India has more than 2.2 million confirmed coronavirus infections, the third highest tally after the United States and Brazil. "If we can defeat corona in these 10 states, the country will win," Modi said in a video conference with state chief ministers. The 10 states accounted for 80 percent of its 639,929 active cases and 82 percent of its 45,257 deaths, Modi said. Modi said five states, including the two poor northern provinces of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that have a combined population of more than 300 million, need to ramp up testing. Mukherjee, 84, president between 2012 and 2017, also led the federal defence, foreign and finance ministries over a decades-long career.

Source: bd News24 August 11, 2020 12:00 UTC