The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 3rd July 2025 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Integrating compassion, prioritising palliative care

Why in News? 

This type of special care doesn’t get enough money or use in India, leaving millions of people without the help they need.

Introduction

Palliative care is crucial for improving the quality of life for individuals with life-threatening illnesses, addressing their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Despite its importance, palliative care remains underfunded and underutilized in India, where millions of people in need are left without adequate support.

Urgent Need to Integrate Palliative Care into India’s Healthcare System

• Palliative care is essential for addressing the holistic needs of patients with life-threatening illnesses.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the global need for palliative care, with a significant gap between those who need it and those who receive it.
• In India, the disparity is stark, with only a small fraction of those in need receiving palliative care services.
• The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India underscores the growing demand for palliative care.
• Integrating palliative care into India’s healthcare system is crucial for alleviating the burden on families and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.

The challenges in India

Linking it with medical education

Raising public awareness

Public awareness campaigns can help clear misunderstandings about palliative care and promote early access to services.

• Many people don’t realise that palliative care is not just for the end of life — it also includes pain relief, emotional support, and better quality of life during serious illnesses.
• Educating communities about these benefits can increase demand for services and lead to better policies.
• In the United States, palliative care is supported by strong funding, insurance coverage, and a hospice care system.
• The U.S. model shows how investing in end-of-life care leads to high-quality, patient-centered care, even though it requires significant spending.
• India can learn from this model but must adjust it to fit its own cultural, economic, and demographic realities.
• Ongoing research and using evidence-based methods are key to improving how care is given and ensuring better patient outcomes.

Conclusion

Bringing palliative care into India’s healthcare system is now essential. To make real change, India needs a broad strategy that focuses on a few key areas. First, it must build capacity by training more healthcare workers and improving services. Second, palliative care should be included in medical education, so future doctors are prepared to give this kind of care. Third, it's important to train and support allied health professionals like nurses and health workers who can help provide this care. Lastly, India must fix larger system issues such as low funding, poor infrastructure, and lack of public awareness. Taken together, these steps can greatly improve end-of-life care for millions across the country.

Rephasing global development finance

Why in News?

 India is exploring new ways to engage in development finance with like-minded countries due to the changing geopolitical landscape. 

Introduction

• India’s development cooperation with the Global South has been increasing, with support nearly doubling from $3 billion in 2010–11 to around $7 billion in 2023–24.
• The main tool for this cooperation has been the Lines of Credit (LoC) under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS), despite concerns about its sustainability.

India’s Evolving Development Cooperation Strategy: Key Highlights

• Budget Signals: The 2025–26 budget warns against relying on credit lines for international engagement.
• India’s G-20 Stand: India raised concerns about rising sovereign debt in the Global South at the G-20, calling for caution and reform.
• Global Development Compact (GDC): PM Modi proposed a GDC during the Voice of Global South Summit 2024, advocating for a balanced approach in development partnerships.
• Five Modalities of Engagement: India promotes capacity building, technology transfer, market access, grants, and concessional finance as key methods of cooperation.
• Need for Balance: India aims for a harmonious mix of these methods and stronger partnerships with countries capable of implementing projects in third countries.
• Revisiting Lines of Credit (LoCs): India used to fund LoCs by raising money from global capital markets, covering the interest gap with government support.
• LoCs Losing Relevance: The global liquidity crisis and weaker repayment ability of partner countries have made LoC-based schemes less viable.
• Strategic Shift Needed: India needs to adapt to changing financial realities and explore new, sustainable models for global engagement.

Shrinking ODA and Debt Crisis

• ODA Crisis: Traditional Official Development Assistance (ODA) providers are facing budget cuts, while many Global South countries are struggling with a debt crisis.
• Falling Development Finance: Due to rising geopolitical tensions, the overall flow of development finance worldwide is sharply declining.
• Agency Collapse: The collapse of USAID and the decline of the UK’s FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) highlight the deepening crisis in global development funding.
• ODA Reduction: Global ODA is expected to fall to around $97 billion, which is nearly a 45% drop from the $214 billion level in 2023.
• OECD DAC's Role: The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), long seen as an elite group, has historically set the rules for aid and development programs in the Global South.
• Impact on Poor Nations: This shrinking aid is expected to severely impact development projects, especially in least developed countries already facing high debt burdens.
• Multiple Crises: Over the past two decades, repeated crises and global shifts have made it harder for developing nations to get funding, threatening their development goals.
• SDG Financing Gap: The investment needed to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has risen from $2.5 trillion in 2015 to over $4 trillion in 2024.
• Risks to SDGs: Without more funding, progress on SDGs — already delayed by COVID-19 and other global shocks — will be extremely difficult to achieve.
• Borrowing Difficulties: At the same time, borrowing money has become more expensive and less stable, adding to the financial stress on developing countries.

Rationale for Triangular Cooperation

• Resource Pooling: Pooling resources with like-minded countries offers a promising model for more effective development partnerships.
• Rising Non-DAC Contributions: Funding from non-DAC countries has significantly increased, indicating growing participation from emerging economies in development finance.
• South-South Experience: Countries like Indonesia and Brazil have successfully partnered with Japan and Germany to implement development projects in third countries, showcasing the potential of South-South cooperation.
• Bridge Mechanism – TrC: Triangular Cooperation (TrC) is emerging as an effective model to bridge the gap between the Global North and South, fostering balanced partnerships.
• Inclusive Model: TrC’s strength lies in its ability to bring together a traditional donor, a rising power, and a partner country, promoting shared learning and customized solutions.
• Funding Estimates: Initial estimates of funding flows for TrC range from $670 million to $1.1 billion, indicating its growing relevance and success in development finance.

Partnerships with Results

• Investment in Physical Infrastructure: Triangular Cooperation (TrC) has demonstrated that investing in physical infrastructure can lead to significant social development outcomes.
• Example of Energy Grids: Upgrading regional energy grids not only enhances digital connectivity but also improves access to essential services like education and healthcare.
• India-Germany TrC Projects: In 2022, India and Germany signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to implement TrC projects in third countries, focusing on regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Project Launches: Since the agreement, projects have been initiated in countries like Cameroon, Ghana, and Malawi in Africa, as well as in Peru in Latin America.

Conclusion

• The ongoing efforts in Triangular Cooperation (TrC) during India’s G-20 presidency aim to enhance global development finance by integrating technical expertise, financial support, and skilled human resources.
•  Partnerships with countries like Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and France are being strengthened, covering various sectors and models, including grant-based projects and investment-led initiatives. 
•  Initiatives such as the Global Innovation Partnership (GIP) with the U.K. exemplify how combining these elements can lead to impactful development outcomes in third countries.