Ten Covid vaccines could be available by mid 2021

India and the United Kingdom have reiterated their shared desire to impart a quantum jump to the partnership in the post-COVID, post-BREXIT era. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic talk with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, the two leaders exchanged thoughts about the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the leaders  reviewed the promising cooperation between India and the UK in the area of vaccine development and manufacturing.The leaders agreed that there was tremendous potential for enhancing collaboration in trade and investment, scientific research, mobility of professionals and students, and defence and security. They laid particular emphasis on India and the UK joining hands in the fight against Climate Change, and appreciated their collaboration under platforms like the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.   The leaders also agreed that officials from both sides would continue their work to quickly finalise an ambitious long-term roadmap for the India-UK partnership.

-Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Vladimir Norov has praised the "Self-Reliant India" initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that it deserves high attention. He said that ‘Self Reliant India’ aims to strengthen industry, medium and small enterprises, which are the livelihood of millions of people in India.I note that the "Self-Reliant India" initiative voiced by Mr. Modi deserves high attention. I am confident that the initiative will have a multiplier effect on the world economy, as well as will contribute to the early recovery of the economies of the SCO member States in the post-Pandemic period and to intensification of multi-faceted trade and economic cooperation within the Organization. Norov noted that India continues to expand its trade and economic relations with the SCO countries. Since joining the SCO, bilateral trade of India with other SCO member states has increased by 27 percent between 2017 and 2018, compared to the previous period. He said, at a time when the world is suffering from coronavirus pandemic, India plans to seize opportunities presented by the crisis, which will also benefit peoples and countries of the SCO region.

-Minister of Environment,Forest and Climate Change  Prakash Javadekar on Friday launched the India Climate Change Knowledge Portal. The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address  the climate change issues.Speaking on the occasion, Javadekar said,it will be a single-point information resource that provides information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries enabling users to access d status on these initiatives. With regard to climate actions after the Paris Agreement, Jvadekar said, India has practically achieved  its  pre-2020 climate action targets. He said, though India is not  responsible for  climate change but  it is taking responsible action to mitigate the challenge. Javadekar also demanded that other countries must commit to  the advance commitments of Kyoto Protocol which has not been followed by the countries that must be done.

-The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to step up its drive to reach out to farmers across the country in a bid to dispel concerns about the newly enacted farm laws even as protests against the legislations reached the Capital on Friday, a person familiar with the matter said.The party carried out a 15-day campaign wherein senior leaders, ministers, MPs and party functionaries reached out to farmers explaining the intricacies of the new laws in September, following Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s instructions to BJP cadres to spread awareness.“The Prime Minister urged BJP workers to reach out to farmers on the ground and explain the importance of the laws. This exercise was carried out across the country...and farmers were explained the benefits they stand to get from the new laws. However, given the Opposition’s attempt to mislead the farmers, this exercise will be renewed,” said another party functionary aware of the details.

-Ten Covid-19 vaccines could be available by the middle of next year if they win regulatory approval, but their inventors need patent protection, the head of the global pharmaceutical industry group said on Friday.Vaccines by Pfizer and BioNtech, as well as Moderna and AstraZeneca have shown promising results in large clinical trials, but there is no question of “cutting corners”, said Thomas Cueni, director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA). At the World Trade Organization (WTO), India and South Africa have proposed allowing a temporary waiver to allow compulsory licensing for patented products during the pandemic. The United States, European Union and Switzerland and others have rejected it, trade officials say.