Centre seeks details of journalists who died due to COVID, to give financial aid to kin

As India awaits the Centre's approval for the first vaccine against Coronavirus (COVID-19), the government is seeking details of journalists who have died due to COVID-19 to help their immediate families. As per a Press Information Bureau (PIB) announcement on Tuesday, the press agency is seeking the deceased's details such as proof of working as a journalist, death certificate (due to COVID-19) and any proof of income/ IT returns apart from the application form, consent form under the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS). The JWS scheme, under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has been in force since 5 March 2019.

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What is the Journalists Welfare Scheme (JWS)?

Under the JWS, a journalist who is an Indian citizen, accredited to PIB or non-accredited but a journalist for minimum five continuous years, is eligible for relief from the Scheme in case of death, permanent disabilities, major ailments, accidents causing serious injuries. The payment under the scheme will be made from Centre's annual budgetary allocations under JWS and the govt committee may recommend higher assistance if necessary or suggest deviations. The financial grant under the scheme to any working journalist is not a 'matter of right' and will be extended depending on the Committee's satisfaction regarding the merits of the case. 

Key features of the Scheme:

• Upto Rs 5 Lakhs provided to family under extreme hardship on account of death of journalist
• Upto Rs 5 lakhs to journalist in case of permanent disability rendering him incapable of earning a livelihood
• Upto Rs 3 lakhs for treatment of major ailments like cancer, renal failure, heart ailments, angioplasty, brain hemorrhage and paralytic attack
• Upto Rs 2 lakhs in case of accidents causing serious injuries necessitating hospitalisation

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India: Active cases below 2.7 lakhs

The Health Ministry informed that active cases in the country were less than 2.7 lakhs and were constantly declining. "Positivity rate in the country during the last week stood at only 2.25%," said the Union Health Secretary. India reported 16,432 new cases of Coronavirus on Tuesday taking the total tally to 1,02,24,303. There are currently 2,68,581 active cases in the country while 98,07,569 people have recovered from the disease and 1,48,153 casualities. India has extended its current COVID-19 lockdown till January 31.

The Union Health Ministry also allayed concerns over the new strain of Coronavirus in India assuring that the vaccines under development would also work against the variants detected in UK and South Africa. The Health Ministry's statement comes hours after 6 samples of UK returnees tested positive for the new strain in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune. It has issued a notice announcing genome sequencing for all international passengers who have arrived in India between December 9 to December 22, if found to be symptomatic and positive for COVID-19.

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