More than 9.2 lakh children in India are severely acute malnourished , with the most in Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar, according to government data, underscoring concerns that the Covid pandemic could exacerbate the health and nutrition crisis among the poorest of the poor. An estimated 9,27,606 severely acute malnourished children from six months to six years were identified across the country till November last year, the Women and Child Development Ministry said in response to an RTI query from PTI. Of these, Uttar Pradesh counted for 3,98,359 and Bihar 2,79,427, according to the figures shared by the ministry. Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh reported no severely malnourished children.
Read more about 40,000 inoculated in a single day, location in Hyderabad on Business Standard. A mega vaccination drive to inoculate 40,000 people in a single day was taken up at Hitex here on Sunday.
The Kerala government on Wednesday included 11 more categories, in the priority group under the 18-44 age group for Covid-19 vaccination. As many as 32 categories of people belonging to the age group were included in the group earlier by considering them as frontline workers. On the orders of Governor, Principal Secretary, Rajan Khobragade said more categories were added to the priority list after the government received requests from many departments and the general public for vaccination priority. As per the new decision, field workers of Meteorology Department, field workers of Metro rail, field worker of water metro, Haj pilgrims, ambulance drivers, bank employees, medical representatives, Air India field officers, police trainee, volunteers working in the field and all above 18 years in Tribal colonies will also come in the group.
Read more about HC dismisses senior doctor s plea against Delhi govt notif on COVID duty on Business Standard. Delhi High Court dismissed a petition challenging Delhi government notification that directed doctors to function in a single category
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said family pension rules have been simplified in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Giving a brief about the important reforms undertaken by the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare (DoP&PW), he said, a provision was recently made for the provisional family pension to be sanctioned immediately on receipt of claim for family pension and death certificate from the eligible family member without waiting for other formalities or procedural requirements to be completed. This provision is applicable in case of death happening during the pandemic, either because of Covid or non-Covid cause, said Singh.