Operation Dost: India’s Disaster Relief Diplomacy

 Recently, under Operation Dost, India dispatched Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17
Globemaster transport aircraft with relief material to Turkey as part of
its Humanitarian And Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts to assist earthquake-hit
Turkey and Syria.

About India’s Disaster Relief Diplomacy 

 India deploys its humanitarian aid mainly through bilateral and, gradually,

multilateral channels. 
 India’s humanitarian assistance is listed as one of the forms of development
support that the country extends to its partner countries across the world.
o This assistance has included support in response to natural disasters,
during long-term complex emergencies, and support provided in post-
conflict, post-disaster, and pandemic situations. 
o India developed a 'SAARC COVID-19 Information Exchange Platform
(COINEX)' platform for use by all SAARC countries to facilitate exchange
of specialized information and tools on COVID-19 among designated
health professionals.
 With the onset of time, India’s practice of disaster diplomacy has come to form a
primary facet of its Neighbourhood First policy. 

Determinants 

 The ethos of India’s humanitarian assistance can be traced to its cultural and

spiritual values. 
o All the major religions - Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam -
espouse solidarity with the suffering.
 The government acknowledges the importance of the UN’s four fundamental
humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and
independence.
 India is also a signatory to all four Geneva Conventions and participated in the
2016 World Humanitarian Summit. 
 The South-South Cooperation(SSC)’s foreign policy principle also informs and
prompts India’s humanitarian actions, with India often seeking to respond in
accordance with the expressed needs of recipient country governments.

Importance 

 Disaster assistance becomes an instrument for maintaining and fostering friendly

relations with other countries.
  It is a way to earn the goodwill of foreign governments and the local people by
promoting a positive image of the helping nation
o Given its quest for becoming a regional power and securing a permanent
seat in the United Nations Security Council, India is increasingly eager to
portray itself as a provider of development assistance.
  Disaster Diplomacy is filled with possibilities for the future and India has the
potential to become the region’s Good Samaritan - a power that the extended
neighbourhood looks to for help.

Challenges and Constraints

 India has performed well in terms of assistance, but the timing of these relief
efforts remains a grey area. 
 Often relief efforts reach affected people long after disasters strike leading to the
destruction of life and property.
 Sometimes  India failed to project itself as an aid giver in the global media.
 It has been observed that the Indian armed forces face challenges related to
preparedness for disaster response and recovery.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

 It is important that special budgetary allocations be made for disaster

management-related expenditures.
 Apart from this, emerging forums like the Quad should be utilised for
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
o This will also bolster India’s image as a growing power, with the
capability in administering operations outside its borders

 There is a need to increase in capacity - stockpile reserves, trained personnel, and

procedures - along with a coordinated effort with other countries and the United
Nations to fulfill the tenets of Vasudhaiva Kudumbkam
 Previous instances of India sending aid to natural disaster-hit countries

 The United States of America: An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft delivered 25 tonnes of relief
supplies for the Hurricane Katrina victims at the Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas  in 2005. 
o The relief supplies comprised 3,000 blankets, bed sheets, tarpaulins and personal hygiene
items.

 Maldives: After the 2004 Tsunami, the Indian government announced a composite package worth
five crore rupees. 
o Under “Operation Castor”, 50 sorties were undertaken and four aircraft and two Naval
ships were engaged in relief operations.

 Sri Lanka: India sent its forces to carry out rescue operations, called “Operation Rainbow”, in Sri
Lanka hours after the Tsunami struck the country in 2004. 

 Myanmar: When cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008 killing at least 20,000 people, India was
among the first countries to send aid to them. 
o It gave 125.5 tonnes of relief material, including medicines, clothing, utensils, water tanks,
tents and tarpaulin.
 Japan: The 2011 Tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan. Apart from providing relief materials, India also
sent 46 members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to search and rescue in the town
of Onagawa. 
o The team included a doctor, three officers, six inspectors, two paramedics and constables
and carried 9,000 kg of equipment and food.

 Nepal: In the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, the NDRF deployed 16 of its urban search
and rescue (USAR) teams, which comprised more than 700 rescuers in the country. 
o The teams organised six medical camps and attended to 1,219 persons. 
 India’s humanitarian assistance mostly flows through bilateral channels.
o However, various Indian governments have also engaged with multilateral platforms.
o  A recent collaboration with Australia (as part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue group,
QSD or Quad) while providing assistance to the Kingdom of Tonga is an example of such an
initiative.
o India has also been working with UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP)
and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to
deliver food and other humanitarian support over the past two decades. 
o  Similarly, with the help of the WFP, the country managed to deliver wheat to Afghanistan
in March 2022.
 Others
o India launched relief operations for neighbouring countries: Operation Castor in Maldives,
and Operation ‘Gambhir’ in Indonesia
o In 2007, in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr that hit Bangladesh, Operation ‘Sahayata’ was
launched 
 India also offered help to Pakistan after the 2010 earthquake

 Samudra Maitri was an operation that helped Indonesians during the October 2018 earthquake and
tsunami

What is Operation Dost?

 India has recently launched 'Operation Dost' to extend assistance to Turkey and Syria,
the nations hit by an intense 7.9-magnitude earthquake.
 It is an ongoing search and rescue mission initiated by the Government of India to
help Syria and Turkey, after they witnessed a massive earthquake that left thousands
dead, injured and trapped under the rubble.
 Under operation dost, India has sent search and rescue teams, mainly teams of the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), materials, medicines, medical equipment
and consumables to Turkey and Syria.
 The NDRF teams comprise dog squad, medicines, blankets, four wheelers.
 The Indian Army's team of medical specialists is providing relief to the injured at
a field hospital set up in Turkey's Hatay. The hospital is running with medical,
surgical and emergency wards. 
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
 It is India's specialized force for responding to natural disasters and chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) emergencies.
 The force was constituted under the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
 NDRF is a force of 12 battalions, organised on para-military lines, and manned by
persons on deputation from the para-military forces of India
India’s G20 Presidency as a Watershed moment
 India has formally assumed the presidency of G-20 on December 1, 2022.
o India will hold the presidency till 30th November 2023.
o India’s theme as stated by the Prime Minister is — “One Earth, One
Family, One Future”.

More about the news

 Agenda:
o The Prime Minister had described India’s agenda at the G-20 as
“inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented”.
 Sharing India’s experience:
o He added, “During our G-20 Presidency, we shall present India’s
experiences, learnings and models as possible templates for others,
particularly the developing world. 
 Significance of 2023, G20 Summit that is scheduled to be held in New Delhi:
o The G20 summit would be qualitatively different from any of the previous
multilateral summits that India has hosted. 
o Assembly of World’s largest economies:
 None of the previous summits had the world’s largest economies
assembled in one place nor did they have the entire P-5 (permanent
members of the UN Security Council) represented. 

 In that sense, the G-20 summit would be the first of its kind
in Indian history.
Depoliticisation: To promote harmony within the human family, we will
seek to depoliticise the global supply of food, fertilisers and medical
products, so that geopolitical tensions do not lead to humanitarian crises.

Know about G20

 Origin:
o The G20 was formed in 1999 in the backdrop of the financial crisis
of the late 1990s that hit East Asia and Southeast Asia in
particular. 
o Its aim was to secure global financial stability by involving middle-
income countries. 
o As stated by the official G20 Website: 
 “On the advice of the G7 Finance Ministers, the
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors began holding meetings to discuss the response
to the global financial crisis that occurred,” 
 Objectives:
o Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve
global economic stability, sustainable growth;
o To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent
future financial crises; and
o To create a new international financial architecture.
 Members & guests: 
o Members: 
 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia,
South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the
United Kingdom, the United States, and the European
Union. 
 Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.
o Others: 
 Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which
take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and
regional organizations also participate, granting the forum
an even broader representation. 

 Together, the G20 countries include: 

o 60 percent of the world’s population, 
o 80 percent of global GDP, and 
o 75 percent of global trade.
 Presidency of G20 & Troika:
o The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among members.
o The country holding the presidency, together with the previous
and next presidency-holder, forms the ‘Troika’ to ensure
continuity of the G20 agenda. 

What can India share with the world during its Presidency?

 Presenting Diversity:
o The G20 presidency is an opportunity to present the diversity that is India
to the outside world. 
 Management during pandemic:
o Among large democracies, India has by far been the best performer in
handling the Covid-19 pandemic. 
 For the world, the Indian public goods delivery mechanism, at a
billion-plus scale, has set a new template. 
 o The management of the economy by India during the pandemic has been
extraordinarily prudent with prescient decision-making.
 Independent foreign policy:
o India’s independent foreign policy, so visibly demonstrated in the
ongoing NATO-Russia (Ukraine) war, has made the world sit up and take
notice. 
 The assertion of its national interest is also markedly different from
the “glory” days of Non-Aligned Movement.
 Employment and environment:
o G20 can act as a forum to exchange experiences on societal benefits and
growth as complementary goals would lead to fresh thinking on
employment and environment.
o India has its own initiatives like “LiFE Movement” & “The One Sun One
World One Grid” to offer to the world.
 India’s own success models to offer the world. 
o From scaling up of a seamless digital payment model built on the public
digital infrastructure (UPI) to the unique digital identity, and from the
successful financial inclusion model of the bottom quintile to
the seamless transition to green energy, India now has many models to
showcase, particularly for the developing world.

Global challenges, opportunities & way ahead

 Currently, there are five challenges plaguing the world that the G20 can attempt
to fix. 
o First and the most pressing is the in-your-face Russia–Ukraine conflict.
o The second challenge is of rising prices, particularly of food.
o The third challenge is energy. 
 Russia is teaching the world that while sanctions against it could
impact its economy in the future, in the short term, these sanctions
are failing. 
o As rising food and energy prices lead to inflation, the fourth challenge
is the manner in which countries are attempting to fix the problem. 
o The fifth challenge is the threat of stagflation.
 Opportunities:
o Hosting the G20 Presidency would also result in economic opportunities
in different sectors such as tourism, hospitality, IT and civil
aviation among others.
 The sectors of significant importance would be ranging
from energy, agriculture, trade, digital economy, health and
environment to employment, tourism, anti-corruption and
women empowerment, including in focus areas that impact the
most vulnerable and disadvantaged. 

Q.Does the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission provide the necessary support for the
integration of digital health infrastructure in the country? Discuss
Recently, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was launched by the Prime Minister through
a video conference.

 The nationwide rollout of the project coincides with the National Health Authority
(NHA) celebrating the third anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
 Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of India which was launched as recommended
by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health
Coverage (UHC).
About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formulated the Ayushman Bharat

Digital Mission with the aim to provide the necessary support for the
integration of digital health infrastructure in the country.
  This visionary initiative, stemming from the National Health Policy, 2017
intends to digitise healthcare in India.

ABDM Components

 Health ID:
o It is important to standardise the process of identification of an
individual across healthcare providers. 
o It will be used to uniquely identify persons, authenticate them, and
threading their health records (only with the informed consent of the
patient) across multiple systems and stakeholders.

 Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR)

o It is a comprehensive repository of all healthcare professionals involved
in delivery of healthcare services across both modern and traditional
systems of medicine. Enrolling in the Healthcare Professionals Registry
will enable them to get connected to India’s digital health ecosystem.  

 Health Facility Registry (HFR):

o It is a comprehensive repository of health facilities of the country across
different systems of medicine. It includes both public and private health
facilities including hospitals, clinics, diagnostic laboratories and imaging
centres, pharmacies, etc.

 Personal Health Records (PHR):

o It is an electronic application through which patients can maintain and
manage their health information (and that of others for whom they are
authorised) in a private, secure, and confidential environment. 
o The citizens can get a longitudinal view of the personal health record by
creating and linking the health ID with the visited health care facilities.

Aims and Objectives 

  It aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital
health infrastructure of the country. 
o It will bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of the
Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
 It aims to create a seamless online platform that will enable interoperability
within the digital healthcare ecosystem. 
 It aims to give impetus to open and interoperable standards in the digital health
ecosystem. 
 It aims to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of
health service delivery overall. 
o Patients will be able to securely store and access their medical records
(such as prescriptions, diagnostic reports and discharge summaries), and
share them with health care providers to ensure appropriate treatment
and follow-up. 

 It aims to provide choice to individuals to access both public and private health
services, facilitate compliance with laid down guidelines and protocols, and
ensure transparency in pricing of services and accountability for the health
services being rendered.

Limitations/Concerns

 Digital Divide: This could lead to exclusion of digitally illiterate and

unconnected remote, hilly and tribal areas. 
 Data Breach/Privacy issues: The lack of a data protection bill could lead to the
misuse of data by private firms.
 Huge requirement of skilled labours: Need for skilled manpower in the digital
domain versus the latest computer skills.
 Inadequate Primary Health Care data: Lack of infrastructure and staff at
primary level.
 Issue of interoperability of systems built by different states & the central
repositories.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

 It has become clear that a comprehensive digital healthcare ecosystem is

necessary to bring together existing siloed efforts and move toward proactive,
holistic, and citizen-centric healthcare.
 With the implementation of digital solutions, the next step is to digitise and
automate the insurance claim settlement process through the Health Claim
Exchange platform. 
 The government is also planning to expand its digital initiatives in the healthcare
sector with Heal by India, making India’s healthcare professionals’ services
available worldwide. 
o Additionally, a platform is being developed to automate the allocation of
deceased organ and tissue donations, making the process faster and more
transparent.
 India’s public health system has to be strengthened and rejuvenated much more.
 Data protection measures will have to be robust to preserve personal
information.
FARM LAWS REPEAL BILL, 2021

1. Do you think the decision to withdraw the three farm laws was a retrograde move? Critically
comment
Introduction

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 repeals the three farm laws passed by Parliament in
September 2020.  The laws sought to reorganise India’s agriculture sector more in accordance
with the principles of market economy. 

Body

Farm law was to diversify its cropping pattern into export-oriented and high-value crops.
Repealing of laws stood as the retrograde move because:

 Improving Storage infrastructure: Similarly, the advocacy for the amendment to the
Essential Commodities Act, 1955 rested on the view that private corporate investment
can be incentivised into storage and warehousing if stock limits are relaxed for traders.
 Marketing Freedom to Farmers: The Centre’s farm laws were an attempt to ensure that
farmers get the right price for produce, and have the freedom to sell where they want to. 
 Incentivising Private entry: The APMC Acts discriminated against farmers by not
allowing them to interact directly with the big corporate buyers and exporters. So, the
APMC Acts must be amended so that any private market or rural collection centre can
freely emerge anywhere without approval of the local mandi or the payment of a mandi
tax, and so that contract farming can be popularised. 

Repeal of the farm laws was the prudent idea step:

 Bihar’s example showed that private investment was unlikely to flow into agricultural
markets even if APMC Acts were annulled. In fact, the exploitation of farmers by
unscrupulous traders intensified in Bihar after 2006. 
 Maharashtra delisted fruits and vegetables from the ambit of APMCs in 2016. Still, the
inflow of private investment into agricultural markets was only marginal. 
 Possibility of Fragmentation of market: Thus, what was likely was that a formal and
regulated market (through APMC) might fragment itself into an informal and unregulated
market if the APMC Acts were weakened.
 Criticism of Grievance Redress Mechanisms: Eradicating the power of civil courts and
their substitution with a weak mechanism led by the sub-divisional magistrate threatened
to be a serious impediment to a just redress of complaints. It was feared that this may
benefit corporate sponsors more than the contracting farmers.
 Mishandling of Farmer protests: Efforts were made to break, divide, buy out, demean,
denigrate, demonise and shame the protesters, who were conveniently branded as
terrorists and Khalistanis. 
 Violation of Federal principles: The Union government invoked Entry 33 of the
Concurrent List to intervene into matters in Entry 14, Entry 26 and Entry 27 of the State
List. Thus, to begin with, the farm laws were reasonably and justifiably argued to be
unconstitutional.

Implications of move:

 Democratic Victory: Marks a historic victory for the farmer’s movement in India. For more
than a year, thousands of farmers had barricaded Delhi, and their protests were
 gradually evolving into a pan-Indian movement of resistance. Repealing of farm laws has
helped put an end to the protests.
 End of Confrontation: The repeal of the farm laws has, at least temporarily, put an end to
confrontation between the Union government and the farmers. 
 Positive Politicisation: The agitation has led to a positive politicisation of several agrarian
demands, including the need for stable markets and remunerative prices.
 Set a precedence: A confidence has grown that committed struggles matter and even
aggressive governments can be made to kneel. New rural mobilisations around
demands to address the larger and persistent agrarian crisis are likely to emerge and
grow.

Conclusion

Government has done well to acknowledge that laws are not as good as their enforcement by
state machinery, but only as good as their capacity to win people’s trust. Most important process
of economic reforms has to be more consultative, more transparent and better communicated to
the potential beneficiaries.