Policy Watch: COVID SPECIAL – August 2020

Two entwined challenges that continue to prevail during the COVID pandemic are related to governance and economy. Therefore, addressing the need of the time, this issue is the second of the two-part COVID special issues from the themes, Governance and Development, and Growth with Employment.

This issue opens with a report by Mr. Vijay Nadkarni, Program Coordinator, RGICS, et al., on a study conducted by RGICS on Prawasi-Niwasi (migrants-residents) lives and livelihoods. Based on a telephonic survey conducted in six states in May-June this year, the study brings out key differences among rural workers and the migrant workers, who returned to the source states, along three dimensions: healthcare, livelihoods, and psycho-social aspects of their lives.

A paper on reviving urban and rural employment post COVID-19, by Mr. M. Rafi, Senior Advisor for Skills, Technology and Innovation, RGICS, is presented as the second article. The paper is based on the novel framework of WELL (Water, Energy, Land, and Livestock)-DONE (Digital skills for rural diversification, Organised interventions, Non-farm opportunities, and E-commerce), which I first used while advising the Government of Nagaland in May this year on how to provide livelihoods to the returnees to the state. Using the WELL-DONE framework, the paper clearly identifies and suggests opportunities for employment and self-employment for residents and returnee migrants in rural areas, as well as workers in urban areas.

We share snapshots on major developments in Health and Education sectors. With the announcement of the National Digital Health Mission, and the current ongoing shift to digital education within the overall framework of the National Education Policy 2020, new areas of research and concern are emerging. The success of these digital initiatives will be hinged on multiple factors, including but not limited to, world-class data management, digital infrastructure, improved access, and digital literacy.

RGICS has been actively involved in studying the issues of agriculture, MSMEs, urban governance, and the youth in Punjab. The final article, by Mr. Yuvraj Kalia, Fellow, RGICS, is a note on contemporary challenges and ways forward for sectors of small and medium enterprises, housing for industrial workers, and agriculture in the state of Punjab.