In this section, we are presenting our readers/aspirants compilation of selected editorials of national daily viz. The Hindu, The live mint,The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, PIB etc. This section caters the requirement of Civil Services Mains (GS + Essay) , PCS, HAS Mains (GS + Essay) & others essay writing competitions
1.Mixed signals: On the pandemic and protectionism
Pandemic imperatives require diversification of supplies but protectionism is no answer
At a time that India is looking to impress upon the world that it is strongly positioned as well as willing and able to become a more reliable supply chain partner for them than China has been proven in recent times, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks on Tuesday about globalisation are worth taking note of. The pandemic experience creates a case for ‘shorter’ supply chains with more ‘national’ capacities, he said, before chiding globalisation ‘Gurus’ for advocating open markets without acknowledging geopolitical motivations. That he cited the example of India’s health-care supply chain vulnerabilities being exposed after the onset of COVID-19 makes it clear his broader message was aimed at China on whom India relied too much for critical pharma and health-care imports, and continues to run up large trade deficits with. Tapping the receding global sentiment for China, and the dangers about depending on limited, even if hugely efficient, supply chains, is a sensible ploy gaining resonance. Earlier this month, Australia’s Special Envoy to India Tony Abbott accused China of ‘weaponising trade’, losing its credibility and blocking trade flows. That Mr. Abbott, a former Australian Prime Minister, who had himself signed a free trade pact with China, is now pushing hard for a trade deal with India as an ‘obvious trustworthy substitute’ for global supply chains, is an admirable endorsement of official tact.
However, Mr. Jaishankar also went on to term the idea that ‘other people can … operate in your economy on terms which are advantageous to them’ as ‘ridiculous’ and argued that there was no need to be defensive about
2.Securing the young: On COVID-19 vaccines for children and booster shots
India must accelerate efforts to increase vaccine supply for boosters and for children
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has said that it will be ready with vaccines for children in the next six months. This follows claims earlier this year that it will be ready with the vaccine, Covovax, for adults by October; but, so far, no approval has been forthcoming from the Drugs Controller General of India. Covovax is SII’s brand name for Novavax, the recombinant nanoparticle protein-based vaccine developed by the U.S.-based Novavax Inc., and this will be an important vaccine to watch out for because it will roll out from the SII stable, which as of today, has made at least 90% of the 1.3 billion vaccines that have found their way into the arms of Indians. While Covaxin by Bharat Biotech was hurriedly approved by Indian authorities, it has unfortunately not been able to scale up rapidly enough to make a substantial contribution to India’s vaccination programme. India has now inoculated 80% of its adults with at least one dose and given that many have already been exposed to the virus, this number, in itself, is a fairly creditable achievement even though it is short of the Government’s initial claim of fully inoculating all adults by the year-end.
3.Omicron: The ideal response
The first two waves of the pandemic have significant learnings for India. Use them well to fight the variant
India has thus far not seen the kind of surge in cases countries such as the United Kingdom and Demark have on account of the Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus; nor has Omicron (on available evidence) become the dominant strain of the virus. While high levels of prior exposure (as indicated in seroprevalence surveys that test for antibodies) may help, it would be foolhardy to assume that India will magically be protected from what’s happening in other parts of the world. The variant has made its presence felt in eight states and Union Territories (till Tuesday evening). And while the number of cases in India has just crossed 50, it is only a matter of time before this increases.
Based on the country’s experience in the first two waves of the pandemic, here are five pointers to an ideal response. One, if there ever was a time for the test-trace-isolate mantra, it is now. People arriving from other countries must be tested; the contacts of anyone testing positive for the variant have to be traced; and infected as well as exposed individuals should be quarantined. Two, the number of viral genomes being sequenced must be enhanced. Given the low volume of cases, most samples returning a positive result for the virus can be sequenced. If cases increase, smart sampling can ensure that a representative population of samples is tested. Three, the country should immediately approve a booster dose for those who are fully vaccinated. And while an expert panel may be suggesting a mixed dose, availability should trump that — put otherwise, since Covishield was the mainstay of the country’s vaccine programme, and around 250 million doses of it will be available every month, it should be the preferred booster shot. Four, the country should also immediately expand its vaccination programme to at least include children between the ages of 12 and 18. Younger children, who are not so much at risk, can wait. And five, governments and people should remember what happened between the first wave and the second, and avoid becoming complacent. Masking, social distancing, and ventilation are key to preventing or slowing the spread of the virus.
4.Do former Indian cricketers really make better administrators?
Several Indian cricket enthusiasts, a couple of years ago, held the view that the state of affairs couldn’t be better. The talent pool was wider than ever with an attitude to accompany it, BCCI was the financial hegemon of world cricket and a revered former cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly, had become its president. The fact that a cricketer headed the administration was interpreted as the best thing that could have happened to the Indian cricket administration.
One of the worst kept secrets in Indian cricket was blown open yesterday when Virat Kohli contradicted Ganguly on the issue of captaincy. It’s reached a point where the BCCI president and the captain of the Indian test team have publicly contradicted each other on what transpired in private conversations. It seems like a rerun of the time when politicians and businessmen ran Indian cricket in arbitrary fashion.
There are two lessons here. One, even before Ganguly’s ascent to the pinnacle of the administration, experience of former cricketers entering administration showed that it does not automatically translate into better governance. Administration requires skills that often do not overlap with what top-flight sportspeople need. If anything, the current development should show that governance hasn’t changed a bit in India cricket over decades. While some of the structures may have changed, decision making is as opaque as it was before the Supreme Court’s intervention.
The second lesson should be that there needs to be a more transparent process in which the selectors and cricketers engage each other. For a long time, it appeared that it was Kohli’s writ that decided team compositions, with selectors playing a peripheral role. Now, the captain is plainly hurt by the way he was treated. While the players are professionals who will put their best foot forward, the dressing room atmosphere is bound to be unhealthy. That will have a bearing on the results.
5.Early signs from UP: Looks like advantage BJP but SP can be strong challenger, more so if it can eat into BSP votes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s project unveiling spree, garnished liberally with religious messaging, and Akhilesh Yadav’s Vijay Yatra crisscrossing UP are making it clear, at least for now, SP is BJP’s biggest challenger in India’s most important assembly elections. UP has in the past seen four-cornered contests, with small transfer of votes making and unmaking electoral fortunes. If 2022 polls become effectively a bipolar contest, the political dynamic may change, with more options for both BJP and SP. And with elections being held in the looming shadow of another Covid variant, the pandemic’s impact on millions of aam voters in the state may play a role in addition to those played by usual metrics of caste, community and sub-region.
For BJP, Yogi Adityanath is a CM with a brand of his own, whether for his supporters or critics. But, as showcased by grand ceremonies centred around the Jewar airport, the Purvanchal expressway and the Kashi Viswanath corridor, it is the MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, who will spearhead BJP’s charge in UP. The infra bonanza has given BJP bragging rights to play up the advantages of having the same party govern the Centre and state. Meanwhile, subliminal and not-so-subliminal messaging on ‘appeasement’ and Mughal emperors are just the beginning of what will likely be a long Hindutva playlist. Add to this BJP’s resources, its success in delivering some welfare schemes and micro caste management. At this point, BJP appears ahead, as indicated by opinion polls as well.
Akhilesh is relentlessly focussed on playing up the caste census demand and unemployment. With two allies – RLD and SBSP – having pockets of influence in west and east UP by his side, Akhilesh will hope for a better showing, especially in western UP where BJP, even post-repeal of farm laws, may face farmers’ wrath. SP’s biggest challenge is its limited appeal. In its 2012 victory, 224 seats came from a mere 29% vote share. In contrast, BJP-led NDA’s 2017 victory snapped up 42% of votes, and 312 seats. SP will want to not just exploit anti-incumbency but also see how much of BSP’s Dalit and Muslim votes it can corner, assuming Mayawati remains as listless as she appears now.
Congress helmed by Priyanka Gandhi has struggled to rouse voter interest but its targeting of women voters shows it has learnt the bitter lesson from the loss of other social constituencies. UP is the most unforgiving of all political tests in the tough political marketplace that is India. Congress doesn’t look convincing, at least not now.