PLAY SAFE!
   Date :25-Sep-2019

 
THE pitch by Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah for having a multipurpose identity card for Indian citizens with all utilities like Aadhar, passport, driving licence and bank accounts stems from an idea of convenience. Mr. Shah is seeking a further boost to the Centre’s Digital India initiative that has already changed the way of life in the country. The idea of having all the data in one single card, on the lines of a social security card in vogue in many nations, sounds good from the purpose of ease of doing business and everyday transactions. However, there are many riders that need to be resolved before the plan is put into an action mode. Data is the new gold in the fast-changing world. Congregation of important identities on one single platform runs its own risks given the vulnerability of such entities. Before going further in this direction, the Government must come up with concrete, assuring steps on personal data security. For, a compromise of important utility data will be a massive breach of privacy. Government must take perils of digital world into account before taking step in this regard.
 
HEALTHCARE
 
PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has made a fine distinction between freedom from disease and a healthy life and made it clear that it is the Government’s onus to ensure healthy life. Addressing a meeting on Universal Health Coverage in New York on Monday, Mr. Modi said that India’s experience and capabilities in providing affordable healthcare are available to the global community and the country is willing to share the knowledge, which it is already doing. There is no denying that healthcare in India has progressed much with modern medicine and healthcare facilities developing all over the country. Now the country can boast of world class healthcare facilities so much so that patients from abroad are increasingly attracted towards India for medical solutions. The country is now looked at as a major medical tourism destination in the world. Despite this much work remains to be done in making affordable healthcare available to the needy and the poorest of the poor. For this public sector needs to be recharged.