The central government has shown its commitment to public health by extending the National Health Mission (NHM) for another five years, effective January 22, 2025.

This decision, announced following a Union Cabinet meeting, underscores the program’s significant achievements over the past decade. Union Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted the NHM’s remarkable progress, particularly its instrumental role in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NHM’s evolution reflects a strategic approach to addressing healthcare needs across India. Initially launched in 2005 as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), its focus was on improving healthcare access in rural areas.

Recognising the importance of urban health infrastructure, the program expanded significantly in 2012 with the integration of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). This restructuring led to the renaming of the program to the National Health Mission, encompassing both rural and urban healthcare initiatives under a unified framework.

The NHM’s success is evident in the substantial expansion of its workforce. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, nearly 1.2 million healthcare workers joined the mission, bolstering its capacity to deliver essential services.

This workforce proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, playing a pivotal role in the nationwide vaccination drive. The NHM’s existing network of healthcare facilities and personnel facilitated the administration of over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses between January 2021 and March 2024, a monumental achievement in the fight against the pandemic.

Furthermore, the NHM’s contribution extended beyond vaccination. The India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP), implemented in two phases under the NHM, strengthened the healthcare system’s capacity to manage the pandemic effectively. This initiative involved significant investments in infrastructure, training, and resource allocation to enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of healthcare facilities across the country.

The continued funding and expansion of the NHM demonstrate the government’s long-term commitment to improving the health and well-being of its citizens. The program’s success in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a testament to its effectiveness and resilience.

The next five years will likely see continued efforts to strengthen primary healthcare, improve access to essential services, and address health disparities across urban and rural populations.

China has issued a firm response to US President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, beginning February 1. The statement, released by the Chinese foreign ministry, underscores Beijing’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its national interests amidst escalating trade tensions with the United States.

While acknowledging a willingness to maintain open communication channels and collaborative efforts with the U.S., China firmly rejected the notion of a trade war, emphasizing that such conflicts ultimately yield no winners.

The statement directly addresses Trump’s justification for the proposed tariffs, citing the flow of fentanyl from China through Mexico and Canada into the United States. This latest escalation marks a significant development in the long-standing trade dispute between the two economic giants.

The proposed tariffs, scheduled for implementation on February 1st, echo a similar threat made by Trump earlier, targeting Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs over concerns about illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.

This consistent pattern of utilizing tariffs as a tool to address broader geopolitical concerns highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of the relationship between the United States and its major trading partners.

China’s economy, heavily reliant on exports to sustain its economic growth, faces significant vulnerability to such protectionist measures. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify its economy and boost domestic consumption, exports remain a crucial pillar of China’s economic engine. The potential impact of a 10% tariff on Chinese goods entering the U.S. market could trigger substantial ripple effects throughout the global economy.

The current trade tensions represent a continuation of a protracted struggle dating back to the Trump administration’s first term, marked by the imposition of substantial tariffs on Chinese imports over alleged unfair trade practices.

These actions were further reinforced by the subsequent Biden administration, which implemented sweeping measures aimed at restricting Chinese access to critical high-tech components.

Trump’s recent pronouncements signal a potential further escalation of these long-standing trade disputes. China’s response clearly indicates its readiness to defend its economic interests and navigate the complex landscape of international trade relations.

On the tenth anniversary of the government’s flagship women’s empowerment scheme, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (BBBP), the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge levelled scathing criticism against the ruling BJP, accusing it of prioritising the protection of criminals over the safety and well-being of women.

In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Kharge questioned the BJP’s commitment to the initiative’s goals. He posed several pointed questions, demanding accountability for the high rate of crimes against women and the apparent lack of justice for victims in high-profile cases such as those in Manipur, Hathras, and Unnao.

Kharge highlighted the alarming statistic of 43 crimes against women being reported every hour in India, further emphasizing the discrepancy between the BJP’s public pronouncements on women’s safety and the reality on the ground. He also noted that 22 crimes are registered daily against women and children from vulnerable Dalit and tribal communities.

Kharge also raised concerns about the allocation of funds for the BBBP scheme. He alleged that until 2019, nearly 80% of the allocated budget was spent on advertising, a claim reportedly substantiated by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Following this revelation, funding for the scheme was drastically reduced by 63% between 2018-19 and 2022-23. The subsequent merging of BBBP with the ‘Sambal’ scheme under ‘Mission Shakti,’ and the subsequent lack of transparency regarding its funding, further fueled the Congress’s accusations of a government cover-up. Kharge pointed out a further 30% reduction in funding for ‘Sambal’ in 2023-24.

Kharge questioned the effectiveness of the BBBP initiative, highlighting its largely symbolic measures such as slogans on trucks and walls. He argued that these superficial actions fail to address the critical issues of employment opportunities, healthcare access, and justice for victims of atrocities.

The Congress leader concluded by describing the BJP’s claims of addressing violence against women as “hollow advertisements” indicative of hypocrisy after a decade of the scheme’s existence.