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It is not the time to get worried by pondering over the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, it would be more prudent to accept the reality and chart out a new economic and business strategy based on the possible outcomes of the pandemic. Without much ado, it can be said that world has entered into a recession and it may leap towards a depression stage too. Evidently businesses and nations will take corrective measures to safe guard its own interests keeping view of its short and medium term economic health. Long term strategy discussion is of no use as the corona disaster is emerging and evolving everyday making economic forecast next to impossible.

The government order of the lockdown for 21 days taken in panic as a part of its fight against the Corona virus spread to be pandemic has exposed three distinct layers in the Indian society. The 260 million strong middle class with assured economic comforts even without continued economic activities welcomed the announcement that clamped down not all economic activities but also closed means of movement for masses. The public transport system including air, rail, long distance trains, suburban rail and metro services and road transport was suspended for three weeks. It means all cabs; automobile and human drawn vehicles were put out of plying services. Nearly 20 million human who earn their daily incomes by carrying passengers through 5480 urban agglomerates and more than five lakh villages were put off from their daily earnings. This does not account for miseries of those who needed urgently transport services for emergency.

The Epidemics Disease Act, 1897

In response to the growing threat of the pandemic COVID-19, on March 11, 2020, the Cabinet advised all States and Union Territories (UTs) to invoke Section 2 of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (“the Act”). This was done in order to ensure that the advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare or State or UTs are enforceable.

US President Donald Trump has promised to sign on a $2 trillion economic relief package for the US coronavirus hit. Americans are not very sure if the relief will reach intended beneficiaries, more likely fund-rich companies. Narendra Modi unveiled a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief tranche for India’s poor; those with slippery jobs, meaning employment that is not counted as “jobs” by government edict. There’s little confidence whether the Rs 1.7 lakh crore will reach targeted individuals and families!

THURUVANANTHAPURAM: The first death due to Covid-19 in Kerala has been reported on Saturday.

Like many parts of the world our country too is grappling to prevent spread of Covid -19 to the third stage. This is a precarious situation wherein every step has to be taken cautiously with lot of precaution. The medical, paramedical staff and the safai karamcharis are at high risk. Several doctors and nurses have already lost their lives in China, Italy, Iran and Spain after they caught infection while caring for the sick.

There is a new star emerging on the post-coronavirus energy horizon, and that is the humble coal. The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken energy markets to the core, creating incredible volatility for fuel prices. But the one energy source that has not blinked is coal, which according to energy experts could come out stronger through the current crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement declaring “lock down” — or, in common man’s language, “curfew” — throughout the country to tackle the coronavirus menace, is a welcome step. But the uncalled for inconveniences caused to people has been overlooked by government. As a result, there has occurred complete breakdown of public services — the newspapers were not delivered in the morning for successive four days now; the maids, who do routine work, did not turn up; garbage piled in front of houses, in absence of sweeping staff. If this continues, diseases may break out, take the form of epidemic, and may cause more damage than coronavirus alone.

The last decade of the last century revolutionized the communication sector. The easily availability and affordable costs of mobile phones ushered in the new era of social development. Further innovations and introduction of free usage of communications through social media became a boon but soon it got converted into a mode of uses and abuses. In the difficult times in the wake of dread of the Corona virus afflictions it became a curse. The middle class, educated but no particular about consequence of their actions, used the medium for conveying unverified but alarming messages. Young appeared keen to grab credit to be first in forwarding messages without verifying the veracity.

The post-peace optimism halts before a politically nebulous terrains in the landlocked Afghanistan is multi-horned. And the manifestation is symbolic as well as sanguinary. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)-inspired terrorist strike at a Sikh gurdwara killing at least 25 people in presence of security forces, symbiotically with the US announcement of slashing $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan, is a symptomatic manifestation. Worrisomely, the attack was mostly carried out by a single gunman with multiple attackers involved in the assault that lasted hours befooling the Afghan security forces, who had to struggle hard to track down and neutralize the assailants in the complex and its adjacent residential area.