Morning digest: Covaxin taken off clinical trial mode; Modi to attend virtual summit of Quad today, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

Children wearing face masks as a prescaution against Coronavirus in Vijayawada.

Coronavirus | Covaxin taken off clinical trial mode

India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin from Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has been taken off the clinical trial mode and is now authorised for emergency use on a par with Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, NITI Aayog’s member (health) V.K. Paul said on Thursday.

PM to attend first Quad Summit on March 12

Access to COVID-19 vaccines, cooperation on technology, and climate change are at the top of the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join U.S. President Joseph Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga for a virtual summit of the Quadrilateral Framework (Quad) on Friday — the first time leaders of the Indo-Pacific grouping are meeting.

West Bengal Assembly Elections | Parties spar over Mamata Banerjee’s injury

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was rushed to hospital in Kolkata 

after suffering injuries during her campaign in Nandigram , the Trinamool Congress leadership reiterated allegations that the party chief was targeted as part of a conspiracy.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | DMK allots seats to Congress, Left parties

After multiple rounds of talks, the DMK completed identification of constituencies for the CPI, the Congress and the CPI(M) on Thursday, a day before the filing of nominations begins for the 

Tamil Nadu Assembly election .

U.S. President Joe Biden sets May 1 target to have all adults vaccine-eligible

One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus , President Joe Biden used his first prime-time address to outline his plan Thursday night to make all adults vaccine -eligible by May 1 and get the country “closer to normal” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.

Assam Assembly elections | In Assam battle, more to alliances than meets the eye

Assam’s mandate 2021 is likely to go into the record books as the first among three blocs rather the major parties that lead them. For the bloc headed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the other two are like a double-edged sword.

Death of rape survivor’s father | Three policemen suspended in Kanpur

Three police personnel were suspended in Kanpur on Thursday after a preliminary probe found them culpable of negligence in the death “in an accident” of the father of a minor girl who was allegedly gang-raped on March 8.

Coronavirus | One year on, virus still has upper hand

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO)  declared that the world was facing its first-ever pandemic from a coronavirus . Its Director General, Tedros Adhanom, said then: “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly.

India@75 celebrations | PM to flag off march to Dandi on March 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off a march from the Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on Friday to kick off celebrations of the 75th year of Independence, Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said on Thursday.

Quad Summit not about China but genocide of Uighurs will be discussed: White House

The Biden administration once again signaled that the  Quad ( the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue between India, the U.S., Japan and Australia)  is not a group about China and the agenda for Friday’s first ever Quad Summit meeting is not China-focused.

Coronavirus | Joe Biden signs $1.9 trillion relief bill before speech to nation

Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the  $1.9 trillion relief package  that he said will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health.

Roger Federer loses in second match after return from injury

Roger Federer squandered a match point and was knocked out of the Qatar Open by Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday in just his second match since a 13-month injury absence.