Early take-off: On resumption of air travel(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Economy
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Resumption of the transport system

Context:

• Even after long negotiations with States, and with a truncatedschedule, the Centre has found it difficult to relaunch domestic flights.
• Several were cancelled on the first day services were resumed after being frozen on March 25.
• Some Chief Ministers expressed apprehension about a prematureresumption of civil aviation, as the spread of COVID-19 is unrelenting, and quarantine monitoring has its limits.

A rethink on scheduled flights:

• The experience of flight cancellations, passenger frustration and low capacity among States to track thousands of passengers should prompt a rethink on scheduled flights.
• Access to emergency air travel in a large country is a legitimate expectation, and a targeted program run efficiently can meet that need, without induced demand produced by commercial flights.
• Going back to the drawing board to draft a plan for .................................

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Enabling scheduled travel:

• Enabling scheduled travel through national policy, whether by air or rail, could be seen as a reasonable effort only when State governments are fully prepared, and adopt a uniform code of practice.
• Within the lockdown, the virus crisis has snowballedonly in States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and in Delhi.
• But that picture could change with the operation of daily flights, a couple of hundred scheduled trains from June 1 and the large number of promised Shramik Special trains for migrant workers.
• It is essential, therefore, for States to adopt a coordinated approach on quarantine and testing. Travel choices, in the present phase, should be designed to discourage optional journeys.
• Moreover, passengers on all flights, including relief flights, could have a lower risk if airlines and the government keep the middle seats vacant as decided on March 23 by the DGCA.
• There is no reason to think that the pandemic has begun to wane.

Conclusion:

• The global aviation map shows that even market economies placing great emphasis on individual freedoms have severely limited travel, making exceptions only for returning citizens.
• Relaxing travel must be preceded by focused containment measures and an agreed protocol for States.
• With no consensus on health monitoring of passengers among States, travel remains risky.

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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q1. With reference to the Facebook Shops, consider the following statements:
1. It is a platform that small mom-and-pop stores across the world could leverage to sell things directly across its apps, such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook too.
2. For small store owners in developing countries, the launch of this platform could mean easy access to the large customer base of the social media giant, Facebook.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: ..............................

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Mains Questions:
Q1. With no consensus on health monitoring..........................................................