GS Analyst: Daily Editorial In Brief

Context:

India's struggle to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious goal, is exacerbated by a recurrent shortage of TB drugs, particularly for drug-sensitive TB patients.

Shortage of TB Drugs:

• Drug shortage: India is facing a concerning shortage of TB drugs, including critical medications for drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients, hindering treatment initiation and success.
• Questionable preparedness: With less than two years remaining to achieve the TB elimination goal, India's inability to address the most basic elements of TB control, including drug availability, raises doubts about the country's preparedness to meet its targets.
• Undermined efforts: The shortage of TB drugs undermines efforts to address gaps in the TB care cascade, such as delays in diagnosis, treatment initiation, and achieving treatment success, posing significant challenges to TB control efforts.

Inadequate Management and Response:

• Need for management: The decision to rename the National TB Control Programme as the National TB Elimination Programme without addressing fundamental issues like drug availability reflects inadequate management and seriousness in combating TB.
• Logistical challenges: Last-minute permissions granted by the Health Ministry to States for local drug procurement create logistical challenges at the field level, further exacerbating the drug shortage issue.
• Required measure: Addressing the recurrent shortage of TB drugs and improving the management of the national TB programme are crucial steps needed to enhance India's efforts towards eliminating TB by 2025.

Context:

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on the National Broadcasting Policy, coinciding with significant developments in content delivery platforms and technologies.

Challenges of Regulatory Framework:

• Fragmented regulatory framework: The convergence of traditional broadcasting and digital media has highlighted the fragmented regulatory framework, with traditional broadcasting under TRAI and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and digital media governed by self-regulatory mechanisms outlined in the IT Rules 2021.
• Challenges: The disjointed regulatory regimes pose challenges in ensuring a level playing field for service providers, necessitating an evolutionary approach to address regulatory gaps and maintain fair competition.
• Expansion of broadcasting services: The TRAI consultation paper identifies the low TV adoption rate in India, with over 100 million households lacking television access, highlighting the need to expand broadcasting services' reach by addressing barriers like high ownership costs and subscription fees.

Content Regulation and Cross-Media Ownership:

• Content regulation is a critical area requiring regulatory intervention, yet the TRAI consultation paper remains silent on this aspect, despite the proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 granting extensive censorship powers to the Centre.
• Cross-media ownership: The issue of cross-media ownership, which impacts media consolidation and pluralism, is overlooked in the consultation paper, despite TRAI's previous emphasis on necessary safeguards and the need for a robust policy to ensure healthy competition within the sector.
• Consolidated National Broadcasting Policy: As India aims to establish itself as a global leader in media and entertainment, a progressive policy framework will be crucial to fostering an inclusive broadcasting ecosystem that supports innovation, diversity, and healthy competition.

Context:

The impact of climate change on women's health and well-being, as well as the importance of incorporating gender-sensitive approaches into climate action plans, has gained prominence in recent discussions.

Disproportionate Health Risks:

• Gender impact of climate-related events: Women and girls face disproportionately high health risks due to climate change, particularly in impoverished situations and influenced by existing cultural norms. Women and children are significantly more likely than men to die in disasters, emphasizing the gendered impact of climate-related events.
• Food insecurity: Climate-driven factors such as crop yield reductions exacerbate food insecurity, leading to adverse health outcomes for women, especially those in rural areas who heavily depend on agriculture for livelihoods.
• Impact on physical health: Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, further endanger vulnerable groups like pregnant women, young children, and the elderly, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to mitigate health risks.

Empowering Women in Climate Action:

• Gender-sensitive approaches in climate action are essential for ensuring the effectiveness and inclusivity of mitigation and adaptation measures.
• Empowering women with access to resources and decision-making roles can lead to better climate solutions, increased agricultural yields, and enhanced community resilience.
• Local-level interventions, driven by women collectives and participatory approaches, can facilitate innovative solutions to climate challenges and contribute to sustainable development goals.