  Strengthening NBFCs and SFBs

Improving the funding capacity of key market-oriented channels of credit, such as the NBFCs and Small Finance Bank (SFBs), will help them respond to the urgent and varied needs of the MSMEs. This will include supporting the government’s refinance facility for NBFCs. In parallel, the IFC is also providing direct support to SFBs through loans and equity.

·     

3) Enabling financial innovations

Today, only about 8 per cent of MSMEs are served by formal credit channels. The program will incentivize and mainstream the use of fintech and digital financial services in MSME lending and payments. Digital platforms will play an important role by enabling lenders, suppliers, and buyers to reach firms faster and at a lower cost, especially small enterprises who currently may not have access to the formal channels.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com