Top India scientist quits COVID panel over differences with gov’t

Shahid Jameel resigns from forum of scientific advisers set up by government days after questioning pandemic’s handling.

A top Indian virologist has resigned from a forum of scientific advisers set up by the government to detect variants of the coronavirus, days after questioning the authorities’ handling of the pandemic. Shahid Jameel, chair of the scientific advisory group of the forum known as INSACOG, declined to give a reason for his resignation. “I am not obliged to give a reason,” he told the Reuters news agency in a text message on Sunday, adding that he quit on Friday.