Money9 Edit | Time for a national taskforce to contain COVID-19 crisis

Extraordinary crisis calls for extraordinary measures. When Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump, even before he named any White House staff or cabinet members, the new president named members of the COVID 19 advisory board, a majority of which were experts outside the government establishment. In India we have reached such an epoch-making hour. In just 18 days, the number of active COVID cases trebled – 3 lakh to 9 lakh – in India, a feat that the virus took 59 days last year. Despite the fact that our doctors know the virus and its treatment better, the healthcare sector is somewhat better equipped to handle the patients, the population is more aware after a year of living with the scourge and a vaccination drive is underway, the virus constantly seems to get the better of our preparedness to fight it.

Perhaps the stage it set for the government to break out of the traditional response pattern and summon the best minds and managerial skills that the nation can offer – beyond the limits of government circles – to fight the virus that is again threatening to cripple our economy and the dreams of the nation surrounding it.

The government should consider setting up a national taskforce under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Some of the members can be Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, Nandan Nilekani former chairman of UIDAI and co-founder of Infosys, Maruti chairman R C Bhargava, Sam Pitroda, metro man E Sreedharan, Biocon boss Kiran Majumdar Shaw and Sam Pitroda, one of the architects of Indian telecom mission – names that are the very best that India can offer in terms of managerial efficiency.

For a government that is pushing for lateral entry of professionals from the private sector into senior positions of different government departments, this should not raise eyebrows.