The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 9th April’20

Table of Contents

IT’S TIME FOR THE RED BERETS

WHO is not equipped to fight a pandemic of this proportion.
WHO’s responsibility is to

Monitorthreats to public health
Inform and advise the member states.

The fight against COVID-19 has to be on a war footing.
Department of Peace Operations
A force under Chapter VII
The UN Security Council (UNSC) stands paralysed because of petty battles on the
Name of the pandemic
Its origin
The need for transparency
UNSC should hold an emergency meeting and authorise the UN Secretary General to put together a force under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
The mandate of the Charter should be interpreted to emphasise that this is the greatest threat to international peace and security.
Moreover, conflicts are possible on account of the fragility of the international system.
Member states should be requested to send not only troops, but also police, healthworkers and equipment.
In war situations, the Secretary General is able to put together a force in about four months.
UN forces have been acceptable in most countries.
As for the cost, the responsibility for the deployment of forces for peacekeeping, peace building and peace enforcement is that of the permanent members.
Instead of competing with each other for leadership of the post-COVID-19 world, let them help create a post-COVID-19 world.
The UN stands discredited today as the UNSC has not been able to meet.
Several resolutions are in circulation, but none under Chapter VII.
The first step will be to pass a resolution to take action to end the crisis and authorise the Secretary General to request member states to make personnel available.
The UN peacekeeping forces are called Blue Berets because of the colour of the caps that they wear.
The health force can have caps of another colour, probably red.
The launch of the Red Berets will be a historic action to be taken at a critical moment.
The UN’s relevancewill be established and there will be concrete action taken to end the pandemic.

FOR BETTER USE

The suspension of the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for 2 years to boost the funding available for the COVID-19 fight is a step in the right direction.
Past experience has been that
Some members do not utilise their full entitlement
There is a gap between recommendation made by members and implementation by the administration under this scheme
Immediate benefit: freeing up of about ₹7,900 crore over a two-year period
A conceptual flaw pointed out by experts is that it goes against the separation of powers. It allows individual legislators to encroach on the planning and implementation duties of the administration.
The CAG has flagged instances of financial mismanagement and inflation of amounts spent.
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended its abrogation altogether, highlighting the problems of the legislator stepping into the shoes of the executive.
NO LOCKDOWN FOR ABUSE
In China, France, the U.K. and other countries, there have been reports of a significant increase in domestic violence cases since the imposition of lockdowns.
These reports highlight the need for Indian authorities to take this issue seriously too.
The literature on domestic violence suggests that when men and/or women get employed, domestic violence tends to fall as interactions between couples reduce.
The literature also suggests that violence is a way for the man to assert his notion of masculinity.
The current atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, food insecurity, and unemployment may create feelings of inadequacy in men.
The lack of access to friends, family and support organisations is expected to aggravate the situation for abused women further.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data show that 24% of women faced domestic violence in 2015-16 not seeing any reduction since 2005-06.
The disparity between the crimes reported in a survey and registered with the police highlight how women are unlikely to seek help.
What can be done? The most important thing that we can do is to acknowledge and accept that domestic violence happens and work to reduce the stigma attached to the victims of such violence.
Since the lockdown began, the amount of TV viewing, particularly of news, has increased.
Coupled with a lack of other activity, this is an opportune time to improve messaging.
The French government has extended monetary support to organisations fighting this crime.
British activists have requested their government to release emergency funds to support organisations that are dealing with domestic violence-related issues.
Studies show that women more than men tend to be affected adversely during epidemics.

FINANCING THE PANDEMIC RESCUE PACKAGE

GoI needs to raise an additional ₹1.1-lakh crore, i.e., 65% of the rescue package outlay.
Its financing strategy should be to raise long-term funds at cost effective rates, with flexible repayment terms that allow it to take tactical advantage of market movements.
GDP-linked bonds
The GoI may issue listed, Indian rupee denominated, 25-year GDP-linked bonds that are callable from, say, the 5th year.
The coupon (interest) on a GDP-linked bond is correlated to the GDP growth rate and is subject to a cap.
The issuer, the GoI, is liable to pay a lower coupon during years of slower growth and vice-versa.
The callable feature from the fifth year till maturity allows the GoI to effect partial repayments during high growth years and when it earns non-recurring revenues such as proceeds from disinvestment of public sector enterprises (PSEs).
Argentina and Greece issued warrant-like instruments similar to GDP-linked bonds in 2005 and 2012 respectively. India could learn from their experience.
Publishing reliable and timely GDP data is a prerequisite for the successful issue of GDP-linked bonds, which the GoI may use to part-finance the COVID-19 rescue package and to diversify its borrowing sources.
It is imperative for the GoI to form a PSE and public sector bank holding company (‘Holdco’).
This will enable PSEs to monetise their non-core assets at remunerative prices, maximise their enterprise value and focus on their core businesses.
The CPSEs ought to transfer investments to Holdco, which can manage the portfolio and transfer the returns to the original investors.
The GoI must mandate all PSEs and government departments to transfer their non-core properties to Holdco, which can opportunistically sell these properties and transfer the proceeds to the owners.
The GoI may finance the COVID-19 rescue package by issuing GDP-linked bonds, tapping PSEs’ excess liquidity and monetising non-core assets.
Further, it is in India’s self-interest to allow a robust and independent RBI to defend the financial sector’s stability.

NEWS

It will not be possible to lift the lockdown in one go, says Modi
At a videoconference on Wednesday with parties’ floor leaders in Parliament, Prime Minister NarendraModi said it won’t be possible to lift the 21-day nationwide lockdown in one go as scheduled for April 14.
He, however, noted that he would consult the Chief Ministers before deciding the exit strategy.
Restrictions on spending
With the Centre expecting an extreme cash crunch due to the COVID-19 crisis, most Central government departments have been asked to cut their first quarter expenditure to 15-20% of the year’s budget estimates.
Tax refunds to be released
The Centre has decided to immediately release tax refunds to the tune of ₹18,000 crore, in a bid to provide relief to individual taxpayers as well as businesses.
Focus shifts to contact tracing, infrastructure
With 32 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said building hospital infrastructure, aggressive contact tracing and total enforcement of the lockdown with the help of people were the main focus now in the fight against COVID-19.

The country has 5,194 cases and 149 deaths, with 402 patients recovered. The Indian Council of Medical Research said 1,27,919 tests had so far been done and 13,143 samples were reported on Wednesday.
Muslim men carry Hindu woman’s bier
Relatives refused to help the family; neighbours arranged material for last rites
U.P. to seal virus hotspots in 15 districts
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to completely seal COVID-19 hotspots within 15 districts till the end of the lockdown on April 14.
Escaping quarantine centres at night, returning by day
Migrant workers slip out of Bihar shelters, allegedly lacking basic facilities, only to return for free food
Dharavireports one death, six new cases
The patient who died, a resident of Social Nagar, was reported positive on Wednesday.
China lifts Wuhan lockdown after 76 days
About 55,000 people are expected to leave the city, where the pandemic began, on the first day