-The Telegraph The pandemic has given surveillance tools legitimacy in the eyes of civil society which at other times might have been more concerned about privacy issues Among the “seven” to-dos that Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed for the country on April 13 while announcing the extension of a nationwide lockdown was a call for citizens to download the ‘Aarogya Setu’ app. It would help “prevent the spread of [the] corona infection,”...

-The Hindu A regime of social policy must be installed to meet the basic needs of all citizens at all times – not only during pandemics The current pandemic has forced us to think about the plight of workers in our country. While the virus has demonstrated the enormous value of health workers, it has also enhanced public awareness of the pivotal role of migrant workers in our economy. We have been...

-Financial Express Except Madhya Pradesh, no other state has so far acted upon the Centre’s advisory, leaving farmers, the intended beneficiaries of the move, high and dry. The Centre’s April 4 directive to states, asking them to facilitate direct purchase of farm produce including grains, pulses and fruits and vegetables by big retailers, aggregators and food processors hasn’t produced any immediate results. Except Madhya Pradesh, no other state has so far acted...

-VillageSquare.in With lack of access to authentic information, myths and fears proliferate. Health workers counsel communities over phone, addressing their anxieties about the disease and the returned migrants As COVID-19 grips the entire world in its talons and affects communities across geographies, ethnicities, caste and class, a wave of misinformation is spreading, sparking fear. This wave seems to have overtaken the outbreak, and poses a threat that may be more harmful than...

-The Indian Express The first thing to understand is that, even before the Covid-19 induced global lockdown, crude oil prices had been falling over the past few months. US oil markets created history on Monday when prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the best quality of crude oil in the world, fell to “minus” $40.32 a barrel in New York. Not only is this the lowest crude oil price ever known —...