Covid Suraksha UPSC Notes: Background, Goals, & Significance

Mission COVID Suraksha is the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Programme, which was launched in November 2020 as part of the third stimulus package under Atma Nirbhar Bharat 3.0 to promote COVID-19 vaccine research and development in India. The Mission was designed to be a national mission with the goal of providing citizens with a safe, effective, affordable, and accessible COVID-19 vaccine.

Source: MyGov

This topic Covid Suraksha UPSC is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Paper 2 and 3 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the Governance and Science & Technology sections of UPSC IAS EXAM. 

In this article on Covid Suraksha UPSC, we shall discuss ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’ and Learn about Mission COVID Suraksha, Its Objectives, Significance, Identification of vaccine candidates, & More.

Download the PDF on Mission Covid Suraksha notes for the UPSC Exam here.

Register for UPSC Online Classes at an affordable price to boost your IAS preparation.

What is COVID Suraksha?

Mission COVID Suraksha is an initiative by India that will support the ongoing Atma Nirbhar Bharat mission by facilitating the development of domestically produced vaccines that are affordable and accessible to the nation.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is leading Mission COVID Suraksha, which is being implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of DBT, at a total cost of Rs. 900 Cr. over a 12-month period.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission would bring together all available and funded resources for accelerated product development, from preclinical to clinical development, manufacturing, and regulatory facilitation for deployment.

Mission Covid Suraksha will help to accelerate the development of 5-6 coronavirus vaccines. However, the Department of Biotechnology has so far supported ten vaccine candidates.

Background of Mission Covid Suraksha

Mission Covid Suraksha is also known as the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission. It was launched as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 stimulus package. It is a research and development initiative focused on the development of Indian Covid-19 vaccines. The mission is led by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). It is implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The total cost of the mission is Rs. 900 crores. It aims to accelerate the development and production of vaccines to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in India.

Goal of Mission Covid Suraksha

The goal of Mission Covid Suraksha is to develop and provide the citizens of India with a safe, effective, and affordable Covid-19 vaccine. The mission aims to speed up the development of multiple vaccine candidates. It also ensures that they meet regulatory standards and can be introduced into the public health system.

Learn more about the National Digital Health Mission!

Objectives of COVID Suraksha

Objectives of Mission Covid Suraksha are as follows:

• Mission Covid Suraksha is accelerating pre-clinical and clinical development, as well as licensure, of COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently in or about to enter clinical trials.
• Mission Covid Suraksha is assisting in the creation of standardized protocols, training, data management systems, and regulatory submissions.
• Mission Covid Suraksha provides funding for candidate vaccine testing, manufacturing, licensing, and market distribution.
• Another important aspect of the Covid Suraksha Mission is the creation of a suitable Target Product Profile.
• Mission Covid Suraksha establishes sites for vaccine clinical trials.
• Additionally, Mission Covid Suraksha aims to improve the current immunoassay labs, central labs, and appropriate facilities for animal studies, production facilities, and other testing facilities to aid in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Learn more about Preventive Healthcare!

Stakeholders of Mission COVID Suraksha

The stakeholders of Mission Covid Suraksha are as follows:

• Mission COVID Suraksha is led by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and it is carried out by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
• This Mission will benefit from the existing activities under the National Bio Pharma Mission (NBM) and the Ind-CEPI Mission.
• The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has a global initiative that the DBT is aligning with in order to support the implementation of the Ind-CEPI Mission, “Epidemic preparedness through rapid vaccine development and Support of Indian vaccine development.”
• On March 27, 2019, the Ind-CEPI Mission was approved at a cost of INR312.92 crore.

Learn more about Anchal Health Care Abhiyan!

Vaccine Candidates Identified through Mission COVID Suraksha

DBT has supported a total of ten vaccine candidates in both academia and industry to date, where four are currently being administered, and two are undergoing human trials, Including

• COVISHIELD: The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is known as Covishield, and it is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
• COVAXIN: Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Manufacturing Capacity for COVAXIN production under Mission COVID Suraksha.
• Sputnik 5: The Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in India by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
• ZyCoV-D: The DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by India will be administered to people of all ages, including children and adults over the age of 12.
• BBV154: India’s first nasal Covid-19 vaccine and primary immunization against COVID-19 in the 18+ age group is being developed in the country under Mission COVID Suraksha and adds to our repertoire of COVID-19 vaccines.
• BNT612b2: India is concentrating on providing training for conducting phase II and III human clinical trials of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate in accordance with the Indian regulatory framework.

Learn more about the Yuva Shakti Corona Mukti Abhiyan!

Significance of Mission COVID Suraksha

The significance of Mission Covid Suraksha is as follows:

• Supporting the development of indigenous Covid-19 vaccines.
• Provides funding for Covid vaccine trials and tests in India.
• Improve the efficiency and productivity of existing laboratories.
• It grants permission for potential coronavirus vaccines.
• Ensure the availability of low-cost and easily accessible Coronavirus vaccines in India.

COVID Suraksha Kavach

COVID Suraksha Kavach is an insurance policy specifically designed to provide financial protection against COVID-19-related medical expenses. It is a health insurance product that aims to safeguard individuals and their families from the financial burden caused by COVID-19 treatment. The COVID Suraksha Kavach policy covers hospitalization expenses, including room charges, doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, medications, and other necessary medical procedures related to COVID-19 treatment. This insurance policy is available for both individuals and families, offering comprehensive coverage against the uncertainties of the pandemic. 

Mission COVID Suraksha Facts and Figures for UPSC 

Here are some facts about the Mission Covid Suraksha:

Conclusion

The Government of India launched Mission Covid Suraksha in order to meet the rising demand for Covid-19 vaccines, and funding was authorized under this program for R&D, clinical trials, and quick production of the vaccines that were ultimately successful. In India, a few candidates are now in use.

Learn more about the coronavirus impact on the global economy!

UPSC Previous Year Questions on Covid Suraksha

Q1. What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (UPSC Mains 2021, GS Paper 3)

Q2. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crisis. Give an account of how technology was sought to aid the management of the pandemic. (UPSC Mains 2020, GS Paper 3)

Check out the test series for the UPSC IAS Exam here.

We hope all your doubts regarding “Mission Covid Suraksha” are addressed after going through this article. Testbook provides comprehensive notes for different competitive examinations. It has always assured the quality of its products, like content pages, live tests, GK and current affairs, mocks, and so on. Ace your preparation with the Testbook App!

मिशन कोविड सुरक्षा – भारतीय कोविड-19 वैक्सीन विकास मिशन, उद्देश्य, महत्व और आंकड़े के बारे में यहाँ जानें!