4 May 2021 –– Indian Punchline
M.K. Bhadrakumar
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson coming out of the Intensive Care Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, April 9, 2020 (File photo)
Three cheers for the Indian Supreme Court’s suo moto intervention on the issue of distribution of essential supplies and services during the pandemic. India, the “world pharmacy”, is entering shark-infested waters, as vaccine supply is getting intertwined with the country’s opaque decision-making, its powerful corporate culture and episodic diplomacy.
Dr Frances Kelsey receiving the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service from President Kennedy in 1962, for successfully preventing Thalidomide being approved for use in the USA.