In Focus by The Hindu

Last week the government announced that it has allocated ₹19,744 crore for a National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Mission will aim to make India a ‘global hub’ for producing, using and exporting green Hydrogen.India is not alone in formulating a green hydrogen strategy, or in setting aside big money for developing the country into a global hug for green hydrogen. In the last 18 months or so, several developing countries have zeroed in on green hydrogen, which is viewed by many as a silver bullet of sorts for decarbonisation.How will the National Green Hydrogen Mission be implemented? How does green hydrogen fit in with India’s energy consumption profile? Does India have the manufacturing base to develop itself into a green hydrogen hub?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In mid-December, a government department told the Kerala High Court that Ribociclib, a drug prescribed for a type of breast cancer, did not meet the conditions necessary to issue a compulsory licence. The drug is patented and therefore cannot be made by generic manufacturers but a compulsory licence, if issued by the government would permit a drug to be manufactured and made available at an affordable price. The case involved a woman, now deceased who said that she and her husband had a joint income of ₹74,400 a month, while the drug Ribociclib cost her ₹58,140, making it unaffordable. A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research has found that breast cancer is one of the top cancers in women in India.Drug prices have evoked national interest following the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw widespread reporting of desperate patients turning to the black market for drugs and devices.In September, the Centre released the National List of Essential Medicines -- the list was released after a gap of seven years, and contains 384 drugs. Interestingly, it also has added, for the first time four drugs that are under patents.So what's in and out of the latest list? How are drug prices regulated in India, and how will the inclusion of drugs on the list help? Does India need to do more to make medicines affordable and accessible? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 18, in Montreal, Canada, 188 governments that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed on a new framework to halt species extinction and loss of bio- diversity. Known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), it sets out four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030 to ensure that 30% of land, inland water, marine and coastal ecosystems are protected. At present, only 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine ecosystems are protected.So, how realistic are these goals? How will the signatories be monitored to ensure that they are on course to meet their targets? Since conservation and restoration initiatives will not come cheap, what is the total estimated cost and how will the funds be raised, especially for developing countries?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following his victory in the November 1 elections, and after securing a vote of confidence in Parliament, Benjamin Natanyahu has become Prime Minister of Israel for a record sixth time. He now heads what has been described as the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. The coalition government includes, apart from Netanyahu’s own right-wing Likud Party, the far-right Jewish Power party and the Jewish supremacist Religious Zionist party.Political observers, and even Israel’s own Western allies, have expressed apprehensions that the inclusion in the government of what were hitherto fringe elements, could lead to escalation of tensions with Palestinians and worsening of repressive measures in the occupied territories. There are also fears that life could become more difficult for secularists and left-wing groups in Israel. How justified are these fears? What is the likely agenda of the new government? And will Israel get more aggressive about expanding settlements?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By banning women from attending universities and colleges, the Taliban have proved that their ideological motivations matter more than international opinion. In September last year, one month after taking power again, the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary schools. In November, the Taliban banned women from visiting public parks, hamams and gymnasiums. In December, the Taliban resumed the practice of public floggings and executions, putting their medieval motivations on display yet again.Many countries and the United Nations Security Council have expressed concern at the Taliban decisions banning women from public life. But what do these statements amount to? Can the UN and other influential countries influence Taliban behaviour? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the eastern front with China that has become tense after a border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on the 9th of December.India and China, listeners may recall, are still engaged in dialing down Chinese transgressions in multiple areas in eastern Ladakh through negotiations that have been slow and protracted.Four days after the incident in Tawang, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed both Houses of Parliament that Chinese troops unilaterally tried to alter the status quo in the Yangtse area, but were rebuffed by Indian soldiers.So, what does one make of the latest aggressive posture displayed by the Chinese in the eastern sector?To discuss this issue, we have Dr. Jabin T. Jacob, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Governance Studies of the Shiv Nadar University.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrations are still going on in Argentina after what many consider as possibly the greatest World Cup final played till date. Billed as a match-up between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the game surpassed and confounded everyone’s expectations in its twists and turns.While the final will remain the biggest talking point of the Qatar World Cup, the tournament also threw up several others – the success of Morocco, spectacular upsets, the tactical evolution of the game, Messi’s legacy, and of course, the fact that this is the first World Cup to be hosted in the Arab world. We look back at some of these highlights as we bring the curtains down on what has been a truly memorable event.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Union government introduced the Multi-state Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 7. The justifications for the Bill trotted out by the government include: strengthening governance, reforming the electoral process, improving the monitoring mechanisms, and ensure ease of doing business, ensure financial discipline, and making it easier to raise funds.But Opposition members have criticized sections of the Bill on the grounds that it encroaches into the jurisdictions of States, and seeks to centralize power with the Central government. There is also the question of whether the changes enhance or dilute the autonomy of the multi-state co-ops.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, the Central government, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, said that it cannot be held liable to pay compensation for deaths caused by adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine.The affidavit was filed in a case in response to a petition filed by the parents of two young women, who allegedly died due to adverse reactions following their taking the COVID-19 vaccine.The Centre also said that taking the COVID-19 vaccine was purely voluntary and that the government had made all the relevant information about the vaccines freely available in the public domain.AstraZeneca’s vaccine or Covishield as it is known in India, which was the vaccine largely used in the country’s immunisation drive, is reported to be linked to a rare blood clotting condition, known as TTS – the United Kingdom in fact offers alternative vaccines to healthy adults under the age of 40. The Centre said that a total of 26 TTS cases were reported, of which 14 recovered and 12 died.Other countries offer compensations to those who are injured following a vaccination: during the COVID-19 vaccinations, the World Health Oganisation introduced a “no fault compensation programme” as part of its Covax initiative.As of last month, India has administered nearly 220 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, since the vaccination drive began in January 2021. As per the Centre’s affidavit, a total 92,114 cases of adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) have been reported in this period, which amounts to 0.0042% in terms of adverse events against the number of doses given. Of these, 89,332 have been “minor” cases while only 2,782 cases or 0.00013% are serious and severe.But how robust is India’s system of reporting adverse events following immunisation? How easy or difficult is it for patients to report an adverse event, and do most people know how to do so? How much communication was there with regard to possible effects of taking vaccines? And while vaccine injuries are rare, and vaccines are necessary for public health initiatives, what happens to families of those who fall sick or lose their lives following a vaccination? Should the government, ultimately, take responsibility? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rajya Sabha passed the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2021 earlier this month. The Lok Sabha had cleared it four months ago, in August. The Bill, which amends the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has been justified on the grounds that it was needed to implement provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), to which India is a signatory.But the Bill has raised concerns among conservationists. One worry is that it leaves the door open for commercial trade in elephants. It has also been criticised for diluting the federal framework by seeking to displace the State Boards of Wildlife, which are chaired by the Chief Minister, with a Standing Committee headed by the Union Forest Minister, evoking fears of turning a body vested with wildlife guardianship into a ‘rubber-stamping’ authority.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices