Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a United Nations Security Council’s open debate on Enhancing Maritime Security — a case for International Cooperation on Monday evening via video conferencing.

Addressing a UN Security Council debate this evening, PM Modi said barriers must be removed for trade on sea routes, which are currently being misused for piracy.

In the debate, PM Modi has outlined five principles for inclusive maritime security strategy and mentioned India’s vision on the issue, called SAGAR, an acronym for Security and Growth for all in the region. He had put forward the vision of SAGAR in 2015 focusing on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans, and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region. 

The session has Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance. The meeting is being attended by several heads of state and government of member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and high-level briefers from the UN system and key regional organisations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first Indian to preside over a UN Security Council Open Debate.

The debate lived on the UN Security Council website, focused on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and strengthen coordination between countries.

However, this will be the first time that maritime security will be discussed in a holistic manner as an exclusive agenda item in such a high level open debate.

India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador T S Tirumurti told that India will organize two more meetings during its presidency, on peacekeeping and counter-terrorism.

In 2019, at the East Asia Summit, this initiative was further elaborated through the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) with a focus on seven pillars of maritime security.

This is India’s tenth tenure at the UN Security Council. So far it has been President of the body nine times: June 1950, September 1967, December 1972, October 1977, February 1985, October 1991, December 1992, August 2011, and November 2012.

In other India News, Ahead of next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the national president of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party Om Prakash Rajbhar has praised the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

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Over 46,000 people have been affected by Covid-19 in the country. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue. Anchorperson Neha Dubey spoke with panelists including cancer specialist from Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon, Dr Rahul Bhargav, senior Prof of KGMU, Lucknow, Dr Arvind Mishra, ICU specialist from Yashoda Hospital, Dr Sachin Maheshwary, and economist Dr Ravi Singh.

Dr Bhargav said: “We have to learn to live with Corona, it’s not going away and people should understand that.”

Dr Mishra said: “The lockdown decision has been correct. We have a large population, and ensuring discipline is tough. Many patients have ben asymptomatic. Also, many sections of the population have been affected due to unexplained gatherings in some pockets. Rules have to be followed in earnest, otherwise the numbers will continue to rise.”

Dr Singh said: “See, we can asses the situation after seeing the trend. If the shutdowns continue, the economy too will be a big challenge. In India, the rate has been arrested in some measure due to the lockdown. It’s a catch 22 situation. We need to exercise precaution. See the liquor shops were opened, but people need to follow the instructions of social distancing and wearing masks properly.”

Dr Bhargav said: “Covid is not going to go away. Nearly 80 percent of the patients are asymptomatic. Zonal divisions will remain. Mortality is 3.3 percent in the country. We need to figure out about our vulnerable groups.”

Dr Mishra said: “Lockdown helped the government to prepare, to get ventilators, improve the medical facilities, and to gather learning in the intervening period. Today, our numbers are the smallest. But this will not remain so, the numbers will go up.”

Dr Singh said: “Right now is not the time to talk of GDP growth. Corona is not like a brother that we can live with it; it will come here to bite us, to kill. People need to understand the zonal demarcations.”

Dr Bahragav: “Corona is not a brother, it’s a reality of life, it’s here to stay. We have to stall the damages. Social distancing and handwashing should be part of your character. When the vaccine comes, life will get back to normal.”

Dr Mishra said: “See due to the lockdown, the proportion of population affected is far less. But one day, shutdowns will need to be relaxed, people will get out for work. When that happens, precautions will need to be followed. In one day, the numbers have gone up to 4,000. It’s a dangerous virus, and it’s difficult to plan life ahead like this.”

Dr Bhargav said: “Caution, precaution and action are needed. Contact tracing will become a part of life. The numbers going up are actually the earlier numbers. For today’s scenario, we need to find out in the next fortnight. Social distancing is the only way. Trump has said social distancing is the norm. As health experts, our job is to suggest the way out. The administration has to ensure that it’s done.”

Dr Mishra said: “Plasma therapy is one of the potential therapies where improvement is possible. It’s not a cure.”

Dr Singh said: “As soon as the vaccine or a cure is found, positive sentiment will be set in the economy. Earning and spending both are needed for the economy.”

Dr Bhargav said: “People need to know that corona virus patients are not given any medicine apart from paracetamol and a light antibiotic. This treatment does not affect kidney or liver. Patients are isolated for 14 days, for the body to successfully drive out the virus.”

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Controversy over the Railways charging train fare from stranded migrants has triggered a political slugfest. The Congress has announced that it will pay for the travel of the migrants. The government claims no fare will be charged from them. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the development. Anchorperson Neha Dubey discussed the issue with panelists including the BJP’s Anand Sahu, Congress’s Surendra Rajput, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatan’s Raju Shetty and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh general secretary Pawan Kumar.

Sahu said: “The Railway Ministry has condemned such baseless allegations of charging fare from the migrants. This is rumour mongering in times of a crisis.”

Rajput said: “Anand Sahu’s party’s in the government. They will say that we are lying. Are the migrants lying too? They have proof of paying for the tickets. It is sad that they are grabbing political mileage out of such an issue. They need to apologise for the lapse.”

Kumar said: “The government is saying migrants will be charged 15 percent. The government should spell out clearly what it wants to do. On the one hand, the government is saying that industries will be opened, and on the other hand, migrants are going back home. What is this dilly-dallying?”

Shetty said: “Labourers do not have money for food. The government is lying. Now they are going home and the government is asking for fare. This is being unfair to the poor; they are suffering.”

Sahu said: “I would like to explain that this is just an attempt to make news out of nothing. Centre has nothing to do with this. Where has this ticket issue come up?”

Rajput said: “It is highly unfortunate that those politicizing the issue should blame it all on the Congress. We have always stood for the poor, and would like to cooperate with the government in all its good work. Even the Prime Minister has praised works in Punjab and Chhattisgarh. The BJP is trying to label the poor as liars. I have the Government Circular stating that nominal fare would be taken. It is highly shameful and regrettable that the migrants have been left to languish. Ration kits must reach the poor. Why the BJP people cannot accept its mistake?”

Kumar said: “Despite distributing ration kits, the labourers want to go back home. The government wants to open industry. It can’t do that without labour. There is a lot of confusion at this stage.”

Shetty said: “All workers want to go back to the village to feel secure. There is a lot of distrust.”

Kumar said: “Back in villages also, migrants are not welcome due to fear of the coronavirus.”

Sahu said: “Prime Minister Modi has taken all steps necessary for the safety of the poor. All measures for lockdown or quarantine are for the poor. The special trains running now are only for the benefit of the migrant labourers so that they can go back to the village and till their land. Allegations against government’s efforts is low-level politics at its worst.”

Rajput said: “If people trusted the government, such a controversy would not have risen in the first place. It is the centre’s job to make the labourers feel safe and secure. The migrants’ desperation has been so obvious… they have been prepared to walk miles to go back home.”

Kumar said: “So many governments came and went, but the labourers’ plight remains the same. They wait for seasonal work, and in times of crisis, their plight is the worst. What good did the Congress do?”

Sahu said: “Modi’s efforts to alleviate the state of the poor will go down in history. A case in point is the Mudra Yojana to provide loans to small enterprises.”

Rajput said: “Holistic policies for the poor are needed. For the labourers, all-round economy must be seen. A lot of improvements are needed. We have seen how aimless the government’s policies have been.”

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India’s Coronavirus Positive patients have gone beyond 17,000. Lockdown in some areas is relaxed from Monday. Will that lead to a spike in the Corona Positive figures? APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue. Anchorperson Neha Dubey spoke to panelists including Dr Bobby Malhotra of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, cancer specialist Dr Anshuman Kumar, DCP (retd) Delhi Police, SN Rao, and noted scribe Sunil Kaushik.

Kaushik said: “Relaxation has been ordered in districts which are corona-free, and this is especially in view of essential maintenance services, while observing precautionary measures like social distancing, handwashing and so on. Some amount of risk needs to be taken to restart the economic processes and for maintenance and essential services like cleaning of drains etc.”

Dr Malhotra said: “Corona symptoms take 14 days to show up, and it is expected that the cycle must have run during the lockdown period. In some areas, there have been no reported cases and they can be systematically opened for work. I am of the belief that some relaxation can be handed out to areas that have been corona-free.”

Rao said: “This is a sensitive matter. Some kind of balance is needed, especially where the risk is lesser.”

Kaushik said: “There is a guideline to get work done from labour. Supply chains need to get activated, because the stocks of essential items usually do not last for more than three months. Government does not want to create panic, but nearly 50 percent of the stock must have got exhausted by now. So a certain amount of risk may be taken at this stage.”

Neha wanted to know the reason for the urgency in ordering relaxation in agriculture, engineering sectors, etc?

Kaushik said: “In essential sectors, risk needs to be taken. What if people die of hunger? So, a gradual opening of sectors is the right way to move forward.”

Dr Malhotra said: “Social behaviour post-lockdown is going to be vastly different. People now realise that social distancing is essential. Such self-discipline and behavioural changes are the need of the hour. This kind of change will be needed for the entire year; it’s not a short-term adjustment that is required. We are dealing with a pandemic, so life, livelihoods and essential services… all are needed.”

Rao said: “Preventive measures like wearing masks, social distancing, handwashing will need to be followed, for the post lockdown period to be a success. More testing should be seen in the coming weeks.”

Dr Malhotra pointed out: “Coronavirus spreads through droplet contact, many villages of the country are relatively insulated.”

Neha wanted to know how to ensure that there has been no contact at all with Covid-infected people?

Dr Malhotra added: “Some kind of perspective and balance are needed. We are a hugely populated nation. Testing gets evolved over time. Testing kits need to be imported. Increased testing has been ordered globally in places that have witnessed greater flow of foreign visitors. Every day, the plans are evolving, and that is for the comfort of the people of the country.”

Dr Kumar said: “Lockdown helps in mitigating the crisis. Testing has gone up gradually. Lockdown has helped in isolating hotspots. Incubation period needs to be observed to ensure no newer cases emerge. It’s simply an assumption theory that where new cases do not show up, those areas are corona-free.”

Rao said: “Administration and the police will need to be doubly alert in areas where relaxation is ordered so as to prevent crowding. A high powered committee is deciding what kind of relaxation to order in what areas. There can be no hurry in ordering relaxations. This is a highly crucial phase.”

Dr Malhotra said: “Government has been improving testing rules. Earlier, testing was confined mainly to foreign travel visitors; now this has moved to those with respiratory diseases and those having fever. The testing speed has gone up. Testing kits are expensive, but I am satisfied with the testing speed. Of course, it must go up. A lot needs to happen, but the situation is being reviewed on a daily basis.”

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Prime Minister Modi, in his address to the nation on April 14, announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3. India’s Coronavirus Positive patients have gone beyond 10,000. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the developments. Anchorperson Neha Dubey spoke to panelists including urologist Dr Raman Tanwar, cancer specialist Dr Anshuman Kumar, Homeopathy expert Dr Sudhir Tomar and chairman, PSRI Hospital, Dr TS Kler.

Dr Tanwar said: “Coronavirus symptoms take time to show, which is why precautions are needed to control its spread. Due to the lockdown, the rise in numbers has been manageable. In the US and the UK, the situation is quite bad, and greater management logistics are needed there. The decision to extend the lockdown is good. The economic costs are small in comparison to the gains we expect.”

Dr Kumar said: “Coronavirus cases are on the rise. And in the coming days, the numbers are bound to rise. It’s important to arrest this trend. You can’t see everything from the global perspective. Our population is far greater than any European or other nations. The lockdown will lead to a delayed rise in cases. The virus is not going to end. Ultimately, we all will have to go through herd immunity. We have to see per area population.”

Dr Tanwar said: “We should understand that this is not the time to conjecture. We should not try to create a scare. If the existing cases are in isolation, the numbers will be arrested. Hotspot identification will help to segregate such areas to look at further isolation. If 60 percent of the population is infected, then it leads to herd immunity and the virus is less likely to spread further. It’s important to remain positive.”

Dr Kumar said: “Doctors must present a realistic picture so that proper actions can be taken at the societal level in time. The reality is that cases are bound to rise. Even the lab testing is not as much as is required.”

Dr Tomar said: “We could look at homeopathy since the vaccine will take time. I would recommend patients to try homeopathy treatment. We could show result in three hours.”

Dr Kumar said: “In allopathy, we see antigens and antibodies. How to check the response in homeopathy? If homeopathy helps, that’s good because even the proposed vaccine will take time.”

Dr Kler said: “We have not seen any studied scientific result through homeopathy. It was important to extend the lockdown. The coming days are crucial. In the next ten days itself, we shall see the result of this extended lockdown.”

Dr Tanwar said: “It is true that in areas where social distancing has not been followed, like Mumbai’s Dharavi, and in certain areas of Jharkhand, there has been a rise in numbers. That’s why it’s important to maintain social distancing.”

Dr Tomar said: “I would say there’s no harm in trying homeopathy since there is so far no medicine to deal with it in allopathy.”

Dr Kumar said: “We are allopath doctors. And we believe in evidence. Homeopathy was started in Germany, why they did not take the homeopathy route in Germany?”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy came from Germany, but there its practice is next to nil. Allopathy is a science that goes on evidence. 98 percent of treatments in the world are through allopathy, but right now the crisis is such that there is no treatment. The vaccine will take time, there are a lot of able scientists but till one may look at homeopathy. I have treated thousands of viral patients. This is not a debate on allopathy and homeopathy.”

Dr Kler said: “There should be no fear, it’s not that the disease is spreading through quarantine centres. One thing we would like to see is that there should be more testing. It is important to test immunity, through the antibodies test, for example.”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy has effective immunity-boosting cure. In three hours’ immunity improves through homeopathy.”

Dr Anshuman said: “This is no time to debate. If there is a way out in homeopath, please go ahead. In allopathy, we too evaluate immunity.”

Dr Kler said: “To try an alternative therapy, there is a protocol that needs to be followed and the patient needs to be informed of that. Also, I would like to reiterate that emphasis must also be given to the mental health of Corona patients and also those in quarantine or isolation. Those on quarantined must be counselled so that they do not feel any stigma or shame.”

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