Domestic air travel resumes today and Monday’s newspapers note the chaos and confusion surrounding this operation as different quarantine protocols for different states emerge.
HT and TOI also note the disappointing news that India is now the 10th worst Covid-hit country in the world.
The Indian Express leads with the resumption of domestic travel and the last-minute confusion among authorities. Following the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s one-hour meeting Sunday to finalise routes and protocols, airlines have been asked to display “state-specific information” on their websites. They have also been warned “about the ‘cautiousness’ of state governments in allowing people to fly into their borders in large numbers”, it adds. E.P. Unny is quite tongue-in-cheek with his accompanying cartoon that highlights the “jetlag” people are encountering, even before takeoff.
A startling report ‘Maharashtra accounts for a third of all India…’ notes that in the past 10 days, the financial capital of the country has accounted for “more than 40 per cent of new infections detected in the country”. Interestingly, Express’ ‘Explained’ box highlights that if the Mumbai-Pune belt can be contained, it could help flatten the curve. However, it’s a “double-edged sword” since this region is crucial for economic activity.
And in a bizarre turn of events (‘Court grants activists bail saying they were only protesting, police arrest them again’), two student activists from Pinjratod, a student-based women’s collective in Delhi, who had been arrested by the police in connection to the Northeast Delhi riots, were granted bail by a Delhi court but were then once again arrested by the Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch.
“The women are facing three probes by the Special Cell, the Jafrabad police station, and the Crime Branch SIT”, notes the daily.
Hindustan Times seems to heave a sigh of relief as domestic flights in ‘States finally clear air for anxious flyers’.
In grim news, India has attained another unfortunate landmark–‘India now among 10 worst countries in Covid-19 cases’ notes that India “overtook Iran” Sunday in the number of cases which as of now stands at 1,38,526.
This when on the eastern border, “new Covid-19 cases dropped to zero for the first time on Saturday in China”, it adds.
For the first time in 33 years, Eid prayers will not be offered at the iconic Jama Masjid in Delhi, notes the paper in ‘Delhi prepares for a quiet Eid without congregations’. The paper reports that shopkeepers and tailors, usually busy during this time of year, have called this a “black Eid”.
As is the pattern today, The Hindu too leads with the resumption of domestic air travel. It notes that Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have decided not to resume flights till 26 May and 28 May, respectively.
The migrant workers are now facing new challenges after a special train in Bihar was attacked. In a disturbing report ‘Special train to northeast attacked in Bihar, returnees abused’, Hindu notes: “Trouble started when the passengers, mostly young persons from northeastern States, refused to let several people waiting on the platform into the train.” Some passengers “alleged that the police beat up some of the returnees on the train instead of disciplining the violent crowd”, it adds.
The Times of India masthead is beautifully animated in celebration of Eid. Unsurprisingly, the lead story is on the chaos surrounding the domestic flights that are all set to resume from today.
In a provocative report ‘India ready for long stand-off on China front’, the paper highlights that India is gearing up at several military points in Ladakh to prepare for the increasing border skirmishes with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). “Reinforcements in men and material are being rushed to the forward positions where soldiers from both sides have pitched tents and dug in”, it adds.
The paper’s second lead focuses on migrants and how even if they manage to reach home, survival is proving to be difficult. ‘Migrants flee cities, but it’s difficult at home too’ notes the concern of a village head from Chainpur in Jharkhand’s Palamu district. He says returning labour will be engaged in MGNREGA work but the “schemes were prepared in February, accounting for the workforce in villages then. How can the same scheme accommodate thousands coming back now?”
Mint’s lead (‘India Ready For Cautious Take-Off’) delivers some startling statistics on domestic air-travel. According to travel portal EaseMyTrip’s Nishant Pitti, “Nearly 60% of flights operating on Monday are full” and “about 90,000 people have booked for travel between 25 May and 31 May from airlines’ websites, travel agents and online platforms”.
In some positive news, online grocer BigBasket is on track to raise approximately $150-200 million as “e-commerce has emerged as the most viable alternative for people to source essential supplies” amid lockdown. Quoting several anonymous sources, the report notes that “this round of fundraising could possibly be the last private round of capital infusion in BigBasket before it goes public”.
Speaking of online grocers, there’s a new kid in town. A short report (‘For Reliance Retail’s JioMart, pvt labels are the way to go’) notes the entry of JioMart, billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s online grocery venture that “has gone live across 200 cities and towns”. This comes just a month after Facebook secured a record minority stake deal in Jio Platforms.
And bad news for banks refuses to abate. In ‘Rate cut puts squeeze on banks’, the paper reports that “banks are staring at the unpleasant decision of reducing interest rates for millions of depositors already getting poor returns, as they try to protect margins”. Not to mention, if borrowers currently under moratorium are unable to repay “lenders stand to lose as well”.
Business Standard’s second lead offers some hope on the resumption of economic activity. In ‘Back to business, slowly’, it notes that sectors like cement and power as well as sale of e-way bills, groceries and soft drinks are seeing spikes in demand. In a graphic titled “BABY STEPS”, the paper notes that cement, for example, is at 15 per cent of normal sector projections in April and “demand in May is 60%”. For the power sector, demand was minus 27 per cent YoY in mid-April but is now minus 14 per cent in May.
However, India’s FDI portfolio doesn’t look so promising. Currently, India’s “two week rolling average for daily [foreign fund] flows” is at (negative) $205 million, says the paper. In ‘Overseas investors once again step up selling’, the paper explains that foreign investors “have yanked out $1.7 billion amid disappointment over the Rs 20-trillion stimulus package and rising Covid-19 cases, despite multiple lockdown extensions”.