PM Modi's Photo on Covid-19 Vaccination Certificates: Govt Explains Its Rationale and Need

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph and message on vaccination certificates reinforces the importance of following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, in larger public interest, and hence features on the documents.

This is what the government said when questioned by Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former journalist Kumar Ketkar in the Parliament. Ketkar had asked if it is necessary and compulsory to print photographs of the prime minister on the Covid-19 vaccination certificates. Ketkar also asked for reasons behind the decision and who had made it compulsory.

The Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar, replied that given the context of the pandemic and its evolving nature, the following of Covid-appropriate behaviour has emerged as one of the most critical measures for preventing the spread of disease. She said the photograph along with the message by the PM on the certificates reinforces the message creating awareness about the importance of following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, “in larger public interest”.

She added that it is the “moral and ethical responsibility of the government” to ensure that such critical messages are disseminated to people “in the most effective manner”. The minister also stressed in her reply that the format of Covid-19 vaccination certificates, which are being issued to vaccinated beneficiaries through Co-WIN, are standardised and conforms to the evolving WHO guidance on verifiable vaccination certificates.

“The format of vaccination certificate, compliant with the WHO norms for vaccination certificates, including the message and presentation about the importance of following Covid appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, has been decided keeping all these factors in consideration,” the minister said.

Ketkar had also asked if any government before had made it necessary or compulsory to print the photograph of the then prime minister on any vaccines such as polio, smallpox etc. The government is yet to reply to this.

The Modi government has come under severe attack, both from citizens and the Opposition, who have called the move ‘eccentric’ and one aimed at feeding on public sentiment to garner more votes.

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