# Dry run for vaccine rollout

• The centre is gearing up for the roll out of the covid-19 vaccine across the country, with four states to initiate a dry run next week.

• Andhra pradesh, punjab, assam and gujarat have been selected considering the geographical locations.

• Each state will plan it in two districts and preferably in different (five) session type settings, eg: district hospital, CHC/PHC, urban site, private health facility, rural outreach etc.

• The health ministry said this exercise would enable end to end mobilisation and testing of the covid-19 vaccination processand check the usage of Co-WIN in the field environment, the linkages between planning, implementation and reporting mechanisms.

# BSF-BGB 51st DG level conference

• The perception of large scale illegal immigration into India is not based on fact.

• Border security force (BSF) and Border guards Bangladesh (BGB) said in a joint statement at 51st DG level conference.

• One of the factor of the decline in illegal immigration as stated by DG of BGB is the better GDP growth of Bangladesh and declining growth of India.

# Youngest mayor

• If the party’s seniors approve the nominations, a 21 year old woman college student who is a member of the CPI(M) will become the youngest mayor of Thiruvananthapuram.

• Miss Rajendran, who won the election from the Mudavanmugal ward in the state capital, is a Bsc. student.

# RBI data

• Demand conditions in the manufacturing sector returned to recovery mode with a softer contraction of 4.3% year on year in the quarter ended september in terms of nominal sales – according to RBI data.

• This followed a shrinkage of 41.1% in the previous quarter that was hit by coronavirus lockdown.

• The recovery was led by iron and steel, food products, cement, automobile and pharmaceuticals companies.

# OPEC+

• Russia backs increase in oil output by OPEC+ from february .

• Russia expects to support an increase in oil production by the group, known as OPEC+ of another 5,00,000 barrels per day from february.

• Oil prices are trading above $ 50 per barrel, after coming under pressure this week from concerns that now fast spreading variants of the coronavirus will  lead to reduced fuel demand.