-The Hindu All categories of manufacturing industries showed a contraction in production, with the worst affected being the automobile SECtor India’s factory output plummeted to record lows in March, with the Index of Industrial Production contracting 16.7%, reflecting the drastic impact of the countrywide lockdown that began on March 25. This comes after a positive growth of 4.5% recorded in February. Manufacturing SECtor output slumped 20% in March, while electricity generation shrank almost...

-TheWire.in India implemented a lockdown 14 days after it recorded 50 cases. The relatively higher number of cases recorded in India may partly be the result of the government losing two precious weeks before implementing any serious physical distancing measures. In part one of this three-part series, we presented a picture of the spread of COVID-19 in four South Asian countries. In the SECond part, we discuss two issues: How prepared –...

-NDTV The booklet containing what the centre has done for people, especially migrants, will be widely circulated, the source said, adding the massive publicity campaign will be the main thrust of the entire exercise. New Delhi: The centre will launch an "image correction" exercise to counter what is seen as not doing enough to help stranded and hungry migrant workers amid the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, sources have said. The centre...

-The Indian Express The Act was enacted to prevent the exploitation of inter-state migrant workmen by contractors, and to ensure fair and decent conditions of employment. The fallout of the lockdown in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 highlights the urgent need to rationalise the legislative framework for labour in India. Migrant labour has been among the worst affected due to the lockdown. Their efforts to leave the cities before the...

-The Indian Express Centre’s policy of monopolising decisions, socialising economic losses in the wake of Covid-19 has left migrant workers in the lurch The 40-day lockdown was further extended at a time of sporadic expressions of resistance and anger by migrant workers in a few cities. Extreme precarity doesn’t have a singular expression. While some are responding with anger, others are responding with resignation. The severe distress among migrant workers in India...