Ex-chief of CSIR slams WHO’s ‘flawed methodology’ on ascertaining Covid deaths

Dr Shekhar Mande also said that WHO had failed to announce the pandemic at an early juncture and had also failed to criticise governments on their vaccine efforts.

Dr Shekhar Mande (Image source: niscair.res.in)

Former director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr Shekhar Mande has criticised the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on excess Covid deaths in India. “WHO methodology is clearly flawed,” Dr Mande told The Indian Express.

In an interview with The Indian Express in Pune, Dr Mande – who superannuated from the post of CSIR DG in April this year – pointed out that the number of deaths per million in South East Asia or Africa, the fraction of people who died of Covid-19, is way better than that in many affluent countries.

Explained | Over 90% Covid deaths went unreported? Why the WHO data raises questions

WHO had released new estimates on the worldwide death toll in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to which it had pegged India’s excess mortality (people who probably would not have died if there was no pandemic) for 2020 and 2021 at 47.4 lakh. Several other studies have shown India’s Covid-related death count at anywhere between 25 lakh to 60 lakh. In fact, the upper bound for the WHO study is even higher.

The Union health ministry has already objected to the methodology for collecting data and modelling used by WHO.

“However, criticism is part of any major project that anyone, be it an individual or government, undertakes. Would the conduct of WHO or the Lancet be subject to criticism during the pandemic? Of course, their conduct is so pathetic at times that they should be embarrassed about it,” Dr Mande lashed out.

The scientist questioned whether the record of WHO and the Lancet medical journal was impeccable during the pandemic and said it was “clearly not,” citing instances.

“For example, the health agency (WHO) took a long time to realise and announce to the world the global pandemic, which was declared on March 11, 2020. They ought to have called it at least two months or even a month before. WHO took time, in fact a year’s delay, to recognize that the Covid disease is airborne,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

Opinion | Counting all those who died of Covid

“WHO has not been critical of certain governments that ought to have been criticised that they were not accelerating vaccines sufficiently. For instance, there has been a great vaccine inequity as countries in Africa and southeast Asia have not had equal access to vaccines and, in the process, WHO and the Lancet are promoting multiple booster diseases in countries that are affluent. The effort should have been to concentrate on countries that have not had access to vaccines,” Dr Mande said.

“When there were different waves of Covid-19, we were waiting – literally with bated breath – to check how and when it would impact where the population density is highest, where access to proper health care is not the best and where large numbers of people are at risk of developing severe disease. Have you seen that the disease was sweeping through the slums and killing people? We did not and this essentially points out the fact that Covid-19 has been a disease among the affluent. Even in India it has been a disease of the middle and upper-middle class. I had proposed a hypothesis on hygiene and that may or may not be acceptable. The thing though is that statistics speak for itself,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories