Time for govt to walk the talk on self-reliant India

The world will closely watch how India copes with the spread of Covid-19, particularly the different types of restrictions that states impose

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a global audience that ‘Atmanirbhar India’ ('self-reliant India') does not mean being self-contained or being closed to the world but is about self-sustaining and self-generating. He assured that India will pursue practices that promote efficiency, equity, and resilience. His audience will evaluate those words by the policies and actions that help Indian businesses become globally competitive.

A few weeks back, hardly anyone had heard the word 'atmanirbhar'. The PM surprised many by invoking 'atmanirbhar' as the only way to effectively combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Soon enough, his ministers, bureaucrats, party functionaries, and even