Elections over, fuel prices begin to rise

Agencies
May 28, 2019

New Delhi, May 28: Petrol and diesel prices started rising soon after the last phase of the general election concluded, and have increased by 70-80 paisa per litre in the past nine days.

Prices have been on the rise since May 20, a day after the final phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections ended. The price of petrol has risen by 83 paise per litre in the nine days and diesel by 73 paise, according to price notifications of state-owned oil companies.

Rates were largely range-bound during April and May despite a rise in oil prices in the international market. Petrol price on Tuesday was raised by 11 paise and diesel by 5 paise.

In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 71.86 per litre, up from Rs 71.03 price on May 19. Similarly, a litre of diesel costs Rs 66.69, up from Rs 65.96 a litre on May 19. Petrol in Mumbai costs Rs 77.47 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 69.88.

While state-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) had in the past completely frozen rates during times of elections, they during the Lok Sabha polls moderated the revision by not passing on all of the desired increase in rates to consumers, industry sources said. They are now recovering the same.

The three firms had in the past refrained from increasing oil prices during elections. They took a 19-day price freeze on petrol and diesel ahead of the Karnataka polls in May 2018 despite international fuel prices going up by nearly USD 5 a barrel.

But, no sooner were the elections over, they rapidly passed on to customers the desired increase -- over 16-straight days post-May 14, 2018, petrol price jumped up by Rs 3.8 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.38.

Similarly, they had stopped revising fuel prices for almost 14 days ahead of Assembly elections in Gujarat in December 2017.

These companies had also imposed a freeze on petrol and diesel prices between January 16, 2017, and April 1, 2017, when Assembly elections in five states, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur were held.

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Agencies
May 18,2020

India is among 58 nations, including 27 European Union members, who have moved a draft resolution demanding evaluation of the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s response towards the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The European Union-led draft resolution on global COVID-19 response is set to be tabled at the upcoming World Health Assembly on Monday.

The draft resolution demands initiation "at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19".

"We are deeply concerned by the morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the negative impacts on physical and mental health and social well-being, the negative impacts on economy and society and the consequent exacerbation of inequalities within and between countries," read the draft.

"We express solidarity to all countries affected by the pandemic, as well as condolences and sympathy to all the families of the victims of COVID-19," it added.

The resolution says timelines are to be evaluated regarding "recommendations the WHO made to improve global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacity".

The WHO on January 23 declare a global health emergency, but did not declare it and waited for a week for its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to return from China.

By that time, COVID-19 cases increased 10 times and the virus entered 18 countries.

According to Health Policy Watch, till as late as February, the WHO did not support countries for imposing travel restrictions to China.

"When countries began evacuating their citizens from Wuhan, the COVID-19 epicentre, the WHO said it did not favour this step".

The WHO finally declared it a pandemic on March 11.

The global health body has come under criticism not just from the US for its response being "China-centric".

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News Network
May 9,2020

New Delhi, May 9: With 3,320 coronavirus cases and 95 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 cases rose to 59,662 on Saturday, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of active cases in the country now stands at 39,834 while the number of cured/discharged/migrated stands at 17,847.

The country has reported 1,981 deaths so far, added the Ministry.

Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with 19, 063 followed by Gujarat with 7,402 cases and Delhi with 6,318 cases.

Meanwhile, the country continues to remain in a lockdown slated to end on May 17.

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News Network
May 11,2020

New Delhi, May 11: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh is stable and under observation at the AIIMS here after suffering reaction to a new medication and developing fever, hospital sources said on Monday.

The 87-year-old Congress leader was admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening after he complained of uneasiness. He has now been shifted out of the ICU.

The sources said that Singh had developed a reaction to a new medication and further investigation is being carried on him to rule out other causes of fever.

"Dr Manmohan Singh was admitted for observation and investigation after he developed a febrile reaction to a new medication," the sources said.

"He is being investigated to rule out other causes of fever and is being provided care as needed. He is stable and under care of a team of doctors at the Cardiothoracic Centre of AIIMS," they said.

"All his parameters are fine. He is under observation at the AIIMS," a source close to him has said.

Singh, a senior leader of the opposition Congress, is currently a Member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. He was the prime minister between 2004 and 2014.

In 2009, Singh underwent a successful coronary bypass surgery at the AIIMS. A number of leaders expressed have expressed concern over his health and wished him a speedy recovery.

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