6 March 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. Over-centralisation threatens federal health policy

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Role of Domicile Quotas in State Healthcare Planning

• Domicile-based reservations help States retain doctors who are familiar with the local healthcare system, ensuring a steady supply of specialists.
• States spend a large amount of money on medical education with the expectation that these graduates will serve the local population.
• Unlike undergraduate courses that provide basic medical training, post-graduate programs are essential for creating specialists in various medical fields.
• The Court’s reliance on past legal cases does not recognize the difference between undergraduate and post-graduate medical education.
• Without domicile quotas, States will have to rely on hiring doctors from outside, which is often unpredictable and inefficient.

Effect on State Investment in Medical Education

• If States cannot ensure that their trained doctors will stay and serve locally, they may reduce their investment in medical colleges.
• Competitive federalism encourages States to improve their medical institutions, but this decision might weaken that motivation.
• Without domicile reservations, funding for medical colleges could decrease, leading to poor infrastructure and widening healthcare gaps.

Medical Education and Public Health Connection

• The right to life under Article 21 includes access to quality healthcare, which is closely linked to medical education.
• State medical colleges play a major role in public health, not just in education but also in providing healthcare services.
• States need the power to decide admission policies to ensure that healthcare needs are met.
• Too much central control over medical education can prevent States from effectively planning their healthcare systems.

Problems with a Strict Merit-Based System

• The ruling assumes a rigid merit-based system but does not address flaws in medical entrance exams.
• NEET-PG has structural issues, including cases where candidates with negative marks qualify due to percentile-based cutoffs.
• In 2023, qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG were reduced to zero to fill vacant seats, showing inconsistencies in assessing merit.
• Previous legal decisions have recognized that merit should consider social and regional factors, not just exam scores.
• Domicile-based reservations help provide healthcare to underserved areas by ensuring specialists remain in their home States.

Need for a More Balanced Approach

• The Court’s decision is based on older legal cases that do not reflect today’s urgent need for specialists, especially with rising diseases and past health crises.
• Instead of removing domicile quotas completely, a better approach would be to link these reservations with service obligations.
• Some States have already implemented policies where medical graduates must serve in public hospitals in exchange for reserved seats.
• This ruling increases central control over medical admissions, which may lead to reduced State investment and wider regional disparities.
• Over-centralization of medical education policies may harm the federal structure of healthcare.
• A strong and sustainable healthcare system needs policies that balance merit, State autonomy, and public health needs. 

2. Who will apologise to the ‘Himalayans’?

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)

Norway’s Apology for Indigenous Assimilation Policies

• Norway’s Parliament has issued a formal apology for past policies that aimed to assimilate indigenous groups such as the Sami, Kven, and Forest Finn peoples.
• These policies, called Norwegianisation, were implemented between the 1850s and 1960s to suppress native languages and cultures.
• The government has proposed measures to address ongoing discrimination, including protecting indigenous languages and monitoring inclusion efforts from 2027.
• Despite these efforts, challenges remain, such as endangered Sami languages and inequalities in healthcare, education, and land rights.

Parallels Between Nordic and Himalayan Communities

• Similar to Nordic regions, the Himalayan region also faces environmental challenges and historical exploitation of resources.
• The Himalayan region spans 2,500 km from Afghanistan to northeast India, containing the world’s largest ice reserves after the poles.
• This region is home to 52 million people from various ethnic groups, including those in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
• Many of these communities have experienced assimilation pressures through colonial rule, post-independence policies, and modern economic changes.

Impact of Colonial Rule on Himalayan Communities

• British colonial policies disrupted Himalayan trade and local economies.
• In the northeast, trade blockades and forced agreements affected goods like tea, gold, silk, and opium.
• In Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, forests were exploited for timber to build railway tracks, leading to large-scale deforestation.
• Between 1853 and 1910, over 80,000 km of railway tracks were laid, destroying vast forested areas in Garhwal and Kumaon.

Post-Independence Policies and Economic Changes

• In the early years after independence, policies aimed to respect tribal ways of life.
• However, by the 5th and 6th Five-Year Plans, resource exploitation intensified, disrupting local ecosystems and cultures.
• In the 1990s, economic changes forced Himalayan states to generate revenue, leading to reliance on tourism and hydropower.

Challenges of Hydropower Projects

• Hydropower projects were promoted as a way to generate state revenue and reduce financial dependence.
• Arunachal Pradesh was expected to meet 40% of India’s power demand after completing major hydropower projects.
• However, these projects often ignored local laws and customary land ownership, leading to displacement and cultural erosion.
• The involvement of bureaucrats, politicians, and corporations in large-scale land acquisitions led to environmental damage and loss of traditional practices.

Need for Recognition and Justice

• Norway’s apology for past injustices highlights the importance of acknowledging historical wrongs and committing to reconciliation.
• The Himalayan region has also faced resource exploitation and cultural erosion, but there has been no formal recognition of these issues.
• Sustainable and inclusive development is necessary to protect the cultural identity and environment of Himalayan communities.
• The question remains whether similar accountability and justice will be extended to the affected communities in the Himalayas. 

Read more – 5 March 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis