Here's a timeline of coronavirus-induced lockdown in India

The Centre on Sunday, while extending the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown by another two weeks until May 31, significantly eased restrictions outside containment zones and left it for states to demarcate zones based on guidelines issued by the Health ministry. Let us look at the lockdown chronology and understand how every lockdown was different from the previous one.

Hyderabad: India entered into the fourth phase of lockdown from May 18 which has a different set of rules and guidelines as issued by the Home Ministry on Sunday.

The 54-day curfew in India, owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, was first imposed for 21 days starting March 25 and then extended from April 15 and May 4.

Let us look at the lockdown chronology and understand how every lockdown was different from the previous one:

It all started from one-day Janata Curfew on March 21 when there were 236 COVID-19 cases in the country. On March 24, when the cases increased to 471, Prime minister Narendra Modi announced lockdown 1.0 of 21 days. During this period several monetary schemes and financial help was declared by the centre-

- 80 crore poor people will receive 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months. Free grains can be availed of in two installments.

- Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for doctors and medical workers fighting COVID-19.

- Increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 for 13.62 crore families.

- 20.4 crore Jan Dhan women account holders to get Rs 500 per month for next three months.

- Bank account holders would not be charged extra for using a debit card to withdraw money from the ATMs of other banks for the next three months, and charges for not meeting minimum balance requirements would also be waived.

- Ex-gratia of Rs 1000 to 3 crore senior citizens, disabled and widows among the poor.

- Government to front-load Rs 2000 to 8.7 crore farmers in the first week of April under the existing PM Kisan Yojana.

- Below the poverty line families to receive free cylinders for the next three months.

- Wage-earners below Rs 15,000 per month in businesses having less than 100 workers to receive 24% of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for the next three months.

To scale up measures to combat the deadly virus 40,000 ventilators were brought by the Home Ministry. 'Arogya Setu' app was launched by the Union Health Ministry on April 2, to help users identify whether they are at risk of COVID-19 infection or not. The government allotted ₹ 15,000 crores for the purchase of personal protection equipment for healthcare workers, setting up testing laboratories and quarantine centres. The Union Cabinet approved a 30% cut in the salaries of all Members of Parliament and a two-year suspension of the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme so that the amount saved can go to the Consolidated Fund of India to fight COVID-19.

On April 15 when the total number of active cases rose to 10363, Modi extended the lockdown till May 3 with more restrictions in the hotspot areas.

During lockdown 2.0, India got 15 million PPE kits from China. ICMR suggested testing of pooled samples, thereby aiming to increase the number of tests conducted by laboratories.

Wearing masks in public places was made compulsory and spitting was made an offence. Industries operating in rural areas reopened on April 20.

Permission for several activities and services like agriculture, horticulture, Postal service, banking etc were given.

Kisan Rath mobile application was launched to ease the agricultural supply chains, especially for perishable produce.

RBI to pump in ₹1 lakh crore. Liquidity infusion of ₹1 lakh crore was announced by the RBI, of which ₹50,000 crore was exclusively for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).

E-commerce firms were instructed to not supply non-essential goods.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘COVID India Seva’, an interactive platform to establish a direct channel of communication during the pandemic.

More than a month after the countrywide lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines to allow inter-state movement.

With as many as 49,391 cases and 1694 deaths, on May 1, the lockdown entered phase three which lasted till May 17.

The Union Health Ministry listed 130 districts in the country in the red zone, 284 in the orange zone and 319 in the green zone.

Railways started operating ‘Shramik Specials’ to ferry stranded migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims and students back to their home states.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced that it is all set to start a study in about 75 districts of the country that have the maximum number of COVID-19 cases to check whether community transmission in India has started or not.

The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) published a step by step guide for law enforcement agencies to identify “fake news” and videos intended to spread panic through hatred and communal content, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Modi announced ₹20 lakh crore economic stimulus package that will focus on self-reliance and that the lockdown will continue with significant changes till May end.

Following which these announcements were made by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman:

- Major stimulus package for MSMEs; TDS, TCS rates cut by 25% for next year; PF payments reduced from 12% to 10% for three months.

- For small businesses: Rs 3,00,000 crore emergency credit for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); only domestic firms can bid for government procurements up to Rs200 crore.

- For employees/ taxpayers: EPF deductions slashed for 3 months to 20% from 24% of salary; IT returns deadline extended. This will enhance take-home pay if employers pass it on, but dent retirement savings.

- For Infrastructure sector: Power PSUs to lend Rs 90,000 crore to stressed state distribution companies. Deadlines for railway projects and public infrastructure contracts extended.

- For financial sector: Fresh Rs 45,000 crore partial credit guarantees for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs); Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity for microfinance / housing firms and NBFCs.

- ₹3,500 crores of the second tranche of stimulus to be spent on allocation to those without ration cards.

- Close to 8 crore migrants, who are not covered under the food distribution system, will be given 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg channa per family per month for 2 months.

- Affordable rental housing complexes planned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

- Interest subvention worth Rs 1500 crore announced under MUDRA-Shishu loans of up to Rs 50,000.

- One Nation One Ration Card to be used to enable access of PDS across the country; 100% national coverage expected by March 2021.

- Funds worth Rs 6000 crore to be used for boosting employment for tribal population.

- A scheme worth Rs 5000 crore to facilitate easy access to credit for street vendors.

- The third tranche of the measures announced under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan focuses on agriculture and allied activities. Funds worth 1 lakh crore to be given to agricultural cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations and start-ups for boosting farm gate infrastructure.

- Rs 10,000 crore for formalisation of micro food enterprises; cluster-based farming approach to be followed.

- Rs 20,000 crore for fishermen under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana; expected to pave way for additional fish production of 70 lakh tonnes over 5 years.

- Rs 13,000 crore drive to achieve 100% vaccination of cattle, buffalos, sheep, goats and pigs.

- Rs 15,000 crore to be allocated to boost animal husbandry infrastructure; Rs 4000 crore for promotion of herbal cultivation; Rs 500 crore for beekeeping initiatives.

However, not all went smoothly during these days of shut down:

- There was confusion over a mismatch in Health Ministry, ICMR figures on 19th April 2020, as ICMR reported 17,615 positive cases.

- Chinese firms stood by their test kits and said that the products were approved by ICMR, NIV Pune and meet ISO norms, while ICMR said no payment was made for Chinese test kits supplies.

- Health Ministry on plasma therapy stated that it was not yet proven or approved therapy to treat coronavirus and its use was illegal and could even be life-threatening for patients.

- Confusion prevailed over who will bear migrants’ train fare.

- ICMR asked states to stop using rapid tests for the next 2 day, while Rajasthan government said the kits were giving inaccurate results.

- Many migrant workers lost their lives when they were travelling back to their native places.

- Only 15% of poor households have received the 1 kg of pulses promised for April under the Centre’s COVID-19 welfare package.