Left, Right & Centre

NDTV connects with people who got the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines as India began the second phase of the vaccination drive. Listen in as they detail their experiences from the registration process to the administration of vaccines.

On this episode of Left, Right and Centre: As India begins vaccinating its senior citizens and those with comorbidities and above 45 years of age from Monday, a look at the arrangements in place for the mega vaccination drive, and the process of registration.

Ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the Congress dissenters shared a stage in Jammu. "A weakened Congress needs to be strengthened," they said. Party loyalist Abhishek Manu Singhvi, however, said, "The party's interests would be better served by focusing on states where elections will be held."

A judge in the UK has ruled that fugitive businessman Nirav Modi can be extradited to India. There is still a fairly extensive appeal process. Today's ruling was, however, a victory for the Indian legal system that has been pursuing this case in British courts to try and bring back Mr Modi, who allegedly defrauded banks of Rs 14,000 crore.

India's new guidelines for digital and social media and streaming services seem to suggest that the government will be big brother in its role in regulating content. There are provisions that social media companies will feel are impossible to implement. For example, revealing the name of a person from whom a message originated. There will also be a government oversight body looking at content on OTT platforms, a Joint Secretary who is ultimately empowered to block content.

Former Attorney General for India Mukul Rohatgi says the UK agreeing to extradition of fugitive businessman was a big victory for the country's legal system. "Nirav Modi's extradition is a victory for the legal system of India; a whole corrupt system was working with him," Mr Rohatgi said. Mr Modi, wanted for fraud and money laundering in the Rs 14,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam, can be extradited to India, a UK judge ruled today, dismissing arguments like his mental health worsening during the pandemic and poor Indian prison conditions.

Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the centre's new rules for social media and online platforms were made in a "hasty" manner. "Government regulations imposed are hasty," he said. The government today announced new rules to regulate digital content and establish what it called a "soft touch progressive institutional mechanism with level-playing field" featuring a Code of Ethics and a three-tier grievance redressal framework for news sites and OTT platforms. The rules will empower users of social media, said Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Maharashtra reported 8,807 new cases today and 80 Covid-related deaths whole the case fatality in the state stands at 2.45 per cent. The spike in cases comes at a time when the government has taken a momentous decision to allow millions of citizens to be vaccinated, in partnership with the private sector, starting March. Those above 60 and those above 45 with co-morbidities will be covered in the second phase.

The Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium in Motera will now be called the Narendra Modi stadium, a part of a larger sports complex named after Sardar Patel. A look at whether public spaces in India should be named after political leaders, and not cricketers?

Both government and private hospitals can vaccinate, and the vaccine will not be costly for citizens, says AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria after the government announced that the second phase of vaccination will begin from March 1.