Tag: railway

NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi to lay the foundation stone of hydropower projects in Mandi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on December 27, 2021 to lay the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over Rs 11000 crore.  PM Modi will also inaugurate the Sawra Kuddu Hydro Power Project, a 111MW project that has been built at a cost of about Rs 2080 crore.

Delhi imposes night curfew from December 27

The Delhi government has imposed a night curfew from December 27, 2021. The curfew will be enforced from 11 pm to 5 am. The announcement comes as the national capital reported around 290 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, the highest since June 10. It is for the second consecutive day that Delhi has recorded over 200 new Covid cases.  

Senior citizens require comorbidities certificate for precautionary dose

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority, Dr RS Sharma said that those above 60 years with comorbidities would require a medical certificate to take the precautionary dose. The medical certificate has to be signed by any registered medical practitioner that can be uploaded on the Cowin portal and also carried to the vaccination centre. 

Karnataka to establish separate directorate to raise farmers’ income

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed on December 26, 2021 that the state will establish a separate directorate to raise farmers’ income. He stated that agriculture will grow automatically if the economic condition of farmers improves.

Covaxin shows good immune response in children- NTAGI Chairman

The Chairman of Covid Taskforce working group (NTAGI), Dr. NK Arora said on December 26, 2021 that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has shown a very good immune response in children during clinical trials. Explaining the decision to roll out vaccination for children between 15-18 years from January 3rd, he said that children in that age group are very much like adults. 

Muzaffarpur boiler blast: Ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh announced for kin of deceased

Seven people were killed and seven others were injured in an unfortunate boiler blast in Muzaffarpur in Bihar on December 26, 2021. The blast reportedly took place in a noodle factory.  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. Those injured will get Rs 50,000 each. 

PM Modi to inaugurate Kanpur Metro Rail project on December 28

Prime Minister Narendra will be inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail project in Kanpur on December 26, 2021. During the program in Kanpur, PM will also inaugurate the Bina-Panki Multiproduct Pipeline Project, and before that he will attend the 54th convocation ceremony of IIT Kanpur. The completed section of the Metro project in Kanpur is 9-km long from IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel. He will inspect the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and will also take a ride from the IIT metro station to Geeta Nagar. The entire length of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project is 32 km and it has been built at a cost of Rs. 11,000 crores.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, Indian-Origin Philanthropist, named South African of the year

Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, an Indian-origin philanthropist and a founder of the Disaster Relief Group ‘Gift of the Givers’, has won the prestigious South African of the Year Award. It is run by the Daily Maverick Newspaper. The South Africans across the board voted for Sooliman and put Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in second place. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Sooliman called on Muslims worldwide to care for all the communities around the world in order to change the Islamophobic perceptions. ‘Gift of the Givers’ was started by Dr. Sooliman after his religious mentor in Turkey asked him to do so in 1994. Since then, the organization has undertaken relief work in more than 44 nations after natural disasters.

Switzerland government to allow Simple Legal Gender Transition

From January 1, 2022, the people in Switzerland will be able to legally change their gender by a visit to the Civil Registry Office. This has put the country at the forefront of Europe’s gender-identification movement. Switzerland has now joined Portugal, Belgium, Norway, and Ireland as one of the few countries in Europe that will allow the person to legally change gender without any medical diagnosis, hormone therapy. Under the new rules written into the country’s civil code, any individual aged 16 and above who is not under legal guardianship is eligible to adjust their gender and legal name by self-declaration. Earlier in September 2021, Switzerland had legalized civil marriage as well as the right to adopt children for same-sex couples.

 NATIONAL NEWS 

Statue of Christ desecrated in Ambala A life-size statue of Jesus Christ at the British-era 

Holy Redeemer Church in the cantonment area in Haryana’s Ambala was desecrated and the lighting inside the church premises damaged by two unidentified men in the early hours of December 26. A First Information Report has been lodged on charges of trespass and defiling a place of worship.  The incident comes close on the heels of attempts by the right-wing groups to disrupt Christmas celebrations across the State, including a private school in Gurugram on December 24 evening. However, no formal police complaints were lodged in these cases.  Superintendent of Police, Ambala, Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said the police were probing the desecration incident from all angles, including personal rivalry. He added that the pictures of the suspects in the closed-circuit television footage were being developed and secret sources were activated to gather leads in the attack. We are hopeful of a breakthrough soon, said Mr. Singh.  

Mob stops Hindus from celebrating Christmas in Assam 

A group of boys claiming to be members of the Bajrang Dal stopped Hindus from celebrating Christmas in southern Assam’s Silchar on December 25.  They also manhandled a few non-Christian revellers at the town’s Presbyterian Church near the Cachar district police headquarters, locals said.  In a video uploaded on social media, one Rangirkhari claiming to be a leader of the Bajrang Dal’s local unit, said: We have nothing against the Christians who have every right to celebrate Christmas. Our issue is with the Hindus who went against their dharma to sing Merry Christmas instead of observing ‘Tulsi Divas’ .  Since 2014, December 25 has been marked as ‘Tulsi Divas’, a day to celebrate the medicinal and spiritual significance of the basil plant.  In the video, Bajrang Dal activists donning saffron scarves and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ also said they locked the church after 11 p.m. as there were too many people violating the COVID-19 protocols beyond the time allowed by the administration.  A similar incident happened in Silchar during Christmas in 2020 with members of radical Hindu groups preventing Hindus from participating in a festival meant for Christians only.   

Two more names added to Haridwar hate speech FIR  Uttarakhand Police on December 26 added the names of two more persons in the First Information Report (FIR) pertaining to hate speeches at a religious event in Haridwar organised between December 17 and 19, where calls were made for genocide and violence against Muslims.  Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand Director General of Police, told The Hindu that many persons have been examined and the investigation was on. No arrests have been made so far in the case.  Mr. Kumar said that adding the provisions of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to the existing case was being legally examined. Whether UAPA can be invoked or not is part of the investigation. It will depend on the facts of the case and we are getting it examined legally, he said.  The Haridwar Police have registered a case under Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), entailing a maximum punishment of five years.  Our investigation is on from both points of view — if more number of accused are to be added to the investigation and if any other Section is applicable, Mr. Kumar said.   

Panel to look into AFSPA withdrawal from Nagaland 

Days after a botched ambush by an elite armed forces unit killed 13 civilians at Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district, a decision has been taken to constitute a committee to study the possibility of withdrawing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the State.  The Act is said to give the armed forces personnel the license to kill.  The committee will be headed by the Additional Secretary (Northeast) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and will include Nagaland’s Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police.  A Naga holds a placard during a rally in Kohima. File   The other members will be Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North) and a representative of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), an official statement issued by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton and former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang said on Sunday.  The decision to form the panel was made during Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with Mr. Rio, Mr. Patton and Mr. Zeliang along with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi on December 23.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

South African Anti-Apartheid hero Desmond Tutu passes away at 90

A veteran of South Africa’s struggle against the white minority rule and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away at the age of 90. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 in recognition of his non-violent opposition against the rule by the white minority in South Africa. Tutu had also become the face of the anti-apartheid movement all over the world.

James Webb Space Telescope launch

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021. It is the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope. It began a one-million-mile journey to see 13.5 billion years into the past. The James Webb Space telescope will take about a month to reach its destination in the solar orbit, which would be roughly 1 million miles from the Earth.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Multi-disciplinary Central teams to be deployed in 10 states

The Union Health Ministry has sent multi-disciplinary central teams to be deployed in 10 states including Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab. The decision was taken in the wake of increasing number of Omicron and Covid-19 cases or slow vaccination pace. 

7-day mandatory home quarantine for Dubai passengers in Mumbai

In the latest order issued by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, a seven-day home quarantine has been made mandatory for those travelling from Dubai to Mumbai in Maharashtra due to the tally of Omicron cases breaching the 100 mark on December 24th. The passengers will have to undergo an RT-PCR test on the seventh day of their quarantine.

Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar market to operate on an odd-even basis on Dec 25, 26

The Delhi Government has ordered the Sarojini Nagar market to operate on an odd-even basis on December 25 and 26 to avoid it from becoming a COVID-19 super spreader. All shops and street vendors in the market have been asked to follow the odd-even rule over the weekend. 

PM Modi to virtually address Gurpurab celebrations at Gujarat gurudwara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the Gurpurab celebrations at Gurudwara Lakhpat Sahib in Kutch of Gujarat on December 25, 2021. PM Modi will address the Gurpurab celebrations at around 12:30 pm through video conferencing. The Sikh Sangat of Gujarat celebrates the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji at the Gurudwara every year from December 23 to December 25.

President Kovind, PM Modi pay tribute to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee 

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute at ‘Sadaiv Atal’ Samadhi in the national capital to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary on December 25, 2021. 

India vs South Africa first test tomorrow

The first test of the 3-match test series between India and South Africa will get underway on December 26, 2021 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. South Africa is the only country where India is yet to win a Test series. 

Decision on holding Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls next week, says CEC

A day after the Allahabad High Court requested the Election Commission to postpone the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due to the threat of the Omicron variant, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said on Friday the EC would visit the State next week to review the situation. Mr. Chandra was speaking at a press conference in Dehradun during a two-day visit to Uttarakhand to review the preparations for the Assembly elections in the State, also scheduled for next year. The EC had visited Punjab and Goa recently for similar reviews and is set to visit U.P. next week. When asked about the Allahabad High Court’s request, Mr. Chandra said he had been informed that Uttarakhand had one case of Omicron so far. He reiterated the EC’s measures for making elections COVID-safe and said the Commission would take action as per the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World Economic Forum annual meeting postponed

World Economic Forum 2022 annual meeting will be postponed due to the continued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak. The meeting was scheduled to take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland in January 2022. The meeting of the World Economic Forum is now likely to take place during early summer.

UK Queen’s Christmas speech set to be particularly personal

Queen Elizabeth II is expected to offer a particularly personal Christmas Day message to the nation this year after Buckingham Palace released a photo of the monarch recording the speech alongside a picture of her and her husband, who died earlier this year. The image provided by the palace showed the queen in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, with a framed photograph of Elizabeth and Prince Philip arm in arm in the foreground. In both photos, she is wearing the same sapphire chrysanthemum brooch. This Christmas marks the first since the death of Prince Philip, who died in April, two months shy of his 100th birthday. Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time of his funeral meant that Elizabeth sat alone – a poignant symbol of how she would spend her life going forward as a widow. The televised Christmas Day message is a tradition in Britain, a moment when the monarch reflects on the holiday’s meaning and the challenges facing the country. While recording this year’s message, Elizabeth wore an embossed wool shift dress in Christmas red by British designer Angela Kelly. An illuminated Christmas tree glowed behind her. Last year, the queen used the opportunity to convey a message of hope during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and to praise the “indomitable spirit” of scientists, emergency workers and others who had risen to the challenges created by COVID-19.

NATIONAL NEWS 

DRDO successfully flight tests High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast, Odisha.

Prime Minister Modi asks for high-level alertness at all levels amid Omicron concern

PM Modi during a high-level meeting with the officials on the current Omicron scare in the country has asked to take stock of public health measures for the management and containment of COVID-19. He also directed to strengthen the health infrastructure at the state level.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches National Highway Projects in Uttar Pradesh

The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of National Highway Projects in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The 240 km highway projects are worth Rs. 9,119 crores.

Contemporary messaging app ‘ASIGMA’ launched by Indian Army

A contemporary messaging app ‘ASIGMA’ has been launched by the Indian Army. ASIGMA is a new generation, state-of-the-art, web-based application that has been developed entirely in-house by a team of officers.

Night Curfew imposed by Madhya Pradesh Govt

The state government of Madhya Pradesh has imposed a night curfew till further orders. The decision has been taken in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the state. The night curfew in MP will remain in force from 11 PM to 5 AM.

High-Speed HEAT Abhyas flight tested

Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully tested indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas. HEAT Abhyas demonstrated a high subsonic speed trajectory at a very low altitude with high endurance during the flight test. The latest development will provide a major boost to India’s defence prowess. 

Karnataka anti-conversion bill

The controversial anti-conversion bill has been passed by the Karnataka legislative assembly amid long debates. The bill seeks to curb illegal religious conversions. Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said that the anti-conversion bill is anti-Constitution and anti-human being.

Indian bowler Harbhajan Singh retired from all forms of cricket

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has announced retirement from all forms of cricket. Harbhajan Singh was the first Indian bowler to bowl a hat-trick in Test cricket. He also has the fourth-highest number of Test wickets by an off-spinner after India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath.

New restrictions for Omicron in Odisha

Odisha Government has released a new list of restrictions for Christmas and New Year. The decision has been taken amid the recent rise in cases of the Omicron COVID variant. The State Government has restricted Christmas and New Year celebrations as well. As per the restrictions, all social gatherings including rallies, celebrations, orchestras in hotels, restaurants, clubs, and parks have been banned.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

United States expands interview waivers for H-1B, L-1 visas

Amid the growing concern of Coronavirus surge, the US has decided to temporarily drop the in-person interview requirement for some work-visa categories- H-1B, L-1, and O-1. The applicants for H-1B, L-1, and O-1 visas applying from abroad will not be required to do an in-person interview at a consulate. It is the final step before a visa is issued.

Belgium to close all its nuclear power plants

The Belgian Government has agreed in principle to close all its nuclear power plants by the year 2025. However, the government has decided to leave open the possibility of extending the life of two reactors if it will not be able to otherwise ensure the energy supply. The country has decided to phase out nuclear power plants while using gas as a bridge towards sustainable energy sources.

US President signs a bill banning goods from China’s Xinjiang

The President of the United States Joe Biden has signed a bill that bans imports from the Xinjiang region of China. The step has been taken over the concerns about forced labour further provoking an angry Chinese condemnation. The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act is part of the United States’ pushback against China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the country, which the US has labeled as genocide. However, China has denied any form of abuse in the Xinjiang region. It is a major cotton producer and it also supplies much of the world’s materials for solar panels.

NATIONAL NEWS 

PM Modi to inaugurate several projects in Varanasi today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of around 2 development projects in Varanasi on December 23, 2021. The projects will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 870 crores. These include laying the foundation stone of Banas Dairy Sankul at UP State Industrial Development Authority Food Park. The dairy will have the facility to process 5 lakh litres of milk every day. 

Haryana lowers the minimum age for drinking to 21 years

Haryana Assembly on December 22, 2021 passed a bill that seeks to lower the minimum age of alcohol drinking from 25 years to 21 years. The Haryana Excise (Amendment) Bill will amend section 27 of the Haryana Excise (Amendment) Act 2021. Under the section, wholesale and retail sale of any country liquor was earlier granted to a man not below 25 years of age. 

Haryana bans unvaccinated people in public places from January 1

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said on December 22, 2021 that people who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be allowed at public places after January 1, 2021. The Public places include hotels, banks, malls, government offices, buses and marriage halls. The Minister said that this is to protect ourselves from Omicron and the third wave of Covid. 

Amazon files writ petition against ED

Amazon has filed a writ petition against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India in the Delhi High Court. The petition seeks clarification on an unnecessary summons to its employees and questioning in an alleged FEMA violation in the Future Group deal. 

India supports UNSC resolution to allow humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan

India supported a UNSC resolution earlier today those grants exemptions from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

US to provide additional 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Afghanistan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed on December 22, 2021 that the nation will work along with the international community to scale up assistance provided to Afghanistan. He added that the United States will provide an additional one million COVID vaccine doses to the country through the the COVAX facility. 

China puts a city of 13 million under facility

As China faces yet another Coronavirus outbreak, the country has been forced to put a lockdown on the northwest Chinese city of Xian with a population of 13 million. The latest lockdown in Xian is one of the largest lockdowns in the country in 2021 with tighter curbs on the outbound travel as well as the ordinary commuting within the city. As the celebrations of New Year 2022 approaches amid the scare of the Omicron variant, the fear of a new serious outbreak has forced the authorities to put stricter restrictions. From December 23, 2021, all the residents in Xian are required to stay indoors and only one member of each household is allowed to leave the house to purchase daily necessities every two days.

NATIONAL NEWS 

India deploys first S-400 air defence system in Punjab sector 

Indian Air Force (IAF) is deploying the first squadron of the S-400 air defence missile system in the Punjab sector. The squadron has been deployed to take care of aerial threats from both China and Pakistan. The parts of the Russian missile system had started reaching India earlier this month. India had signed a deal worth around Rs 35,000 crore with Russia for the procurement of the defence system and five squadrons would be provided to India for tackling air threats from up to 400 km.

Rafael Nadal tests positive for COVID-19 

Former world number one, Rafael Nadal has tested positive for COVID-19. He tested positive upon his arrival in Spain after participating in the World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. The 21-time Grand Slam champion himself tweeted confirming the news. He informed me that he tested positive in the PCR test conducted when he reached Spain. He said that he had passed controls every two days in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. The tennis star is scheduled to feature at ATP 250 in Melbourne, which will begin on January 4. 

Rajya Sabha passes Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 The Rajya Sabha on December 20, 2021, passed the ‘Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ to rectify a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation. The bill was passed by a voice vote. The opposition parties had not taken part in the debate. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the NDPS (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The drafting “anomaly” reportedly crept in when the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was amended in 2014 to allow better medical access to narcotic drugs and remove state barriers in transporting and licensing of essential narcotic drugs.

Bharat Biotech seeks DGCI approval for clinical trials of its intranasal COVID-19 booster dose Bharat Biotech has submitted an application seeking approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the phase 3 clinical trial of its intranasal COVID-19 booster dose named ‘BBV154’. An intranasal vaccine will be easier to administer as a booster dose. The intranasal vaccines have the potential to prevent against transmission.”

Govt appoints Pradeep Rawat as new Indian Ambassador to China

Diplomat Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China. Currently, he is the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Rawat as India’s next envoy in China will take charge amid the worst phase in relations between the two nations. He has spent the majority of his diplomatic career handling Beijing from New Delhi.

Parliament passes Election Laws (Amendment Bill) 2021

Parliament passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 after it was given a go-ahead in the Rajya Sabha. The bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha seeks to make amendments to the Representation of the People Act and also allows electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number of those who want to register as voters to establish their entity.

Annual meeting of World Economic Forum postponed

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 2022 will be postponed due to the continued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak. It was scheduled to take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland in January 2022. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is now likely to take place during early summer.

Nagaland adopts resolution to repeal AFSPA

Nagaland Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding the repeal of AFSPA in the Northeast state. The state government has declared on many occasions clearly that the state must be free from the AFSPA act that gives soldiers sweeping powers to arrest without warrants or even shoot to kill in certain situations.

Govt bans 20 YouTube channels

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels as well as 2 websites for spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news content on the internet. The banned channels were used to post the divisive content in a coordinated manner on various significant topics such as the Indian Army, Kashmir, CDS General Bipin Rawat, among others.

PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a telephone conversation

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20, 2021. Both leaders expressed mutual intent for the further development of a special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India. Putin thanked PM Modi for the hospitality extended to the Russian delegation during the high-level visit to New Delhi on December 6. The two leaders also discussed practical aspects of the implementation of the agreements signed during the talks.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

India vs South Africa ODI, Test series to be played without spectators

Cricket South Africa (CSA) informed on December 20, 2021, that CSA along with the BCCI have taken a joint decision to protect the players by not allowing spectators in the stands owing to increasing COVID-19 cases around the world and the fourth wave locally. The two cricket boards have decided to not make tickets available for India vs South Africa series. India will be playing three tests and three ODIs. The first test will be the boxing day test, which will be played in Centurion starting from December 26. 

Moderna says its booster dose is effective against Omicron.

Moderna has said that a booster dose of its Coronavirus vaccine appears to be protective against the Omicron variant in laboratory testing. It also added that the current version of its vaccine will continue to be its first line of defence against Omicron. The company further explained that a two-dose course of its Covid-19 vaccine generated the low neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant, however, a 50-microgram booster dose increased the neutralizing antibodies against Omicron. Moderna has also tested the effectiveness of the vaccine in comparison to its prototype boosters that targeted the previous Variant of Concerns. The results were similar.