Morning digest | India records 1.7 lakh new COVID-19 cases, 904 deaths; Opposition joins call to cancel board exams, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

Relatives and family members lift a coffin for burial of a person, who died due to the coronavirus disease, at a graveyard in Ahmedabad, Sunday, April 11, 2021.

India records 1.7 lakh new COVID-19 cases, 904 deaths

India reported 1,69,899 fresh cases of COVID-19 as of 11.30 p.m. IST on April 11, marking the biggest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic last year. As many as 904 deaths were also recorded on the day.

Opposition joins call to cancel board exams

Opposition politicians have joined the chorus of student voices worried about board examinations being held amid the surge of COVID-19 cases. Congress leaders called for cancellation of exams to be considered, warning that the Centre would hold legal liability if exam centres became hotspots.

Gujarat High Court to hear suo motu PIL on COVID-19 on April 12

Citing media reports of shortage of beds, oxygen supply, testing facilities and medicines amid the pandemic and rising cases and deaths, the Gujarat High Court late on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of the worsening COVID-19 situation and listed the matter for urgent hearing on Monday morning.

Coronavirus | Uddhav defers lockdown plan

With Maharashtra on the verge of a lockdown, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday held a crucial meeting with the COVID task force of doctors and other municipal authorities as the State continued to reel under unprecedented case spikes.

 

Visually impaired struggle with NCERT e-textbooks

For Class VII student Tejasvi Raj, doing his daily homework comes with the double challenge of being a visually impaired student in the COVID-19 era of virtual schooling. His screen reading software can’t access the PowerPoint presentation that his teachers had prepared for online school..

Ladakh villagers lose grazing grounds at Pangong Tso

The south bank of Pangong Tso — one of the two locations from where Indian and Chinese troops disengaged in February has become a “no-man’s land” for the local cattle grazers of Chushul in Eastern Ladakh, the area’s councillor said.

Pentagon chief declares ‘ironclad’ US commitment to Israel

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday declared an “enduring and ironclad” American commitment to Israel, reinforcing support at a tense time in Israeli politics and amid questions about the Biden administration's efforts to revive nuclear negotiations with Israel's archenemy, Iran.

BAFTA Awards | 'Nomadland' wins 4 awards, including best picture, director

Gig-economy Western “Nomadland” won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards, which were handed out during a pandemic-curbed ceremony that recognized a diverse array of screen talent.

Indian Premier League 2021 | Rana, Tripathi and bowlers deliver for Kolkata Knight Riders

Nitish Rana had to endure a tough start to the 14th edition of the IPL after he tested positive for COVID-19 late last month. But on Sunday, the left-hander showed he had shrugged off the setback by scoring a brilliant 80 (56b, 9x4, 4x6) to set up Kolkata Knight Riders’ 10-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Investment projects bounce back in Q4: report

Fresh investments rebounded strongly in the last quarter of 2020-21, with both private sector and government-backed capital spending taking off sharply for the first time in the pandemic-hit year, even as the project execution ratio, which denotes actual ground-level action, hit a five-year high.