The Centre has taken back control of vaccine procurement and will supply Covid-19 jabs to states free of cost to inoculate all above 18 years of age from June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday.

No state would have to spend anything on vaccines. The 25 per cent of the vaccination work that was with states will also be handled by the Government of India...Now, all above 18 will be able to get the shot for free, Modi said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday of the danger of buying overpriced vaccines from intermediaries, reminding those countries should buy vaccines certified by the WHO and make sure to identify the origin of the product.

We have received concerns regarding other vaccines... with intermediates selling it (one vaccine) at a much higher price than what has been actually sold by the manufacturers, said Mariangela Batista Galvao Simao, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, during a press conference.

The ongoing COVID-induced curfew in Andhra Pradesh which was in force till June 10 was extended till June 20, announced Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday.

The curfew relaxation timings were also changed to 6 am to 2 pm after June 10.

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Monday said it has signed up an investment pact for adding petrochemical and lube plants to its previously announced plan to expand crude oil processing capacity at its Koyali refinery at Vadodara in Gujarat.

Expanding refining capacity by 4.3 million tonnes per annum to 18 million tonnes and adding plants to produce 500,000 tonnes per annum of polypropylene and 2,35,000 tonnes of lube oil base stock at the site would see total investment of about Rs 24,000 crore.

US pharma major Pfizer said on Monday that it was helping to create around 400 oxygen-supported beds in Delhi and equipping a 30-bed ICU facility in Mumbai.

Besides this, the company is sponsoring essential Covid medicines valued at Rs 510 crore for government hospitals in India.

India’s Paytm is asking employees to decide whether they want to sell shares in the digital payments pioneer’s planned initial public offering, taking another step toward what could be the country’s largest stock market debut ever.

The startup, formally called One97 Communications Ltd., sent the “offer for sale” to its staff Monday as it prepares to file for the IPO, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (June 8) in the national capital. The chief minister will discuss the Maratha reservation issue with the Prime Minister. CM Thackeray arrived in Delhi in the morning and will meet the PM at 11 am.

A report in news agency ANI stated that CM Thackeray had last month written to PM Modi to take steps to declare the Maratha community in the state as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC) to enable them to claim the reservation in education and public employment at least to 12 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday asserted that there was no proposal before the ruling BJP's high command to seek Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's resignation.

There is no proposal before the high command for seeking Yediyurappa's resignation, Joshi told reporters at Hubballi in the state's northwest region hours after the Chief Minister said that he was ready to resign if the party's leadership wanted him to do so.

Hitendra Dave will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HSBC’s India operation, said the international banking and financial services company on Monday.

Dave’s appointment is subject to regulatory approval and until then he will work as interim CEO effective 7 June. Dave succeeds Surendra Rosha who, after three years, is moving to Hong Kong as the Co-Chief Executive of HSBC, Asia-Pacific.

With the unlocking process initiated in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday warned against laxity and urged people to take all precautions to prevent COVID-19 infection.

He pointed out that this was necessary to bring the economy back on track.

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