Theme:

COVID-19 and Livelihood Challenges in Rural India

Professor:

Prof. Krishnan Narayanan

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Bombay, India

Date: 14 October 2021 (Thursday)

Time: 19:00-20:30 (UTC+8)

Main Points

1. Status of Employment in the formal and informal sectors of rural India

2. Changes in employment, income and consumption during the lockdown period of the Pandemic

3. Policy initiatives to address the challenges

4. Micro-level evidence of impacts and coping strategies

5. What more initiatives could be undertaken to deal with the challenges.

Summary:

This lecture provides an overview of the impact and challenges COVID-19 has had on livelihood in rural India. Prof. Narayanan first introduced the status of employment in rural India’s formal and informal sector. Changes in employment, income, and consumption, with a special focus on ‘Disruption in Food Systems and Threat to Food Security’, are then summarized. Relevant policies and coping strategies were provided and analyzed. Next, Prof. Narayanan discussed the policy implications. The lecture concludes that the final success against Covid-19 could be achieved with open-mind solutions by mobilizing resources, focusing on agriculture, making mid-course corrections and interventions, and developing ‘data driven’ policy decisions.

(written by program student Ms. ZHENG Jie)

*The views and opinions expressed in this lecture series are those of the guest lecturers. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the AUA or its members or its Secretariat.