CORONA PANDEMIC AND THE FALLOUT ON

FAMILIES

A survey was conducted by me to understand the effects of COVID -19 on the

people of my locality.

COVID-19 which is said to have emerged from Wuhan (China) has caused a
serious impact on almost every society of the earth. Due to the problems caused by
this particular health crisis all over the world, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) has declared it as a global pandemic. Not only that but because of its
rampant spread, countries were forced to stop international travelling as well as
locked up themselves. Also, the lockdown has been recognised as the only method
to control the spread of the pandemic and almost every country has adopted this
method.
Amidst the lockdown in Indian society, multiple issues related to social,
educational, economical, political, agricultural, psychological levels and
many more have been noticed which has created the devastating impact on
the lives of the people.
With any pandemic or any situation which impact the society at large comes
the problem of psychological trauma. The lockdown has proved that “man is
a social being” because continuous lockdown for about four months have
impacted people psychologically and the burden has been faced by women
and children in the form of domestic violence.
In the lockdown period, multiple calls have been received on the helpline
number made for the people going through domestic violence.
As India is recognised as land of diversity, so the impact of Covid-19 is
diverse and countless. But, if we see the other side of reality, COVID-19 has
impacted our society physically, mentally and socially.
It has been truly said that “crisis gives birth to the changes which were
pending for many years”, same has happened during the time of Covid-19.
Things have been changed to meet the needs of the society what the
government were trying hard to implement from past many years. Be it
online education or judiciary, Covid-19 crisis has allowed making these
major transformation in the education and judiciary.

India’s new education policy focused on centralisation and digitisation to combat the
loss of education during the pandemic. As schools across India shut during the
Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s dropout rate more than tripled, from 1.8 percent in
2018 to a staggering 5.3 percent in 2020. This predominantly impacted children
hailing from marginalised communities, exacerbating existing inequalities. For
children from these communities, schools provide safety and a routine. They ensure
that children are not pushed into labour. Attending school is also a way for girls to
avoid early marriage and ensure mobility and freedom. Additionally, the provision of
midday meals by schools serves as a crucial support system in combating child
hunger. During the pandemic, 84 percent households reported income loss, which in
turn added to the challenges of attending school. Reports indicate that as schools shut
down, many children, particularly boys, developed an alcoholism problem and
indulged in substance abuse. Constantly living under conditions of stress and anxiety
also curbed their desire to pursue education and other goals.

After the pandemic ended, there was a stark decline in education quality across the
country. An assessment of students from grades 2 to 6 across five
states revealed that, when compared to the previous year, 92 percent and 82 percent
children across all grades lost at least one specific language and mathematical ability,
respectively. The situation was worse for grade 10 students, only 13 percent of whom
scored more than 50 percent in mathematics. In all these assessment tests, the
performance of children in public schools and those belonging to marginalised
communities was the lowest.

The education space in the last two years in India is marked by two distinct trends:
greater centralisation in classroom methods and learning through digitisation, and
neglection of the inextricable link between equity and quality of education in
attempts to bridge learning losses. To make up for the losses incurred during the
pandemic, governments at both the central and state levels drew up plans to improve
foundational courses through bridge courses, remedial centres, new textbooks and
work sheets, teacher trainings, and so on. Digitisation cut across as the main feature
through all these initiatives.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, lockdown was declared suddenly without any
notice in India during the last week of March 2019 and most of the urban informal
sector workers suddenly lost their jobs, and since they had no protection, they
were pushed into poverty. Regular wage or salaried employees make up nearly half
of the urban workforce (48.8% in 2019-20), and the rest are in a hinterland of
casual work, temporary contracts and self-employment. Even among regular
employees, only 33.2% have a written employment contract while 49.0% have
access to paid leave and 48.9% some social security benefits (provident funds, sick
pay, health insurance) through the government or their employer. Majority of
urban workers, including those who migrate from rural areas, are absorbed in the
low-paid and low-skilled jobs in the widespread informal sector. Most of these
urban informal sector jobs lack written contracts, paid leave and social securities.
Migrant workers usually live in the urban slum areas and earn very low level of
income which barely covers their subsistence level of living. However, availability
of informal sector jobs throughout the year attracts workers in urban areas.

The post-pandemic recovery of the Indian economy is primarily driven by the

growth in demand for goods and services produced in the country. The demand can
originate from four sources: household consumption, business spending,
government spending, and exports. The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves
throughout the global economy, and India was no exception. However, the Indian
economy has exhibited resilience and shown signs of a robust recovery. After a
significant contraction in the first quarter of 2020, the economy rebounded
strongly, recording positive growth rates in subsequent quarters. India’s gross
domestic product (GDP) growth rate has witnessed a notable rebound. In the fiscal
year 2021-2022, India’s GDP expanded by 9.5 percent, showcasing a strong
recovery and outperforming most other major economies. This rebound can be
attributed to a combination of factors, including government stimulus measures, a
revival in consumer demand, and increased industrial production.