Tag: Coronavirus impact

  • 645 children orphaned by Covid-19 second wave from April-May 28, most in UP

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A total of 645 children lost their parents to COVID-19 from April to May 28 this year during the second wave, the Women and Child Development Ministry said on Thursday.

    In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani gave data on the children orphaned during the second wave of COVID-19.

    According to the data, a total of 645 children lost their parents to Covid from April 2021 to May 28.

    The highest number of such children was reported from Uttar Pradesh at 158 followed by Andhra Pradesh at 119, Maharashtra at 83 and Madhya Pradesh at 73.

    The states and UTs have been jointly requested by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education to ensure continuity of education of the children who have lost their parents in the COVID-19 pandemic, while accommodating them under the various schemes being run by Department of School Education and Literacy, Irani said in a written reply.

    She further said that the prime minister has announced a scheme to support the children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to the pandemic.

    “The scheme provides support for education and health and will create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age.

    This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend form 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education and on reaching the age of 23 years, he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use,” Irani said.

  • Second wave impact sends MGNREGA demand zooming again

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The government’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme, which has helped haul up rural wages and neutralise lockdown-induced consumption shock during the pandemic year, is being put to the test again as the second Covid wave washes over the hinterlands.

    Having acted as a saviour for many who lost regular work during the peak months of the first wave and its aftermath, demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) had fallen in March. April and May, however, have seen a rise in this figure with 3.52 crore and 3.61 crore individuals, respectively, demanding work under the scheme. Those demanding MGNREGA work had declined from 3.65 crore in February to 3.36 crore in March, indicating that workers were finding employment in a recovering economy. Lockdowns enforced to contain the second wave have revered this trend. While April has seen a sharp 98 per cent rise year-on-year, May figures were lower than during May 2020 (4.8 crore), when the most stringent national lockdown had been in effect, data from the MGNREGA portal showed.

    While a substantial number of people seek work under the scheme, there is a large demand-supply gap. In May, employment was provided to 1.6 crore households while 2.5 crore had demanded work. During the same month of the previous year, employment was provided to 3.04 crore households while 3.43 crore had demanded work.

    A rising trend in demand for rural employment is also an indicator of reverse migration and proportionate labour shortages in industrial units, both in organised and small-scale sectors.

    Economists say that while the heavy lifting was being done by the rural economy to put the economy back on track last year, this was due to the front-loading of government expenditure, a favourable start to the monsoon, an early onset of the summer sowing season, and rural wages touching a record high under MGNREGA. 

    But this year could be different.

    “Covid 1.0 was largely an urban phenomenon, despite the large-scale reverse labour migration. What saved the rural areas during the first wave was the timely arrangements the state governments had put up to quarantine migrant labourers before letting them enter their homes and intermingle with the local population. This prevented the spread of the virus in rural areas, therefore production activities and, in turn, rural consumption largely remained unimpacted,” explained Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist, Ind-Ra.

    This time, even if agricultural income remains intact, there is a strong likelihood that the expenditure behaviour of rural households will not be the same as during FY21. The slowdown in non-agricultural activities will have a serious impact on rural demand, since non-agricultural income constitutes nearly two-thirds of rural income.

    Further, if they are forced to take on debt to meet out-of-pocket health expenses, it can be more damaging than other types of household debt. “Even the employment offered under MGNREGA may be less effective, if family breadwinners fall to Covid. Focus has to be on strengthening the ongoing vaccination drive,” Sinha said. 

    In such a scenario, households would curtail non-essential expenditure, he noted, and demand for FMCG products, automobiles (especially tractors), and two-wheelers will continue to suffer.

    According to Sonal Verma and Aurodeep Nandi, economists at Nomura, hiring has increased under the rural guarantee scheme but it provides only subsistence wages. 

    The real rural wage growth has averaged near zero in FY21. 

  • COVID-19: Punjab to promote students of classes 5, 8, and 10 without exams

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Amid the continuous surge in COVID-19 cases, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced that all Class 5, 8, and 10 students be promoted to the next class, without taking any examination.

    The Chief Minister took these decisions during a virtual COVID review meeting with top officials and medical experts.

    Captain Amarinder said while the state had closed all educational institutions till April 30, bringing down the positivity in the 11-20 age group, relief was needed to be provided to school children going for exams.

    For the class 5 students, since exams of four out of five subjects have already been conducted, results may be declared by the Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) on the basis of the marks obtained by the students in respect of four subjects, ignoring the fifth subject. Results for classes 8 and 10 may be declared on the basis of Pre-Board examinations or the internal assessment of the respective schools, the Chief Minister directed the Education Department.

    He also said that the decision on Class 12 PSEB exams, which have already been postponed, will be taken later, based on the emerging situation.

    The Chief Minister, who had earlier this week written to the Union Education Minister in this regard, expressed satisfaction at the Centre’s decision to postpone Class 12 CBSE exams and cancellation of Class 10 CBSE exams in view of the pandemic.

    Medical Education Minister OP Soni, Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, DGP Dinkar Gupta were among those who attended the meeting. 

  • COVID-19 impact: BCCI bans media from covering IPL from venues

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Media will not be allowed to cover the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from the venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic but if situation improves the restriction will be lifted, the BCCI announced on Thursday.

    The popular T20 League is already out of bound for fans and will be held behind closed doors.

    The PTI had earlier reported that media will not be allowed to cover the matches from the venues.

    “Owing to the health and safety concerns, media personnel will not have access to the stadium to cover the games or team practice sessions,” the BCCI said in a release.

    “If health and safety conditions are more favourable later in the season, media may be allowed to access the stadiums to cover the tournament.

    READ HERE | At least we’re getting to do what we like, says Rohit Sharma on bio-bubble life 

    Such an announcement will be made in due course,” the BCCI statement read.

    The BCCI will facilitate virtual post-match press conferences after each match to the media.

    The IPL begins on Friday with a mouth-watering clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.