THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 28 March 2020 (Safeguarding the vulnerable among us (The Hindu))



Safeguarding the vulnerable among us (The Hindu)



Mains Paper 2: Governance 
Prelims level: Covid 19
Mains level:  Welfare schemes for the vulnerable sections 

Context:

  • The human dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic reach far beyond the critical health response. 
  • All aspects of our future will be affected — economic, social and developmental. 
  • Our response must be urgent, coordinated and on a global scale, and should immediately deliver help to those most in need.
  • From workplaces, to enterprises, to national and global economies, getting this right is predicated on social dialogue between government and those on the front line — the employers and workers, so that the 2020s don’t become a re-run of the 1930s.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Impact on economy:

  • The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that as many as 25 million people could become unemployed, with a loss of workers’ income of as much as $3.4 trillion. 
  • However, it is already becoming clear that these numbers may underestimate the magnitude of the impact.
  • This pandemic has mercilessly exposed the deep fault lines in our labour markets. Enterprises of all sizes have already stopped operations, cut working hours and laid off staff. 
  • Many are teetering on the brink of collapse as shops and restaurants close, flights and hotel bookings are cancelled, and businesses shift to remote working. 
  • Often the first to lose their jobs are those whose employment was already precarious — sales clerks, waiters, kitchen staff, baggage handlers and cleaners.

Weak safety nets:

  • In a world where only one in five people are eligible for unemployment benefits, lay-offs spell catastrophe for millions of families. 
  • Because paid sick leave is not available to many carers and delivery workers — those we all now rely on — they are often under pressure to continue working even if they are ill. 
  • In the developing world, piece-rate workers, day labourers and informal traders may be similarly pressured by the need to put food on the table. 
  • We will all suffer because of this. It will not only increase the spread of the virus but, in the longer-term, dramatically amplify cycles of poverty and inequality.
  • We have a chance to save millions of jobs and enterprises, if governments act decisively to ensure business continuity, prevent lay-offs and protect vulnerable workers. 
  • We should have no doubt that the decisions they take today will determine the health of our societies and economies for years to come.
  • Unprecedented, expansionary fiscal and monetary policies are essential to prevent the current headlong downturn from becoming a prolonged recession. 
  • We must make sure that people have enough money in their pockets to make it to the end of the week — and the next. 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Flattening the Curve:

  • As governments try to flatten the upward curve of infection, we need special measures to protect the millions of health and care workers (most of them women) who risk their own health for us every day. 
  • Truckers and seafarers, who deliver medical equipment and other essentials, must be adequately protected. 
  • Teleworking offers new opportunities for workers to keep working, and employers to continue their businesses through the crisis. 
  • However, workers must be able to negotiate these arrangements so that they retain balance with other responsibilities, such as caring for children, the sick or the elderly, and of course, themselves.
  • Many countries have already introduced unprecedented stimulus packages to protect their societies and economies and keep cash flowing to workers and businesses. 
  • To maximise the effectiveness of those measures, it is essential for governments to work with employers’ organisations and trade unions to come up with practical solutions, which keep people safe and to protect jobs.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Conclusion:

  • In these most difficult of times, I recall a principle set out in the ILO’s Constitution: 
  • “Poverty anywhere remains a threat to prosperity everywhere.” 
  • It reminds us that, in years to come, the effectiveness of our response to this existential threat may be judged not just by the scale and speed of the cash injections, or whether the recovery curve is flat or steep, but by what we did for the most vulnerable among us.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the hand-sanitizer, consider the following statements:
1. CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) scientists have recently developed a new sanitizer.
2. Chemicals like parabens, triclosan, synthetic fragrance and phthalates have not been used in this product.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer................................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Mains Questions:
Q.1) The effectiveness of our response will be judged by what we do to protect the weakest sections of our society. In this context whar are the steps need to be taken to protect vulnerable sections of the society. Elucidate.