Question map
In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements : 1. The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform. 2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform. 3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine. Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 (2 and 3 only) based on the technological platforms used for COVID-19 vaccine development.
- Statement 1 is incorrect: Covishield, produced by the Serum Institute of India, is a viral vector vaccine (using a modified chimpanzee adenovirus), not an mRNA vaccine. mRNA platforms were utilized by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
- Statement 2 is correct: The Sputnik V vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, utilizes a heterogeneous recombinant adenovirus vector platform (Ad26 and Ad5) to deliver the genetic code of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
- Statement 3 is correct: COVAXIN, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, is a traditional inactivated pathogen-based vaccine. It uses a killed version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to trigger an immune response without causing disease.
Therefore, since statements 2 and 3 accurately describe the vaccine technologies while statement 1 misidentifies the platform for Covishield, Option 2 is the right choice.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a 'Headline Awareness' question disguised as Science & Tech. While static books define vaccine types generally, linking 'Covishield' to 'Viral Vector' required reading the newspaper during the pandemic. Strategy: For any major S&T solution in the news, memorize the 'Mechanism' (How it works) and the 'Maker' (Who built it).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: In the context of COVID-19 vaccines, did the Serum Institute of India produce the vaccine named Covishield?
- Statement 2: In the context of COVID-19 vaccines, does Covishield use an mRNA vaccine platform?
- Statement 3: In the context of COVID-19 vaccines, does Sputnik V use a viral vector–based vaccine platform?
- Statement 4: In the context of COVID-19 vaccines, is COVAXIN an inactivated (whole-virion) vaccine?
- Directly names 'Covishield' as Serum Institute of India's COVID-19 vaccine.
- States SII applied for emergency use authorization for that vaccine, implying SII produced/was responsible for it.
- Confirms Serum Institute of India manufactured COVID-19 vaccines in partnership with AstraZeneca.
- Supports that SII was the manufacturer for the AstraZeneca-derived vaccine produced in India (branded Covishield).
States that India is one of the world's largest vaccine producers and that Indian vaccine companies played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A student could use this to narrow likely producers to major Indian vaccine firms (e.g., large-scale manufacturers) and then check which firms had COVID-19 vaccine contracts or brand names.
Says India produced COVID-19 vaccines in large volumes for domestic use and export, implying that existing large manufacturers scaled up production.
One could infer that prominent mass-producing Indian firms were plausible producers of specific vaccine brands and then look up which firm produced a named vaccine like Covishield.
Describes government initiatives (PACT, Mission COVID Suraksha) to support development and clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines, showing institutional support for domestic vaccine production.
This suggests a context where Indian manufacturers could produce licensed vaccines; a student could next match known vaccine names to manufacturers participating in these programs or receiving approvals.
Notes international moves to allow TRIPS flexibilities to diversify vaccine manufacturing, indicating that multiple producers within countries (including India) might have produced COVID-19 vaccines under license or through tech transfer.
A student could use this to support investigating which Indian manufacturers produced licensed/global vaccine formulations (such as the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine) and which brand names they used domestically.
Highlights that many economic measures were undertaken to fight COVID-19 and that only salient items are listed, implying governmental coordination in vaccine-related activity.
This general context could prompt checking official government procurement/approval records to link specific vaccine brand names to their domestic manufacturers.
Explains that some newer vaccines 'instruct our own body cells' — a general description of how mRNA (and similar nucleic-acid) vaccines work.
A student could check whether Covishield's mechanism is described as 'instructing body cells' (indicative of mRNA) or something else (which would argue against an mRNA platform).
States India is one of the world's largest vaccine producers and that Indian companies played key roles during COVID-19, implying vaccines used/produced in India (such as Covishield) are part of that manufacturing context.
A student could look up which platforms Indian manufacturers produced for COVID-19 (e.g., whether the Indian-made vaccines were mRNA or other types) to infer Covishield's likely platform.
Notes India produced COVID-19 vaccines in large volumes for domestic use and export, signaling national production choices and technologies were adopted at scale.
A student could investigate which vaccine technologies were actually scaled-up in India (mRNA vs non-mRNA) to judge whether Covishield is likely mRNA-based.
Mentions international agreements to diversify vaccine manufacturing (TRIPS waiver) — highlights that multiple vaccine platforms and producers were relevant globally.
A student could use this to motivate checking specific licensing/manufacturer information for Covishield to see which platform was licensed and shared, rather than assuming mRNA.
Describes initiatives (PACT, Mission COVID Suraksha) to support development of COVID-19 vaccines and clinical trials — indicating multiple vaccine candidates/platforms were developed domestically.
A student could identify which candidate types these initiatives supported (mRNA, viral vector, inactivated, etc.) and then map Covishield to one of those types.
Explains vaccine production methods and notes 'newer vaccines instruct our own body cells', implying categories such as mRNA or vector-based platforms.
A student could use this taxonomy to classify Sputnik V by checking whether it delivers genetic instructions into cells (suggesting mRNA or viral vector) rather than using inactivated virus.
Describes initiatives (PACT, Mission COVID Suraksha) for developing COVID-19 vaccines and supporting clinical trials, indicating many vaccine types and platforms were pursued.
A student could infer that multiple platforms (including vector-based) were in clinical development and then check Sputnik V's trial descriptions to see which platform was used.
Discusses TRIPS waiver and production/diversification of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, highlighting international sharing and licensing of vaccine technologies.
One could use this to motivate checking technology-transfer or licensing documents for Sputnik V to determine if it involved a viral vector platform.
States India produced and exported COVID-19 vaccines at scale, showing that countries manufactured different vaccine types domestically.
A student might compare which vaccine platforms India produced or procured (e.g., vector vs inactivated) and then look up whether Sputnik V matched those platform descriptions.
Notes India's role as a large vaccine producer during the pandemic, underscoring global production of varied vaccine platforms.
This supports searching manufacturer or regulatory filings (from producing countries) for platform details of specific vaccines like Sputnik V.
- Official government press release explicitly identifies Covaxin as an 'inactivated whole-virion' vaccine (BBV152).
- States the vaccine is indigenous and names the exact vaccine code (BBV152), directly tying Covaxin to the inactivated whole-virus platform.
- A scholarly source refers to BBV152/Covaxin using the phrase 'Inactivated whole-virion vaccine', confirming the vaccine platform in academic literature.
- Mentions immune responses elicited by this inactivated whole-virion formulation, reinforcing the characterization.
- News article states directly that 'Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine' and explains what an inactivated vaccine entails.
- Quotes ICMR Director General saying Covaxin is 'based on an inactivated whole virus', providing an authoritative attribution.
Describes the main vaccine production approaches, including vaccines made from weakened or dead pathogens (i.e., inactivated whole pathogens).
A student could use this classification to ask whether COVAXIN fits the 'dead/inactivated pathogen' category and then check manufacturer descriptions or product labels.
Gives an example (tetanus shot) of an inactivated-toxin vaccine to illustrate how inactivated components are used to elicit immunity without causing disease.
Use this example as a model: if COVAXIN contains whole but inactivated virus material rather than genetic instructions, it would operate similarly to the inactivated example given.
States that India is a major vaccine producer and played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, implying India-developed COVID vaccines (such as COVAXIN) were manufactured domestically.
Knowing COVAXIN is an Indian-developed vaccine, a student could look up the Indian manufacturer’s stated platform to see if it matches an inactivated whole-virion approach.
Mentions national initiatives (e.g., Mission COVID Suraksha, PACT) to develop COVID-19 vaccines, indicating structured government-supported vaccine R&D in India.
A student could infer that vaccines emerging from these programs follow documented platform types and therefore search program/manufacturer publications for platform classification (inactivated, viral vector, mRNA, etc.).
Discusses international efforts to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity (TRIPS waiver context), highlighting that vaccine platforms vary and production details matter for manufacturing and licensing.
Recognizing that platform choice affects manufacturing, a student could prioritize finding production-method descriptions (e.g., whole-virus inactivation) to assess whether COVAXIN aligns with an inactivated vaccine platform.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter (for active aspirants) / Bouncer (for static-only students). Source: Daily newspapers (2020-21) and General Awareness.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Public Health & Biotechnology > Immunization > Vaccine Platforms (mRNA vs Vector vs Inactivated).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the Matrix: 1. Covishield (Viral Vector/Chimp Adenovirus, SII). 2. Covaxin (Inactivated Virus, Bharat Biotech). 3. Sputnik V (Viral Vector/Human Adenovirus). 4. Pfizer/Moderna (mRNA). 5. ZyCoV-D (Plasmid DNA). 6. Corbevax (Protein Subunit).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When a technology saves the world (or dominates news), do not stop at the brand name. Dig one layer deeper: What is the biological platform? UPSC loves swapping the 'Mechanism' (e.g., claiming Covishield is mRNA) to test depth.
India manufactures vaccines at large scale and supplied vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
High-yield for GS and economy papers because it links public health capacity, pharmaceutical industry strength, and export diplomacy. Helps answer questions on India’s role in global health, manufacturing competitiveness, and pandemic response.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > India's Role in Vaccine Production > p. 39
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > 7.14 Aatma Nirbhar bharat > p. 245
PACT and Mission COVID Suraksha were launched to support development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Important for questions on policy response, biotech governance, and state-industry collaboration; connects to topics on research funding, public health preparedness, and implementation of mission-mode programs.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > BY MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY > p. 618
TRIPS-related waivers were discussed to deconcentrate and diversify COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Crucial for understanding linkages between IP policy, global health equity, and industrial capacity building; useful in essays and answers on international trade, patent regimes, and access to medicines.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > 3. Covid-19 Pandemic and Intellectual Property: > p. 392
Vaccines may be made from weakened/dead pathogens or from parts of the pathogen, while newer vaccines work by instructing the body's own cells to produce antigen.
High-yield for UPSC because questions test knowledge of different vaccine technologies, their operational implications (storage, manufacturing) and public health suitability. Links immunology basics to policy choices about vaccine deployment and technology selection; useful for comparative and policy-analysis questions on vaccine strategy.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > Ability of the body to fight diseases > p. 37
India produces vaccines at large scale and ramped up production and exports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Important for GS and essay papers as it connects domestic manufacturing capability, vaccine diplomacy, and Aatma Nirbhar policy to pandemic response. Helps answer questions on health infrastructure, supply chains, trade in health goods, and geopolitical implications of vaccine exports.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > 7.14 Aatma Nirbhar bharat > p. 245
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > India's Role in Vaccine Production > p. 39
Waiving certain TRIPS requirements enables compulsory licensing to expand and diversify vaccine manufacturing capacity across regions.
High-yield for policy and international relations questions: links intellectual property law to access to medicines, equity in global health, and manufacturing scalability. Enables well-rounded answers on trade-offs between IP protection and emergency public health measures.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > 3. Covid-19 Pandemic and Intellectual Property: > p. 392
Different vaccine platforms (inactivated, live-attenuated, subunit, and newer cell-directed platforms) determine how vaccines work and are classified.
High-yield for questions on immunization and biotechnology; helps evaluate claims about vaccine technology, safety, storage and deployment, and links to public health strategy and GS-3 biotechnology topics.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > Ability of the body to fight diseases > p. 37
ZyCoV-D (Zydus Cadila) is the world's first plasmid DNA vaccine for humans. iNCOVACC (Bharat Biotech) is the world's first intranasal COVID vaccine. These represent the 'next logical step' in vaccine evolution questions.
Use the 'Logistics Heuristic': mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/Moderna) were famous for requiring ultra-low temperatures (-70°C) and being expensive. Covishield was India's mass-market vaccine distributed in normal fridges. Therefore, Covishield CANNOT be mRNA. If Statement 1 is False, Options A, C, and D are eliminated. The answer must be B.
Links to GS-3 (Indigenization of Technology) and GS-2 (Health Management). The platform dictates the logistics: mRNA requires ultra-cold chains (hard for rural India), while Vector/Inactivated vaccines (Covishield/Covaxin) use standard refrigeration (2-8°C), making them viable for India's Universal Immunization Programme infrastructure.