Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cancelled all his public rallies in poll-bound West Bengal following a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.

He also advised all other politicians to think about the consequences of holding large public rallies.

India's total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 1.50 crorewith a record single-day rise of2,73,810new coronavirus infections,while the active cases surpassed the 19-lakh mark,according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases mounted to 1,50,61,919 and the death toll increased to 1,78,769with a record 1,619 daily new fatalities,the data updated at 8 am showed.

Amazon Pay, the digital payments of the e-commerce giant Amazon.com, said it has empowered over 5 million neighbourhood stores and businesses with its digital payments infrastructure. These SMBs (small and medium businesses), most of whom earlier transacted only in cash, can now accept payments from their customers using Amazon Pay’s QR (quick response) code.

India's largest private lender HDFC Bank on Saturday reported a 18 per cent year-on-year growth in standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 2021 (Q4FY21) at Rs 8,186 crore. It was Rs 6,927.6 crore in the year-ago period (Q4FY20).

However, sequentially, the standalone net profit declined 6.5 per cent compared with Rs 8,758 crore in the December quarter (Q3FY21).

Pharma exports from India witnessed over 18 per cent growth to USD 24.44 billion during the last financial year against USD 20.58 billion in FY20, Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) said on Saturday.

We have observed a big leap in our exports in the month of March 2021 which is USD 2.3 billion (figures for March are provisional) and is highest among the exports of all the months of this financial year, the growth rate for this month is 48.5 per cent against the exports in March 2020 (USD 1.54 billion), Udaya Bhaskar, Director General of Pharmexcil said in a release.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday reviewed the availability of oxygen, ventilators, manpower, and hospital beds with 11 high-burden states reporting massive surge in coronavirus cases.

He assured the states that the union government will continue to assist them in fight against the pandemic.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19.

I have tested positive for COVID-19. I request everyone who came in close contact with me over the last few days to isolate themselves and get tested, he said in a tweet.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has nearly touched 12 crores as part of the world's largest vaccination drive, the Union Health Ministry has informed on Saturday.

According to the ministry, a total of 11,99,37,641 vaccine doses have been administered through 17,37,539 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.

Spelling huge relief for lakhs of Covid-19 patients, the government has slashed the prices of the 'life-saver' Remdesivir injection by nearly 50 per cent, to MRP Rs 2,450 per injection now, according to official sources.

In a missive late on Friday, the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers, Department of Pharmaceuticals, NPPA - Advisor (Costs) N.I. Chowdhury has ordered all pharma companies to comply with the revised norms with immediate and retrospective effect.

The Jharkhand High Court on Saturday granted bail to RJD president Lalu Prasad in Dumka treasury case of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam, paving way for his release from jail.

The bail was allowed to Prasad by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh.

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