'Third World', again? The virus has exposed India's underbelly for all to see

We show our weakness for declaring victory midway, as with Covid and Doklam, celebrate setback as victory, as at Depsang. And the old prickliness about foreign criticism remains, writes T N Ninan

So is India back to being a “Third World” country, dependent once again--after 16 years--on aid from other countries? No, and Yes. No, because India has given aid before getting it. As the foreign secretary has said, it’s an inter-dependent world. Besides, this is a once-in-a-century event, and mistakes will be made, so let’s cut some slack to those in charge. But the answer is also Yes, because extraordinary bungling and incompetence lie at the root of the need for emergency help from overseas. Institutional weakness is a feature of most Third World countries, and explains the two most egregious