India has recorded the biggest single-day spike of 66,999 COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections to 23,96,637. However, the recovery rate has gone up to 70.76 per cent, with 16,95,982 people recovering in the country from covid 19 , government data this morning showed. With the death of 942 patients in the last 24 hours, the county’s fatality count rose 47,033, the Union Health Ministry said.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh are the five states which reported the highest number of cases in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra has seen 5,48,313 cases so far, which include 1,47,820 active cases and 13,408 recoveries. The state recorded 12,712 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday while the death count stands at 18,650.
India tested the highest the number of samples for the coronavirus disease, said the health ministry on Thursday. This took the cumulative testing figure in India to 2,68,45,688 crore.
A record 8,30,391 samples were tested on Wednesday in the country.
“In pursuance of the ”test, track and treat” strategy, India is geared up to reach the testing capacity of 10 lakh tests per day,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile The UGC has told the Supreme Court that final examination is a “crucial step” in the academic career of a student and the state government cannot say that its 6 July directive, asking universities and colleges to conduct final year examinations by 30 September amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was “not binding”.
The UGC said the 6 July guidelines are based on the recommendations of experts and have been made after due deliberation and it is wrong to claim that it will not be possible to conduct the final examinations in terms of the guidelines.
“That apart, the state govt (Maharashtra) avers that the next academic session must begin in the interest of students, while, at the same time, contending that the final examinations should be cancelled and degrees can be awarded without such examinations even though such a step would irreparably damage the future of students. Such contentions by the state govt are clearly therefore meritless,” the UGC said in its reply to the affidavit filed by Maharashtra earlier.
