-Scroll.in The Central government is using outdated population figures to determine grain allocations to states under the food security law. Millions of Indians live on the verge of hunger even in normal times. Now, with the coronavirus epidemic sweeping the world and India declaring a five week-long economic lockdown to contain it, hunger threatens an even larger population which has no income to buy food. As part of its economic central government has...
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Any decision on extending coronavirus lockdown must be based on extreme circumspection, realistic cost-benefit analysis -Aruna Sundararajan
-The Indian Express Efficacy of universal lockdown isn’t completely endorsed, nor is there indisputable evidence to suggest it is optimal response. As the country approaches the end of its nationwide lockdown on April 14, one question dominates national discourse: Should India extend the lockdown? Never before has India confronted a public policy dilemma that impacts the lives and fates of millions so critically. A number of states have already announced extension of the...
More »Coronavirus: MGNREGA jobs crash to 1% of normal -Priscilla Jebaraj
-The Hindu With worksites closed, activists urge SC to ensure wages for all those registered Employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has collapsed to just over 1% of the usual rate this month due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Activists petitioned the Supreme Court demanding that the government pay full wages to all active job card holders during this time, following its own instructions issued to other employers. Please click...
More »India cannot fight a pandemic with police lathis. It must ensure people have food – and dignity -Supriya Sharma
-Scroll.in Scenes in the national capital offer a glimpse into the crisis. “You can speak to him in English,” said a rickshaw puller who was eating his first morsel of food for the day around 1 pm on Saturday. He was among more than a hundred people who had lined up in the heat outside a government school in South Delhi’s Jangpura neighbourhood to get a scoop of dal over a small...
More »Coronavirus: Industrial activity can be restarted in at least 15 sectors, says Industries Department
-The Hindu They are key to improve economic activity and liquidity, says Industries Ministry The Commerce and Industries Ministry has called for far-reaching measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, urging the Home Ministry to allow relaxations of the restrictions on a number of industry sectors. In a letter to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Saturday, Industries Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said “more activities with reasonable safeguards must...
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