People above 60 years to get COVID-19 vaccine from March 1

Government will start administering COVID-19 vaccine to the people above 60 years of age from 1st of next month. Those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will also be vaccinated in this phase.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi after Union Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the vaccine will be administered free of cost at ten thousand government hospitals to these groups while the cost of the vaccine at 20 thousand private vaccination centres will be borne by them.

The Minister said, Union Cabinet also recommended imposition of President’s Rule in Puducherry. Mr Javadekar said Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayansamy resigned from the post and no party claimed to form the government and therefore the LG has recommended suspension of the UT Assembly. He added Cabinet decision will be sent to the President and after his assent the assembly will be dissolved.

Union Cabinet also approved Production Linked Incentive Scheme for IT Hardware. The scheme proposes incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain of IT Hardware. The target segments of the scheme include laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs and servers.

Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the total cost of the proposed scheme is around 7,350 crore rupees over four years. Mr. Prasad added that the scheme has direct and indirect employment generation potential of over one lakh 80 thousand. The Minister also said it will provide impetus to Domestic Value Addition for IT Hardware which is expected to rise 20 percent to 25 percent by 2025.