 "Best of BS Opinion: The many hats a government wears in citizens' lives")
Since the days of ancient Rome, political scientists have debated the role of government in every which way imaginable. What should an ideal government do? How much should it control citizens' lives? How can it make it better? What are the dangers of too much government? Or too little? The fact of the matter is no one really knows. Governments come and go and muddle along as they see fit or think best. But the one undeniable thing is that it can bend and shape the very nature of the nation, for better or for worse. From finances to health to labour to communication to awareness, it wields great power. And with great power, as they say, comes great responsibility. Let us read today's opinion page in that light.
Our lead editorial notes that management of government finances deeply impacts its long-term growth and development. Currently, government support is necessary, especially in the development of social and physical infrastructure. However, it is critical that the government keep a rein on both spending and borrowing. To this end, it must maintain the quality of expenditure - both capex and the ratio of revenue expenditure to capital outlay, or RECO - at a high level.
Consumers are often played for fools by advertising, but this can have especially dangerous consequences when it comes to health and medicine ads. Our second editorial calls for prompt governmental implementation of the Supreme Court's call for a system that will allow citizens to complain against misleading medical advertisements. The apex court has also promised guidelines for redressal of such complaints. The irony is that while the rules forbid advertisements by doctors in private practice and prescription allopathic drugs, there is no such restriction against private hospitals, clinical establishments, and diagnostic centres. Most consumers also lack the wherewithal to go through time- and money-consuming cases. The SC and the government have a unique opportunity to address this gap. At a moment when the world is unsure of what US President Donald Trump's tariff threats will really translate into, Amita Batra writes that the Indian government needs to evolve its perspective on the multi-lateral front. The Indian government should secure its trade opportunities by diversifying its export markets and products. It may be useful for India, he says, to reduce and align its average applied tariffs with its comparator Asian economies, and to evolve a strategic trade policy that is multi-pronged and responsive to the challenges of the current global trade environment.
It is established fact that no country has reached great-economy status without extensive participation of women in the workforce. In 2023-24, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), only 40.3 Indian women were in the workforce, compared to 76.3 per cent men. There remains significant scope for improvement, write Amit Nirmal & Savindra Singh, noting that more women in the workforce could boost India’s overall economic growth. Increasing access to higher education and support from government initiatives are gradually breaking down challenges such as childcare and familial commitments. The government has also pushed for a “Work Near Home” model, with 'Working Women Hubs' of shared workspaces that are expected to help grow women's participation in economic activities.
The government's heavy hand can also have unintended consequences, as Mehak Jamal reveals in her book 'Lōal Kashmir: Love and Longing in a Torn Land'. The communications blockade in the Kashmir Valley meant that people of all stripes had to find innovative ways to reach each other. Nonetheless, writes Areeb Ahmad, the book has a vibrant outlook on love and life, and is testament to the human spirit that thrives in one of the world’s most militarised zones.