\Samvad

Magha Krisha 4, Vik. Samvat 2077, Yugabda 5122 : 1 February, 2021:SM 2020 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: THAIPUSAM 2. GLIMPSES OF 72ND REPUBLIC DAY
3. SERVING SELFLESSLY WITH CONFIDENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE – DR SAGDEO 4. PADMA AWARDS TO 119 ACHIEVERS
5. MAHAVIR CHAKRA TO GALWAN VALLEY HERO COL SANTOSH BABU POSTHUMOUSLY 6. PADMASHREE TO SINDHUTAI SAPKAL AND GIRISH PRABHUNE
7. OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO SHRI RAM MANDIR RECONSTRUCTION SAMARPAN NIDHI 8. DESHPREM DIVAS AT TOKYO JAPAN
9. SEWA INTERNATIONAL’S VOLUNTEERS WALK FOR HEALTH 10. INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY VETERANS HONOURED IN THAILAND
11. HINDU TEMPLE IN DUBAI TO OPEN DOORS BY DIWALI 2022 12. HINDU ELDERS FOUNDATION CELEBRATE REPUBLIC DAY AT BHARATIYA MANDIR, NEW ZEALAND
13. HAWK-I SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRES SAAW 14. UN SAYS BHARAT TO HAVE WORLD'S LARGEST DIASPORA
15. BHARATIYA–ORIGIN POET WINS T S ELIOT PRIZE IN UK 16. OBITUARY – SHANTIBHAI SHAH – KENYA
17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT  
Article: BY SENDING CORONAVIRUS VACCINES ABROAD, INDIA ENTERS V5: THE WORLD’S EXCLUSIVE VAX POWER CLUB

1. FESTIVALS: THAIPUSAM: The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam (Pushya ) in Tamil. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan (aka Kartikeya) a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman and his brothers. It is also commonly believed that Thaipusam marks Murugan's birthday. One of the biggest gathering of devotees is generally observed at Batu caves Malaysia during Thailpusam. This year too, it has been celebrated on 28th January with a restricted number.

This festival is celebrated in Tamilnadu and across the globe where the Tamil speaking people reside in large numbers. It is observed in Malaysia, SriLanka, Singapore, Thailand and also USA, UK, Canada, France and Caribbean countries. -GoTop

2. GLIMPSES OF 72ND REPUBLIC DAY: Rashtrapti Ramnath Kovind greeted the Bharatiyas on the eve of 72nd Republic day and said that every Bharatiya salutes the farmers who made country self reliant in agriculture, the soldiers who ensure security of the country braving their lives and scientists and healthcare community who contributed in containing the Covid-19 pandemic and developing a vaccine. He attributed the effective response of the nation to the pandemic to the Constitutional value of 'Fraternity'.
Bharat’s military might, cultural diversity, social and economic progress were on display during the Republic Day Parade celebrations at the majestic Rajpath.
Thirty-two tableaux, 17 from States and Union Territories, nine from various Ministries or Departments and Paramilitary Forces and six from the Ministry of Defense were rolled down the Rajpath.
A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces also marched on Rajpath to commemorate 50 years of its liberation.
A major attraction among the tableaux was the model of proposed Rammandir in Ayodhya in the tableaux of Uttar Pradesh. Other highlights were Vision for Carbon neutral Ladakh, Sun Temple of Modhera, Gujarat etc. School children performed Bajasal Dance of Odisha, Tamil Nadu Folk Dance, and other theme dances.
The military might was exhibited when tanks MBT Arjuna and T-90 Bhisma rolled on Rajpath. The parade culminated with a single Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900km/hr carrying out a 'Vertical Charlie'.
Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to be take part in the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau at the Republic Day parade.
This time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade route had been shortened. Only around 25 thousand spectators were allowed to witness the parade as compared to the average of 1.15 lakh people every year.
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3. SERVING SELFLESSLY WITH CONFIDENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE – DR SAGDEO: IT WAS some 41 years ago, when a young Dr Dhananjay Diwakar Sagdeo from Nagpur decided to dedicate his life to serving the people after completing his medical education from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College. He moved to tribal area of Wayanad district in Kerala, and started serving the tribals. What started as a small healthcare unit has now bloomed into an umbrella of initiatives and, more importantly, into a place that the people trust.
Dr Sagdeo, a resident of Yashwant Nagar near Gandhi Nagar in Nagpur, has been among the winners of the coveted ‘Padma Shri’ this year. Since 1980, he made Kalpetta in Wayanad district of Kerala as his second home. A man with a smiling face and a doctor with a blessed hand, he is rooted firmly in the sanskaars of serving the motherland, inspired by the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dr Sagdeo, an alumnus of Hadas High School at Nagpur, is a highly respected figure in Kerala. His model of empowerment of tribals, especially those affected due to Sickle Cell, is working wonders.
Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over phone Dr Sagdeo he said, “I am happy that the work I have been doing for tribals has got recognition. I feel more motivated to keep on serving the tribals.”
After qualifying as MBBS doctor, Dr Sagdeo headed to Kalpetta with blessings of Balasaheb Deoras, then Sarsanghchalak of RSS, supported by Shankara Shastri and Bhaskara Rao. It was a time when not many parents encouraged their children to move away from them and that too for social service in some remote area of the country. But his parents, Diwakarrao and Saroj, thought differently.
When a young Dr Dhananjay went to Wayanad, he faced several challenges ranging from acceptance to language. Wayanad district has several tribes. “The tribals had certain taboos back then. They were reluctant to take medicine. But I was determined and had prepared myself mentally. So, I started working. Gradually, selfless work with confidence and consistency started yielding positive results. Today, the change is for all to see,” he said.
Dr Sagdeo started a small clinic at Muttil. Today, it has developed into a modern facility with in-patient care including maternity care, outpatient clinic with full-time doctors, X-ray and Ultrasound facilities, laboratory, pharmacy, etc. It has six sub-centres run by mobile units that take healthcare to the doorsteps of tribals. The centre also provides specialty care in ophthalmology, pediatrics, ENT etc by doctors who visit on a regular basis.
The most important part of his work has been in the field of Sickle Cell. It was prevalent among tribals. In 1999, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, joined hands with Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission Trust to introduce the first pilot project. More than 70 per cent of the tribals were screened. A separate trust by the name Sickle Cell Anaemia Research Foundation was formed to continue the campaign. “After screening, we issued red, blue, and white cards to patients, carriers, and non-affected persons respectively. These cards helped in marriage counselling, thereby reducing the sufferings of the people,” Dr Sagdeo said.
The centre has an active microscopic and treatment centre, and works in the field of tuberculosis treatment too. Other initiatives include alcohol rehabilitation programme, work as ‘Mother NGO’ for Wayanad district to implement various National Rural Health Programmes. The centre runs Bamboo craft training centre to help the tribals preserve their traditional handicraft and also make some financial gains, which has come in handy for rehabilitation of Sickle Cell patients. The Mission also plays an active role in organising self-help groups, micro insurance programmes etc. Further, it has established around 100 ‘Vidya Kendra’ (coaching centers) along with small libraries and reading rooms.
Dr Sagdeo is serving the society with the mission’s five-point programme -- Shikshan (education), Swasthya (healthcare), Sanskar (grooming), Swavalamban (self-reliance), and Samajik (social work). He is ably supported by his wife Sujata, who has won several awards for recipes. Several of her articles on recipes have appeared in various publications. Elder daughter Aditi Shahapurkar and her husband Ajay stay in Sahakar Nagar, Nagpur. Younger daughter Dr Gayatri has completed her MBBS and has joined her father.
Wg Cdr (retd) Vinay Sagdeo, who stays in Nagpur, described his brother as a man with rock solid determination. “Over the years, he has ushered in several changes not only in healthcare but also empowerment of tribals. Today, Swami Vivekanand Medical Mission Trust hospital at Muttil has become a symbol of trust. Many a time, tribals from remote areas of district come to him at odd hours and want him first to check their patient before moving into hospital. He has earned so much trust with his hard work,” he added. (By Kartik Lokhande, Hitavada28 January 2021)
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4. PADMA AWARDS TO 119 ACHIEVERS: On the eve of 72nd Republic Day, the Government announced Padma Awards. Seven Padmavibhushan awardees include former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo and scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Eminent Singer late S P Balasubramaniam will be given the 2nd highest civilian award posthumously. Ten persons will get Padma Bhushan. Some of them are former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, prominent poet Chandrashekhara Kambara and retired Civil Servant Nripendra Misra.
102 persons will get Padma Shri. The list includes many unsung heroes of the country.
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5. MAHAVIR CHAKRA TO GALWAN VALLEY HERO COL SANTOSH BABU POSTHUMOUSLY: Rashtrapati has approved awards of 455 Gallantry and other Defense decorations to the Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 72nd
Republic Day. These include one Mahavir Chakra, 5 Kirti Chakras, 5 Vir Chakras, 7 Shaurya Chakras and others. Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, who lost his life during the Galwan Valley clash last year, will be posthumously awarded with MahaVir Chakra.
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6. PADMASHREE TO SINDHUTAI SAPKAL AND GIRISH PRABHUNE: Sindhutai Sapkal, popularly known as “Mai”, has been working throughout her life for orphaned children, starting and running an orphanage in Pune near Hadapsar.
Reacting to the award, Sapkal said, “I am overwhelmed after hearing the news of me being given the Padmashree award. It will certainly help to reduce the hunger of my children at the orphanage. All of them, who have till now, helped, supported and stood behind me strongly - this award is dedicated to them. And to all my children, who are my backbone. I never give up or have stopped my work despite the many obstacles in front of me. .. I never forgot my past and look forward to work more for my children.”
Reacting to his award, Girish Prabhune said, “For the deprived community I have worked for my entire life and all our volunteers who are struggling for the last 50 years, this award is dedicated to them. And similarly, to the Pardhi community. They fought hard for their survival and sent their children, especially the girls, to be educated…”. Prabhune started the Punarutthan Samarasata Gurukulam, an NGO which runs a school and hostel in the Chinchwad area for the upliftment of the Pardhi community and their children.
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7. OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO SHRI RAM MANDIR RECONSTRUCTION SAMARPAN NIDHI: The fundraising campaign for the grand Rammandir at Ayodhya has gained momentum and all the sections of the society, those occupying highest offices and high net worth individuals to the daily earners, people from all communities, age groups and regions are supporting and contributing their money and resolve for the Rammnadir.
Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind donates 5 lakh
Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind along with his family, donated a cheque for INR 5,00,100 to a delegation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Mr. Kovind donated in his personal capacity, said Alok Kumar, international working president of the VHP.
Dr Mohan Bhagwat at Valmiki Mandir Delhi to start the campaign
RSS Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat visited Valmiki Mandir at Delhi and started the Nidhi samarpan abhiyan. He also met Swami Shrikrishna Shah Vidyarthi Maharaj there.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan handed over a cheque for INR 1 lakh to the VHP delegation.
Diamond trader from Surat donates Rs 11 crore
A diamond trader from Surat Govindbhai Dholakia in Gujarat has made a contribution of Rs 11 crore for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
And Govindbhai Dholakia is not alone to support the cause from Gujarat. One Mahesh Kabootarwala of Surat has donated Rs 5 crore, Loveji Badshah has made the contribution of Rs 1 crore for the construction of the Ram temple.
Sindhi Samaj offeres 200 silver bricks
'Vishwa Sindhi Seva Sangam' donated 200 silver bricks weighing one kilogram each , for Shri Rammandir construction. Office bearers of the society handed over tthese o the trust after Puja and Aarti at Ayodhya.
Daily wage labourer from Andhra Pradesh donates Rs 1 Lakh
A poor woman from Vijayanagaram , Andhra Pradesh, named Annapoornamma, who works as a daily labourer has contributed Rs 1 lakh for the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. 
We tried to contribute like a squirrel – Haji Ismail
Muslims from Belapur in Shrirampur tehsil, Maharashtra handed over a Nidhi of Rs 44,111 for Rammmandir construction in presence of Acharya Govind deo Giri, treasurer of the trust.
‘Please accept my contribution for Prabhu Shriram, make my life meaningful and give me a chance to serve Shri Ram’. Saying this, Balmama [Nagma] Gajendra Kambale, a transgender from Lokmanya basti Paramhans Nagar, Pune.
Christian organization donates for Shri Ram Mandir
Responding to the call of Shri Ram, The Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM), an organization of Christians, has come forward and donated Rs 21000/- for the Ayodhya mandir.
PCLM chairman R L Francis, Advocate George Toms and H S Dubey called on Adv Alok Kumar and handed over the bank cheque to the karyakartas.
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8. DESHPREM DIVAS AT TOKYO JAPAN: "Deshprem Divas" is being organized by HSS Japan and Team Netaji Japan for last 9 years to pay tributes to freedom fighters and recall the Japanese assistance for setting up Indian National Army on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Shri Subhash Chandra Bose. Shri Rash Behari Bose whose disappearance day falls on January 21 is also being remembered for his braveness and acting as a messenger of Bharat in Japan. This year, Deshprem Divas was celebrated virtually to follow the ongoing safety measures.
Prior to the virtual event, an online quiz contest was organized on January 16. More than 150 people (including kids) took part in the quiz.
Great Grandsons of Shri Mistsuru Toyama and Shri Shigemaru Sugiyama, both who helped Netaji and Rash Behari in their endeavour, delivered the greetings on behalf of Japanese followers of Netaji.
Netaji’s grandnephew, Shri Surya Bose also joined the event from Germany and conveyed his deep appreciation for the annual celebrations. Keynote was delivered by Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe who is a Member of Parliament and the President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR. Dr Vinay Ji appreciated the cultural performances which included special skit on Netaji and Rash Behari by the members of HSS Japan and other members of the Bharatiya community in Japan.
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9. SEWA INTERNATIONAL’S VOLUNTEERS WALK FOR HEALTH: With the aim of promoting an active lifestyle and physical and emotional wellbeing, Sewa International volunteers in Atlanta, Houston, and the Bay Area in California welcomed the new year by walking five miles and resolving to stay fit and healthy.
Organized as part of Sewa’s “Know Your Healthy Self” initiative, this event encouraged participants to walk, run, or practice Yoga wherever they were with no restriction on time or location.
Participating in the walkathon in a park near Sewa’s office in Houston, President Arun Kankani emphasized the four elements of Sewa’s SELF program – Sleep, Exercise, Living in the present, and Food and diet. About 50 people participated in the event at the venue and 20 people joined it virtually.
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10. INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY VETERANS HONOURED IN THAILAND: India Thai cultural Forum honored Indian National Army veterans On 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as a part of the virtual meeting Jai Hind — A Tribute to Netaji .
Amarnath Mishra of ITCF garlanded the photograph of Late Seth Trilok Singh Chawla to whom Netaji had handed over two revolvers a week before his fateful travel in 1945.
Those honoured were Shri Sheetal Tewari, Shri Raj Sachdev and Shri Tilak Raj Pawa who were members of Balak Sena initiated by Netaji.
Dr. Sophana Sirichampa , director of Research Institute of Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University said that people of Thailand cannot forget the collection of money under the leadership of Netaji which helped the establishment of Chulalankorn Medical College in Bangkok. Dr. Amarjiva Lochan of Delhi University spoke about Netaji’s stay in Thailand and support he received there.
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11. HINDU TEMPLE IN DUBAI TO OPEN DOORS BY DIWALI 2022: A new Hindu temple in Dubai, the foundation stone of which was laid last August amidst the pandemic, will open its doors to worshippers by Diwali next year.
The temple, being constructed adjacent to the Guru Nanak Singh Darbar in the city's Jebel Ali area, is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar in Bur Dubai. The Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the country, open since the 1950s.
"The journey from a quaint one-room temple in the 1950s to the 70,000 square feet, purpose- built temple and Community Centre could not have been possible without the generosity and open-mindedness of the Rulers of the UAE, and the overwhelming support of CDA, Dubai."
According to a Khaleej Times report, the temple will be home to 11 Hindu deities.
Raju Shroff, one of the trustees, was quoted as saying in the report that the temple will cater to religious beliefs of Hindu communities belonging to all parts of Bharat.
The actual structure will cover 25,000 sq ft. of land, while the built up area of the temple stands at a spacious 75,000 sq ft.
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12. HINDU ELDERS FOUNDATION CELEBRATE REPUBLIC DAY AT BHARATIYA MANDIR, NEW ZEALAND: Hindu Elder Foundation, an organization for the elderly of the community, hosted its Bharatiya Republic Day celebrations at Bharatiya Mandir on Balmoral Road in Sandringham on January 24. The event was attended by over a hundred seniors and community members at the temple where the hosts and guests hoisted the Bharatiya tricolour flag.
Chief guest at the event, the Hon Consul of Bharat to New Zealand, Bhav Dhillon congratulated the seniors of HEF for their community work and lauded them for organizing the small yet a significant Republic Day event for the seniors at the temple. Cultural programs like Vande Mataram dance, Ganpati Vandana dance, Shabad Geet a Nepali Folk Dance, a Sri Lankan folk dance were presented which concluded by singing the Bharatiya national anthem.
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13. HAWK-I SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRES SAAW: In a big boost to the indigenous Hawk-i program, HAL successfully test fired a Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from the Hawk-i aircraft off the coast of Odisha. The indigenous stand-off weapon is developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO. It is the first smart weapon fired from a Bharatiya Hawk-Mk132.
The aircraft executed the weapon release in a text book manner and all mission objectives were met.
The SAAW is an aircraft launched, advanced, precision strike weapon of 125 Kg category used to attack and destroy enemy airfield assets such as radars, bunkers, taxi tracks, runways within a range of 100 kms. SAAW has been earlier successfully test fired from Jaguar aircraft.
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14. UN SAYS BHARAT TO HAVE WORLD'S LARGEST DIASPORA: United Nations recently released the report of 'International Migration 2020 Highlights'. According to the report, the Bharatiya diaspora is the largest in the world, with more than 18 million people from Bharat living outside Bharat, considering the report of 2020. The other countries with a large diaspora are Mexico, China, Russia and Syria.
According to the report, Bharat’s diaspora is distributed across a number of major countries such as UAE with 3.5 million Bharatiya population, Saudi Arabia with 2.5 million and US with 2.7 million. The other countries hosting large number of migrants from Bharat are Oman, Australia, Kuwait, Canada, Qatar and UK. The Bharatiya migration was driven by the factors of labor and family reasons. The United States was the largest country of destination of international migrants. There were more than 51 million migrants in the US as of 2020. The growth in the number of international migrants has reached 281 million. It was 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010. Currently, the total international migrants are about 3.6% of the world population. In terms of regional migration corridors, the Central and Southern Asia to Northern Africa and Western Asia has grown the most. In these corridors the migrant population has almost tripled between 2000 and 2020.
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15. BHARATIYA–ORIGIN POET WINS T S ELIOT PRIZE IN UK: Bharatiya origin author – poet Bhanu Kapil has been named the winner of the prestigious T S Eliot Prize, named after the renowned 20th century American-British poet. Kapil, who grew up in London, beat nine other shortlisted entries with ‘How to Wash a Heart’, a poem that explores the relationship between an immigrant guest and a citizen host. The prize announced on 24th January is seen as the most valuable award in British poetry and the only one judged purely by established poets. The 53-year-old – who has six books of poetry/prose to her credit – won the coveted Windham-Campbell Prize in the US last year.
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16. OBITUARY – SHANTIBHAI SHAH – KENYA: Shantilal P Shah, fondly known as ‘Shantibhai’ became a swayamsevak in his childhood in Kenya. For the last 70 years, he worked tirelessly for Sangh work and sewa activities among the local Kenyans under the auspices of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Kenya and Hindu Religious and Services Center HRSC.
He regularly used to visit various schools in remote villages distributing material to children, supporting tree plantation programs etc. Shantibhai met with an accident along with 3 other senior HSS karyakartas a few days back and passed away on 26th January at Nairobi.
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17. SHRI VISHWANIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:


FOOD FOR THOUGHT: It is our Hindu identity that teaches us to respect and accept everyone and to do good for everyone. That is why Sangh wants to make Hindu society capable and undefeatable and it will ultimately achieve this objective.  -  Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, P.P. Sarsanghchalak, RSS (Yashaswi Bharat)
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JAI SHRI RAM

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BY SENDING CORONAVIRUS VACCINES ABROAD, INDIA ENTERS V5: THE WORLD’S EXCLUSIVE VAX POWER CLUB
Rajiv Bhatia

Today (i.e. 16 January 2021) India rolls out “the world’s biggest vaccination programme”, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi put it, in its epic combat against Covid-19.
In the new year, as TS Tirumurti – India’s ambassador to the UN – prepared to take his seat in the UN Security Council for a two-year tenure as a non-permanent member, another kind of global security was being concurrently consolidated. VG Somani, the country’s drugs controller general, announced approval for two vaccines made in India for “restricted use in emergency situation.” This cleared the way for the government to provide the much-awaited vaccines at home as well as to the world community.
It marked India’s entry into the exclusive V5 club – the five anti-corona vaccine-producing powers (the US, UK, Russia, China, India) – and reflects an impressive increase in its soft power globally. The two vaccines approved in India are Covishield,produced by the Serum Institute of India, Pune, in collaboration with Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and Covaxin indigenously developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. Given the heavy toll already exacted by the pandemic, approval for both was accorded, subject to certain “regulatory conditions”.
The goal is to provide vaccinations to about a quarter of the country’s population rating priority, in the coming months. But while engaged in this momentous exercise, the needs of India’s external partners will not be ignored. Here, the government will astutely balance its internal needs and external requests.

The first category of countries to receive vaccine supplies comprises the immediate neighbours. Armed with MoUs signed in advance, Bangladesh and Myanmar are at the top of the queue. External affairs minister S Jaishankar assured his interlocutors in Colombo that their request for vaccines would be honoured. Nepal has pressed its claim during the visit of its foreign minister. Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan are also assured of a positive response.
The second category includes friendly countries in the extended neighbourhood: West Asia, central Asia and the Indian Ocean region states. Official sources indicate that immediate requests from these two categories may be for 30 million doses. This can be arranged smoothly as the immediate production capacity of Indian companies will touch or exceed 300 million doses in the next six months.
The third category will cover the rest of the world, with the choices to be made carefully in terms of the urgency of need and the nature of relations with India. Countries in Africa and in Latin America will be provided with India-produced vaccines. In view of the specific request made by the president of Brazil, the supply of vaccines is likely to be arranged soon.
There are several striking features of India’s emergence as a major vaccine or vax power. First, countries that routinely accept Chinese goods, technology and funds have confided to Delhi that their clear preference is for an Indian vaccine over a Chinese one. Why? Because India’s pharmaceutical knowhow is considered far more reliable.
Second, India’s constructive role at the World Health Organization and endeavours to strengthen the COVAX initiative are significant. This aims to ensure rapid and equitable access to Covid vaccines to all countries. Funds available under COVAX can be deployed for the export of Indian vaccines to the needy regions.
Third, vaccine production offers to India a rare opportunity to make inroads into global production and supply chains relating to the pharma sector. This comes on the back of solid achievements of Indian companies in recent decades to offer life saving products like the AIDS cocktail, and generic products that are readily accepted in diverse markets. India is the world’s largest exporter of generics, and already has 40% of the US generics market. With some incremental effort, India can rapidly scale up its pharma ecosystem. India’s advantages are innovation, skills, compliance and good production chains.
As Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates pointed out recently, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere else in the world. The leap into the V5 club is laudable, providing a solid base to make India a net provider of global health security.
- Writer is a Distinguished Fellow, Gateway House and a former ambassador (Times of India, 16 January 2021) -GoTop