This is an archive article published on June 14, 2020
PM Modi holds meet to review India’s pandemic response
The review meeting headed by the PM comes two days after the Union Cabinet Secretary had held a meeting with state chief secretaries, where it was highlighted that the high case-load states/districts need to conduct additional testing and focus on early testing of high-risk contacts.
As India crossed the 3 lakh-mark for Covid-19 infections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a detailed meeting with senior ministers and public health experts to review India’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The review meeting, which included Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, discussed the challenges being faced, particularly by urban hotspots, strategy to augment testing, as well as the number of beds needed to effectively handle the surge of daily cases.
The review meeting headed by the PM comes two days after the Union Cabinet Secretary had held a meeting with state chief secretaries, where it was highlighted that the high case-load states/districts need to conduct additional testing and focus on early testing of high-risk contacts.
In the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, it was highlighted that 76 per cent of total active cases were concentrated in six states — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
A similar detailed presentation was made on Saturday by Dr Vinod Paul, NITI Aayog member and Convenor of the Empowered Group of Medical Emergency Management Plan, on the current status and likely scenario of Covid-19 cases in the medium term, where it was highlighted that out of the total cases, two-thirds are concentrated in five states, with an overwhelming proportion of cases in big cities.
Even as the urgent focus of the government is now on fatality mitigation, with the country reporting 8,884 deaths, Modi is learnt to have directed Health Ministry officials to undertake emergency planning in consultation with the states.
While it has been communicated to the states that the key challenge for the next one month for 14 districts in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Thane, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chengalpattu, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Hyderabad will be shortage of hospital beds, the PM on Saturday took cognizance of the recommendations of the Empowered Group on city- and district-wise requirements of hospital beds/isolation beds that will be required due to the surge in infections being reported across the country.
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The meeting — also attended by Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary, Health Secretary, DG ICMR and other related conveners of the empowered groups —reviewed the national-level status and preparation.
The meeting took stock of the situation in various states and Union territories including Delhi, and specifically the present and emerging scenario of the surge of cases in the national capital and the projections for the next two months.
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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PM Narendra Modi (PTI)
