What to Read in Indian Express Editorial (Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1 : Five Covid Lessons

Context: Five years on, five lessons from Covid lockdowns

 

Lesson 1: Global Problems Require Global Systems

• Key Arguments
  1. Interconnected Threats: Diseases, natural disasters, and crises (e.g. pandemics, tsunamis) transcend borders.
  2. Need for Global Monitoring: Strengthened international institutions (e.g., WHO) are critical for threat detection and response.
• Examples & Challenges
  1. Weakened Global Collaboration: U.S. withdrawal from WHO and dismantling of the Famine Early Warning System Network.
  2. Positive Developments: India’s genomic dataset initiative fostering global biomedical collaboration.
• Implication: India should lead in building international alliances to address transnational threats.

 

Lesson 2: Local Solutions Are Critical

• Context-Specific Responses: Solutions must adapt to local realities (e.g. population density, infrastructure).
• Case Studies
  1. Vaccine Access: India’s local manufacturing capacity vs. countries reliant on global supply chains.
  2. Dharavi Slums: 50% seroprevalence in slums vs. 15% in non-slums highlighted the impracticality of uniform social distancing.
• Implication: Prioritize resource allocation (masks, ventilators) to high-risk areas during emergencies.

 

Lesson 3: Preparedness Through Planning

• Systems Over Ad Hoc Measures: Pre-existing systems (e.g. PDS) mitigated starvation during lockdowns.
• Successes & Failures
  1. Public Distribution System (PDS): Prevented mass starvation by distributing extra rations.
  2. Health System Gaps: Lack of centralized oxygen databases and delayed health infrastructure upgrades.
• Implication: Develop disaster plans at local, state, and national levels, including resource coordination frameworks.

 

Lesson 4: Data as a Governance Tool

• Key Arguments
  1. Information Gaps: Lack of census data hampered migrant crisis management in India.
  2. Global Data Distrust: Erosion of data credibility (e.g. U.S. halting vaccine hesitancy studies).
• Examples
  1. Migrant Crisis: No clear data on migrant populations in Delhi during lockdowns.
  2. Census Reliance: Outdated data systems hindered real-time decision-making.
• Implication: Institutionalize data collection and analysis as core governance practices.

 

Lesson 5: Trust in Government

• Public Compliance: Trust enables adherence to emergency measures (e.g. lockdowns).
• Evidence
  1. Surveys: 85% supported lockdowns in Delhi-NCR. 80% nationwide approval in retrospect (IHDS 2022–24).
  2. Global Fragility: Trust is easily eroded by partisan actions or inequitable policies.
• Implication: Governments must prioritize transparency and equity to maintain trust during crises.

 

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored five pillars for future disaster resilience. India, with its mixed successes during the pandemic, has an opportunity to model these principles for global leadership in disaster preparedness.

Editorial 2 : A Broken Welfare State

Context: Freebies show a bankruptcy of ideas and a broken welfare state

 

Introduction: The Debate on Freebies

• Political Promises
  1. Recent Delhi elections saw parties competing to offer freebies (e.g. free rations, cash transfers, loans).
  2. BJP’s 2024 manifesto highlighted schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (free rations for 80 crore citizens), PM Mudra Yojana (₹27 lakh crore in loans), and PM SVANidhi (credit for street vendors).
• Criticism
  1. Vote-Buying Allegations: Critics argue these measures prioritize electoral gains over sustainable development.
  2. Economic Impact: Risk of fostering dependency, discouraging productivity, and straining state finances.
  3. State Debt: Maharashtra’s funding issues for Ladki Bahin and Gujarat’s education sector crises highlight fiscal unsustainability.

 

Historical Context: Constituent Assembly Debates

• Socialism vs. Economic Democracy
  1. K.T. Shah’s Proposal (1948): Advocated declaring India a socialist state to ensure equal justice, opportunity, and contribution.
  2. Ambedkar’s Opposition: Dr. Ambedkar argued the Constitution should remain a neutral mechanism for governance, not enforce specific socio-economic ideologies. He emphasized economic democracy as an ideal, allowing policies to evolve with public consensus.
• Article 38 (Social Order for Welfare)
  1. Damodar Swarup Seth: Criticized vague wording, advocating for a socialist order to eliminate class exploitation.
  2. Mahboob Ali Baig: Stressed that elected governments must implement their socio-economic mandates.

 

Current Challenges in India’s Welfare Model

• Claims vs. Reality: Government touts poverty reduction (25 crore lifted) and job creation (17 crore jobs), yet welfare schemes remain central.
• Structural Issues
  1. Unemployment: Persists despite Mudra loans and credit schemes.
  2. Inequality: Rich-poor divide contradicts constitutional ideals of equitable welfare.
  3. Healthcare & Education: Underfunded sectors despite welfare rhetoric.
• Judicial Stance: Supreme Court in S. Subramaniam Balaji v. State of Tamil Nadu, upheld freebies as part of welfare, ignoring long-term fiscal risks.

 

Welfare State Criteria

• Equal opportunity, wealth redistribution, and public responsibility for vulnerable groups.
• India’s Status: India fails to meet standards due to poverty, unemployment, and healthcare gaps.

 

Way Forward: Recommendations

• Sustainable Welfare: Shift from short-term freebies to skill development, job creation, and infrastructure.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Address state debt through transparent budgeting and prioritizing critical sectors (education, healthcare).
• Data Integrity: Ensure credible statistics to guide policymaking.
• Revisit Debates: Re-examine Constituent Assembly discussions to align welfare with evolving socio-economic needs.

 

Conclusion: The welfare schemes reflect a tension between immediate electoral gains and long-term development. India must prioritize sustainable reforms, fiscal discipline, and inclusive growth over populist freebies. As J.B. Kripalani warned, democracy without economic equity remains incomplete.