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Thursday, April 23, 2026
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Isha Vidhya campuses offered as COVID care centers to TN Govt

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The Commune
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Sending out a message of solidarity with the government of Tamil Nadu, Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, offered the premises of Isha Vidhya schools to the administration for use as COVID care centers. The schools are in Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Cuddalore and Dharmapuri districts. In a post on his Twitter handle, Sadhguru wrote: “We are offering premises of #IshaVidhya schools to Tamil Nadu government as #COVID care centers with a bed capacity of 990. I appeal to the community to unite in strengthening the hands of the administration to overcome this challenge.”

His message comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is witnessing the second wave of the virus.

Last year, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev contributed ₹11.54 crore to  Isha’s community outreach efforts in villages around the Yoga Center in Thondamuthur. The funds were raised through online auction of three of his paintings. Isha volunteers used the proceeds from the auction to provide food and an immunity booster drink every day to thousands of people to protect them from starvation due to loss of livelihoods during the lockdown.

Isha volunteers continue to provide Nilavembu Kasayam every day in the villages, now famously dubbed “Corona Tea” by the villagers. The bitter herbal concoction has gained a huge following with even children gulping it down gratefully and several people testifying to its positive impact on chronic health conditions besides strengthening the immune system.

Isha also supported the local administration with medical infrastructure and supplies including distribution of face shields, sanitizers and PPE kits to frontline workers and equipping local primary care centers with necessary infrastructure.

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India, Japan and Australia launch the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative

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The Commune
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supply chain

Trade Ministers of India, Japan and Australia formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) in a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on 27 April.

Dan Tehan, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Kajiyama Hiroshi, Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry launched the initiative through a Ministerial videoconference.

The SCRI aims to create a “virtuous cycle” of enhancing supply chain resilience with a view to eventually attaining strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the region.

According to a joint press statement adopted in the virtual meet, the three countries “acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic was having an unprecedented impact in terms of lives lost, livelihoods and economies affected, and that the pandemic had revealed supply chain vulnerabilities globally and in the region”.

“The Ministers also noted that some supply chains have been left vulnerable due to a range of factors”, the statement added.

“Based on the high level consultations among Australia, India and Japan since September last year, the Ministers noted the importance of risk management and continuity plans in order to avoid supply chain disruptions and affirmed their commitment to strengthen resilient supply chains. Possible policy measures may include: (i) supporting the enhanced utilization of digital technology; and (ii) supporting trade and investment diversification,” the statement continued.

“The Ministers instructed their officials to implement the following as initial projects of SCRI and further develop the Initiative: (i) sharing of best practices on supply chain resilience; and (ii) holding investment promotion events and buyer-seller matching events to provide opportunities for stakeholders to explore the possibility of diversification of their supply chains”, the statement said.

The statement further said that the ministers had decided to convene at least once a year to provide guidance to the implementation of the SCRI as well as to consult on how to develop the Initiative. The Ministers noted the important role of business and academia for the Initiative, it said.

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Brett Lee donates bitcoin worth ₹40 lakh towards India’s COVID relief

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The Commune
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Following suit with Pat Cummings, former Australian cricketer Brett Lee donated Bitcoin towards COVID relief in India. This is approximately worth ₹40 lakh.

“It saddens me deeply to see people suffering due to the ongoing pandemic. I feel privileged to be in a position of making a difference and with that in mind, I’d like to donate 1 BTC (Bitcoin) to Crypto Relief to help with the purchase of oxygen supplies for the hospitals across India,” Lee said in a statement which he posted on Twitter. He added, saying, “India has always been like a second home for me. The love and affection that I have got from the people of this country both during my professional career and even after my retirement, holds a special place in my heart.”

“I request people to please take care, stay at home, wash your hands and head out only if absolutely necessary, wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Well done Pat Cummins for the initiative yesterday,” Lee went on to say.

It is to be noted that bitcoin is not considered legal for transactions in India. Nevertheless, this gesture by the former pacer was widely appreciated by the Twitterati.

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This 25 year old woman from Bengaluru made it to Forbes’ list of millionaires under 30

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The Commune
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While the entire world grappled with the lemons that were given to them by life in the form of the coronavirus pandemic, a 25-year-old turned into a multimillion-dollar business. Vibha Harish is a 25-year-old millionaire from Bengaluru, who has made it to Forbes’ millionaires under 30. Now, her brand boasts a turnover of ₹12 crores per annum.

In just one year of starting Cosmix, her health supplement brand, Vibha has made it one of the fastest-growing ventures in India. She was featured in a Forbes article that quotes her company as follows: “The Bangalore-based startup makes nutritional powder supplements from fruits, herbs and roots, which it says can help boost immunity and improve sleep.”

Vibha had started this company to help fill the void for women like her who suffered from inadequate nutrition supplements. This was also a result of a personal observation, since she herself was diagnosed with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) when she was 12. This pushed her to find holistic dietary alternatives for women like her.

What makes Vibha’s company stand out from other nutrition brands like Cosmix is the fact that it has a Nutrition for All program, which donates food and energy bars to malnourished children in rural India.

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Karnataka’s total lockdown forces crowds of people to relocate to Kerala via Koodalur

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The Commune
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Crowds of people are returning to the Nilgiris district and Kerala via Cuddalore in response to the total lockdown which is in force in the state of Karnataka.

The state government has declared a complete curfew in Karnataka from this evening till May 10 as the coronavirus’ second wave is at its peak. Meanwhile, people from the Nilgiris and Kerala who had gone to work in Karnataka have started returning to their hometowns via Cuddalore this morning.

Hundreds of vehicles from the Nilgiris district and Kerala were spotted at the Kakkanalla check post on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Similarly, people from the state of Karnataka residing in areas including Ooty are returning to their hometowns.

The Karnataka State Government enforced a two-week lockdown as a result of the mounting number of COVID cases in the state. This essentially meant that all services like restaurants, malls, gyms, public transport and such were suspended. The state, however, allows food deliveries in a fixed bracket of time, as well as allows essential services to operate between 6 am and 10 am. Only construction, manufacturing and agriculture sectors will be allowed to function during the period.

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FCRA NGOs ask NITI Aayog CEO to write letter to HM seeking relaxation of FCRA rules

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The Commune
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illegal church lrpf landgrab

Foreign-funded NGOs have repetitively asked the central government to relax the FCRA regulations related to foreign funding. In this regard, the NGOs who attended the meeting organized by NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, urged him to write a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah to relax the FCRA norms.

According to the Legal Rights Observatory, this includes some NGOs with prominent, suspicious backgrounds. These NGOs have been accused of taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to engage in proselytizing activities. The Legal Rights Observatory has said it will not allow this to happen.

The LRO has also said that it will submit a counter representation against the NGOs’ request. Pointing out that missionary organizations have converted more than 1 lakh people using the coronavirus pandemic, the LRO has warned that giving freedom to NGOs would be detrimental to India’s national security.

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“Trains with state-of-the-art COVID care facilities established for housing COVID patients”: Union Railways Ministry

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The Commune
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Central and state governments are taking various precautionary measures to tackle the second wave of corona in India. As part of this, the Indian Railways has sent train compartments to be used by the respective state governments to accommodate corona patients with mild symptoms. In the first phase, it has sent trains to the worst-hit states of Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

In a press release issued by the Ministry of Railways in this regard, it said, “As the country struggles against the 2nd wave of Corona, the railways are making additional upgrades to trains to help with COVID treatment and sending them to several states. State Governments are requested to follow standard operating rules in this regard. About 4,000 COVID treatment compartments with 64,000 beds are parked at various railway stations in the country. Some of these, during the first wave of COVID, were already used as isolation wards.”

It went on to say, “There are 50 compartments with 800 beds in Delhi at the Sagarbasti railway station. Of these, 4 are currently used for housing patients. There are 25 compartments with 400 beds at Anand Vihar railway station. There are 21 train carriages with 378 beds parked at Nandarpur railway station in Maharashtra. Of these, there are 55 patients who are currently admitted in them. At the Bhopal railway station, 20 trains are parked. About 50 trains are ready to go to Punjab, and 20 of these are ready to go to Jabalpur.”

It concluded, saying, “At the request of state governments, these isolation ward compartments will be used for patients with mild and moderate symptoms. The Railways will make every effort to provide patients with what they need on these trains and to maintain hygiene. Details of the use of these isolated ward trains by the State Governments will be released from time to time. ”

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Three people held in Hyderabad for selling oxygen cylinders on the black market

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The Commune
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Three people were held in Hyderabad for selling oxygen cylinders on the black market after they received a tip about someone illegally transporting oxygen cylinders.

Following this, the local police under the Malkajgiri police station started a search party of all the vehicles in the limits. While doing so, a van containing fifteen oxygen cylinders was found and confiscated. These cylinders had 150 litres each. While investigating the culprits, it was found that they had gotten this for ₹16,000 and had been trying to sell it for ₹25,000. The kingpin was nabbed by the police, who confessed that he had recruited the other two to transport and sell the cylinders to those who were urgently in need of oxygen cylinders.

One of the accused was revealed to be running an NGO that was supplying oxygen cylinders and other medical services for COVID patients in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Telangana reported over 10,122 COVID cases as of Monday, of which a majority comprised cases from Hyderabad. Patients of Telangana were found to have a lot of difficulty in recovery thanks to the high obesity rates in the state.

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Smuggling syndicate using specially designed undergarments to conceal gold busted

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The Commune
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gold smuggling

A top gold smuggling syndicate, using specially designed brassieres and panties to smuggle gold paste into the country, has been busted. The criminal syndicate had hired women couriers wearing these special undergarments to smuggle gold in paste form. One of the key couriers, a 39-year-old woman, was arrested at Lucknow airport on Monday with 1,259 grams of yellow paste, hidden in a specially designed brassiere and panty.

Top sources in the Customs (Preventive) unit of Lucknow revealed that a young woman, originally hailing from Turkman Gate, Delhi, travelling from Dubai, landed from flight no FZ 8325 on April 26, 2021. Based on an intelligence input, she was intercepted while trying to exit from the airport. “When the women staff searched her, the yellow paste was recovered from the bra and panty worn by the courier. The yellow paste, packed in black polythene and stitched in her bra was recovered,” revealed a Customs source.

The accused was produced before the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Customs), Lucknow on April 27, wherein she was remanded to judicial custody.

Revealing the unique modus operandi of the smuggling syndicate, sources said that women couriers, in the form of passengers were sent to Dubai, from where they carried consignments of yellow gold paste, cleverly concealed in undergarments. The couriers were frequently flying to the UAE and returning to India through different airports. For instance, the woman bearing passport M6779486, arrested at Lucknow on April 26, had flown to Dubai several times. Before landing at Lucknow, in her earlier journey to UAE, she had returned through the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi on 6 January, 2021.

“We are trying to ascertain the kingpin of this syndicate and also the number of women couriers engaged in smuggling activities,” the source added.

Earlier on January 14 this year, two passengers, who had boarded an Air India Express flight, IX 1384 from Sharjah were arrested at Mangalore International airport. Both passengers were carrying gold paste, worth over ₹1 crore hidden in their undergarments. “Wherever one hides the gold, in whatever form, liquid or paste, he/she should be clear that we will trace it finally. Some smugglers have hidden gold paste packets in the rectum, but we recovered it,” said a Customs officer of the rank of Commissioner.

A confidential report of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) says that big-time crime syndicates operating across India are smuggling gold in a paste form to dodge metal detectors and hi-tech X-ray machines installed at all international airports. DRI report reveals that these syndicates, through this method, smuggle gold by converting the yellow metal into powder and compounds in a paste form. Once the consignment is smuggled, approximately 700 gm of gold per 1,000 gm of paste is retrieved from a chemical procedure. The gold, in pure form, is then handed over to the concerned party.

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Seven arrested in kidnapping plot; inquiry reveals that accused was angry over loss in investments

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The Commune
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kidnapping

The Ullal police arrested seven persons on Tuesday, April 27, in connection with the kidnapping at KC Road and Hosangadi.

The arrested have been identified as Ahmed Iqbal (33) from Attavara in Mangaluru, Yakoob (33) from Manjeshwara in Kerala, Umar Nawaf (24) from Manjeshwara, Shamsheer (29) from Kasaragod, Sayyed Mohammed Kausar (41) from Uppala, Naushad (28) from Manjeshwara and Sheikh Mohammed Riyaz (28) from Uppala.

The police also seized three cars, one bike, 10 mobile phones, 2 swords, one dagger, property documents and a gold necklace weighing 120-gram from their possession.

It is alleged that on April 22, a man identified as Ahmed Ashraf was kidnapped from KC Road. Soon, even Ashraf’s friend, Javed was kidnapped from Hosangadi. The duo was locked up in a house and assaulted by the accused. The victims were rescued from Talapady on April 24. The accused had demanded money, original property documents for the property in Manjeshwara from the families of the victims. The accused had threatened to kill Ashraf and Javed if their families did not fulfil the said demands.

Kidnappers had lost their investments following the victim’s advice

It was later revealed that the victims Ashraf and Javed had advised the accused Iqbal to invest money in a company called MCT Trading, Toll Deal, cryptocurrency and Forex Trading. Ashraf and Javed had convinced Iqbal that he would get three times the return for his investments, following which Iqbal had invested ₹27 lakh.

Iqbal had also borrowed ₹5 lakh from the other accused in this case, Yakoob. Along with the profit, Ashraf and Javed had to pay ₹99 lakh to Iqbal. However, they only ended up paying ₹10 lakh. Even after over one year, Ashraf could not pay Iqbal the remaining money, which had led to his and Javed’s abduction.

Angered at the loss of his money, Iqbal had contacted Umar Nawaf to plot the kidnapping of Ashraf and Javed. The crime was successfully executed with the help of Umar Nawaf and his gang.

Umar Nawaf is a habitual offender who has ten cases registered against him in various police stations, including murder and robbery. He is also known to be the main accused in the ‘Target Ilyas’ case

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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