1. The fourth phase of the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown is likely to be announced on May 16, and it will be completely different and new from the previous lockdowns. But the, PM is unlikely to address the nation to announce the new guidelines. The guidelines are expected to issue by the nodal ministry, ie Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). In the Lockdown-4 state will have a bigger say and will be given the freedom to decide on and change the zones depending on the changing local conditions. Now, the states are not supposed to interfere with the classification of Red, Orange, and Green Zones.
All the Migrant workers, who had to leave their workplaces after imposition of the lockdown on March 25, will get 5 kg grains and 1 kg pulses free for two months. This arrangement is made to stop the workers’ homeward journey and enable them to stay put there itself.
3. The government will make ration cards portable under the initiative ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ to allow migrant workers to access their ration across the country
4. 50 lakh street vendors who were rendered jobless as the government ordered stay-at-home would be given a working capital loan of Rs 10,000 each to restart businesses.
5. Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) under PMAY for middle-income (annual income of Rs 6-18 lakh) families extended till March 2021
6. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) to provide Rs 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital funding to rural cooperative banks and regional rural banks
7. The Computer Emergency Response of Team (CERT) of India has issued warning against a new malware called “EventBot”. The malware according to CERT steals personal financial information from Android phone users.
8. According to CERT, the malware has currently attacked financial applications such as Paypal, UniCredit, HSBC, Coinbase, TrasnferWise, etc.
9. Andhra Pradesh will start as many as 10,000 YSR Health Clinics at the village level at a cost of Rs 16,200 crore in order to boos the primary health care sector in the state.
10. The Supreme Court on Friday, allowed the reopening of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) liquor shops, throughout the state by striking down the Madras High Court’s order
11. Chandigarh extends vacation in govt, aided schools till further orders.
12. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has written to the Centre urging it to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from May 18.
13. The Maharashtra government expressed its intent to extend till May 31 the lockdown in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
14. Petition seeking the release of Tablighi Jamaat members withdrawn from Delhi High Court
15. The Delhi government suggested to the Centre opening of markets, shopping complexes, and operation of buses and metro services to start economic activities in the city significantly from May 18 after the third phase of the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown ends.
16. The southwest monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on June 5, a delay of four days as compared to its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department said
17. India’s COVID-19 count reached 81,970. Of these 26235 have been cured and 2549 have died. Meanwhile, PM Modi announced a financial package worth Rs.20 lakh crore- i.e 10% of the country’s GDP.