18/5/2020 : The Hindu Editorials: Mains Sure Shot
Q- Discuss the main provision of Essential Commodities Act with reference to the major concerns regarding it?
Context:
- The Centre’s objective of using the COVID-19 crisis to usher(push in) in an Atmanirbhar Bharat saw Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman focus Friday’s tranche(part of total money) of announcements on farm sector reforms.
Information
- The Centre’s moves for farm sector reforms have received both positive and negative feedback from the stakeholders.
The welcome steps (Positive steps):
Agricultural infrastructure:
- Given the lack of adequate cold-storage facilities which was causing large post-harvest losses, especially in perishables, the 1-lakh crore rupees fund to finance agriculture infrastructure projects at the farm gate and produce aggregation points is a laudable step.
- The government’s proposal to channel the funds to agricultural cooperatives, farmer producer organisations, rural entrepreneurs and start-ups is encouraging as it lays the onus of creating the appropriate infrastructure or logistics solution largely on the principal beneficiaries, the farmers themselves. This would ensure greater effectiveness and accountability.
Promoting food processing units:
- The 10,000 crore rupees scheme to promote the formalisation of micro food enterprises is a significant step forward.
- A cluster approach focused on different regions on signature produce would assist unorganised enterprises in scaling up food safety standards to earn the products certification and build brand value.
The major Concerns:
- The package includes three reform proposals that are aimed at enabling better price realisation for farmers by removing restrictions and facilitating enhanced marketing freedom. It included:
- Amendments to the Essential Commodities Act
- Proposal for a federal law to facilitate barrier free inter-state trade of farm product law for contract farming
Essential Commodities Act:
- Though the reforms are well-intended, the move to amend the Essential Commodities Act is fraught with risks.
- The Essential Commodities Act has been a vital tool in the government’s armoury for protecting consumers from irrational volatility in the prices of essentials by tamping down on black marketeers and hoarders.
- Despite the chances of harassment of even honest traders and exporters under the old act, the total deregulation for foodgrains is fraught with the risk of future inflationary food price spikes.
- The amendment deregulates cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onions and potato from stocking limits, all of which are essential parts of the Indian diet.
Bypassing APMC Act and contract farming law:
- The centre seeks to bypass the APMC regime through a central law that would allow farmers the freedom to sell across State borders.
- There is also a proposal for a framework for farmers to enter into pre-sowing contracts with buyers.
- The proposed changes, once enacted, could privilege market forces without necessarily safeguarding food security.
The PROPOSALS:
- The other two proposals are also of concern. While one seeks to bypass the APMC regime through a central law that would allow farmers the freedom to sell across State borders, the other proposes a framework for farmers to enter into pre-sowing contracts that would purportedly(supposedly) help assure them of offtake(take away) volumes and prices.
- Both the changes, once enacted, could privilege(advantage) market forces without necessarily safeguarding food security.
CONCLUSION:
- Surely, it would be in no one’s interest to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Move to amend(change) the Essential Commodities Act is fraught(posed) with risks.
Q-Health is the basic need of human being due to COVID-19 all health related issues are in debate as it should be consider right to health. Justify?
Context:
- Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package.
Details:
- The package of 20-lakh crore rupees announced by the Prime Minister focuses on reviving economic activities, restoring livelihoods, addressing concerns of hunger and starvation, stimulating small and medium enterprises, and enhancing farm incomes. The health sector has not received much attention.
Major Concerns:
The Poor state of healthcare facilities:
- The healthcare delivery system in most States is extremely fragile given the poor state of primary healthcare facilities.
- The public provisioning of healthcare has been found to be insufficient, of poor quality and having limited reach.
Poor resource allotment to health sector:
- The public spending on health has been consistently low at around 1.15% of GDP for well over a decade.
Opportunity cost of COVID-19 pandemic:
- It is possible that resources allocated for other health programmes are being diverted to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The opportunity cost of such diversion of funds could be high.
- People’s access to routine maternal and child health as well as family planning services in parts of the country has been negatively impacted. Progress made with respect to various diseases could witness setbacks.
Limitations of private sector:
- India’s private sector in health is sizable.
- The private sector accounts for 93% of all hospitals, 64% of all hospital beds, and 80-85% of all doctors.
- Most private healthcare providers seem to be incapable of and unwilling to help even during a national crisis.
- Rapidly declining revenues and sharply eroding profits are leading to the closure of many private hospitals.
- Only a few private providers have come forward to extend support to the government.
Way forward:
Strengthening public health:
- The COVID-19 pandemic experience has brought out the critical importance of the public sector in health provisioning.
- There is a need to invest in universal health coverage (UHC) by reversing the financial neglect of public healthcare. Nearly every country in the world that has achieved anything like UHC has done it through the public assurance of primary healthcare.
Increasing investments in health:
- There is a need to urgently and immediately step up investments in health.
- A new ‘health investment plan’ (as part of the stimulus package), at least 1% of the GDP, out of the stimulus package should be earmarked for improving the country’s health infrastructure and strengthening public health service delivery.
Prioritizing primary healthcare:
- Up to 70% of the additional expenditures should be ring-fenced for primary healthcare and further strengthening health and wellness centres, primary health centres and community health centres. This would enable the State governments to be better prepared to face a second round of the pandemic.
Conclusion:
- Investing in health, apart from improving people’s well-being, is also essential for accelerating and sustaining India’s economic growth.
Fodder Point
- Health should be under fundamental right to health of article 21
- Have to focus on health infrastructure
- Need to develop PPP model as harmonious and co-operative
- Poor people should not effect by policy
- Migrant and workers under humanity should be treated.
MCQS Based on editorials
- 1. Consider the following statements about Health security:
- Right to health is a fundamental right under article 21.
- India primarily work on PPP modal to improve India health conditions, which is solely based on Japanies modal.
- The COVID-19 pandemic experience has brought out the critical importance of the public sector in health provisioning.
- The public spending on health has been consistently low at around 1.15% of GDP for well over a decade.
Which of the given statements are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) All of the Above
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- The public spending on health has been consistently low at around 1.15% of GDP for well over a decade. The healthcare delivery system in most States is extremely fragile given the poor state of primary healthcare facilities.
- The public provisioning of healthcare has been found to be insufficient, of poor quality and having limited reach.
- The COVID-19 pandemic experience has brought out the critical importance of the public sector in health provisioning.
- There is a need to invest in universal health coverage (UHC) by reversing the financial neglect of public healthcare. Nearly every country in the world that has achieved anything like UHC has done it through the public assurance of primary healthcare.
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