Misplaced priorities : Rectifying Institutional faults

If anything, the current pandemic has exposed the inadequacy or abject failure of current institutional arrangements to meet unexpected and daunting challenges confronting the world. To say it happened without a warning might be incorrect. Ironically a warning about Corona like virus came from the poster boy of Capitalism, Bill Gates, five years ago! And yet we are where we are. I venture to argue that we are in our current predicament due to faulty institutional arrangements.

It has been argued by experts that defence expenditure exceeds pubic healthcare expenditure and we have misplaced priorities. This is not a one off example but a pattern. Consider this, importance is given to defence, artificial intelligence, Industrial revolution 4.0, 5G, Space and arms race as compared to food, clothing, shelter, education and sanitation for all. The former more glamorous the latter more rudimentary yet essential. It is time every country invests limited resources on things that matter, it is time to set the priorities straight.

After misplaced priorities I argue against the unfair reward system embedded in our institutions today. Marginal productivity theory states that private rewards (incomes) reflect social contributions. And this implies higher incomes means higher social contributions. Consider this, in the year 2019, Virat Kohli, earned $4 million from salary and winnings. In the same year the income of an AIIMS Doctor was roughly Rs. 7, 90,000. The stark disparity is a great cause of concern. By no account can we say Kohli’s social contribution was more than that of the doctor. This shows that the reward system is highly unfair. A society which values sportsperson more than doctors is no doubt found wanting in a healthcare crisis. This is a case misplaced preference, where entertainment is valued over health. 

Finally, I would like to point out the fatal flaw of the institutional arrangements that it has endemic sufferers who act as collateral damage in times of crises. These endemic sufferers are nobody else but the victims of the stratification system. They include the poor, migrant workers who also are overwhelmingly lower caste, women, differently abled, minorities etc. Since the imposition of lockdown we have seen appalling news of migrants’ long march, hunger, domestic violence, plight of minorities. This is no accident but an inevitable outcome of a system designed to make the less fortunate as scapegoats.

After a prolonged inactivity, now there are murmurs of taking things back to normal. I ask who’s normal are we talking about. Was that normal fair and just to all?  This pandemic chaos has given us time to reflect about these things. It also offers us a chance to think of a new normal. One can roughly compare this chaotic time to the initial state in John Rawls’ Theory of Justice. In the initial state there is a veil of ignorance and nobody knows what gender, class and caste they might belong to. Owing to this veil, people make rules which are beneficial to all and take care of the most downtrodden. Especially now, the veil of ignorance is so relevant.  As the recession or worse still depression hits, an organized sector worker may find herself out of work, without assured income. She may not have health insurance anymore and will become dependent on public facilities. That is why it becomes imperative for all to consider themselves behind the veil of ignorance and to contribute towards framing a just system.

If that is done, people, especially the downtrodden will be at the center of policy making. Hence, misplaced priorities will have been set straight. In that scenario private rewards will truly reflect social contributions. Our preferences will reflect choice of public health over entertainment, doctors and nurses over cricketers, teachers over film stars and scientists over politicians. Finally, since everyone is thinking from behind the veil of ignorance endemic sufferers will be eliminated or taken care of.                                                          

It’s time for a fresh start, a new normal!                                    

- Saket Kakade