Ethics Theory, GS 4, TLP-UPSC Mains Answer Writing
3. How justified is the expectation that the Government should take all the responsibilities during a pandemic? Critically examine.
यह अपेक्षा कितनी जायज है कि महामारी के दौरान सरकार को सभी जिम्मेदारियां लेनी चाहिए? समालोचनात्मक जांच करें।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about share of responsibilities of different stakeholders in emergency times. Students should also write about whether it’s justified to depend on only one stakeholder or not.
Introduction:
COVID-19 pandemic has created once in century situation for all the government, economy and public life. Governments are one of the pillars of human civilisations built to maintain security, order and welfare in recent times. Though, governments share principle responsibility of fight against such crisis, it cannot be sole fighting entity.
Body:
Responsibility of Government in Pandemic:
- Government is institution established to take care of all the emergency situation may it be pandemic, famine or war.
- There is idea of social contract between government and people in which, people follow laws and regulation, pay taxes and in return government protect people and act in a manner to achieve summum bonum.
- Healthcare for all is universal human right and Right to life with dignity is fundamental right of citizens under Indian Constitution. It puts responsibility on the government machinery to protect lives of people not only from disease per say but also from income insecurity and hunger.
- Real test of government is during the period of crisis as it’s not very difficult to maintain order in nations bided by law and written constitution during peace time.
However, it is far from justified to leave all the responsibility to government in fight against pandemic or any emergency.
- Private sector: It is part of the responsibility of the private sector to not create more burdens for the public and the government, before cutting head count, there is need to look at other ways to cut costs, and weather the storm.
- There are many things that can be done by private sector before laying off people, even without government incentives and support.
- Even private sector can insure testing of their own employee, work from home infrastructure portability and even work with government to share manpower, expertise and capacity.
Not to forget responsibility of masses to do their own role.
- Following government rules, regulations and guidelines in letter and spirit is duty of masses; many people often dissociate them from the efforts of government.
- Maintaining civic sense, collective responsibility approach needs to be followed by people.
- Cooperative approach towards pandemic warriors who are risking lives to save others at frontline.
However, people need to understand role of government is of leadership. During the London bombings of Second World War, British forces and government played their duty by fighting on frontier but its people of London who had shown remarkable patience under the most difficult times.
Conclusion:
Citizens need to take a long-term view, assess how long this period of uncertainty will last, and look at what we can do. With every crisis comes opportunity, and this crisis could actually help us to transform, and come back better, and stronger.
