Seven things India can do for Covid management, including injecting more liquidity into the system

First, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches were symbolically important, his strategic communications are fast losing impact. Modi should learn from Jacinda Ardern, the young New Zealand leader, who is a masterclass: direct, candid, firm, empathetic and unpatronising. Every health expert worth the name senses the truth, except the dithering Indian Council of Medical Research. To control the pandemic, the feudal-minded Indian state has to stop obfuscating and start squaring with the public. One of the saddest statements about India’s informal Covid taskforce is that of a senior official: “Most instructions come from the PM. We always feel he is ahead of us.” The country needs a real taskforce, with talented experts, not one filled with well-meaning, loyalist officials. Modi should look at the success of Bangladeshi NGOs – it is a fair bet that our neighbour will handle the crisis better than us. In the interest of simpler implementation, a Universal Basic Income, irrespective of economic status, may be the way to proceed, at least for a limited time. This means special gear while on duty and defence against abusive and violent members of the public. Since they have largely failed in developing indigenous weapon systems, perhaps they can redeem themselves with health equipment.