New Delhi: As India rolled out the world's largest inoculation drive against the coronavirus on Saturday, authorities have released a new vaccine-focussed caller tune and replaced the voice of actor Amitabh Bachchan with a woman's.

The new caller tune seeks to spread awareness about the COVID-19 vaccination drive and dispel rumours.

"Naya saal Covid-19 ki vaccine ke roop main nayi aasha ki kiran lekar aaya hai (The new year has brought a new ray of hope in the form of vaccines against Covid-19)," the voice said.

The caller tune said that vaccines developed in India are safe and effective against the disease.

"Bharat main bani vaccine surakshit aur prabhavi hai. Covid ke viruddh humey pratirodhak shamta deti hai (Vaccines developed in India are safe and effective. They will provide immunity against COVID-19)," it said.

The caller tune also urges people to trust the vaccine and not believe in rumours.

"Bhartiya vaccine par bharosa Karen. Apni baari aane par vaccine zarur lagwayein. Afawaon par bharosa na kare (Have trust in the vaccines made in India and do get vaccinated when it's your turn. Do not believe in rumours)," the new caller tune added.

The new caller tune talks about the vaccination drive, asking people to continue to follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviours such as wearing mask, maintaining social distance and washing hands, even after taking the vaccine.

The earlier caller tune, in the voice of Bachchan, began with a coughing sound, followed by a cautionary note on COVID-19-appropriate behaviours.

"Covid-19 se pura desh hi nahi pura vishwa ladd raha hai (Not just India, but the entire world is battling against Covid-19)," the voice said.

After this, Bachchan would further elaborate on the importance of Covid-appropriate behaviour like frequently washing hands, wearing mask and maintaining social distancing to avoid spread of the deadly virus.

Recently, a PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre to remove megastar Amitabh Bachchan's voice from the caller tune on precautions against the coronavirus on the grounds that he himself, along with some family members, had been infected with the virus.

Healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle got their first jabs on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the world's largest vaccination drive against the pandemic.

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Mumbai/Kolkata/Silchar: A shocking incident aboard IndiGo flight 6E138 from Mumbai to Kolkata has gone viral, sparking outrage after a video emerged showing a man being slapped mid-flight while reportedly suffering a panic attack. The victim, identified as Hossain Ahmed Mazumdar from Assam, has since gone missing, and his family is seeking urgent answers.

The video, widely circulated on social media, shows Hossain in visible distress, attempting to leave his seat and reportedly requesting to deboard. As flight attendants tried to calm him down, another passenger suddenly approached and slapped him. The incident triggered immediate protest from fellow travellers.


Hossain, a gym trainer based in Mumbai, was en route to his hometown Katigorah in Cachar district via a connecting flight from Kolkata to Silchar. However, he never boarded the Silchar flight, and his mobile phone remains unreachable. His family, who had gathered at the Silchar airport, are now in distress. Zubairul Islam Mazumdar, a relative, said, “We have no idea where he is. We’ve contacted the police and airport authorities but haven’t received any concrete information.” His father, Abdul Mannan Mazumdar, who is undergoing cancer treatment, said tearfully, “He was our only hope. Now we don’t even know if he’s safe.” In a statement issued on August 1, IndiGo Airlines said: “We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew. Our crew acted in accordance with established procedures. The individual identified as unruly was handed over to the security authorities upon arrival. Regulatory agencies have been informed as per protocol.”

However, the airline's statement has been criticised for failing to clarify what happened to Hossain after the incident, whether he received medical help, was detained, or was allowed to continue his journey.

The video triggered widespread anger on social media, with many users interpreting the slap as a possible hate-driven act. However, aviation journalist Jagriti Chandra of The Hindu offered a clarification on X, stating: “The passenger who assaulted a co-passenger aboard IndiGo flight was handed over to law enforcement agencies for unruly conduct. Incident occurred after one passenger was feeling uncomfortable in the flight and wanted to deboard. Both belong to the same religious community.”

Despite this clarification, concerns remain about the airline's handling of a visibly distressed passenger, particularly in the context of mental health. Unverified posts circulating on social media claim that Hossain was later found, though there has been no official confirmation from authorities or the airline.