This report documents the all-round impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various population categories across India. It has been compiled using a combination of original qualitative data collected from some of the people affected by the pandemic in India, along with interviews with local leaders and community development actors, and secondary data from a range of different sources. Being an attempt to particularly assess the consequences of the pandemic for the vulnerable populations and the risks of impoverishment faced by them, the report focuses on occupational shifts during the pandemic, levels of distress and hardship experienced by the households, COVID and non-COVID health burdens, limited learning activities because of school closure and lack of access to remote modes of education, financial constraints in supporting children’s education digitally, and psychological issues of social isolation perpetrated by the pandemic. In addition to the policy preparedness and government containment measures, the report also covers government relief efforts during the pandemic and evaluates the reach and coverage of these efforts.
Population growth and the changing geographic and generational balance of power.
Global Hunger Index is riddled with inadequate and poorly described data and a lack of conceptual clarity. The problem with indices of this type is that it directs governmental attention to cross-national comparisons, sometimes resulting in the rejection of underlying issues and sidetracking the public discourse.
While collecting official statistics will always be a purview of state institutions, they must be governed by independent governing bodies that can ensure scientific integrity and broad oversight.
National Family Health Survey round 4 of 2015–2016 (IIPS & ICF, 2017) bring important data for planning and policy evaluation but they also present some puzzles. Total fertility rate declined substantially between 2005-06 when NFHS-3 (IIPS & Macro International, 2007) was conducted and 2015-16 from 2.68 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.62–2.74) to 2.18 (95% CI 2.16–2.20) and is currently just above the replacement level of fertility of 2.1 children per women. However, over the same period, current contraceptive use declined from 56.3% (95% CI: 55.7%–57.0%) to 53.5% (95% CI: 53.3%–53.8%).
