NDTV TOP STORIES
1. Indicating a possible massive undercounting in COVID-19 deaths in Madhya Pradesh, the number of reported deaths in the state during the second wave of the pandemic is over three times more than the average number of deaths reported during these months in pre-Covid times. However, the official figures for Covid deaths are only a fraction of these excess deaths reported. 2. At a time when vaccine shortage is being reported across the country, government data shows that only 17 per cent of doses were utilised in private hospitals last month, leaving them with massive unused stock. According to a press release by the Health Ministry on June 4, a total of 7.4 crore doses were made available across the country in May, of which 1.85 crore doses were earmarked for private hospitals. 3. Based on the recommendations of the group of ministers constituted to deliberate on the tax rates of COVID-related essential items, the GST Council cuts tax rates on most supplies and exempted the medicines for treating the black fungus infection off GST. The Council decided that tax cuts are valid till September 30, and can be extended further upon nearing the deadline. 4. Minister of State in the Finance Ministry Anurag Thakur dismisses the remarks of West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, who claimed that he was not allowed to speak at the end of the GST Council meeting held in Delhi on Saturday. Referring to Amit Mitra's letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard, Anurag Thakur in a series of tweets on Saturday said that in his experience as MoS in the last two years, he had not seen Ms Sitharaman cut off anyone during the GST Council meeting. 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday calls for adopting a "one earth, one health" approach to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic globally during a virtual address at a session of the G7 summit. 6. Thousands of people came together online to save the life of a three-year-old boy in Hyderabad, Telangana, by helping him get an injection worth Rs 16 crore to treat a rare genetic disorder.
