DH Evening Brief: June 12, 2021

Here are the top headlines this evening.

GST council cuts rates on Covid-19 essentials to 5%

The GST Council Saturday waived tax rates on medicines to treat black fungus and reduced levies on a host of Covid-19 essentials such as ventilators, ambulances, test kits and hand sanitisers, in a move that is expected to give much needed relief to the common man fighting the second wave of the pandemic. Read more

Chances of a third Covid-19 wave 'quite real': Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday cautioned that chances of a third wave of Covid-19 pandemic were "quite real", adding that his government was preparing on a "war-footing" to combat it.The national capital lifted its lockdown-like restrictions after daily cases registered a consistent dip. On Friday, Delhi reported 238 new infections, the lowest in nearly three months. Read more

Explained: How Covid-19 vaccine gaps affect immunity

One of the enduring debates that have run through the course of Covid-19 waves and vaccinations is the question of gaps between jabs. The contentious issue has had numerous studies conducted on it and governments flip-flopping on what the right policy should be. Read more

GST Council cuts tax rates on Covid-19 essentials: What got cheaper?

The GST Council on Saturdaydecided to cut tax rateson a number of items crucial in the fight against Covid-19. These include essential medicines, oxygen generation equipment, pulse oximeters and diagnostic and testing machine kits. Here are 10 key points you need to know about the revised rates. Read more

'Corona Mata' temple in Uttar Pradesh demolished, one arrested

As the number of 'devotees' seeking ''divine protection'' from Covid-19 swelled, the administration demolished the newly constructed 'Corona Mata' temple in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district. Read more

Diesel at Rs 100 mark in Rajasthan, Karnataka sees petrol at Rs 100/litre

Diesel price on Saturday breached the Rs 100 per litre mark in Rajasthan after yet another increase in fuel rates, which also led to Karnataka becoming the 7th state to record Rs 100 a litre petrol.Petrol price was hiked by 27 paise per litre and diesel by 23 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Read more

Laughter in a harsh world: Selections from poet Siddalingaiah's autobiography

The pandemic has claimed Dr Siddalingaiah, the Kannada poet who deployed impish humour against a harsh world. Here is a selection from S R Ramakrishna's translation of his autobiography 'Ooru Keri'. Read more

Digvijaya Singh kicks off row over 're-look Article 370' remarks

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh’s offer to have a re-look into the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir kicked off a political row with BJP accusing the senior Congress leader of playing into the hands of Pakistan. Read more

Extending vaccine intervals may leave you vulnerable to variants: Dr Fauci

Vaccination against Covid-19 is the key to fight the infection and extending jab intervals could leave the population vulnerable to one of the Covid-19 variants, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, medical advisor to the US President. Read more

You may soon get a driving licence without a test if you learn at an accredited training centre

The road ministry on Friday notified rules for accredited driver training centres where candidates will be provided high-quality driving courses, and once test is cleared, they will be exempted from driving test at the time of obtaining driving licence. Read more