https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Dehradun Vaccination Mela Lured People into Getting Jabbed by Offering Attractive Prizes

Indian Masterminds Stories

Covid 19 brought in its wake a whole new gamut of experiences for most people as it was for the first time that they were experiencing a pandemic. When the vaccines were rolled out, nations heaved a collective sigh of relief, but at the same time, the governments had to tackle situations where people refused to get themselves vaccinated out of plain fear or superstitious beliefs. India was no exception. In such a scenario, an IAS officer in the hilly state of Uttarakhand found an innovative idea to attract people towards vaccination.

District Magistrate and CEO of Dehradun Smart City Ltd, Dr. R Rajesh Kumar, started a lottery system in the capital where people had a chance to avail amazing prizes for taking the second jab of Covid 19 vaccination. The initiative called ‘Vaccination Mela’ was organized between October 18 and November 2, in coordination with the state health department and the Smart City Project Ltd.

TAKING CUE FROM USA

In an exclusive interview to Indian Masterminds, Dr. Rajesh Kumar said that the idea came to his mind after noticing that the United States and some other nations were following an innovative way of getting people vaccinated. “They follow a lottery system wherein people who were getting vaccinated during that period were eligible to participate in a lottery. This was being followed in some states of the USA and recently a person who came first in the lottery won an amazing prize worth one million dollars. This state-sponsored initiative attracted me a lot and I thought of encouraging the people of Doon by implementing a similar idea.”

Dehradun district administration inaugurating Covid vaccination camp

He revealed that there was yet another reason for this initiative. He felt that people were becoming a little complacent towards taking the second dose of vaccine. “We had already achieved 100 percent of the first dose, but a little slackness was seen from the people’s end towards the second jab. Also, the festival season which starts on Dussehra and goes on till Diwali, was around the corner and rumours regarding the third wave were doing the rounds. Therefore, by pooling in resources from the CSR fund, we started this initiative for a period of 16 days,” he said.

People getting their second dose under Vaccination Mela

Before this initiative kicked off, there were more than three lakh people in Dehradun who were due for their second dose and, as the number was feasible, the administration tried to target the population at the right time.

VACCINATION MELA A HIT

There were three lucky draws consisting of prizes like electric scooty, LED TV with sound system and double-door refrigerator, in addition to the consolation prizes such as smartphone, tablet, microwave, kitchen appliances, food processor, oven, induction, tracksuit, shoes, etc. The first prize and second prizes were announced in the later part of October while the mega award was given out in the beginning of November.

First lottery draw held at Dehradun Collectorate

The prizes were awarded through a very transparent process in which the lots were opened in the collectorate by the media people. People who got vaccinated in any of the 220 vaccination centres in Dehradun during this period were given a counterfoil and the coupon was kept by the administration.

Dr. Rajesh Kumar said, “The response of people participating in this initiative was tremendous. Before this initiative started, on an average, around 2,000 people used to get vaccinated every day in Dehradun. And this number jumped to 7,000 as soon as the initiative started. During these 16 days, around 81,000 people got vaccinated.”

Mega lottery draw

No doubt the lottery initiative of Dr. Kumar to attract people towards Covid 19 vaccination worked well, as a large number of people showed up at the vaccination centres to take their second jabs.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IFS S Krithiga
Eco-Friendly Cottages, Tribal Cuisine, and Conservation: Inside Tamil Nadu’s Pachamalai Project
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT