NEW DELHI : The coronavirus pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 100,000 lives globally, is testing the nerve of governments in making difficult choices between saving lives and livelihoods and in handling economic, political and moral questions with long term consequences.
Federal policy think tank, NITI Aayog, has a ringside view of the decision making process. In an interview with Mint, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar speaks about the priorities of the government, the industries that need fiscal support and why it is important to take a long hard look at conventional ideas of fiscal prudence.
Edited excerpts: The policy choice so far the government has taken seeks to save lives even at the expense of the economy which it