PRS · Parliamentary Affairs ·

Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 7-13, 2020)

Distilled Policy Brief

  • The Supreme Court held that COVID-19 tests should be free of cost for persons belonging to economically weaker sections and those covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and must be conducted in laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, World Health Organisation, or Indian Council for Medical Research.
  • The central government approved the COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package to be implemented in three phases from January 2020 to March 2024 to strengthen national and state health systems.
  • To support relief operations, the government permitted NGOs to buy food grains directly from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and approved monetary compensation up to 35 lakh rupees for FCI workers in case of death due to COVID-19.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

Criteria for free COVID-19 testing under Supreme Court directives, accredited laboratory bodies (NABL, WHO, ICMR), and the timeline of the COVID-19 emergency response package.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Analyze the role of judicial intervention in safeguarding public health during emergencies and the significance of social security measures for frontline logistics workers.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Polity & Governance

With reference to the policy measures and judicial directives during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in India (April 2020), consider the following statements: 1. The Supreme Court directed that COVID-19 tests must be free of cost for economically weaker sections and Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries in both public and private laboratories. 2. The central government approved a COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package to be implemented in three phases from January 2020 to March 2024. 3. To support relief operations, the central government permitted Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to purchase food grains directly from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Which of the statements given above are correct?

  • [A] 1 and 2 only
  • [B] 2 and 3 only
  • [C] 1 and 3 only
  • [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [D] 1, 2 and 3

Statement 1 is correct: The Supreme Court ruled that COVID-19 tests should be free of cost for persons belonging to economically weaker sections and those covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, irrespective of whether they are conducted in private or public laboratories. Statement 2 is correct: The central government approved the COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package to be implemented in three phases from January 2020 to March 2024. Statement 3 is correct: To facilitate relief operations, the government permitted NGOs to buy food grains directly from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 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.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Judicial Activism and Right to Health: M. Laxmikanth's Indian Polity: Chapters on Supreme Court and Fundamental Rights, specifically the expansion of Article 21 to include the right to clean environment and health.
Food Security and Buffer Stock Management: Ramesh Singh's Indian Economy: Chapters on Agriculture and Food Security, focusing on the role of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the Public Distribution System (PDS).