GS Analyst: Daily Editorial In Brief

Context:

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, which came into effect in May 2014, marks a significant milestone in the legal recognition of street vendors' rights in India. However, a decade after its enactment, challenges in its implementation have come to the forefront.

Administrative Challenges:

• Increase in Harassment and Evictions: Despite emphasis on protection, street vendors face heightened harassment and eviction, often due to outdated bureaucratic perceptions.
• Lack of Awareness and Sensitisation: State authorities, the public, and vendors lack awareness about the Act's provisions, leading to implementation gaps.
• Weak Representation in TVCs: Street vendor representatives in Town Vending Committees (TVCs) often lack influence, and the representation of women vendors remains tokenistic.

Governance Challenges:

• Weak Urban Governance Mechanisms: The Act's integration with urban governance frameworks is lacking, and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) lack sufficient powers and capacities.
• Neglect in Urban Development Schemes: Initiatives like the Smart Cities Mission prioritize infrastructure development over street vendor inclusion, undermining the Act's provisions.
• Exclusionary Urban Development: Prevailing notions of 'world class cities' marginalize street vendors, hindering their recognition as legitimate urban contributors.

Societal Challenges

• Exclusionary Urban Imagery: Society's perception of 'world class cities' stigmatizes street vendors, viewing them as obstacles to development rather than contributors.
• Impact of Climate Change and Technological Advancements: Vendors face new challenges from climate change, e-commerce competition, and reduced incomes, requiring innovative solutions.
• Need for Adaptation and Welfare Measures: The Act's provisions must be creatively utilized to address emerging challenges and ensure the welfare of street vendors.

Context

The discourse on labour reforms and the role of labour institutions in India's industrial relations system and labour market is under scrutiny, particularly regarding the need for evidence-based arguments and data-driven policymaking.

Challenges in Labour Reforms:

• Lack of Evidence-based Dialogue: Despite the importance of social dialogue, the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) has been criticized for lacking evidence-based discussions and becoming a mere "talking shop."
• Inadequate Labour Statistics: Labour statistics in India are not rigorous, lacking comprehensive data on various aspects of the industrial relations system and labour market.
• Unsubstantiated Reform Arguments: Employers and neoliberal academics advocate for labour reforms based on anecdotal evidence and flawed studies, leading to the government's inclination towards introducing reform measures without empirical support.

Need for Data-driven Approaches:

• Enhanced Data Collection: Trade unions should prioritize collecting relevant data on labour inspection, retrenchment/closure applications, and strikes to inform evidence-based arguments and challenge reform narratives.
• Utilization of Labour Statistics: Labour unions must produce and utilize labour statistics to advocate for the protection of workers' rights and inform policy discussions.
• Active Engagement with Academia: Trade unions should engage with academia to conduct research on the industrial relations system and labour market, fostering an evidence-based approach to labour reforms.

Context

The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO), prompting a reflection on the progress made and the future direction of immunization programmes, particularly in India.

Progress and Challenges of Immunization Programmes:

• Success and Impact of Immunization: Immunization programmes globally and in India have witnessed significant progress over the past five decades, with vaccines now available for preventing a wide range of diseases, leading to the prevention of millions of deaths and hospitalizations.
• Persisting Challenges and Inequities: Despite the successes, challenges such as declining childhood immunization coverage in certain regions and persisting inequities in vaccine coverage by geography and socio-economic factors remain.
• Shift towards Adult Vaccination: While childhood vaccination has traditionally been prioritized, there is a growing recognition of the importance of adult vaccination, especially considering the increasing prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases among adults.

Recommendations for Future Directions:

• Expansion of Immunization Coverage: Policy measures should focus on expanding immunization coverage to include adults and the elderly, building on the success of childhood vaccination programmes.
• Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy through proactive communication strategies, education campaigns, and engagement with healthcare professionals and community leaders are crucial to ensuring widespread acceptance of adult vaccination.
• Research and Evidence Generation: Research should be conducted to understand the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in the adult population, informing policy decisions and programme implementation.