Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 27 – May 4, 2020)
Distilled Policy Brief
- A district requires no new confirmed cases for 21 days to transition from a Red zone to an Orange zone, or from an Orange zone to a Green zone.
- To facilitate the movement of stranded persons via special trains, states and union territories designated nodal authorities, requiring mutual agreement between the sending and receiving states.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Note the criteria for risk-profiling districts into Red, Orange, and Green zones, including the requirement of 21 consecutive days without new cases for zone de-escalation.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Examine the administrative challenges of inter-state coordination and disaster management enforcement during large-scale public health emergencies.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the central guidelines regarding the risk-profiling and zone classification of districts during the COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020, consider the following statements: 1. States were allowed to classify additional districts as Red or Orange zones, but were prohibited from lowering the risk classification of any district. 2. A district required a period of 21 days without any new confirmed cases to transition from a Red zone to an Orange zone, or from an Orange zone to a Green zone. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 2 only
- [C] Both 1 and 2
- [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Both statements are correct according to the central government guidelines. States were permitted to include additional districts as Red or Orange zones, but they could not lower the zone classification shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Additionally, a district needed to report zero new confirmed cases for 21 days to move from a Red zone to an Orange zone, or from an Orange zone to a Green zone.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.