-Scroll.in Healthcare is a public good and the government’s job. It cannot be left to the whims of the private sector. The news of coronavirus has been on all our minds since Narendra Modi’s televised address on Thursday. The janata curfew or people’s curfew that he suggested for Sunday was near-total through India, and at 5 pm, many came out to beat thalis and clap their hands to express gratitude to doctors...

-The Telegraph The large-scale unemployment the pandemic was set to cause would cost workers between $860 billion and $3.4 trillion in income losses Several workers’ organisations have demanded a special package to tide workers over the income slump entailed by coronavirus-induced social distancing and economic slowdown, at a time the International Labour Organisation has predicted a loss of 25 million jobs globally. An initial assessment by the ILO said the impact could be...

-The Hindu Business Line INBI has said that emergency basic income should be completely unconditional Close on the heels of the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) announcing measures to protect incomes of vulnerable households through cash transfers and other fiscal measures, the Indian Network for Basic Income (INBI), an advocacy group working in the area of basic income transfers, has asked the Central Government to consider an emergency basic...

-Scroll.in With authorities shutting down key institutions in several cities, sputtering economy hurts the most vulnerable. On Friday afternoon, Bandra Terminus in suburban Mumbai seemed to be its usual bustling self. Scores of people lined up to buy themselves tickets to places in western and northern India. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the fact that many of the passengers had coverings around their faces: some wore construction masks, some...

-The Indian Express Over the last one month, the government pulled out all stops to contain the spread of the Covid-19. During this period, economic ministries including Commerce and Industry, Heavy Industries, Road Transport, Civil Aviation, Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Affairs met and heard stakeholders. With Covid-19 wreaking havoc in Indian financial markets and global research and rating firms marking down GDP growth estimates by up to 100 basis points, Prime Minister Narendra...