India records 1,00,636 fresh Covid infections; active case tally drops to 14,01,609
New Delhi: India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days, taking the infection tally to 2,89,09,975, while the number of active cases dropped to 14,01,609, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Monday.
The death toll due to coronavirus reached 3,49,186 with 2,427 new fatalities, the lowest in around 45 days, the data updated at 8 am showed.
A total of 96,982 new cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours on April 6.
Also, 15,87,589 tests were conducted on Sunday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 36,63,34,111, while the daily positivity rate was recorded at 6.34 per cent.
It has been less than 10 per cent for 14 consecutive days, the ministry said.
The weekly positivity rate has declined to 6.21 per cent.
The number of active cases has reduced to 14,01,609, comprising 4.85 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 93.94 per cent.
A net decline of 76,190 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for 25 consecutive days.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,71,59,180, while the case fatality rate has further increased to 1.21 per cent, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India had crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4.
The 2,427 new fatalities include 618 from Maharashtra, 434 from Tamil Nadu, 320 from Karnataka, 227 from Kerala and 107 from West Bengal.
A total of 3, 49,186 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,00,130 from Maharashtra, 31,580 from Karnataka, 27,005 from Tamil Nadu, 24,591 from Delhi, 21,236 from Uttar Pradesh, 16,259 from West Bengal, 15,076 from Punjab and 13,217 from Chhattisgarh.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
