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Reporting from the frontline: Journalists battle with Covid second wave
NEW DELHI: With India engulfed in the firestorm that is the second wave of Covid2019, journalists in the country are putting their lives on the line to keep the public informed and abreast of the latest developments regarding the fatal pathogen, and the measures that should be taken to curb its spread. But in spite of these noble efforts from the news media community, the government has not classified scribes as frontline workers who are entitled to priority Covid vaccination. It’s a fact that while working round the clock to provide Covid updates from the frontlines, several journalists have lost their lives.
According to data released by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a non-profit organisation focused on press freedom and journalist safety, 51 Indian journalists have died due to coronavirus. The data released by PEC was dated 29 December, and the current death toll among the news media community could be much higher, especially at this time where the resurgent virus is on a killing spree through India.
Request from Editors Guild of India
Recently, the Editors Guild of India urged the government to declare journalists as frontline workers and be allowed priority Covid vaccination.
“News organisations have been relentlessly covering the pandemic, elections, and other current affairs in an effort to ensure that the flow of news and information to readers continues unabated. News media is included in essential services. Therefore it will only be fair that journalists be given this cover of protection, especially in the face of the number of infected rising to astronomical levels,” the Editors Guild of India said in a statement.
Extending support to newspersons in the country, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also urged the central government to classify media personals as frontline workers.
“Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They should be treated as frontline workers and should be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi government is writing to the Centre in this regard,” tweeted the AAP supremo.
Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They shud be treated as frontline workers and shud be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi govt is writing to centre in this regard
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 14, 2021
Tamil Nadu MP B Manickam Tagore also appealed to prime minister Narendra Modi to declare all journalists as frontline workers. In a memorandum, Tagore shockingly revealed that India has the highest fatalities among journalists dying due to Covid infection across Asia and the second-highest across the world.
Industry experts react
Calling journalists ”frontline warriors”, Asianet News editor-in-chief MG Radhakrishnan stated that several journalists contracted the novel Coronavirus at his channel.
“At least 25 journalists working in Asianet News have been infected with the coronavirus. Like any other frontline workers, journalists are also risking their lives to keep people informed about the pandemic and our role in this war against the invisible enemy should not be ignored,” said Radhakrishnan.
Talking about the challenges during news reporting, he added, “Unlike other instances of calamity, we are putting families too at risk.”
Mathrubhumi Group managing director MV Shreyams Kumar shared that his company has been trying hard to give all protection measures for journalists since the pandemic outbreak.
“We have an effective operational standard maintained, the reporters are given shifts on a rotational basis and they are regularly examined and tested. The office space is well sanitised, and safety factors are taken into consideration. The government has been quite supportive to the media industry, they have well adhered to the fact that newspapers are playing a very important role in delivering credible news to its readers and the general public at large,” he noted.
Senior media consultant and veteran journalist Mohan Nair echoed the sentiment, going on to add that reporters who are on the field are more prone to occupational hazards despite taking precautionary measures, and urged the government to give prioritised vaccines to journalists irrespective of their age.
Senior photojournalist Vivek Bendre succumbed to Covid-19 early on Sunday after over a week-long battle with the infection. Vivek, aged 58, was associated with The Hindu for the last three and half decades. We have lost an excellent human being. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/w2drhSMkCG
— Mumbai Press Club (@mumbaipressclub) April 25, 2021
Senior journalist Sadanand Shinde passed away of Covid-19 infection on Sunday evening. Known to call a spade and spade, he always waxed eloquent and with a great sense of humour put across his point. He was associated with Navakal. We stand behind the bereaved family. RIP. pic.twitter.com/kJRP97UKUn
— Mumbai Press Club (@mumbaipressclub) April 25, 2021
PIB’s relief efforts and Uttarakhand government’s empathetical step
In a major relief, the Uttarakhand government has decided to classify journalists as frontline workers. Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat has also ordered the vaccination of all journalists and representatives of media organisations. The Telangana government has also decided to give financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of journalists who have succumbed to Covid.
To help the families of journalists who have passed away due to Covid infection under the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS), the PIB is collecting information of newspersons who lost their lives during the pandemic time. The central government has also approved the proposal of the Press Information Bureau’s journalist welfare committee to provide financial relief of Rs 5 lakh to deceased journalists’ family. As a part of this plan, the families of 39 journalists will receive this financial relief.
As hundreds of journalists have succumbed to Coronavirus in India, the Network of Women in Media India (NWMI) recently paid tribute to newspersons who lost their lives during the pandemic.
“Media houses need to actively ensure the safety and health of journalists who work for them and those who, as independent stringers or freelancers, supply vital information, photographs and videos to them. Media houses must stop forcing journalists to travel in dangerously unsafe conditions to work in offices instead of encouraging them to work from home,” said NWMI in a statement.
On 26 April, India witnessed more than 3,23,000 Covid positive cases and 2,771 Covid-related deaths. Medical experts believe that the double and triple mutant variants of the deadly virus are responsible for the sudden surge in cases in India.
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Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
