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

Editorial 1: Tying Health to Productivity

Context:

Healthcare in India has traditionally been viewed as a welfare measure aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of illness. However, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the approach has shifted fundamentally: healthcare is now recognized as a pillar of economic growth and human capital development. Good health is no longer a peripheral concern; it is strategically linked to productivity, income generation, and national development.

Healthcare as an Instrument of Economic Growth:

• Healthy households spend less on medical expenses and retain disposable income, which boosts consumption and savings.
• Moreover, a healthier population contributes more effectively to the workforce, making labor more reliable and productive.
• Preventive healthcare reduces illness-related absenteeism and ensures that citizens can participate fully in economic activities.
• In essence, investing in health is equivalent to investing in economic productivity.

 Ayushman Bharat:

• Launched as the largest publicly funded health insurance scheme in the world, Ayushman Bharat provides coverage to over 50 crore vulnerable citizens.
• By shielding families from out-of-pocket medical expenses, it prevents them from sliding back into poverty due to illness.
• The scheme also empanels hospitals, promotes quality upgrades, and fosters a competitive ecosystem in secondary and tertiary care.
• This approach encourages private investment and strengthens the healthcare infrastructure in previously underserved areas.

 POSHAN Abhiyan:

• Introduced in 2018, the POSHAN Abhiyan focuses on maternal and child nutrition.
• It provides supplementary nutrition, promotes behavioral change, and supports cognitive development in children.
• By addressing malnutrition and improving early childhood health, the scheme lays the foundation for enhanced human capitalin the coming decades.

Jan Aushadhi Kendra:

• Over 16, 000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra are open across India. They provide quality generic medicines at steep discount.
• This helps diverting the money spent on branded medicines towards food, school or small-scale businesses.
• This ensures the affordability of medicines.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao & Swachh Bharat Mission:

• These initiatives target broader social determinants of health.
• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhaoimproves sex ratios and promotes girl child education, while the Swachh Bharat Mission ensures better sanitation and hygiene.
• UNICEFreports that each rural family has saved approximately ₹50,000 annually due to improved sanitation and reduced illness, demonstrating the direct economic benefits of public health interventions.

Digital Health and Telemedicine:

• Ayushman Arogya Mandirsand other digital initiatives enable tele-consultation, electronic medical records, and remote screening, making healthcare accessible to rural and underserved populations.
• These tools enhance efficiency, reduce travel costs, and improve preventive care.

Economic Rationale and Impact:

• Historically, India’s public health expenditure has been low (1.19% of GDP in 2013–14), with households bearing high out-of-pocket costs.
• The Modi government’s reforms aim to reduce financial vulnerability, increase household consumption, and stimulate productivity.
• Public financing also acts as seed capital for private health entrepreneurship.
• Investments in hospitals, laboratories, and health startups create jobs, deepen service penetration, and stimulate local economies.
• In effect, health policies under Modi align welfare objectives with economic development, transforming healthcare into an engine of growth.

Reforms in Medical Education:

• To sustain this healthcare transformation, India has expanded medical education.
• The number of medical colleges has increased from 317 to 780, and the country now produces over 118,000 doctors annually, the highest globally.
• This expansion ensures a steady supply of skilled professionals to meet the growing demand for healthcare services.

Vision for 2047:

• As India progresses towards 2047, the dividends of these health reforms are expected to multiply. A healthier population will enjoy higher life expectancy, greater productivity, and improved incomes.
• Citizens empowered by good health are better positioned to participate in economic, social, and political life.
• By integrating healthcare with human capital development and economic strategy, the government has redefined the role of health from a peripheral concern to a cornerstone of national strength and economic transformation.

Way Forward:

Initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, POSHAN Abhiyan, and digital health interventions not only improve access and quality but also contribute to the country’s economic productivity. By linking preventive healthcare to economic outcomes, India has shifted the narrative from charity and welfare to investment, opportunity, and growth. Preventive and inclusive healthcare is now a decisive instrument for national development, ensuring that citizens are healthier, more productive, and capable of shaping India’s future.

 

Editorial 2: Recognition of Palestine

Context:

Recently, several countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, along with smaller European nations such as Portugal, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco, have formally recognized the State of Palestine. Israel, however, has strongly opposed these recognitions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing them as “absurd” and reiterating Israel’s refusal to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Impact on Israel-Palestine war:

• The impact of recognition on the ongoing war in Gaza is limited. It can act as a diplomatic pressure, but the responsibility of ending war relies on states such as Germany, US who provide about 90% of arms imported to Israel.
• Military hostilities continue unabated, and even if Hamas were to release hostages or partially comply with international demands, the conflict is unlikely to end without decisive action against Israel.
• While some European countries, including the UK, have taken steps to limit certain arms exports to Israel, others, such as the United States and Germany, continue to provide substantial military support.
• For instance, the U.S. has committed billions of dollars in military aid, and Germany remains one of Israel’s largest suppliers of defense equipment.
• As a result, while increased recognition does apply diplomatic pressureon Israel, it does not directly constrain its military operations.
• Historically, Israel has responded to international criticism by intensifying its military activity and entrenching its occupation policies rather than reversing them.

Impact on Palestinian statehood:

• Under international law, specifically the 1933 Montevideo Convention, a state must meet four criteria: a defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government, and the capacity to engage in foreign relations.
• Palestinian territories remain largely under Israeli occupation, with Israel controlling borders, airspace, and maritime access in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
• In terms of the Montevideo Convention criteria, the recognition primarily reinforces Palestine’s claim to statehood in the international legal domain, even if practical control over its territory is limited.
• Gaza and the West Bank are inhabited by millions of Palestinians, though the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis threaten population stability.
• It also consolidates international acknowledgment of Palestinian claims to historical territories, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as outlined in the 1988 Palestinian declaration of statehood.
• This can bolster Palestine’s position in negotiations concerning territorial disputes, human rights, and political representation.
• The United Nations Independent International Commission of Enquiry has concluded that Israeli security forces have killed or injured about 10% of Gaza’s population.
• As the Israeli Defense Forces intensify indiscriminate bombardment, it threatens the second pillar of Palestinian statehood i.e. population.
• Though the Palestinian Authority (PA) acts as de jure authority in West Bank and East Jerusalem, but de facto control lies with Israel.
• Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip as the de jure ruler after ousting the PA in 2007 elections. Hamas rule the Gaza Strip under Israel’s complete land, air and naval blockade.
• The present recognition occurs alongside demand for PA to reform and Hamas to disarm and remove itself from Palestinian politics. Even if Hamas is demilitarized, Palestine will not be fully sovereign amid Israel’s refusal to cede control over military and defense issues.
• This endangers the third pillar of Palestinian stateby denying legitimacy to Palestinian government.
• The greater international recognition of statehood emboldens the Palestinian Authority to better lobbying for Palestine, an end that is almost completely reliant on Israel and US. It also enhances PA’s ability to conduct international relations.

Impact on Israel:

• Israel has doubled down on its military action, and entrenched the occupation of these territories after the recognition of Palestine by UK.
• This makes the imperative of Palestinian state impossible to achieve with each passing day as Israel pushes its offensive in Gaza Strip.

Way Forward:

The recent recognition of Palestine by multiple countries represents a significant diplomatic victory, enhancing its international legitimacy and legal standing. However, recognition alone does not alter the practical realities of the conflict: Israel continues to maintain military and territorial control, and Hamas remains a powerful political and military actor in Gaza. For Palestinians, the recognition serves as a foundation for future international advocacy and negotiation, rather than an immediate solution to the war or occupation.