In the next ten years, India could account for one-third of the world’s mental illness cases. Yet, only 0.06 percent of GDP is currently allocated to the problem. The Mental Health Care Act 2017 was a step in the right direction, but it needs to be better adapted to India's unique context.
Posts tagged as “COVID-19”
Thousands of people have failed to receive COVID-19 relief measures because the welfare system was broken to start with - from ration cards to worker documentation. But some governments put up quick and temporary solutions, which should now be strengthened.
If we are to beat this pandemic and make online classes work, we must become more mindful of the mental health issues that affect all of us. The disruption and human disconnect that the pandemic has brought pose an underlying danger to students: that of mental exhaustion and depression.
Bank managers have no sense of how much money can be productively used by MSME borrowers in the current circumstances and are afraid to lend. If the MSME sector is to be revived, there would have to be transparency and coordination across all stakeholders.
With limited government and insurance spending, most health expenses are paid for by the patients from out of their savings. Worse, 70 percent of India’s healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in just 20 of its top cities. The answer to all this is digitisation.
The contrasting experiences of Germany, Belgium, the United States and India show the importance of wise national leadership, trust and coordination between the Centre and the states, and respect for the rule of law during a crisis.
A furtive finger is placed on the lips of dissent in India. The government does this through malicious FIRs for sedition and defamation. In the Supreme Court, the government called its critics "prophets of doom". But such censorship is also done by fellow citizens.
Has the lockdown truly prevented COVID-19 from gripping India – or has the ‘cure’ been worse than the disease? Stories from the ground suggest that the livelihoods of millions of Indians have been harmed, perhaps irreparably, with no coherent policy framework for their revival.
Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Gopala Gowda, writes that the Supreme Court's infamous response to the migrant worker crisis during COVID-19 will be remembered as its darkest moment – even superseding its actions during the Emergency.
Kerala’s success in the fight against COVID-19 is due to its unique participatory governance model. People have worked hand-in-glove with the government, each complementing the efforts of the other, through community engagement platforms.