Policy
In order to work on improving the dismal air quality in the national capital region and surrounding areas, President Ram Nath Kovind has promulgated an ordinance to constitute a Commission for Air Quality Management, which will work on coordination, research, identification and resolution of problems through taking measures, issue directions and entertain complaints.
Economy
In a view to bringing down the sky-high online prices, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated that the government is going to release the buffer stock of 1 lakh tonnes of the staple food through NAFED.
Financial aid
During the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, India has announced a USD 1 billion Line of Credit on priority development projects in connectivity, energy, IT, healthcare, education, agriculture, etc, in Central Asian countries, and promised to find common problems, including terrorism.
Report
As per the Electricity Access & Utility Benchmarking Report by NITI Aayog, Rockefeller Foundation & Smart Power India, under which a surveY across 10 states with the sample size of more than 25000 (households, commercial establishments, institutions) was undertaken, 92% of customers reported the overall availability of electricity infrastructure within 50 metres of their premises; 87% of the surveyed customers have access to grid-based electricity; 85% of customers reported to have a metered electricity connection; access to electricity is observed in 83% of household customers. The hours of supply has been nearly 17 hours per day.
As per a study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research on October 26, 2020, around 15% of COVID-19 deaths could be linked to long-term exposure to air pollution. The study looked at death rates and pollution levels in particular areas and came up with the percentages. Around 27% of COVID deaths in East Asia, 19% in Europe and 17% in North America were related to long term exposure to air pollution.