The big news: Expert panel clears Covaxin, Covishield for emergency use, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: Sourav Ganguly to be monitored for 24 hours after undergoing angioplasty, and a comedian was arrested for making jokes about Hindu deities.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Expert panel recommends Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute vaccines to drug regulator: The final call on the efficacy of a vaccine will be taken by the Drugs Controller General of India. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the coronavirus vaccine will be provided free to 3 crore frontline workers, including medical staff. Meanwhile, India began a dry run in all states to assess the readiness for the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out programme.
- Sourav Ganguly stable, to be monitored for 24 hours after undergoing angioplasty: The 48-year-old reportedly complained of uneasiness while working out and was hospitalised in Kolkata.
- Covid-19 vaccine doesn’t belong to any party, says Omar Abdullah after Akhilesh Yadav rejects vaccination: The Samajwadi Party chief said that he would not get inoculated against the coronavirus as the “BJP’s vaccine cannot be trusted.”
- Comedian Munawar Faruqui arrested for allegedly making derogatory comments about Hindu deities: The comedian was allegedly roughed up by the members of a Hindutva group, who forcefully took Faruqui to the Tukoganj police station along with the organisers.
- Solution will come up during January 4 talks with farmers, says Union minister: Meanwhile, farmers said that they would hold a tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.
- Centre issues guidelines for UK passengers after flights set to resume from January 8: The health ministry said the arrivals would be subjected to self-paid RT-PCR tests and have to declare their travel history of the past 14 days.
- Hindus can never be ‘anti-India’, are patriotic by nature, says Mohan Bhagwat: The RSS chief said that it was their intrinsic nature to be patriotic.
- Former Union minister Buta Singh dies at 86, tributes pour in: The former governor of Bihar was in a coma from October after he suffered a brain haemorrhage.
- SEBI fines Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani Rs 40 crore for ‘manipulative trades’ in 2007: The case is related to the sale and purchase of Reliance Petroleum shares in future and cash segments in November 2007.
- Eight civilians injured in grenade attack on security forces in Tral town of Pulwama: The area was cordoned off and the security forces launched a search operation to arrest the assailants.