The chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gita Gopinath, has lauded India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Gopinath said that the nation’s vaccine policy “really stands out”, reports Economic Times.
She also said, “India is at the forefront in the fight against the pandemic”, and hailed the nation of her origin for playing such an important role.
She further added, “I also want to mention that India really stands out in terms of its vaccine policy. If you look at where exactly is one manufacturing hub for vaccines in the world ― that will be India”.
Gopinath also acknowledged the contributions of the Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII), which is the largest producer of vaccines in the world. SII has also successfully managed to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world.
Gopinath gave this statement when she was asked a question about India in an interactive session during the inaugural Dr Hansa Mehta Lecture organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The chief economist of the IMF also made an important point during the session, pointing out that India makes up about 7 per cent of world GDP based on purchasing power parity terms. “So when you’re that large, what happens in India has implications for many other countries in the world, especially countries in the region,” she said.
The lecture was organised by India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and The United Nations Academic Impact in the memory of Dr. Mehta, who was a pioneering reformer and educator.
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