WHEN THE GOING gets tough, the tough get going. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope knows this very well. Despite facing a medical emergency on the family front—his mother has been in intensive care for more than six weeks now—Tope has been working tirelessly to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in the state.
A senior Nationalist Congress Party leader, Tope was a bit surprised when he was asked to take charge of Maharashtra’s health ministry last year. An engineer by training, Tope was minister of higher and technical education in the Congress-NCP government that was in power from 2009 to 2014. Never one to shy away from challenges, he is now on the ball as health minister.
He was the first Maharashtra politician to suggest a statewide lockdown to fight the contagion. His concern was that Maharashtra could become India’s Covid-19 epicenter as Mumbai was the commercial capital of the country. “I have asked the health department to focus on three Ts— tracing, testing and treatment,” Tope told THE WEEK. “Corona spreads very fast, but thankfully the mortality rate is just around 2.5 per cent. Social distancing was one of the most important measures that we initiated early enough by closing schools and postponing exams. Finally, we imposed curfew.”
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Denne historien er fra April 12, 2020-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock
