Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz suggested a partial alternative to the patent system that would both incentivise research but avoid monopoly pricing. This involved a government creating a “Prize Fund”. The Fund would then award prizes to those companies that successfully develop preventions or treatments of diseases affecting large numbers of people.

The media has recently reported some economists responding to the suggestion of money financing with the Friedmanesque quip “there ain’t no free lunch”. But it may be mentioned that there is no free lunch in the case of debtfinancing either. Not only have the moneys to be repaid, they will have to be paid back in hard currency.

I do not see the economic package unvelied by the PM contributing significantly even to a revival of the economy leave alone leading to self-reliance which is what ‘Atmanirbhar’ means.

So, States of India harbouring greater wealth than most have registered a higher mortality rate from COVID-19 even as some with far less have succeeded in containing them…Clearly wealth is not always health; when an epidemic strikes public capital in the form of a strong health infrastructure is.

It is also worth noting that the data confirms that, even with men helping out more around the house in April 2020, domestic chores are still overwhelmingly performed by women. In this sense, India is not an exception to the global pattern. It also remains to be seen if this trend persists after April 2020.