PM Modi's mother Heera Ben took her first shot of the Covid vaccine today (File photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that her mother has taken the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine today.
In his tweet, he also urged everyone to help and motivate eligible people to get inoculated.
"Happy to share that my mother has taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. I urge everyone to help and motivate people around you who are eligible to take the vaccine," PM Modi tweeted.
The Prime Minister did not elaborate details on which vaccine 99-year-old Heera Ben had been administered. India has been administering two vaccines - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, developed by the Serum Institute of India.
The Prime Minister's mother lives in Raisin village near Gandhinagar in Gujarat, with her younger son Pankaj Modi.
PM Modi took his first shot of the Covid vaccine on March 1 as the nationwide vaccination of persons above 60 and those over 45 with illnesses began in the second phase. PM Modi will need his second dose in 28 days.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 and the vaccination of doctors and frontline workers started on February 2.
As many as 2,52,89,693 crore doses of the vaccine have been administered so far, the Union Health Ministry said today.
Amid the intensive and accelerating drive, India is witnessing a worrying spike in the rate of coronavirus cases across the country with the number hitting 22,854 in the past 24 hours - a two-month high.