New Delhi Jan 31 PTI The COVID-19 vaccination should be treated as a macro-economic indicator since it is not merely a health response but is critical for opening up the economy according to the Economic Survey 2021-22 The country crossed the milestone of administrating more than 156 crore doses of vaccines on January 16 2022 More than 88 crore people 93 per cent of the adult population have received at least one dose and around 66 crore people 70 per cent of the adult population stands fully vaccinated the Survey pointed out Besides more than 50 per cent of the countrys population in the 15-18 age group has received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of January 19 2022 it added Vaccination access and pricing have been deregulated to quicken the pace of vaccination across states and all age groups it stated Vaccination is not merely a health response but is critical for opening up the economy particularly contact-intensive services Therefore it should be treated for now as a macro-economic indicator the Survey tabled in Parliament on Monday noted The vaccination process for boosters and for the 15-18 year age group is also gathering pace the Economic Survey 2021-22 stated With vaccination drive further extended to the age group of 15-18 years starting January 3 2022 more than 50 per cent of Indias population in this age group have received their first dose of the vaccine as on January 19 it said The vaccination process for the age group began on January 3 2022 The Survey pointed out that 99 per cent of the registered health care workers and 100 per cent of the front-line workers 87 per cent of the population aged between 18- 44 years 95 per cent of the population aged between 45-60 years and 89 per cent of the population above 60 years have been covered under the first dose Vaccination drive continues to gather speed and breadth with the number of days taken to achieve an additional 10 crore doses reducing significantly from 86 days during the initial phase to 15 days now as per the Survey The average daily vaccination rate has increased four-fold from 193 lakh in May 2021 to 754 lakh as of January 16 2021 As of January 16 2022 eligible population 18 year and above vaccinated in India with first dose was 93 per cent and with second dose 698 per cent The COVID-19 vaccination has played a critical role in minimising loss of lives and boosting confidence in the economy towards resumption of activity and containing the sequential decline in output due to second wave it noted The country commenced the vaccination process on January 16 2021 with an ambitious target to inoculate its entire eligible population by December 2021 with at least the first dose In the first phase the vaccination drive was sequentially expanded to cover health care workers and front line workers The second phase started on March 1 for above 60 years and April 1 2021 from 45-59 years making all persons aged 45 years and above eligible for vaccination This cohort had accounted for more than 80 per cent of the COVID-19 mortality in the country the survey noted The third phase began on May 1 2021 to vaccinate people in the age group of 18-45 years From January 3 2022 the vaccination drive has been further extended to include those in the age group of 15-18 years Taking cognisance of the recent global surge of the Omicron variant booster doses to healthcare and frontline workers as well as senior citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities have been allowed by the government from January 10 2022 It is also essential to look at progress in vaccination as this is not just a health response but also a buffer against economic disruptions caused by repeated waves of the pandemic Private consumption is poised to see stronger recovery with rapid coverage in vaccination and faster normalisation of economic activity PTI MSS MR

New Delhi Oct 25 PTI Charging station startup Kazam on Monday said it has joined hands with BSES to set up EV charging station network in Delhi The association with BSES is in line with the companys commitment to providing smart and affordable charging solutions to help India overcome its charging infrastructure challenges the company said in a statement Kazams appointment by Delhi DISCOMs namely BSES Rajdhani BSES Yamuna and Tata Power DDL for the installation of subsidised electric vehicle charging stations will be for three years through a tender that was released in July 2021 it added For the first 30000 charging stations GNCTD Government of NCTD would provide a subsidy of up to 100 per cent of the cost of the slow chargers and up to Rs 6000 per charging point The subsidy will be given to the first 30000 charging stations and would be applicable to installations in semi-public locations such as malls workplaces hospitals and shops as well as private property owners such as bungalows and apartments The Government of NCT of Delhi launched the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy on August 7 2020 in an effort to make rapid progress toward sustainable development by encouraging the use of electric vehicles in the city The primary goal of this policy is to provide private charging facilities in semi-public sites such as commercial buildings institutional buildings and workplaces as well as private property sites such as bungalows and apartments PTI MSS MR MR