Here is a sampling of recent headlines from India: “Manipur to go under complete lockdown for 14 days .” “Kashmir imposes lockdown in nine ...
Here is a sampling of recent headlines from India: “Manipur to go under complete lockdown for 14 days.” “Kashmir imposes lockdown in nine of 10 districts. Will Kerala go into complete lockdown again?” “West Bengal orders two-day lockdown every week.” “Madhya Pradesh government orders 10-day lockdown in Bhopal.”
Although the country is ostensibly in unlock mode, relative to the complete bar on movement that was in place for much of April and May, large swathes of India continue to go back into lockdown in the hopes of preventing further spread of Covid-19, with well over 1 million total cases so far.
Anticipating the likelihood of further sporadic shutdowns, and the fact that the economy will be struggling to operate at full capacity as a result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in June that the free food-grain scheme aimed at helping poor households handle the lockdown would be extended until November.
While that announcement was welcome, the return of lockdowns across the country – and the holes in relief packages – means that the extended scheme does not cover tens of millions of India’s neediest.
The government recognised this mid-way through the national lockdown. As a result, it announced that under the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme, rations would also be provided to the millions of people who are...
