More than 16 lakh (16,14,169) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm.
The ministry also said that over 2.11 crore (2,11,43,851) precaution doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries -- healthcare workers, frontline workers and those over 60 years -- for vaccination have been administered so far.
The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, it said.
Cumulatively, 55,31,72,096 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to individuals in the 18-44 age group and 45,41,16,901 second doses have been given in the same age group since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive, according to ministry data.
It said that in total, 96,68,47,920 first doses have been administered and 81,09,55,531 second doses have been given.
India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 179.89 crore (179,89,47,302) today, the ministry said.
In the 15-18 age group, 5,57,89,422 first doses and 3,32,98,378 second doses have been administered.
More than 2,11,43,851 precaution doses have been administered to the identified categories of beneficiaries.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2 last year.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year.
The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be inoculated from May 1 last year.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.
India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by its Omicron variant. PTI UZM ANB ANB