PM Narendra Modi and the Chief Ministers are expected to discuss plans for after June 30.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had started his online conference with Chief Ministers to discuss coronavirus and plans for after June 30, when the current phase of the countrywide lockdown comes to an end. The meeting comes amid a 'violent face-off" between India and China in Ladakh that took place overnight.
Amid the world's battle with the pandemic -- which surfaced in China in December -- the army reported a "violent face-off" with China in Ladakh's Galwan Valley last night, in which "casualties (were) suffered on both sides". An officer and two soldiers of the Indian army died for the country. This was the first violent incident involving fatalities since 1967 between India and China, who fought a brief border war in 1975.
In the afternoon, sources in the Prime Minister's Office said PM Modi's scheduled meeting with Chief Ministers via video conferencing on COVID-19 "will be held as per the plan".
While a fresh surge of cases have been reported in Beijing this week, India has logged 3,43,091 cases of the highly infectious virus. Over the last 24 hours, 10,667 new patients have tested positive. The number if fatalities had touched 9,900, with 380 deaths reported over the last 24 hours.
The Prime Minister's meeting comes amid a worrying surge in the infection over the last fortnight.
Chief Ministers of 20 states are expected to join the Prime Minister in discussing the road ahead. The list of states includes Punjab, Assam and all other northeastern states. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was also expected to join the meeting, has dropped out at the last minute.
Tomorrow, PM Modi will meet with the Chief Ministers of the 15 worst-affected states - including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat. These will be the sixth and seventh meetings between the Prime Minister and various chief ministers on the COVID-19 crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed over 4.36 lakh people globally since it emerged in China late last year. Over 80.29 lakh people have been infected with the highly contagious virus.