India’s Covid-19 response was best in the world under PM Modi’s leadership: Amit Shah

Describing Covid-19 as the most challenging crisis the world has faced in recent times, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that India’s handling of the pandemic stood out as the best among all nations.

In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Shah said, “I think the harshest situation faced by the world and in which India was the most successful of all was the Covid-19 pandemic. India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi handled the crisis the best of all countries.”

Shah said that unlike other nations where the state collapsed under pressure, India showed unity across the central government, state governments, and citizens.

“People initially doubted lockdowns, Janata curfews, and vaccine efforts. But it was Modi ji’s leadership that boosted public morale. We not only made vaccines for ourselves but also for the world. Through technology, we vaccinated 140 crore people, making India a global leader in healthcare outreach,” said Shah.

The Union minister said India was the one of the first countries to constitute a team for vaccines.

“India’s indigenous vaccine against Covid-19 was also ready in record time. The biggest takeaway was India’s use of technology to vaccinate its 140-crore people and to send them the certificates of the same. This was a huge task which we achieved through technology,” he said.

He said during the second wave, there was a sudden shortage of oxygen and the government worked with unprecedented speed — quadrupling cylinder supply and transporting oxygen nationwide.

“I believe no previous government had ever brought together the entire system —  from Parliament to Panchayats, from political parties to public servants — to fight a battle of this scale. Modi ji deserves full credit,” said the home minister.

According to a NITI Aayog report, during the Covid-19 pandemic, India administered over 220 crore doses of domestically developed vaccines to its citizens and also supplied vaccines to more than 100 countries. Indian vaccines were built on a wide range of platforms, including mRNA, DNA, adenoviral vector, and inactivated virus technologies.

The report also noted that Indian-made drugs were exported globally, and nearly 250 indigenous Covid-19 diagnostic tests received approval during this period.

With inputs from agencies