Saubhadra Chatterji
Saubhadra Chatterji is Deputy Political Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on both politics and policies.
Articles by Saubhadra Chatterji
Congress to elect new president by June
PUBLISHED ON JAN 23, 2021 05:01 AM IST
The Congress Election Authority (CEA), the party’s panel in charge of the elections, proposed a timeline between May 15 and 30 to hold organisational elections, although some leaders, particularly those in charge of poll-bound states, said this could clash with the assembly elections.
Record 3 billion days of work generated but women’s share shrinks
PUBLISHED ON JAN 23, 2021 04:19 AM IST
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Jobs Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has this financial year generated 3.11 billion days of work, 460 million days more than last year, according to data by the ministry of rural development.
Congress Working Committee meet on Jan 22 with eye on party polls
PUBLISHED ON JAN 21, 2021 04:32 AM IST
“It will be a meeting of the full CWC,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. The meet will include 19 members, 26 permanent invitees and nine special invitees other than the Congress president.
New Parliament building: Gandhi statue hurriedly shifted, move raises eyebrows
PUBLISHED ON JAN 21, 2021 12:55 AM IST
Initial plan was to do so during the one-month gap between the first and the second part of Budget Session that begins on Jan 29
New Parliament building: Gandhi statue hurriedly shifted, move raises eyebrows
UPDATED ON JAN 20, 2021 03:28 PM IST
Initial plan was to do so during the one-month gap between the first and the second part of Budget Session that begins on Jan 29
RT-PCR tests for MPs; Zero, Question hours back in Budget session
By Saubhadra Chatterji, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 20, 2021 02:08 AM IST
The Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 am to 2 pm followed by the Lok Sabha, from 4 pm to 9 pm, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on Tuesday. As MPs don’t have priority access to Covid-19 vaccines before the session, RT-PCR tests will be done for all MPs, their families, and their assistants.
Budget session: New seating plan, security rejig likely
By Saubhadra Chatterji, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 19, 2021 05:37 AM IST
Instead of the usually packed Lok Sabha, the proceedings will play out with MPs spaced out in the galleries and chamber of both Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the budget speech. They will also be distributed between the Central Hall, Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for the President’s speech.
Eligible people likely to get option to sign up for jabs on Aarogya Setu
By Saubhadra Chatterji, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 18, 2021 04:42 AM IST
According to documents accessed by HT, the CoWIN platform will allow the public to access its limited features—only those required for enrolment and vaccination and not the complex back-end operations—on the Aarogya Setu app.
'Defining victory in war against virus': PM Modi launches Covid-19 vaccine drive
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 12:07 PM IST
Prime Minister Modi emphasised that “only when our scientists are assured of the power of vaccine, they gave permission for emergency use”, asking people not to pay heed to speculations about the efficacy of the shots.
PM Modi launches Covid-19 vaccine drive in India: Key highlights from his speech
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Edited by Arpan Rai
UPDATED ON JAN 16, 2021 11:44 AM IST
India launched one of the world’s largest coronavirus vaccination drives on Saturday, setting in motion a complex deployment plan aimed at stemming the wide spread of infections across a nation of more than 1.3 billion people.
4-tier workforce to oversee vaccination drive
UPDATED ON JAN 14, 2021 12:29 AM IST
Assisted by committees, task forces and control room personnel, an army of government officials and representatives of foreign aid agencies will monitor the complex immunisation drive at every level and act quickly to keep the programme on track if anything goes amiss.
Two House panels to review vaccination
PUBLISHED ON JAN 11, 2021 01:35 AM IST
The new rounds of parliamentary review into the all-important executive action that is of vital importance are well-justified, according to MPs, as parliamentary committees—an extension of Parliament itself—have supervisory authority over all public activities.
Centre draws plan for vaccine roll-out
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2021 05:36 AM IST
India’s vaccination campaign against Covid-19 is targeting offering protection against the viral disease to 300 million people by July, including health-care workers, front-line workers and the people most at risk of infection.
Centre draws plan for vaccine roll-out
PUBLISHED ON JAN 03, 2021 11:56 PM IST
Elaborate distribution plan on track as India awaits vaccine approval
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 31, 2020 11:31 PM IST
The vaccines will be stocked at four Government Medical Store Depots (in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata) and state and regional vaccine stores.
Covid-19 vaccination: Pfizer, Moderna deals hit roadblock
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 30, 2020 01:41 AM IST
According to officials involved in the vaccine administration plan, there are doubts if Pfizer has enough spare capacity to cater to Indian requirements after fulfilling its current commitments with the US, UK, EU, Bahrain, Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
Covid-19: Same vaccine for a district in Centre’s roll-out strategy
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 29, 2020 04:29 AM IST
HT learns that while states, especially large ones, will have a portfolio of vaccines from different manufacturers -- the thinking is that there might not be enough supply if everyone were to insist on the same vaccine -- they will still ensure that the same vaccine is administered within a district.
Road to safety: On the vaccine trail
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi/ Patna/ Muzaffarpur
UPDATED ON DEC 22, 2020 01:58 AM IST
It’s not just Bihar — across India, large cities, nondescript towns, districts big and small, are all scrambling to add critical infrastructure to meet the challenge of vaccinating 300 million people by July 2021, and, if all goes well, hundreds of millions more by the end of the year.
Livestock infra could provide -70°C storage for Pfizer’s Covid vaccine
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 20, 2020 05:13 AM IST
The vaccine has proven to be effective in preventing Covid-19 and has become the first inoculation to be approved for emergency use in several countries after large-scale testing. But it requires the lowest temperature among all vaccine options for long-term storage.
Wedding halls, polling booths in Covid-19 vaccine plan
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 15, 2020 05:13 AM IST
Each site will be designed to serve at least 100 recipients. Chosen sites will have to be spacious (with at least three rooms) and close to the homes or offices of the recipients.
Heart patients, diabetics may get doses on priority
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 13, 2020 08:46 AM IST
The officials added that there will also be a door-to-door survey across the country and existing government databases will be used to identify such people.
Parliament: From a circular building of Rs 83 lakh to a Rs 970-cr triangular edifice
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 10, 2020 01:39 PM IST
The building of Indian Parliament, built originally to house Central Legislative Assembly and Council of State, has been privy to many historic events
Parliament: A look at how seating arrangement has evolved over the past 68 years
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 08, 2020 09:49 AM IST
The Lok Sabha chamber, used as the Legislative Assembly much before independence, had only 145 seats
Price, capacity key areas as Pfizer files for licence in India
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2020 08:08 AM IST
A senior government official said there will be a negotiation on the price and availability after the vaccine is approved for use in India. This person pointed to the vaccine’s $20 price tag in the US and compared it with the $3-4 at which the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine being made locally by the Serum Institute of India will be available.
At all-party meet, leaders warn PM of misinformation on Covid vaccine
PUBLISHED ON DEC 05, 2020 11:01 AM IST
Covid vaccine will be in India within weeks: PM Modi
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 05, 2020 03:24 AM IST
India is set to get a Covid-19 vaccine within weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while briefing political leaders on the preparations for “cheap and safe” Made in India vaccines, assuring them that immunisation would start as soon as scientists give a go-ahead.
Oppn leaders hail India’s efforts to contain Covid, then a word of caution
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 09:14 PM IST
Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad said the political leadership must be ready to counter the possible misinformation campaign over vaccines in the near future.
CPIM’s All India Kisan Sabha plays key role in building solidarity for farmers’ protest
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 09:43 AM IST
For the AIKS, the experience of 2014 movement against the land bill and the 2018 long march in Maharashtra came handy this time
Polio, BCG infra to power vaccine plan
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 01, 2020 03:58 AM IST
The universal immunisation programme comes under the health ministry, and covers 25 million children every year, vaccinating them against a range of diseases including measles, polio, and tuberculosis.
CPWD blames Opposition leaders for muted microphones in RS during farm Bills’ passage
By Saubhadra Chatterji | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 30, 2020 12:17 PM IST
The Opposition had accused the Rajya Sabha authorities of deliberately switching off the microphones to silence the critics of the Bills