Daily Analysis of 'The Hindu' - 17th June, 2020 | Additional Study Material for UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Rural India, the new viral flash point 
Closed again 
Of Gods and governments 
For better conditions of work 
In defence of MPLADS 
Page 2


Rural India, the new viral flash point 
Closed again 
Of Gods and governments 
For better conditions of work 
In defence of MPLADS 
Rural India, the new viral flash point 
?The medical services in these urban areas — Mumbai, 
Delhi and Chennai to cite the three major epicentres of the 
epidemic — have been overwhelmed. 
?65% of the c o u n t r y ’ s population is rural. 
?Rural people have been relatively underexposed, with very 
few cases and deaths. 
?Thus, the large, vulnerable majority in rural India is yet to 
feel the heat of this epidemic. 
?Just as importations from other countries through air 
traffic set the stage for the urban blight, importations from 
urban to rural India will set the stage for the rural wave. 
Page 3


Rural India, the new viral flash point 
Closed again 
Of Gods and governments 
For better conditions of work 
In defence of MPLADS 
Rural India, the new viral flash point 
?The medical services in these urban areas — Mumbai, 
Delhi and Chennai to cite the three major epicentres of the 
epidemic — have been overwhelmed. 
?65% of the c o u n t r y ’ s population is rural. 
?Rural people have been relatively underexposed, with very 
few cases and deaths. 
?Thus, the large, vulnerable majority in rural India is yet to 
feel the heat of this epidemic. 
?Just as importations from other countries through air 
traffic set the stage for the urban blight, importations from 
urban to rural India will set the stage for the rural wave. 
?There has always been an urban-rural divide in 
India in health care and education, two vital 
indices of human development. 
?This deficiency has been very costly not only in 
terms of rural lives and livelihoods but also 
overall national wealth creation. 
?The rural wave is just beginning while the urban 
wave is about to peak. 
?We find that rural people are going about without 
masks or physical distancing, congregating in 
marketplaces and places of worship.  
Page 4


Rural India, the new viral flash point 
Closed again 
Of Gods and governments 
For better conditions of work 
In defence of MPLADS 
Rural India, the new viral flash point 
?The medical services in these urban areas — Mumbai, 
Delhi and Chennai to cite the three major epicentres of the 
epidemic — have been overwhelmed. 
?65% of the c o u n t r y ’ s population is rural. 
?Rural people have been relatively underexposed, with very 
few cases and deaths. 
?Thus, the large, vulnerable majority in rural India is yet to 
feel the heat of this epidemic. 
?Just as importations from other countries through air 
traffic set the stage for the urban blight, importations from 
urban to rural India will set the stage for the rural wave. 
?There has always been an urban-rural divide in 
India in health care and education, two vital 
indices of human development. 
?This deficiency has been very costly not only in 
terms of rural lives and livelihoods but also 
overall national wealth creation. 
?The rural wave is just beginning while the urban 
wave is about to peak. 
?We find that rural people are going about without 
masks or physical distancing, congregating in 
marketplaces and places of worship.  
?The most important step would be to educate 
rural people with all the tools at our disposal — 
print, radio, the electronic media, and messages 
through mobile phones.  
?We need to give them accurate information in 
simple language to make them clearly understand 
that their self-protection and the protection of 
their families are entirely in their hands. 
?Two behaviourial changes are critical — every 
man, woman and child must wear a cotton cloth 
mask when out of the home, and observe strict 
hand hygiene. 
Page 5


Rural India, the new viral flash point 
Closed again 
Of Gods and governments 
For better conditions of work 
In defence of MPLADS 
Rural India, the new viral flash point 
?The medical services in these urban areas — Mumbai, 
Delhi and Chennai to cite the three major epicentres of the 
epidemic — have been overwhelmed. 
?65% of the c o u n t r y ’ s population is rural. 
?Rural people have been relatively underexposed, with very 
few cases and deaths. 
?Thus, the large, vulnerable majority in rural India is yet to 
feel the heat of this epidemic. 
?Just as importations from other countries through air 
traffic set the stage for the urban blight, importations from 
urban to rural India will set the stage for the rural wave. 
?There has always been an urban-rural divide in 
India in health care and education, two vital 
indices of human development. 
?This deficiency has been very costly not only in 
terms of rural lives and livelihoods but also 
overall national wealth creation. 
?The rural wave is just beginning while the urban 
wave is about to peak. 
?We find that rural people are going about without 
masks or physical distancing, congregating in 
marketplaces and places of worship.  
?The most important step would be to educate 
rural people with all the tools at our disposal — 
print, radio, the electronic media, and messages 
through mobile phones.  
?We need to give them accurate information in 
simple language to make them clearly understand 
that their self-protection and the protection of 
their families are entirely in their hands. 
?Two behaviourial changes are critical — every 
man, woman and child must wear a cotton cloth 
mask when out of the home, and observe strict 
hand hygiene. 
?We need a systematic approach. 
?Blocking urban-rural importations. 
?Quarantining those who move from red zone to 
green. 
?Diagnosing and managing clinical COVID-19 
syndrome with or without positive PCR test results. 
?Providing field hospitals exclusively for isolating 
and managing COVID-19 cases. 
?Protect and sustain existing hospitals and primary 
health centres.