CIVIL SNIPPETS

Speed of virus infections slows, doubling time rises in 18 States #GS3 #SnT

Eighteen States and Union Territories have “shown improvement” in containing the spread of the
COVID-19 pandemic, with Odisha and Kerala leading the pile, the Union Health Ministry said on
Monday.

These were States with a 'doubling time' (an indicator of how quickly cases increase) of more than 8.5
days which is higher that the national average of 7.5 days. This was due to effective measures taken to
contain the spread of the virus, Joint Secretary in the Ministry Lav Agrawal said at the daily briefing.
Kerala leads the list with a doubling rate of 72 days, followed at a considerable distance by Odisha at
39.8 days.

The Ministry confirmed 17,655 cases, with 14,255 active infections and 559 deaths on Monday. Reports
from States show a jump of 1,214 new cases and 33 deaths in the past 24 hours. The nationwide death
toll was 592, with 14, 913 active cases out of 18,509 confirmed COVID-19 infections.

Maharashtra recorded 466 new positive cases, including 155 in Mumbai, taking the number of the
infected people to 4,666, health officials said. With nine more patients succumbing to COVID-19, the
death toll in the State rose to 232.

Fewer cases
However, the Ministry's figures on doubling eclipse the fact that these States account for only about
7,000 of India's overall COVID-19 count. On the other hand, just five States with a lower and hence
faster doubling rate than the national average account for about 10,000 or about 60% of the case-load.

As of Monday, Maharashtra had the highest number of cases at 4,666 and it reported a doubling of
cases in six days. Gujarat’s 1,800 cases had doubled in 4.5 days and Madhya Pradesh with 1,407 cases
had doubled in 5.5 days. These numbers are dynamic and liable to change everyday. The epidemic has
affected 32 out of 36 States and UTs.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/speed-of-virus-infections-slows-doubling-time-rises-in-18-
states/article31392615.ece

As Centre frowns, Kerala steps back on easing curbs #GS2 #Governance

Following the Centre’s strong objections to Kerala easing certain COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the
State government on Monday decided not to allow plying of buses in cities, opening of restaurants and
pillion riding on two-wheelers.

Responding to the Centre’s concerns, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Kerala was not at variance
regarding adherence to guidelines on the national COVID-19 lockdown.

In a letter to Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose, on Sunday, the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had said
the State government had “diluted” the national timetable for the lifting of curfew sanctions and had
“violated” Central government orders and provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The Centre had taken exception to Kerala’s decision to allow salons, dine-in facility at restaurants,
workshops and book stores in districts categorised as relatively low-risk Green and Orange (B) zones.

It had also objected to the opening of industrial units in municipal centres, public transportation,
allowing more than two passengers in cars and permitting persons to ride pillion on two-wheelers.

Mr. Bhalla had urged the State to rectify the guidelines and bring the State’s containment strategy in
line with that of the Centre.

New guidelines

At his daily COVID-19 briefing, Mr. Vijayan announced a new set of guidelines that reflected the
concerns raised by the Centre including a rescinding of the decision to reopen barbershops, allowing
public transport or dine-in facilities in restaurants.

He also announced stricter restrictions on mobility and banned pillion riders and more than two persons
in cars. Mr. Vijayan said Kerala had witnessed an influx of citizens into public places on Monday. As the
threat of resurgence and new flare-ups loomed large, the State could ill afford to lower its guard.
Mr. Vijayan said the State was not in disagreement with the Centre. The State’s containment measures
have to reflect regional realities. The Centre has given States some latitude in making tactical
arrangements.

“Kerala is in touch with the Centre constantly. We had sought the Centre’s consent to implement certain
measures differently to suit regional requirements. There is no Centre-State dispute or any scope for
disagreement,” he said.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/as-centre-frowns-kerala-steps-back-on-easing-
curbs/article31392610.ece

Yamuna water quality improves during lockdown: govt. report #GS3

#Environment
The quality of water in the Yamuna has improved along the Delhi stretch during the nationwide
lockdown, compared to April last year, according to a report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee
(DPCC).

An increased flow of water in the river has also contributed to less pollution, the report said. But the
report noted that the Yamuna has still not met the “water quality criteria”.

Reduced pollution

According to the report, the pollution has reduced by 21% at ITO Bridge, 20% at Nizamuddin Bridge,
and 18% at Okhla Barrage. Also, pollution has reduced in five out of the six major drains, which flow
into the Yamuna, that the DPCC measured.

A National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed monitoring committee had earlier this month asked the
DPCC and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to measure the quality of water in the Yamuna.

Water from Haryana

Last week, a report by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had also shown the quality of water has improved during
the lockdown and DJB officials had said that it was also due to increased discharge of water from
Haryana.

On April 6, the DPCC had collected water samples from nine locations along the Yamuna and 20
locations of drains and compared the different parameters with values from April 2019. Of the nine
locations of the river, an increase in pollution was observed only in Khajuri Paltoon Pool, according to
the report.

“In April 2019, the average flow was 1,000 cusecs compared to the average flow of 3,900 cusecs in April
2020. Therefore, the dilution is also contributing to the improvement of water quality,” the report
noted.
Of the nine locations from where the DPCC took samples, five have shown 18%-33% reduction in
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels. The rest of the four locations have shown slight to
considerable increase in BOD levels.

BOD is the amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter (waste or
pollutants) under aerobic reaction (in the presence of oxygen).

A higher BOD level means that more oxygen is needed to decompose a large quantity of organic
matter (waste or pollutants) present in the water. So, a higher value of BOD means that the water is
more polluted.

Dissolved oxygen

According to the report, four of the nine locations where dissolved oxygen (DO) was nil in 2019 showed
DO levels of 2.3-4.8 mg/l. Dissolved oxygen is the amount of dissolved oxygen present in the water
which is needed for aquatic life to survive. The quality of water increases with an increase in DO
levels.

A DO level of 5 mg/l or above is the recommended level for bathing in a river and DO levels over 5
mg/l were found only in two locations closer to where the river enters Delhi, as per the report.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/yamuna-water-quality-improves-
during-lockdown-govt-report/article31392770.ece

China says Indian trade curbs are against WTO principles #GS3 #Economy
India’s recent policy to curb opportunistic takeovers of domestic companies goes against the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) principles, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy here said on Monday.

This is the first response from the Chinese side after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an April
17 decision imposed restrictions saying companies from countries that share borders with India can
invest “only under the government route”.

“The additional barriers set by Indian side for investors from specific countries violate the WTO’s
principle of non-discrimination, and go against the general trend of liberalisation and facilitation of trade
and investment.

More importantly, they do not conform to the consensus of the G20 leaders and Trade Ministers to
realise a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment
environment, and to keep our markets open,” said Counsellor Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese
Embassy.

The official pointed at the Chinese investments in various sectors of the Indian economy. He said China's
overall investment as of December 2019 was above $ 8 billion and it had driven key sectors like telecom,
infrastructure, automobile and household goods in India. The revision was meant for sectors and
enterprises other than defence, space, atomic energy and sectors and activities “prohibited for foreign
investment”.

It was understood that the Indian decision was a response to the news of an incremental purchase of
shares in HDFC by the People’s Bank of China.

The Chinese spokesperson invoked the principle of free market economy and said, “Companies make
choices based on market principles. We hope India would revise relevant discriminatory practices, treat
investments from different countries equally, and foster an open, fair and equitable business
environment”. The statement said the new policy was clearly going to impact future investment from
China.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/china-says-indian-trade-curbs-are-against-wto-
principles/article31392527.ece

Avoid hate speech, expat Indians told #GS2 #Governance

Cautioning Indians in the United Arab Emirates against a spate of religiously derogatory posts, India’s
Ambassador to the UAE said any discrimination would not be tolerated.

“India and UAE share the value of non-discrimination on any grounds. Discrimination is against our
moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in the UAE should always remember this,”
Ambassador Pavan Kapoor said in a tweet on Monday, indicating how strongly the government has
taken many such cases that have come into prominence recently. The tweet also referred to PM Modi’s
earlier statement that said the Coronavirus “does not see race or religion”.

In the past month, at least six Indians have lost jobs or face charges over social media posts linking the
coronavirus pandemic to the Muslim community in India.

The issue, according to at least two sources aware of the discussions, is creating a greater diplomatic
strain for New Delhi, even as it negotiates with UAE officials who have been pushing for India to
repatriate thousands of citizens who have lost jobs with companies in the Emirates due to COVID-19.

An estimated 3.3 million Indians live and work in the UAE.

On April 18, Sharjah businessman and filmmaker Sohan Roy was forced to apologise publicly after a
complaint against him for a video which depicted Islamic clerics leading blindfolded men in skull caps in
an adaptation of his poem on religious bigotry. Earlier in April, Dubai resident Rakesh B. Kitturmath, who
worked at a services company, an accountant Bala Krishna Nakka, and Abu Dhabi resident Mitesh
Udeshi were terminated for similarly derogatory posts on social media that contravened UAE law.

In March, a Dubai-based Chef Trilok Singh was sacked for an online rape threat against a student for
opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. A complaint was also filed against the CEO of an events
management company Sameer Bhandari, who, in a written response to an Indian Muslim job applicant,
told him to “Go to Pakistan”.
Former Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Suri says the Emirates has cracked down on hate speech
against all religions, especially after it enacted the 2015 Anti-Discrimination Law, punishing “any form of
discrimination against people and religion”. “The UAE has been working actively to promote an image of
tolerance and have targeted religious extremism,” he said .

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/avoid-hate-speech-expat-indians-
told/article31392534.ece

Aarogya Setu app must for labourers, says CPWD #GS3 #SnT
Central government organisations involved in construction, including various metro rail corporations,
were instructed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to ensure that “all labour
personnel/staff” returning to work from Monday have downloaded the government’s COVID-19 tracking
app — Aarogya Setu.

The advisory comes as the Union Home Ministry has relaxed some restrictions from Monday, including
for construction activity under certain conditions. On Sunday, the Ministry issued an order allowing
stranded migrant workers to return to their workplaces within the State they are located in, provided
they are asymptomatic.

Ahead of the resumption of construction work, a video-conference was held on April 17 by the Housing
and Urban Affairs Ministry with the CPWD, metro rail corporations, and the National Capital Region
Transport Corporation and NBCC (India), formerly the National Buildings Construction Corporation.

Pre-conditions

According to the minutes of the meeting circulated on April 19, one of the “action points” that
organisations were asked to implement was: “Every organisation should ensure that all labour
personnel/staff get Aarogya Setu app downloaded on their mobile, when he/she resumes work.”

The organisations were also asked to make sure there is no resumption of work in coronavirus
containment zones and only workers still present at the camps should be asked to return to work at a
particular site.

Standard operating procedures, such as those issued by the National Real Estate Development Council
(NAREDCO) for private developers, taking into account the advice of the Health and Family Welfare and
Home Ministries should be prepared and followed, the organisations were told.

Nod from States

Niranjan Hiranandani, the president of NAREDCO, told The Hindu that while the real estate developers
and the Home Ministry had agreed on activity resuming where workers are living on site, State
governments, like Maharashtra, were yet to give their approval.

He added that some government projects, like the metro rail, had seen a resumption of work.
Workers restive

Mr. Hiranandani said that while he understood the challenge before the government, there was a
possibility that workers living on sites since the lockdown began on March 25 may start leaving. “We are
providing them with food and conducting temperature checks, but workers are fed up. They want to
work,” he said.

Chandan Kumar of the Working People’s Charter, which works with unorganised sector workers, said
the government’s welfare measures for construction workers seemed “utopian and impractical”.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/aarogya-setu-app-must-for-labourers-says-
cpwd/article31392567.ece

Army issues guidelines on rejoining #GS3 #Defence

All Army personnel from Nepal and presently on leave there are to remain at their home stations till
the COVID-19 situation in the neighbouring nation stabilises and the government opens the border for
movement of personnel, Army sources said on Monday.

These are part of the broad guidelines issued by the Army for those rejoining from leave, temporary
duty and courses. Requisite instructions would accordingly be passed to such personnel from their
parent units, headquarters or establishments, the sources said.

Conference postponed

Separately, the Unified Commanders Conference (UCC), which was scheduled to be held on April 22 and
23 has been postponed, defence sources said.

The UCC is an annual event chaired by the Defence Minister and attended by the three Service Chiefs
and senior officers of the Services and the Defence Ministry in addition to the Minister of State for
Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Advisor.

The sources stated that the overall guidelines for rejoining have been planned in a phased manner
considering the number of individuals rejoining and the requirement for smooth reporting, quarantine
and onward dispersal to units.

The instructions state that personnel will rejoin only on receipt of specific instructions from unit,
formation or establishment that has granted leave or temporary duty. Any individual whose leave
station is within 500 km of the unit or duty station is allowed to directly report to the unit using
private transport only, while individuals who are beyond the 500-km criteria will report to nearest
unit, station headquarter in private vehicle only.

The Army has also stated that orders for reporting do not apply to ‘hotspots, containment zones’.
Individuals in hotspots and containment zones would follow strict 'No Movement' till the areas were
denotified as containment zones.
The sources said all personnel in the Army would be classified as Green, Yellow and Red. Those who
have completed 14 days of quarantine would be classified as Green, those who need to undergo 14
days quarantine as Yellow and those symptomatic, requiring isolation and further treatment in
COVID-19 hospitals, as Red.

As per instructions, the first priority for rejoining is for all ranks of the Northern Command and all Army
medical, dental and Military Nursing Services personnel, as well as other personnel with the unit or duty
stations within 500 km and can reach by private transport. The next priority is for all ranks of the Eastern
Command.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/army-issues-guidelines-on-
rejoining/article31392570.ece

Lockdown a boon for organic vegetable growers in Assam #GS3 #Environment

The COVID-19 lockdown has hit commercial vegetable growers in Assam, but restrictions on inter-
district transport have come as a boon for small-scale organic farmers whose produce used to be edged
out by cheaper “imports”.

The “lockdown positive” has come with a downside, though. Most growers have almost exhausted their
harvest, forcing them to network with others of their ilk in adjoining districts for meeting the shortfall.

“Tomatoes were sold out last week and the last of the capsicums were sold today (Monday). Some
vegetables are not yet ready to be harvested and I need a gap of at least a month to sell the cabbages
and cauliflowers,” said Tutu Sonowal of Bogoriguri Borbam village, about 28 km from Dibrugarh town.

An SOS to Dibrugarh district’s Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha last month opened a window of
opportunity for Mr. Sonowal and 334 other farmers who have since been delivering vegetables door to
door.

Mr. Sonowal, who grows vegetables on 7.28 acres along with his three brothers, took land on lease and
hired the vehicles of his relatives and neighbours for delivering them to places within a 30-km radius.

‘New model’

“We are getting used to the new business model. Had this pandemic not struck, we would probably not
have thought of selling beyond the village,” he said.

At Sengamarihabi near the Bogibeel bridge across the Brahmaputra, Pran Ballav Barhoi and nine others
of the Seuj Bhagabat Self-Help Group have been trying to cater to the growing demand for vegetables.

“There was a time when bulk buyers chased me away for trying to sell broccoli, a vegetable our district
had never seen before. The demand is high, but we are not taking advantage by raising prices or using
chemicals for increasing yield,” he said.
Mr. Barhoi said his group had developed a network with 40 organic farmers in Tinsukia and Dhemaji
districts to supply the vegetables they are running out of.

According to Mr. Jha, the district’s local growers sold over 7,02,000 kg of vegetables worth over Rs. 1.41
crore since March 27. This, he said, was possible because of restrictions on bringing vegetables from
commercial hubs in northern and central Assam and the enterprise of the growers.

Consumers have appreciated the initiative. “It clearly shows Dibrugarh is self-sufficient,” said Diganta
Saikia, a tea planter.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/lockdown-a-boon-for-organic-vegetable-growers-
in-assam/article31392790.ece

Finance Ministry sets time frame for banks to disburse loans #GS3 #Economy
As business activities resumed on Monday after a nationwide lockdown, the Finance Ministry swung into
action to ensure credit flow to companies and set a specific time frame for banks within which a loan
needs to be disbursed.

In a communication to State-run banks, the government said the move is aimed at ensuring credit flow
for economic activities and the guidelines come into effect from Monday when the business activities
resume.

“In the context of resumption of business activities w.e.f. 20.4.2020, timely origination, sanction and
disbursement of fund-based and non-fund based credit is critical for revival of economic activity,” the
communication from the Finance Ministry said.

Risk aversion

The move comes as banks have turned risk averse to extend loans amid an uncertain economic outlook
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the indicative time frames, from processing to disbursement of COVID-19 emergency credit lines,
the Ministry said banks have to complete the disbursement within six to nine working days of working
capital loans to existing micro, medium and small enterprises; corporate and agriculture borrowers as
well as financial assistance to self-help group borrowers.

Working capital reassessment of up to Rs. 5 crore for existing borrowers have to be processed within six
to nine days, while facilities of Rs. 5 crore and above need to be processed within 12 to 15 working days.

“Banks are advised to draw a detailed activity-wise time frame to achieve the turnaround time sought,”
the Ministry said in the communication which has been reviewed by The Hindu.

The Ministry has also asked banks to ensure wide publicity of the details of the COVID-19-related credit
schemes, checklist of documents required for each scheme and time frames for communicating
decisions regarding sanctions. This information needs to be tweeted by banks and tagged to the Twitter
handle of the Department of Financial Services (DoFS).

“Banks should ensure that relevant internal communication of the above mentioned schemes along with
clear responsibilities and defined time frames are conveyed to the field-level functionaries and
monitored on an ongoing basis,” the Ministry said.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/finance-ministry-sets-time-frame-for-banks-to-
disburse-loans/article31392491.ece

What explains crude oil prices falling below the $0 mark #GS3 #Economy
US oil markets created history on Monday when prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the best
quality of crude oil in the world, fell to “minus” $40.32 a barrel in New York. Not only is this the lowest
crude oil price ever known — according to Bloomberg, the previous lowest was immediately after World
War II — but also well below the zero-mark.

At this price, the seller would be paying the buyer of crude oil $40 for each barrel that is bought.

But how can that be? How did prices fall below zero in the first place? Why would they fall from $0 to -
$5 to -$10 and so on all the way to -$40 a barrel? To be sure, regardless of how it looks, this is not an
illogical result.

The context

The first thing to understand is that, even before the Covid-19 induced global lockdown, crude oil prices
had been falling over the past few months. They were closer to $60 a barrel at the start of 2020 and by
March-end, they were closer to $20 a barrel.

The reason was straightforward. The price of a commodity falls when supply is more than demand. To a
great extent, oil markets, globally and more so in the US, are facing an enormous glut.

Historically, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), lead by Saudi Arabia, which
is the largest exporter of crude oil in the world (single-handedly exporting 10% of the global demand),
used to work as a cartel and fix prices in a favourable band. It could bring down prices by increasing oil
production and raise prices by cutting production.

In the recent past, the OPEC has been working with Russia, as OPEC+, to fix the global prices and supply.

It must be understood that cutting production or completely shutting down an oil well is a difficult
decision because restarting it is both costly and cumbersome. Moreover, if one country cuts production,
it risks losing market share if others do not follow suit.

The global oil pricing is by no stretch an example of a well-functioning competitive market. In fact, it’s
seamless operations crucially depend on oil exporters acting in consort.
The start of trouble

But in early March, this happy accord came to an end as Saudi Arabia and Russia disagreed over the
production cuts required to keep prices stable. As a result, oil-exporting countries, led by Saudi Arabia,
started undercutting each other on price while continuing to produce the same quantities of oil.

This was an unsustainable strategy under normal circumstances but what made it even more calamitous
was the growing spread of Coronavirus, which, in turn, was sharply reducing economic activity and the
demand for oil. With each passing day, the developed countries were falling prey to Covid-19 and with
each lockdown, there were fewer flights to be boarded, fewer cars to be used etc.

Enter Covid-19

By the time the Saudi Arabia and Russia discord was sorted out last week, under pressure from US
President Donald Trump, it was possibly too late. Oil-exporting countries decided to cut production by 6
million barrels a day — the highest production cuts — and yet the demand for oil was shrinking by 9 to
10 million barrels a day.

This meant that the supply-demand mismatch continued to worsen right through March and April.
According to reports, all possible the mismatch resulted in almost all storage capacity being exhausted.
Trains and ships, which were typically used to transport oil, too, were used up just for storing oil.

It is also crucial here to understand that the US became the largest producer of crude oil in 2018. And
that is one reason why, unlike all the previous US Presidents, who always pushed for lower crude oil
prices, especially in an election year, Donald Trump has been pushing for higher oil prices.

What happened on Monday

The May contracts for WTI, the American crude oil variant, were due to expire on Tuesday, April 21. As
the deadline came near, prices started plummeting. This was for two broad reasons.

By Monday, there were many oil producers who wanted to get rid of their oil even at unbelievably low
prices instead of choosing the other option — shutting production, which would have been costlier to
restart when compared to the marginal loss on May sales.

From the consumer side, that is those holding these contracts, it was an equally big headache. Contract
holders wanted to wriggle out of the compulsion to buy more oil as they realised, quite late in hindsight,
that there was no space to store the oil if they were to take the delivery.

They figured that it would be more costly for them to accept the oil delivery, pay for its transportation
and then pay for storing it (possibly for a longish period, given the circumstances) especially when there
is no storage available than to simply take a hit on the contract price.

This desperation from both sides — buyers and sellers — to get rid of oil meant the oil prices not only
plummeted to zero but also went deep into the negative territory.
In the short-term, for both — the holders of the delivery contract and the oil producers — it was less
costly to pay $40 a barrel and get rid of the oil instead of storing it (buyers) or stopping production
(producers).

Oil prices in the future

It is important to note that it was the WTI price for May in the US markets that went so low. Crude Oil
prices elsewhere fell but by not so much. Moreover, at least for now, oil prices for June are pegged at
around $20 a barrel.

It is likely that this was a one-off event and will not happen as producers are forced to cut back
production further. But one cannot rule out a repeat of the Monday drama because, with Covid-19
continuing to spread, demand is falling every day.

In the end, it would be the demand-supply mismatch (adjusted for how much can be stored away) that
will decide the fate of oil prices.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/negative-crude-oil-prices-explained-6371848/

How Kerala’s Kasaragod has fought coronavirus #GS3 #SnT

Kerala has bucked the national trend for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with a doubling time of
72.2 days — which means that the number of cases in the state doubled in that many days — against a
national average of 7.5 days. Last week, the Centre showcased the contact tracing and containment
model of Kerala’s Kasaragod, one of the earliest spots on India’s COVID-19 map, as one of the success
stories of the containment exercise.

A look at the Kasaragod model, and how it differs from some of the other models across the country
that have generated interest.

Coronavirus: Why showcase Kasaragod?

Kasaragod reported the third case of COVID-19 in the country — a student airlifted from Wuhan on
February 3. The district administration mounted a massive exercise to trace the 150-odd contacts of that
one student.

According to figures uploaded by the Kerala government, Kasaragod has had 169 cases and zero deaths
until April 19, a unique achievement in itself, given the fact that a large proportion of the district’s
population have settled abroad. Of those infected, 123 people have recovered so far, leaving only 46
active cases among the original 169.

In the initial days of the epidemic, almost all index cases were people who had caught the virus during
their travels abroad (about 15.38%). The second wave in the district happened after people started
coming back from the Middle East from March 16.

Kasaragod: Under what circumstances was this containment achieved?

The district is far from major cities, so that the isolation exercise was smoother. Kasaragod is Kerala’s
northernmost district, far away from capital Thiruvananthapuram. However, this distance also
presented an additional challenge. When expatriates returned in large groups, they landed in various
airports and took various public transport options — railways, road etc — to reach home, which had the
potential to leave contacts all along the way.

Health Ministry officials said that while Kasaragod has been showcased, the success of Kerala as a whole
is a story essentially of the strength of the state’s healthcare system rather than one of the immediate
measures taken. “It is not for nothing that it leads in all human development indices. The most amazing
thing about Kerala is how receptive they are of suggestions for improvement,” said a senior official in
the Health Ministry.

What is the Kasaragod model?

The district administration relied on aggressive testing, technology, foolproof contact tracing, and an
effective public awareness campaign on social distancing to achieve the results it can now show. In
Kasaragod, as in other districts, the state government appointed a special officer to coordinate
functioning of the district administration and for effective coordination between line departments at
field and secretariat levels. Section 144 was imposed in the entire district, with seven drones employed
for surveillance. Under the Care for Kasaragod initiative, a detailed action plan — common coordinated
action plan — was drawn up for combating COVID-19 so that all stakeholders could turn to it when the
situation arose.

And what was this action plan?

All quarantined people were tracked using GPS. All essentials were home-delivered in the
containment/cluster zones, irrespective of whether they were rich or poor. A campaign on social
distancing called “Break the Chain” was carried out to deliver the message of social distancing. Core
teams were formed with incident commanders to rush to various areas and take quick action.

The plan was carried out with a very strong social welfare component, which included free food kits for
the poor and migrant workers, a strong check on hoarding and black-marketing, and health checkup on
alternate days for migrants or the destitute. Community kitchens supplied free food. Jana Jagratha
Samitis at the ward level ensured that the messaging reached every person.

What was the scale of the exercise?

A total of 17,373 people were quarantined. On an average, 100-150 samples were tested every day and
new testing labs were started. The medical college in Kasaragod with 200 beds and an ICU facility was
operationalised in four days. There is also a 709-bed COVID-19 care centre. ASHAs and health inspectors
carried out household surveys.

All primary and secondary contacts of high-risk cases (those aged 60 or above) were quarantined in
isolation centres. This was done as many homes did not have separate toilets.
What are the other successful models containment?

In a recent meeting, the Centre asked district magistrates to draw up separate crisis plans for COVID-19
management, and shared several models. These include Agra, Bhilwara, Pathanamthitta etc.

AGRA MODEL: Under the cluster containment and outbreak containment plan in Agra, the district
administration identified epicentres, delineated the impact of positive confirmed cases on the map, and
deployed a special task force as per a micro plan made by the district administration. The hotspots were
managed through an active survey and containment plan. The “hotspot” area was identified within a
radius of 3 km from the epicentre, while a 5 km buffer zone was identified as the containment zone.

BHILWARA MODEL: This entailed complete isolation of Bhilwara city with Section 144 CrPC being
imposed. In the first phase, essential services were allowed; in the second phase, the shutdown was
total with the city and district borders sealed and checkposts at every entry and exit point. Trains, buses
and cars were stopped. The district magistrates of neighbouring districts too were asked to seal their
borders. The message from Bhilwara was “ruthless containment”.

PATHANAMTHITTA MODEL: Kerala deployed technology to a large extent in the Pathanamthitta model
too. Every person who had entered the district was screened and a database created so that they could
be reached at short notice. Graphics were created showing the travel route of the positive cases and
publicised. This led to self-reporting. As people realised from the route maps and the travel times that
they had come in contact with someone positive for COVID-19, many walked up to be screened or
treated.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/kerala-coronavirus-cases-kasaragod-model-6371484/

How COVID-19 is hurting the rupee’s exchange rate with other currencies #GS3
#Economy
The economic disruption due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past
few months has adversely affected various aspects of the Indian economy. But is the impact on India
more than the impact on other economies?

There are different ways to answer this question. One could look at the growth rates of gross domestic
product and gross value added. Or, in the absence of such data, one could treat other high-frequency
data like sales of automobiles etc. as a proxy.

In this regard, the exchange rate of the rupee can also be an apt marker on the state of the Indian
economy’s competitiveness.

What is currency exchange rate?

Essentially, a currency’s exchange rate vis-a-vis another currency reflects the relative demand among
the holders of the two currencies. This demand, in turn, depends on the relative demand for the goods
and services of the two countries. If the US dollar is stronger than the rupee, then it shows that the
demand for dollars (by those holding rupee) is more than the demand for rupees (by those holding
dollars).

Typically, stronger economies have stronger currencies. For instance, the US economy is relatively
stronger than India’s and this is reflected in one US dollar being equal to around 76 rupees. The rupee
has been losing value (or depreciating or weakening) against the dollar over the past few months.

But the US is not the only other country in the world; India trades with many other countries. To have a
better understanding of the Indian economy’s overall competitiveness, one should look at how the
rupee is behaving with its major trade partners.

What measures should we look at?

The Reserve Bank of India tabulates the rupee’s Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) in relation to
the currencies of 36 trading partner countries. This is a weighted index — that is, countries with which
India trades more are given a greater weight in the index. A decrease in this index denotes depreciation
in rupee’s value; an increase reflects appreciation.

As the chart shows, in NEER terms, the rupee has depreciated to its lowest level since November 2018.
The rupee has been steadily losing value — showing the Indian economy’s reducing competitiveness—
since July 2019. The dip in March was likely influenced by the net outflow of foreign portfolio
investments from the Indian equity and debt markets — they stood at $15.92 billion in March as against
net inflows of $1.27 billion in February.

There is one more measure that is even better at capturing the actual change. This is called the Real
Effective Exchange Rate (REER) and is essentially an improvement over the NEER because it also takes
into account the domestic inflation in the various economies.

And how does inflation affect exchange rates?

Many factors affect the exchange rate between any two currencies ranging from the interest rates to
political stability (less of either results in a weaker currency). Inflation is one of the most important
factors.

Here’s how. Imagine that the Re-$ exchange rate was exactly 1 in the first year. This means that with Rs
100, one could buy something that was priced at $100 in the US. But suppose the Indian inflation is 20%
and the US inflation is zero. Then, in the second year, an Indian would need Rs 120 to buy the same item
priced at $100, and the rupee’s exchange rate would depreciate to 1.20.

What does REER show?

Even in REER terms, the rupee has depreciated in March and fallen to its lowest level since September
2019. As the graph shows, the difference between trends of NEER and REER was due to India’s domestic
retail inflation being lower relative to the other 36 countries. As domestic inflation started rising, the
REER, too, started depreciating like the NEER.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-covid-19-is-hurting-the-rupees-exchange-rate-with-
other-currencies-6371536/

Why disinfectant must not be sprayed on humans #GS3 #SnT

In the immediate aftermath of the nationwide lockdown being announced last month, when countless
migrant workers started walking hundreds of kilometres in the hope of reaching their villages or towns,
visuals emerged from various parts of the country, including Bareilly in UP, of migrants being sprayed
with disinfectant solution.

As the country prepares for some relaxations and industries get ready to start functioning with strict
conditions including housing labourers on the premises, the Health Ministry has issued a detailed
advisory against spraying humans with disinfectants.

What does the order say?

The order dated April 19 says, “Spraying of individuals or groups is NOT recommended under any
circumstances. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants is physically and
psychologically harmful. Even if a person is potentially exposed with the COVID-19 virus, spraying the
external part of the body does not kill the virus that has entered your body. Also there is no scientific
evidence to suggest that they are effective even in disinfecting the outer clothing/body in an effective
manner.”

The advisory has been issued, officials say, to prevent a rerun when labourers start returning to
industries that qualify for relaxation. Home Ministry guidelines require them to be housed on the
premises but “disinfection” at entry is a very real danger.

How is “disinfection” carried out?

Disinfection for the SARS-CoV2 virus is usually done using a solution of sodium hypochlorite, commonly
known as bleach. It is a harsh chemical. “It (disnfectant) refers to substances applied on inanimate
objects owing to their strong chemical properties. Chemical disinfectants are recommended for cleaning
and disinfection only of frequently touched areas/surfaces by those who are suspected or confirmed to
have COVID-19,” the advisory lays down.

What is the problem with spraying people with this solution?

It can be harmful. Besides, the act itself is pointless. This is because there is a specific time that the
disinfectant takes to act on an area, and as per the disinfection protocol, any place that has been
disinfected has to be kept shut overnight. “There are very clear norms for this. You disinfect with sodium
hypochlorite and then the place remains closed overnight. If during that time anybody enters the place,
regardless of whether that person is carrying the infection or not, the process has to be repeated,”
explained a senior official of the National Centre for Disease Control.

What are the possible harmful effects?

The solution of sodium hypochlorite is unstable and quickly breaks down to release chlorine. Chlorine
can have several harmful effects, the Health Ministry said.

“Spraying of chlorine on individuals can lead to irritation of eyes and skin and potentially gastrointestinal
effects such as nausea and vomiting. Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite can lead to irritation of mucous
membranes to the nose, throat, respiratory tract and may also cause bronchospasm. Additionally use of
such measures may in fact lead to a false sense of disinfection & safety and actually hamper public
observance to hand washing and social distancing measures,” says the advisory.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-health-ministry-advisory-
migrants-sprayed-chemicals-disinfectant-6371502/