Covid 19 has changed the lives of people around the world. The impact it has made on migrants and refugees is very saddening Empower people has invited Ms.Matrina Maria to discuss the issue. A panel explores the lives of people around and discusses the solution for the issue.

 

Ms.Martina Maria throws light on five issues that summarise the impact of covid 19 on refugees and migrants. Firstly she speaks of Migrant labour. The decrease in family income makes them migrate to other countries. During the pandemic, this leads to a possibility of infection. Global inequality is the next point she discusses. In a few countries, immigrants are not treated with due respect and importance. Politics plays a major role. Politicians are tested during the pandemic for their efficiency. Movements and global migrations are the last to issues.

 

Ms.Sumati and Ms.Roohi shares their opinion about migrations and human emotions. It is the responsibility of the government to provide the migrants and refugees a proper incentive for their livelihood during this pandemic. Most of the migrants are low wage laborers. The owners must take responsibility for their laborers and think for their welfare. It is important for the government to make logical and reasonable decisions rather than emotional decisions. Positive mind-set must be instilled among people. Ignorance about the issue leads to fear and chaos among people. It is necessary to provide the right information to the people.

 

Covid 19 has brought down the economy of several countries. Hence it must be a combined effort of all people to bring their countries back to form. People must help each other and take care of themselves too. There is nothing impossible and with reasonable efforts of the government and every individual,  the impact of corona on people belonging to lower strata of people, refugees, and migrants can be made less harmful.

COMPILED BY: OVIYA E

 

HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS ON COVID-19

-AARUSHI JAIN

This is report on the webinar which was held on 28^th April 2020, Tuesday from 09:30 p.m. onwards on health care professionals on the Covid-19. The webinar was organized by EMPOWER PEOPLE. They believe everyone should about upcoming modus vivendi and situations happening all around. The key speakers of webinar are:-

·         DR. Jeenam Shah(Pulmonologist)

·         Pooja Barve (Psychology Practitioner)

·         DR. Lalit Janjirala (Public Health Specialist)

·         Waqar Ahmed Surve (Senior Scientific Officer)

But unfortunately Waqar Ahmed Surve could not be with us due to some personal tragedy.

Health professionals study, diagnose, treat and prevent human illness, injury and other physical and mental impairments in accordance with the needs of the populations they serve. Some of the health professionals can be doctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacist, social workers and soon which actually helps us to cure our problems. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.

Even as staffs are being so limited at this stage its being very hectic tasks to take care for all. Even nurses and doctors are going through these testing after a period of 7 days and nurses have to stay in quarantined even so that infection does not pass one either person. As this is new to them also so they are giving their best. So we need to praise and appreciate the efforts and the hard work they are doing.

This is time we need to show the courtesy, sympathy but does not make other person uncomfortable even. Even as doctors or health-care person they about this but layman should be told that this is the situation and you are tested positive so that need to be told face to face not telephonic because it creates the panic and anxiety for the person.

Here are physical strength matters but more over here mental health plays a crucial role. You need to keep your immunity strong as much as you can and willingness to get cure and recover soon. Health care professionals even tells us to take or see our hygiene care properly. Do proper measures which are being told by the government doctors. Like social distancing, wearing a mask, sanitize your hands and wear gloves and soon. So if we follow this it can make a change also.

This pandemic is a collective crisis and saving lives and reviving livelihoods are the priorities of the society. Firms across the board need to adopt more positions of sensitivity and responsibility as they aim to survive and revive in the “new normal”.

In the conclusion or crux I just wanted to say this is something uncertain and it has created a global pandemic so we need to take proper measures. And a line said by our speaker Pooja Barve and DR. Lalit Janjirala is that talking to people for 5 mins our important than those prescribed medicines. If we need to really solve the problem, we need to collaborate, create collectives and take solutions at the scale. We need to motivate ourselves even and others too.

 

 

 

 

 

                                        Issued on:may 23rd 2020

                           Published by: Indrani Kukkadapu

The following webinar report is about the 

Economy:post covid-19 lockdown. It is also available in video form too on YouTube with the given link;https://youtu.be/2ELLI4AIHL0 . It was hosted by the moderator named Yashika tijoriwala. The panelists are Satyajit Roy, Associate professor, Institute for studies in industrial development and Surajit Das, assistant professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University. This webinar is about the crisis of economy during lockdown in post covid-19 lockdown. This webinar happened on 61st day of lockdown.

The economic impact of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India has been largely disruptive. 

In India up to 53% of businesses have specified a certain amount of impact of shutdowns caused due to corona virus on operations, as per a survey in March. By 24 April the unemployment rate had increased nearly 19% within a month, reaching 26% unemployment across India, according to the 'Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy'. Around 140,000,000 (14 crores) Indians lost employment during the lockdown. More than 45% households across the nation reported an income drop as compared to the previous year. Various business such as hotels and airlines cut salaries and laid off employees. Revenue of transport companies such as Ola Cabs went down nearly 95% in March–April resulting in 1400 layoffs.It was estimated that the loss to the tourism industry will be ₹15,000 crore for March and April alone.

A number of young startups have been impacted as funding has fallen. A DataLabs report shows a 45% decrease in the total growth-stage funding as compared to 2019. According to a report venture capital in Indian startups has fallen over 50% in 2020 from 2019.

Electricity consumption has declined strongly after the national lockdown was enacted. It was nearly 30 percent below normal levels at the end of march and remained a quarter below normal levels in April. In May it was on an average 14 percent below normal and in June it was still 8 percent below normal. Lower electricity consumption implies lower economic activity. In the past, a unit of additional economic activity in India has been associated with 1.3 units additional electricity consumption. The economic impact has already been between 5.6 percent of GDP and 6.0 percent of GDP.

Government revenue has been severely affected with tax collection going down, and as a result the government has been trying to find ways of reducing its own costs.On 10 May 2020, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that some states didn't have enough money to pay salaries in the near future. In April, former Reserve Bank of India chief Raghuram Rajan said that the coronavirus pandemic in India may just be the "greatest emergency since Independence",while the former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India said in April that India should prepare for a negative growth rate.

The Indian economy was expected to lose over ₹32,000 crore every day during the first 21 days of the lockdown.

India had also been witnessing a pre-pandemic slowdown. 

There is a big shift in the world economic market and the share market has witnessed crashes day by day. Factories, Restaurants, Pubs, Markets, Flights, Super Markets, Malls, Universities and Colleges etc. were shut down. Fear of corona virus has limited the movement of the individuals. People were not even going to buy the daily essentials and these all were somewhere impacting the economy of the world as a whole. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)reveals that they have cut their expectation for global growth to 2.4% from 2.9%, and warns that it could fall as low as 1.5%.

India faces a huge decline in government revenues and growth of the income for at least two quarters as the coronavirus hits economic activity of the country as a whole. A fall in investor sentiment impacts privatization plans, government and industry.

The lockdown in India will have a sizeable impact on the economy mainly on consumption which is the biggest component of GDP.

India’s total electronic imports is equal to 45% that of China. Around one-third of machinery and almost two-fifths of organic chemicals that India purchases come from China. For automotive parts and fertilisers China’s share in India’s import is more than 25%. Around 65 to 70% of active pharmaceutical ingredients and around 90% of certain mobile phones come from China to India.

Disruption of supply chain and global trade

Covid-19 has disrupted global supply chains and this is generating spill over effects throughout different levels of supplier networks. Global trade in 2020 will fall in every region of the world, and will affect all sectors of the economy. This will impact countries that are strong exporters (no output for their local companies), but also those that are importers (lack of raw materials). The World Trade Organization (WTO) expects global trade to fall up to 32% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A global recession now seems inevitable. But how deep and long the downturn will be depends on the success of measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the effects of government policies to alleviate liquidity problems in SMEs and to support families under financial distress. It also depends upon how companies react and prepare for the re-start of economic activities. And, above all, it depends on how long the current lockdowns will last.

The country is facing an extra ordinary challenging time in this financial year. India has to urgently find a way to cushion the demand side shocks induced by potential lockdowns and other ongoing containment measure.

Developing countries like India has more fragile economic and social fabric and the present situation will create more suffering for the unorganized sectors and migrant labour. Borrowing the words of former RBI governor C Rangarajan “Government of India must provide lifelines to businesses - extend loans and tax waivers to small businesses and the self-employed to retain staff -- give direct support to severely affected industries and provide more funds to states, tax waivers to households etc.”

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DURING LOCK-DOWN

-AARUSHI JAIN

 

This is a report on domestic violence during lock-down .The key note speaker is here JYOTI GOYAL and it is organized by EMPOWER PEOPLE from there we have speakers- REEMA AND SUMATI. This webinar was conducted on 21^st April 2020. What does the domestic violence means? The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

Actually from the surveys we calculated that domestic violence has been increased during lock-down up to 33%. We see that women’s are scared to complaints about this as this personal and scared about the reputation. So we think to give them some kind relief by providing them job and their needs. As government has given name to this relief by Protection Order. In this who will help you they. There are two entities – Protection Officer and Service Provider under The Domestic Violence Act, 2005. Service Provider are those who have worked in organizations’ like NGO’S for women can apply for this to help them out . Protection Officers in each district of the country, who would facilitate the reporting of domestic violence, bolster the courage of victims and generally be the first point of contact for victims before approaching the law enforcement officers. What are reasons of this violence?

Disconnection from social support systems is one of the reasons for an increased risk of domestic violence during these times. As a result, there are fewer options to find safety or help for victims. Normally, the victim could flee a violent situation by staying elsewhere, but that option is not available right now. Due to mental illness and many more reasons.

But now women are aware about this and but some are even reporting even about this. But their is scope of more improvement as this is not correct in anyway. The National Commission of Women has recorded 291 complaints of domestic violence in March 2020 and is now only receiving complaints via email. However, actual reported cases may be quite low.

The way to forward it are as following:

• ·        The state governments need to declare helplines as “essential services” that should remain open during lockdowns.
• ·        Increase resourcing for NGOs that respond to domestic violence and aid — including shelter, counselling, and legal aid — to survivors, and promote those that remain open.
• ·        Media can sensitize the public against gender-based violence, publicize resources and services available and encourage the equitable sharing of domestic tasks at home.

In the conclusion I just can say that domestic violence is one of the most horrendous kinds of abuse suffered women in our society today. The statistics show that 85 percent of domestic violence victims are female. Only 15 percent of victims are men Domestic violence can happen to anyone, it does not matter the race, creed, religion, or standing in society of the victim. If the issue of domestic violence is not dealt with in a manner, which is sufficient, then this type of abuse will continue among all classes of society with no ending. In order for us as a society to eradicate this horrendous type of abuse, we need to stand together and make tougher laws, which will protect the victims of this abuse.