Dear Express Explained reader, The decision to start vaccinating young Indians ages 15-18 and to administer precautionary doses to healthcare and frontline workers and 60-plus individuals with co-morbidities is timely. The announcement indicates the government has concluded that a surge in coronavirus infections — although not necessarily serious Covid-19 disease — is now very likely, if not inevitable. As Amitabh Sinha explained, with the R-number already above 1 in several states, this round of expanded vaccination will not stop the developing spike in the graph — but it will probably keep the peak lower and ensure fewer hospitalisations and deaths in the coming months. In his address to the nation, the Prime Minister did not use the expression ‘booster shots’, which indicates that the third jab to the already vaxxed will be of a vaccine based on a platform different from the earlier ones. Kaunain Sheriff M listed the likely options: Biological E’s Corbevax, Novavax-SII’s Covovax, India’s first mRNA vaccine from Gennova, and Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine. We published several other important explainers this week on issues with far-reaching implications. A three member-committee set up by the government to examine the income criteria for determining Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the population following criticism from the Supreme Court is expected to submit its report soon. Shyamlal Yadav wrote a comprehensive wrap of the issues in deciding the income ceiling, how the matter reached the top court, and why the court thought the criteria were “arbitrary”. The government has introduced a Bill to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act that seeks to remove all scope for ambiguity in the application of the floor age for marriage for girls to all religious groups, irrespective of their traditions or customs. Apurva Vishwanath unpacked the legal questions around the proposed amendment (which has now been referred to a standing committee of Parliament) that has given rise to debates on female autonomy and the alleged undermining of personal laws, especially of the Muslim community. Parliament has passed a Bill enabling the linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem. The government has argued that this has been a persistent demand of the Election Commission, but legal and privacy experts have pointed to issues around both the concept of the Bill and the language in which it has been framed. Anisha Dutta summarised these concerns, and flagged the main criticisms. As always, stay safe and stay aware. If you relaxed the mask-wearing habit as the Covid situation appeared largely under control over the last few months, do switch back immediately to the best practices from the earlier phases of this now two-year-old pandemic. We wish a very happy and, more importantly, healthy New Year to all of you. Stay safe and stay aware. Keep reading The Indian Express Explained. Sincerely, Monojit (monojit.majumdar@expressindia.com) If you received this newsletter as a forward, you can subscribe to it here | Do read our Explained articles here | .png)
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