Future Officers

Daily UPSC Mains question – July 6/2020

GS – 2

Covid crisis is a good time to enact painful reforms. “Never waste a crisis” is an old adage. Explain 250 words

In the News:

Reforms like the suspension of labour laws for three years by some states have caught the headlinesand been criticisedas half-baked. No investor will come if the change is limited to three years.

Rational and politically courageous move:

More rational and politically courageous is the abolition of once-sacred subsidies plus higher taxation of petroleum products.
The central government raised the excise duty on diesel and petrol in March and May and increased the road cess to Rs 8/litre. State governments have raised their taxes too. Higher taxes could yield up to 1% of GDP, a fiscal godsend since the Covid-induced recession looks like cutting government revenue by 2-3% of GDP.70% of today’s consumer price of petrol and diesel is taxation, representing a prematurely high carbon tax.
For breathable air we should raise fuel taxes to curb consumption and incentivise a switch to electric two-wheelers, and eventually electric cars.

Subsidies:

When world prices rise, the Indian consumer price is raised too. But when world prices fall, Indian consumer prices fall only a bit, and most of the windfall is mopped up by higher government taxes.
The case for zero subsidies and high taxation is that petroleum fuels are mostly imported and emit toxic pollutants and greenhouses gases. Taxes act as incentives to shift energy consumption to domestic, unpolluting energy sources like solar electricity.
Middle-class subsidies win votes and so proliferated. Subsidies for LPG have been replaced by direct cash transfers, in the process weeding out “ghost” consumers and save thousands of crores of wasted subsidy.
In the long run, solar electricity should become progressively cheaper and replace natural gas for cooking as a zero-emission fuel.

India must work with other countries to erode China’s influence. Analyse 250 words

In the News:

The latest border standoff has aggravated anti-China sentiments in India to a record high. The focus is on economically damaging China by boycotting its products and regulating incoming Chinese investments in the economy.

Fundamental concerns:

Moves to boycott Chinese goods and restrict Chinese capital in India are driven by some fundamental concerns.
These include safeguarding national security by reducing Chinese financial and functional presence in strategic sectors like telecom; reducing import-driven economic dependence on China, which might limit flexibility in responding to aggressive Chinese behaviour; and finally, the overpowering urge to teach China a lesson.
India is not among China’s biggest markets. Out of $2.5 trillion overall Chinese exports in 2018, India accounted for around $70 billion, roughly 3% of total exports. This is a rather small share. Targeting such a small share through boycott and tariffs is not going to inflict any damage on China.

China’s presence:

It is impossible for the Indian industry to stop using Chinese imports at a time when industrial systems across the world are functioning way below normal capacity due to Covid-19.
This makes the prospects of sourcing same imports from other countries limited. Furthermore, if India imposes tariffs on these imports, they would become more expensive for the domestic industry, increasing their economic hardships when they are struggling to revive sales and reduce operating costs.
Tariffs can’t also be raised on critical consumer goods imports like hand sanitisers, aprons, protective clothing, and goggles. These are extensively required by hospitals and healthcare staff for fighting Covid-19. China is the leading source for all these imports. These imports can neither be boycotted nor made less affordable. China is also not among the largest sources of inward FDI into India.
In Asia, Singapore and Japan are the largest recipients of Chinese investments. Ad-hoc economic actions like boycotts won’t affect China. For eroding China’s economic influence, India must work with other countries.
It has damaged such prospects by quitting trade pacts and pushing economic nationalism.
India is boycotting Chinese products. It would be difficult for India to mobilise a collective economic offensive against China.

Daily UPSC Mains Question – July 5/2020

International Relations

Despite China’s current diplomatic woes, the world’s dependence on China is immense. Critically analyse the statement.150 words

In the News:

China made an incursion from the current line of control into the Indian side. A violent retaliation may end straining the relation. Thinking strategically could serve India much better.

Massive differences:

To design a response, it’s important to assess the economic, military and diplomatic might of the two countries. China is five times bigger in GDP economy or in per capita income. Pakistan, our regular adversary for instance, has a GDP only one-tenth the size of India.
In terms of military, China and India have the second and third largest militaries in the world. China has around 50% more weaponry and manpower, and triples our military budget.
In terms of the entire defence force, they come out stronger and pursued economic growth vigorously for the last four decades, and became rich and powerful.

Diplomatic woes:

Despite China’s current diplomatic woes, the world’s dependence on China is immense. Diplomacy works on leverage – who does what for who. China offers cheap and reliable factories for the world.
China offers a huge market with high purchasing power. India offers a huge market too, but an average Indian’s purchasing power is one-fifth that of an average Chinese. India shouldn’t escalate the military conflict and should get assurance of less border conflict. We should ensure no trouble at border and gain public acknowledgement of the same.
A non-military approach, which syncs better with Chinese culture, will work far better in resolving our disputes with China.

GS – 2

Political objectives or bureaucratic deference can’t compensate for scientific rigour. Explain 150 Words

In the News:

The worst traits of Indian bureaucracy were evident in the Indian Council of Medical Research’s myopic attempt to launch a Covid-19 vaccine with an August 15 deadline.
Even the most optimistic estimates are veering towards an end of year or early 2021 launch for a few vaccine candidates.
Injecting a vaccine into the general population without rigorously ensuring safety and efficacy will be dangerously counterproductive.

Political deadlines:

Science and data cannot be subordinated to political deadlines. Yet, populist governments continue to coax domain experts down that path. The indigenous vaccine jointly developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR was among the governments “top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level”.
A press release subsequently clarified to cut “unnecessary red tape” without compromising safety, best practices and rigour.
Cutting red tape should not lead to a situation where hospital ethics committees are under duress, researchers go easy on informed consent for participants, outcomes are fudged or pre-decided, and dissent faces disciplinary actions.

Credibility is the key:

The disastrous consequences of Lysenkoism, the ideas of Soviet agrobiologist Trofim Lysenko who tried to subordinate science to Marxist-Leninist principles, are pertinent to recall here.
Certainly, India and the world need a cure for Covid-19 fast. But it is for science, not politics, to decide parameters that force the pace of vaccine research.
ICMR must shore up its credibility for the long road ahead.

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION OF INDIA 2019 – 2020

A geographical indication (GI) is a mark used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin. The use of a geographical indication to classify a source, acts as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.

Here is the GI pdf make use of it Download

Daily UPSC Mains Question – July 4/2020

GS – 2

Illegal firearms in the state are a serious concern. Explain in detail with respect to UP’s gun problem.150 Words

In the News:

At least eight UP police personnel, including a DSP, were killed in an encounter with criminals in Kanpur.
The encounter took place when the police team was on its way to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history sheeter facing 60 criminal cases.

Access to illegal guns:

With such cases peaking up in the society, it shows that access to illegal guns, especially in the UP-Bihar belt, has become a real problem.
While Bihar’s Munger region has long been known for manufacture of illegal guns, over the last few years the trade has slowly shifted to UP’s Meerut area due to sustained police crackdown in Munger.
This brings the hub of illegal firearms manufacturing closer to the national capital. In fact, such is the illegal gun problem in the country that in more than 90% of homicides committed using guns, illegal firearms are involved.

Illegal gun trade:

India has more than 71 million firearms, the second highest in the world after the US. But only about 10 million of these are licensed and registered. Which means that despite having one of the strictest gun control laws in the world; around 86% of civilian firearms in the country are illegal.
Unlike the US, India’s law enforcement mechanism is weak, particularly in a state like UP which is too big for effective administration. And a thriving illegal gun industry further challenges the law and order machinery, allowing criminality to pervade other facets of public life like politics.
The UP government must redouble its efforts to bust the state’s illegal gun trade, before it gets completely out of hand.

GS – 4

Banning Chinese applications was a start. With the current context, explain in detail about defending India’s tech sovereignty. 250 Words

In the News:

India’s trade deficit with China is $48.5 billion, on the back of China’s near-complete domination of India’s consumer electronics market.
The resulting economic upside is significant enough to fund China’s entire military expenditure on the Indian border.
The decision by the Indian government to ban 59 Chinese apps including TikTok and WeChat is a significant statement of intent.
Section 69A of the Information Technology Act allows the government to block access to any content on the internet if protection of Indian sovereignty requires such blocking.

Privacy policy:

While any direct connections between companies which own the blocked apps and the Chinese government are difficult to detect, by virtue of China’s national intelligence law every technology company in the country is under a legal obligation to “assist and cooperate with state intelligence”.
Further, according to China’s cybersecurity law, all companies “must accept supervision from the government”.
When that government wages war on India’s borders, a strong case exists to follow due procedure and block these applications.
The privacy policy allows the company to take large amounts of data of Indians including metadata pertaining to location, mobile carrier, browsing history and share it with law enforcement, including in China. This is war by other means.

India’s sovereignty:

India’s sovereignty is questioned on a daily basis. To chat, we use Whats App, an American app; to make video calls we use Zoom, an American company owned by a Chinese-origin American.
To recover lost digital territory, putting shadowy foreign apps under strict scrutiny is only an opening salvo.
To meaningfully assert our sovereignty, there needs to be constructive focus on select areas which launch India to global technology leadership. India must urgently start three missions to embark on its journey for self-reliance – in solar and battery energy, consumer electronics and AI.
Indigenisation of these sectors with world-beating quality and price will be the only way to reduce our trade deficit with China and match its military might. Ultimately, in technology as in the economy; we need to learn from our soldiers on the front.
We need to steel ourselves for a few years of hardship with knowledge and belief that we will overcome.

Daily UPSC Mains Question – July 3/2020

GS – 2

Inviting private participation in running passenger trains is historic. It needs preparatory work. Explain.150 Words

In the News:

Indian Railways has decided to invite private sector participation in running passenger trains. It has been dithered for five years after a committee headed by Bibek Debroy laid out a road map to usher in private participation.

Private Investment:

It’s an important step as it seeks to tap private investment for the first time in running passenger trains. In addition to the likely benefits competition can provide, it will also free up resources for Railways to invest in infrastructure.
A railway today runs on the basis of cross-subsidies and budgetary support. Passenger services are subsidised by freight earnings. Overall railway finances are characterised by stress and postponement of renewal of aged assets.
First, Railways needs to clean up its accounts and move to an accrual system from the current cash accounting. This is important to get a better picture.
Second, there must be a clear division between the part of Railways which will own and operate common infrastructure, and the section which runs trains.

Smooth Functioning:

The mechanism to ensure smooth functioning will be an autonomous regulator with a well-defined role. The element of cross-subsidy and the need to have fair access to common infrastructure requires a credible regulator.
The regulator is at the heart of the institutional architecture in countries which have allowed private players to run passenger trains. India’s post-1991 experience shows that a capable regulator and architecture that avoids conflicts of interest are critical conditions to enable successful private participation. Inviting private participation is historic.
But inadequate preparation will undermine its potential.

Educating girl child solves India’s population problem. But male preference continues deadly run. Analyse the above statement. 150 Words

In the News:

Thirteen out of 22 states for which data is available have fallen below replacement fertility levels. This requires India to start preparing for a phase of population decline. The Sample Registration System (SRS) statistical report for 2018 is the latest survey to capture the demographic transition.
The Hindi heartland states – especially Bihar, UP and MP – and Assam are above replacement fertility levels of 2.1, with their TFRs ranging between 2.4 and 3.2. But everywhere else – east, south, north and west, the preference for one- and two-child families is clearly discernible.

Natives’ Sentiment:

In states that will see population decline, natives’ sentiment would do well to give way to policies welcoming migration. Otherwise labour shortages, uncompetitive wages and economic stagnation will start manifesting.
With proportion of elderly persons rising, states must plot capacity expansion in healthcare and social security schemes. The SRS data also indicates a strong correlation between education levels of women and fertility rates.
Average TFR was 1.7 among graduate women, 1.8 and 1.9 respectively for those educated up to Class 12 and 10, 2.5 for those with primary education, and 3.0 among illiterate women.

Existential disadvantage:

Rather than coercive birth control measures, laggard states must focus on learning outcomes and keeping girls in school. Meanwhile, the downside to smaller families could be greater sex selection practices putting the girl child at an existential disadvantage. Sex ratio at birth in 2016-18 was just 899 females per 1,000 males.
UNFPA’s State of World Population report 2020 calculates that 4.6 lakh girl children annually went missing in India due to sex selection during this period. This is a blot India must fast erase. Shortcomings in schemes like BetiBachao, BetiPadhao must be quickly addressed.

Stay out the Sun Day – July 3/2020

Context:

Stay Out Of The Sun Day is about looking after yourself by taking a day away from the sun and finding some nice, relaxing shade – and if you are out and about, make sure you’ve got sun cream, plenty of water and some shade.

About the Day:

July 3 is National Stay out Of the Sun Day when we stress the need to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of too much sun. Too much exposure to ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer and depress your immune system.
Stay in the shade as much as possible, and always wear sunscreen when you are going to be outdoors.
Choose one that has broad spectrum protection and an SPF factor of 30 or higher and reapply often.
Wear a hat that has a 2 to 3 inch brim all the way around to protect the top of your ears and your neck, the areas where cancer frequently occurs. Cover as much skin as possible and choose clothes made of tightly woven fabric. Sheer or lightly woven fabric provides very little protection.

Conclusion:

You can find out more about the damage the sun can cause, as well as the different steps that you can take to ensure you still experience the benefits of the sun but that you protect yourself at the same time.
Make sure you share your findings with other people to encourage them to be safer while they are in the sun too.

Daily UPSC Mains Question – July 2/2020

GS – 2

The fatal violence is a cruel reminder of just how little unshackling has happened in the domain of policing. Critically comment 250 Words

In the News:

The newest episode of sensational brutality has gripped public imagination. Righteous indignation abounds on social media and the press.
Underneath that gloss, grief and agony probably crowd out every other emotion. The seemingly senseless act of violence inside a police station in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, evokes extreme weariness.

Judiciary as Beacon:

The essential public sphere should be freed from the demons of its heritage and become an active participant in sustaining a democratic polity and not a colony.
The Madras High Court acted in the best traditions of constitutional courts in India, which have often passed various directions to try and ameliorate the problem of police violence.
The Supreme Court of India is the only institution working towards police reforms in the Indian state.
This acclaim largely comes from the top court’s interventions in the 1990s through cases such as Joginder Kumar v. State of UPwhere guidelines were passed to try and secure two rights in the context of any state action — a right to life and a right to know.
It took a decade, and in the form of amendments, as the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2008 to give statutory backing to these judicial guidelines; it remains part of the law today.

Systemic failures:

Constitutional courts have seemingly tried to change our reality of police brutality for well over two decades. There is a reason why the judiciary is commonly called the weakest branch: All the noble intentions in the world cannot help transform the mere words of a court order into reality.
This needs money and a power of immediate implementation, neither of which courts have.
In fact, the gap between the highest court and the lowly police officer in India has been demonstrated through studies which show how despite criminal laws being struck down as unconstitutional, they continue to be enforced in various parts of the country by local police.
Rather than expend energies in only passing more guidelines, constitutional courts must seriously contend with the concrete cases that come their way and expose how hard it is for a common man to get justice against police violence, either through compensation claims or prosecutions.

The state’s language law points to a homogenized nationalism overtaking minority linguistic and cultural aspirations. Explain 250 words

In the News:

The Assam government recently decided to promulgate a law to make the Assamese language compulsory in all schools, both public and private, including the Kendriya Vidyalayas, from Classes I to X.

Data and Politics:

Statistical data have often been used as a tool to construct the linguistic hierarchy and homogenisation in a region. This in turn becomes an element crucial for constructing and stabilising the regional political economic hegemonies.
We have seen that happen in north India with the census-driven communal split of Hindi-Urdu, presuming Muslims to be Urdu speakers, while Hindus to be Hindi speakers.
Crucially, this politics marginalised languages such as Magadhi, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Garhwali with their rich literary and linguistic traditions as mere dialects of the Hindi language.
Census data are often used to portray a ‘danger’ to the Assamese language — the ‘infiltration’ of Bengali-speaking communities is considered to be the primary reason.
It has to be noted that most tribal communities speak Assamese but return their own respective languages as their mother tongues.

The CAA factor:

The anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) movement could have been a point of departure in the ‘Assamese Nationalism’ discourse. During the course of the movement, a new definition of ‘Assamese indigenous’ was seen emerging.
However, at the core of the movement, was also the fear of infiltration that the CAA bill promoted. Such fear and insecurity have an imminent tendency to straitjacket heterogeneous aspirations and scuttle the inclusive nature of the movement.

As a job requirement:

The moves for making assumes compulsory for job requirement are clear indications of a non-inclusive homogenised Assamese nationalism taking precedence over the inclusion of minority linguistic and cultural aspirations.
By bringing in such a law, the State government is seeking to overcome the legitimating crisis that its support to CAA had created.
This law will only increase the marginalisation of these communities, triggering social conflicts once again. It is time for progressive sections in Assam to go beyond the politics of fear and assert the inclusive ethos of Assam.

Daily UPSC Mains Question – July 1/2020

GS – 2

Facing the end of freedom, one face at a time. Critically comment on the perils of face recognition technology.150 Words

In the News:

IBM announced its exit from the facial recognition technology business altogether and wouldn’t condone use of any technology used for mass surveillance and racial profiling that violate “basic human rights and freedoms”.
This started a positive trend amongst technology companies. Microsoft president confirmed that they won’t sell to US police its facial recognition tech either. Amazon also announced a one-year moratorium on selling law enforcement agencies access to “Recognition”, its notorious facial recognition technology.

Advanced Democracies vs India:

Other advanced democracies have been slowing down or stopping altogether the uses of facial recognition in the public sphere. But in India with such use of facial recognition technology tells us is that government intends to flout both the provisions of the Aadhaar Act and the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgment upholding our fundamental constitutional right of privacy.
It’s laudable for government to protect public order, to identify and prosecute criminals. A government which instead uses the occasion of public disorder to introduce such measures by executive fiat can only be suspected of taking advantage of events to subvert the Constitution it, and its police, are sworn to protect.

Supreme court Intervention:

Unless the awareness is subjected to judicial review when it is used, and there is subsequent judicial oversight to prevent abuse, our lives are no longer our own.
Immediate intervention by the SC on the basis of petitions brought by advocates for constitutional privacy is necessary.
Unless we are vigilant now, even as we are put under so much additional strain by the pandemic and its human consequences, we shall live also through the death of freedom.

ICMR, CSIR must call out any breach of due process in the appraisal of any drug. Explain in detail.250 Words

In the News:

The unrelenting spread of COVID-19 has set off both mass anxiety and a clamour for a panacea. Fear paves the way for profiteers. Patanjali Ayurved’s recent claim of having discovered a “cure” and bypassing every regulatory requirement without any serious consequence so far shows that India’s regulatory checks and balances are wanting.
The company said in Haridwar that its product, ‘Coronil’, had cured everyone in a clinical trial.
While quackery and the potency of ‘magic drugs’ are a part of life in India, its declarations could not be ignored because of the tremendous influence its products wield and its claim to have proved the product through a clinical trial, which makes it open to evaluation by the standards of modern medicine.

Scientific Assessment:

The company’s claim of a cure by all accounts was a clear subversion of the scientific process. When hydroxychloroquine was being touted as a potential wonder drug for COVID-19, some of India’s scientists were quick to join a global opprobrium that raised methodological issues that claimed no effect — and even harm. More than the outcome, it is the method deployed that ought to be scrutinised by scientists to reinforce public trust in scientific assessment.
There has always been a tension between traditional Indian systems of medicine and pharmaceutical drugs but there is now consensus in India’s regulatory system that claims by both systems of developing safe efficacious drugs must pass clinical trials.
It is well within the domain of institutions of the ICMR or the CSIR or national science academies to call out a breach of due process in the appraisal of any drug, whether allopathic, ayurvedic or homeopathic. To not do so would amount to criminal negligence.

Daily Mains question – June 9/2020

Strategies in tackling the Covid-19 crisis must include local governments being equipped and fiscally empowered. Critically Analyse.

In the News:

The pandemic has brought home the critical role of local governments and decentralised responses.
While imposing restrictive conditionality’s on states availing themselves of the enhanced borrowing limits for 2020-21 is unwarranted, the recognition that local governments should be fiscally empowered immediately is a valid signal for the future of local governance.

Core Issues:

There are four major challenges upfront – economy, health, livelihood and resource mobilization which are to be addressed by all tiers of the government in the federal polity. Own revenue is the critical lever of local government empowerment.
The new normal demands a paradigm shift in the delivery of healthcare at the cutting edge level.
The parallel bodies that have come up after the 73rd/74th constitutional amendments have considerably distorted the functions – fund flow matrix at the lower level of governance.
There is yet no clarity in the assignment of functions, functionaries and financial responsibilities to the local governments.
Critical role of local governments should be recognized by all.

Local finance:

Property tax collection with appropriate exemptions should be a compulsory levy and preferably must cover land.
The economic survey of 2017-18 pointed out that urban local governments generate about 44% of their revenue from own sources as against only 5% by rural local governments.
There is a yawning gap between tax potential and actual collection resulting in colossal underperformance. In states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, local tax collection at the Panchayati level is next to nil. All states should take steps to enhance and rationalise property tax regime.
Land monetization and betterment levy may be tried and land values have to unbundle for socially relevant purposes.

MP Fund scheme:

The suspension of MPLADS for two years is a welcome measure. The government has appropriated the entire allocation along with huge non-lapsable arrears.
MPLADS which was avowedly earmarked for local area development must be assigned to local governments, preferably to Panchayati on the basis of well-defined criteria.
In the context of crisis underway, all grants must be untied for freely evolving proper containment strategies locally.
The new pandemic is a public health challenge of unprecedented nature along with livelihood and welfare challenges. It has waked us up to the reality that local governments must be equipped and empowered.
Relevant action is the critical need.

2. Foregoing a third aircraft carrier due to budgetary constraints could be counter-productive. Explain

In the News:

In a recent article, it was stated that “third aircraft carrier is not required as military’s focus is on land borders”. The need of aircraft carrier was questioned citing budgetary constraints.

Overall Scenario

Indian Navy has seen action only twice 1965 and 1971 on the sidelines of the land operations and the aircraft carrier had minimum role. There was classic naval action only once in 1971 which was also a decisive victory.
Notwithstanding the attacks on Karachi by small missile boats, the centre of gravity was on the eastern front, where the carrier was deployed. Terming carrier involvement as peripheral displays an incomplete understanding of military history.
The official history of Pakistan Navy acknowledges that “the success of Pakistan’s counter plans hinged largely on reinforcements and resupply of the eastern theatre of war by sea by breaking India’s naval blockade.
If the Indian Navy had not efficiently stymied this plan, Pakistan was hopeful of a “stalemate” followed by international intervention.
The Indian Navy using its lone carrier ensured that no reinforcements or supplies were forthcoming and no escape route was possible.
The contemporary argument that a carrier’s utility in future war scenarios will be short and swift and that needs discarding is the claimed ability of any air force providing effective air cover at sea.

Impact of Parochialism:

China went in for a carrier only after building its army is a narrow interpretation. Aircraft carrier operations take years to master even if a ship is available. China’s 2015 defence white paper states that “the traditional mentality that land outweighs sea must be abandoned”.
Foregoing a carrier due to budgetary constraints is counterproductive. An indigenous constructed carrier can galvanise the economy given the large number of industries and MSMEs involved in the supply chain.
Carriers’ being required for global powers only is debatable. India had initiated the procurement of INS Vikrant within a few years of independence.
Parochialism and Sea blindness in the era of Covid-19 budget cuts can have long term impact on comprehensive national power.

Daily Mains question – June 8/2020

Discuss the rise and fall of PILs in the context where courts are increasingly being asked to intrude into the elected executive’s domain.

In the News

In traditional mould, a court adjudicates disputes between parties and in that context examines the context brought before them. The constitutional courts opened their doors to causes brought before them – where there were instances of violation of constitutional rights of the underprivileged.
This was extended to apathy in enforcing environmental law. The court took on the task of examining the cases and thus PIL was born.

Evolution of PIL:

With time, the growth of this kind of intervention by the court gave birth to organisations whose objective was to file PILs to champion public causes. As intervention of courts increased, PILs increasingly became at times a vehicle for eminent members of civil society to clothe their point of view in a constitutional garb and seek its enforcement.
Undeterred by the consequences of monumental failures of court monitored investigation such as Jain Hawala case and the 2G case, petitions continue to be filed seeking court monitored investigations into all and sundry.
2009-14 saw a dramatic rise in such PILs – as governance shrank, the remit of the courts’ power seemed to grow. The need for a course correction was apparent as justice is not a cloistered virtue and judgements of the court must be open to public debate.
This course correction by the court had upset those who got used to using the judicial system to dictate their philosophy to the elected executive. A constitutional court is always making choices of what causes it takes on.
To suggest that court lacked the courage or human values to take on the matter when it was first presented, that they capitulated before the executive is not only contemptuous but destructive of the edifice on which rests our fragile democracy.

Way forward

Our judges do a thankless job and for them silence is the only option – they speak through their judgments. Relentless attack on judiciary is designed to warn judges that those who do not conform will be condemned.
If this tendency is not curbed, it would erode public faith in an institution that burns the midnight oil to serve the citizenry.

2. IT spawned a new middle class for India in the 1990s. Healthcare can be the new IT. Explain.

In the News

With healthcare receiving utmost priority from policymakers like no other period in recent Indian history, an opportunity to replicate the IT sector’s success beckons. Healthcare offers entry points for capital and labour at various levels.
It encompasses hospitals, pharmaceuticals, medical education, biomedical research and development, grassroots health workers, health insurance and even medical tourism.

Healthcare – the new IT

This sprawling field can create millions of skilled jobs when employment elsewhere is fast drying up. But the pandemic has bared huge gaps in healthcare infrastructure. At 1% of GDP government spending on healthcare has been a huge disappointment.
India has just 0.7 beds per 1000 population against an average of 2.4 beds in middle income countries. Many backward districts still don’t have medical colleges and are underserved by doctors.

Remedying gaps:

Addressing the gaps in rural healthcare apparatus and hiring more doctors, nurses and training auxiliary health workers who can work as contact tracers, phlebotomists, vaccinators and health data aggregators will create lakhs of jobs.
There is also growing need of medical professionals globally that India can meet through ramping up medical education. On the manufacturing side, reduced input costs can regain lost “atmanirbharata” in APIs.
Only further expansion of India’s middle class can break the rut that consumption is long stuck in. A double strike for both health & wealth is within reach. Intelligent shifts in health and industrial policies are the need of the hour.