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The <keyword id="22407175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="U-WIN" source="keywords">U-WIN</keyword> portal, a replication of the <keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">Covid-19</keyword> vaccine management system Co-WIN, is set for a pan-India launch likely by the end of August, aiming to maintain an electronic registry of routine immunisations, official sources said. Currently, U-WIN is in pilot mode across all states and Union Territories, except for West Bengal, which is yet to start uploading data, the sources told PTI, adding that it is still under consideration in the state. The U-WIN platform captures every <keyword id="19933690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccination" source="keywords">vaccination</keyword> event for pregnant women and children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Minister of Finance <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> had announced in the interim Budget for 2024-2025 that U-WIN, along with intensified efforts under Mission Indradhanush, will be rolled out nationwide for managing <keyword id="21423640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="immunisation" source="keywords">immunisation</keyword>. "The U-WIN will ensure timely administration of vaccine doses by digitally recording every vaccination event under the Universal Immunisation Programme among all pregnant women and children aged 0-5 years," an official told PTI. "The portal will target 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants (0-1 years) annually by providing 11 vaccines against 12 vaccine preventable diseases -- diphtheria, measles, rubella, and tetanus through more than 1.2 crore vaccination sessions across the country," the official added. The platform generates a uniform QR-based, digitally verifiable e-vaccination certificate, similar to Covid vaccination certificate, which can be accessed anytime by the citizens through a single click. Vaccination records under UIP are being maintained manually as of now. So this will do away with the hassle of keeping a physical record, the officials explained. It will enable the digitisation of session planning, and updating vaccination status on a real-time basis, they added. "Also, there is no mechanism of individual tracking. There is also lack of awareness among beneficiaries about session location and date especially in urban areas and iniquity in immunisation coverage in states and UTs," another official said. "Besides, another major issue is that immunisation at private health facilities is not recorded," the official added. The U-WIN is going to be the single source of information for immunisation services which will record pregnancy details and outcome, newborn registration and immunisation at birth. It will update vaccination status, and delivery outcome, among others, on real time, the official said. As of July 9, 2024, the pilot has registered 5.33 crore beneficiaries on U-WIN. Over 83.55 lakh vaccination sessions have been digitally conducted, and 18.15 crore vaccine doses have been recorded. The platform aims to reduce zero-dose and left-out children through a name-based tracking mechanism and empower citizens with anytime, anywhere access to vaccination services, particularly benefiting migratory populations, the official said. "The U-WIN portal is likely to be launched pan <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> in August end," the official stated. Citizens can self-register for vaccinations via the U-WIN web portal or its Android mobile application, select preferred vaccination centres, and schedule appointments. Automated SMS alerts inform citizens about registration confirmations, administered doses, and upcoming dose reminders, ensuring timely and age-appropriate vaccinations. It also facilitates the creation of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs for comprehensive health record maintenance. The U-WIN also supports the frontline workers to digitally record all vaccination events for children and pregnant women for complete, accurate and easy record maintenance, the official said.

Pan-India rollout of U-WIN to track routine immunisations likely by Aug end

<ul><li>An SMS worm claiming to help users in India book a slot to get the COVID-19 vaccine is making the rounds.</li><li>The malicious app link being circulated over text messages enables authorised access to private accounts, exposes personal data and has the ability to delete data without the victims knowledge.</li><li>New variants of SMS worms are rare, but this one — and its cousins — all seem to have been created by the same developer, according to an investigation conducted by cyber risk assessment firm Cyble.</li></ul>The official CoWIN mobile app has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/cowin-website-is-back-up-after-an-early-crash-finding-a-vaccination-slot-may-still-be-difficult/articleshow/82291583.cms">not been doing its job well</a>, which has forced users in India to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/coders-are-coming-up-with-new-ways-to-check-for-covid-19-vaccination-slots-on-cowin/articleshow/82383284.cms">look at alternatives</a> to check for available vaccination slots or even simply register for the vaccine. While there are many solutions helping genuinely, there are others who may not necessarily be looking out for the ‘greater good’ — like a new SMS worm promising to book a vaccination slot for you, but infecting your device with malware instead. So far, the penetration seems to be limited to Android users. <div type="image" title="cowin app fake_edited" msid="82389061" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Android SMS worm tries to spread via text messages as fake, free registration for Covid-19 vaccine &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The SMS worm is capable of enabling unauthorised access to private accounts, using the device for activities unaware to the user of the smartphone, exposing personal data and deleting data without the user’s knowledge. This means accessing Twitter and Facebook accounts, peeping into your photo gallery and contact list, deleting documents you may have wanted to keep around for a little bit longer and eating up your data — which can be particularly painful if you have limited data per day. The issue was initially brought to light by Malware researcher <a href="https://twitter.com/LukasStefanko/status/1387733166195150849">Lukas Stefano</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/malwrhunterteam/status/1387706612270440450">Malware Hunter Team</a>. It was then also confirmed by Australian cyber risk assessment firm <a href="https://twitter.com/AuCyble/status/1389135487340883970">Cyble</a>. “Our investigation indicated that this malware campaign is currently targeting India as the country struggles with the ongoing onslaught of the pandemic,” said Cyble in its report. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A mysterious developer is creating similar apps with the same end goal" comment="subhead" text="A mysterious developer is creating similar apps with the same end goal">A mysterious developer is creating similar apps with the same end goal</cmsannotation> Cyble tried to track down the source of the fake app and found numerous abandoned repositories on Twitter. They list other apps that are similar but with different names. The end goal is the same for all of them — get the same permissions and enter from the same point. <div type="image" title="covid app fake 3_edited" msid="82389133" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fake COVID-19 app asking for permission to access contacts&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> According to the investigators, it is likely that the same developer is behind all of these apps. “New variants of SMS worms for Android do not appear very often, and this particular variant is an interesting piece of malware and part of a unique attack,” said Cyble in its report. In addition to tricking people into installing the SMS worm and accessing sensitive information, there is also a direct monetary cost of this whole exercise on the victim. Since the worm is automatically sending messages to people on the victim’s contact lists, it could use up their balance depending on their phone plan — without the victim’s knowledge. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How does the COVID-19 SMS malware work?" comment="subhead" text="How does the COVID-19 SMS malware work?">How does the COVID-19 SMS malware work?</cmsannotation> Users receive an SMS containing a malicious link that leads to a seemingly genuine website. Once an unsuspecting user clicks on the link, the worm’s code is now ready to execute on the device — that is, the smartphone has now been infected. <div type="image" title="covid app fake 2_edited" msid="82389102" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;SMS worm with malicious link &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Moreover, the malware sends a copy of itself to everyone on that person’s contact list. Some of the suspicious activities spotted include checking for devices that are connected to the phone through Bluetooth, sending text messages using SMS Manager, checking the status of the user’s SIM card and sending out queries around phone contact information. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/kangana-ranauts-twitter-account-has-been-suspended-for-violating-rules/articleshow/82384318.cms">Twitter cracks down on Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut — here's why it's significant in the debate over free speech on social media</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/coders-are-coming-up-with-new-ways-to-check-for-covid-19-vaccination-slots-on-cowin/articleshow/82383284.cms">Indian coders are working around the CoWIN app to help people bag the elusive vaccine slots</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/govt-slashing-customs-duty-and-cess-on-oxygen-concentrators-remdesivir-injections-and-covid-19-vaccines/articleshow/82372585.cms">To get more oxygen concentrators, Remdesivir injections and COVID-19 vaccines, India temporarily lifts customs duty and cess on imports</a>

A COVID-19 SMS malware is targeting users in India as they look for alternatives to CoWIN for vaccine registration

<ul><li>The <keyword id="10440405" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="cowin">CoWIN</keyword> app doesn't let you know when a COVID vaccine slot becomes available, but these Indian coders have found a way out.</li><li>Vaccine appointments, especially for those between the ages of 18 to 45 years, and hard to come by in the face of vaccine shortages.</li><li>Coders in India are stepping up by creating websites and scripts to help send alerts to people about when a vaccination slot becomes available in their area.</li></ul> Not only are COVID-19 vaccines in short supply, but appointment slots for those between the age of 18 to 45 years are also scarce. However, coders in India are coming to the rescue. For instance, the engineering manager at PhonePe, <a href="https://twitter.com/debarko/status/1388549978721636354">Debarko De</a>, has posted a script on code hosting platform GitHub to help people in Bangalore looking for appointment slots. Agra-based software developer Amit Agarwal has created a <a href="https://twitter.com/labnol/status/1388556580325453824">COVID-19 vaccine tracker</a>, built with Google Sheets, so that people can get alerts over email whenever an appointment opens up for a particular age group within a prescribed pincode. Many are questioning whether such an endeavour is legal or not. But many more are questioning why the CoWIN platform — the main portal provided by the government to register for a vaccine, find a slot and get your certificate — doesn’t already have this functionality. <div type="image" title="cowin slots" msid="82383448" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;No slots were available for people between the ages of 18 to 45 years on April 28, when the CoWIN platform opened up registration for that age group&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Ravi Srinivasan, the chief facilitator at the ed-tech platform Code Space, told Business Insider that Agarwal’s script can be used to look for vaccination centres and appointments outside of Bangalore, too, by simply changing the pin code. “The public API just allows you to see what slots are available by district, age etc. But it doesn’t let you register. For getting an appointment, you need the protected API,” he said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform" comment="subhead" text="Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform">Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform</cmsannotation> Another programmer, Berty Thomas, pushed out a full fledged website called <a href="http://www.under45.in">under45.in</a> for those between the age of 18 to 45 years, looking to get their first jab. The site is a little slow to load, but once you’re in, all you have to do is select your state and district to see appointment availability. He also created multiple groups on <a href="https://twitter.com/BertyThomas/status/1388477672901120003">Telegram</a> for those who wish to receive alerts for their respective districts. The list is not exhaustive, but does cover most of the main metropolitan regions across the country. And Thomas isn’t using the government’s API to do it. The API is only powering the alerts, not storing your information. Similar sites like <a href="http://www.getjab.in">getjab.in</a> and <a href="http://www.findslot.in">findslot.in</a> are also doing the same thing. And, the reason they’re being allowed to stick around is because users still have to login into the CoWIN platform to register. That part of the process cannot be done externally. This is important because this is where the government draws the line between what is allowed and what is not allowed to be done with its APIs. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is an API?" comment="subhead" text="What is an API?">What is an API?</cmsannotation> An application programming interface, or API, is basically a bridge between two applications. It’s like the waiter who takes your order, ensures that it gets relayed to the chef, and then brings you your final meal. In the case of looking for CoWIN appointment slots, you’re placing your request on a website, and that website then relays it to the API, like the customer at the restaurant. The API then checks with the CoWIN portal — or the chef — before showing you the availability of slots. The Indian government opened up the CoWIN APIs to allow third party access, on April 28. They can be found on the government’s API Setu website which contains authentication, metadata, beneficiary registration, vaccination appointment and certificate APIs. With these APIs, the third party users can access information like vaccination centres, list of districts, vaccination appointments among others. There are two types of APIs -- public and protected. Using public APIs is not a problem and they’re freely available on the government site. To use the protected APIs, on the other hand, the government needs an organisation to put in for a special approval, which is a whole lot of red tape to cut through. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access" comment="subhead" text="There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access">There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access</cmsannotation> Last month, an organisation called Project Step One created a bot on WhatsApp that would allow people to register for the vaccine. It undercut the requirement of having to log into the official website or use the CoWIN app. But it was shut down by the government for being a ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1381510698727997440">fake</a>’ service. <div type="twitter" handle="Projectstepone" handlename="StepOne" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1255874944098947073/hj_yObMf_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="3" status="We have paused our #COVID19 vaccination #WhatsApp chatbot after receiving call from @MoHFW_INDIA. The bot was a fre… https://t.co/ViOhPK0bzY" createdat="1618464893000" id="1382568088210599941"></div> The primary concern around the service being offered by Step One, a non-profit organisation, was the potential risk posed by privacy issues. In order to book an appointment, or even register, users have to share data that is personal and highly sensitive in nature. According to Step One, it does not store any of the data. It was only using the government’s open APIs, the bot passed user data to COWIN servers, and none of data was accessed by the organisation. It even offered up the code for its WhatsApp bot for further examination, but to no avail. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-download-release-date-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/82383038.cms">PUBG Mobile India to relaunch as Battlegrounds Mobile India – here’s what we know so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-healthy-subscriber-growth-and-jios-disappointing-performance-send-the-stock-rallying/articleshow/82380913.cms">Airtel shines as price hikes, healthy subscriber growth and Jio’s disappointing performance send the stock rallying</a>

Indian coders are working around the CoWIN app to help people bag the elusive vaccine slots

<ul><li>India embarked on a new vaccination phase to inoculate a massive chunk of the population aged above 60 and 45-59 with comorbidities.</li><li>It plans to reach around 27 crore people who are on the priority list for vaccination after the frontline workers.</li><li>The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the CO-WIN 2.0 app.</li><li>The government has listed seven photo identity documents such as Aadhaar Card, Passport, Voter ID, among others, to be used for online registration on the CO-WIN app.</li><li>While the people above 60 will be required to verify their age through one of the seven photo Identity cards, those above 45 and having comorbidities will have to attest proof of their underlying conditions.</li></ul>The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today kick-started the third and the most extensive phase, yet, of the vaccination drive against Covid-19 in India. Modi received the first dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, on Monday, right before the country started the drive to inoculate a massive chunk of the population aged above 60 and above 45 with comorbidities. As India embarks on the new phase of vaccination, it plans to reach around 27 crore people who are on the priority list for vaccination after the frontline workers. READ ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/check-out-all-the-answers-to-the-questions-running-in-your-mind-related-to-covid-19-vaccine/slidelist/80289428.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Do ask which brand of COVID-19 vaccine is given to you, advises an expert⁠ Dr Vipin M. Vashishtha; that and 14 other questions that you may seek answers for</a> How to get a coronavirus vaccine in India? You would be required to register in order to receive the vaccine doses. The eligible beneficiaries can register themselves on the government’s app for the Covid-19 vaccination drive, Co-WIN, which opened registration today at 9 AM. The beneficiaries can also avail of on-site registrations wherein they can walk into identified centres, register, and get vaccinated. Under the facilitated cohort registration, the state/Union Territory governments will take a proactive lead. Specific dates for Covid vaccination will be decided where target groups of potential beneficiaries will be vaccinated. The government has integrated features into CO-WIN app to locate nearby Coronavirus vaccination centres (CVC) across the country. You can also use the <a href="https://www.mapmyindia.com/">MapmyIndia </a>application to find the nearest CVC for walkins. MapmyIndia was the winner of <a href="https://www.indiatvnews.com/technology/news-atmanirbhar-app-innovation-challenge-here-are-the-winners-of-the-contest-640489">AatmaNirbhar App Challenge</a> organised by Govt of India in August last year. Here is how to register for the coronavirus vaccine in India The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the CO-WIN 2.0 portal and government applications such as Aarogya Setu. The government upgraded Co-WIN, which was being used in the initial two phases of the vaccination for immunisation of healthcare and frontline workers. It was created for real-time monitoring of Covid-19 vaccine delivery. The eligible beneficiaries will be able to register simply on the portal using their mobile number following a step by step process. What to do after registering on the CO-WIN app? Once the registration is completed, the application will show the government and private hospitals serving as COVID Vaccination Centres (CVC) with the available schedules. You would be given an option to choose the CVC of choice and book an appointment for vaccination. The vaccination will be free at the government facilities and paid at private facilities. The government has capped the price at private hospitals at ₹250 per shot for the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine recipients may not be able to pick and choose among the two vaccines available in India — Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, which is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). A person can register up to four beneficiaries with a single mobile number. However, you would be required to carry identity proofs for all beneficiaries separately. What documents will be required to register on the CO-WIN app? These are the seven photo identity documents that the government has listed to be used for online registration on the CO-WIN app: <ul><li>Aadhaar Card</li><li>Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC)</li><li>Passport</li><li>Driving License</li><li>PAN Card</li><li>NPR Smart Card</li><li>Pension Document with photograph</li></ul>While the people above 60 will only be required to verify their age through seven of the photo Identity cards, those above 45 and having comorbidities will have to attest proof of their underlying conditions. The government has prepared a list of 20 comorbidities, including diabetes and heart failure, with hospital admission in the past one year, prioritised in the third phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive. Check out the <a href="https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/GuidancedocCOWIN2.pdf">full list of 20 comorbidities here.</a> A simplified one-page certificate showing all the prioritised co-morbid conditions can be downloaded from the beneficiary portal, which they would have to be signed by a registered medical practitioner. The certificate can either be uploaded on Co-WIN 2.0 by the beneficiary while the beneficiary can carry self-registering or a hard copy to the CVC. Only one time registration is needed and after vaccination, a certificate will be issued to the beneficiary — on the portal to those who registered digitally — and physically to those who got registered on-site. The second scheduled dose of vaccine will be given at the same facility where the beneficiaries receive their first shots. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musks-starlink-satellite-internet-is-coming-to-india-heres-how-you-can-pre-book-your-connection/articleshow/81268052.cms">Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet is coming to India – here's how you can pre-book your connection</a><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musks-starlink-satellite-internet-is-coming-to-india-heres-how-you-can-pre-book-your-connection/articleshow/81268052.cms"></a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-reveals-ios-14-now-installed-on-80-of-iphones-70-of-ipads/articleshow/81268007.cms">Apple reveals iOS 14 now installed on 80% of iPhones, 70% of iPads</a>

SIMPLY PUT: Here is how to register and what documents to carry for the COVID-19 vaccination drive from March 1

<ul><li>India recently began its third phase of vaccination, allowing people above the age of 18 to get the vaccine.</li><li>The people can now use the government’s WhatsApp COVID helpdesk to find their nearest vaccination centre.</li><li>Registration and appointment will have to be booked through the CoWIN platform.</li></ul>India recently began its third phase of vaccination, opening up access to COVID-19 vaccinations to people above the age of eighteen. The government’s CoWIN platform allows users to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-19-vaccine-how-to-register-yourself-on-cowin-and-aarogya-setu-apps-if-you-are-18-plus/articleshow/82242963.cms">register</a> for the vaccine and book appointments right from their home. The government had last year <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indian-govt-launches-mygov-coronavirus-helpdesk-on-whatsapp-to-educate-citizens/articleshow/74727460.cms">introduced</a> the MyGov Coronavirus helpdesk chatbot on WhatsApp to help people find information about COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it has added a new feature that will allow people to easily find the nearest vaccination centre. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="74727460" title="Indian Govt launches MyGov Coronavirus helpdesk on WhatsApp to educate citizens" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> How to use MyGov Corona helpdesk to find nearest vaccination center <div type="image" title="MyGov Corona Helpdesk" msid="82402421" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;MyGov Corona Helpdesk&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <ul><li>Save the helpdesk number – +91 9013151515 on your phone or click on this <a href="https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=919013151515&amp;text=Hi">link</a>.</li><li>Now, open the chat and send ‘Hi’ or ‘Namaste’.</li><li>You will get a message with multiple options and you can reply as per the information you need.</li><li>For COVID-19 vaccination centres, send ‘1’ and then again send ‘1’.</li><li>Now, enter the pin code where you are looking for a vaccination centre.</li><li>You will get a reply with information about the nearest vaccination centres, available slots and eligible persons.</li></ul>You can now register on the CoWIN platform or enter another pin code to find the available vaccination centres. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/a-covid-19-sms-malware-is-targeting-users-in-india-as-they-look-for-alternatives-to-cowin-for-vaccine-registration/articleshow/82388898.cms">A COVID-19 SMS malware is targeting users in India as they look for alternatives to CoWIN for vaccine registration</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/coders-are-coming-up-with-new-ways-to-check-for-covid-19-vaccination-slots-on-cowin/articleshow/82383284.cms">Indian coders are working around the CoWIN app to help people bag the elusive vaccine slots</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/ipl-2021-suspended-by-bcci-as-several-players-test-covid-positive/articleshow/82384544.cms">IPL suspended as more players contract COVID-19 ⁠— BCCI bites the bullet mid-way through the season</a>

How to find COVID-19 vaccine centre near me from whatsapp

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> announced last Monday that vaccines were now free for all adults in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. </li><li>But private hospitals will still charge for vaccines, and it is unclear whether the government has enough stock of free vaccines. </li><li>200,000 Indians have died since the start of the vaccination drive thanks to the government's mismanagement. </li><li>Peony Hirwani is a culture and political journalist.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li></ul>In the past five months, Indians have seen thousands of people die due to lack of oxygen, medication, ventilators, and hospital beds. The <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic has swept the nation with trepidation and has cost Indians more than it should. Last Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/indias-modi-pm-announces-free-covid-19-vaccines-all-adults-2021-06-07/"> vaccines were free</a> for all adult citizens. As delightful as the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> sounds, later clarification showed this wasn't actually the case. Private hospitals will continue charging for the <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword>, and the supply at government hospitals - where the vaccine is free - has been tragically <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/jabs-shortage-artificial-says-aap-over-supply-running-low-101622242927851.html">low</a> so far. From the start, India's vaccine drive has been terribly mismanaged, costing thousands of Indians their lives. <h2>Not enough people vaccinated</h2>As of June 10, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-records-6148-deaths-covid-19-past-24-hours-2021-06-10/">359,000</a> Indians have lost their lives to the disease. Some of them could have been saved if the vaccine drive was better managed. India began its inoculation drive on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-worlds-largest-vaccination-programme-begins-in-india-on-january-16/article33582069.ece">January 16</a> when it managed to administer a little less than 200,000 doses to frontline workers. On April 2, the number of administered vaccines rose to <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/we-know-vaccines-are-the-way-out-of-covid-19-but-how-are-india-s-numbers-stacked-76952">4.3 million doses</a>, and starting May 1, when the government announced vaccinations were available for everyone 18 years and older, the number of administered vaccines, on average, was around one million doses per day - far less than it should be for a country with 1.38 billion people. As the 18 and older population attempted to sign up for a vaccine appointment on May 1, the registration websites <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/covid-vaccine-registration-cowin-portal-crashes-memes-7292689/">crashed</a>, and when people finally managed to get themselves registered, there were no slots available in most <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/ap-govt-announces-it-has-no-stock-of-covid-vaccine-cm-writes-to-modi-for-60-lakh-doses/articleshow/82103786.cms?from=mdr">states</a>. (Based on personal experience, the situation is still the same). Modi basically announced the second phase of the <a href="https://www.who.int/india/news/feature-stories/detail/india-rolls-out-the-world-s-largest-covid-19-vaccination-drive#:~:text=India%20rolled%20out%20the%20world's,its%20states%20and%20union%20territories.ies.">biggest vaccine drive in the world</a> while knowing there wasn't <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57007004">sufficient</a> stock available. So far, only 5% of eligible adults have been <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/we-know-vaccines-are-the-way-out-of-covid-19-but-how-are-india-s-numbers-stacked-76952">completely vaccinated</a> in India - when we look at the entire population, the percentage drops to 3%. <h2>High cost barrier</h2>One of the primary reasons why more people haven't gotten their jabs is due to the cost barrier and unavailability of doses. India's two leading vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield (AstraZeneca), have been administered to eligible citizens in government hospitals for free, but private institutions have been charging a whopping rate of 800-1400 rupees ($10.92-$19.11) for the jab. It's next to impossible to register for an appointment at a government facility due to low stock, so most of the population, including me, had to choose the private option. I personally paid 850 rupees for my shot, a price which is completely unaffordable for a lower-wage worker who is looking to get their entire family vaccinated. "I am so scared of the disease," Dinesh Ramkumar, a watchman in the state of Rajasthan, told me. "One of our family members got infected a month ago and we spent almost all our savings for his treatment. Now, we were dependent on the government to provide us with free vaccines, but every time I go to the government center, they say that they don't have any stock left … there's no way I can pay 1,000 rupees for one vaccine as my family has 10 people, and it would cost me 10,000 rupees." <h2>Vaccine mismanagement</h2>On Tuesday, after Modi's announcement the day before that vaccines would be free, the government announced several changes to its vaccine policy, including a <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/covid-vaccine-covaxin-covishield-sputnik-price-7349950/">new cap on prices</a> that private hospitals can charge. However, in many cases, these caps are higher than what the prices were before. The government has also capped the service charge for getting the shot at 150 rupees - a price which makes the whole thing <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/unrest-in-private-healthcare-sector-after-govt-caps-covid-19-vax-prices-11623250797338.html">unviable</a> for the people who need the vaccine most. Just last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://thewire.in/health/us-fda-denies-emergency-use-approval-to-bharat-biotech-covaxin">dismissed</a> Bharat Biotech's proposal for emergency use authorization for their Covaxin vaccine in the US. This news has certainly added to the already existing vaccine hesitancy concerns in India. It will also put a strain on India to develop enough doses of Covishield for the country's population. The Indian authorities have released a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bharat-biotech-s-covaxin-not-getting-emergency-approval-in-us-will-not-impact-india-s-vaccine-plan-says-centre-101623410392584.html">statement</a> saying that Covaxin not getting emergency approval in the US won't affect India's vaccine drive, but that likely won't change how residents see the news. It's baffling how mismanaged the entire immunization drive has been from the beginning. How did the world's biggest antibody producer, dubbed the "pharmacy of the world," end up with so few vaccines for itself? More than <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-data?country=~IND">200,000 people</a> have died in India since inoculation began. That's how many lives would have been saved if the authorities had prepared for the second wave by arranging resources, ordering more vaccines, and making them available for free. We all know that the only way to beat this deadly virus is through vaccines. So, why weren't we ready? After the declarations this week, it still doesn't feel like the vaccine has really been made free. Based on how things have gone, I worry that people still won't be able to register for the free shots as promised. Is there any meaning attached to Modi's words? Only time will tell.

OPINION: The Indian government's failed vaccine drive has caused thousands of Indians to needlessly die

<ul class="summary-list"><li>All adults in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> can get vaccines starting May 1, but the shots may not be widely accessible.</li><li>India's government allows vaccine manufacturers to charge fees at private hospitals.</li><li>The cost could amount to $10 to $32 per vaccine - well above India's average daily income.</li></ul>The Indian government announced last week that all adults will be eligible to receive <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccines starting May 1. But there's a catch: The shots won't be free everywhere.Healthcare workers, frontline workers, and Indians older than 45 can already get their shots through government vaccination centers at no cost. But under the nation's plan, the rest of India's adult population could be charged a fee at those same locations. Most Indian states have promised to waive costs for all adults at the sites, but that's not the case at private hospitals, which will continue to charge for vaccines. India's government has also given vaccine manufacturers permission to raise their prices in the open market.The nation's two main coronavirus vaccines, known as Covaxin and Covishield, are each offered to the federal government at 150 rupees ($2) per dose - or 300 rupees ($4) to fully vaccinate one person. (Covishield is India's locally produced version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while Covaxin is similar to China's Sinovac vaccine.)But Covishield's manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, said last week that the price would be different for state governments and private hospitals: The former will be charged 400 rupees ($5.35) per dose, and the latter 600 rupees ($8) per dose. And the maker of Covaxin, Bharat Biotech, <a href="https://twitter.com/BharatBiotech/status/1385994219475456000/photo/1">announced Saturday</a> that it plans to charge India's state governments 600 rupees ($8) per dose, and private hospitals 1,200 rupees ($16) per dose. That's between $10 and $32 per vaccine at wholesale prices - well above the average daily income in India. Private hospitals could ultimately ask consumers to pay even more.Charging for shots could prevent many Indians, particularly poorer residents, from getting vaccinated right away. That's especially detrimental given the country's devastating surge in coronavirus infections. India reported more than 350,000 new cases on Monday - the world's highest-ever daily total. The four daily caseloads before that shattered world records as well. Deaths in India have skyrocketed to more than 2,300 per day on average - the highest of any country, aside from Brazil.Even these unprecedented tallies likely underestimate the real number of cases and deaths, epidemiologist wager. Widespread testing shortages prevent India from quantifying the full scale of its outbreak - and a handful of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/world/asia/india-coronavirus-deaths.html">doctors</a>, local journalists, and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/even-record-death-toll-may-hide-extent-of-india-s-covid-crisis">relatives of the deceased</a> have reported that the official counts don't align with the long lines outside of hospitals, nor the bodies piling up at crematoriums. "If you ask me how many people are actually getting infected in India every day, I would say it's a least 1 million," Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, said in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAs40QV1gp0&amp;utm_source=Dean+Jha&amp;utm_campaign=f4ec7bfc08-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_03_12_18_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_e4fcd685bb-f4ec7bfc08-2244757667bfc08-224475766">a Monday webinar</a>.<h2>A slow vaccine rollout could mean even more death</h2><div type="image" title="COVID women vaccine line" height="2400" width="4305" msid="82281740" hostid="261"></div>More than any other country, India is in a race against the clock to get shots into arms. A <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america?view=total-deaths&amp;tab=trendrend">model</a> from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicts that India could see another 572,000 deaths between now and August 1. According to the model, India's daily cases have likely reached their peak already - but daily deaths won't peak until next month. The nation has thus far immunized less than 9% of its population since. Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told Insider that the current rate, he estimates just 20% of Indians will receive their first dose by mid-June.Rahul Gandhi, a member of the Indian National Congress, <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1384733889009229824">said last week</a> that because private hospitals are charging for shots, long lines are likely at the vaccine sites where residents don't have to pay."Enough of discussion. Countrymen should get the vaccine free. Do not make India the victim of the BJP system," Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1386539389887541249">tweeted on Sunday</a>, referring to India's opposing political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.The BJP is the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been accused of downplaying India's crisis. Modi held large election rallies and discouraged the implementation of more lockdowns as coronavirus cases surged this spring. <div type="image" title="lndia vaccine line " height="3287" width="4748" msid="82281742" hostid="261"></div>In <a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1712710">a recent press release</a>, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggested that charging for vaccines could give manufacturers more money to scale up production, or perhaps encourage new vaccine manufacturers to bring their shots to India.But Bramer Mukherjee, an epidemiology professor at the University of Michigan, told Insider that India already has the resources to ramp up its own vaccine supply."India is the vaccination production magnet in the world," Mukherjee said. "They should be able to scale up and be able to do much better job at this."<h2>A black market for vaccines?</h2><div type="image" title="India vaccine elderly" height="3728" width="5776" msid="82281746" hostid="261"></div>Many of India's low-income residents have already had trouble getting vaccines: A lack of internet access can make it difficult to sign up for appointments, and government-run vaccination centers aren't always easily accessible to those living in urban slums. Wealthy Indians, however, can purchase vaccines at private hospitals fairly easily. As of March, twice as many private hospitals were doubling as vaccination centers than government hospitals, <a href="https://qz.com/india/1983300/indias-poor-are-being-left-behind-in-coronavirus-vaccine-drive/">Quartz reported</a>. "Vaccinating just the affluent and urban elites will not be as effective or equitable as more targeted distribution to social and geographic hotspots," Prabhat Jha said.Already, Indian hospitals have price gouged medications like remdesivir, an antiviral drug that showed early promise as a COVID-19 treatment but appears less effective in recent studies. Although the government capped the price of remdesivir at 1,100 to 1,400 rupees (around $15 to $19) per unit, Indian police have arrested at least 14 people for selling remdesivir at higher prices on the black market, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/three-held-for-black-marketing-of-remdesivir-selling-vials-for-rs-32000-to-45000-per-unit-7288971/">according to The Indian Express</a>. In at least two of those cases, the drugs were being sold for 32,000 to 45,000 rupees (around $429 to $603) per unit. "There's a huge black market for remdesivir, and I'm worried that might happen for vaccines now as well," Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, told Insider. "If there's not enough supply and the demand keeps going up, then people start getting desperate."

India's vaccine providers can charge $10 to $32 for coronavirus shots amid the country's unprecedented surge

<keyword id="80296" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eicher-motors" source="Orion">Eicher Motors</keyword> on Monday said it has 'unanimously' decided to re-appoint <keyword id="121127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="siddhartha-lal" source="Orion">Siddhartha Lal</keyword> as Managing Director of the company with effect from May 1, 2021, with changes in his remuneration package, a week after the company's shareholders rejected the proposal. The company said that the board of directors on Monday discussed the outcome of the <keyword id="1698727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="39th-agm" source="Orion">39th AGM</keyword> held on August 17, 2021. The matter pertaining to the re-appointment of Lal as Managing Director and the remuneration proposal was discussed comprehensively, and the Board unanimously decided to re-appoint him as Managing Director, with effect from May 1, 2021, Eicher Motors said in a statement. The Board will now go back to shareholders for approval through postal ballot, it added. Last week, the company's shareholders had rejected the re-appointment of Lal as Managing Director. The shareholders had voted against the proposal mainly due to the proposed increase in Lal's remuneration package. "The Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC) of the company has considered all the factors, including inputs from various stakeholders including institutional investors before recommending remuneration for key managerial persons. The primary concern with investors was not Siddhartha's reappointment as Managing Director or the proposed compensation; it was the lack of clarity regarding the enabling provision that potentially allowed payment of remuneration up to 3 per cent of profits," Eicher Motors Chairman S Sandilya said. Over the last four years, the company has had the same limit of 3 per cent, but in reality have paid only a fraction of that amount, he added. "The actual remuneration during FY2021 was at 1.04 per cent of profits, with the preceding years being at a lower percentage," Sandilya said. Given the background of actual remuneration paid to the Managing Director in preceding years, the Board has now approved a revised remuneration structure for the Managing Director, with a maximum cap of 1.5 per cent of profits, the company said. Specific details of the remuneration are being shared via the postal ballot, it added. "The remuneration increase in FY2021 is in line with the average 9.7 per cent increment given to all company employees for the year. The median, which is a measure of central tendency, is impacted by entry and exits of employees," Eicher Motors Independent Director and Chairperson of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee Manvi Sinha noted. During FY2021, 267 employees joined the company, out of which 77 per cent were hired at below the median salary and 284 employees exited the company out of which 66 per cent were drawing higher than the median salary, she added. "Owing to this, despite there being a 9.7 per cent average increase in salaries at Eicher Motors in FY2021, the median shows an increase of just 1 per cent. The board fully supports Siddhartha's appointment as Managing Director and his proposed compensation, and we are confident that our shareholders will support these resolutions as well," Sinha said. Elaborating on the role played by Lal in the growth of the company, Sandilya said that he has been the architect of Eicher Motors' growth story over the last two decades. "When he took over as CEO of <keyword id="94237" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="royal-enfield" source="Orion">Royal Enfield</keyword> in 2000, the division was making large losses and was slated for closure. Siddhartha has transformed Royal Enfield into a formidable premium motorcycling brand in India, pioneering the leisure riding segment," he stated. Royal Enfield, a part of Eicher Motors, grew the premium over 250cc market in India exponentially, and has maintained over 90 per cent market share in it for the last decade, resulting in EBITDA margins for EML at over 30 per cent during the pre-pandemic peak, Sandilya noted. Subsequently, Lal moved to the UK in 2015 to personally drive the company's ambition of becoming the first global premium consumer brand to emerge from India; there he was directly overseeing the product development and international expansion, he added. "Going forward, Siddhartha and his team at EML have charted out exciting and robust plans for the future. Royal Enfield, already the global leader in middleweight motorcycles (250cc-750cc), is on the path to growing this segment multi-fold globally and becoming the first global consumer brand to emerge from India. Also, under the chairmanship of Siddhartha, VE Commercial Vehicles is all set to attain new heights by leading the modernisation and transformation of India's commercial vehicle sector," Sandilya said. In addition to the motorcycle business, Eicher motors has a joint venture with Sweden's AB Volvo - VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV). During the company's 39th AGM earlier this month, while 73 per cent of the votes favoured Lal's re-appointment as Managing Director, the rest 27 per cent were against it. As a special resolution, it needed support from 75 per cent of the votes cast to pass the proposal. Out of the total 21,74,67,139 votes, 15,88,49,543 (73.04 per cent) were in favour of the re-appointment while 5,86,17,596 (26.95 per cent) votes disapproved the proposal. The company's public institutional shareholders particularly opposed the move. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/cadila-healthcare-to-launch-zycov-d-vaccine-for-12-year-old-and-above/articleshow/85564761.cms">Cadila Healthcare’s ZyCoV-D — This is what makes it different from other COVID-19 vaccines</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-ipo-delhi-court-asks-local-police-to-conclude-investigation-on-allegations-raised-by-former-one97-communications/articleshow/85564575.cms">Paytm IPO: Delhi court asks local police to conclude its investigation in three weeks</a>

Royal Enfield maker Eicher Motors re-appoints Siddhartha Lal as MD amid a salary hike tussle

By Lalit K Jha Washington, May 15 () The United States is working with India on developing a vaccine for COVID-19, President Donald Trump said on Friday, praising Indian-Americans as "great" scientists and researchers.Addressing media, Trump said he is hopeful a COVID-19 vaccine would be available by the end of the year, and announced he was appointing a former pharmaceutical executive to spearhead the effort."I just got back a short while ago from India recently and we are working very much with India and we have a tremendous Indian population in the US and many of the people that you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientist and researchers," he told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House as he unveiled a massive effort to speed track the development of coronavirus vaccine before year end."Yes. We are working very closely also with India," Trump said responding to a question. He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "very good friend" of him."India has been so great and as you know your Prime Minister has been a very good friend of mine," Trump said. LKJ PMSPMSPMS

Working with India on COVID-19 vaccine development: Trump

New Delhi, April 1 () Drug firm Takeda on Wednesday said it has appointed Koki Sato as the country head for the company's India business. He will lead the company's operations with a focus on the expansion of patient access to Takeda's innovative portfolio in the country, the company said in a statement. Prior to this role, Sato was the General Manager of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova (UBM) cluster in Takeda's ICMEA area, it added. "India is of significant importance for Takeda and we endeavour to develop initiatives which will lead to enhanced patient access to our highly innovative medicines locally," Sato said. Takeda remains committed to serving India's patients, and aims to bring newer therapies for rare diseases, gastroenterology, and oncology to them in the coming years, along with hopefully, the company's dengue vaccine candidate, he added. Sato holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Waseda University, Japan. AKT HRS

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