Page 1 - tmp

P. 1

Tuesday, 15 June 2021

TheFinePrint

By Nayanima Basu, Senior Associate Editor

While the world is busy fighting wave after wave of Covid, the international
science community is busy trying to unearth the origin of the virus, SARS-CoV2.

There have been a series of factors that have elevated the lab leak theory from
conspiratorial speculation to an increasingly plausible possibility. In this report,
Abantika Ghosh puts forward the arguments and counter-arguments in the
Covid lab leak theory – while the jury is still out on whether the pandemic virus

has a natural origin or otherwise.

ThePrint, meanwhile, continues with its ground reports from different corners
of the country. The focus is now on Mysuru, which is being referred to as the

‘city of pandemic’. Officials in the civic administration said there were a number
of factors contributing to the spurt in cases, reports Angana Chakrabarti.

Covaxin has emerged to be the third costliest vaccine in the world even as Dr

Krishna Ella, the managing director of Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer
Bharat Biotech, had said last August the homegrown vaccine will be cheaper
than a bottle of water. Experts are divided on whether Bharat Biotech is
profiteering or is unable to recover investment costs of the made-in-India

vaccine.

The fate of Class 12 students remains uncertain in some parts of the country.
The CBSE is believed to be working on a best marking scheme to declare results

for Class 12 students. This includes considering all exams taken in Class 11 and
Class 10 boards.