Consolidated list of permitted activities allowed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) during COVID-19 and lockdown period

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) vide order dated April 15 2020 ( Here) laid out the list of permitted activities allowed during the lockdown period and these have been amended from time to time. More recently, the MHA order on May 1, 2020 extended the lockdown for a period of two weeks with effect from May 4, 2020 and issued new guidelines based on risk profiling of the districts into Red (Hotspot) , Green and Orange Zones (MHA Order). It is to be noted that all activities that have not been expressly prohibited/permitted with restrictions in the various zones as under shall be considered as permitted activities.Enumerated below are the consolidated list of activities permitted as on May 5 2020.

I. Permitted Movement of Transport and Persons (Irrespective of the Zones)

1. Domestic and International Air Travel of passengers only for security purposes

2. Passenger movement by trains only for security purposes

3. Inter District and Inter State movement of individuals for medical reasons

4. Inter State buses for public transport, if permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs

5. Sign on and Sign off of Indian Sea farers at Indian Ports and their movement for the aforesaid purposes under the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP)

6. Funerals[1], congregation of upto 20 persons and movements pertaining to the same.

7. Movement of individuals for all non essential activities except between 7pm to 7 am

8. All States/UTs shall allow inter-state movement of goods/cargo including empty trucks

9. No State/UT shall stop the movement of cargo for cross land border trade under Treaties with Neighboring countries

10. Due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places. They would be allowed to move as under:

• All States/ UTs should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending and registering such stranded persons.
  
  
• In case a group of stranded persons wish to move between one State/ UT and another State/ UT, the sending and receiving States may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road. The moving person (s) would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed.
  
  
• Buses shall be used for transport of groups of persons.
  
  
• The States/ UTs falling on the transit route will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving State/ UT. On arrival at their destination, such person(s) would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the person(s) in institutional quarantine.
  
  
• They would be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups.
  
  
• This facilitation is meant for such distressed persons who had moved from their native places/workplaces just before the lockdown period but could not return to their native places/workplaces on account of restrictions placed on movement of persons and vehicles as part of lockdown but does not extend to those categories of persons who are otherwise normally at places, other than native places for purposes of work, etc., and who wish to visit their native place in normal course.

II. Activities in Containment Zones

1. Movement of persons is allowed only for maintaining supply of goods and services and for medical emergencies
   
2. Out- Patient Departments and Medical Clinics shall not be permitted to operate.

III. Activities in Red Zone (Outside Containment Zones)

(a) List of Permitted Activities under Red Zone

1. Movement of individuals and vehicles for only for permitted activities. Four wheelers will have maximum two passengers besides the vehicle driver; for two wheelers, pillion rider is not allowed
   
2. Industrial Establishments in Urban Areas: Only Special Economic Zones (SEZs) , Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial estates and industrial townships, with access control. Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medial devices, their raw material and intermediaries; Production Units, which require continuous process and their supply chain; Manufacturing of IT hardware, Jute industry with staggered shifts and social distancing and Manufacturing Units of packaging material are permitted . All industrial activities in rural areas are permitted
   
3. Construction Activities in urban areas: Only in site construction (where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside ) and construction of renewable energy projects are permitted. All construction activities in rural areas are permitted
   
4. All malls, market complexes and markets shall remain closed in urban areas i.e, areas within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities. However, shops selling essential goods in markets and market complexes are permitted.
   
5. All standalone (single) shops, neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open without any distinction of essential and non-essential . Social Distancing shall be maintained in all cases
   
6. E Commerce activities will be permitted only in respect of essential goods
   
7. Private offices can operate with up to 33% strength as per requirement, with the remaining persons working from home.
   
8. All Government offices shall function with officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above the of 100% strength. The remaining staff will attend upto 33% as per requirement. However Defense and Security services, Health and Family Welfare, Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil defence, Fire and emergency services, Disaster management and related services, NIC, Customs, FCI, NCC, NYK and Municipal Services shall function without any restrictions; Delivery of public services shall be ensured and necessary staff will be deployed for such purpose.

(b) Exclusive prohibitions in Red Zone (Apart from common prohibitions)

1. Cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws
2. Taxis and cab aggregators
3. Inter-District and Inter district plying of buses
4. Barber shops, spas and salons

IV. Activities in Orange Zone (outside containment zones)

(a) List of Permitted Activities

1. Taxis and Cab Aggregators are permitted, with 1 driver and 2 passengers only.
   
2. Inter-District movement of individuals and vehicles, only for permitted activities. Four Wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver.

(b) Exclusive Prohibition in Orange Zone

1. Inter-district and intra-district plying of buses shall be prohibited in the orange zone

V. Activities in Green Zone

1. All activities are permitted in the Green Zone, except the general prohibitions.
   
2. Buses can operate with 50% seating capacity
   
3. Bus depots can operate with 50 % seating capacity

VI. The following Standard Operating protocols (SOP) will continue to operate

1. SOP on Transit arrangement for foreign national(s) in India and release of Quarantine Persons vide order dated April 02,2020 [Accessible Here]
   
2. SOP on movement of stranded labour within States/UTs issued vide order dated April 19, 2020 [Accessible Here]
   
3. SOP on sign on and sign-off Indian Sea farers, issued vide order dated April 21, 2020 [ Accessible Here]
   
4. SOP on movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons issued vide order dated April 29,2020 [Accessible Here]
   
5. SOP on movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, and other persons by train issued vide order dated May 01,2020

[1] Gatherings such as marriages and funerals shall be regulated by the District Magistrate