Coronavirus – Health and Governance Issues

Much Needed Amendments in WHO

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: International Institutions

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: India's proposed amendments
Context
- India has proposed several amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) that take into account the socio-economic development of states, promote One Health, among other things.
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What are the amendments proposed by India?
- International Health Regulations: The country advocated implementing IHR to be in accordance with (the) common but differentiated responsibilities of the States Parties, taking into consideration their social and economic development.
- Assessing human+ animal health: It also recommended assessing human health in congruence with animal and environment health to promote One Health.
- Public health alert: India also sought a provision for an intermediate public health alert in the event where an outbreak doesn’t yet meet the criteria for a public health emergency of international concern but requires timely mitigating measures.
Impact of COVID 19 on proposed amendments
- Equitable access demand: Drawing on the learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic, India argues for “equitable access to medical countermeasures.”
- Accountability of WHO: India also sought greater accountability from the World Health Organization (WHO) in how the IHR is implemented and whether Member States are complying.
- Reporting to WHA: It proposed the Director-General report all activities under the IHR to the World Health Assembly (WHA), particular instances when Member States did not share information.
Support from other countries
- Some developed and developing countries: Other countries which made submissions included Armenia, Brazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Namibia, New Zealand, Russia and Switzerland, among others.
- Support from Arica: Eswatini also made suggestions to the IHR amendments on behalf of the WHO Africa Region.
- Other issues are also raised: It included issues surrounding intellectual property, licensing, transfer of technology and know-how for diversification of production.
What is the common demand from developing countries?
- Equitable access to health: Equity has emerged as the common focal point in demands made by developing countries. Equitable access to the health products, international financing mechanisms, strengthening health systems, access and benefit sharing mechanisms and tailoring responsibilities based on a country’s capacity are some of the key features.
- Similar demand by executive board: The WHO’s executive board, in its sixth meeting last January, had noted that IHR amendment “should be limited in scope and address specific and clearly identified issues, challenges, including equity,
- Universal protection from disease: Other demands include, technological or other developments, or gaps that could not effectively be addressed otherwise but are critical to supporting effective implementation and compliance of the International Health Regulations (2005), and their universal application for the protection of all people of the world from the international spread of disease in an equitable manner”.
What are the opposition from developed countries?
- Equity only for pandemic: Amendments proposed by developed countries seem to evade the equity demand. The European Union’s policy, for instance, noted equity principles should only be applicable for pandemic-scale health emergencies.
- Non-pandemic health emergency doesn’t need equity: This terminology, in effect, excludes health emergencies that are not officially declared a pandemic. The argument being that outbreaks at the scale of COVID-19 occur occasionally.
- Pandemic specific capacities cannot be generalized: Capacities developed solely for pandemic response cannot therefore be put in use regularly and this will further result in the deterioration of the capacities as well.
Conclusion
- As per the current suggestions, the new regulations should make developed countries and WHO more responsible towards developing countries, put in place stricter mandates, swift action and regular implementation review by WHO.
Mains Question

Q. What are the amendments suggested by India for WHO? Why there is opposition from developed countries for demand of equity by developing countries?

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Human Rights Issues

Voting Rights of Migrant Workers

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters,Representation Of People’s Act

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Migrants and their problems
Context
- It is very worrying that a third of the eligible voters, a whopping 30 crore people, do not vote. Among the many reasons, including urban apathy and geographical constraints, one prominent reason is the inability of internal migrants to vote for different reasons.
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What are the efforts by election commission to address the problem?
- Committee of Officers on Domestic Migrants: The Election Commission had earlier formed a “Committee of Officers on Domestic Migrants” to address this issue. The Committee’s report submitted in 2016 suggested a solution in the form of “remote voting”.
- All party representative: To further address this serious problem, the EC invited representatives from all recognised national and state political parties to discuss the legal, administrative, and statutory changes to resolve the issue.
- All party consensus: The discussion took place in the presence of a technical expert committee. It is important to recall that the last major decision about the voting system was the introduction of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), with the consensus of all political parties in 2010.
Migrant workers and their voting rights
- Least represented group: The Constitution guarantees freedom of movement to every citizen and freedom to reside in any part of the country. However, migrant workers, especially circular or short-term migrants, constituting tens of millions of citizens are some of the least represented groups in the ballot.
- Lack of access to vote: The issue of disenfranchisement faced by migrant workers is not one arising out of deliberate denial of the right to vote, but for lack of access to vote.
- Fundamental right: The Supreme Court, in a series of cases, has conclusively interpreted the freedom to access the vote as within the ambit of Article 19(1)(a).
Problems related to migrant workers and Voting
- Large scale migration: According to the 2011 Census, the number of internal migrants stands at 450 million, a 45 per cent surge from the 2001 census. Among these, 26 per cent of the migration (117 million) occurs inter-district within the same state, while 12 per cent of the migration (54 million) occurs inter-state.
- Alienation by residency criteria: The root cause of the migrant voters’ issue is that the individual’s inalienable right to vote is conditioned by a rather strict residency qualification. As a consequence, it tends to disenfranchise the migrant population.
- 60% migrants could not vote: In the survey report, ‘Political inclusion of Seasonal Migrant Workers in India: Perceptions, Realities and Challenges’ by Aajeevika Bureau, it was found that “close to 60 per cent of respondents had missed voting in elections at least once because they were away from home seeking livelihood options”.
What is the way forward?
- Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System: Section 60(c) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 empowers the Election Commission of India, in consultation with the government, to notify “classes” of voters who are unable to vote in person at their constituencies owing to their physical or social circumstances. Once notified, the voters are eligible for the ETPB system (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System). In the 2019 general elections, the ETPB system was accessed by 18 lakh defence personnel across the country.
- Postal ballots for migrants: In 2019, in the backdrop of a PIL before the Supreme Court, a bill was floated to extend a similar remote voting possibility to over 10 million adult NRIs in order to “boost their participation in nation-building”. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, more than 28 lakh votes were received via postal ballots.
- Migrants are also equal citizens: In the existing system, remote voting within the constituency by voting via postal ballot is available to senior citizens, people with disabilities, and Covid-affected personnel. The postal ballot voting outside the constituency is available only to service voters, persons on election duty and persons on preventive detention. The Indian migrant worker too deserves the secured right to have access to vote through some mechanism.
- Remote electronic voting machine: The Election Commission has proposed the use of remote voting for migrant workers wherein a modified version of the existing model of M3 EVMs will be placed at remote polling stations. In fact, the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd. has already developed a prototype of a Multi-constituency Remote EVM (RVM) a modified version of the existing EVM which can handle 72 constituencies in a single remote polling booth. Technical details will be available only after the crucial demonstration.
Conclusion
- Migrant workers are also the equal citizens of the country. Social-economic and structural barriers should not the hurdle in there right to vote. Election commission of India has taken the step in the right direction. However, consensus needs to be built over the voting rights of migrants.
Mains Question

Q. What are the problems faced by migrant workers in exercise of there voting rights? What is the way forward towards ensuring voting rights to migrants?

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Tax Reforms

Making The Case for Wealth Tax

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Wealth tax and present status in India
Mains level: Rationale behind wealth tax
Context
- The discourse on efficient, effective and equitable public spending often takes us into the realm of limited resources facing competing demands. India definitely needs to widen its revenue collection as well as base. In this context, it is important to discuss the need for levying a wealth tax, and levying it now.
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Why wealth needs to be taxed?
- Accumulation of wealth: The most compelling reason stems from evidence that there has been massive accumulation of wealth in a few hands. A small section of people has access to a large share of economic assets and resources that remain almost completely untaxed and thus unavailable for public allocation.
- Wealth without hard work: Wealth, much less than even income, has little to do with one’s education, merit or efforts; it is largely dependent on inheritance and opportunities that come with the advantages associated with belonging to one of India’s privileged classes and castes.
- Income inequality: India’s top 10% population owns 65% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 10% owns only 6%, according to the World Inequality Database, 2022.
- Wealth of rich doubled in pandemic: An Oxfam report has highlighted how India’s richest doubled their wealth during the pandemic. This happened for a variety of reasons, including profits made on vaccines and commodity and asset price movements.
- Wealth doesn’t translate into productive resources: But the fact remains that India, despite facing grave financial and economic challenges, has no means to convert any of this growing wealth into productive resources that can generate employment opportunities and push up the incomes of multitudes, which in turn can drive demand for goods something that is needed to counter an economic drag-down.
What is the government’s attitude towards wealthy?
- Rich knows how to invest: One may argue and it is common to hear this that wealth is better left to the wealthy, as they know best how to invest. This has not been in sufficient evidence, at least in India.
- Corporate tax lowered: The government lowered the corporate tax rate significantly from 30% to 22% in 2019-20, which has continued despite the economic crises caused by the pandemic. However, this did not elicit much private investment.
History of Wealth taxation in India
- Wealth tax: Wealth tax, which is a direct tax unlike the goods and services tax or value-added tax, can take several forms, such as property tax, inheritance or gift tax and capital gains tax.
- Capital gains tax: Capital Gains tax exists in India, but applies only to transactions and hence is limited in its base.
- Estate duty: India scrapped its estate duty in 1985 and has no inheritance tax. Although the receipt of gifts is subject to income tax in the beneficiary’s hands, it has various exemptions; it is almost entirely exempt if received from within the family, including the extended family of self and spouse.
- Exemption leads to accumulation: These exemptions shrink the base significantly, as most accumulated wealth is acquired through family, and that remains outside the gift tax’s ambit. Given the cultural context of wealth inheritance, some exemptions make sense, but upper thresholds can be easily added to make it more effective.
Present status of wealth taxation
- No wealth tax: India presently does not have any wealth tax i.e., a tax levied on one’s entire property in all forms.
- One time solidarity tax: It did not impose a one-time ‘solidarity tax’ on wealth in post-covid budgets that could have generated resources for essential public investment.
- Example of developing countries: A number of Latin American countries, including Argentina, Peru and Bolivia, have either introduced or are introducing a progressive annual wealth tax levied on the wealth gains of each year or a one-time covid ‘solidarity’ tax.
Conclusion
- Idea of wealth tax appear good on paper however; it may negatively impact the domestic and foreign investment in the country. Direct tax slab for superrich in India is already among the highest in the world. The idea of wealth taxation needs careful deliberation before implementation.
Mains Question

Q. Comment on history of wealth tax in India. why wealth tax is necessary in India? elaborate.

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Women empowerment issues – Jobs,Reservation and education

Indian women’s labor force participation is declining

op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 3: Inclusive Growth & Issues

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Women's declining labour participation, analysis and solutions
Context
- According to the World Bank report released in June 2022, Indian women’s labour force participation proportion of the population over the age of 15 that is economically active has been steadily declining since 2005 and is at a low of 19 percent in 2021.
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How the experts are analysing the falling participation of women?
- Patriarchy in continuity: According to some experts there is continuities of patriarchal oppression and structural barriers to women’s economic participation in India.
- Informal economy not accounted: Other group of experts says these claims fail to acknowledge that this measure does not capture women’s participation in the informal economy.
- Preference for home-based work: In developing economies such as India, women are concentrated in the informal sector and demonstrate a preference for home-based work opportunities that allow them to balance their domestic duties with income-generating activities.
- Social consideration: It is simplistic and instrumental link between women’s labour force participation and measures of societal development.
- Reductionist approach: It is important to move beyond reductionist explanations and probe how women’s employment operates in specific contexts. This calls for a more comprehensive understanding of women’s decision-making and navigation around employment.
Economy theory about women participation in labour force
- Standard economic theory: Standard economic theory predicts that as household income increases, women withdraw from devalued labour because their income is no longer required to run the household.
- Income employment: As household income rises and educational attainment improves, women re-enter the workforce.
- Mismatch of skills: But for moderately educated women from upwardly mobile families, there is often a mismatch between available jobs and their skills and ambitions.
- Aversion towards low-paid jobs: As their families are in the process of claiming middle-class status, young women are often averse to taking up low-paid jobs in the formal economy.
- Class and social mobility: If they are unable to secure high-status white-collar jobs, they prefer home-based work such as tailoring or running tuitions for young children. Thus, women’s employment preferences are often intertwined with family-centred projects of class and social mobility.
Study of ground reality about women employment
- Facilitated study group: In a recent study, facilitated study group (FSG) interviewed 6,600 women of working age from low-income communities across 16 cities in India.
- Small job and business: It found that women’s ability to work outside the home is defined by the views of their family members who prefer women working from home or engaging in a small business to allocate more time to household responsibilities. But 59 percent of women prefer jobs in the formal sector over entrepreneurship.
- Less use of child care: Less than 1 percent of working mothers with children under 12 years old have used paid childcare services. 89 percent are unwilling to use paid childcare services.
- Preference to family care: Affordability isn’t a key factor in not considering paid day-care. It’s because mothers do not trust day-care services as they do not provide ‘family-like’ care.
- Balancing the familial expectations: These findings suggest that Indian women’s employment-related decisions are shaped by considerations of providing caregiving to their children and balancing their preferences with familial expectations.
What should be the right approach about women participation?
- Family responsibility and career: women, especially in low-income communities in India, have a composite view of their lives (jobs, enterprises, care work, upholding traditions, and community connections) and navigate through these with their household and extended family.
- Comprehensive view of life: The non-compartmentalisation emerges from a culturally embedded and empirically grounded perspective that does not view culture as a limitation, but as a resource and enabler that provides a comprehensive valuation for all kinds of work that women do (informal and formal).
- Understanding the cultural context: This translates into everyday negotiations that have less to do with upturning the current social structure and more with negotiating for increased autonomy within the cultural context.
- Flexible working Hours: Policy solutions must derive from the negotiations women are interested in undertaking with their employers around home-based work or flexible working hours. It is important to perceive women’s employment goals as reflective of preferences defined not only by their gender but also by their social and cultural context.
Conclusion
- The breakdown of the family structure and caregiving systems in developed economies offers an important lesson. If Indian women want to participate in the formal labour force while retaining their family structure, this preference should be accommodated in institutional and interpersonal responses.
Mains Question

Q. In the context of world bank report analyse the declining participation of women in labour force. What should be the right approach to increase the participation of women in labour force?

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

A Bumpy Ride for India’s Economy in 2023: A perspective

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Prospectus on Indian economy
Context
- India’s general elections, scheduled for 2024, will also bring in their wake high-pitched rhetoric and spin-doctoring to further muddy the waters. In short, buckle up because the next 12 months promise a flurry of conflicting signals and a rather bumpy ride. A perspective on Indian economy in 2023.
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Turbulent global situation
- Pandemic plus Ukraine war: One conflicting signal is already staring us in the face, the seemingly doomed future of globalization. Post-Brexit, the covid pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, there are multiple signs indicating retrenchment of globalization.
- Collapse of Supply chains: The collapse of global supply chains due to economic lockdowns has refocused attention towards near-shoring or on-shoring.
- Trade barriers: In an associated move, nations have erected protective trade barriers; both the US and EU are using climate plans to renege on free-trade promises. The end result, reduced global trade.
What are the prospects from international institute?
- BlackRock Investment Institute’s 2023 Global Outlook: Various financial institutions across the globe are trying to wrap their heads around the phenomenon. According to BlackRock Investment Institute’s 2023 Global Outlook, “We see geopolitical cooperation and globalization evolving into a fragmented world with competing blocs.
- Citi’s wealth outlook for 2023: Citi’s wealth outlook for 2023 intoned ominously, as a less globalized, more polarized world presents challenges for investors.
Effect of globalization and policy change by developed economies
- Rising federal rates: As US employment numbers and demand data continue to stay elevated (despite, paradoxically, slowing growth), the Federal Reserve is likely to be unrelenting in its endeavor to bring the inflation rate back to 2%.
- Rise in domestic interest rates: The Fed’s actions will undoubtedly strengthen the dollar further, forcing many central banks across the global economy to raise interest rates in tandem. Interestingly, central banks in emerging economies today face threats to their independence from an external agency and not from the political dispensation at home.
- Increase in food and fuel cost: Beyond interest rates, inflation also travels easily across national boundaries, especially through food and fuel trade. The fractured supply chains and war in Europe have ensured that inflation’s harmful impact might sustain through 2023.
- Omicron variant and travel restrictions: The other undesirable effect of globalization could be the persisting effect of the Omicron variant that has travelled seamlessly from one corner of the world to another. The Indian government has been forced to resume random screening of passengers arriving from different parts of the world to test for the numerous Omicron variants that have witnessed a resurgence in recent times.
Impact on Indian Economy
- Over-priced equity markets: Indian equity markets have been soaring since early 2020, once the initial shock of the covid pandemic was negotiated. Cross-country comparisons across emerging markets by various valuation indices show the Indian market to be considerably over-priced currently, both relative to its own past performance as well as compared with the rest of the world.
- High retail investors: Interestingly, the market held its own despite foreign portfolio investors (FPI) pulling out money over the past few months. Domestic investment institutions and retail investors are believed to have kept the market valuation up. But below this cheery visage lies a grim reality.
- Worrisome credit records: Sectoral credit deployment data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows credit growth in commercial banks in recent months has been driven by only two segments: non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) and consumer loans.
- High retail borrowings: A large chunk of the NBFC borrowing was also for on-lending to retail borrowers, given tepid industrial credit demand. RBI data for commercial banks shows consumer loans in four categories advances against fixed deposits, advances against shares or bonds, loans against gold jwellery and other personal loans grew by almost 71% between April 2020 and November 2022.
- Loans for equity investments: It is quite likely that a large proportion of these loans have found their way into stock markets; the Nifty-50 index gained close to 118% between April 2020 and November 2022, at a time when FPI investments during the same period witnessed a net inflow of only ₹1,464 crore.
Conclusion
- The year 2023 appears to be very bumpy for economy in general and credit growth and recovery in particular. SEBI and RBI need to protect the retail investors from Ponzi scheme and fake promises of guaranteed returns.
Mains Question

Q. How policy changes in developed economies affects the India’s decision making? Assess the effect of turbulent global situation on credit growth in India.

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Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

Mental Health Problem and effective policy

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Strategy for better mental health policy
Context
- The fifth Global Mental Health Summit, co-sponsored by over half a dozen organisations engaged with mental health, was held in Chennai to discuss mental health in the context of human rights, ethics and justice. Highlighting the importance of mental health, it gave a call for action against the continued neglect by society at large and the governments at central and state levels, in particular.
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Findings of national mental health survey
- The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS): The latest National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) conducted by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and WHO, was published in 2016.
- Prevalence of mental disorder: According to the survey, the prevalence of mental disorders among adults in India is around 10.6%. The most common disorders were anxiety disorders (7.3%) and mood disorders (4.5%).
- Higher among women than men: The survey also found that the prevalence of mental disorders was higher among women than men, and that the majority of people with mental disorders did not receive any treatment.
- Prevalence of mental disorders is higher in urban areas: It also found that the prevalence of mental disorders was higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and that there was a higher prevalence of mental disorders among people with lower levels of education and income.
- Gap in treatment coverage for people with mental disorder : The survey highlighted that there is a significant gap in treatment coverage for people with mental disorders, and that the majority of people with mental disorders do not receive any treatment.
- Plan for mental health: The survey has provided an important information for Indian government and mental health professional to plan and implement mental health programs and policies in the country.
What constitutes good policy making on mental health?
- Policy should be based on research and findings: Policies should be based on sound research and evidence from scientific studies. This helps to ensure that policies are effective in addressing mental health issues and are not based on assumptions or stereotypes.
- Active engagement of stakeholders: Policy making should involve a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience of mental health issues, mental health professionals, and representatives from relevant government departments and non-governmental organizations.
- A comprehensive and integrated approach: Mental health policies should be comprehensive and address a wide range of issues, including prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery. They should also be integrated with other policies, such as those related to education, housing, and employment.
- Ensure easy access to mental health care: policies should ensure that people have access to appropriate and affordable mental health care, including both medication and psychosocial therapies.
- Public awareness and Sensitization : policies should ensure that people with mental health issues are treated with dignity and respect, and that their human rights are protected.
Case study: How India tackled HIV/AIDS?
- Active surveillance system: The need for crafting strategic interventions based on epidemiological evidence from an active surveillance system.
- Modelling different options: The importance of modelling different options of addressing the wide array of interventions required in different geographies, among different target groups, to provide the data related to cost effectiveness as well as efficacy of the interventions required for scaling up.
- Proactive advocacy of systemic issues among all influencers: The proactive advocacy of systemic issues among all influencers the media, judiciary, politicians, police and other intersectoral departments whose programmes and activities have had a direct bearing on the key populations being worked on.
- Community engagement: The use of peer leaders and civil society that was allocated over 25 per cent of the budget. Though a central sector programme was fully funded by the central government, every intervention was formulated with active participation and dialogue among the states and constituencies of local leaders.
Strategy for better implementation of mental health policy
- Clear goals and objectives: Having clear and measurable goals and objectives can help to ensure that policies are implemented effectively and that progress can be tracked.
- Training and capacity building: Providing training and capacity building for mental health professionals, as well as for other relevant stakeholders such as community leaders, can help to ensure that policies are implemented effectively.
- Community engagement: Involving communities in the planning and implementation of mental health policies can help to ensure that policies are responsive to the specific needs and priorities of local populations.
- Monitoring and evaluation: Regularly monitoring and evaluating the implementation of policies can help to identify any barriers or challenges, and make adjustments as necessary.
- Multi-sectoral approach: Adopting a multi-sectoral approach that involves collaboration between different sectors, such as health, education, social welfare, housing, and employment can help to ensure that policies are implemented in a coordinated and effective manner.
- Policy flexibility: Policies should be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances, and be responsive to feedback and suggestions from the community and stakeholders.
latest research in mental health domain
- The growing recognition of the importance of early intervention in mental health: Research has shown that early intervention can prevent mental health issues from becoming more severe, and can help individuals to recover more quickly.
- The use of technology in mental health: There has been an increase in the use of technology, such as mobile apps, virtual reality, and teletherapy, to deliver mental health care. Studies have shown that these technologies can be effective in improving mental health outcomes.
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: The pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, and research has been conducted to understand the extent of the impact and to develop strategies to mitigate it.
- Advancements in brain imaging and genetics: Researchers are using brain imaging techniques and genetic studies to gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of mental disorders and to develop more effective treatments.
- The use of personalized medicine in mental health: There is growing interest in the use of personalized medicine, which involves using genetic and other information to tailor treatment to the individual patient, to improve mental health outcomes.
- The benefits of nature-based interventions for mental health: Studies have shown that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health, including reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
- The importance of social determinants of mental health: Research has highlighted the importance of social determinants such as poverty, education, and social support in mental health.
- The importance of addressing mental health in the workplace: Studies have highlighted the impact of workplace stress and burnout on mental health and the importance of workplace interventions to promote mental well-being.
Do you know Neuralink?
- Neuralink is a gadget that will be surgically inserted into the brain using robotics. In this procedure, a chipset called the link is implanted in the skull.
- Neuralink can be used to operate encephalopathy. It can also be used as a connection between the human brain and technology which means people with paralysis can easily operate their phones and computer directly with their brain.
Conclusion
- Mental health problems and not related to age of persons. From children to old age all can suffer from this menace. Government of the must formulated, implement the effective, resulted oriented mental health policy as earliest as possible
Mains Question

Q. What factors need to be taken care while drafting sound mental health policy? Suggest a strategy for better implementation of metal health policy.

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Tourism Sector

Ganga Vilas: A boost to riverine tourism

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: MV ganga Vilas cruise
Mains level: Tourism economy
Context
- The travel-tourism-hospitality sector got a symbolic boost on Friday, with the Prime Minister launching the MV Ganga Vilas from Varanasi. The luxury 51-day cruise operated in partnership with private players by the Inland Waterways Authority will traverse several states, two countries and make stops at about 50 tourist and heritage sites along the Ganga and Brahmaputra River systems.
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All you need to know about MV Ganga Vilas
- MV Ganga Vilas is the first indigenously made and the world’s longest river cruise
- The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the coordinator of this ship tourism project.
- The cruise has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the modern amenities and avoids river pollution.
- It has its own sewage treatment plant besides a water treatment plant that lifts water from the river for daily use.
- The cruise has a gymnasium, a spa, restaurant, sunbath deck and other amenities on board to entertain the tourists and also to provide them a comfortable experience.
Journey of MV Ganga Vilas
- From Varanasi to Dibrugarh: Set to sail from Varanasi, the cruise ship, MV Ganga Vilas, will cover 3,200 km over 51 days, crossing 27 river systems and several states before ending its journey at Dibrugarh.
- It will cover World heritage sites: The voyage is packed with visits to 50 tourist spots, including World Heritage spots, national parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.
- Pilgrimage plus environmental tourism: It will make pit-stops to cover the famous Ganga Arti in Varanasi, the Buddhist site of Sarnath; and even Majuli, the largest river island in Assam.
What are the concerns highlighted?
- Silting and pollution of rives must be addressed on priority: Two of the greatest threats to India’s rivers silting and pollution must be addressed.
- Employment generation must go hand-in-hand with ecological repair: Both the PM and Shipping & Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have cited the jobs that riverine tourism could bring to states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. But employment generation must go hand-in-hand with ecological repair.
Way ahead
- Involve local communities: For the government to realise its goal to increase cruise passenger traffic from 4 lakh people to nearly 10 times that figure. But this growth, to be sustainable, must involve local communities.
- Smaller vessels could be involved: While there is potential for larger, luxury liners, riverine tourism could also expand and cater to travellers from different economic strata. Also, smaller vessels may pose less of an ecological challenge.
- Lesson to be learnt from Kerala: While the Centre’s push in the sector, with the PM as the face, is welcome, states and the private sector too must be brought on board. There is, for example, much that east Indian states can learn from how Kerala monetizes and maintains its backwaters.
- Further expansion with worlds best practices: The Ganga cruise, though, should be just a beginning in tapping the unrealized potential of India’s numerous and diverse river systems for tourism. At the same time, the expansion must take into account the best practices from around India and the world, while ensuring local communities and the environment are not given short shrift.
Conclusion
- The hospitality sector is labor-intensive and can provide some of the formal jobs that a transitioning Indian economy so desperately needs. And given the growing global market for ecologically-conscious travel, India can if it is meticulous and enterprising in its planning protect its rivers and create jobs at the same time.
Mains question

Q. Recently government launched MV Ganga Vilas cruise. Discuss how it will change the face of tourism in India?

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Tourism Sector

Hospitality Industry in India: Adhering to the principle of Atithi Devo Bhava

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Tourism and Hospitality Industry in India
“To other Country, I may go as a tourist. But to India I come as a pilgrim”-Martin Luther King

Context
- As the world moves on, the service sector travel and tourism business included is emerging as a major growth engine for the Indian economy. People are once again flying in great numbers, airports are crowded, hotels are well booked, and travellers want to explore, connect and feel alive through the exhilarating emotion of travel. Despite several difficulties and challenging infrastructure in hospitality, the industry has fared extremely well.
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What is mean by Hospitality?
- Hospitality refers to the friendly and generous treatment of guests or strangers.
- It involves making guests feel welcome, comfortable, and attended to during their stay or visit.
- The goal of hospitality is to create a positive experience for the guest and to ensure that they have everything they need to feel at home and enjoy their time.
Hospitality Industry in India
- Hospitality contributes to the economy: The hospitality industry in India is a growing industry which contributes significantly to the country’s economy.
- India a choiced tourist destination: India is home to number of popular destinations for tourists, due to its diverse culture, ancient civilization, art and architecture, spiritual knowledge centre and the paradise of natural beauty.
- Infrastructure upgraded with time: The hospitality industry in India has undergone significant growth in recent years, fueled by an increase in domestic and international tourism, as well as the development of new infrastructure, such as airports and roads.
- Hospitality companies determined to offer diverse experience: Hospitality companies have consistently added supply across all segments budget, business and luxury hotels, homestays, villas and so forth by developing new circuits and offerings that tap into the diverse and myriad potential of Incredible India.
How Hospitality Industry contributes to the Economy?
- Tourism a driving force: Tourism is seen as a major driving force for any economy. It has a multiplier effect on associated industries like hospitality.
- Spillover earning: Not only improves economic condition but also enhances standard of living: The spillover of earnings from tourism into other industries not only improves economic conditions but also enhances the standards of living of the local population.
- For instance, GDP and employment in Goa: This is most apparent at the popular beach destination of Goa. Contributing over 16 per cent to the GDP and 35 per cent to direct employment within the state as per the IBEF Report 2022, the domino effect of the sector on indirect job creation is unrivalled. Today, led by tourism, Goa leads the nation in per capita NSDP (Net State Domestic Product) as per the RBI.
- Significant impact on high employability: As per trends, every hotel room generates five to seven jobs, both directly and indirectly, further leading to a significant impact on other high-employability sectors such as real estate and infrastructure.
- Will generate more than 100 million jobs globally: In fact, according to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report, the sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs globally within the next decade with at least 20 per cent of these from the Indian subcontinent. However, government support will be instrumental in achieving this.
- Will augment the Indian economy to reach $1 trillion by 2047: With Indian companies reporting positive earnings this fiscal, the sector is poised to potentially grow three times compared to the pre-pandemic levels to touch $250 billion by 2030 and further accelerate to reach $1 trillion by 2047.
Way ahead
- Upgrading the infrastructure to cater new consumer demands well: The travel and tourism industry is constantly evolving, catering to rapidly changing consumer demands. A capital-intensive industry, the hospitality sector needs to continually plough back to keep the ball rolling.
- Attracting more investments: A good start will be the Centre according infrastructure status to the sector, which will boost the industry, incorporating required incentives including regulatory ease, cheaper loans, tax concessions and contributing to a cycle of attracting more investments.
- Augmenting the infrastructure growth: In addition, industry status at the state and Union territories-level and augmenting the infrastructure growth will also have a much-needed positive impact. States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have taken the lead, and more should follow suit.
India’s G20 presidency an opportunity for India
- Challenge to provide world class experience to visiting dignitaries: As India takes on the G20 presidency and starts preparing for the summit in 2023, positioning the country as a safe, tourist-friendly destination hinges on how the government can work together with the industry and provide world-class experiences to visiting dignitaries.
- Meeting mostly be hosted in hotels: Around 300 plus meetings are expected to take place during the summit, most of which will be hosted within the corridors of the finest hotels across the country.
- Adhering to the principle of Aithi Devo Bhava: Hospitality companies are leaving no stone unturned to showcase India’s cultural essence, and the inherent warmth of Atithi Devo Bhava in our service philosophy.
- India can set an impression: Using the summit to highlight the country’s unique and differentiated travel offerings, India can claim its position on the world tourism stage.
Conclusion
- India’s growth story remains immensely encouraging. On the back of strong consumer demand, travel and tourism offers promising growth and are at an important inflection point. Through collective action between industry stakeholders and government, we can undoubtedly shape an even more thriving future for the industry one that can have a positive impact on the economy and society at large.
Mains question

Q. Tourism and Hospitality is a growing industry in India. In light of this discuss how this industry contributes to the economy? Illustrate with an example.

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Defence Sector – DPP, Missions, Schemes, Security Forces, etc.

Village Defence Guards (VDG): A sense of security and confidence

op-ed snap | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Border Area Security Challenges

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Village Defence Guards (VDGs)
Mains level: Terrorism, insurgency and Border security challenge
Context
- The revival of the Village Defence Committees (VDCs), albeit with a new name, Village Defence Guards (VDG), in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu division has been viewed with suspicion. Sceptics doubt the prospects of its success in combating terrorism, which has raised its head in the region after a prolonged lull.
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What are Village Defence Committees (VDCs)?
- Raised in 1990s: Raised initially in the mid-1990s to take on terrorists, the VDCs had instilled a sense of security among the people.
- To retaliate terrorists: Able-bodied men and ex-service personnel were roped into these committees to retaliate whenever terrorists ventured into the villages.
- Successful experiment: The experiment was successful, going by the decline in terrorist activities in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors.
What are Village Defence Guards (VDG)
- Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are a similar concept to Village Defence Committees (VDCs),
- The VDGs play a crucial role in maintaining security in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir,
- They are responsible for providing intelligence to the security forces and help in counter-insurgency operations.
- They are also armed and trained by the Indian Government.
How VDG’s are developed?
- CRPF trains VDG’s: The CRPF has been tasked to train the VDGs in the use of automatic weapons,
- J&K police plays a crucial role: though the Jammu and Kashmir police is playing a pivotal role in organising the VDGs into a formidable force to combat terrorists.
- Need a plan strategy: These VDGs need to have a planned strategy to take on the terrorists lest they be caught unawares in the event of an attack, leading to chaos.
The similar experiments in other areas
- Village Volunteer Force (VVF) in Manipur: At the peak of insurgency in Manipur, the Village Volunteer Force (VVF) proved to be an asset. Comprising largely of surrendered militants, the armed VVF personnel not only took on the militants operating in their areas but were of immense help in collecting intelligence. These forces, though, were headed by officers drawn on deputation from the CRPF and the BSF as Liaison Officers and Area Organisers.
- Salwa Judum In chattisgarh area: The Salwa Judum, a civilian force in Chhattisgarh to combat Maoists, was raised by a prominent Congress leader Mahendra Karma in June 2005. Supported by the state government, as many as 23 Salwa Judum camps were established in the Bastar and Dantewada districts.
- Similar civilian force in Jharkhad and Telangana: The initial series of successes in pinning down the Maoists prompted other states like Jharkhand and Telangana to raise similar militias to counter the Maoist menace.
- Brave villagers of Punjab: When Punjab was in the grip of militancy in the 1980s and early 1990s, certain villagers were given weapons to retaliate and the experiment turned out to be successful. They were brave enough to counter the militants for hours and successfully repulsed their attacks. Some of them, including women, went on to be honoured with the prestigious Shaurya Chakra and Kirti Chakra for thwarting the attacks by militants.
Importance of reactivated VDG’s
- Sense of Security and confidence in the villages: The reactivation of the VDGs would go a long way in instilling a sense of security and confidence in the villagers.
- Deterrence and resistance to terrorists: VDG’s also serve as a deterrent to the terrorists who would expect stiff resistance if they ever ventured to attack the villagers.
- Valuable assets: Apart from the VDGs being largely ex-servicemen, their being armed with automatic weapons, coupled with training, will be an asset in taking on terrorists.
- Source of Intelligence: Additionally, they could serve as sources for the collection of intelligence. With the additional deployment of the CRPF, the response time for the security forces to rush to trouble spots would be drastically reduced.
Concerns: The Case of Salwa Judum
- The popularity the Salwa Judum had gained did not last for too long.
- Repeated complaints of human rights violations by the volunteers, of beating up people and even raping tribal women, resulted in a case being filed in the Supreme Court.
- On July 5, 2011, the Supreme Court declared Salwa Judum illegal and unconstitutional and ordered its disbandment.
Conclusion
- It would be in the interest of the denizens of the Poonch and Rajouri districts to strengthen the VDGs and provide them with all logistical and training support on a long-term basis as a force multiplier rather than dismantling them after complete normalcy is restored. The proximity to the 120-km stretch of the Line of Control along Pakistan-occupied Kashmir warrants a permanent security blanket for all villages in the region, what with Pakistan always being up to some mischief.
Mains question

Q. What is Village Defence Guards (VDG)? What necessitates such a civilian force? Provide examples of similar forces established from time to time in India.

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Disasters and Disaster Management – Sendai Framework, Floods, Cyclones, etc.

Disasters at Himalayan Region (Uttarakhand)

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Disaster Management

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Land Subsidence
Mains level: Reasons for disasters at Himalaya
Context
- Disasters have become commonplace in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, the most recent one being the sinking of Joshimath. Although climate change has triggered these events, the most important underlying factors are poor planning and a lack of vision.
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Recent disasters on Himalaya
- Kedarnath floods: Nature has given enough warnings of the dangers in the Himalayas. The 2013 Kedarnath floods took more than 5,000 lives, according to official records.
- Nepal earthquake: The 2015 Gurkha Earthquake in Nepal killed as many as 8000 individuals.
- Floods in Pakistan: The recent floods in Pakistan left millions of people homeless and devastated.
- Sinking of Joshimath: The ‘Joshimath sinking’ phenomenon has received national and global attention. However, other cities and towns across Uttarakhand are also on the brink of collapse. Joshimath is the first one to succumb to human pressures, thankfully without causing any damage to human lives.
Reasons for disasters at Himalaya (Uttarakhand)
- Construction in Prohibited areas: The geological fragility of Uttarakhand is part of scientific and popular knowledge. Government policies and bylaws prohibit people from constructing houses on vulnerable slopes.
- Mindless decision making: With increasing access to internet facilities, almost everyone can find information. Yet one is compelled to ask about the role technological advancement and information abundance have played in environmental decision-making as mindless construction over vulnerable slopes continues uninhibited.
- Ignorance by bureaucrats: The technicalities of science and academic jargon are complex for bureaucrats to understand and laypersons and bureaucratic mindsets only engage with the research community for obligatory and cosmetic purposes.
Infrastructure of mountainous area and plain area
- Normal construction methods for fragile ecology: We have continued to borrow practices from elsewhere for implementation on the delicate eco-geological systems of the Himalayas.
- Gurugramisation of Uttarakhand: Gurugram’s infrastructure development took a toll on Gurugram itself. For the Himalayas, Gurugram-style development is enormously devastating. The “Gurugramisation” of Uttarakhand needs to stop.
- Disregards to laws and regulations: The divide between science–policy, and people, has promoted disconnected decision-making and encouraged individuals to casually flout bylaws and regulatory policies. A common Uttarakhandi is forced to live a life full of uncertainty and fear.
Case study of Nainital
- Vulnerable to landslides: Nainital, one of the most vulnerable cities in the entire Himalayan region. The Nainital lake is situated over an active Faultline and surrounded by slopes vulnerable to landslides.
- Earthquake prone area: It falls under a high earthquake-prone zone (Zone IV). Since its settlement in 1841 small and big landslides continue to threaten the city. The most devastating of them was the 1880 landslide that took 151 human lives.
- Construction on vulnerable slopes: Despite having robust scientific evidence, building bylaws, and an aware citizenry, the brutal assaults on the biophysical environment of the city are ongoing. The slope that collapsed in 1880 (less than a fraction of a second earlier on a geological time scale) is now inhabited by more than 15,000 individuals.
- Ground water exploitation: In 2017, the Nainital lake level plummeted 18 feet due to the excessive withdrawal of water from the lake bed to meet local and unprecedented tourism needs. Such a decline was never experienced in the past.
- Mindless tourism activities: The biggest threat to Nainital is the crumbling “Balianala”. To make matters worse, construction work over the most important recharge area of the Nainital lake “Sukhatal” is underway. The intention is to enhance tourism-related activity. But the question is, does a city that receives more than 10,000 tourists and 2,000 vehicles on a daily basis in the summer months and weekends need more tourism?
Conclusion
- The carrying capacity of the cities in Himalayas has been exhausted. The natural infrastructure is fatigued and dangers of a possible collapse are visible to the human eye. Government must the amend and implement the construction laws and regulations for sustainability of Himalayas.
Mains Question

Q. What are the reasons for recent sinking in Joshi math? Illustrate the vulnerability of Himalayas using the case study.

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Type: op-ed snap

Context

What are the amendments proposed by India?

Impact of COVID 19 on proposed amendments

Support from other countries

What are the opposition from developed countries?

Conclusion

Context

What are the efforts by election commission to address the problem?

Problems related to migrant workers and Voting

What is the way forward?

Conclusion

Context

Why wealth needs to be taxed?

What is the government’s attitude towards wealthy?

History of Wealth taxation in India

Conclusion

Context

How the experts are analysing the falling participation of women?

Economy theory about women participation in labour force

What should be the right approach about women participation?

Conclusion

Context

Turbulent global situation

What are the prospects from international institute?

Effect of globalization and policy change by developed economies

Conclusion

Context

Findings of national mental health survey

What constitutes good policy making on mental health?

Case study: How India tackled HIV/AIDS?

Strategy for better implementation of mental health policy

latest research in mental health domain

Context

All you need to know about MV Ganga Vilas

Journey of MV Ganga Vilas

What are the concerns highlighted?

Conclusion

Context

What is mean by Hospitality?

How Hospitality Industry contributes to the Economy?

Way ahead

India’s G20 presidency an opportunity for India

Conclusion

Context

What are Village Defence Committees (VDCs)?

What are Village Defence Guards (VDG)

How VDG’s are developed?

The similar experiments in other areas

Importance of reactivated VDG’s

Concerns: The Case of Salwa Judum

Context

Reasons for disasters at Himalaya (Uttarakhand)

Infrastructure of mountainous area and plain area

Case study of Nainital

Conclusion