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Amid the reports related to the demand for oxygen cylinders, vaccines, masks and other essentials required to tackle Covid-19 infections, there also seems to be a rise in the demand for hand sanitisers.

FMCG companies – large and small – are witnessing an uptick in demand for hygiene products, including sanitisers and hand washes.

According to the data sourced from Bizom, the demand for sanitisers and home-care products in April is higher than the levels that was seen in the last two quarters. The data show that sales of sanitisers alone had surged 12.5 times, compared to the pre-lockdown levels between April and June 2020, and 5.2 times compared to the pre-lockdown levels in July-September 2020. However, by January-March 2021, sanitiser sales had stabilised to 2.3 times of the pre-lockdown levels.

So what does this imply?

After sharp criticism from the Calcutta High Court,  the Election Commission has imposed strict restrictions on campaigns to combat the sharp rise in coronavirus cases in West Bengal. This comes even as top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cancelling their rallies in the State. 

In this episode of Mandate, we take a look at the mismanagement of the Covid crisis in West Bengal and if political parties hope to gain political mileage from it. We also discuss Mamata Banerjee's charge that Oxygen for the State was diverted to other BJP-rules States and how this lack of trust could hurt the mission to solve the crisis. We also take a look at the major lessons to can be learnt from this experience.

India’s wheat production is on course for record production, despite some farmers, especially in Madhya Pradesh, reporting lower yield. The Union Government has projected a record crop of 109.24 million tonnes.

Edited & Produced by Siddharth Mathew Cherian

Due to the current situation related to the Covid-19 infections, the Supreme Court said that it wanted a “national plan” on issues, including supply of oxygen and essential drugs for the treatment of patients infected with the virus. 

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde also said that it would also consider the matter pertaining to the method and manner of in which Covid-19 vaccination is being held in the country.

From June 1 , 2021, the government has introduced mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery. This comes at a time when gold prices have corrected and jewellery demand may see a rise. What is the outlook for prices now and what should buyers know about hallmarking?  Listen to this conversation between Akhil Nallamuthu, Sr Research Analyst and Bavadharini KS, Research Analyst.

Amid the Covid-19 vaccination drives taking place across the globe, the phrase ‘Emergency Use Authorisation’ has created a lot buzz lately. How this phrase affect you?

Listen to the podcast.

The Assembly elections in West Bengal has crossed the halfway mark, as the fifth round of polling taking place on Saturday. But the polling and has been marred with violence as there were reports of clashes between the ruling TMC, BJP and the CPI (M) in the State. In the previous round of polling, six people, including a CISF personnel, were killed in violence in two separate incidents in the State. Campaigning for the election took place despite the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the State. 

In this episode of the "Mandate", a special podcast on the elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, we take a look at three issues that could change the outcome of the elections in the eastern State.

The first round of lockdowns and restrictions beginning March last year, crippled India's agricultural supply chain. The demand collapsed as hotels, restaurants, offices and institutions shut. Farmers couldn't harvest their produce as labour disappeared overnight. Even if they could harvest, there were few places to sell. As the rate of infections begins to soar again, the spectre of lockdowns and restrictions looms again. Is India better prepared today from the lessons of yesterday?

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Edited & Produced by Siddharth Mathew Cherian

The second-wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit India. Will the vaccination drive be the only solution to the problem? What do the experts recommend?

We speak BusinessLine's P T Jyothi Datta to learn more.

The risk of being exposed to the Covid-19 virus on an airline flight drops by as much as half when airlines keep middle seats open, a new study published by the US government concludes, a safety practice the carriers have abandoned.

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