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Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • Digital divide in India

    The COVID-19 induced lockdown highlights India’s great digital divide.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What are the various facets of Digital Divide in India? Discuss how the Digital India initiative has impacted ruling out India’s digital divide?

    What is Digital divide?

    A digital divide is any uneven distribution in the access to, use of, or impact of information and communications technologies between any number of distinct groups, which can be defined based on social, geographical, or geopolitical criteria, or otherwise

    What are the implications of the digital divide?

    Political

    In the age of social media, political empowerment and mobilization are difficult without digital connectivity.

    Governance

    Transparency and accountability are dependent on digital connectivity. The digital divide affects e-governance initiatives negatively.

    Social

    Internet penetration is associated with greater social progress of a nation. Thus digital divide in a way hinders the social progress of a country.

    Rural India is suffering from information poverty due to the digital divide. It only strengthens the vicious cycle of poverty, deprivation, and backwardness.

    Economic

    The digital divide causes economic inequality between those who can afford the technology and those who don’t.

    Educational

    The digital divide is also impacting the capacity of children to learn and develop.
    Without Internet access, students can not build the required tech skills.

    Facets of the great Digital Divide in India

    • Education is just one area that has highlighted the digital divide between India’s rural and urban areas during the lockdown.
    • The trend is evident everywhere — telemedicine, banking, e-commerce, e-governance, all of which became accessible only via the internet during the lockdown.
    • The divide exists despite the rise in the number of wireless subscribers in India over the past few years.

    1) Telecom facility, not digital progression

    • According to a report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on June this year, the country had over 1,160 million wireless subscribers in February 2020, up from 1,010 million in February 2016.
    • This is a rise of 150 million subscribers in five years or 30 million per year.
    • The growth has been evenly distributed in urban and rural areas, with the number of urban subscribers increasing by 74 million (from 579 million to 643 million) and rural subscribers by 86 million (from 431 million to 517 million).
    • But this growth only indicates the rise in basic telecommunication facility.

    2) The Urban-Rural Divide

    • Services such as online classrooms, financial transactions and e-governance require access to the internet as well as the ability to operate internet-enabled devices like phones, tablets and computers.
    • Here the urban-rural distinction is quite stark.
    • According to the NSSO conducted between July 2017 and June 2018, just 4.4 rural households have a computer, against 14.4 per cent in an urban area.
    • It had just 14.9 per cent rural households having access to the internet against 42 per cent households in urban areas.
    • Similarly, only 13 per cent people of over five years of age in rural areas have the ability to use the internet against 37 per cent in urban areas.

    3) Regional Divide

    • States too greatly differ in terms of people that have access to computers or in the know-how to use the internet.
    • Himachal Pradesh leads the country in access to the internet in both, rural and urban areas.
    • Uttarakhand has the most number of computers in urban areas, while Kerala has the most number of computers in rural areas.
    • Overall, Kerala is the state where the difference between rural and urban areas is the least.

    4) Digital Gender Divide

    • India has among the world’s highest gender gap in access to technology.
    • Only 21 per cent of women in India are mobile internet users, according to GSMA’s 2020 mobile gender gap report, while 42 per cent of men have access. The report says that while 79 per cent of men own a mobile phone in the country, the number for women is 63 per cent.
    • While there do economic barriers to girls’ own a mobile phone or laptop, cultural and social norms also play a major part.
    • The male-female gap in mobile use often exacerbates other inequalities for women, including access to information, economic opportunities, and networking.

    5) Others

    • The earning member of the family has to carry the phone while going out to work.
    • Access to phones and the internet is not just an economic factor but also social and cultural.
    • If one family has just one phone, there is a good chance that the wife or the daughter will be the last one to use it.

    Programmes for Addressing the Challenges in Bridging the Digital Divide:

    India taking significant steps towards acquiring competence in information and technology, the country is increasingly getting divided between people who have access to technology and those who do not. 

      • The Indian government has passed Information Technology Act, 2000 to make to e- commerce and e-governance a success story in India along with national e-governance plan. 
      • Optical Fibre Network (NOF-N), a project aimed to ensure broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India by 2016.
      • Digital Mobile Library: In order to bridge the digital divide in a larger way the government of India, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Computing (C–DAC) based in Pune.
      • Unnati, is a project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) which strives to bridge the digital divide in schools by giving the rural students with poor economic and social background access to computer education.
      • E-pathshala: to avail study materials  for every rural and urban student. 
      • Common Service Centres: which enabled the digital reach to unreachable areas. 

    Initiatives of State Government:

    • Sourkaryan and E–Seva: Project of the government of Andhra Pradesh to provides the facility for a citizen to pay property taxes online.
    • The Gyandoot Project: It is the first ever project in India for a rural information network in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh which has the highest percentage of tribes and dense forest. The project was designed to extend the benefits of information technology to people in rural areas by directly linking the government and villagers through information kiosks

    Way forward

    1.Infrastructure

    • The promotion of indigenous ICT development under Atmanirbhar Abhiyan can play a significant role. The promotion of budget mobile phones is the key.

    • The creation of market competition between service providers may make services cheaper.

    • Efficient spectrum allocation in large contiguous blocks should be
      explored.

    • We should also explore migration to new technologies like 5G. It would resolve some of the bandwidth challenges.

    2.Digital literacy

    • Digital literacy needs special attention at the school / college level.

    •  The National Digital Literacy Mission should focus on introducing digital literacy at the primary school level in all government schools for basic content and in higher classes and colleges for advanced content.

    • When these students will educate their family members, it will create multiplier effects. Higher digital literacy will also increase the adoption of computer hardware across the country.

    3.Language

    • State governments should pay particular attention to content creation in the Indian regional languages, particularly those related to government services.

    • Natural language processing ( NLP) in Indian languages needs to be promoted.

    4.Role of regulators

    • Regulators should minimize entry barriers by reforming licensing, taxation, spectrum allocation norms.

    • TRAI should consider putting in place a credible system. This system will track call drops, weak signals, and outages. It ensures the quality and reliability of telecom services.

    5.Cybersecurity

    • MeitY will need to evolve a comprehensive cybersecurity framework for data security, safe digital transactions, and complaint redressal.

    Telecom ombudsman

    • The government should also set up telecom ombudsman for the redress of grievances.

    Conclusion

    • The Standing Committee on Information Technology in January 2019 concluded that the digital literacy efforts of the government are far from satisfactory.
    • Clearly, internet penetration is not deep enough. At one level, we all recognise that the internet has become indispensable.
    • On another level, it still doesn’t have adequate attention of the decision-makers.
    • The most crucial need of the hour is to ensure uninterrupted internet services.

    Back2Basics: Digital India Initiatives

    • Over the past decade, governments have been trying to improve internet access in the country.
    • In 2011, the BharatNet project was launched to connect 0.25 million panchayats through an optical fibre (100 MBPS) and connect India’s villages. Its implementation began only in 2014.
    • In 2014, the government launched the National Digital Literacy Mission and the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan.
    • In 2015, the government launched several schemes under its Digital India campaign to connect the entire country.
    • This includes the PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, launched in 2017, to usher in digital literacy in rural India by covering 60 million households.

  • [pib] Special Window for Affordable and Mid Income Housing (SWAMIH)

    Union Minister for Finance has informed that so far Rs 8767 crore has been approved for 81 projects under Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The SWAMIH Fund recently seen in news is related to:

    (a) Higher Education (b) MSMEs (c) Housing (d) Highways

    SWAMIH Fund

    • In November 2019, the Finance Minister had cleared a proposal to set up a ‘Special Window’ called SWAMIH in to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stalled housing projects.
    • SWAMIH Investment Fund has been formed to complete the construction of stalled, brownfield, RERA registered residential developments that are in the affordable housing / mid-income category.
    • The Sponsor of the Fund is the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India on behalf of the Government of India.
    • The fund is set up as a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with SEBI and would be professionally run.

    Why need such funds?

    • Several real estate projects have suffered due to a combined effect of two changes in the real estate sector.
    • On one hand, incremental launches and slow sales have increased unsold inventory in each project.
    • While the effect has then got compounded by the fact that consumer preference is now towards completed projects rather than under-construction projects.
    • This preference has developed as consumers are largely avoiding taking project completion risk and instead are more inclined to completed projects.

  • [pib] INDSAT exam under ‘Study in India’ Programme

    The Ministry of HRD conducted the first-ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (IND-SAT) Test 2020 under its ‘Study in India’ programme.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The INDSAT recently seen in news is a:

    a) Free-to-air educational TV channels for school education

    b) A satellite for educational purposes

    c) IMD weather forecasting system

    d) Online examination for foreign students in India

    INDSAT Exam

    • The Indian Scholastic Assessment or IND-SAT is a standardized online proctored test for students seeking scholarships with Study in India (SII).
    • This exam is to gauge the capability and tenacity of students applying to study in India.
    • The scores will serve as a criterion to shortlist the meritorious students for the allocation of scholarships for undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes under ‘Study in India’ programme.
    • The exam is conducted in the proctored internet mode by the National Testing Agency.

    What makes it special?

    • Nearly five thousand candidates from Nepal, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Mauritius appeared for the exam.

    About Study in India

    • The Study in India is a programme of MHRD under which foreign students come to study in 116 select higher education institutions in India for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
    • The selection of the students is based on their merit in class 12 / school-leaving exam.
    • About top 2000 students are given scholarships, while some others are given fee discounts by the institutions.

     

  • SDGs amid Covid

    Context

    • As lockdown eases, return to business as usual is unimaginable in Asia and Pacific which was already off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
    • Efforts to respond to the pandemic have revealed how many people in our societies live precariously close to poverty and hunger.

    Progress towards SDGs in pandemic

    •  The SDGs  can serve as a beacon in these turbulent times.
    •  SDGs are a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, globally, by 2030.
    • The pandemic has exposed fragility and systemic gaps in many key systems.
    • Countries have used workable strategies during pandemic to accelerate progress related to development goals and strengthen resilience.
    • Countries have taken steps to extend universal health care systems and strengthen social protection systems.
    • Accurate and regular data have been key to such efforts.
    • Innovating to help the most disadvantaged access financing and small and medium-sized enterprise credits have also been vital.
    • Several countries have taken comprehensive approaches to various forms of discrimination, particularly related to gender and gender-based violence.
    • Partnerships with the private sector and financing institutions, have played a critical role in fostering creative solutions.

    Focus on green recovery in Asia-Pacific countries

    • Countries in Asia and the Pacific are developing ambitious new strategies for green recovery and inclusive approaches to development.
    • South Korea recently announced a New Deal based on two central pillars: digitisation and decarbonisation.
    • Many countries in the Pacific are focusing on “blue recovery,” which promote more sustainable approaches to fisheries management.
    • India recently announced operating the largest solar power plant in the region.
    • China is creating more jobs in the renewable energy sector than in fossil fuel industries.

    Suggestions for policymaking

    • We need a revolution in policy mindset and practice- following are part of the transformations needed.
    • 1) Inclusive and accountable governance systems.
    • 2) Adaptive institutions with resilience to future shocks.
    • 3) Universal social protection and health insurance.
    • 4) Stronger digital infrastructure.

    Consider the question “Pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our systems. But it also emphasised the need to strive to achieve the SDGs. Comment.”

    Conclusion

    With the onslaught of pandemic disrupting us, we should base our recovery and progress trajectory firmly towards achieving SDGs.

     

    Back2Basics: SDGs

    Sustainable Development Goals and India

    • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
    • The 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities.
    • The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.
    • The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices now to improve life, in a sustainable way, for future generations.
    • They provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the world at large.

    The SDGs are an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite us together to make a positive change for both people and planet. “Poverty eradication is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, and so is the commitment to leave no-one behind,” UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said. “The Agenda offers a unique opportunity to put the whole world on a more prosperous and sustainable development path. In many ways, it reflects what UNDP was created for.”

    The Goals

     

  • In news: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

    India’s premier organisation mandated to collect data about diseases, the NCDC is failing in its task as the spread of COVID-19 continues unabated.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Health infrastructure in India is hardly capable of handling any pandemic. Critically comment.

    About the National Centre for Disease Control

    • The NCDC carries out nationwide disease surveillance through its Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
    • It is a vertical programme under Directorate General of Health Services.

    Its formation

    • This programme has been present in the country in different avatars since 1997 when the National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases was set up.
    • This was upscaled to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project in 2004, with assistance from the World Bank, to address the demands of the WHO’s International Health Regulations, 2005.
    • Under this, each country had to assess public health emergencies of international concern within 48 hours and report them to WHO within the next 24 hours.
    • It was then included in the 12th Plan (2012-17) under the Union Health Ministry and renamed IDSP.

    Mandate of the NCDC

    To aid the process of an investigation, NCDC has put down 10 steps that need to be followed for each outbreak:

    • Determine the existence of an outbreak
    • Confirm the diagnosis
    • Define a case
    • Search for cases
    • Generate hypothesis using descriptive findings
    • Test hypothesis with the analytical study
    • Draw conclusions
    • Compare hypothesis with established facts
    • Communication of findings
    • Execute preventive measures

    Why did NCDC fail?

    • IDSP’s manual says weekly and monthly updates are mandatory for each State and UTs even if no outbreaks are reported.
    • But this has never been observed to date.
    • There is an overlap between the diseases being followed by IDSP and other agencies like the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme
    • The fact that IDSP does not collect mortality data was also a concern. Moreover, the IDSP was not investigating zoonotic diseases.

  • [pib] Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana (KSY)

    The Centre has distributed 100 electric potter wheels to 100 trained artisans under the KSY.

    Try this question from CSP 2018:

    Q. Consider the following provisions under the Directive Principles of State Policy as enshrined in the Constitution of India:

    1. Securing for citizens of India a uniform civil code.
    2. Organising village panchayats.
    3. Promoting cottage industries in rural areas.
    4. Securing for all the workers reasonable leisure and Cultural opportunities.

    Which of the above are the Gandhian Principles that are reflected in the DPSP?

    (a) 1, 2 and 4

    (b) 2 and 3

    (c) 1, 3 and 4

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana

    • KSY is an initiative of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for the empowerment of potters’ community in the remotest of locations in the country.
    • It reaches out to the potters in U.P., M.P., Maharashtra, J&K, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Telangana and Bihar.

    Benefits provided

    This program provides the following support to potters.

    • Training for advanced pottery products
    • Latest, new technology pottery equipment like the electric Chaak
    • Market linkages and visibility through KVIC exhibitions

    Back2Basics: KVIC

    • The KVIC is a statutory body formed in April 1957 under the ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’.
    • It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India.
    • It seeks to plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas.
    • Its head office is in Mumbai, whereas its six zonal offices in Delhi, Bhopal, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati.

  • False urban rural binary

    The article brings out the issues in the rural-urban binary, which leads to the disparity in the allocation of resources to the urban areas.

    Congestion and health issues in cities

    • The congestion in large cities has turned out to be their worst enemy during this pandemic.
    • Congestion is most evident in slums in large cities and poses a grave health and environmental challenges.
    • Yet, the Centre’s allocation for the rural component of the Swachh Bharat Mission is about seven times more than for urban areas.
    • Class I cities have 1.4 beds per 1,000 people. (with the population more than 1 lakh)
    • However, the urban support under the National Health Mission is just three per cent of the total allocation, while 97 per cent of the funds are set aside for rural areas.

    Issues with the present urban development programs

    • The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (2005-2014) allocated the bulk of funds to large cities: 70 per cent to large cities and 30 per cent to smaller towns.
    • Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission, focus on Class I cities.
    • Both these schemes provide funds for the more developed cities that already have relatively better infrastructure.
    • But these schemes overlook the nearly seven crore people who live in smaller towns.
    • These are towns that lag behind in services and infrastructure as compared to the big cities.

    Consider the question “The rural-urban binary has led to the policy formulation in which there is a huge disparity in the allocation of resources and attention on the urban area. Comment.”

    Conclusion

    The pandemic has forced us to reflect on the unequal and unplanned development of urban settlements and the absence of infrastructure to provide for the teeming millions.  The challenges of urban poverty and congestion cry for more attention, more government support.

    Original article:

    https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-india-urban-cities-6520574/

  • Women officers can now get permanent commission in Indian Army

    The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Army.

    Try this question for mains:

    Q.“Concern for equality of sexes or political expediency should not influence defence policies.” Discuss on lines with the debate over the induction of women in the armed forces.

    Also read: https://www.civilsdaily.com/burning-issue-women-in-armed-forces/

    Why such an order?

    • The order follows a Supreme Court verdict in February that directed the government that women Army officers be granted PC and command postings in all services other than combat.
    • Following this, Army Chief had said it was an enabling one and gives a lot of clarity on how to move forward.
    • He had stated that the same procedure for male SSC officers will be followed for women to give PC.

    Women in Army: Background of the case

    • The induction of women officers in the Army started in 1992.
    • They were commissioned for a period of five years in certain chosen streams such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers.
    • Recruits under the Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) had a shorter pre-commission training period than their male counterparts who were commissioned under the Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme.
    • In 2006, the WSES scheme was replaced with the SSC scheme, which was extended to women officers. They were commissioned for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.
    • Serving WSES officers were given the option to move to the new SSC scheme or to continue under the erstwhile WSES.
    • They were to be, however, restricted to roles in streams specified earlier — which excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured corps.

    2 key arguments shot down

    • The Supreme Court rejected arguments against a greater role for women officers, saying this violated equality under the law.
    • They were being kept out of command posts on the reasoning that the largely rural rank and a file will have problems with women as commanding officers. The biological argument was also rejected as disturbing.
    • While male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission at the end of 10 years of service, this option was not available to women officers.
    • They were, thus, kept out of any command appointment, and could not qualify for a government pension, which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.
    • The first batch of women officers under the new scheme entered the Army in 2008.

    Arguments by the Govt

    • The Centre had mentioned several reasons behind the differential treatment of women officers.
    • It had proposed that women officers with up to 14 years of service would be granted a permanent commission, while those above 14 years would be permitted to serve for up to 20 years and retire with pension without being considered for permanent commission.
    • It also stated that those with more than 20 years of service would immediately be released with pension
    • This order did not grant permanent commission to women with over 14 years of service, and hence discriminatory.
    • Furthermore, the 2019 order granted permanent commission only for staff appointments and not command appointments.
    • The centre justified this by stating that that the units in Army are composed entirely of male soldiers, who are mostly from rural backgrounds and thus, are not mentally prepared to accept women officers in the command of units.
    • It also stated that the lower physical capacity of women officers would be a challenge for them to command units wherein officers are expected to lead the men from the front and need to be in prime physical condition to undertake combat tasks.
    • The government also stated that the adverse conditions, including two unsettled borders and internal security situations in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, have a major bearing on the employment of women officers in light of their physiological limitations.
    • Also, it had stated that the isolation and hardships would eat into their resolve and that they have to heed to the call of pregnancy, childbirth and family.
    • The government also argued that women ran the risk of capture by the enemy and being taken as prisoners of war.

    SC Criticized the Government’s Note

    • Reflects Poorly on Women: The note had shown women officers in a poor light, saying isolation and hardships would eat into their resolve and that they would have to heed to the call of pregnancy, childbirth and family. The note had mentioned that women ran the risk of capture by enemy and taken prisoner of war.
    • Patriarchal Notion: The court held that the the note reflected the age-old patriarchal notion that domestic obligations rested only with women.
    • Sex Stereotype: The court also dismissed the point that women are physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype”.
    • Offence to dignity of Indian Army: The court noted that challenging abilities of women on the ground of gender is an offence not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army – men and women – who serve as equal citizens in a common mission.

    Implications of the judgement

    • The SC did away with all discrimination on the basis of years of service for grant of PC in 10 streams of combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par with male officers.
    • It has also removed the restriction of women officers only being allowed to serve in staff appointments, which is the most significant and far-reaching aspect of the judgment.
    • It means that women officers will be eligible to the tenant all the command appointments, at par with male officers, which would open avenues for further promotions to higher ranks for them.
    • It also means that in junior ranks and career courses, women officers would be attending the same training courses and tenanting critical appointments, which are necessary for higher promotions.

    Back2Basics: Permanent Commission (PC) Vs. Short Service Commission (SSC)

    • SSC means an officer’s career will be of a limited period in the Indian Armed Forces whereas a PC means they shall continue to serve in the Indian Armed Forces, till they retire.
    • The officers inducted through the SSC usually serve for a period of 14 years. At the end of 10 years, the officers have three options.
    • A PC entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he/she retires unlike SSC, which is currently for 10 years and can be extended by four more years, or a total of 14 years.
    • They can either select for a PC or opt-out or have the option of a 4-years extension. They can resign at any time during this period of 4 years extension.

  • COVID-19 Law Lab

    The UN agencies have started a portal called the COVID-19 Law Lab to host all recent legal enactments to fight the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    Note the following things about COVID-19 Law Lab:

    1) It is an online portal and not a cubical laboratory

    2) Parent agency includes the UN and WHO

    3) It is the first collation of health-related laws and protocols of the countries

    COVID-19 Law Lab

    • This digital portal hosts all legal steps taken by 190 countries to fight the pandemic.
    • The UNDP, the WHO, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University have collaborated for this initiative.
    • The collation initiative aims at dissemination of procedures and practices for effective enactment of health-related laws.
    • It is expected to be the most expansive collation of laws and procedures related to a health emergency.

    Why need such a repository?

    • The pandemic has led to confusion over treatment and management protocols.
    • Some 220 countries/territories have enacted various procedures backed by various enabling laws related to epidemics and health emergency.
    • Laws and policies that are grounded in science, evidence and human rights can enable people to access health services, protect themselves from COVID-19 and live free from stigma, discrimination and violence.
    • Sharing medicines and formulae for even general treatment has been a big challenge due to restrictive laws and trade practices.
    • As health is global, legal frameworks need to be aligned with international commitments to respond to current and emerging public health risks.

  • Transforming higher education

    The issues of quality of higher education explain the lack of employability of Indian youth. This article examines the issue and suggests the approach to deal with the issue.

    Three learning outcomes

    • The first is to provide knowledge in the relevant discipline to the students.
    • Second, imparting students with the skills needed for their jobs/enterprises.
    • Third, students are expected to play a constructive role in shaping the society and the world at large, the values and ideals of a modern, progressive society.
    • The teaching-learning process is expected to mould their character accordingly.

    Issues with the education system

    • Apart from a handful of institutions in the technology, management and liberal arts streams a vast majority of other students just meander through college and acquire a degree.
    • There is a huge gulf between the curriculum taught in the colleges and actual job requirements.
    • It is common to hear even the brightest of students mention that they learnt more on the job than through their curriculum in college.

    Focus more on training

    • If most of the students learn so much on the job, it raises several questions.
    • Why should we bestow so much importance on a syllabus?
    • And why do we take such massive efforts to evaluate students’ knowledge of that syllabus through exams?
    • What we can do is completely re-evaluate the syllabus frequently considering the changing needs of the time.
    • We can have substantive industrial internships while retaining only a very basic outline of essential concepts.
    • The evaluation too can be a mix of regular assignments, performance in the internship.

    Consider the question “The lack of employability in the youth of India could be a huge hurdle in India’s aim to reap the benefits of demographic dividend. Examine the reasons for and suggest the measures to deal with the issue.”

    Conclusion

    The higher education sector has multiple stakeholders and multiple vested interests. In normal times, maintaining the status quo or implementing incremental and marginal reforms was all one could hope for. The pandemic has opened the doors for ushering in massive, bold and transformational reforms. As John Lewis said, “If not now, then when?”