PROJECT REPORT  
TUSHARPREET SINGH 
CLASS - XA 
Mother's global school 
 

COVID-19
​DARK CLOUDS AND THEIR SILVER LININGS 
 

OVERVIEW 

The toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has generally been measured in
rates of infection, hospitalizations and
death. The analysis of the current
situation with respect to statistics
substantiates the gravity of the pandemic
, it is terrifying that in such a short time,
 
2  

COVID-19 has closed borders, sent financial shockwaves across the

world and created a state of existential angst amongst us. As for
businesses, it’s a time of immense uncertainty.as a matter of fact
“self-inflicted” damage to the economy has become more devastating
than the virus itself.

While we still don’t know the exact shape of this beast, nor how it will
transform the economy and society, we know one thing for sure. The
three-word policy – Work from Home – that
a lot of businesses have been shying away
from, is the saviour of this hour. If there’s one
definite solution to the COVID19 crisis, then
this is the one.

Usually, we witness how technology isolates

us. Come COVID19, we are unleashing its
power to bring us closer. Personally speaking, the crisis has given me
the pause required to connect better with my relatives and mates. I find
myself spending more time going deeper into matters; both personal and
educational. I’m able to find novel ways to assess skills and hobbies as
opportunities​.  

​DARK CLOUDS AND THE HIDDEN 

SILVER LINING 

It is for sure that The dark clouds

of covid 19 has something of a
silver lining in disguise. It’s

 
3  

extremely unfortunate that it had to come to light in this way, but most
countries have proven themselves woefully unprepared to handle a crisis like
the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus emergency has tested all aspects of
public services, from police force and healthcare to educational institutions and
economic readiness, in a way that no simulation or theoretical model could have
done.

Hopefully, authorities on both local and national levels will draw the right
conclusions from their handling of this crisis and
implement appropriate solutions and changes to make
sure all systems run efficiently in the future. The flaws
have been identified, and they vary from country to
country, which means that those in charge can clearly
see what aspects are in need of improvement. With any
luck, this will ensure that should another crisis befall our planet, we’ll be better
prepared.

The COVID 19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has brought a lot of
serious problems for India. Disease, death, social unrest and economic
collapse are not easy to deal with simultaneously,particularly for a
country as large and populous as ours. But that's not all that this
pandemic has brought for us , there still appears to be some positive
prospects ;

 
4  

 
T
​ HE INTENSE NATIONWIDE FOCUS ON HEALTH 
AND HYGINE 

COVID 19 has definitely

changed a lot in India. Health
and nutrition have suddenly
taken centre stage for almost
every citizen. People are eager
to learn how to deal with
infections and improve their
nutrition status, and
understand the nuances of health infrastructure. Phrases like “Flattening
the curve”, “breaking the chain’’, “immunity” and are longer esoteric
scientific jargon, but a part of our common discourse.

Health and nutrition issues have always been affecting people, but
COVID 19 has forced people to seek a deeper understanding about these
subjects. Never have the front-line workers, the ANM, ASHA, and
Aanganwadi Workers been recognized the way they have been now.
Although this may not be the best time to assess the India’s response in
combating COVID 19, it is very clear that we are heavily dependent on
our front-line warriors to deal with the crisis.

While we may still have to wait for a vaccine or treatment for COVID
19, the numbers show that India with all its challenges has dramatically
upscaled its capacities in health and
nutrition infrastructure.

 
5  

The Ministry of Finance has announced its plans to hike the GDP
spend on public health from the current 1.3 % to 2.5% by 2025. A little
above Rs 4000 crore has been released by Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare for COVID 19 activities, and Rs 4300 crore has been disbursed
for the purchase of essential items and test kits. And a whopping Rs
15000 crore has been allocate for containment of COVID 19.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL LINING AMID COVID PANDEMIC 

Just like COVID-19 has forced on us a new normal in the overall health
system, there must be a paradigm shift in how we extract and utilize the
earth's natural resources. For instance, on Wednesday, the annual World
Bicycle Day was celebrated for the vital role it is playing as a means of
urban transport, a fact that has been
highlighted with the cessation of urban
commutes, and travel of all types.
Also in 2020, the International Maritime
Organization started enforcing new emission
standards aimed at drastically reducing
pollution by ships on the oceans. With the massive anchoring of ships
worldwide, there will be good news
during the World Oceans Day which
will be marked on June 8.
There should be no letting up of
environmental protection initiatives
by countries in light of changed
priorities brought about by
COVID-19. It is gratifying that this

 
6  

was not lost during China's Two Sessions

held last month, where the country's leadership
promised not to slacken its efforts on
environmental protection.
During the meeting, it was noted​ that China had
already attained and surpassed seven of the nine
binding targets in environmental protection contained in the 13th
Five-Year Plan, with the Minister for Ecology and Environment
promising that, "China will not relax its ecological and environmental
protection despite new challenges brought by the COVID-19."

A BOOST FOR TECH BUSINESS NICHES 

We’ve already seen that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as

blockchain-based businesses in general, are poised to generate increased income
as an indirect consequence of COVID-19. As a remote method of payment and a
more or less inflation-resistant alternative to fiat currencies, Bitcoin is already
gathering increased interest from individual users and investors alike.

While many industries have suffered as

a result of the lockdown, the fact that
millions of people are confined to their
homes and forced to turn to digital
solutions has opened up new
opportunities for businesses in certain
tech niches.

 
7  

SaaS companies providing videoconferencing solutions, for instance, are

seeing massively increased traffic. Many have taken this opportunity to provide
their services for free or at a discount for a limited amount of time. Once
businesses and individual users have adopted a particular solution, though, at
least a portion of them are likely to
keep using it once their working
methods return to normal,
increasing the number of potential
clients for the provider.

By way of less direct

consequences, it’s expected that the increased need for reliable and fast remote
interactions has the potential to accelerate the adoption of 5G connectivity, as
well as VR technologies for enterprises (for instance, for remote training
purposes).

The use of so-called smart city solutions has also increased, including, for
example, the implementation of drones and purpose-designed apps in police
work. The pandemic has provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of
these tech-based methods — and potentially accelerate the adoption of more
digital solutions in the future.

EDUCATIONAL SILVER LINING IN COVID ERA 

Schools and colleges can play very

interesting, enriching and constructive roles

 
8  

through educational activities during the pandemic​. 

Of course one of the big positives that has come about is that teachers
and students in so many schools and colleges have taken to online and
technology-based learning.

All current indications are that the coronavirus pandemic will drive up
unemployment nationwide. Data released today indicates that the
"number of Americans filing initial applications for unemployment
benefits jumped nearly twelvefold to a record 3.28 million last week."
As statewide shutdowns continue and
revenues drop, small and large
businesses alike are taking steps to
reduce expenses, with payroll being a
major target.

Another possible positive and evident

lining could be that For higher
education, a significant rise in unemployment could finally reverse the
enrollment slide of the last five years. It is well established, and easily
demonstrated, that a strong correlation exists between the national
unemployment rate and undergraduate enrollments. And the connection
is not hard to make. When times are good and unemployment is low,
people are less inclined to invest in furthering their education. The return
on investment is not as evident. In contrast, when restaurants are
shuttered and factories close, it becomes clear that new and enhanced
skills may be the key to employment in a highly competitive market.

 
9  

 
CREATOR'S NOTE 

I , Tusharpreet firmly believes that The novel coronavirus spread so

rapidly that it has changed the rhythm of the globe. Whether from the
perspective of a single country or multilateral levels, the solidity of
international relations has been put under test.

The most obvious consequences include economic recession, a crisis of

global governance, trade protectionism and increasing isolationist
sentiment. People-to-people, cultural and travel exchanges have all been
restricted. Nonetheless, this is just a tip of the iceberg.

What I believe is that It's time to give up conventional thinking based on

stereotypes and finally start acting from a moral perspective. After all,
our best bet is a happy future for all who live on Earth, our common
home.
 

TUSHARPREET 

X-A