India added 35,178 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,22,85,857, while the national recovery rate improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 4,32,519 with 440 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases declined to 3,67,415, the lowest in 148 days, and comprise 1.14 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said.

Less than 50,000 daily cases have been reported for 52 consecutive days.

A reduction of 2,431 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 17,97,559 tests were conducted on Tuesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 49,84,27,083.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.96 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 23 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.95 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 54 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,14,85,923, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

Cumulatively, 56.06 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far.

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 crores on May 4 and three crores on June 23.

The 440 new fatalities include 127 from Kerala and 116 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,32,519 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,35,255 from Maharashtra, 37,039 from Karnataka, 34,579 from Tamil Nadu, 25,073 from Delhi, 22,786 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,870 from Kerala and 18,318 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.