India added 25,467 new COVID-19 cases, while the active cases declined to 3,19,551, comprising 0.98 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,24,74,773.

The death toll has climbed to 4,35,110 with 354 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases were the lowest in 156 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.68 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

A reduction of 14373 cases has been recorded in the total number of active COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours.

Also, 16,47,526 tests were conducted on Monday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 50,93,91,792.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.94 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 28 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.90 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 60 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,17,20,112, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

Cumulatively, 58.89 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive till Tuesday morning.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 354 new fatalities include 105 from Maharashtra, 90 from Kerala and 68 from Odisha.

A total of 4,35,110 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,36,067 from Maharashtra, 37,155 from Karnataka, 34,734 from Tamil Nadu, 25,079 from Delhi, 22,792 from Uttar Pradesh, 19,584 from Kerala and 18,371 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.