In a first, PM Modi chairs Cabinet meet via video link

In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Monday via video link amid the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Besides Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah were present at the prime minister's official residence along with some senior officials, other members of the Cabinet were connected via a video link from their offices and residences.

In the last Cabinet meeting on March 25, the large oval table at the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg was gone, and Prime Minister Modi and his ministerial colleagues sat in chairs kept at quite a distance from each other as they practised 'social distancing' to prevent a possible spread of the novel coronavirus.

Usually, the Cabinet meetings are held around the oval table.

The prime minister has been pitching for "social distancing" to check the spread of coronavirus and as part of it he announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown.

Before chairing the Cabinet meet, the prime minister chaired a meeting of the council of ministers via video conference on Monday morning. Pictures showed that while Modi, Singh and Shah were at PM's residence, the ministers were connected via video link.