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Covid-19: Is India staring at a vaccine shortage? Rahul Gandhi asks why debate need vs want

Some states are running out of Covid vaccines as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday sent an SOS alert to the Centre over Covid-19 scarcity.

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India began inoculating lakhs of its citizens above the age of 45 from April 1 to contain the surge in coronavirus infections that are touching daily records since early October 2020’s cases. The Covid-19 vaccination drive in India started on January 16 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the world’s biggest rollout.

The government called it the beginning of the end of the coronavirus that has claimed over 1 lakh lives, affected businesses, drained the economy, led to the biggest migrant crisis and unprecedented suffering since early last year.

Where does India stand in vaccinations?

As per the Health Ministry, India stands at the second position in administering the Covid-19 vaccine after the US but given the size of its population and surge in Covid-19 infections, India is behind the desired target. India puts out over 26.5 lakh shots a day of Covid-19 vaccines compared to the US’s figure of over 30.5 lakh.

But since India crossed a 1 lakh mark in daily Covid-19 cases on April 4, more than 45.25 lakh people were inoculated on April 15, recording the highest single-day Covid-19 vaccination figure, the CoWin database said.

How many people have been vaccinated?

India has administered over 8.48 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines since the Centre launched the vaccination drive. During this period, 1.02 crore people got both doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, which is not even one percent of the estimated 137 crore population of India. The share of Covid-19 vaccination would go up to around three percent if one-dose beneficiaries are taken into account.

Is India running out of vaccines?

Some states are running out of Covid vaccines as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday sent an SOS alert to the Centre over Covid-19 scarcity.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the state has 14 lakh vaccine doses which won’t last beyond three days. After that, vaccination may come to a standstill. He said that Maharashtra needs a stock of 40 lakh vaccine doses per week.

Similarly, a top health official in Andhra Pradesh has said that currently, the state has only 3.7 lakh doses available while its consumption per day is 1.3 lakh doses.

With rumours of a vaccine shortage looming, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan clarified that there is no shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in India in the early evening of Wednesday.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had on Tuesday said vaccinations will not be available to a wider group anytime soon amid an alarming spike in coronavirus infections across the country. He has said that the government is prioritizing some groups over others as in this phase of vaccination, vaccines will be in limited supply.

Reacting to the Health Secretary’s limited vaccination statement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted that every Indian deserves the chance to a safe life and that it’s ridiculous to debate needs and wants. The Congress and other opposition parties have been critical of the decision to send medicines abroad before vaccinating the people of India.

Why is India running out of vaccine stock?

While India’s own states are suffering from the scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines, the country on March 27 delivered 2,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) worldwide.

The cargo of AstraZeneca Covishield vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune was sent to UNPKF despite the government’s decision to reduce exports in view of the need for vaccines domestically as the country is witnessing a huge surge in coronavirus infections.

The vaccine was sent to honor a commitment made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at a UN Security Council meeting in February. 

Read Also: Night curfew imposed in Punjab till April 30, political gathering banned amid Covid-19 spike

Data put out by the Ministry of External Affairs website boasts that India has supplied 645.02 lakh doses of made-in-India Covid vaccines to 84 countries as of Wednesday. Countries like UK, Canada, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka, Morocco, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and many more have received made-in-India Covid vaccines as of now.

With 103 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine, India’s neighbour Bangladesh got the highest number of vaccines.

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Security tightened across Delhi metro stations after bomb threat emails

Delhi is on high alert after bomb threat emails targeted metro stations, the Red Fort and the Assembly. Authorities confirmed the threats were hoaxes but tightened security as a precaution.

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Security has been intensified across all metro stations and major installations in the national capital after a series of bomb threat emails were received on Monday. Authorities later confirmed that the threats were hoaxes following detailed inspections by security agencies.

According to officials, several key institutions — including the Delhi Secretariat, Delhi Assembly, the Red Fort and two schools — received threatening emails earlier in the day. Extensive searches were carried out at all the locations mentioned in the messages, but nothing suspicious was found.

A senior police officer said cyber teams are working to trace the origin of the emails. Preliminary findings suggest that the senders may have used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in an attempt to conceal their identities and mislead investigators. Officials expressed confidence that those responsible would be identified.

Metro stations under heightened surveillance

Following specific references to metro services in the emails, security arrangements were strengthened across the entire network of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Additional personnel have been deployed at stations, and anti-sabotage checks are being conducted.

Police said random frisking of passengers and intensified CCTV surveillance are being carried out as part of precautionary measures. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads were stationed at sensitive sites, including the Red Fort, Delhi Secretariat and the Assembly complex.

The threatening emails reportedly included the slogan “Delhi banega Khalistan” and warned of explosions at an Army school, the Assembly and the Red Fort at specific times during the day. Officials stated that all mentioned locations were thoroughly checked and declared safe.

Authorities also coordinated with counterparts in neighbouring states to enhance security at metro stations falling under their jurisdictions.

While no explosives were found, officials said the tightened security arrangements will remain in place as a precaution. Cyber teams continue efforts to trace the IP addresses and identify those behind the threat emails.

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JNU protest turns violent as Left and Right student groups trade charges

A late-night protest at JNU turned violent as Left and ABVP student groups accused each other of stone-throwing and attacks near the East Gate.

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JNU Protest

Tension gripped the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the early hours of Monday after a protest march allegedly spiralled into violence, with rival student groups accusing each other of triggering the unrest.

Students claimed that the incident occurred around 1.30 am when a confrontation broke out during a march called by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. The protest, named “Samta Juloos”, was headed towards the East Gate and was organised to demand the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and the withdrawal of a rustication order.

According to protesters, several students were injured after alleged stone-throwing during the clash. They alleged that the university administration did not intervene during the march and instead permitted members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront demonstrators.

However, the ABVP denied the allegations and countered that Left-affiliated organisations instigated the confrontation and were spreading misinformation about the events.

Left-backed groups, including the All India Students’ Association, claimed that ABVP activists targeted the JNUSU encampment and hurled stones at “unarmed students”, leading to multiple injuries.

Videos shared by students on social media reportedly showed chaotic scenes near the protest site, with members of rival groups engaged in heated exchanges and physical scuffles.

University authorities did not immediately respond to queries regarding the incident. Students said the situation on campus remained tense following the overnight clashes.

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World praised India’s AI potential at AI Impact Summit, says PM Modi

PM Modi said the world praised India’s AI potential at the AI Impact Summit 2026, where 89 countries endorsed the New Delhi Declaration on artificial intelligence.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the world wholeheartedly praised India’s potential during the recently concluded AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting the growing global confidence in the country’s young technology talent.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the summit demonstrated how the mindset of India’s youth in the field of technology would serve humanity at large. He described the event as historic and underlined the positive global response to India’s AI capabilities.

The AI Impact Summit 2026, organised in New Delhi last week, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact. The declaration has been endorsed by 89 countries and international organisations, signalling broad global agreement on promoting artificial intelligence for economic growth and social welfare.

Broad global participation

The summit saw the participation of several prominent world leaders and top technology executives. Among those present were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Other leaders attending the summit included Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Estonia President Alar Karis, and Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Chief executives and senior leaders from major global technology firms were also part of the gathering.

Focus on inclusive AI growth

Held under the theme ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay’ (welfare for all, happiness of all), the summit aimed to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence while ensuring that AI development remains inclusive and sustainable.

The event brought together more than 500 international AI leaders. This included around 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 CTOs, vice presidents and philanthropists. Additionally, over 100 government representatives and nearly 60 ministers and vice ministers participated in discussions.

The New Delhi Declaration seeks to strengthen international cooperation and ensure that AI technologies contribute to economic progress, social good and environmental protection.

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