-The Hindu States, especially in the north, are facing the brunt of the second wave, made worse by their poor health infrastructure When the first wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the country, the central government imposed the strictest lockdown for almost two months. For most of the migrants stuck in urban areas without incomes, jobs and food to survive, the only escape was to walk back to the rural areas...
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Rework social security code for informal workers -Santosh Mehrotra and Kingshuk Sarkar
-The Hindu Business Line It needs to be simplified, avoiding multiple authorities and allowing for seamless integration of existing State-run schemes The Code on Social Security 2020 (SS Code) was passed in Parliament in September 2020 and obtained presidential assent. Thankfully, its implementation has Been postponed due to States not issuing notifications. Now, due to the Covid crisis, implementation of all the four new Codes on labour is to be postponed to...
More »Villagers in Varanasi turn to Dih Baba, goddesses and rituals to ward off COVID-19 -Sunil Kashyap
-CaravanMagazine.in As the second wave of COVID-19 spreads to rural areas with minimal healthcare, villages across the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh have Been conducting a 21-day puja to ward off the virus. The puja involves worshipping and invoking the protection of local patron saints, collectively referred to as Dih Baba, and pacifying goddesses associated with epidemics, such as Sheetala Mata. “Hospitals are in terrible condition and there are no medicines,...
More »Why aren’t journalists covering the Covid disaster showing 'positive news'? -Diksha Munjal
-Newslaundry.com 'What positivity do we look for in people's suffering?' “A 29-year-old man died in the hospital while his wailing wife and children waited outside,” Ronak Shah, a reporter for the Gujarati daily Sandesh said, recalling a tragedy he witnessed on April 12. “The three-year-old daughter kept saying, ‘My father is coming soon and we are here to take him home. I offered her a biscuit to eat, she did not take...
More »NREGA wage delay adds to Covid pain -Basant Kumar Mohanty
-The Telegraph Workers yet to receive a month's payment from Centre and state at a time, no work is available owing to the pandemic Koushalya Hembram, 42, of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district worked under the rural job scheme for 21 days in April. But the unmarried resident of Podahat village had not received her wages till Monday. No other work is available in her area amid a resurgent Covid. “I keep checking my mobile...
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