The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to formulate, within two weeks, a national policy on admissions to hospital, which shall be followed by all state governments.

Pending the formulation of such a policy, a three-member Bench headed by Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud held, that "no patient shall be denied hospitalisation or essential drugs in any state/UT for lack of local reidential proof of the state/UT or even in the absence of identity proof." The Bench, which sought all details of the Centre's vaccination policy in its order passed on Monday giving it time till June 30, also warned a coercive exercise by it if there is any clampdown on information on social media or harassment to individuals seeking/delivering help on any platform.

It directed the court registrar to place a copy of the order before all district magistrates in the country. It also ordered the Centre to collaborate with the states to prepare a buffer stock of Oxygen for emergency purposes within four days, decentralising the location of the stocks, and replenish them on a day-to-day basis, in addition to the existing allocation of Oxygen supply to the states. The Bench also directed the Centre to revisit its initiatives and protocols.

In view of continuing surge of infections in the second wave of the pandemic, the Court directed both the Centre and the state government to put on record the efforts taken to curb the spread of the virus and the measures planned in near future. It also asked them to consider imposing a ban on mass gathering and a lockdown in the interest of the public welfare.

Supreme Court said this to the government on cancellation of CBSE examinations

Supreme Court nullifies sedition case against journalist Vinod Dua

The interest of students will be protected; seeks assessment criteria in 2 weeks: Supreme Court