-The Hindu Business Line It’s only an open-ended deal with co-developer Bharat Biotech, says top source The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is willing to share the know-how to produce the indigenously-developed Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, with any company as the contract with co-developer Bharat Biotech is not close-ended. Currently, Bharat Biotech has the sole licence to manufacture Covaxin, which it developed in collaboration with scientists from ICMR’s Pune-based National Institute of Virology...

-Moneycontrol.com The TMC increased its tally of seats won, by two to 213 and its vote-share galloped to 48 percent. This victory was achieved against the BJP, which is believed to have the best election machinery in India The outcome of the West Bengal assembly polls has many firsts. The average winning margin of all the candidates in this election stands out at a record 26,964 votes, while the same for Trinamool...

-Newslaundry.com AAP government expelled seven reporters of the paper from a Whatsapp group after one of them reported critically on its handling of the oxygen crisis. On May 6, the Delhi government’s Media Cell removed seven Hindustan Times reporters from a Whatsapp group meant for sharing press notes, including a daily health bulletin. Vikas Yogi, the Arvind Kejriwal government’s Chief Media Coordinator who removed the reporters, didn’t offer a reason but journalists in...

-The Hindu Ministry concedes Q1 growth to be hit, bats for expanding vaccination pace. The second COVID-19 wave which is spreading fast beyond the worst-affected districts in the country, could dent economic activity till June this year, and expanding vaccination pace in the country is the “need of the hour”, the Finance Ministry said on Friday. The Ministry also indicated it is not in favour of a national lockdown to curb the pandemic,...

-Hindustan Times A rapid and universal vaccination programme is essential to control a surge of this magnitude and time is of the essence — for the virus is not standing still The second wave of Covid-19 is overwhelming India. The official death toll is already inching towards 250,000, but this is almost surely a vast underestimate, as the virus sweeps through rural India and kills many whose deaths will never be captured...