How PM Narendra Modi has led the Covid-19 battle
Long before anyone else, the PM recognised the gravity of the challenge. This helped India minimise the fallout
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is credited with the fact that he was probably the first political leader who understood the importance of social media and leveraged it for the benefit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 elections. He has continued to use this tool to motivate citizens, while also using radio through “Mann Ki Baat”.
I can vouch that it was PM Modi again who could sense the danger of the coronavirus pandemic in December itself, when China was infected. There were, at that time, no cases in India. But the PM, after every cabinet meeting, used to tell us that virus and the infection will not stop in China. He used to emphasise its seriousness, say it will spread all over, and that everyone is unprepared. And, therefore, his emphasis was on how India needs to prepare itself.
India started screening incoming international passengers early. Those travellers suspected of being infected were kept in a facility of the ministry of home affairs at Manesar. That was when we realised how grave the situation could turn out to be. From that day, the PM started implementing his plans to prepare India to fight against the pandemic. Here are a few major changes he brought about with his foresight.
There was no concept of dedicated coronavirus (Covid-19) hospitals. Today, we have nearly 700 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals with more than 200,000 isolation beds and 15,000 intensive care unit beds.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital to save the doctors and staff who treat Covid-19 patients. India had no facility to manufacture them. Initially, major orders were given for imports. Now, we have 39 factories in India manufacturing and stitching PPEs. Over 2.2 million PPE kits have already been distributed.
We were not manufacturing masks, leave alone N95. But six million masks have already been distributed. While many new factories have started working on N95 masks, small units have started preparing and stitching home-made masks.
We had only one lab to test. That was in Pune. Our testing capacity was just 4,000 per day. Now there are nearly 300 labs to conduct Covid-19 tests and give results. Now we can conduct 80,000-plus tests a day.
Initially, there were only around 8,400 ventilators. With initial orders, we now have nearly 30,000 ventilators. Indian manufacturers have started producing ventilators. We expect around 30,000 ventilators to be produced domestically.
Even as he led the preparations, PM Modi, simultaneously, remained connected with the world, talked to various leaders, and shared experiences, learning from each other and implementing what he found useful and appropriate for the Indian context.
PM Modi also recognised the impact of the lockdown. Therefore, he declared a huge package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to protect the poor. India has the biggest food security programme in the world under which 800 million people are given five kg of wheat/rice at Rs 2/3 a kg. For April, May and June, the PM decided to give 15 kg rice/wheat plus three kg dal free of cost, per person. This took care of basic rations for all vulnerable Indian households.
Around 200 million women from low-income groups were provided support, through the direct benefit transfer scheme of ~500 per month for three months in their Jan Dhan accounts. Further, under the PM-Kisan scheme, ~2,000 was transferred to 84 million farmers; 80 million beneficiaries of Ujwala LPG scheme were offered three cylinders free of cost. The PM also offered the facility of withdrawal from the provident funds and close to a million workers have withdrawn nearly ~36 crore.
The PM also provided help to small businesses and workers by promising that the provident fund contribution of the owner and worker will be deposited by the government for three months. The Reserve Bank of India has also released liquidity of ₹4 lakh crore through various measures in repo rates. The middle class was given the facility for deferment of EMIs and other mandatory submissions. The Centre gave ₹15,000 crore for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 and released ₹11,000 crore as State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF). In addition, ~31,000 crore was also released to help construction workers and all states were asked to distribute this at the earliest.
The PM also ensured the full-scale operation of agricultural activities, from the farm to the market by facilitating faster movement, more sowing, and money being paid to the farmers at the earliest. This ensured that the agricultural economy started working normally.
A national lockdown is a massive decision. It can never be successful until people participate voluntarily. The PM has maintained a continued dialogue with the people, with even the poorest of the poor convinced that the PM is working for them and cares. This is why he could prepare them psychologically for the long lockdown, suspension of activities and the resultant hardship. The people’s curfew and his call to applaud health workers and frontline workers helped motivate people to fight Covid-19 and instill discipline in them.
The PM also gave simple four steps to remain safe — put on a mask, wash hands regularly, keep social distancing, and stay at home. Citizens have largely abided by this.
All of this shows that PM Modi planned in advance, planned in detail, practised meticulously, communicated effectively, and kept the world in the loop. India has, therefore, succeeded in managing the coronavirus crisis better than many other advanced economies.