Author: CD Staff

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From the Afghan Wars to the Battle of Saragarhi where a small band of Sikh soldiers wreaked havoc during a siege mounted by a numerically superior adversary to the two great wars, Indian Army has set the highest standards in valour.

Various phases of evolution

Phase – I

• Colonial nature of Army: With the advent of independence, India saw the withdrawal of British military officers from the top posts of Indian army. This led to an exposure of relatively young and inexperienced officers who were native to India. Also, from an army fighting the World Wars, Indian army saw a change in its primary targets with the new threat being faced on the frontiers.
• First offensive with Pakistan: The bitterness of partition was further aggravated by Pakistan’s inexplicable act of sending raiders across the boundary with an intention of capturing the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This was handled proficiently by the Indian army, while the leadership played its cards deftly by making the Raja of Jammu and Kashmir sign the instrument of accession.
• India-China War of 1962: India faced a breach of trust with the Chinese attack on the northern borders of India. This followed a long diplomatic exchange, which slowly turned from an atmosphere of camaraderie to a relatively bitter outcome.

Lessons learnt

• Failure of diplomacy: The debacle of 1962 war can be attributed majorly to Indian complacency and a belief in goodwill generation at the expense of pragmatic principles of warfare.
• Financial crunches: Indian army was not prepared to fight the war because of the budgetary cuts inflicted upon it in the last decade.
• Lapses in threat perception: At the same time, the leadership failed to convey the threat being faced from China. On the contrary, the contemporary Defence Minister actually downplayed the threat, emphasizing upon the diplomatic exchange being undertaken between the two heads of the nations.

Phase – II

• Pakistani misadventure in 1965: In the mistaken belief that Indian Army is vulnerable due to loss in 1962 war and the leadership gap due to loss of PM Nehru, Pakistan embarked on a misadventure across the deserts of Rajasthan.
• Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971: Pakistan’s genocide in its eastern territory led to an uprising in the area, along with almost 10 million refugees fleeing to India for protection. This led to a war between Pakistan and India, with India being supported by the Mukti Bahini of Bangladeshi people.

Lessons learnt

• Learning from mistakes: The period after 1962 war saw a major course correction in Indian military with major structural and doctrinal shifts undertaken to strengthen the forces.
• Outsizing: Firstly, the size of army was increased from 5.5 lakh troops to almost 8.25 lakh troops.
• Increased budgetary allocations: At the same time, the budgets were increased to modernize the forces and help them counter threat from modern equipment used by the Chinese.
• Integration of Tri-services: The lessons learnt in 1962 war were applied to the future conflicts as Indian Air Force was pressed early into action to gain tactical and strategic advantages in the battle for supremacy.

Phase – III

• Realization of actual enemy: Indian armed forces embarked on an era of upgradation to combat Chinese challenge in the northern mountainous regions post 1961 war.
• Internal threats: India saw an increase in insurgencies in the interior of the country from terrorist organizations like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the North East, as well as separatist forces like Pro-Khalistan fighters.
• Unconventional warfare from Pakistan: After failing to dent Indian defence on the battlefield, Pakistan started micro-warfare by inciting insurgency in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This was stated explicitly by the Pakistani generals as the strategy of ‘bleeding India with thousand cuts’.
• Kargil War, 1999: Being frustrated due to its inability to inflict damage upon Indian integrity in Kashmir, Punjab or other areas, Pakistan treacherously occupied the peaks in the Kargil and other adjoining sectors of Kashmir Valley.
• Mumbai Terror Attacks: The terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 led to restructuring of Indian Defence Architecture to prevent reoccurrence of such events.

Lessons learnt

• Garnering public goodwill: Indian Army has embarked upon a mission to win the hearts and minds of people in the Valley by following a people-centric approach.
• Sense of sacrifice: This has led to a rise in the number of casualties on the side of Indian Army, but also has created an atmosphere of trust in the minds of the people of the valley.
• Change of security apparatus: 26-11 attack led to the appointment of a full time National Security Adviser, creation of National Technical Research Organization and establishment of Theatre Commands for better integration of the three armed forces.

Phase – IV

• Offensive stance: The Uri attacks saw a surgical strike take place inside the Pakistani territory.  Indian Armed Forces have seen a pronounced shift in tactical warfare in the recent times.
• Retaliation with choice:  The Pulwama terrorist attacks saw retaliation in the form of Balakot Air Strikes by the Indian Air Force, destroying the Terrorist Launch Pads in the border areas of Pakistan, as well as Air-to-Air Combat between the two Air Forces.
• Bursting the nuclear threat: By launching such daredevil operations, India called out Pakistan’s lies of using the Nuclear Weapons at the first instigation from India.
• Budgetary advancements: Recent times have seen an enhancement in the Budgets of Tri-services, especially Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, to make them capable of sniffing out any possibility of a Mumbai-style terror attack on the Indian Territory.
• Realization of Indo-Pacific Security: India has been entrusted with more responsibilities viz. clamping down on sea-piracy and smuggling of illegal arms in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Countering Chinese ‘incursions’: The growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region, especially at the Ports like Hambantota and Gwadar, has given many sleepless nights to Security experts in India.
• Upholding territorial sovereignty: India has been resolute and firm in the face of Chinese pressures in the Eastern Ladakh, as well as the Chumbi Valley Areas.

Also read:

[Sansad TV] Perspective: Indian Army: Marching with times

Conclusion

• India has seen evolution of its Military Doctrines in response to the changing alignments in its border areas, as well as the global arena.
• However, it is important to understand that it is critical to ensure that its Armed Forces remain in a state of alertness to counter any threat from the neighbouring countries.
• This is especially true as we live in a tough neighbourhood and have a responsibility of being a ‘Net Security Provider’ to the small states of Indian Ocean Region.

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The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping of India, the US, Australia and Japan vowed to work vigorously to achieve the grouping’s shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and collectively deal with common threats such as terrorism.

QUAD: A backgrounder

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, India and Australia that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills between member countries.

• The US, Japan, India and Australia came together in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to assist the devastated countries.
• Later, officials of the four countries met in 2007 “to look at issues of common interest.” During an India visit, then Japanese PM Shinzo Abe unveiled the idea of “the Confluence of the Two Seas” that gave birth to the concept of the Indo-Pacific.
• A decade later officials of the four countries met in the Philippines in 2017 to talk about an aggressively rising China.
• In 2019, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries met in Washington for the first time.
• In November, the Quad nations came together to participate in a two-phase joint military exercise, Malabar 2020, in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea.

Now it is increasingly viewed as ‘Asian NATO’.

Focus on Indo-Pacific: For the China-wary world

• The latest meeting of Quad comes at a time when all four countries have either trade or security disputes with China.
• Despite not explicitly mentioning China, Quad has been openly supporting a “free and fair” Indo-Pacific which is seen as a clear message to Beijing that it needs to curb its assertive behaviour.
• The optics were hard to miss when India, the US, Japan and Australia joined their navies for the mega Malabar military exercise late last year, an activity which raised alarm in Beijing.
• This posturing by the Quad nations sent a strong signal to China.

(1) US vs China

• USA had followed a policy to contain China’s increasing influence in East Asia. Therefore, USA sees the coalition as an opportunity to regain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The US has described China, along with Russia, as a strategic rival in its National Security Strategy, National Defence Strategy and the Pentagon’s report on Indo-Pacific Strategy.
• Both are navigating intense disagreements over trade and human rights in Tibet, Hong Kong and the western Xinjiang region, as well as the coronavirus pandemic and increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.

(2) Australia vs China

• Australia is concerned about China’s growing interest in its land, infrastructure and politics, and influence on its universities.
• Ties have been on a downward spiral since 2018 when Australia, accusing China of meddling in its domestic affairs, passed a new law against foreign interference and espionage.
• It also barred Huawei from building the country’s 5G mobile network, among the first countries to do so, citing national security.
•  The atmosphere worsened when  PM Scott Morrison’s government called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

(3) Japan vs. China

• Tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute have recently increased.
• China has relentlessly continued attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion in the sea area around the Senkaku Islands.
• The more salient indicator is the number of Chinese patrols inside the territorial sea of the islands, which Japan sees as an explicit violation of its territorial sovereignty.

(4) India vs. China

• India’s strained relations with China needs no explanation. The year long border dispute is the testimony.
• The Quad summit is taking place in the backdrop of an ongoing military disengagement between India and China following their months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
• China is increasing its footprint in our neighborhood through its Belt and Road policy and political coercion following the debt trap are some of the increasing concerns other than economic imbalance.

Opportunities unveiled for India

India’s engagement with the Quad goes back to China’s expanding footprint in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region over the last few years. India can reap some benefits as discussed below:

 (1) Checkmating the Chinese

• The maritime sphere is wide open to India to undertake coalition building, rule sets, and other forms of strategic exploration than compared to land borders.
• The maritime space is more important to China than engaging in land grab attempts in the Himalayas. A huge chunk of Chinese trade happens via the Indian oceanic routes that pass through maritime chokepoints.

(2) Channelizing geo-politics

• There is a growing great power interest in the maritime sphere, especially with the arrival of the concept of ‘Indo-Pacific’. For instance, many European countries have recently released their Indo-Pacific strategies.
• The most recent was for France to send its warship in the international waters of the South China Sea.

(3) Maritime domain for India

• Above is the backdrop against which one must see the progressive evolution of Exercise “Malabar”,
• In the beginning, it was a bilateral event involving just the Indian and US navies. It became tri-lateral with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
• And now it has transformed into a four-cornered naval drill that will also include Australia.

(4) Check on China’s India Ocean Ambitions

• The Quad has a valuable role to play as a check on China’s Indian Ocean ambitions.
• India must develop ingrained habits of interoperable cooperation with its Quad partners.
• This interoperable cooperation could pre-emptively dissuade China from mounting a naval challenge in its backyard.

(5) Eccentricity in South Asia

• With India, located right at the centre of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical imagination can realize the vision of a ‘broader Asia’ that can extend its influence away from geographical boundaries.
• Further, India with Quad countries can check the imperialist policies of China in the Indian Ocean region and ensure Security and growth for all in the region.

Issues with Quad

(1) Structural problems

• The Quad has a core structural problem as its objective pivots around the U.S.
• The Quad riles China as a hostile grouping, but hardly serves the security interests of its members.
• Despite rhetoric relating to the promotion of a ‘rules-based’ world order, the Quad neither shares a strategic vision nor is it animated by a shared agenda.

 (2) Nature of alliance

• Alliances involve written commitments to come to the defence of the other against a third party.
• Despite the potential for cooperation, the Quad remains a mechanism without a defined strategic mission.

(3) Economic alliance not feasible

• Quad is neither a military alliance nor an economic partnership.
• Its intention to counter China in the rare-earth sector is logical given the dominant role the country plays in supplying more than half of the world’s such key materials.
• But, for a country like India, the lack of relevant technologies and talent pool could obstruct its progress in building up a supply chain from scratch.

 (4) Overt emphasis on Maritime domain

• The entire focus on the Indo-Pacific makes the Quad a maritime, rather than a land-based grouping, raising questions whether the cooperation extends to the Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions.
• India’s core concerns with China are primarily undemarcated borders and trade deficit.

 (5) Lack of existence of Indo-Pacific system

• There has never been Indo-Pacific system ever since the rise of the port-based kingdoms of Indochina in the first half of the second millennium.
• There were two Asian systems — an Indian Ocean system and an East Asian system — with intricate sub-regional balances.
• The effort by a U.S. to artificially manufacture to combine the Indo and the Pacific into a unitary system is unlikely to succeed.

(6) Indian borders can go more vulnerable

• A lesson for India is China’s long-held and strategic interest in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is wrongly argued that it is Pakistan that is the issue in J&K.
• China undoubtedly is as big an issue but has quietly hidden behind Pakistan’s cover.

Challenges: China will retaliate

(1) China’s assertiveness

• China claims that it has historical ownership over nearly the entire region of South China Sea, which gives it the right to manufacture islands.
• However, the International Court of Arbitration rejected the claim in 2016.
• Since then, the incidences of Chinese transgression has only increased making China more assertive for its interest.

(2) Preying small nations

• The ASEAN countries have a well-knit relationship with China. So are other SAARC countries have fallen prey to Chinese debt traps.
• The Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a recent example of China’s increasing influence over ASEAN nations to which Australia is even a forerunner.

(3) Monopoly

• Considering the economic might of China and the dependence of Quad nations like Japan and Australia on China, the Quad nations cannot afford to have strained relations with it in the long run.
• India too, is still very heavily dependent on Chinese exports.

Way Forward

• Need for a clearer vision: It is important for members of the Quad not to be reactive. It is also important to exhibit openness, and ensure that all talk of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ is more than just a mere slogan.
• Consensus for a common objective: The Quad nations need to better explain the Indo-Pacific Vision in an overarching framework with the objective of advancing everyone’s economic and security interests.
• Setting an agenda: This will reassure the littoral States that the Quad will be a factor for regional benefit, and a far cry from Chinese allegations that it is some sort of a military alliance. Future meetings can be an opportunity to define the idea and chart a future path.
• Expanding Quad: India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific; therefore India should pitch for countries like Indonesia, Singapore to be invited to join in the future. There is also a vital need to economically expand the Quad.

Conclusion

• The Quad framework derives its geopolitical validation from India’s association and presents a unique opportunity for India to be an active participant in shaping regional security architecture with global undertones.
• India’s moves with the Quad will be closely watched, as they bear more meaning than ever before on the path it will take to realise its strategic future.

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This January 15^th, India celebrated its 74th Army Day, to offer remembrance to the enlightening journey of courage and sacrifice of the Indian Army.

In this article, we will look back at how the year gone by has been for the Indian Army, the security challenges they faced and continue to face in the year ahead, their preparedness in meeting these challenges and the opportunities in further enhancing our defence capabilities.

Why is this year special?

Ans. New Combat Uniform

• The Indian Army will be provided with new combat uniform for its personnel aimed to provide more comfort and sustainability.
• The new uniform will increase the comfort of women officers as well.
• The new uniform is provided with a digital disruptive pattern and won’t be available in the open market.
• The uniform has been designed by keeping 4Cs in mind: comfort, climate, camouflage and confidentiality.
• They will be barcoded and QR coded to maintain the uniqueness and will be available only through the ordnance chain or military canteens.

Why do we need an Army?

• India is not the member of any traditional military alliance and thus has to maintain an independent military capability.
• The army is tasked to retain its strategic autonomy while protecting itself against possible threats to its unity and integrity.
• The Indian Armed Forces are structured to deal with the possible threats from potential adversaries as part of its capability to carry out its mandated role and tasks.

Role played by Indian Army

1. The primary role of the Indian Army is to ensure the territorial integrity of the nation by deterrence or by waging war.
2. The secondary role of the Army is to provide assistance to civil authorities, when requisitioned, to respond to heightened law and order situations, for disaster management or for providing essential services.

A brief background of Indian Army

• The Indian Army is the third largest army in the world in terms of size, based on the number of personnel.
• But this description obfuscates the fact that it is not as powerful as what such a portrayal should signify.
• This implies its capacity to undertake military operations optimally in the multi-domain, technology dominated battlefields of the future.

Challenges to Indian Army

• The Indian Army essentially remains a force largely organised, equipped and trained to fight wars.
• That is not to say that the Army cannot carry out its role and tasks successfully in the current context, more so, if it is provided the requisite means.
• Nonetheless, it needs no emphasis that the Army needs to modernize expeditiously if it has to be prepared to take on the security challenges of the future.

[A] Future Security Scenarios

• Disputed neighbours: India’s threats and challenges in the military realm primarily emanate from the historically inherited territorial disputes over which five wars have already been fought.
• Nuke and the Military: All wars will be fought under a nuclear overhang, implying that escalation to the level of nuclear exchanges is possible, and must be planned for.
• Unresolved territorial disputes going ugly: The fact that the existing territorial disputes are ‘land-centric’ highlights the pre-dominant role of the Army in the Indian security context.
• Proxy-wars through radicalization: Pakistan, has been running a sub-conventional campaign against India since the early 1990s which essentially involves stoking militancy and pushing cross-border terror modules.
• Nukes plus terror:  Nuclear ‘sabre-rattling’ is used in conjunction with the cross-border terror strikes, to prevent India from ‘raising the ante’ and retaliating with a punitive conventional response.

[B] Changing Nature of Conflicts

Hybrid Warfare: In the aftermath of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars of the first decade of this century, the world has witnessed a reduction in full-fledged ‘state vs state’ wars.

It appear to be the new norm, involving a combination of two or more of the following:

• Conventional / Regular warfare: – state vs state wars, primarily waged by conventional forces or regular troops on both/ all sides.
• Irregular warfare: Conflict against a state by employing trained combatants who are not regular military. Pakistan has launched such ‘irregulars’ in all its wars against India.
• Asymmetric warfare: War between sides whose military power differs greatly, waged by the weaker side using non-traditional means like terrorism.  Ex. Jihadists vs Army
• Unconventional warfare: War waged by a country using means other than established forms of armed conflict, to make the adversary capitulate even without a classical war (economic wars, water wars, legal wars etc.)
• Technological/ Informational warfare: Combination of cyber, space, electronic, propaganda, psychological, media and social media wars.

There are perceptible threats that all above discourses might happen simultaneously if any war escalates.

Present perceptible threats

As most of our current threats pertain to conventional conflict over:

1. Disputed land borders
2. Insurgencies and cross-border terrorism
3. Natural calamities and their mitigation
4. Disaster management

Need of the hour:

[A] Capability Building

• In keeping with its mandated roles, the Army has to ensure multi-dimensional capability to deal with the threats from our potential adversaries (external as well as internal).
• Capability building of the Army is a continuing process, where budget, especially capital funds, are requested for annually, based on the projected needs for implementing a 15 year long term perspective plan.

[B] Modernisation Needs of the Army

• Technological advancement: The Army of the future will have to be technologically oriented, with many more specialists, as compared to generalists.
• Modern equipment: It will have to be equipped progressively with modern weapons and weapon systems, supported by technology based processes and automation to meet the needs and challenges of the future battlefield.
• Arms and ammunitions: Accordingly, the Army will need to replace or upgrade its ageing inventory of weapons and equipment while also restructuring and right-sizing in a transformational way.

As far as weapons and equipment are concerned, the Army needs the following on priority to replace or rejuvenate vintage equipment as part of the capability development programme:

1. Infantry – The infantry, which is continuously being employed in counter-terrorist or counter-insurgency operations, needs to be empowered immediately by provision of new generation lightweight assault rifles, bullet proof jackets and helmets, hand held thermal imagers (HHTIs) etc.
2. Artillery–Adequate quantities of new artillery guns, including indigenously manufactured Dhanush systems, as well as more lethal, precision artillery systems like BrahMos cruise missiles, Smerch and Pinaka rocket systems, need to be inducted immediately.
3. UAVs – More quantities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of latest technology must be inducted in adequate numbers for surveillance and precision attack operations in both peace and war.
4. Mechanised Forces–Additional quantities of ‘current technology’, T-90 tanks and ICVs, night enabled and equipped with long range ant-tank guided missiles, need to be inducted on priority.
5. Army Aviation–Acquisition of three squadrons’ worth of new generation Apache attack helicopters into the Army Aviation has been reportedly sanctioned, as a follow up of the Air Force order.
6. Air Defence (AD) –The Army AD is undergoing a total revamp of equipment. The various army air defence weapon acquisition projects for acquisition of all types of surface to air missile systems as well as upgrading old generation systems.
7. Engineers- The combat engineers need to be provided new generation of bridging equipment,mine-laying equipment as well as mine clearance equipment. Where possible, old equipment must be upgraded indigenously.

Challenges in Capability Building

There are huge ongoing challenges in the process of capacity building of the Indian Army. The more important of these are discussed as follows:

• Capital crunch: It has been the experience for many years now that adequate capital funds for modernisation are not allotted.
• Budgetary constraints: Considering that the modernisation plans of the Army are lagging far behind already, budgetary constraints will play an important part in formulating and executing plans for the future.
• Sizing constraints: The Indian Army must cap its overall numbers at the current level of 1.3 million, while making fresh efforts at making up the shortfall of officers.
• Strategic constraints: Currently, military planning is hamstrung by lack of a clearly articulated and integrated military strategy. In such a situation, the three wings of the military are left to devise their own strategies and philosophies.
• Lack of modernisation: An alarmingly large percentage of equipment is of old vintage, due to many proposals for acquisition and upgradation of new equipment having been inordinately delayed.
• Quality issues: Arms and ammunition over the years undergo quality degradation.
• Procurement issues: There is lack of sustained effort within the Army to develop expertise on defence procurement and financial issues. The Army remains rooted to the outdated policies of employing ‘generalists’ rather than ‘specialists’.

Way forward

India needs to progressively build capability of hard military power, soft power and demonstrated power in its quest to be recognised as a ‘regional power with global influence’.

• Right-sizing: The Indian Army needs to undergo transformation and ‘right-sizing’ towards becoming an optimised modern force, with a more efficient ‘teeth to tail’ ratio.
• Logistics optimization: Our logistics need to be integrated and optimised on priority.
• Interoperability: Enhanced jointness and interoperability as promised under the integrated theatre command needs to be implemented at its earliest.
• Re-orientation: The Indian Army must fully operationalize the concept of the Reorganised Army’s Multi-role Quick Reaction Force (RAMFOR).
• Enhancing informational warfare capability: Special Operations, Cyber and Space Commands must be provided manpower from within the existing establishment.
• Policy input for strategizing: And last but not the least, the government must provide guidance to the military through issue of national security strategy, defence policy and military strategy.

Conclusion

• There can be no doubt that the Indian Army needs to be modernised on priority.
• To achieve this objective, the Government and the Army will have to take a look at the entire issue afresh and come up with innovative solutions to address the various obstacles standing in the way.

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Why in news?

• A concern that resurfaced following the events of the past week that witnessed a high-profile legal fight in Australia over star tennis player Novak Djokovic’s vaccination status.
• He was deported after he lost the visa battle on grounds that he was unvaccinated and did not fulfil the criteria to participate in the Australian Open tournament.

What is Vaccine Hesitancy?

• The reluctance of people to receive safe and recommended available vaccines is known as ‘vaccine hesitancy’.
• This was already a growing concern before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A framework developed from research done in high-income countries, called ‘the 5C model of the drivers of vaccine hesitancy’, provides five main individual person–level determinants for vaccine hesitancy:
• Confidence
• Complacency
• Convenience (or constraints)
• Risk calculation
• Collective responsibility

A matter of debate

• Freedom of Choice: Djokovic’s incident has brought forth different viewpoints – one which argues against vaccine mandate – saying getting vaccinated is a freedom of choice.
• Common cause of public good: While the other point of view is that vaccination is the only and the best way to end the pandemic and the global misery it has caused.

Questions raised by vaccine hesitancy

1. To end the pandemic, wherein no one is safe until everyone is safe, how relevant and strong are the arguments on freedom of choice?
2. How is the fight against this global crisis impacted when prominent personalities assert on making a choice contrary to global good?
3. Amid the raging pandemic and the persistent threat of future waves, how can vaccine scepticism and hesitancy be addressed worldwide?

Why is it a cause of concern?

• Re-surging of covid cases: Amid the ongoing Omicron surge, there have been reports pointing to the unvaccinated population driving the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe and US.
• Risk of future waves and danger mutations: Large scale vaccine hesitancy could drag the pandemic longer by ensuring sustained continuance of the COVID-19 diseases and emergence of newer and deadlier variants.

Various causes for vaccine hesitancy

• Scepticism: There are many reasons for vaccine scepticism. Vaccine hesitancy is complex and context specific varying across time, place and vaccines.
• Fake news: The conspiracy theories on social media have brought negative publicity for vaccination. These seem to have created propaganda against the vaccines.
• Malfunctions: The sensational highlighting of vaccine fatalities event by the media is driving vaccine hesitancy to some extent.
• Myths and beliefs: In some places radical religious factors have driven vaccine hesitancy resulting in myth against vaccines. This is also a leading factor of prevalence of Polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Policy fluctuations: The frequent flip-flops by governments on the vaccination issue have resulted in a low trust among the general populace regarding vaccination.
• Public trust: Vaccine hesitancy is also influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence.

Why nations have mandated compulsory vaccination?

• Public threat: Reluctance for vaccination goes against another person’s right to good health given the fact that no one is safe until everyone is safe.
• Community safeguard: Given that all humans share a common space, the decision to not get vaccinated by a section of the population would undermine the interests of others sharing the common spaces.
• Immunization: Vaccination coverage will help boost immunity against the disease and will thus help save precious lives. It will also help reduce load on the stretched healthcare sector.
• Controlling of future mutations: Universal vaccination will help reduce the chances of evolution of new variants and could help end the pandemic.

Way forward

With no “one-size-fits-all” solution to vaccine hesitancy, contextualised and curated approaches are crucial.

• Dispelling misinformation: There is the need to dispel all misinformation – unscientific, incorrect and unsubstantiated.
• Community engagement: The diversity of India necessitates community engagement at the local level to counter this narrative of misinformation.
• Counselling: WHO has put forth the BeSD (behavioural and social drivers) vaccination model, which emphasises “motivation” as the vanguard of human psychology during a vaccination drive.
• Standard safeguards: The fact that vaccines meet the necessary safety standards set by the various organizations needs to be highlighted.
• Responsible journalism: The media should indulge in responsive reporting especially in cases involving reports of adverse events of vaccination.
• Vaccine equality: Apart from addressing the vaccine hesitancy issue, it is also equally important to address the issue of vaccine inequity. There is the need to ensure access of affordable, quality and timely vaccines to all.
• Highlighting success: Countries must highlight the success observed due to the vaccination programmes, wherein despite rapid rise in cases the hospitalization and death rates remain within controllable limits.

Conclusion

• Vaccines mitigate the chances of contracting Covid-19.
• There is no caveat to this singular truth.
• Thinking local and utilising established networks to create culturally resonant messages is the need of the hour to reduce vaccine hesitancy, bridge the digital divide and achieve vaccine saturation.