Which of the following became the first indigenously developed vaccine from India to be pre qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO)?

Introduction / Context:
India has made significant progress in biotechnology and vaccine development, becoming a major global supplier of affordable vaccines. A key milestone in this journey is when an indigenously developed vaccine from India receives pre qualification by the World Health Organisation. WHO pre qualification is important because it allows United Nations agencies and many countries to procure that vaccine for public health programmes. This question asks you to identify which Indian developed vaccine first achieved that pre qualification status.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on indigenously developed vaccines from India.
• The question is specifically about the first such vaccine to receive WHO pre qualification.
• Options include Rotavac, Hemophile, Pentavac, and Pneumococca.
• We assume standard reporting of vaccine milestones in national and international health news.

Concept / Approach:
Rotavac is a rotavirus vaccine developed in India through a public private partnership and tested extensively in Indian children. It targets rotavirus diarrhoea, a major cause of child mortality. Rotavac later received WHO pre qualification, making it eligible for global procurement. The other names in the options do not match the same milestone as clearly or are not widely identified as the first indigenously developed Indian vaccine to get WHO pre qualification. Therefore, Rotavac stands out as the correct choice in the context of this question.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To further verify, you can connect Rotavac with government immunisation programmes in India, where it was progressively introduced as part of efforts to reduce child mortality. Many government press releases and health ministry updates emphasised the achievement of WHO pre qualification for Rotavac, highlighting it as a symbol of India's vaccine development capabilities. This repeated emphasis in official communication and exam guides confirms Rotavac's special status.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Hemophile: The name given in the option does not correspond clearly to the Indian vaccine with this specific WHO pre qualification milestone in the common exam literature.
• Pentavac: While pentavalent vaccines are important in immunisation programmes, the question is about the first indigenously developed Indian vaccine to be pre qualified, where Rotavac is the recognised answer.
• Pneumococca: Though pneumococcal vaccines are critical for preventing pneumonia and related illnesses, this option does not match the widely reported specific milestone in the context given.

Common Pitfalls:
The main pitfall is confusion between various vaccines used in India's immunisation programme, especially pentavalent and pneumococcal vaccines, which sound important and may tempt guesswork. Another issue is treating all vaccine brand names as equally likely answers without recalling which one was highlighted as first in WHO pre qualification. To avoid this, students should maintain a short list of key "firsts" in Indian health science, such as Rotavac's WHO pre qualification, for quick recall in exams.

Final Answer:
The first indigenously developed Indian vaccine to be pre qualified by WHO is Rotavac.