5. India’s COVID-19 Response

5.1 Lockdowns: State-wise View

With the central government not declaring a national lockdown, every state government-imposed restriction depending on the situation in their respective states during the second wave of the pandemic in the country specifically (February-July).[i]

Northern States

• Uttarakhand: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 11th May.[ii] The lockdown was extended by a week on 28th June, with a few relaxations being announced, like gyms being allowed to operate at 50% capacity and markets allowed to open for six days.[iii]
• Haryana: Lockdown was imposed in the state on May 3rd and has been extended eight times.[iv] The Haryana government extended the lockdown in the state till 5th July, with shops, malls and restaurants being allowed to open from 10am to 8pm, at 50% capacity. [v]
• Himachal Pradesh: Curfew was imposed on May 7th amidst the rising cases in the state.[vi]The state government extended the statewide curfew till 14th June, with shops being allowed to open between 9am to 2pm on weekdays.[vii]
• Punjab: Lockdown was imposed on May 3rd in the state[viii] The state government extended the lockdown till 30th June[ix] and then 10th July, allowing bars to open at 50% capacity.[x]
• Rajasthan: The state government imposed a lockdown on May 10th [xi] and restrictions were slowly eased on 10th June, with shops being allowed to open between 6am to 4pm and the continuation of the weekend curfew.[xii]
• Chandigarh: Lockdown was imposed in the union territory on May 1st.[xiii] These restrictions were only eased on June 7th owing to the drop in cases, with shops and malls being allowed to open from 10am to 6pm and the continuation of the night curfew.[xiv]
• Delhi: Lockdown was imposed in the city on 9th May[xv] with restrictions only being eased on 27th June, with malls and shops being allowed to open till 8pm.[xvi]
• Ladakh: Lockdown was imposed on 30th April[xvii] and some restrictions were eased on 7th June, but night curfew continued.[xviii]
• Jammu and Kashmir: Lockdown was imposed on 1st May[xix] and only eased on 20th June.[xx]

Central States

• Chhattisgarh: Lockdown was imposed on 9th April in the state[xxi] and was extended on 1st June with shops being allowed to open in districts with a positivity rate below 5%.[xxii]
• Madhya Pradesh: The state government imposed a weekend lockdown on 8th April[xxiii], which was converted to a full lockdown on 8th May owing to the rise in cases.[xxiv] The restrictions were eased on 27th June, with shops being allowed to open, but the night curfew was kept in place to prevent rise in cases in the state.[xxv]
• Uttar Pradesh: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 30th April, owing to the rise in cases.[xxvi] The lockdown was eased from 21st June, with shopping malls and restaurants being allowed to function at a 50% capacity.[xxvii]

Eastern States

• Bihar: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 5th May and relaxations were announced on 9th June owing to the dip in cases, with shops being allowed to open till 5pm.[xxviii] The night curfew, which was in place from 7pm to 5am, was still kept to prevent a rise in cases again.[xxix]
• Jharkhand: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 22nd April and were extended till July 1st due to fears over the Delta variant.[xxx]
• Odisha: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 5th May.[xxxi] Lockdown was relaxed partially from 17th June in 17 districts where the positivity rate was less than 5%.[xxxii]
• West Bengal: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 15th May and restrictions were further extended to 30th June with few relaxations.[xxxiii] This was further extended to 15th July; however, gyms, malls and restaurants were allowed to open with various restrictions in place.[xxxiv]

North-Eastern States

• Assam: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 16th May.[xxxv] Lockdown was extended till 30th June and those districts that reported more than 10 cases in seven days would become containment zones.[xxxvi]
• Arunachal Pradesh: Night curfew was imposed in the state from 10th May with the Capital Complex region (Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa) being placed in lockdown for seven days.[xxxvii] Lockdown was extended in seven districts (Tawang, Lower Subansiri, Namsai, Upper Subansai, Lohit, Anjaw and the Capital region) till 7th June.[xxxviii]
• Manipur: Night curfew was imposed in the state from 8th May.[xxxix] The curfew was extended in the valley area and the two hill districts till 30th June.[xl]
• Meghalaya: The state government imposed a lockdown in the East Khasi Hills district till 7th June.[xli] The state government imposed a lockdown in the entire state from 7th June to 14th June owing to the rise in cases.[xlii]
• Mizoram: The state government imposed a lockdown in Aizawl on 10th May and was extended till 6th June.[xliii] This was further extended to 21st Jun, with only shops selling essential commodities being allowed to open every day.[xliv]
• Nagaland: Lockdown was imposed in the state from 14th May.[xlv] This lockdown was further extended to 11th June owing to the rise in cases.[xlvi]
• Tripura: The state government imposed a curfew in Agartala and 11 other districts on 16th May and were extended till 25th June.[xlvii] This was further extended to 3rd July.[xlviii]
• Sikkim: Lockdown was imposed on 17th May.[xlix] The lockdown was extended till 21st June with some relaxations like stand-alone shops being allowed to open.[l]

Western States

• Maharashtra: Lockdown was imposed on 14th April.[li] Restrictions were relaxed and then tightened again on 28th June, with the entire state going into Level 3 of the 5-level plan set out by the government, with shops being allowed to open till 4pm on weekdays, owing to the rise in Delta Plus cases.[lii]
• Goa: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 29th April.[liii] The lockdown was extended till 5th July, with shops being allowed to open till 3pm.[liv]
• Gujarat: Lockdown was imposed in 29 cities across the city on 27th April.[lv] Restrictions were eased on 11th June as cases began to drop, with shops and restaurants (at 50% capacity) being allowed to open till 7pm and the night curfew was continued.[lvi]
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli: No lockdown was imposed.
• Daman and Diu: No lockdown was imposed.

Southern States

• Andhra Pradesh: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 5th May.[lvii] The state government announced relaxation in curbs in those districts where positivity rate was less than 5%, from 1st July.[lviii]
• Karnataka: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 10th May.[lix] Lockdown restrictions were eased in 23 districts by 21st June where the positivity rate was below 5%.[lx]
• Kerala: Lockdown was imposed in the state on 8th May.[lxi] The lockdown was extended till 1st July owing to a rise in cases.[lxii]
• Tamil Nadu: Lockdown was imposed in the state from 10th May.[lxiii] While the state government relaxed lockdown curbs in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu owing to the drop in cases, but lockdown was extended in the rest of the state till 5th July.[lxiv]
• Telangana: Lockdown was imposed in the state from 12th May.[lxv] The decline in cases caused the state government to lift lockdown restrictions completely from 20th June.[lxvi]
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The district administration imposed a night curfew from 10th April, [lxvii] while a full lockdown was imposed on 24th May.[lxviii]
• Lakshadweep: Lockdown was imposed on 24th May in the union territory and once the number of cases had fallen, relaxations were announced on 21st June.[lxix]
• Puducherry: Lockdown was imposed on 10th May in the union territory.[lxx] The lockdown was extended till 21st June with restaurants and bars being allowed to open at 50% capacity.[lxxi]

5.2 Vaccines

The vaccines that are currently available for use in the vaccination drive are Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V.

5.2.1 Covishield

This is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) which is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume. It has been made using a weakened version of the common cold virus called adenovirus from chimpanzees, along with that, about 20% of the virus’s instructions are deleted.[lxxii] After this, like any other vaccine, it induces the immune system to create antibodies against the virus.[lxxiii] The vaccine was earlier administered in two doses with a gap of 4–8 weeks which has now been extended to 12–16 weeks. This was because as per the government, the incoming information from trials scientific data has proven it to be more efficacious.[lxxiv] Although, this move has been questioned by experts and scientists.[lxxv] The efficacy of the vaccine is around 70.42%. [lxxvi]

5.2.2 Covaxin

This vaccine is manufactured by Bharat Biotech, is an inactivated vaccine made up of killed coronaviruses injected into the body.[lxxvii] This vaccine further destroys the ability of the virus to multiply in the body and helps create antibodies against the vaccine and increases immunity.[lxxviii] The vaccine is administered four weeks apart with its interim efficacy being 81%.[lxxix] The main issue with administering Covaxin is the prevailing skepticism because the vaccine was approved for emergency use while in its third phase of trials. The drug regulator and manufacturer defended Covaxin saying it was safe and provides an immune response. The vaccine has been rejected for its emergency use in the United States of America due to insufficient data available regarding its trial. The data of the trials is likely to be published in July 2021. As of now Covaxin remains unrecognized in several countries. Meanwhile there are also trials of Covaxin being held on children between the ages of 12–18 years. [lxxx]

5.2.3 Sputnik V

The recently approved vaccine to be used in India is Sputnik V, a Russian vaccine by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, which is like Covishield. It has an efficacy rate of 92%.[lxxxi] It uses a cold type of virus that injects a small fragment of coronavirus and helps the body recognize the threat and thus produces antibodies. Sputnik is different because it uses two slightly different shots which are administered 21 days apart, giving a boost to the immune system. The vaccine will be made available in India by a Hyderabad based pharmaceutical company called Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories by the Russian Direct Investment Fund which is marketing the vaccine. Vaccine production of Sputnik V has also been ramped up across the country after a soft launch in Hyderabad but the registration on CoWin has still not begun. [lxxxii]

5.2.4 Others

Apart from this, there are several other vaccines in process in India like ZyCov-Di by Ahmedabad-based Zydus-Cadila, vaccine by Hyderabad-based Biological E, a private company in collaboration with US-based Dynavax and Baylor College of Medicine, along with the production of Johnson & Johnson. A nasal vaccine by Bharat BioTech, HGCO19, India’s first mRNA vaccine, another SII vaccine made in collaboration with American vaccine development company Novavax.[lxxxiii]

5.2.5 India’s Vaccine Policy

There has been a frequent change in the vaccine policy of India taking account of the situation, the second wave, and other factors.

5.2.5.1 1st/ 2nd Wave

The policy followed in the first two phases of the vaccination drive in the country was that the two vaccines in use — Covishield, and Covaxin were supplied by the Central government to the States free of cost. Further, these vaccines were provided to the private hospitals at a cost. [lxxxiv]

5.2.5.2 3rd Wave

This was changed in the third phase, with the vaccine manufacturers supplying 50% of their monthly manufactured doses to GoI and the rest to state governments, in open markets and private sector (based on the contracts between the private sector and the vaccine manufacturers) at a cost under the Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy.[lxxxv] This strategy, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is based on end-to-end planning, promotes domestic R&D, manufacturing, and efficient administration of vaccination. This strategy has been formulated to vaccinate the majority of citizens in collaboration with the states and Union territories. The vaccination strategy has been devised to firstly cover the vulnerable groups. The center is also in touch with each vaccine manufacturer to lead a better public-private collaboration.[lxxxvi]

5.2.5.3 Criticism of Vaccine Policy

The Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy has been under scrutiny because of several reasons, specifically because this policy greatly differed from the one followed in the first two phases of the vaccination policy. This was due to the mandatory registration requirement on the Co-Win portal to book vaccine slots, while in the initial phases walk in registration was possible, hence leading to an availability of vaccines only to those who are technologically literate. Along with this, an issue was raised due to the differential pricing of the vaccines for the receivers of the vaccine, namely the Centre, State governments and the private sector, and the requirement of payment for vaccines for some beneficiaries (18–44 years) and free for the rest.[lxxxvii] This policy also does not give priority to those with co-morbidities, diseases, those with disabilities and the other vulnerable groups of the society.[lxxxviii] Even the overall vaccination fell during the time with a decline in daily vaccination rates. Experts have said that this happened as a result of the change in policy due to a substantially lower participation of the private sector. This was also the time with an irregular supply of vaccines and very high demand.[lxxxix]

In the third phase the cost of vaccines in the private sector has also increased from around Rs. 250 ($3.5) to now Rs. 700–900 ($9.5-$12) for Covishield and Rs. 1250–1500 ($17-$20.5) for Covaxin. Private hospitals were earlier allowed to only charge Rs. 100 ($1.36) which would be the service and vaccine administering cost over the vaccine charges (which included GST, transportation, storage costs and the cost of wastage of vaccines) but eventually the prices increased to Rs.250–300 ($3.41-$4).[xc] These high costs have also led to a worry regarding diversion of vaccines to the private sector due to higher profits for manufacturers. Due to shortages and large number of orders for the vaccines, inequity is widely present due to the fact that corporate giants are being favored in the private sector for vaccination distribution and the small private hospitals being left out. This is also visible in the rural areas and smaller cities where the shortage and unavailability of vaccines is even more widely present. This has led to an increase in the urban-rural divide.[xci] There are nine big corporate giants that are currently procuring almost half of the vaccines available to the private sector, which again largely deliver to the large metro-cities. [xcii]

5.2.5.4 Change in Vaccine Policy

With the latest address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the citizens on the 7th of June 2021, India decided to bring a change in its vaccination policy from 21 June, 2021, post which every citizen above the age of 18 years will get vaccinated free of cost.[xciii] This comes after intense criticism of the vaccination policy being followed by the government, and after the Supreme Court questioned the Central government to provide a roadmap on the availability of vaccines till the end of the year and called the strategy being followed arbitrary and irrational. The Court also asked the Centre to provide relevant data about the vaccination of the rural population and questioned that why those between the ages of 18–44 years have to pay for vaccination irrespective of a massive allocation of funds for vaccination in the budget. Along with the above, there were eyes raised on the issue of profiteering by the private hospitals, that can buy vaccines at high costs and further, sell them to those citizens who can afford them.[xciv]Under this New Vaccine Policy, this can be availed only at vaccination centers run by state governments and the central government. India will also shift back to a centralized procurement of vaccines with 75% being procured by the central government and 25% by private hospitals.

With the new vaccine policy, the shared responsibility of states and center will come to an end. The states will receive the vaccines from the center for free and will no longer negotiate with the manufacturers. Previously the government supplied doses to the private sector, but that will come to an end with the new policy. [xcv] For private health centers and hospitals, a service charge will be capped at Rs 150 over and above the price of the vaccine with a maximum price of vaccines being Rs. 780 for Covishield, Rs 1,410 for Covaxin, and Rs 1,145 for Sputnik V. This was done to avoid overcharging by the private sector for the vaccines as the prices remain exorbitant, one of the highest across the world.[xcvi]

This new vaccine policy will also help release states of the burden to procure vaccines, logistics along with the financial burden as they were having to pay more than the center. [xcvii] The Centre has also facilitated the supply of vaccines to the small private centers and the payment for these vaccines has been decided to take place via the National Health Authority’s electronic platform. [xcviii]

For citizens, this new policy is only slightly different because previously only frontline workers, healthcare workers and those aged 45+ could be vaccinated at the central government run centers. This will change as now all adults above the age of 18 years can be vaccinated free of cost at the state and central government centers. Apart from giving priority to the vulnerable groups, this policy will also prioritize the vaccination of those who are due to get their second dose. [xcix]

Another change that can be noted under the new policy to help the economically weaker sections of the society to get vaccinated at private health centers is the use of non-transferable electronic vouchers or the Lok Kalyan electronic vouchers which has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India.[c] To address the issue of inequity in vaccination in private sectors, from June 21, the Centre will also investigate equitable distribution and regional balance based on the aggregate demand of the vaccines to help smaller and remote private hospitals. [ci]

5.2.6 Problems with Vaccine Supply

5.2.6.1 Shortages of Vaccines

Ever since the vaccination program began in India, shortages of vaccines have always been in question due to delay in ramping up of the production by the manufacturers, placing of orders, and poor planning to cater to the domestic needs. This has also led to questions on sustaining exports alongside domestic needs. There were no advance purchase agreements along with no liquidity to increase production. Although now these manufacturers have ramped up their monthly productions to some extent.[cii] SII aims to produce 100 million doses per month from June onwards, and Bharat Biotech aims to increase its capacity to 80 million doses per month from August.[ciii] These shortages have also been because of the raw material shortages after US President Joe Biden invoked the US Defense Production Act (DPA) which gave priority access to US manufacturers. Later on, the US gave access to certain specific raw materials to SII but not to all.[civ] Along with the above, this also led to a delay in commencing the Phase IV of vaccination in several states like Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu.[cv] In some other cases, many states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, etc. had to halt the program altogether for those between the ages of 18–44 years.[cvi]

Along with this, a massive drop in vaccinations per day was seen in the month May, at a time when the pandemic was around its peak and also during the period where the drive was opened to all adults above the age of 18 years. In the first 10 days of May, only 1.7 million doses were administered per day on an average which was far lower than the 2.4 million doses administered in the previous 10-day period on an average.[cvii]This was also due to the drop in vaccine supply by the central government and low vaccination on the two Sundays of the period.[cviii]

5.2.6.2 Wastage of Vaccines

A big reason to worry during the vaccination program in India has also been the wastage of vaccines which is also now a criterion for allocation. As directed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, those states which do not bring down the overall wastage to the national average could face cuts in the fortnightly allocation of vaccines for the 45+ age group, as per reports from mid-May. Although, under the vaccination policy wastage is accounted for in cases of transporting, breakage, improper administration, etc.[cix] The national average stands at 6.3%, with Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh wasting the highest as per the Health Ministry as of May 25th.[cx] The states have been asked to prepare plans for vaccination and aim to bring down the wastage to 1%.[cxi] Approximately, 50% of the vaccines across the globe are wasted as per World Health Organization (WHO).[cxii] These wastages are also due to the hesitancy of people to get vaccinated and fewer people showing up to get vaccinated leading to eventual wastage of the vaccines. This also includes further reluctance to get Bharat BioTech’s Covaxin. States like Kerala and Odisha on the other hand have reported negative wastage due to proper training and complete utilization of even the extra vials (to account for wastage) in the dose. [cxiii]

5.2.7 Foreign Vaccines

Facing the deadly second wave, countries have stepped up to help India in various ways where an essential factor here is the vaccination program. Apart from the indigenous vaccines, India is also seeking imports of vaccines from different countries. Vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna also soon might be available for administration in India. Before the new vaccine policy was introduced by the government, the state governments tried to procure the foreign manufactured vaccines and global tender of vaccines, but, these pharmaceutical companies refused to deal with the state governments individually.[cxiv] They also stated that they will only deal with the central governments and supra-national organizations, and that their supply books were full.[cxv] Foreign vaccines have also been given approval by The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) without domestic clinical trials which is a big step towards mass vaccination in the country. The trials won’t be required for those vaccines which have been certified by the National Control Laboratory (NCL) of the origin country.[cxvi]

5.2.8 Vaccine Response of Individual States to the Pandemic

We consider the State/Union Territory (UT) wise population data (from 2020) and the latest vaccination data from all states and UTs (from 16th January, 2021 to 21st June 2021). By looking at the number of vaccination doses administered in each state/UT, we can gain a fair understanding of India’s vaccination efforts. But, given that some states have larger populations than others (along with other external factors), the raw vaccination numbers are likely to be skewed, thus decreasing the value of our insights. To address this, we can instead look at vaccination rates (i.e. total vaccination doses administered divided by the state population), as this will give us a more effective measure by which we can compare the responses of each state. Thus, the raw vaccination numbers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI[cxvii] were divided by 2020 estimates of state populations provided by the Unique Identification Authority of India[cxviii], to give us the vaccination rate.

Phase I of vaccination in the country began from 16th of January 2021, which catered to healthcare and the frontline workers. On the first day of the pan-India vaccination drive, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh recorded the highest vaccination rate in the country at 0.05%. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number of vaccinations on day 1, with 21.2k and 18.4k doses, respectively. The State/UT with the lowest vaccinations on the first day was Lakshadweep with only 21 doses administered. The number of total vaccines administered across the country on the first day was 1.91 lakhs.

Phase II of the vaccination drive started on the 1st of March 2021, for people aged 60+ years and those with comorbidities above the age of 45 years. During this time, the UTs Lakshadweep and Ladakh recorded the highest vaccination rate, at 4.39% and 3.48%, respectively. The states following them were Sikkim at 2.81%, and Tripura at 2.73%. Uttar Pradesh with 14.88 lakh doses and Maharashtra with 12.37 lakh doses recorded the highest number of overall vaccinations. The lowest number of vaccination doses was recorded by Lakshadweep at 3k doses, overall. The total number of vaccines administered till the first day of Phase II in India was 1.48 crores.[cxix]

Phase III of the drive began on the 1st of April, 2021, for those above the age of 45 years. Ladakh, with 17.41%, and Tripura, at 17.26%, recorded the highest vaccination rate. Maharashtra, with 65 lakh doses, and Gujarat, with 61 lakh doses, maintained the top two spots in total vaccinations doses when the third phase began. The lowest number of total doses administered was recorded by Lakshadweep, at 7k. Till the first day of phase III of the vaccination, the total number of vaccines administered in India was approximately 6.87 crores.

Phase IV of the drive began on the 1st of May, 2021, and the vaccination was opened for all adults above the age of 18 years. Ladakh and Lakshadweep recorded the highest number of vaccinations, at 37.88% and 32.05%, respectively. In the fourth phase of the vaccination, Maharashtra, with about 1.6 crore doses, and Rajasthan, trailing behind at 1.3 cr. doses, were the states with the highest number of total vaccinations across the country. Lakshadweep, at 23k doses, was the UT with the lowest number of vaccine doses administered. Till the first day of Phase IV of the vaccination programme in India, the total number of vaccine doses administered was 15.68 crores.[cxx]

The latest data used in this response report is from 21st June, 2021 with the vaccination rate at 71% for Lakshadweep, 69% for Ladakh, for Sikkim at 54%, and Goa at 49%, respectively. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of total vaccines administered, at approximately 2.8 cr. and 2.63 cr. doses, respectively. Lakshadweep recorded the lowest vaccinations, with 51.9k vaccines administered till the 21st of June. Total vaccinations across the country stood at 28.87 cr.[cxxi]

On this day, as per the government, India created a world record for administering the highest number of vaccine doses in a single day, above 80 lakhs.[cxxii] According to the government, this was because starting June 21st, the new vaccine policy was rolled out where the Central government took back the charge from the States for the procurement of vaccines from the manufacturers, and now, Centre will supply the vaccine to the States for free. Although, as per data, this has been questioned because some states recorded fewer vaccinations in the past few days, before June 21st, when several states registered record high numbers which led to a criticism that this spike might have been artificially manufactured. Another reason for this might also be because now the vaccines reserved for the beneficiaries above 45 years can be administered to those between the ages of 18–44 years.[cxxiii]

When we compare the total number of vaccine doses administered, Maharashtra has been the top performing state across the country. As per the Maharashtra government, it is the only state where more than 50 lakh citizens have been administered both doses (which is higher than any other state) and more than 2 crore citizens have been administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.[cxxiv] On the other hand, Lakshadweep has had the highest vaccination rate, despite the fact that the UT has administered the lowest number of vaccine doses. We can see a stark difference between the vaccination rates and the total vaccine doses administered overall in states. This is due to the fact that states with large populations like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc. have contributed to high number of total doses, but at the same time have very poor vaccination rates.

Please Note: A portion of Arunachal Pradesh has been shaded in grey by the heatmapping software itself, due to the border dispute currently happening in the region.

5.3 Other Measures

5.3.1 Fiscal Measures

India’s central government fiscal support measures can be divided into two broad categories: (i) above-the-line measures which include government spending (about 3.5 percent of GDP, of which about 2.2 percent of GDP is estimated have been utilized in the past fiscal year), foregone or deferred revenues (about 0.3 percent of GDP falling due within the past fiscal year) and expedited spending (about 0.3 percent of GDP falling due within the past fiscal year); and (ii) below-the-line measures designed to support businesses and shore up credit provision to several sectors (about 5.3 percent of GDP).[cxxv]

On February 1, 2021 the central government budget for FY2021/22 was tabled in the parliament. The budget expanded spending on health and wellbeing, including a provision for the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program (350 billion Rs). In April 2021, in response to the recent surge in infections, the central government announced that free food grains will be provided to 800 million individuals in May and June (with a cost of about 260 billion rupees), similar to the additional food rations provided in 2020 (which had expired in November 2020).[cxxvi] The central government also extended a scheme for providing interest-free loans to states for capital expenditure to FY2021/22 (150 billion rupees) and expedited the release of Disaster Response Fund to state governments (from June to May). Finally, customs duties and other taxes on vaccines, oxygen and oxygen-related equipment were waived to boost their availability.[cxxvii]

5.3.2 Relief Measures Announced by the Government [cxxviii]

• Loan Guarantee Scheme: A total of Rs 1.1 lakh crore has been allocated to sectors affected by COVID-19, wherein Rs 50,000 crore is allocated to the health sector for scaling up health infrastructure and Rs 60,000 crore is allocated to other sectors. Further, maximum loan amount for the health sector is Rs 100 crore, with the interest rate cap being 7.95 percent. The interest rate cap for other sectors is at 8.25 percent.
• Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS): Credit line given as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package has been extended by another Rs 1.5 lakh crore, with the overall cap increasing from Rs 3 lakh crore to Rs 4.5 lakh crore.
• New Credit Guarantee Scheme: This scheme focuses on provide loans to small borrowers, via Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs), where the maximum loan to individuals will be Rs 1.25 lakh at an interest rate below 2 percent — as prescribed by the RBI. For any new loan taken out, stressed borrowers except non-performing assets will now be covered. The loan duration will be for three years.
• Scheme to revive Tourism: Financial support will be extended to more than 11,000 registered tourist guides and Travel & Tourism Stakeholders (TTS). Under this, TTS will get up to Rs 10 lakh loan, while Licensed Tourist guides will get up to Rs. 1 lakh loan. This scheme is intended to help the tourism stakeholders survive the second wave of COVID-19.
• Tourist Visas: Once tourist visa issuance is resumed, the first 5 lakh tourist visas are to be issued totally free of charge. This will apply till March 31, 2022 or till the first 5 lakh tourist visas get covered, whichever is earlier. One tourist can avail the benefit only once.
• Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: The scheme, launched to incentivize job creation and restoration, has now been extended from June 30, 2021 to March 31, 2022. More than 21.4 lakh people of nearly 80,000 establishments have already benefited from the scheme
• Subsidy For Farmers: Farmers to get additional protein-based fertilizer subsidy of nearly Rs 15,000 crore.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKY): Free food grains will be provided to the poor from May to November 2021 (as provided last year). The approximate cost of this is Rs 94,000 crore, making the total cost of PMGKY nearly Rs 2.28 lakh crore.
• Funds Allocated for Public Health: Rs 23,220 crore allocated for public health, with sharp focus on child and pediatric care. The amount is to be spent in this financial year itself. The scheme will include human resource augmentation to rope in medical students, nurses; strengthening of infra like ICU beds, ambulances, O2 supply, equipment, and medicines.
• Special Variety of Crops: 21 climate-resilient and bio-fortified special varieties of are going to be released by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. These crops will have high nutritional content, without having to add supplements, will greatly help farmers increase income. It signals a shift from yield to nutrition and climate-resilience.
• Revival Package for NEAMC: North Eastern Agricultural Marketing Corporation will also receive a Rs 77.45 crore revival package for financial restructuring and fund infusion. This is aimed to help plan and give higher price to farmers by bypassing middlemen.
• National Export Insurance Account to Get Support: NEIA will get additional financial support over 5 years. This will allow the NEIA to under-write additional project exports worth Rs 33,000 crore and will immediately ramp up India’s capacity to extend cover to project exports.
• Export Credit Guarantee Corporation to Get Support: Equity is to be infused into the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation, to provide credit insurance services for merchandise exports. This will enable ECGC to extend insurance cover up to Rs 88,000 Crore for merchandise exports.
• Bharat Net Project to Get Support: More than Rs 19,000 crore additional outlay is planned for Bharat Net Project which will enable extension of Bharat Net broadband connectivity to all remaining villages. Notably, more than 1.56 lakh out of 2.5 lakh gram panchayat are already connected or service-ready.
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme: This scheme that focuses on incentivizing large-scale electronics manufacturing, has been extended by one year. Thus, investments made in 2020–21 will continue to be covered.
• Reform Based Result Linked Power Distribution Scheme: This scheme will get a total allocation of Rs. 3.03 lakh crore for power infrastructure creation and upgradation. It consists state-specific intervention and will include 25 crore smart meters, 10,000 feeders and 4 lakh km of low-tension overhead lines.
• New Process for PPP Project: This will consist of ‘Appraisal, Approval, Monetization’ for speedy clearances, to bring in private sector efficiency and streamline the process, in place of long and multi-level approval process. This will be for core infrastructure projects, including through Infrastructure Investment Trusts.

5.3.3 Campaign Run by Government to Raise Awareness

The central government launched a campaign called Jan Andolan that focused on raising awareness for appropriate COVID-19 behavior like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and washing hands regularly.[cxxix] It was launched in October 2020 and encouraged public participation by asking every citizen to take a pledge to follow COVID-19 appropriate behavior.[cxxx] The campaign was heavily advertised using banners and posters in public places, actors, media campaigns, hoardings, mobile vans and TV ads.[cxxxi]

6. Analysis and Suggestions

References

[i] “Covid-19 Second Wave: Here’s a List of States That Have Imposed Full Lockdown.” The Indian Express, 9 May 2021, indianexpress.com/article/india/covid-19-second-wave-heres-a-list-of-states-that-have-imposed-lockdowns-7306634/.

[ii] Writer, Staff. “Uttarakhand Imposes One-Week Complete Lockdown amid Covid Surge. Details Here.” Mint, 9 May 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/uttarakhand-imposes-one-week-complete-lockdown-amid-covid-surge-details-here-11620575642240.html.

[iii] “Uttarakhand Extends Covid Curfew by One Week with Some Relaxations.” Latest News by Times Now News, www.timesnownews.com/india/article/uttarakhand-extends-covid-curfew-by-one-week-with-some-relaxations/776887.

[iv] “Haryana Extends Lockdown till July 5, Relaxations Allowed Earlier to Continue.” Edited by PTI, The Economic Times, 27 June 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/haryana-extends-lockdown-till-jul-5-relaxations-allowed-earlier-to-continue/articleshow/83892590.cms.

[v] ibid

[vi] Ranjan, PTI. “Himachal Pradesh Lockdown: 10-Day Restrictions Imposed from Friday to Check Covid Spread.” English, 6 May 2021, www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/himachal-pradesh-lockdown-date-guidelines-rules-covid19-cases-shimla-702779.

[vii] “Himachal Pradesh Extends ‘Corona Curfew’ Till June 14.” Edited by Shubhangi Gupta, India News, Breaking News | India.com, 5 June 2021, www.india.com/news/india/himachal-pradesh-lockdown-2021-news-today-june-5-2021-corona-curfew-extended-till-june-14-shimla-news-jai-ram-thakur-check-details-4718111/.

[viii] “Punjab Imposes Lockdown-like Curbs till May 15; Check out What’s Allowed, What’s Not.” Business Today, 3 May 2021, www.businesstoday.in/coronavirus/story/punjab-imposes-lockdown-like-curbs-till-may-15-check-out-what-allowed-what-not-294969-2021-05-03.

[ix] Bureau, “Punjab Extends Lockdown till June 30, Allows Reopening of IELTS Coaching Centres- Check Guidelines Here.” Zee News, Zee News, 26 June 2021, zeenews.india.com/india/punjab-extends-lockdown-till-june-30-allows-reopening-of-ielts-coaching-centres-check-guideline-here-2371905.html.

[x] Pakrasi, Susmita. “Punjab Allows Bars, Pubs to Open from Today: Check Full List of Guidelines Here.” Hindustan Times, 1 July 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/punjab-allows-bars-pubs-to-open-from-today-check-full-list-of-guidelines-here-101625107538805.html.

[xi] Ani. “Rajasthan Imposes Lockdown from May 10 to 24 amid Surge in Covid-19 Cases.” Business Standard, Business-Standard, 7 May 2021, www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/rajasthan-imposes-lockdown-from-may-10-to-24-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases-121050700063_1.html.

[xii] Correspondent, Special. “Rajasthan Modifies Lockdown to Ease Restrictions.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 8 June 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rajasthan-modifies-lockdown-to-ease-restrictions/article34757011.ece.

[xiii] “Lockdown Imposed In Chandigarh Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases.” NDTV News, 30 Apr. 2021, www.ndtv.com/chandigarh-news/lockdown-imposed-in-chandigarh-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases-2425630.

[xiv] “Chandigarh Unlock: Bars, Restaurants, Gyms to Open with 50% Capacity, Here’s What Else Is Allowed.” Edited by Karishma Jain, DNA India, 8 June 2021, www.dnaindia.com/india/report-chandigarh-unlock-relaxations-whats-allowed-whats-not-bars-restaurants-gyms-to-open-with-50-percent-capacity-2894226.

[xv] Correspondent, Special. “COVID-19 Surge: Lockdown in Delhi Extended for Another Week.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 16 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/covid-19-surge-lockdown-in-delhi-extended-for-another-week/article34571027.ece.

[xvi] “Delhi Unlock: Govt Eases Curbs, Check What Will Remain Open from Tomorrow.” Edited by Sneha, Mint, 27 June 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-unlock-with-further-easing-of-curbs-check-what-will-remain-open-from-tomorrow-11624751658011.html.

[xvii] “Now, All J&K Districts to Go under Lockdown.” Hindustan Times, 29 Apr. 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/now-all-j-k-districts-to-go-under-lockdown-101619726804002.html.

[xviii] Joshi, Poorva. “Gradual Unlock in Leh to Start from June 7 amid Dip in New Covid Cases.” English, 6 June 2021, www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/gradual-unlock-in-leh-to-start-from-june-7-amid-dip-in-new-covid-cases-709630.

[xix] Ashiq, Peerzada. “Jammu and Kashmir Re-Opens Partially after 31-Day Lockdown.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 31 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jammu-and-kashmir-re-opens-partially-after-31-day-lockdown/article34690808.ece.

[xx] PTI. “J&K Entends Closure of Educational Institutions till July 15.” The Indian Express, 28 June 2021, indianexpress.com/article/education/educational-institutions-in-j-k-to-remain-closed-till-july-15–7379214/.

[xxi] TNN, “Chhattisgarh Extends Lockdown till May 31: Raipur News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/chhattisgarh-extends-lockdown-till-may-31/articleshow/82675862.cms.

[xxii] Mishra, Ritesh. “Chhattisgarh Extends Covid Lockdown with Limited Relaxations in Some Areas.” Hindustan Times, 1 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/chhattisgarh-extends-covid-lockdown-with-limited-relaxations-in-some-areas-101622534817115.html.

[xxiii] “MP Govt Imposes Lockdown in All Urban Areas from Friday 6 Pm-Monday 6 Am, Containment Zones in Main Cities.” Latest News by Times Now News, 8 Apr. 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/article/mp-govt-imposes-lockdown-in-all-urban-areas-from-friday-6-pm-monday-6-am-containment-zones-in-main-cities/742527.

[xxiv] “MP Lockdown: Full Lockdown Imposed in State till May 15, Essential Services to Continue; Check Details Here.” Jagran English, 6 May 2021, english.jagran.com/india/madhya-pradesh-lockdown-news-coronavirus-restrictions-janata-curfew-live-news-shopping-malls-weekly-markets-cinema-halls-bhopal-indore-ujjain-covid-guidelines-10026426.

[xxv] “MP Unlock: Sunday Lockdown Lifted in Madhya Pradesh; Night Curfew To Remain in Place.” Edited by Kritika Bansal, India News, Breaking News | India.com, 27 June 2021, www.india.com/news/india/mp-unlock-sunday-lockdown-to-be-lifted-in-madhya-pradesh-night-curfew-to-remain-in-place-4771048/.

[xxvi] Writer, Staff. “Full Lockdown in Uttar Pradesh from Tomorrow. Details Here.” Mint, 29 Apr. 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/full-lockdown-in-uttar-pradesh-from-tomorrow-details-here-11619680956752.html.

[xxvii] Bose, Joydeep. “UP to Ease Covid-19 Curfew from Monday, New Guidelines Issued. All Details Here.” Hindustan Times, 20 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/up-to-ease-covid-19-curfew-from-monday-new-guidelines-issued-all-details-here-101624169416571.html.

[xxviii] PTI. “Covid 19: Bihar to Unlock from June 9; Night Curfew to Remain in Place.” The Economic Times, 8 June 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/covid-19-bihar-to-unlock-from-june-9-night-curfew-to-remain-in-place/articleshow/83334850.cms.

[xxix] ibid

[xxx] “Covid Roundup: Bengal to Prioritise Covid Jabs for Mothers, Jharkhand Extends Restrictions and More: India News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 23 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/covid-roundup-india-reports-40-cases-of-delta-plus-variant-jharkhand-extends-restrictions-and-more/articleshow/83780782.cms.

[xxxi] Mohapatra , Debabrata. “Odisha Lockdown News: 14-Day Lockdown in Odisha from May 5: Bhubaneswar News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 2 May 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/14-day-lockdown-in-odisha-from-may-5/articleshow/82352596.cms.

[xxxii] Debabrata Mohanty. “Odisha to Relax Lockdown Partially from June 17.” Hindustan Times, 16 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/odisha-to-relax-lockdown-partially-from-june-17-101623840071613.html.

[xxxiii] Govt. of WB, 14 June 2021, https://wb.gov.in/upload/MCLNEWS-210614124306465.pdf.

[xxxiv] “West Bengal Govt Extends COVID Lockdown till July 15 with Relaxations: Salons, Gyms Allowed to Open [DETAILS].” Latest News by Times Now News, 28 June 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/west-bengal/article/west-bengal-govt-extends-covid-lockdown-till-july-15-with-relaxations-salons-gyms-allowed-to-open-details/777086.

[xxxv] “Lockdown in Assam: Tougher Curbs Imposed as Cases Surge — What’s Open, What’s Not.” Edited by Karishma Jain, DNA India, 15 May 2021, www.dnaindia.com/india/report-lockdown-in-assam-tougher-curbs-imposed-as-cases-surge-whats-open-whats-not-2890471.

[xxxvi] Centre, National Informatics, “SOP for Restricting Movement of Individuals from 5 PM to 5 AM with Effect from 28th June till Further Notice Dated 26–06–21 — Covid 19 Dashboard.” Government of Assam, covid19.assam.gov.in/covid_asm_advisory/sop-for-restricting-movement-of-individuals-from-5-pm-to-5-am-with-effect-from-28th-june-till-further-notice-dated-26–06–21/.

[xxxvii] “Arunachal Pradesh Imposes Night Curfew for Entire Month.” Business Today, 7 May 2021, www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy-politics/story/arunachal-pradesh-imposes-night-curfew-for-entire-month-295239-2021-05-07.

[xxxviii] ANI, and ANI. “Covid-19: Arunachal Pradesh Extends Lockdown in 7 Districts till June 7.” The Economic Times, 31 May 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/covid-19-arunachal-pradesh-extends-lockdown-in-7-districts-till-june-7/videoshow/83121197.cms.

[xxxix]“Covid Surge Forces Manipur Administration to Impose 24-Hour Curfew in 7 Districts Starting Today till May 17.” Latest News by Times Now News, 8 May 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/article/covid-surge-forces-manipur-administration-to-impose-24-hour-curfew-in-7-districts-starting-today-till-may/754429.

[xl] Salle, Vangamla. “Manipur Govt Extends Curfew in 7 Districts till June 30. See Details.” EastMojo, 11 June 2021, www.eastmojo.com/manipur/2021/06/11/manipur-govt-extends-curfew-in-7-districts-till-june-30-see-details/.

[xli] Nath, Hemanta Kumar. “Meghalaya Imposes Covid-19 Lockdown till June 14.” India Today, 5 June 2021, www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/meghalaya-covid-19-lockdown-extension-east-khasi-hills-1811193-2021-06-05.

[xlii] ibid

[xliii] “Mizoram Extends Lockdown in Aizawl till June 6.” The New Indian Express, The New Indian Express, 29 May 2021, www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/may/29/mizoram-extends-lockdown-in-aizawl-till-june-6-2309255.html.

[xliv] “COVID-19: Mizoram Govt Extends Lockdown in Aizawl till June 21.” The Economic Times, 12 June 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/covid-19-mizoram-govt-extends-lockdown-in-aizawl-till-june-21/articleshow/83468139.cms?from=mdr.

[xlv] Nath, Hemanta Kumar. “Nagaland Imposes Week-Long Lockdown from May 14 amid Covid-19 Surge.” India Today, 11 May 2021, www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/nagaland-imposes-lockdown-from-may-14-1801515-2021-05-12.

[xlvi] Nath, Hemanta Kumar. “Nagaland Govt Extends Total Lockdown in the State till June 11.” India Today, 28 May 2021, www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/complete-lockdown-extended-in-nagaland-till-june-11-1808249-2021-05-28.

[xlvii] India, Press Trust of. “Covid-19 Curfew Extended in Tripura till June 25.” India Today, 18 June 2021, www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/covid-19-curfew-extension-tripura-agartala-1816770-2021-06-19.

[xlviii] Panday, Chandan. “Tripura: Curfew Restrictions Extended in Agartala, 10 Civic Bodies.” EastMojo, 26 June 2021, www.eastmojo.com/tripura/2021/06/26/tripura-curfew-restrictions-extended-in-agartala-10-civic-bodies/.

[xlix] Giri, Pramod. “Sikkim to Impose Week-Long Lockdown from May 17.” Hindustan Times, 14 May 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sikkim-to-impose-week-long-lockdown-from-may-17-101621012020341.html.

[l] Dhungel, Pankaj. “COVID-19: Sikkim Extends Lockdown with Some Relaxations till June 21. See Details.” EastMojo, 12 June 2021, www.eastmojo.com/sikkim/2021/06/12/covid-19-sikkim-extends-lockdown-with-some-relaxations-till-june-21-see-details/.

[li] “Maharashtra Lockdown: Day 1 of Janta Curfew, Ground Report.” The Economic Times, 15 Apr. 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/covid-19–15-day-janta-curfew-starts-in-maharashtra-ground-report/videoshow/82079044.cms.

[lii] Kamath, Naresh. “Covid in Maharashtra: Stricter Curbs from Monday.” Hindustan Times, 27 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/covid-in-maharashtra-stricter-curbs-from-monday-101624817587961.html.

[liii] “Goa Imposes Complete Lockdown from 7 Pm on April 29 till May 3 Morning amid COVID-19 Surge.” Latest News by Times Now News, 28 Apr. 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/article/goa-imposes-complete-lockdown-from-april-29-evening-till-may-3-morning-amid-covid-surge/750443.

[liv] “Goa Lockdown: COVID-19 Curfew Extended till July 5 — What’s Allowed, What’s Not.” DNA India, 28 June 2021, www.dnaindia.com/india/report-goa-lockdown-covid-19-curfew-extended-till-july-5-goa-chief-minister-pramod-sawant-announced-what-s-allowed-what-s-not-2897697.

[lv] “Gujarat Lockdown: Night Curfew Imposed in These 29 Cities. What’s Open, What’s Shut: Full List Here.” India News, Breaking News | India.com, 27 Apr. 2021, www.india.com/news/india/gujarat-lockdown-night-curfew-imposed-in-29-cities-himmatnagar-palanpur-navsari-valsad-timings-whats-open-what-shut-full-list-4618421/.

[lvi] Patro, Sheetal, and Srishty Choudhury. “Gujarat Unlock News: As COVID-19 Restrictions Ease from Today Know What Is Open, Timings.” DNA India, 11 June 2021, www.dnaindia.com/india/report-gujarat-unlock-news-as-covid-19-restrictions-ease-from-today-know-what-is-open-timings-in-ahmedabad-gandhinagar-2894751.

[lvii] “Partial Lockdown To Be Imposed in Andhra Pradesh For 2 Weeks. Check Date, Timings.” Edited by Kritika Bansal, India News, Breaking News | India.com, 3 May 2021, www.india.com/news/india/lockdown-news-andhra-pradesh-partial-curfew-date-timings-coronavirus-guidelines-4636277/.

[lviii] Apparasu, Srinivasa Rao. “Andhra Pradesh Further Relaxes Lockdown in 8 Districts.” Hindustan Times, 28 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/andhra-pradesh-further-relaxes-lockdown-in-8-districts-101624870032176.html.

[lix] Correspondent, Special. “Coronavirus: Karnataka Imposes Lockdown for 14 Days Starting from May 10.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 7 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/coronavirus-karnataka-imposes-lockdown-for-14-days-starting-may-10/article34508344.ece.

[lx] PTI. “Karnataka Lockdown News: Karnataka Relaxes Covid-19 Restrictions in 6 More Districts: Bengaluru News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 21 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-relaxes-covid-19-restrictions-in-6-more-districts/articleshow/83718645.cms.

[lxi] “Complete Lockdown Imposed in Kerala From May 8 to May 16 — Here’s What’s Allowed, What’s Not.” Edited by Nivedita R, India News, Breaking News | India.com, 6 May 2021, www.india.com/kerala/complete-lockdown-imposed-in-kerala-from-may-8-to-may-16-heres-whats-allowed-whats-not-4643548/.

[lxii] “Kerala Extends Lockdown: New COVID-19 Restrictions from July 1 [DETAILS].” Latest News by Times Now News, 29 June 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/kerala/article/kerala-extends-lockdown-new-covid-19-restrictions-from-july-1-details/777819.

[lxiii] Desk, The Hindu Net. “Tamil Nadu Lockdown Rules: What’s Allowed and What’s Not.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 8 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-lockdown-rules-whats-allowed-and-whats-not/article34513085.ece.

[lxiv] “Tamil Nadu Govt Eases Covid Restrictions, Lockdown to Continue till 5 July.” India Today, 28 June 2021, www.indiatoday.in/india/video/tamil-nadu-govt-eases-covid-restrictions-1820224-2021-06-28.

[lxv] Reddy, Ravi. “Telangana to Impose Lockdown from May 12.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 11 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/telangana-to-impose-lockdown-from-may-12/article34534083.ece

[lxvi] Reporter, Staff. “A Week into Unlock, Decline in COVID Cases Continues.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 28 June 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/a-week-into-unlock-decline-in-covid-cases-continues/article35006021.ece.

[lxvii] “Several States Impose Lockdown, Night Curfew to Curb Covid-19; All You Need to Know: India News — Times of India.” Edited by Shubhangi Gupta, The Times of India, TOI, 13 Apr. 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/several-states-impose-lockdown-night-curfew-to-curb-covid-19/articleshow/82008208.cms.

[lxviii] Ians. “Total Lockdown in South Andaman District From Monday Amid COVID Surge.” Edited by Shubhangi Gupta, India News, Breaking News | India.com, 23 May 2021, www.india.com/news/india/total-lockdown-in-south-andaman-district-from-monday-amid-covid-surge-4685122/.

[lxix] India, Press Trust of. “Lakshadweep Administration Eases Coronavirus Lockdown Curbs as Cases Dip.” Business Standard, Business-Standard, 21 June 2021, www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/lakshadweep-administration-eases-coronavirus-lockdown-curbs-as-cases-dip-121062101061_1.html.

[lxx]“Puducherry Govt Imposes Lockdown for 14 Days from May 10 amid Surge in Covid-19 Cases [DETAILS].” Latest News by Times Now News, 8 May 2021, www.timesnownews.com/india/puducherry/article/puducherry-govt-imposes-lockdown-for-14-days-from-may-10-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases-details/754622.

[lxxi] Dominique, Bosco. “Puducherry Lockdown News: Puducherry Extends Lockdown with Relaxations, Permits Reopening of Restaurants and Bars on Some Premises: Puducherry News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 15 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/puducherry-extends-lockdown-with-relaxations-permits-reopening-of-restaurants-and-bars-on-some-premises/articleshow/83543670.cms.

[lxxii] Desk, DH Web. “All You Need to Know about SII’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.” Deccan Herald, DH News Service, 16 Jan. 2021, www.deccanherald.com/national/all-you-need-to-know-about-sii-s-covishield-and-bharat-biotech-s-covaxin-939302.html.

[lxxiii] “Moderna, Covovax, Biological E: What We Know about India’s New Covid Vaccines.” BBC News, BBC, 29 June 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55748124.

[lxxiv] Bureau, Our. “Increase Gap between Covishield Doses to 12–16 Weeks, Says Expert Govt Panel.” @Businessline, The Hindu BusinessLine, 14 May 2021, www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/increase-gap-between-two-doses-of-covishield-to-12-16-weeks-pregnant-women-can-choose-vaccine-panel/article34548676.ece.

[lxxv] “Decision to Increase Gap between Covishield Doses Based on Scientific Data: Harsh Vardhan.” The Indian Express, 16 June 2021, indianexpress.com/article/india/gap-between-covishield-doses-increased-on-scientific-evidence-harsh-vardhan-7361220/.

[lxxvi] Govt. of India, 3 January 2021, https://www.icmr.gov.in/pdf/press_realease_files/HFW_DCGI_energency_use_authorisation_03012021_2.pdf ; Also see Huzar, Timothy. “COVID-19: Scientists Outline the Failure of Vaccine Rollout in India.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 4 June 2021, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-covid-19-vaccines-should-be-free-for-all-in-india.

[lxxvii] Bose, Joydeep. “Why Was Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin Not Approved in US? Here’s What We Know so Far.” Edited by Meenakshi Ray, Hindustan Times, 11 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-was-bharat-biotech-s-covaxin-covid-19-vaccine-not-approved-in-us-here-s-what-we-know-so-far-101623387176530.html.

[lxxviii] Huzar, Timothy. “COVID-19: Scientists Outline the Failure of Vaccine Rollout in India.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 4 June 2021, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-covid-19-vaccines-should-be-free-for-all-in-india.

[lxxix] “Covaxin Has 81% Efficacy, Says Bharat Biotech: What Does It Mean.” Edited by Sameer, Hindustan Times, 4 Mar. 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covaxin-has-81-efficacy-says-bharat-biotech-what-does-it-mean-101614833555283.html.

[lxxx]“Clinical Trial in US, EUA in Canada: What’s next for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.” Edited by Poulomi Ghosh, Hindustan Times, 13 June 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/clinical-trial-in-us-eua-in-canada-what-s-next-for-bharat-biotech-s-covaxin-101623588615606.html.

[lxxxi] Schraer, Rachel. “Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Has 92% Efficacy in Trial.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Feb. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/health-55900622#:~:text=Russia's%20Sputnik%20V%20coronavirus%20vaccine,protection%20against%20hospitalisation%20and%20death.

[lxxxii]Livemint. “Sputnik V Vaccine Production Scaled up in Delhi, Other Cities: Dr Reddy’s.” Mint, 16 June 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/sputnik-v-covid-vaccine-production-scaled-up-in-delhi-other-cities-cowin-registration-not-open-yet-dr-reddys-11623855128081.html.

[lxxxiii] “Moderna, Covovax, Biological E: What We Know about India’s New Covid Vaccines.” BBC News, BBC, 29 June 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55748124.

[lxxxiv] Staff, FP. “COVID-19 Vaccination Phase 2 to Begin on 1 March; Cost of Vaccine at Private Hospitals to Be Decided Soon-India News , Firstpost.” Firstpost, 26 Feb. 2021, www.firstpost.com/india/covid-19-vaccination-phase-2-to-begin-on-1-march-cost-of-vaccine-at-private-hospitals-to-be-decided-soon-9348871.html.

[lxxxv] Writer, Staff. “COVID Vaccination for All above 18 Yrs from 1 May: Pricing to Supply Explained.” Mint, 19 Apr. 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/from-1-may-people-above-18-can-get-covid-vaccine-pricing-to-supply-explained-11618843095156.html.

[lxxxvi] Govt. of India, 21 April 2021, https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/LiberalisedPricingandAcceleratedNationalCovid19VaccinationStrategy2042021.pdf ; Also see “India Announces next Phase of Covid-19 Vaccination, All above 18 Yrs Eligible.” Edited by Aparna Banerjea, Mint, 19 Apr. 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/india-announces-next-phase-of-covid-vaccination-all-above-18-yrs-eligible-11618839943036.html.

[lxxxvii] Barnagarwala, Tabassum. “9 Pvt Hospitals Corner 50% Doses, Raise Questions of Vaccine Equity and Access.” The Indian Express, 5 June 2021, indianexpress.com/article/india/covid-vaccine-doses-private-hospitals-coronavirus-cases-7344769/.

[lxxxviii] Mahapatra, Dhananjay. “Covid Vaccine: Supreme Court Pulls up Centre on Covid Vaccination Policy: Key Points: India News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 3 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centres-paid-vaccination-policy-for-18–45-years-age-group-arbitrary-irrational-says-sc/articleshow/83172112.cms.

[lxxxix] Sharma, Nidhi, and Divya Rajagopal. “Daily Covid Vaccinations Fall to Two-Month Low after Policy Tweak.” The Economic Times, 6 May 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/daily-covid-19-vaccinations-fall-to-two-month-low-after-policy-tweak/articleshow/82423117.cms?from=mdr.

[xc]Nagarajan , Rema. “Covid Vaccine INDIA: At Rs 700-RS 1,500, Price of Covid Vaccine in India’s Private Sector among COSTLIEST: India News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 10 May 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/at-rs700-rs1500-price-of-covid-vaccine-in-indias-private-sector-among-costliest/articleshow/82509814.cms.

[xci] ibid

[xcii] Staff, Wire. “As Private Hospitals Scoop UP Vaccines, Urban-Rural Access DIVIDE Widens Further.” The Wire, 6 June 2021, thewire.in/health/private-hospital-groups-sweeping-vaccines-further-widens-urban-rural-access-divide.

[xciii] M, Kaunain Sheriff. “India Covid-19 Vaccination POLICY EXPLAINED: Here Is All You Need to Know.” The Indian Express, 20 July 2021, indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-vaccination-policy-cost-availability-vaccine-explained-7349406/.

[xciv] Mahapatra, Dhananjay. “Covid Vaccine: Supreme Court Pulls up Centre on Covid Vaccination Policy: Key Points: India News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 3 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centres-paid-vaccination-policy-for-18–45-years-age-group-arbitrary-irrational-says-sc/articleshow/83172112.cms.

[xcv] Kulkarni, Ashish. “India’s New Vaccine Policy Makes Welcome Improvements — but Big Questions Still Remain.” Scroll.in, Scroll.in, 11 June 2021, scroll.in/article/997231/indias-new-vaccine-policy-makes-welcome-improvements-but-big-questions-still-remain.

[xcvi] “Centre Caps COVID-19 VACCINE Rates in Private Hospitals, Here’s How Much They Will Cost Now.” The Indian Express, 9 June 2021, indianexpress.com/article/india/covid-vaccine-covaxin-covishield-sputnik-price-7349950/.

[xcvii] Saran, Shyam Saran, et al. “Centre to Encourage Use of RBI-Approved ELECTRONIC Vouchers to Help Vaccination of Poor.” ThePrint, 8 June 2021, theprint.in/india/centre-to-encourage-use-of-rbi-approved-electronic-vouchers-to-help-vaccination-of-poor/674003/.

[xcviii] M, Kaunain Sheriff. “Production Ramped UP, 13.5 CRORE Jabs Will Be Available in July.” The Indian Express, 20 June 2021, indianexpress.com/article/india/production-ramped-up-13–5-cr-jabs-will-be-available-in-july-7366917/.

[xcix] M, Kaunain Sheriff. “India Covid-19 Vaccination POLICY EXPLAINED: Here Is All You Need to Know.” The Indian Express, 20 July 2021, indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-vaccination-policy-cost-availability-vaccine-explained-7349406/.

[c] Kulkarni, Ashish. “India’s New Vaccine Policy Makes Welcome Improvements — but Big Questions Still Remain.” Scroll.in, Scroll.in, 11 June 2021, scroll.in/article/997231/indias-new-vaccine-policy-makes-welcome-improvements-but-big-questions-still-remain.

[ci] “Covid Vaccination Guidelines: Centre Releases Revised Guidelines for National COVID VACCINATION Programme, to Be Implemented from JUNE 21: India News — Times of India.” The Times of India, TOI, 8 June 2021, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-releases-revised-guidelines-for-national-covid-vaccination-program-to-be-implemented-from-june-21/articleshow/83333937.cms.

[cii] Online, FE. “Covid-19: Why India Is Facing Vaccine Shortage.” The Financial Express, The Financial Express, 10 May 2021, www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19-why-india-is-facing-vaccine-shortage/2248748/.

[ciii] Menon, Shruti. “India Coronavirus: Can All Adults Get Vaccinated in 2021?” BBC News, BBC, 1 June 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55571793.

[civ]Roy, Avik. “How Biden Admin Changed Stance on Supply of Vaccine Raw Materials to India.” Hindustan Times, 26 Apr. 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-biden-admin-changed-stance-on-supply-of-vaccine-raw-materials-to-india-101619422507220.html.

[cv] Correspondent, Special. “Coronavirus: Amid Shortage, States Postpone COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout for 18–45 Age Group.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 1 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/covid-19-vaccination-for-people-above-18-years-deferred-in-several-states/article34449148.ece.

[cvi] Correspondent, HT. “After Maharashtra, Karnataka Suspends Covid Vaccines for 18–44 from Friday.” Hindustan Times, 12 May 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/karnataka-running-out-of-vaccines-suspends-jabs-for-18-44-from-friday-101620839264973.html.

[cvii] Radhakrishnan, Vignesh, and Sumant Sen. “Data: Daily COVID-19 Vaccination Pace at Record Low in May Even as Centre Opens up Doses for Adults.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 13 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/data/data-daily-covid-19-vaccinations-drop-in-the-first-10-days-of-may-even-as-states-have-used-most-of-their-supplies/article34550893.ece.

[cviii] ibid

[cix] Correspondent, Special. “Coronavirus: States, Centre Spar over Vaccine Wastage.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 28 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-states-centre-spar-over-vaccine-wastage/article34661604.ece.

[cx] Ray, Kalyan. “Jharkhand Wastes 37% of Its Covid-19 Vaccines; 30% in Chhattisgarh.” Deccan Herald, DH News Service, 25 May 2021, www.deccanherald.com/national/jharkhand-wastes-37-of-its-covid-19-vaccines-30-in-chhattisgarh-990020.html.

[cxi] Correspondent, Special. “Coronavirus: States, Centre Spar over Vaccine Wastage.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 28 May 2021, www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-states-centre-spar-over-vaccine-wastage/article34661604.ece.

[cxii] Timsit, Annabelle. “How Many Covid Vaccines Go to Waste?” Quartz, Quartz, 28 May 2021, qz.com/2013918/some-countries-are-wasting-more-covid-19-vaccines-than-others/.

[cxiii]Sharma, Nidhi. “Covid Vaccine Wastage of 1o States Higher than National Average.” The Economic Times, 16 May 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/vaccine-wastage-of-1o-states-higher-than-national-average/articleshow/82666707.cms.

[cxiv] “Pfizer Will Supply Covid Vaccine Only to CENTRAL Govt, Says Company.” Edited by Aparna Banerjea, Mint, 24 May 2021, www.livemint.com/news/india/pfizer-will-supply-covid-vaccine-only-to-central-govt-says-company-amid-requests-by-states-11621856102606.html.

[cxv] Goswami, Sweta, and Rhythma Kaul. “No Deals with States, SAY Pfizer, Moderna.” Hindustan Times, 24 May 2021, www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-deals-with-states-say-pfizer-moderna-101621900338001.html.

[cxvi]“Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines May Soon Be Available in India.” The Economic Times, 2 June 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/pharmaceuticals/pfizer-moderna-vaccines-may-soon-be-available-in-india/articleshow/83167202.cms?from=mdr.

[cxvii] “Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.” Govt. of India , https://www.mohfw.gov.in/.

[cxviii] “State/UT Wise Aadhaar Saturation (Overall) — All Age Groups.” Govt. of India UIDAI, 31 Dec. 2020, https://uidai.gov.in/images/state-wise-aadhaar-saturation.pdf.

[cxix] “Cumulative Coverage Report of COVID-19 Vaccination.” <i>Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.</i>, 1 Mar. 2021, https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/CumulativeCovidVaccinationCoverageReportDay44ason1stMarchat7am1.pdf.

[cxx] “Cumulative Coverage Report of COVID-19 Vaccination.” Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India., 1 Mar. 2021, https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/CumulativeCovidVaccinationCoverageReportDay44ason1stMarchat7am1.pdf.

[cxxi] “Cumulative Coverage Report of COVID-19 Vaccination.” Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India., 1 Mar. 2021, https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/CumulativeCovidVaccinationCoverageReportDay44ason1stMarchat7am1.pdf.

[cxxii] “India Administers over 80 Lakh COVID-19 Vaccine Doses, HIGHEST SINGLE-DAY Jabs in World.” The Economic Times, 21 June 2021, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-vaccinates-record-75-lakh-people-on-day-1-of-new-vaccine-regime/articleshow/83718606.cms.

[cxxiii] Sharma, Supriya. “How India Created a ‘World Record’ for Highest Number of Vaccinations in a Single Day.” Scroll.in, Scroll.in, 23 June 2021, scroll.in/article/998156/how-bjp-ruled-states-engineered-a-new-world-record-for-vaccinations.

[cxxiv]Upadhyay, Pankaj. “Maharashtra Leads India’s COVID Vaccination Drive with More than 2.5 Crore Doses Administered.” India Today, 10 June 2021, www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/vaccine-updates/story/maharashtra-leads-india-covid-vaccination-drive-2-5-crore-doses-1813420-2021-06-11.

[cxxv] “Policy Responses to covid19.” IMF, www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19#I.

[cxxvi] ibid

[cxxvii] ibid

[cxxviii] Anand, Kshitij. “Gold Price Today: Yellow Metal Trades Higher, May Face Resistance Above Rs 47,000.” Moneycontrol, MoneyControl, 1 July 2021, www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/gold-price-today-yellow-metal-trades-higher-may-face-resistance-above-rs-47000-7111121.html.

[cxxix] “MyGov Pledge.” GOVT. of India, https://pledge.mygov.in/janandolan-covid/.

[cxxx] “Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.” GOVT. of India, 7 Apr. 2020, https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1662449.

[cxxxi] ibid