COVID-19 | 2,28,563 beneficiaries were vaccinated through 6,230 sessions: Health Ministry
A total of 2,28,563 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6 p.m. on Friday through 6,230 sessions, the seventh day of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination, said the Health Ministry in a release.
Tamil Nadu Governor decision on Perarivalan in a week, says altered Supreme Court order
An altered order of the Supreme Court on Friday recorded that Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit will consider a plea for pardon filed by Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict A.G. Perarivalan within a week.
India to expand research, tourism in Arctic
India has unveiled a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy that, among other things, commits to expanding scientific research, “sustainable tourism” and mineral oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region. The draft policy is open to public comments until January 26 and has been prepared after deliberations among several ministries.
Serum Institute fire | Damage estimated at ₹1,000 crore, says Adar Poonawalla
A day after a massive fire at vaccine manufacturing major Serum Institute of India (SII) Manjari facility in Pune claimed five lives, its Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla on Friday said the extent of the damage was more than ₹1000 crore. He asserted that the supply of ‘Covishield’ vaccine would remain unaffected.
Ground Zero | Kerala bird flu outbreak: Flu among the feathers
The bird flu outbreak in the Kuttanad region was the last straw for farmers already struggling to come to terms with the losses inflicted by the 2018 floods and the ongoing pandemic. Sam Paul A. and Hiran Unnikrishnan report on the poultry industry that is reeling under several blows.
India’s delay in releasing vaccines is perfectly understandable: Brazilian Ambassador
Andre Aranha Correa do Lago says India-Brazil must build a relationship based on a contemporary approach to each other.
No further concessions to offer, government tells protesting farmers
The negotiations between Central Ministers and farm unions came to a standstill on Friday with the government saying it had no further concessions to offer beyond the proposal to suspend the three contentious agricultural reform laws for 12-18 months.
Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles receive Covishield vaccine
In the first round of supplies, special flights have already carried large consignments of the Covishield vaccine doses to Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Subramananiam Swamy on India’s Himalayan challenge | The Hindu On Books Podcast
Subramanian Swamy discusses his new book, Himalayan Challenge: India, China and the Quest for Peace, in which he offers an intervention in this ongoing debate on the future of relations and suggests a new way of engaging China — one that will involve, in his view, reassessing many of India’s fundamental positions on issues such as Tibet and the boundary.
Coronavirus | Covaxin yet to show potency against U.K. strain
Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, can produce neutralising antibodies — a requirement to study its efficacy — against multiple coronavirus variants, but is yet to demonstrate efficacy against the variant ‘B.1.1.7’ or the ‘UK strain’ as the new virulent strain is commonly known.