News Analysis India

Tag: Modi birthday

  • Why did some political parties develop a ‘fever’ after India administered record 2.5 crore vaccines, asks PM Modi

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: A day after the highest single-day vaccination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked without naming any political party why some political parties had developed a “fever” when the country administered 2.5 crore vaccine doses.

    PM Modi interacted with a doctor during his address to healthcare workers and vaccine beneficiaries of Goa. They discussed the possible side effects of vaccines. The PM said, “I have heard of vaccine beneficiaries developing side effects. However, for the first time, I saw that a political party developed fever late last night after India achieved its vaccination record. Is there any logic to this?” the Prime Minister asked.

    PM Modi interacted virtually with healthcare workers and vaccine beneficiaries in Goa. Earlier this week, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant declared that 100 per cent of Goa’s population had received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

    The Prime Minister’s reaction comes after the senior Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted asking why we had to wait until the PM’s birthday.

    “Happy and grateful that 2.5 crore vaccinations were administered vaccines yesterday But why did we have to wait until the PM’s birthday? Suppose the PM’s birthday was on December 31 then would the 2.5 crore vaccinations have been done only on the last day of the year? Vaccination is not like cutting a cake on a birthday,” he tweeted.

    He also said, “Vaccination is a programme, it is a process. It has to be accelerated every day, not scale a peak on a birthday. Sobering thoughts: a) one-third of the adult population has yet to receive its FIRST dose. b) Only 21% has been FULLY vaccinated.”

    “BJP ruled states — UP, MP, Gujarat and Karnataka — “perform” on the PM’s birthday and vaccinate many times the daily average. On other days, they are “non-performing” states. I wish the PM celebrated his birthday every day,” said Chidambaram

    After Chidambaram’s tweet, Rahul also said that “Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs.”

    On Friday India set a world record by administering 2.5 crore jabs in a single day. Earlier, on August 31, India administered 1.41 crore doses in a single day. (ANI)

  • Vaccination drive reaches milestone of 2 crore on PM Modi’s birthday

    By Online Desk

    India on Friday set a new record by administering over two crore Covid vaccine doses in a day.

    This came as a major push to the inoculation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

    Earlier, a top government source had said: “The central government is aiming for a record 2 crore Covid vaccine doses on PM Modi’s birthday. The union health minister is taking updates of vaccination doses across the country.”

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also encouraged beneficiaries to get themselves inoculated today.

    “Great to see you wished PM @NarendraModi Ji by vaccinating yourself and booking others’ slots. Let us all do #VaccineSeva by getting vaccinated and encouraging those around us to do the same!#HappyBirthdayModiji,” he tweeted while responding to a tweet by a person who got the jab on Friday.

    #VaccineSeva को चरितार्थ करते हुए स्वास्थ्य कर्मियों एवं देशवासियों की तरफ़ से प्रधानमंत्री जी को उपहार।प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi जी के जन्मदिन पर आज भारत ने नया कीर्तिमान स्थापित करते हुए एक दिन में 2 करोड़ टीके लगाने का ऐतिहासिक आँकड़ा पार किया है।Well done India! pic.twitter.com/P94vXMN4Ow
    — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 17, 2021
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also aims to make PM Modi’s birthday by setting a record of the maximum number of Covidvaccine inoculations on the day, said sources.

    As earlier reported, senior leaders in the BJP said that the party will try to see the day will be recorded in the nation’s history as the one that witnessed a record number of Covid vaccinations.

    Earlier, on Thursday, the Health Minister encouraged the people by taking on to a social media platform, the minister tweeted, “Tomorrow is the birthday of our all dear Prime Minister, come on #VaccineSeva Taxes, who have not taken the vaccine, give birthday gifts to their loved ones, family members and all sections of the society by getting them vaccinated.”

    As per the data available on the COWIN portal, 1,60,98,055 vaccine doses have been administered till 3:42 pm today.

    As per the Union Health Ministry, over 77.77 crore Covid vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far through the free cost channel.

    The ministry further said that more than 6,17,22,315 balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered. 

  • Daily vaccination drive reaches milestone of 2 crore on PM Modi’s birthday

    By Online Desk

    India on Friday set a new record of daily 19 vaccinations with nearly 2.22 crore doses of vaccine doses administered by 8 pm alone, as state governments responded to a call given by the Union health ministry to mark PM Narendra Modi’s 71st birthday as “vaccine sewa day”

    By the end of the day, this figure is likely to go near the 2.5 crore mark. 

    Globally, as per the available information, the record of carrying out the highest Covid vaccinations lay with China which had administered 2.45 crore vaccine shots in a day.

    Earlier, a top government source had said: “The central government is aiming for a record 2 crore Covid vaccine doses on PM Modi’s birthday. The union health minister is taking updates of vaccination doses across the country.”

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also encouraged beneficiaries to get themselves inoculated today.

    “Great to see you wished PM @NarendraModi Ji by vaccinating yourself and booking others’ slots. Let us all do #VaccineSeva by getting vaccinated and encouraging those around us to do the same!#HappyBirthdayModiji,” he tweeted while responding to a tweet by a person who got the jab on Friday.

    #VaccineSeva को चरितार्थ करते हुए स्वास्थ्य कर्मियों एवं देशवासियों की तरफ़ से प्रधानमंत्री जी को उपहार।प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi जी के जन्मदिन पर आज भारत ने नया कीर्तिमान स्थापित करते हुए एक दिन में 2 करोड़ टीके लगाने का ऐतिहासिक आँकड़ा पार किया है।Well done India! pic.twitter.com/P94vXMN4Ow
    — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 17, 2021
    BJP had earlier said they will mark PM Modi’s birthday by setting the record of the maximum number of Covid vaccine inoculations on the day, said sources.

    The CoWin dashboard maintained by the Centre showed that the high inoculations were largely driven by Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh while the shots were being given at more than 1 lakh vaccination sites—the highest ever—across India on Friday. 

    The majority of the vaccination sites were at the government hospitals with the private sector contributing a minuscule number only.

    Notably, in states such as West Bengal and Jharkhand — both ruled by non-BJP governments but have the lowest percentage of population covered with at least one dose of vaccine, there was no dramatic rise in vaccination on Friday.

    Thus far, India has crossed the 1-crore mark only three times in single-day Covid vaccination — the first being on August 27.

    Ahead of PM’s birthday, several states had planned special vaccination drives and while the Gujarat government had declared its intention to administer over 35 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine today, the Assam government targeted to vaccinate 8 lakh people.

    The Bihar government had said it will administer nearly 30 lakh doses on Friday.

    As of Thursday, about 62 % of the adult population in India had received at least one dose of Covid shots while only about 20 % of the population was fully immunised. With high vaccination figures attained for a day on Friday, these figures are set to rise by over 2 notches each.

    (With ENS inputs)

  • PM Modi turns 71; president, ministers extend wishes

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 71 on Friday as President Ram Nath Kovind and other dignitaries and politicians greeted him with BJP leaders hailing his leadership.

    Wishing him a long and healthy life, President Kovind said may he continue to serve the nation with his spirit of relentless service.

    Home Minister Amit Shah lauded Modi, saying he not only gave the country the idea to think ahead of time and fulfil its resolve with hardwork but also made it a reality.

    In Modi, the country has got a strong and decisive leader who gave a dignified life to those who were deprived of their rights for decades, he said.

    Modi brought them in the mainstream of development, Shah added.

    The prime minister has shown the world what people-loving leadership is like, he said.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Modi has written many new chapters in development and good governance in his tenure so far and wished that he fulfil his dream of making India a strong, prosperous and proud country.

    Born in Gujarat in 1950, Modi joined Hindutva organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at an early age and was later drafted into the BJP.

    Made Gujarat chief minister in 2001, Modi has never suffered an electoral setback when votes were cast on his leadership, leading the BJP to power in the state for three consecutive terms and then at the Centre back to back in 2014 and 2019.

    The BJP embarked on a mega 20-day public outreach, “Seva and Samarpan”, from Friday to mark his 71st birthday and it will continue till October 7 to also commemorate his 20 years in public life, including as Gujarat chief minister.

    It has asked its workers to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination drive as it eyes record-breaking numbers on Friday.

  • Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya calls for major push to COVID vaccine drive on PM’s birthday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday called for a major push to the COVID-19 vaccination drive during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Friday, saying it would the perfect gift for him.

    ‘सबको वैक्सीन, मुफ़्त वैक्सीन’ की PM @NarendraModi जी ने देश को सौग़ात दी है!कल हम सबके प्रिय प्रधानमंत्री जी का जन्मदिन है, चलो #VaccineSeva कर जिन्होंने वैक्सीन नहीं ली है, ऐसे अपनों को, परिजनों को और समाज के सभी तबकों को टीका लगवाकर, उनको जन्मदिन का उपहार देते हैं।
    — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 16, 2021
    He also called on people who have not taken the vaccine till now to get inoculated. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a gift of ‘vaccine for all, free vaccine’ to the country. Tomorrow is the birthday of our beloved prime minister, lets do #VaccineSeva by helping all unvaccinated people including their loved ones, family members and all sections of the society by getting them vaccinated. This would be a birthday gift for the prime minister,” he said in a tweet in Hindi on Thursday.

    The BJP has asked its units across the country to help get a large number of people vaccinated on the occasion of prime minister’s birthday. The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far in the country has crossed 77 crore, the Union Health Ministry said in a tweet.