Covidiplomacy Pitch by PM Modi

In News: PM Modi in a workshop on ‘Covid-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward’ pitched for Covidiplomacy for taking the spirit of cooperation forward.

• The workshop is being attended by health leaders, experts and officials of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and India (8 South Asian Nations).

Key Highlights of Meetings

• India in accordance with Gujral Doctrine, has taken and elder brotherly approach for neighbours and has announced the following:
  • Special visa scheme for doctors and nurses to travel within the region during health emergencies
  • Regional air ambulance agreement for medical contingencies.
  • Rapid deployment of vaccines for the region to combat pandemic.

• PM Modi also highlighted past Indian efforts like
  • Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to meet the immediate costs of fighting the pandemic.
  • Resource Sharing: India shared its resources like medicines, PPEs, and testing equipment during Pandemic.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Through collaborative training of our health workers by webinars, online courses and IT portals, a learning environment rapidly updated human resources.
  • Best practices in testing, infection control and medical waste management were shared and remoulded among South Asian Nations.
  • Ayushman Bharat and Jan Arogya schemes may be useful case-studies for India’s Neighbours.

Benefits of Covidiplomacy to India

• Regional Soft Power: India can use this Pandemic as an opportunity to better its image in the neighbourhood.
  • All neighbouring countries have thanked India at the meet for exporting vaccines to them.
• Curtailment of China: With the Covidiplomacy, India can oust China from spreading its influence in the neighbourhood.
• Economic Benefits: There are many economic benefits as listed below
  • Promotion of Brand India in Pharmaceuticals and Vaccine
  • Push to Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat due to expansion of market.
  • Slowly these exports will make India epicentre of the Global Supply Chain Network.
• SDG 3: India can pose as a responsible nation and world leader by contributing to fulfillment of SDG Goal 3 i.e. Better Health for All.

Challenges

• Campaigns to tarnish Indian Vaccines Image by China: China is also competing with India in the same sphere.
• Intellectual Protection Rights: European and US firms often claim Indian bid to eliminate evergreening of patents as illegal and non-compliant with WTO norms.

Conclusion

• India should focus more on Research and Development to indigenise vaccine production and emerge as a nation with Altruistic Intent aiming for Global Growth.

Source: IE