The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 13th October ’21

Table of Contents

To Make Malaria Vaccine in Africa | ET

World Health Organisation has approved RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, or Mosquirix
For broad use among children
Developed by pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The disease kills nearly 300,000 children younger than five years annually.
Four doses of the vaccine in children from five months old
India is part of this landmark moment as Bharat Biotech will be manufacturing the vaccine.
Bharat Biotech should set up production units in Africa
Strategic, diplomatic, commercial and human aspects
The malaria vaccine should encourage Indian research organisations and pharma and biotechnology companies to focus on developing preventives and therapies to diseases that have been scourge of the poor communities in tropical regions.
Reducing the number of doses required is a challenge, especially given the difficulty in ensuring people complete the full course of vaccination.

IS vs Taliban | TH

The suicide attack on a mosque in Kunduz last week, killing at least 50 people.
The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Afghanistan-based arm of the terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility.
An IS suicide squad attacked Kabul airport when thousands of Afghans were desperately trying to flee the country, killing at least 170 Afghans and 13 American soldiers.
On October 3, a bomb targeted a memorial service being held for the mother of the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, in a Kabul mosque, killing five.
All these attacks suggest that the IS-K’s ability to strike has grown.
The Taliban control almost all of the country, but still struggle to establish order.
Direct fighting between the Taliban and IS-K jihadists
For the people of Afghanistan, who are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, the war that started 40 years ago continues, no matter who is in power in Kabul.

What for? | Pioneer

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, Quad for short, is a non-defence, non-military arrangement, the United States has said.
Down-graded or is it being re-purposed because of the emergence of AUKUS?
At an event in Mumbai, visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman claimed that Quad is meant to discuss soft issues, like vaccines, supply chains, and climate.
The American “clarification” comes after Quad’s four heads of State met in the US in-person and stressed the rule of law and regional security.
It also comes just days before Quad’s second phase of the Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal.
The first phase was conducted in the Western Pacific in August, with the US deploying the pride of its navy, the over 100,000-ton Nimitz Class super aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson.

The US chief of naval operations Admiral Mike Gilday said the exercise will help create an inclusive, free and open rules-based order and will increase “our interoperability for decades to come as well as maintain security, stability and prosperity”.
For good measure, between the two phases of the Malabar exercise, India conducted AUSINDEX, the bilateral naval exercise with Australia and JIMEX, with Japan.
The second phase will see complex exercises involving anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine drills.
Even the simple act of protecting supply chains is a maritime security issue.
The right to navigational rights in the Indo-Pacific region is a maritime security issue as well.
The Quad nations came together in the backdrop of China’s modernisation of its military, intrusions into the Taiwan Strait, and its force projections even though they have refrained from taking China’s name formally either as an opponent or challenger in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ambiguity about China being the adversary, thus continues. India and Japan have border disputes with China but it is The US’ superpower image that brings it to the region.

Boost tourism through disruption | TH

The Indian tourism and hospitality sector were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and saw substantial job loss.
The Government of India recently announced financial support for more than 11,000 registered tourist guides/travel and tourism stakeholders.
It also said once international travel resumes, the first five lakh tourists will be issued visas free of charge.
In the pre-pandemic period too, many initiatives were adopted to promote the tourism sector, such as providing e-visas under various categories for people from particular countries, Global Media Campaigns, the Heritage Trail and the Paryatan Parv celebration.
However, we need other long-term measures too, to tap the potential of this sector.
The Startup India initiative has boosted entrepreneurship.
However, the travel and tourism startups need a bigger push.
As per the estimates of the erstwhile Planning Commission, an investment of ₹1 million generates 78 jobs in the tourism sector.
In the manufacturing sector, it results in just 18 jobs and in the agriculture sector, 45.
The tourism sector, unlike many other sectors, can grow with smaller capital investments and that too without any industrial gestation period.
There is need to train the workforce in India, so that workers can develop the skills to perform jobs in the travel and tourism sector.
The growth in this sector has multiplier effects on income generation as it is employment-intensive with less capital investment.
The India Skill Report, 2019, estimates the Indian workforce to increase to about 600 million by 2022 from the current 473 million in view of the fourth industrial revolution.
The tourism sector will have a major role to play in providing employment opportunities.
India improved its competitiveness in travel and tourism, from occupying the 65th position in 2013 and then the 40th position in 2017 and then the 34th position in 2019, as per the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of 2019.
But international arrivals have remained comparatively low, at around 9 to 10 million.
Thus, there is a need to highlight the significance of public-private partnership to improve infrastructure and tackle the problem of end connectivity, which negatively affect the experiences of international travellers.
Blockchain ledger coupled with IOT devices for healthcare could have a positive impact on medical tourism.
The government and regulators need to collaborate and design innovative mechanisms to address the challenges of these technologies, for smooth growth of the sector.

Heed caution | Pioneer

Come November 1, the day the State of Kerala was formed in 1956, educational institutions would reopen after 21 months of COVID-induced lockdown.
Students are thrilled at the prospect of going back to classes which would come alive with their lovely presence.
But the question being asked by the medical community in Kerala is whether the State is ready to play dice with the health of children.
Doctors point out that bureaucrats and policy makers are fudging the figures.
The Test Positivity Rate is hovering around 13 per cent and the number of samples tested per day is less than one lakh.
This is in stark contrast to neighbouring Tamil Nadu which tests on an average 1.5 lakh samples per day.
Though schools have reopened in Tamil Nadu, the State continues with online classes to help those who prefer to stay indoors.
Kerala is yet to learn from its mistakes of tampering with guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Instead of reopening the schools, the Government could have waited for another six months for the pandemic to subside,” opines a senior doctor.
Yet another disturbing factor is a post-COVID syndrome like ‘memory fag’.
Overcrowded temples, liquor outlets, markets, public transport and ring roads in the State do not augur well for trouble-free education.

NEWS

PM Modi participates in G20 Extraordinary Summit on Afghanistan; Stresses on preventing Afghan territory from becoming source of radicalisation and terrorism
Prime Minister calls for urgent and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens and an inclusive administration
PM Modi addresses 28th NHRC foundation day programme; says India is committed to human rights
Power Ministry asks States to utilise unallocated power from Central plants only to meet requirement of their own Consumers
Country inching towards 100 crore Covid vaccination target; National Recovery rate stands at 98.04 pct
India, US, Japan & Australia kicked-off second phase of this year’s Malabar naval exercise in Bay of Bengal yesterday
Civil Aviation Ministry allows domestic flights to operate at full capacity from Oct 18
Prime Minister to launch PM GatiShakti- National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity today
Union Cabinet approves affiliation of 100 schools with Sainik School Society
Union Cabinet approves AMRUT 2.0 till 2025-26
Home Ministry begins tripartite talks with Gorkha representatives from Darjeeling Hills, Terrai and Dooars region
Huge crowds throng Indian Embassy’s Dussehra fest in Beijing
Piyush Goyal calls for IPR waiver in G20, dismantling trade barriers in global fight against COVID-19 pandemic
India hands over life support ambulance to Bangladesh

Q.) The R-value, which is used to guage the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, is greater than 1 or very close to 1 for Mumbai, Koklkata and Bengaluru. What does ‘R’ signify?