Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the media representatives to launch 'Stay Home' campaign so that citizens can understand the gravity of the situation and take the lockdown seriously. Prime Minister today interacted with media heads through video conferencing over COVID-19 outbreak.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar was also present. They discussed the ways to tackle the crisis and role of media in creating awareness about it. Prime Minister also urged the media personnel to take due precautions. 

In Madhya Pradesh, India's cleanest city- Indore has deploy drones to sanitize city areas against the coronavirus outbreak by sprinkle chemicals. Indore could be the first city in India to attempt to fight off the virus scare this way.

The Indore Municipal Corporation has hired two drones for that purpose.The state has reported six cases till now, five in Jabalpur and one in Bhopal. Test report of 12 patients is awaited. AIR correspodent reports that it is a first-of-its kind attempt by which crowded areas are sanitizing with the help of drones. Vegetables markets and streets of the Indore are being sprayed with sodium hypochlorite and bio-clean.

The spraying is already started at Choithram mandi and some other places. These drones take off with 16 litres of chemicals in each flight and return after 30 minutes having sprayed chemicals in an area spanning 8-10km. An official informed that special care is being taken to ensure the spray doesn’t harm citizens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people not to leave their houses in lockdown districts and states and follow instructions in fight against COVID-19. In a series of tweets,  Mr Modi cautioned people against complacency.

Prime Minister has lauded the people for showing their gratitude to Corona warriors like doctors, nurses and sanitation workers. People across the country came out of their homes and on their balconies at 5 pm yesterday to clap, clang utensils and ring bells to express solidarity.

In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, the nation thanks every citizen who is leading the fight against Coronavirus. Prime Minister said, this is just a beginning of nation's victory march in a long battle against COVID-19. As the clock struck five, people came out in balconies, lawns and terraces, to express gratitude to doctors, nurses and others working continuously to combat Covid 19.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has sought a Central Grant of 100 crore rupees for Lucknow University and Kashi Vidyapeeth.

The Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister of Uttar Pradesh Dr. Dinesh Sharma on Friday met Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in Delhi and made the request.

Mr. Sharma said that both the  educational institutions have completed 100 years of their establishment and there is a provision of special grant of Rs 100 crores for these institutions.

Indian Railways has taken a slew of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. The measures are being implemented across all the zones . Indian Railways has taken steps to discourage citizens from undertaking non essential journeys by temporarily removing special incentives for many categories including suspension of passenger and some long distance trains.

AIR correspondent reports that keeping in view Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to observe Janta Curfew tomorrow and the steep decline in the number of passengers, Indian Railways has reduced the number of trains which would be plying. In wake of the same, Passenger trains originating from midnight till 10 in the night tomorrow stands cancelled.

Indian Railways has taken a slew of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. The measures are being implemented across all the zones . Indian Railways has taken steps to discourage citizens from undertaking non essential journeys by temporarily removing special incentives for many categories including suspension of passenger and some long distance trains.

AIR correspondent reports that keeping in view Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to observe Janta Curfew tomorrow and the steep decline in the number of passengers, Indian Railways has reduced the number of trains which would be plying. In wake of the same, Passenger trains originating from midnight till 10 in the night tomorrow stands cancelled.

Indian Railways has taken a slew of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. The measures are being implemented across all the zones . Indian Railways has taken steps to discourage citizens from undertaking non essential journeys by temporarily removing special incentives for many categories including suspension of passenger and some long distance trains.

AIR correspondent reports that keeping in view Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to observe Janta Curfew tomorrow and the steep decline in the number of passengers, Indian Railways has reduced the number of trains which would be plying. In wake of the same, Passenger trains originating from midnight till 10 in the night tomorrow stands cancelled.

Greece has handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers at an event which was 'significantly scaled-down' due to coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony, which took place at Athens' iconic Panathenaic stadium, did not include the planned cultural ceremonies from Greece or Japan.

Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos handed the torch over to the Tokyo Organising Committee.

In the absence of spectators, Olympic gymnastics champion Lefteris Petrounias ran a lap with the flame and Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi lit a cauldron inside the all-marble Panathenaic stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.

The flame was then handed to Tokyo 2020 representative Naoko Imoto, a swimmer who competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Imoto, a UNICEF representative, was reportedly a last-minute appointment as she already lives in Greece and did not have to travel from Japan.

Today is World Sparrow Day. Every year March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day to raise awareness about the bird. The need for marking this day was felt due to the tremendous decrease in its population. The house sparrow is on the verge of extinction.

The initiative was started by Nature Forever Society (NFS) of India, founded by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist. He started his work helping the house sparrow in Nashik. He was also named one of the Heroes of the Environment for 2008 by Time magazine for his efforts. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 in different parts of the world.

Increased use of pesticides, change in the pattern of buildings and gardens missing from the houses have become the main factors why the number of sparrows has declined sharply in the past few years. Also, the radiation from the mobile and the TV towers has also been a cause of death of sparrows. Birds navigate by sensing the earth's magnetic fields and mobile radiations are known to disturb them and interfering with bird's ability to move around.

Four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case were hanged to death at Tihar jail in Delhi early this morning. The executions were carried out after the convicts exhausted every possible legal avenue to escape the gallows.

Delhi High Court and Supreme Court last night dismissed a last-minute plea by the convicts, paving the way for the execution. This is for the first time that four men were hanged together in Tihar Jail.  

Nirbhaya, a para-medic student, was gangraped by six men in a moving bus in South West Delhi in December 2012. One of the accused killed himself in jail and the sixth-  a juvenile - was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term. Reacting to the development, Nirbhaya's mother thanked Indian judiciary for doing justice to Nirbhaya and millions of women across the country.