PM Narendra Modi to launch India’s Covid-19 vaccine drive, first list up
India Covid-19 vaccine rollout: The Prime Minister’s Office said Narendra Modi will address the sites, where over three crore priority groups will be vaccinated over the next few months, at 10.30 am
The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi will address the sites, where over three crore priority groups will be vaccinated over the next few months, at 10.30 am. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the start of the Covid-19 vaccination drive Saturday, connecting with 3,006 vaccination sites across the country via video-conferencing.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi will address the sites, where over three crore priority groups will be vaccinated over the next few months, at 10.30 am. “Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day,” the government said.
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Senior Health Ministry officials said the beneficiary list for the first day has already been uploaded on the Co-WIN platform. “The vaccination session is from 9 am to 5 pm. Whoever comes till 5 pm will be vaccinated even after 5 pm, just like how it happens in elections,” an official said.
“Since the bulk registration of healthcare workers has already taken place, they need not individually register. States have been told to ensure that the session sites, including the list of vaccinators and beneficiaries, is ready two days prior to each vaccination round. Therefore, for Day 1, states have finalised the beneficiary list,” the official added.
Sources said that the request by Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh to provide an offline mechanism to upload real-time data, given their remote locations where Internet connectivity is not strong, has been approved and a system for the same shared. “However, directions have been given that the upload of the offline data be done the same day to ensure that people are not missed,” an official said.
The government has also created a dedicated 24X7 helpline number — 1075 — to address queries related to the vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.
The Health Ministry also announced that the next National Polio Immunisation Day has been rescheduled to January 31, from January 17, adding that this was in line with the policy that “Covid management and vaccination services as well as non-Covid essential health services proceed in tandem without adversely impacting each other”.
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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