As soon as the Parliamentary standing committees started to resume work after a long spell of hibernation, it was not all good news that came in front of them. Notwithstanding the ambitious target set for its market launch, the Standing Committee on Science and Technology was told on Friday that India will have to wait till at least the first quarter of 2021 to get its vaccine that can treat Covid-19. Officials cautioned that this is the earliest possible time frame when India can practically have its vaccine.

Professor Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan, who is the government's Principal Scientific Advisor, was present in the committee meeting along with representatives from thee Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology.