Explained: How Covid-19 has made life difficult for India's poor
3 years, 10 months ago

Explained: How Covid-19 has made life difficult for India's poor

India Today  

The coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult for the poorest population in the world as the economic crisis triggered by it has led to a sharp rise in income inequality. The report indicated that the top billionaires in India became richer by 35 per cent during the pandemic, while millions of poor Indians lost their jobs. “The wealth of Indian billionaires increased by 35 per cent during the lockdown and by 90 per cent since 2009 to $422.9 billion ranking India sixth in the world after the US, China, Germany, Russia and France,” the Oxfam report said. How pandemic ravaged India’s poor On the other hand, over 1.70 lakh people lost jobs every hour during the month o April 2020, according to the report. The Oxfam report suggested that 75 per cent or over 9 crore of 12.2 josh lost due to the pandemic were from the informal sector, where income levels are already low.

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History of this topic

Study estimates 11.9 lakh excess deaths in 2020 during pandemic, 8 times more than official
5 months ago

Study estimates 11.9 lakh excess deaths in 2020 during pandemic, 8 times more than official

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi, In India, 11.9 lakh excess deaths occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 per cent higher compared to 2019, an international study has found. Study estimates 11.9 lakh excess deaths in 2020 during pandemic, 8 times more than official The estimate is about eight times higher than the official COVID-19 deaths in India, and 1.5 times the …

India’s hidden COVID deaths: Was the toll in 2020 eight times higher?
5 months ago

India’s hidden COVID deaths: Was the toll in 2020 eight times higher?

Al Jazeera  

India had nearly 1.2 million excess deaths in 2020, new data shows. New Delhi, India – India’s actual death toll during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world’s most populous country could be eight times higher than the government’s official numbers, reveals a new study. The numbers in the research, based on the Indian government’s 2019-21 …

Towards a less poor and more equal country
8 months ago

Towards a less poor and more equal country

The Hindu  

In March, World Inequality Lab, a global research centre focused on inequality and public policies, published a working paper titled, ‘Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj’. It states that “the ‘Billionaire Raj’ headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces.” Inequality undermines both …

India among top countries with high income, wealth inequality: UNDP report
1 year, 1 month ago

India among top countries with high income, wealth inequality: UNDP report

Live Mint  

India has emerged among top countries with high income and wealth inequality but the share of the population living in multidimensional poverty fell from 25 to 15 per cent between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the UNDP said in a new report. Despite these successes, poverty remains persistently concentrated in states that are home to 45 per cent of the country's population …

History TV18's 'The Vial': India's COVID vaccine journey; a true success story
1 year, 8 months ago

History TV18's 'The Vial': India's COVID vaccine journey; a true success story

Firstpost  

When COVID broke out the medical community had no idea how to deal with it. ‘The Vial’ also chronicles the development of the Covishield vaccine — From isolation of the strain at Pune’s National Institute of Virology to manufacturing billions of vials of two of the world’s most effective vaccine candidates in record time to cater to the country’s massive …

Claims of spike in poverty in India during COVID-19 patently false, says paper co-authored by Arvind Panagariya
1 year, 9 months ago

Claims of spike in poverty in India during COVID-19 patently false, says paper co-authored by Arvind Panagariya

The Hindu  

Claims of a spike in poverty and inequality in India during the COVID-19 pandemic are patently false as such claims are based on uncomparable different surveys, according to a paper co-authored by eminent economist Arvind Panagariya. Mr. Panagariya, Columbia University Professor and former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Vishal More of Intelink Advisors, New Delhi have co-authored a detailed paper …

India’s COVID-19 campaign saved more than 3.4 million lives, had positive impact on economy: Union Health Minister Mandaviya
1 year, 10 months ago

India’s COVID-19 campaign saved more than 3.4 million lives, had positive impact on economy: Union Health Minister Mandaviya

The Hindu  

adopted a Whole of Government’ & ‘Whole of Society’ approach, in a proactive, preemptive & graded manner; thus, adopting a holistic response strategy, for effective management of COVID-19,” Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said on February 24 as he virtually addressed the ‘The India Dialog’ session on the Economic Impact of Vaccination and Related Matters. The Union Minister for Health and Family …

Addressing gender inequalities: India needs bold steps
1 year, 10 months ago

Addressing gender inequalities: India needs bold steps

Hindustan Times  

India, which assumed presidency of G20 this year, has stated that it will prioritise inclusive growth and development, with women empowerment and representation at the forefront of its G20 discussions. This indeed is a desirable objective, given the large gender inequalities that exist in several G20 member countries, especially in India, which also gets reflected in its overall human development …

Income Inequality Declined in India During Covid-19, Nation Managed Shocks Well: SBI Report
2 years, 5 months ago

Income Inequality Declined in India During Covid-19, Nation Managed Shocks Well: SBI Report

News 18  

Inequality of Income in India has declined significantly since FY17, while inequality has also declined during the pandemic, according to the latest SBI Ecowrap research report. The decline in income inequality has been significant since FY17, the year of big bang formalisation that started with demonetisation, RERA reforms and GST reform in FY18, said the report authored by Soumya Kanti …

Economy may take more than a decade to overcome COVID-19 losses: RBI report
2 years, 7 months ago

Economy may take more than a decade to overcome COVID-19 losses: RBI report

The Hindu  

The Indian economy may take more than a decade to overcome the losses caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, according to Reserve Bank of India’s Report on Currency and Finance. Taking actual growth rate of 6.6% for 2020-21, 8.9% for 2021-22 and assuming growth rate of 7.2% for 2022-23 and 7.5% beyond that, India is expected to overcome COVID-19 …

Settling India’s COVID-19 mortality data
2 years, 7 months ago

Settling India’s COVID-19 mortality data

The Hindu  

Over the last year, the World Health Organization has been busy, in an unprecedented effort, to calculate the global death toll from COVID-19. There are gaps Several news reports have pointed at a significant gap in India’s COVID-19 story — significantly under-reported mortality figures. Because as in these figures, India would have had close to four times the COVID-19 deaths …

What should the government do to address deepening inequality?
2 years, 10 months ago

What should the government do to address deepening inequality?

Business Standard  

As the Budget season comes around, we’re again hearing a lot about India’s inequality problem. In the latest round of the ICE 360 Survey 2022, conducted by the People Research on India’s Consumer Economy, it was found that the annual income of the poorest 20% of Indian households -- which was constantly rising since 1995-- plunged 53% in the pandemic …

Oxfam report says over 16 crore more people forced into poverty in two years of pandemic
2 years, 11 months ago

Oxfam report says over 16 crore more people forced into poverty in two years of pandemic

The Hindu  

The first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic saw incomes of 99% of humanity fall and over 16 crore people were forced into poverty even as the world's ten richest men saw their fortune more than double to $1.5 trillion at a rate of $1.3 billion a day, a new study showed on Monday. The world's ten richest men saw …

The cold truth about India’s income inequality
2 years, 11 months ago

The cold truth about India’s income inequality

The Hindu  

The latest edition of the World Inequality Report has confirmed that the world continues to sprint down the path of inequality. “Global multimillionaires have captured a disproportionate share of global wealth growth over the past several decades: the top 1% took 38% of all additional wealth accumulated since the mid-1990s, whereas the bottom 50% captured just 2% of it.” India’s …

Global (and Indian) trends in inequality
3 years ago

Global (and Indian) trends in inequality

The Hindu  

The story so far: The World Inequality Lab, a research centre at the Paris School of Economics, released the 2022 World Inequality Report on December 7, 2021. The report has found India to be one of the world’s most unequal countries, with the top 1% getting 21.7% of the national income. The report reveals that income inequality in India today …

Pandemic has affected poor more: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
3 years, 3 months ago

Pandemic has affected poor more: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das

Deccan Chronicle  

Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said the Covid-19 pandemic has severely dented inclusivity across countries. In the medium to long-run, both efficiency and equity will greatly matter for sustainable growth and macroeconomic performance.” The impact of pandemics could be a lot more asymmetric by affecting the vulnerable segments more. Overall, there are evidences across countries …

Explained: Is India's economy gaining immunity against Covid-19?
3 years, 3 months ago

Explained: Is India's economy gaining immunity against Covid-19?

India Today  

India’s economy is on track to rebound sharply after two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic dampened growth during all four quarters of FY21. A majority of financial analysts predict GDP growth at 18-20 per cent in the June quarter and remain optimistic about economic recovery in upcoming quarters as the second wave fades and more Indians get vaccinated against the …

India’s pandemic death toll could be in the millions
3 years, 5 months ago

India’s pandemic death toll could be in the millions

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — India’s excess deaths during the coronavirus pandemic could be a staggering 10 times the official COVID-19 toll, likely making it modern India’s worst human tragedy, according to the most comprehensive research yet on the ravages of the virus in the South Asian country. It said an accurate figure may “prove elusive,” but the true death toll “is …

State of working India 2021: The pandemic’s impact on the economy in India
3 years, 5 months ago

State of working India 2021: The pandemic’s impact on the economy in India

Hindustan Times  

This report documents the impact of one year of Covid-19 in India, on jobs, incomes, inequality, and poverty. On top of this, there were legacy problems such as a slow rate of job creation and lack of political commitment to improving working conditions which trapped a large section of the workforce without access to any employment security or social protection. …

Winning the Covid-19 Battle in Rural India: A Blueprint for Action
3 years, 5 months ago

Winning the Covid-19 Battle in Rural India: A Blueprint for Action

Hindustan Times  

As India welcomed 2021, the country was reporting less than 15,000 new Covid-19 cases per day between mid-January and mid-February. Two of India’s largest and most populous states – Uttar Pradesh and Bihar—have also witnessed a steep rise in Covid-19 cases in their rural districts. Given the severe shortage of medical facilities in rural India, managing the spread of the …

The pandemic has ended the illusions of “emerging” economies like India.
54 years, 11 months ago

The pandemic has ended the illusions of “emerging” economies like India.

Slate  

Last month, I walked down to a nearby drugstore, a Duane Reade on John Street in lower Manhattan, paused for the doors to slide open, and entered the First World. Since vaccination need not be a priority, his party stayed occupied with other grand designs: controversial agricultural laws, steamrolled through Parliament despite mass protests; a monumental building project, refashioning imperial …

The state of India’s poor must be acknowledged
3 years, 6 months ago

The state of India’s poor must be acknowledged

The Hindu  

The son of a corn merchant-turned sociologist, Charles Booth had little patience for Charles Dickens and others in his time, who used lyrical prose to describe the desperation of the poor in working class London. The first being, the fall in the monthly per capita consumption expenditure of 2017-18 for the first time since 1972-73, which the Government withheld citing …

Will sell kidneys to get food for kids: Delhi's poor hit hard by Covid lockdown
3 years, 6 months ago

Will sell kidneys to get food for kids: Delhi's poor hit hard by Covid lockdown

India Today  

Delhi finally heaved a sigh of relief as fresh Covid cases dropped below 1,000. The coronavirus lockdown threw life out of gear for many - the poor in the national capital is finding it difficult to make ends meet with a lack of jobs, money and food. Sunita Kumari told India Today, "I used to do brooming and sweeping in …

How are rural communities stemming covid-19’s spread?
3 years, 6 months ago

How are rural communities stemming covid-19’s spread?

Live Mint  

Three weeks ago, a 32-year-old father of three in Uttarakhand’s Mori tehsil died of covid-19. “Last year, covid-19’s effect was on our finances, as all of us in the village are dependent on tourism.” This time, it’s different. The community and NGO mobilisation has definitely helped, as we are building infrastructure not just for the current wave but for the …

India's Covid-19 crisis: Why I'm grateful I lost my parents before the current surge
3 years, 6 months ago

India's Covid-19 crisis: Why I'm grateful I lost my parents before the current surge

CNN  

Pallabi Munsi is a CNN reporter based in New Delhi, India. It is the third country in the world -- after Brazil and the United States -- to cross 300,000 official deaths and we've set new grim records for the highest single-day figure for infections globally The health inequities that have led to India's Covid crisis developed over time. And …

Indian economy, hit by COVID-19, shrinks by 7.3% in 2020-21
3 years, 6 months ago

Indian economy, hit by COVID-19, shrinks by 7.3% in 2020-21

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — India’s economy, pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic, contracted by 7.3% in the 2020-21 financial year, just before the country was hit by another catastrophic surge in infections. Daily new cases set global records, spurring many states to announce widespread restrictions and lockdowns. In January, a government survey estimated the economy -- previously one of the fastest growing …

The economic crisis is real; the picture of economic resilience is an illusion
3 years, 6 months ago

The economic crisis is real; the picture of economic resilience is an illusion

The Hindu  

As the ongoing second wave of coronavirus infections in India peaks, there is little clarity on what its economic fallout is and will be. Two assessments from official sources—one from the Reserve Bank of India, titled The State of the Economy and the other from the Ministry of Finance, titled Month Economic Report for May—seem to suggest that economic trends …

Covid-19 and the disease of inequality
3 years, 6 months ago

Covid-19 and the disease of inequality

Hindustan Times  

Abandoned by the State that insisted on locking down, refusing to recognise the damage done to their livelihoods, India’s workers asserted their rights and made themselves heard by walking home in March 2020. Ironically, the scale of the health crisis has rendered invisible the deepening livelihood crisis that India confronts, drowning out the voices that fought a callous State and …

India’s economic report card is drenched in red ink
3 years, 6 months ago

India’s economic report card is drenched in red ink

Live Mint  

India’s nascent economic recovery has been derailed by the second covid-19 wave even before it could gather steam. Launched in October 2018, Mint’s macro tracker provides a monthly state-of-the-economy report based on trends in 16 high-frequency indicators across four segments: consumer economy, producer economy, external sector, and ease of living. A year ago, during the first nationwide lockdown, 13 of …

Only 2 Percent Indian Population Hit by Covid-19, 98 Percent Still at Risk, Says Govt, Experts Question Claim
3 years, 7 months ago

Only 2 Percent Indian Population Hit by Covid-19, 98 Percent Still at Risk, Says Govt, Experts Question Claim

News 18  

A recent govt data revealed that only 2 percent of the entire Indian population has been struck by Covid-19 leaving the remaining 98 percent still vulnerable. “Despite the high number of cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2% of the population due to continued efforts by the medical fraternity, states, and districts,” …

Livelihoods & Learning Must Not Take a Hit While Containing COVID-19. Here’s How We Can Do It
3 years, 7 months ago

Livelihoods & Learning Must Not Take a Hit While Containing COVID-19. Here’s How We Can Do It

News 18  

In the wake of unprecedented flare-up of COVID cases in the country during the second wave of the pandemic, lockdown is being considered as the last remaining weapon with the government. India’s economy went through a sharp GDP contraction in the quarter ending June 30, 2020, with an unprecedented 24.4 per cent y/y decline and led to unemployment rising sharply. …

Covid-19: Top economist says India might face 'serious livelihood crisis'
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19: Top economist says India might face 'serious livelihood crisis'

India Today  

India might be heading towards a “serious livelihood crisis” as the situation seems to be worse this time for the working class amid the COVID crisis and local restrictions by states already add up to something close to a nationwide lockdown, according to noted economist Jean Dreze. Read | V-shaped recovery unlikely as India’s economy faces tougher Covid test About …

Covid spreads in villages: How best can India fight this challenge?
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid spreads in villages: How best can India fight this challenge?

India Today  

As rural India begins to reel under Covid infections, India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai speaks to top experts to understand how best to fight this challenge. DR. VED PRAKASH, HOD, PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, KING GEORGE’S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW: The real crisis is the lack of healthcare infrastructure in rural India. POONAM MUTTREJA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, POPULATION FOUNDATION OF …

In Covid-hit India, 23 crore people earn less than Rs 375 per day: Study
3 years, 7 months ago

In Covid-hit India, 23 crore people earn less than Rs 375 per day: Study

India Today  

India's economy staged an impressive recovery after the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the alarming rise in poverty tells a different story about the country’s future economic outlook. “An alarming 90 per cent of respondents in the Azim Premji University CLIPS reported that households had suffered a reduction in food intake as a result of the lockdown” the …

Covid has pushed too many Indians back into poverty
3 years, 8 months ago

Covid has pushed too many Indians back into poverty

Live Mint  

As the world continues to be ravaged by the covid pandemic, more than a year on, it is becoming increasingly evident that the greatest burden has fallen on the global poor. By contrast, for India, a staggering 75 million people were pushed back into poverty by the covid crisis—this is almost 60% of the global total increase in poverty caused …

Covid year in review: Four areas where India acquitted itself well during the worldwide pandemic crisis
3 years, 8 months ago

Covid year in review: Four areas where India acquitted itself well during the worldwide pandemic crisis

Times of India  

At the end of one year since the onset of Covid-19 crisis, India can take pride in its accomplishments in at least four areas. First, at 11.9 per 1,00,000 individuals, death rate due to Covid-19 stands at the lowest in India among the 20 most affected countries. With the US and many European countries committing themselves to mega fiscal transfers, …

Rising poverty: The Hindu Editorial on pandemic-induced disparities
3 years, 9 months ago

Rising poverty: The Hindu Editorial on pandemic-induced disparities

The Hindu  

A new study by the Pew Research Center estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately deleterious impact on living standards in India and China in 2020, with the sharp economic contraction in the former pushing as many as 7.5 crore people into the ranks of the poor. Similarly, the numbers of India’s middle class — those with a …

Cholera to Covid-19: Why Indians Have Selective Amnesia About the History of Pandemics
3 years, 9 months ago

Cholera to Covid-19: Why Indians Have Selective Amnesia About the History of Pandemics

News 18  

As COVID-19 upturned our world, it felt like it came out of nowhere. As Chinmay Tumbe’s brilliant new book, Age of Pandemics, shows, these cataclysmic events have been a significant part of India’s modern history. Part of the reason for this amnesia, Tumbe argues, is that the world hasn’t experienced a catastrophe of this scale since the influenza pandemic. Even …

Coronavirus | Pandemic may have doubled poverty in India, says Pew study
3 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus | Pandemic may have doubled poverty in India, says Pew study

The Hindu  

March 19, 2021 08:07 pm | Updated March 20, 2021 10:59 am IST - NEW DELHI India’s middle class may have shrunk by a third due to 2020’s pandemic-driven recession, while the number of poor people — earning less than ₹150 per day — more than doubled, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. “The middle class in …

Pandemic pushed over 3 crore Indians out of middle class: Pew Research
3 years, 9 months ago

Pandemic pushed over 3 crore Indians out of middle class: Pew Research

India Today  

A recent research report has revealed that the novel coronavirus pandemic last year pushed approximately 3.2 crore Indians out of the middle class. The report prepared by the US-based Pew Research Center showed that the number of Indians in the middle class — those who earn between $10 to $20 per day — shrunk by roughly 3.2 crores. Read | …

Pandemic pushes 32 mn Indians out of middle class: Pew Research
3 years, 9 months ago

Pandemic pushes 32 mn Indians out of middle class: Pew Research

Live Mint  

Financial woes brought by last year's coronavirus pandemic have pushed about 32 million Indians out of the middle class, undoing years of economic gains, a report showed on Thursday, while job losses pushed millions into poverty. The number of Indians in the middle class, or those earning between $10 and $20 a day, shrunk by about 32 million, compared with …

65% lower-middle-income countries slashed education budgets after Covid-19 outbreak: World Bank
3 years, 9 months ago

65% lower-middle-income countries slashed education budgets after Covid-19 outbreak: World Bank

India Today  

Education budgets were cut by 65 percent of low and lower-middle-income countries after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic while only 33 percent of high and upper-middle-income countries did so, according to a report by the World Bank. UNESCO''s Global Education Monitoring report compilation The report, compiled in collaboration with UNESCO''s Global Education Monitoring Report, said the current levels of …

18 million Indians will switch careers by 2030 due to covid-19
3 years, 10 months ago

18 million Indians will switch careers by 2030 due to covid-19

Live Mint  

The pandemic has changed our relationship with work irrevocably—we know this but a new study estimated that 18 million workers in India will change their occupation in the next decade, all because of the novel coronavirus. Worldwide, about 100 million workers may need to shift from their current occupation in the next decade due to the impact of covid-19, states …

COVID-19 pandemic will force 1.8 crore Indians to find a new occupation by 2030, says McKinsey report
3 years, 10 months ago

COVID-19 pandemic will force 1.8 crore Indians to find a new occupation by 2030, says McKinsey report

Firstpost  

Mumbai: COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on labour markets, and as much as 18 million Indian workers will be forced to switch to a newer occupation by 2030 because of the pandemic, a report said on Friday. The impact will be “disproportionately” felt on low-wage workers in retail, food services, hospitality, and office administration, the report by McKinsey Global …

COVID-19 pandemic will force 18 million Indians to find a new occupation by 2030: Report
3 years, 10 months ago

COVID-19 pandemic will force 18 million Indians to find a new occupation by 2030: Report

India TV News  

COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on labour markets, and as much as 18 million Indian workers will be forced to switch to a newer occupation by 2030 because of the pandemic, a report said on Friday. The impact will be "disproportionately" felt on low-wage workers in retail, food services, hospitality, and office administration, the report by McKinsey Global Institute, …

Covid Vaccine, New Normal: Budget 2021 Must Find a Way to Re-Imagine Public Health System
3 years, 10 months ago

Covid Vaccine, New Normal: Budget 2021 Must Find a Way to Re-Imagine Public Health System

News 18  

The Union budget 2021-22 is expected to fund COVID vaccinations and other interventions that will speed up the return to “normal”. However, the budget could also provide a way to strategize for a re-imagined Indian public health system. The Rural Health Statistics for 2019, reveals that only 40% of health care facilities in the rural areas have critical frontline staff …

World’s richest recouped wealth lost due to COVID-19 in 9 months but poorest will take over a decade: Oxfam inequality report
3 years, 10 months ago

World’s richest recouped wealth lost due to COVID-19 in 9 months but poorest will take over a decade: Oxfam inequality report

The Hindu  

The wealth of the world’s top 1,000 billionaires returned to pre-COVID levels in nine months but it could take 14 times longer – more than a decade – for the world’s poorest, says a new report released on Monday. Titled “ The Inequality Virus ”, the annual report by global non-profit Oxfam International said that the COVID-19 pandemic had led …

Billionaires Like Ambani Got Richer Amid COVID, Poor Poorer: Oxfam
3 years, 10 months ago

Billionaires Like Ambani Got Richer Amid COVID, Poor Poorer: Oxfam

The Quint  

The report said: "Worldwide, billionaires' wealth increased by a staggering $3.9 trillion between 18 March and 31 December, 2020. at the same time it is estimated that the total number of people living in poverty could have increased by between 200 million and 500 million.” Oxfam also reportedly said that the increase in the wealth, since the coronavirus crisis began, …

Oxfam: The megarich have already recovered from the pandemic. It may take the poor a decade to do so
3 years, 11 months ago

Oxfam: The megarich have already recovered from the pandemic. It may take the poor a decade to do so

CNN  

New York CNN Business — Nine months. The pandemic could increase economic inequality in almost every country at once, the first time this has happened, Oxfam found. “Rigged economies are funneling wealth to a rich elite who are riding out the pandemic in luxury, while those on the front line of the pandemic — shop assistants, health care workers, and …

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