-TheWire.in In each of the four large South Asian nations, the response of the state to the pandemic has been shaped by long standing and underlying political faultlines. In parts one and two of this article, we have discussed the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparedness (in terms of health infrastructure), and the government’s public health responses to the pandemic in four South Asian countries. In this concluding part, we discuss two...

-BusinessToday.in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reform announcements related to coal, aviation, power sectors will suit these players * Adani Power, Tata Power, JSW Energy, Reliance Power will lock horns in the bid for thermal coal blocks * Existing captive users like Tata Power, Reliance Power, Tata Steel must bid at regular intervals to retain mining licence * Adani Enterprises Ltd had recently emerged as the highest bidder for six airports * Adani bought the Mumbai...

-The Hindu There are clear, implementable steps the Centre can take in fiscal terms to revive the economy and support livelihoods The Prime Minister has just announced Lockdown 4.0. Despite some resulting increase in economic activity, vast numbers of working people will remain without their regular incomes. He also announced a package of ₹20 lakh crore, but this includes already allocated money of ₹6-lakh crore and monetary policy directives to banks and...

-The Indian Express Left stranded by a nationwide lockdown, which has halted all public transport, hundreds of labourers devoid of work have started leaving big cities on foot. Ahmedabad, Jaipur, New Delhi, Vadodra: Antresh Kumar, 21, started walking at 3 am on Wednesday from Dharampuri in Najafgarh, South West Delhi. Facing the prospect of no work due to the 21-day lockdown, the daily wager decided that heading home to Moradabad in Uttar...

-Newsclick.in An insufficient economic package for welfare of the poor has been announced almost two months after WHO declared it a public emergency. Prime Minister Modi suddenly announced a 21-day lockdown on March 24 across India as a rather belated and overwrought response to the looming coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has now spread around the world in 175 countries, striking at over 4.75 lakh persons (confirmed) and killing over 21,000. Two days later,...