RAS question
Consider the following about COVID-19 vaccines developed/manufactured in India: 1. Covaxin is an mRNA vaccine. 2. Covishield was developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by SII. 3. iNCOVACC is India's intranasal COVID vaccine. Which statements are correct?
Correct answer: (B) 2 and 3 only.
Among India's COVID-19 vaccines, Covishield was developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India, while iNCOVACC is India's intranasal COVID vaccine; Covaxin is an inactivated whole-virion vaccine, not an mRNA vaccine.
Explanation
Covaxin, also called BBV152, is described by WHO as a whole-virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, so it cannot be classified as an mRNA vaccine. WHO's COVAX update identifies Covishield as the SII-licensed and manufactured AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, establishing the Oxford-AstraZeneca development and Serum Institute of India manufacturing link. The Press Information Bureau lists iNCOVACC as India's first intranasal vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech. The correct combination is therefore statements 2 and 3 only. The trap is platform confusion: India-related COVID vaccines differed not just by brand name, but by technology, developer, manufacturer and route of administration.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Covaxin is a whole-virion inactivated vaccine rather than an mRNA vaccine, even though Covishield was developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
- (C) Covaxin's platform is inactivated virus, not mRNA, so all three statements cannot be correct.
- (D) iNCOVACC is India's intranasal COVID vaccine, but Covaxin is an inactivated-virus vaccine and Covishield was developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
Concept
RAS Science and Technology current affairs often test vaccine platforms, developers, manufacturers and delivery routes. Public-health questions often mix brand names with technology and institutional attribution.