Amid India's pitch to get India-made vaccines accepted by the EU for its vaccine certificates, the Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, requesting him to bestow the Bharat Ratna honour on scientists who have helped create indigenous Covid-19 vaccines. He also said that the honours should be conferred on Independence Day as a mark of the country's gratitude toward them.
The minister said that it can be said without a "shadow of a doubt" that India's indigenous vaccine manufacturers and scientists have helped India in boosting its immunity through its systematic and strategic vaccination drive. He also added that it was because of them that India has also been able to establish itself as 'atma-nirbhar' (self-dependent) in the international front.
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Addressing PM Modi, Gupta wrote, "For such patriotism, outstanding service and extraordinary work, those scientists need to be honoured with Bharat Ratna on Independence Day," Gupta wrote, as per a report in news agency ANI.
He also urged the PM to award the scientists for the "exemplary commitment toward the nation" which will end up becoming an inspiration for many. "Certainly, this will become a source of inspiration for young scientists," Gupta wrote in the letter.
At present, Covishield and Covaxin are the two India-made vaccines available in the country. Meanwhile, Indian pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila has also applied for emergency use approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), for its vaccine ZyCoV-D.
