India Today 4Th May 2020

OC CORONA SPECIAL www.indiatoday.in MAY 4, 2020 `60

PLUS COVID’S COLLATERAL DAMAGE

THE RACE TO FIND A CURE

DHARAVI: MUMBAI’S TICKING BOMB

JUMP-STARTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE KING

GRAIN OF HAPPINESS Somvir Lohia with his wheat crop in Matauli village, Haryana

REGISTERED NO. DL(ND)-11/6068/2018-20; U(C)-88/2018-20; FARIDABAD/05/2020-22 TO PREPAYMENTPOST WITHOUT LICENSED FARIDABAD/05/2020-22 U(C)-88/2018-20; NO.REGISTERED DL(ND)-11/6068/2018-20;

RNI RNI NO. 28587/75 HARVEST OF HOPE THE MODI GOVERNMENT IS PUSHING HARD TO ENSURE A BUMPER RABI CROP. AT STAKE ARE THE LIVELIHOODS OF 200 MILLION FARMERS, 4% OF GDP AND A DESPERATELY NEEDED ECONOMIC REVIVAL FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

t is hard to imagine a time like this in the recent history of economy and revive demand in the system. the planet. The novel coronavirus pandemic has so far killed The government has realised this. On March 24, it released over 180,000 people and infected over 2.5 million people Rs 15,841 crore to service the first Rs 2,000 instalment of the I globally. It has triggered the largest industrial shutdown Rs 6,000 annual payment under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi since the Second World War. Factories are shuttered, airlines Yojana, targeted to benefit 120 million farmers. MGNREGA grounded and borders sealed. Oil prices have crashed through the wages were increased from Rs 182 to Rs 202 per day. With a lot of floorboards, particularly in the United States where producers are such work being in agriculture, the scheme provides employment paying suppliers to take the excess oil because they lack storage to 130 million people when running at full steam. On April 6, capacity. It is the ‘Great Lockdown’ recession, as the IMF calls it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level cabinet meeting where the advanced countries are likely to post a negative growth to discuss means to help farmers grappling with labour short- rate of around 6 per cent and India marginal growth or worse. We age. On April 20, the home ministry allowed the intra-district could be looking at the worst global recession since movement of labour and machinery to harvest the the Great Depression of the 1930s. Worse, around crop. Individual states like Punjab and Bihar, too, 265 million people in low- and middle- income are going out of their way to rescue the harvest. countries, the World Food Programme (WFP) Governments are strengthening their databases estimated this month, could face starvation by the on farmers and produce in this crisis. The Bihar end of 2020. To have this in the 21st century, with government is planning procurements at the pan- all the connectivity and technology at our com- chayat level and doorstep delivery of kharif seeds. mand, would be a colossal human tragedy and a In Delhi, Prime Minister Modi mooted the idea shame on the whole world. of exploring innovative app-based solutions, like India has so far lost only 686 persons to CO- truck aggregators on the lines of Uber and Ola to VID-19, but even with a 40-day lockdown, we are connect trucks to nearby mandis. struggling to control the virus. Testing is being Our cover story, ‘Harvest of Hope’, is cause for ramped up to 367 tests per million, but it is still some cheer amidst the prevailing gloom. Written woefully inadequate, as our testing rate remains Our June 12, 2017 cover by Consulting Editor Ajit Kumar Jha, Senior Edi- among the lowest in the world. We have a long way tor Anilesh S. Mahajan and our bureaus across to go to know the full measure of the problem. the country, it tracks the story behind this year’s The lockdown has given us the breathing space bumper harvest and why it could be a lifeline in to prepare the medical infrastructure required to these bleak times. deal with the pandemic.MAGAZINE On the other hand, it is KINGFour years ago, the Modi government unveiled costing the economy an estimated Rs 2 lakh crore its plan to double farm incomes by 2022-23. This a week and bringing abject misery to the poor. Two move was driven in part by the realisation that of the economy’s three large engines—services and farming had become an unsustainable profes- manufacturing—are shut. They comprise 70.6 per sion—indebted farmers were committing suicide cent of GDP and employ 43.9 per cent of the work- by the thousands and millions of rural folk were force. Sadly, the disease is taking its heaviest toll streaming towards cities in search of livelihoods. on India’s economically important urban centres: Today, as the government steps in with innovative 35 of these, largely state capitals, contribute 20 per Our February 12, 2018 cover ways to rescue the harvest, it is possibly giving the cent to the country’s GDP. sector more attention than it has since it came to Fortunately, the third engine of our economy, agriculture, power. This crisis in certain areas has spurred welcome change. is beginning to tick. Farming employs over half of India’s total There is now a greater emphasis on mechanisation of agricul- workforce—but at just 17 per cent, it is among the smallest sectoral tural activity and digitisation of marketing through the e-NAM contributors to GDP. It has been growing at a meagre 2.8 per cent platform. If the government follows through these initiatives post- per annum. Thanks to an extended winter and favourable rainfall, corona, it will enormously improve the productivity of Indian a record 106 million tonnes of wheat is to be harvested this year. agriculture, which is notorious for its ine�ciency. Meanwhile, The government’s godowns are overflowing with over 77 million let us celebrate in our isolation the beginning of a revival in the tonnes of foodgrain—enough to last a year. India is the world’s economy. Stay safe and be Upbeat. second-largest producer of wheat, rice, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruits and cotton, and the largest producer of milk and pulses. It is the top exporter of basmati rice. This is the reason why India is not on the WFP’s list of countries in danger of starvation. Hearteningly, this year’s crop will be at least 6 per cent larger (Aroon Purie) than last year’s harvest. The bulk of this yield—wheat, gram, lentils and mustard—comes from the northern and western Indian states P.S.: In this crisis, authentic information is your best weapon. of Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar We at �� Y remain committed to bringing you clarity Pradesh and Bihar. In these bleak times, this year’s harvest is a and correct information. A PDF version of this issue is available bonanza because it will pump in an estimated Rs 8 lakh crore, or 4 free on www.indiatoday.in/emag or www.indiatoday.in/magzter. per cent of GDP, into the economy. This will put money in people’s We also bring you daily Insights on India’s response to the crisis. pockets, food on the table and, hopefully, resuscitate the moribund Log in to www.indiatoday.in/india-today-magazine-insight.

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �3 UPFRONT LEISURE MAMATA’S PANDEMIC Q&A WITH JACQUELINE POSTURING PG 5 FERNANDEZ PG 66 www.indiatoday.in

CHAIRMAN AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Aroon Purie VICE CHAIRPERSON: Kalli Purie GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Raj Chengappa GROUP CREATIVE EDITOR: Nilanjan Das; GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Bandeep Singh MANAGING EDITORS: Kai Jabir Friese, Rajesh Jha INSIDE CONSULTING EDITOR: Ajit Kumar Jha (Research) EXECUTIVE EDITORS: S. Sahaya Ranjit, Sandeep Unnithan MUMBAI: M.G. Arun SENIOR DEPUTY EDITORS: Uday Mahurkar, Manisha Saroop HYDERABAD: Amarnath K. Menon DEPUTY EDITOR: Shweta Punj 12 SENIOR EDITORS: Kaushik Deka, Sasi Nair, Anilesh Mahajan MUMBAI: Suhani Singh; JAIPUR: Rohit Parihar SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Ashish Mukherjee MUMBAI: Kiran Dinkar Tare; PATNA: Amitabh Srivastava ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Shougat Dasgupta, Sonali Acharjee KOLKATA: Romita Sengupta; BHOPAL: Rahul Noronha; THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Jeemon Jacob ASSISTANT EDITOR: Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri PUNE: Aditi S. Pai PHOTO DEPARTMENT: Vikram Sharma (Deputy Photo Editor), Yasir Iqbal (Deputy Chief Photographer), Rajwant Singh Rawat (Principal Photographer), Chandra Deep Kumar (Senior Photographer); MUMBAI: Mandar Suresh Deodhar (Chief Photographer), Danesh Adil Jassawala (Photographer); KOLKATA: Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); CHENNAI: N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer) PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), Saloni Vaid (Principal Photo Researcher), Shubhrojit Brahma (Senior Photo Researcher) CHIEF OF GRAPHICS: Tanmoy Chakraborty ART DEPARTMENT: Sanjay Piplani (Senior Art Director); Angshuman De (Art Director); Devajit Bora (Deputy Art Director); Vikas Verma (Associate Art Director);

Bhoomesh Dutt Sharma (Senior Designer) SANDEEP SAHDEV Siddhant Jumde (Senior Illustrator) PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish Agarwal (Chief of Production), COVER STORY / AGRICULTURE Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator)

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Manoj Sharma ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Anil Fernandes (Impact)

IMPACT TEAM Senior General Manager: Jitendra Lad (West) HARVEST OF HOPE General Manager: Mayur Rastogi (North), Upendra Singh (Bangalore), Kaushiky Gangulie (East) The Centre is attempting to rescue the rabi harvest despite GROUP CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Vivek Malhotra the challenges presented by COVID-19. Can agriculture SALES AND OPERATIONS: D.V.S. Rama Rao, ChiefMAGAZINE General Manager KING Deepak Bhatt, Senior General Manager (National Sales) trigger the turnaround story this summer? Vipin Bagga, General Manager (Operations) Rajeev Gandhi, Deputy General Manager (North) Syed Asif Saleem, Regional Sales Manager (West) S Paramasivam, Deputy Regional Sales Manager (South) Piyush Ranjan Das, Senior Sales Manager (East) INDUSTRY DHARAVI

GETTING THE MUMBAI’S TICKING WHEELS MOVING TIME BOMB Volume XLV Number 18; For the week 24 30 April 28-May 4, 2020, published on every Friday A look at the challenges The city’s most densely packed

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MAGAZINE KING

PUTTING ON A BRAVE FACE CM Mamata Banerjee on a drive to distribute face masks in Kolkata ANI BENGAL LOCKDOWN DRAWING THE LINE By Romita Datta

n April 20, the standoff between the Cen- formed an hour before they landed, and Chief Min- tre and the Mamata Banerjee-led West ister Mamata Banerjee received an official call from Bengal government, over its implementa- the MHA after the fact. Predictably, the IMCTs O tion of the national lockdown, reached received a chilly welcome, with state officials alleg- snapping point when two inter-ministerial central edly refusing to cooperate at first. teams (IMCTs) arrived in the state for a review at The two administrations have been steadily up- the behest of the ministry of home affairs (MHA). ping the ante since end-March or even earlier, with They had come at very short notice—West Bengal the Mamata Banerjee government seemingly going chief secretary Rajiva Sinha was reportedly in- out of its way to sidestep or flout central decrees and

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 5 UPFRONT

the Narendra Modi government issu- WELL PROTECTED ing a series of threatening orders via BJP MPs Dilip Ghosh (orange stole) the MHA. At the heart of the matter and Rahul Sinha (blue jacket) at is the rivalry between the BJP and the Governor House in Kolkata, April 11 Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP is the principal contender against the about 200 km away from Kolkata. TMC in the 2021 assembly election, BJP MP Babul Supriyo tweeted about and if the 2019 Lok Sabha result is it: ‘This is bound to happen when anything to go by, the two are neck- [the chief minister] throws a sense and-neck in the polls. Neither can af- of carelessness in the air by throwing ford to look weak or allow the other to open flower and paan markets [and] be seen as dominant. The worry is that sweet shops...’ The same day, Union the stakes in this pandemic are simply home secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to too high for partisan bickering. the top IAS/ IPS officers in all states and Union territories, reminding them A STEADY BREW that no religious congregations were The eye-to-eye ‘disagreement’ has a allowed, without exception. context and a build-up over the past The next day, on April 11, the MHA precisely how this ‘human disease’ few weeks. After the Modi govern- sent another letter to the West Bengal spreads, regardless of community. In ment declared a national lockdown, government, writing: ‘As per reports either case, a day later, on April 12, the beginning March 25, Indians across received from security agencies, [a] MHA sent yet another letter, describ- the country saw their social, religious gradual dilution of [the] lockdown has ing more violations of the lockdown and economic lives brought to an been reported from West Bengal.’ The and physical distancing. abrupt halt. Stepping out of one’s home letter also said that physical-distancing Perhaps Banerjee’s aggression required an officially approved rea- norms were being violated, especially came from the fact that the MHA’s son—say, the purchase of groceries or in vegetable, fish and mutton markets April 11 letter had raised another is- medicines. Religious gatherings were in Rajabazaar, Narkel Danga, Topsia, sue, one that cut to the quick. ‘It has completely prohibited,MAGAZINE and stores sell- Metiaburz, Garden Reach, Ikbalpur KINGbeen reported that free rations are ing non-essential goods were closed. and Maniktala in Kolkata, which, it being distributed by political lead- However, translating this decree from so happens, are Muslim-dominated ers,’ read the letter, ‘not through the paper to practice was the job of state districts. Not surprisingly, Banerjee institutional delivery system. This may and local administrations. accused the Centre of playing the have resulted in spread of COVID-19 As it turned out, it was a job the communal card. “The coronavirus is infection.’ While reports remain West Bengal government stood ac- not a communal virus,” she said. “It is anecdotal—or partisan, since many cused by the opposition of not doing a human disease.” She told journalists come from BJP MPs—the accusation is with acceptable sincerity. The Centre’s that “the lockdown will continue with that TMC leaders have been bypassing notification came under the Disaster a human face, markets will be open the official ration-distribution system Management Act, and was, therefore, and shops selling essentials will remain and ‘acquiring’ the department’s re- according to the Supreme Court, a open”. A reasonable enough line, Ba- sources of grain to dole out themselves. legally binding instruction. However, nerjee’s riposte, however, came under Whether or not this is true, on April Mamata Banerjee’s government, it fire for seeming to ignore the point 16, Banerjee’s government ordered the was alleged, was treating it more like that crowded areas—such as markets replacement of Manoj Agarwal, prin- a vague guideline. One example cited for essentials where physical distanc- cipal secretary, food and supplies, the was the state government classifying ing norms are not being enforced—are top bureaucrat overseeing the distribu- sweet shops as ‘essential for Bengalis’ tion of rations. Reportedly, Banerjee on March 30, permitting them to oper- explained this with: “We are appoint- ate between noon and 4 pm—though ON APRIL 10, ing a new secretary because 10 per they were closed in other states. BJP MP SWAPAN cent of beneficiaries could not be given Another charge was its lackadaisi- DASGUPTA WROTE, (even) half of their monthly allotment cal implementation of physical distanc- ‘DENIAL IS NO WAY despite repeated instructions.” State ing norms and the ban on religious governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has also gatherings. On April 10, state police TO FIGHT THE frequently tweeted about this issue. On had to disperse a crowd of hundreds CORONAVIRUS... April 18, one such read: ‘PDS scam get- that had gathered at a mosque for Fri- THE STAKES ARE ting bigger by the day. The PDS system day prayers in Murshidabad district, TOO HIGH’ is in virtual political hijack—a crime.

6 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 an SUV, telling citizens in POLITICS OF Rajabazaar via a mic and loudspeaker that a lock- PANDEMICS down was being imposed on them by the Centre. In assembly poll-bound states, governments are However, protests were going the extra mile to win people’s hearts soon quashed—at least in public—after MHA chief secretary Ajay Bhalla BIHAR reportedly suggested that Assembly the Banerjee government’s election in 2020 8.7 actions could be seen as MILLION ‘obstructing the implemen- pensioners to get tation of the orders issued three months’ advance pension ANI by the central government ` under the Disaster Man- 2,200 Free rations are for the agement Act... and direc- CRORE Total amount the needy and not for coffers. tions of the Supreme Court.’ state government Defaulters to be sternly West Bengal chief secretary plans to spend on dealt with.’ Sinha soon wrote to Bhalla, COVID-19 relief 16.8 assuring him of the state MILLION THE STATE OF PLAY government’s full coop- ration card-holding On April 20, when the Cen- eration with the MHA’s families and 1.3 million tre’s IMCTs arrived in West IMCTs, spinning the cold registered construction workers to get an Bengal, the initial response welcome as a miscom- assistance of was a cold shoulder from munication: ‘[Since] the Rs 1,000 the Banerjee government.MAGAZINE teams had arrived without KING TMC MP Derek O’Brien any prior consultation with described it as an ‘adven- us, there was no opportu- ture tour’, saying that it nity to provide any logistic was unacceptable for the support.’ Since then, the Centre to inform the chief IMCTs, accompanied by minister of their arrival West Bengal government after the fact. TMC MP officials, have begun field Mahua Moitra asked why visits of the districts they WEST the Centre had informed have been deputed to the state chief secretary so examine. Reportedly, they BENGAL Assembly late if it really wanted logis- have also been questioning election in 2021 tical support. And though officials on a number of Union home minister Amit critical aspects of pandemic TAMIL Shah called and briefed her response—protocols for about the teams, Banerjee testing, the quantity of NADU 80 herself reportedly shot off equipment available includ- Assembly MILLION a letter to the Centre, alleg- ing hospital beds, oxygen election in 2021 people to get free ing protocol violations. On supplies, ventilators, essen- rations for the next six months under Twitter, she said that until tial items and the like. Mamata Banerjee’s PM Modi and home minis- Nonetheless, this is un- ` ‘Khadya Sathi’ ter Shah ‘share the criterion likely to be the end of this 1,000 scheme used to [deploy IMCTs in story. The only hope is that CRORE West Bengal], I am afraid the confrontation between allocated for ﬁghting we would not be able to the TMC and the BJP ends the COVID-19 crisis (initial amount was move ahead’. The politics soon and they recognise Rs 60 crore) —Amitabh Srivastava, continued in that vein, with their common enemy— Romita Datta and Banerjee herself seen in the coronavirus. ■ Amarnath K. Menon

Source: state governments UPFRONT

GUEST COLUMN NEEDED, NUANCED POLICY, SHYAM SARAN NOT KNEEJERK REACTION

ndia’s Department of Promotion of Industry and apparent in some big-ticket acquisitions in India by Chinese Internal Trade has issued a press note, PN3, which clos- companies in the digital and pharma space. I es the automatic approval route for foreign direct invest- PN3 also does not apply to Chinese portfolio investment ment (FDI) in designated industries for countries which in Indian stock markets. The People’s Bank of China raised share a land border with India. This means that restrictions its stake in the country’s largest housing finance lender, which already apply to Pakistan and Bangladesh, have now HDFC, from 0.8 per cent to 1.01 per cent this year but been extended to China. This does not bar Chinese FDI but through the portfolio route. This led to heightened concerns applies an additional level of scrutiny. This has been trigg- but had little to do with FDI. Under the current regulatory ered by legitimate concerns that in their weakened state due regime, there are significant regulations in place to limit for- to the COVID-19 crisis, high-value eign holdings in Indian companies and sensitive Indian companies through the portfolio route. may fall prey to cash-rich and state- In view of the altered environ- supported entities from China. This ment, it would be interesting to see echoes concerns in western Europe what position India adopts on allow- where similar regulations have been ing the entry of the Chinese telecom introduced recently. The US has had giant, Huawei, into the telecom such regulations in place even before space. China has threatened unspec- the current crisis. The risk of oppor- ified retaliatory measures in case the tunistic takeovers by Chinese entities decision is negative. There could also has been heightenedMAGAZINE by signs of an KINGbe retaliatory measures in response early and significant recovery of the to PN3 under China’s new foreign Chinese economy in the wake of the investment law which specifically success of its drastic and even bru- calls for reciprocity in treatment of tal lockdown measures to bring the Chinese entities. But this is unlikely virus outbreak under control even for the time being. while most other countries are still The PN3 note, which puts According to Invest India, there experiencing the rapid spread of the strictures on Chinese FDI, are over 900 Chinese firms active pandemic. China has already pro- could have been packaged in India with a cumulative invest- tested the new measure, claiming it di�erently.... The diplomatic ment of US $12 billion. A focus area is discriminatory and in violation of fallout would have been has been India’s fast-growing digital WTO rules. The Indian government easier to manage space. China’s Alibaba has invested has rejected the protest. heavily in Paytm, Snapdeal and Big While the measure itself is prud- Basket and Tencent in Flipkart, Ola ent and timely, perhaps it could have and Byju’s. India is the biggest mar- been packaged differently in order not to appear China- ket for TikTok, the video app. How will these major invest- specific. The diplomatic fallout would have been easier to ments be handled hereafter? manage. The PN3 could have been generic in character If current trends continue, the post-Covid world is likely since the possibilities of opportunistic takeovers may not to see China’s economic capabilities emerging stronger and be limited just to Chinese companies. It could have indi- more resilient relative to other major economies such as cated that the measure would be reviewed once the situation the US, Japan and western Europe. This reinforces trends reverts to a degree of normalcy. India will continue to need, already in play before the crisis. India will have to manage and need even more, large flows of foreign capital and tech- this reality. A carefully crafted economic partnership with nology to get back on a high growth path. China, balancing economic opportunities with security One should also be mindful of other aspects of the prob- imperatives, needs to be crafted, and the sooner the better. ■ lem. Chinese FDI into India often gets routed through entities registered in Hong Kong, Singapore or other countries. Shyam Saran is a former foreign secretary and How would PN3 apply to such cases? This has already been a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research

8 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 Illustration by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY THE WEEK IN NUMBERS 706,097 SKILLED INDIAN WORKERS with an undergraduate or advanced degree waiting in line for green cards. The immigration process, says US president Donald Trump, will be temp- 5 MILLION orarily suspended. Even if nothing changes, says the Cato Institute, an American Average monthly searches for child pornography across 100 Indian cities, accor- think-tank, 205,665 Indians ding to a report released in April by the India Child Protection Fund. More disturbingly, are likely to die while waiting 18% of these searches were for children “choking, bleeding, tortured, in pain or scr- for their green card; 44% eaming”. The searches for this kind of material grew 200% during the lockdown. of those remaining are expected to eventually receive their green cards after a 39-year wait. MAGAZINE$3.17 billion KING Virgin Australia’s long-term debt. After travel -$37.63 bans, the airline cancelled flights and o�cially went into The price of US oil when administration, having failed to secure a bailout loan markets closed in New from the Australian government. Currently looking for 1,800 York on April 20, dipping investors and buyers, it is the first long-haul carrier to Names removed by Paki- e�ectively go out of business because of COVID-19. below zero dollars for stan from its list of ter- the first time. Essentially, rorists since March, says American oil producers a New York-based agency were so desperate to get that works with regulating rid of their stockpiles they such international lists. The were paying ‘buyers’ to number of names on the list take the oil o� their hands. declined from 7,600 in 2018 to fewer than 3,800 in the past 18 months.

Jamia Millia Islamia university students, Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar, were arrested by Delhi police this month, despite the nationwide lockdown for their alleged role in the riots that convulsed northeast Delhi in February. Several online JOHN NACION/GETTY IMAGE petitions demanded their release and a number of scholars, activists and rights organisations2 described the arrests as “arbitrary”. Earlier this month, the Delhi Minorities Commission accused the police of “randomly” arresting young Muslim men in northeast Delhi. The police insists that all arrests are based on evidence and that investigations have not stopped during the lockdown and nor should arrests.

RAJ K RAJ/GETTY IMAGES ABID BHAT

UPFRONT

J&K A RETURN TO THE OLD NORMAL? ABID BHAT HIGH ALERT Army soldiers at the site of a gun battle with militants in Pampore, south Kashmir, in January 2020

n April 5, Keran village in north dead. The TRF claimed responsibility span starting August 5. Kashmir’s Kupwara district on for the violence. Earlier this month, a domicile Othe Line of Control (LoC) saw an A security official in J&K says the law introduced by the Centre for J&K intense close combat between a squad TRF is a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba heightened the fears of demographic of the army’s special forces and five (LeT) and has been propped up in the changes prevalent since the abrogation newly infiltrated militants. The mas- face of pressure on Pakistan from the of Article 370. The new law reserved sive, five-day search operation, which Financial Action Task Force (FATF) only level-4 jobs for permanent began on April 1 in adverse snowbound to demonstrate serious action against residents of J&K and sought to offer conditions, culminated in a reported terror groups like the LeT. domicile status to all people who had death toll of 10—five on each side. CRPF additional director general resided in the erstwhile state for 15 The Keran gun battle is the fiercest Zulfikar Hassan said that attempts years or had studied there for seven the Valley has witnessed this year and by militant groups to change names years and appeared in class 10 and points to Pakistan MAGAZINEsending in highly or launch offshoots have little bearing KING class 12 examinations. This made trained militants as snow begins to on counter-insurgency operations. “It them eligible for both gazetted and melt on the high- doesn’t make any non-gazetted government jobs in the altitude mountains. difference to us. Any- Union territory. Following protests The infiltrators were THE VALLEY IS one who picks up the and representations by political par- owned up as its mem- WITNESSING gun is a terrorist, irre- ties, the Centre amended the order to bers by ‘The Resis- A SPIKE IN spective of the outfit,” reserve all jobs in J&K for its residents, tance Front’ (TRF), a MILITANT said Hassan. but did not change the new eligibility militant outfit that the ATTACKS AND South Kashmir criteria for domicile status. Jammu and Kashmir ALARM OVER has witnessed a spike Amid this development come dis- police say emerged NEW DOMICILE in militancy in the past turbing reports of a scale-up in border only in March. Three one month, break- shelling by Pakistan. One such episode families from south RULES ing the relative lull in on April 12 claimed the lives of three Kashmir came for- violence in the region civilians, including a woman and a ward to claim the bod- since the abrogation child. “Intercepts show Pakistan wants ies of three of the deceased militants. of Article 370 on August 5 last year. to disrupt peace in the Valley, which is The March 23 arrest of six men in Five civilians, a retired armyman and why it wants to push in militants. The north Kashmir’s Sopore was the first a policeman have been killed in attacks increase in ceasefire violations is meant incident that police linked to the TRF. since March 21. Official data shows to assist infiltrators,” says an army offi- A big cache of arms was seized from how the lockdown in the Valley for a cer. Evidence of militants also slipping them—eight AK rifles with 25 maga- major part of 2019 had curtailed mili- in through the International Border zines, nine pistols with 16 magazines, tancy. Eighty-two security personnel in Jammu region came on January 31 77 grenades and 21 detonator fuses. were killed in the 170-day period be- when police intercepted a Valley-bound Police say a handler in Pakistan had ginning February 13 last year. Among truck at Nagrota in Jammu. Police deputed the men to recruit local youths them were the 40 CRPF soldiers who say the three militants killed in the for militancy. On April 17, a militant died in the February 14 suicide attack operation had sneaked in through the attack in Sopore left three CRPF in Pulwama. By comparison, 22 secu- International Border in Kathua. ■ (Central Reserve Police Force) troopers rity personnel were killed in a similar —Moazum Mohammad in Srinagar

10 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 GLASSHOUSE GOVERNOR RULES Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is again in the crosshairs of the coalition government in Maharashtra, this time for sitting on a cabinet recommendation to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as member of the legislative council. Only last month, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had claimed that Koshyari was running a ‘parallel government’. The cabinet wants an MLC seat for Thackeray from the governor’s quota. Koshyari is reportedly checking the legality of this recommendation. Thackeray has until May 28 to become an MLC to continue as chief minister. Koshyari, it appears, wants to make him sweat a little.

MAGAZINEJUMDE SIDDHANT KING

Illustration by Illustration

SPENT Poll Virus FORCE? ihar might be battling the est Bengal Bcoronavirus crisis, but its Wchief minister politicians remember very well that Mamata Banerjee 2020 is assembly election year too. has asked the state Reason then for the Rashtriya Janata administration to ‘make use’ of Dal (RJD) to try and score brownie the Banga Janani Brigade, an points by sharing a video of a Janata outﬁt of the ruling Trinamool Dal-United (JD-U) youth wing leader dancing with a bottle of liquor in hand. Congress, to protect doctors, Public relations minister Neeraj Kumar, nurses and paramedics who are of the JD-U, hit back, questioning ﬁghting the COVID-19 outbreak RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s in the state. This follows reports ‘disappearing act’ every time a crisis that several medical professionals befalls the state. He also are facing harassment and even asked Tejashwi to share being asked to vacate their his travel details during M ZHAZO rented homes. Brigade members, the state’s door-to-door though, have no clarity how COVID-19 survey. to go about the task amid the The RJD leader lockdown. Like many of Mamata’s has not obliged. past initiatives set in motion to Clearly, the last resolve people’s issues, will this hasn’t been said in one, too, end up as a damp squib? this war of words.

—Sandeep Unnithan with Kiran D. Tare, Romita Datta and Amitabh Srivastava MAGAZINE KING

C O V E R STORY

AGRICULTURE HARVEST The government is pulling out all the stops to ensure a bumper Rabi crop. At stake are the livelihoods of 200 million farmers and the urgent need to revive the economy

By Ajit Kumar Jha with Anilesh S. Mahajan

12 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 Photograph by BANDEEP SINGH MAGAZINE KING

OF HOPE �� GOLDEN ARC Rao Avatar Singh Yadav, with his wheat harvest in Salodha, Haryana

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 13 C O V E R STORY

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aisakhi, that annual festival of hope and regen- eration, was to have been extra special this April 13. It was a day before the prime minister was due to announce that he would lift the lockdown B that had pulled the shutters down on an entire country and its economy. Winter rainfall and an extended cold spell had delayed the harvest of an expected bumper rabi crop; all that was needed for it to resume was the end of the 21-day lockdown. As it turned out, the lockdown was exten ded by another 19 days. As it pushed people and businesses deeper into despair, agriculture suddenly became the only hope for the country, to resuscitate its stalled economy and infuse demand in the system.

With encouraging minimum primarily in Maharashtra, Karnataka support prices (MSP) and a good and Andhra Pradesh, was due to see monsoon,MAGAZINE the area under rabi cultiva- a 35.2 per cent jump in production KING tion increased by 8.6 per cent this year, over last year. Gram, which has the from 59 million hectares (mha) last highest acreage for a rabi crop and is year to 64 mha this year. Even though grown primarily in UP, MP, Rajast- rabi acreage in the country is 22.4 per han, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh cent less than for kharif cultivation, and Karnataka, was gearing up for a 2 they have an equivalent contribution per cent decline in production—from in the total foodgrain production in 14.8 million tonnes in 2018-19 to 14.5 the country. The area under wheat million tonnes this year—but the MSP cultivation—primarily in the states of for the crop was increased by Rs 255 Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya per quintal—from Rs 4,620 in 2018-19 Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and to Rs 4,875 this season. In all, the rabi Bihar—grew 11.2 per cent over the pre- crop was expected to contribute Rs 8 At the vious year, from 29.7 mha to 33 mha. lakh crore, or 4 per cent, to GDP. announced Riding on the back of a winter rainfall It was on this harvest, then, that and an extended cold spell, production the Indian farmer pinned all his MSP of Rs 1,925 of wheat, the chief rabi crop, was slated hope. With the Indian economy in a to hit 106 million tonnes this year. slowdown even before the lockdown, per quintal, With the government announcing an a bumper crop would be his only the value of MSP of Rs 1,925 per quintal, the value salvation. However, just as India was of the wheat crop alone this year was getting ready for a golden harvest, the wheat crop expected to touch Rs 2 lakh crore. coronavirus struck. The harvest in alone will be Other rabi crops, too, such as the western and central states was paddy, maize and cereals, were headed disrupted, perishables were laid to over Rs 2 lakh for bumper yields owing to increased waste, farm labour disappeared, access acreage and favourable climatic condi- to markets was cut o� and transport crore tions. With a 19.2 per cent increase halted. The subsequent relaxations in acreage this year, jowar, grown and exemptions issued by the home

14 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 RABI CROPS HAVE GREATER THE RABI METRIC ECONOMIC VALUE The total foodgrain production for the 2019-20 crop year is estimated COMPARED TO to be a record 291.95 million tonnes against 285.21 million tonnes last KHARIF year. The foodgrain basket includes wheat, rice, coarse grains like Total share of jowar, and pulses. Of the total foodgrain output for the crop year, the foodgrain production kharif (summer) crop, it is estimated, will account for 142.36 million by harvest season tonnes and rabi (winter sowing) 149.60 million tonnes. Kharif Rabi* WHEAT 2020 49% 51% PRODUCTION 2019 106.1 (rabi procurement year) 103.6 # % 2018 2017-18 17 2017 99.7 of GDP, share 98.4 of agri + allied 2016 sectors 92.3 (million Kharif Rabi* metric tonne) 67% 33%

Punjab LAND UNDER UP 1970-71 RABI 3.6 mha 13.1 mha Land in million Wheat, mustard, Wheat, 200 hectare (mha) chickpea gram, pea MILLION Main rabi crops Farm households dependent on Haryana Bihar Area under rabi is rabi crop 3.4 mha 5.5 mha still 22.4% less than Wheat, Wheat, maize, kharif but agricultural productivity and mustard, barley masoor returns much higher given greater Rajasthan MAGAZINE KINGJharkhand irrigation access and ` mha more cash crops 3.1 1.1 mha Wheat, gram, Wheat, masoor, # Percentages 8 rapeseed estimated in 2017-18 Bengal gram LAKH CRORE remain the same or 4% of GDP, Gujarat Maharashtra MP Chhattisgarh today as they are three-year averages estimated value 3.3 mha 7 mha 13.8 mha 1.7 mha of rabi crop Source: National Sample Wheat, Pulses, Wheat, gram, Pulses, Survey Organisation, barley, gram oilseed, mango mustard oilseed, wheat 70th round

RECOMMENDED WHEAT BARLEY GRAM LENTIL R&M* SAFFLOWER MSP # (Rabi Market Season `1,925 `1,525 `4,875 `4,800 `4,425 `5,215 2020-21) �4.6% �5.9% �5.5% �7.2% �5.3% �5.4%

�Increase over previous year # corresponding to oil content of 35% *rapeseed and mustard Source: Ministry of Agriculture & State Agriculture Department Graphics by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY ministry took a while to be implemented 2015, according to calculations by the turn, stimulate demand. Agriculture, on the ground. It was at this point that agriculture ministry. An agricultural thus, could become the catalyst for the it became imperative for the govern- labourer, on the other hand, going by economic revival of the entire country. ment to step in for the rescue, ensure the wages under the Mahatma Gandhi that the rabi harvest proceeded unhin- National Rural Employment Guarantee AGRICULTURE, THE dered, and the grain procured on time Act (MGNREGA)—an average of GOVERNMENT’S LAST HOPE to enhance food security and sustain Rs 200 a day for 100 days, though it var- The 17 per cent agriculture and allied farmers’ livelihoods, leaving more money ies widely across states—earns roughly sectors contribute to GDP may not seem in their hands. An average farmer in Rs 20,000 annually. A bumper harvest enough to lead a revival in the economy, India earned Rs 96,000 per annum in would enrich the Indian farmer and, in but with nearly 65 per cent of the

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY �15 PUNJAB

C O V E R Agriculture % Distribution of STORY of state GDP farmers* AGRICULTURE 19% 14% % 25% 62% 5 RANJAN RAHI Marginal Small Medium Large 3.6 mha Wheat, mustard, chickpea, potato, 1.9 mn oilseeds, winter vegetables 3.62 ` (ha/ family) 550

RAJASTHAN Agriculture % Distribution of of state GDP farmers* 33% % % % 22 5 20 40% BIHAR Marginal Small Mokamataal Medium Large ANAND village, 100 mha MURARI, 52 Patna Wheat, gram, MAGAZINE KING13.6 mn rapeseed, cumin, mustard

3.07 ` A Problem of Choice (ha/ family) 300-350

medium-sized farmer plus PACS in the state will in Mokamataal, Murari ensure every grain of wheat Afaces a curious dilem- the farmers sell is purchased. ma. His harvest of wheat and Procurement will continue till dalhan (pulses) is ready, but July 15,” he says. he wants to sell the wheat to The lockdown has also the government, which is of- forced farmers like Murari to fering an MSP of Rs 1,925 per feed the labourers who had quintal, and the masoor dal in come from other districts the open market as the rate and Jharkhand. The harvest there is higher than the MSP. is over, but they are stuck “Suspend the APMC- “I want logistics support from because of the lockdown. run mandi system, buy the state to sell the dalhan. “There are close to 100,000 Also, the Primary Agriculture labourers in Mokama today. directly from farmers, Cooperative Society (PACS), Like every year, they arrived minus market fee. which procures wheat from in early March for harvesting Engage FCI and agro- the panchayats, is playing the 71,000 hectare of farm- truant,” he says. land here. But now, harvest- processing corporates for Bihar cooperative mini- ing is over and they are sitting procurement” ster Rana Randhir Singh says idle. The government should the farmers have to register arrange their return.” � Ashok Gulati with the PACS. “The 8,000- -Amitabh Srivastava ICRIER

16 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 HARYANA UTTAR PRADESH Agriculture % Distribution of Agriculture % Distribution of STATE of state GDP farmers* of state GDP farmers* % 48% 13 OF % % % % 3 24.6% 7 FARMING 13 19 30% 80% Agricultural Marginal Small Marginal proﬁles of key rabi Medium Large Small Other cultivating states 3.4 mha 3.6 mha Wheat, mustard, Wheat, gram, 3.14 mn barley, millet, 23.8 mn pea, lentils, chickpea mustard, potato

2.2 ` 0.73 ` (ha/ family) 500 (ha/ family) 202

MADHYA PRADESH BIHAR Agriculture % Distribution of Agriculture % Distribution of of state GDP farmers* of state GDP farmers* % 15 18% % % % % 35 % 57 30 50 20 25%

Marginal Marginal Farm Average Main rabi Small Other Small Other households landholding crops 13.8 mha 3 mha Wheat, gram, Wheat, maize, mn mustard, masoor, gram Avg. dailyMAGAZINE wage 21.9 KING16.2 mn Land under masoor of farm hand per rabi man day 1.78 ` 0.39 ` *by size of land holding in ha. (ha/ family) 300-350 (ha/ family) 300 Source: State agriculture departments

country’s population being rural and 50 deterioration in demand at a time when and economics professor Praveen Jha, per cent dependent on it for livelihood, exports are sinking and ensure food who teaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru a successful harvest and the resultant security in the country. University in Delhi, asserts it is more a rise in rural demand provide the only Agriculture is key not just to the case of price restructuring than price possibility of an economic turnaround. Indian economy but is also crucial for stability. “There is downward pres- “At a time when the entire country is global trade links. According to Food sure on producer prices,” he says. “At under lockdown with almost no source and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) es- the same time, given the supply chain of consumption other than food and timates, India is the world’s second-larg- disruptions, urban consumers face the medicines, agriculture,” says Professor est producer of wheat, rice, sugarcane, upward pressure of consumer prices. Manoj Pant, director at the Indian In- groundnut, vegetables, fruits and cotton, The two balance each other out.” Food stitute of Foreign Trade in Delhi, “is the and the largest producer of milk, pulses price volatility has been rather high in main source of demand in the country.” and jute. It is among the four countries— the past few years, given both the global For former Planning Commission mem- besides Russia, China and the US—that ﬂuctuations in commodity prices and ber and leading economist Abhijit Sen produce half the world’s wheat. uncertainty in the prices of perishables too, agriculture remains a key sector. “It The forecast of a normal monsoon like onions and tomatoes. However, it is provides food security, jobs for half the presages well for the sector. Prices too not so much prices that worry the farm- country and livelihood sustainability for have been stable given the extraordinary ers as “not having the choice to go to the the entire nation,” he says. Reviving it is situation of the pandemic and the mas- market”, says Prof. Sen. “To save the har- likely to help provide employment, arrest sive uncertainty, though labour expert vest, let the mandis go to the farmers.”

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 17 C O V E R STORY

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SAVING THE HARVEST Indeed, to save the harvest and the farmer, the central as well as the state governments have cranked into action. “The central as well as state governments,” says Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, and renowned agricultural economist, “are leaving no stone unturned in rescuing the rabi harvest despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease.” First, as part of the Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on PUNJAB Vallah village, PRABHOT GILL PRABHOT March 26, Rs 15,841 crore was released BALJINDER SINGH, 42 Amritsar toward payment of the first instalment of the Rs 6,000 annual benefit under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, expected to benefit 120 million farmers. Then, wages under MGNREGA A Cumbersome Coupon System were increased from Rs 182 to Rs 202 per day. On April 6, Prime Minister he untimely rains and and the complex coupon-based Narendra Modi held a high-level cabinet delayed winter prolonged procurement. Punjab has put meeting to discuss meansMAGAZINE to help farm- T the wait for Baljinder KING Singh in place a staggered marketing ers grappling with labour shortage. On to harvest his crop. He needed plan and farmers can bring only April 20, the home ministry allowed bright sunshine for at least a one tractor trolley at a time. The the intra-district movement of migrant week to clear the moisture and arthiyas (commission agents) can labour. This limited movement of labour harvest the wheat. The fam- issue only 5 curfew passes a day is expected to partially address the ily has a land parcel of about for these trolleys. Each trolley severe scarcity of labour during harvest 42 acres and he is expecting a can ferry 50-52 quintals of wheat and procurement, even though most yield of 22-24 quintals an acre. in one trip. This is enough for migrants typically move between states, Baljinder has two more wor- small and marginal farmers (the say from the labour-exporting states ries, the lack of migrant labour large majority in the state with of UP and Bihar to labour-importing Punjab and Haryana. Restrictions on mechanised operations, too, were eased, albeit with lection centres established by Farmer said to be seriously examining the guidelines on social distancing and sa- Producer Organisations (FPOs). The recommendation from an empowered nitisation of agricultural infrastructure. warehouse-based trading module group and senior government o�cials To address the issue of transportation, in the e-NAM software is likely to to expand access to food during the the PM suggested exploring innovative facilitate trading from the premises of lockdown by doing away with the need app-based solutions, such as truck ag- warehouses. Another module will al- to show a ration card or photo ID. As gregators on the lines of Ola and Uber, low agriculturists to access the e-NAM a result, food is likely to be distributed to connect farmers with nearby mandis. platform from the collection centres free to everyone, be it migrant labour, To decongest mandis and revive of FPOs. Some 415 mandis, said daily wagers or other rural/ urban supply chains, the Narendra Singh Tomar, will be added to the existing poor. State and district administra- Tomar-led Union agriculture ministry, 585 mandis in 16 states. These e-NAM tions, meanwhile, have been instructed on April 2, added two new features to mandis provide farmers an additional to ensure that the public distribution e-NAM, the electronic national agricul- platform apart from the traditional system is not overcrowded and strict ture market, to enable farmers to sell commission agent system. action is taken on complaints of black their produce at warehouses and col- The Prime Minister’s O�ce is also marketing or inflated prices.

18 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 Most states have also staggered “We’ll maintain 3% growth procurement by three months. Punjab has extended the procurement season this quarter. The setback for 13.5 million tonnes of wheat up to is marginal, no more than June 15; MP hopes to complete the pro- 0.25%. The main setback curement process by May 25. Haryana has also launched a Bhavantar Bharpaii was in ﬂoriculture, the Yojana, a scheme where farmers will be grain markets are intact” compensated for any di�erence in prices. The Yogi Adityanath government in RAMESH CHAND UP has instructed insurance companies Member, NITI Aayog to compensate farmers whose crop may have been damaged due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms. In UP, district administrations have also become the nodal coordi- around a hectare of land) but nating authority, conducting online spells trouble for big farmers. THE STATE PUSH sessions with mandi o�cials on Zoom Baljinder and his cousins have States, too, are taking the lead in or Skype. Wholesale operations have lands adjoining each other and ensuring a successful rabi harvest. In been separated from retail sales. “To harvest together. “We don’t own Punjab, the Amarinder Singh govern- avoid overcrowding in mandis,” says harvesting machines, but hire ment has allowed combine harvesters state agriculture secretary Devesh machines collectively. This helps to run for 13 hours a day instead of eight Chaturvedi, “wholesale trade has us cut costs,” he says. “TheMAGAZINE hours. The wheat harvest in Bihar is KINGbeen restricted to night—between 12 coupon system has complicated completely mechanised, and the state is midnight and 7 am. Idle rickshaws the equation. To transport our providing inter-state curfew passes to and e-rickshaws have been enlisted to produce, we will have to make combine-harvester drivers from Punjab take the produce directly to consumers at least 17 trips to the mandi. and Haryana; 750 such passes have in residential colonies. This prevents We don’t have enough space already been issued. overcrowding in mandis during the to store the crop and we can’t Punjab and Haryana are also con- day and helps provide employment to harvest in batches. It’s just verting their rice mills and deras into rickshaw-pullers and others.” impractical,” says Baljinder. � purchase centres. The number of such The Ashok Gehlot government in -Anilesh S. Mahajan purchase centres in Punjab has doubled Rajasthan has opened 900 centres to 3,691 from 1,840 last year. The Hary- right up to the panchayat level to ar- ana government, on the other hand, has range for the procurement, sale and opened 2,000 wheat purchase centres purchase of wheat, mustard and gram. and 140 mustard purchase centres. “We are also arranging for rent-free Punjab has also issued coupons tractors and other equipment. Free with holograms to farmers to bring seed kits are being provided to one their wheat crop to the mandi to pre- million small and marginal farmers vent overcrowding; some 2.7 million and half a million SC/ ST farmers.” coupons have been issued since April In Bihar, agriculture minister Prem 15. In Madhya Pradesh, the state food Kumar says there will be doorstep department is planning to send out delivery of seeds for the kharif season. `96,000 SMSes to farmers to bring their pro- PER ANNUM duce to the centre. “SMSes are being THE CHALLENGES AHEAD sent out to 5-10 farmers at each buying However, despite the best e�orts of Earnings of the average centre per day. We are inviting the the central and state governments, Indian farmer in 2015, according to one smaller farmers ﬁrst, the bigger ones labour scarcity, and lack of transport calculation by the Union later,” says Avinash Lavania, the state and markets continue to be major ministry for agriculture food and civil supplies director. impediments for farmers during the

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 19 RAJASTHAN At the Mercy RAGHUBIR 13 LNP village, of Traders TAKHR, 49 Ganganagar Takhr get little help from the state. They are forced to approach traders for loans on personal expenses such as marriages and are compelled to sell their produce to these traders because they ﬁnd the MSP selection criteria too cumbersome. “We have to repay the money soon after the harvest because we need more money for the next crop, cotton, which is less proﬁtable. We will end up selling mustard for Rs 3,700-3,800 instead of the MSP of Rs 4,450 per quintal, and

RAGHAV wheat at Rs 1,800 (MSP Rs 1,925 per quintal). If we refuse to sell at akhr had sown black yield has been good this year, but this rate, the traders will gang up mustard and wheat on his 3 expenses too have risen. Diesel on us,” says Takhr. T hectare land near Gang Ca- tari�s have been revised by Rs 6 The government had al- nal, 35 km from the India-Pakistan in the past two weeks, increasing lowed farmers to sell directly to border. The wheat he harvested his expenses. Takhr is expecting food processing units, but later, using a combine harvester, but to earn Rs 1.25 lakh this season, under pressure from the traders, the black mustard he had to expenses included. Procurement restricted their buying to a maxi- harvest himselfMAGAZINE because the lock- in his area will begin on May 3. KINGmum of 10 trolleys per day. � down a�ected labour supply. The Medium-sized landowners like -Rohit Parihar

lockdown. According to Vikas Rawal, governments take the right steps for professor of economics at JNU in harvest and procurement. Delhi, the total quantity of wheat and According to one estimate, the chana arrivals in the ﬁrst phase of the horticulture pile-up of both harvested lockdown (till April 14) in the mandis of and unharvested perishables is likely to Punjab was only 6 per cent compared cause farmers a loss of approximately to the corresponding ﬁgures the year Rs 15,000 crore. Such losses might dou- before. “Remember,” he says, “harvest ble or triple if the lockdown continues in Punjab and Haryana was delayed into May. Rawal documents another “Transportation and last year too.” problem. “Staggering of the harvest “Even if you harvest,” says Professor forces farmers to pay a monthly interest trade are two sides of a Yoginder K. Alagh, a former Union min- of 3 per cent to arthiyas (middlemen), coin. Even if you harvest, ister, “in the absence of transportation the new moneylenders of rural India, without trade and and trade, it is back to barter—simply lo- which works out to an astronomical 36 cal buying and selling.” In economics, he per cent a year,” he says. transportation, it’s back adds, trade and transportation are two Agricultural expert Ashok Gulati of to barter” sides of the same coin—you cannot have ICRIER (Indian Council for Research one without the other. He predicts nil on International Economic Relations) YOGINDER K. ALAGH growth in agriculture as far as rabi crops has a simple advice for the government. Former Union minister in the western states are concerned. The “Suspend the APMC-run mandi system, northern states might fare better, if their buy directly from the farmers, with-

20 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 C O V E R STORY

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out charging the market fee. Engage the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and corporates in the agro-processing business and exports by using various electronic platforms for scheduling procurement without crowding. Later on, the thread can be picked up through APMC-run mandis.” The best-case scenario, according to Prof. Jha, is if 80 per cent of the rabi output, especially of wheat, can be rescued. “It will be considered good management, given the disruption caused by the lockdown,” he says. A more realistic scenario, though, would be a saving of 70 per cent of the crop, “though it would lead to negative growth rates. Yet, it would help in providing food security and sustaining livelihoods.” Chand of NITI Aayog remains extremely optimistic. “There is no question UTTAR PRADESH of negative growth in agriculture this

Khurdahi MANEESH AGNIHOTRI quarter,” he says. “I estimated a growth PEETAMBARMAGAZINE village, KINGrate of 3.25 per cent this quarter. The LAL, 26 Gosainganj setback is marginal, not more than 0.25 per cent. We will maintain 3 per cent growth this quarter. The main setback was in floriculture and perishables. But the grain markets are fairly intact in the Living on the Edge big wheat-producing states.” So, will it be a harvest of hope? The ad weather took a toll on daughter and two sons, says, verdict of agricultural expert Devinder the wheat crop Peetam- “The government had put Sharma, a trenchant critic of the gov- B bar Lal had planted on Rs 1,000 into my account ernment’s handling of harvest opera- the five bighas of land he owns but the money was spent on tions, is brutal. “This pandemic and on the outskirts of his village. medicines for my wife who has the handling of the resultant lockdown “The rains in the last week of a stomach ailment.” With the makes it appallingly clear that when it February and the hailstorms wheat procurement delayed comes to any aspect of Indian agricul- damaged the crop,” he says. till April 20, the harvest got ture, various governments—both past Last year, he harvested 40 wet in the rains in the early and present—have followed a fallacious quintals of wheat; this year, it’s part of the month. Peetambar model of growth. What does the panic down to 25. The lockdown has is now waiting for some bright migration of labour tell us? We desper- brought its own set of prob- sunshine for the crop to dry. ately came to the city hungry; today, lems. Last year, after selling the After that, he will sell his wheat millions are going back to their villages, wheat crop, he had Rs 7,000 in at the government procurement once again hungry.” his hand after expenses, which centre in Khurdahi. Although Ashok Dalwai, CEO of National helped fulfil most of the needs he will get Rs 5,000 less for his Rainfed Authority and o�cial in- of his family during the summer 25 quintals, the money will help charge of doubling farm incomes, season. Now, with everything his family tide over the current however, begs to di�er. “The lockdown shuttered, he has no money. financial crisis. � protocols have to be respected as it Peetambar, who has a -Ashish Misra saves lives in this pandemic,” he says.

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 21 C O V E R Post-Harvest Blues STORY AGRICULTURE he wheat crop Singh had procurement had already been sown in about 40 acres of running two weeks late because T land in Umraoganj, some of labour scarcity in the region. 35 km from state capital Bhopal, “The wheat crop looks has been harvested for some promising but other issues like time now. His biggest problem, shortage of labour may further he says, is trying to sell the crop. delay procurement. The rural “The mandis are unlikely to open economy depends on income because of the coronavirus from the harvest as loans have pandemic. All sales will probably to be paid o� and social engage- happen at government buy- ments like marriages are on the ing centres which will lead to a cards,” he says. � “The lockdown lot of rush there,” he says. The -Rahul Noronha protocols had to be respected to save MADHYA PRADESH Umraoganj lives, but most SIDDHARTH SINGH village, restrictions on the JAT, 25 Raisen rabi harvest have now been lifted”

ASHOK DALWAI CEO, National Rainfed MAGAZINE KINGAuthority “However, most restrictions for rabi harvesting and procurement and kharif sowing have now been lifted. DMs have been instructed to take care of farmers and migrant farm workers. The various state governments have indeed responded with speed. Do realise this is an unprecedented pandemic. Gov- ernments evolve in governance while handling such a crisis.” The cliché, then, bears repeating— every crisis is an opportunity. The handling of the sector during this lockdown can forever change the way agriculture is conducted in the country—whether it is mechanisation of agricultural activity, e-NAM-based marketing or digitisation of processes. With en- hanced productivity, novel marketing and greater e�ciency, not only would a good rabi harvest sow the seeds of a much-needed economic revival but also enable the government to edge that much closer to realising its ambition of doubling farmers’ incomes. ■ — with Rahul Noronha, Rohit Parihar and Amitabh Srivastava

22 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 DANGER!!! ANOTHER MASSIVE CRASH HAS STARTED IN INDIAN STOCK MARKET 2020. NIFTY WILL FALL FURTHER AND REACH MINIMUM 5000 LEVEL.

Another massive crash has started now which is going to be very very big. In this crash NIFTY will fall down minimum 5000 level which is nearly 46% from the recent level. This crash will be registered as the 3rd biggest crash in the INDIAN STOCK MARKET history. This crash will erode major portion of investors and traders wealth of INDIAN STOCK MARKET. Therefore investors and traders needs to be cautious in the market and be prepared to deal with the fall said by the RESEARCH ANALYST Mr. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN SUNDARAM.

LAKSHMI NARAYANAN SUNDARAM MAGAZINEResearch Analyst (SEBI Certi�ed) KING Danger !!! Another Massive Crash has Started in Indian Stock Market 2020 ecently Indian Stock Market faced a huge crash in the month of March 2020. This crash which was huge, has fallen down nearly 40% Rfrom life high. � BETTER SAFE Under the new guidelines, all workers must follow strict sanitation norms before entering factories

MAGAZINE KING

(RE)STARTING TROUBLE The government plan to stagger the reopening of businesses was well-intentioned, but complicated guidelines, supply chain disruptions and poor demand have played spoilsport By M.G. Arun B I G STORY

INDUSTRY

harmesh Kachiwala, 48, who runs a textile processing unit in Surat, is distraught as the national lockdown nears the one- month mark. Although the new guidelines from the Centre, announced on April 15, allow industrial units outside the COVID-19 ‘hotspots’ in Gujarat (such as in textile hub Surat) to resume operations from April 20, entrepreneurs like him aren’t taking any chances. “Surat’s textile trading market is closed, so where will we D sell our products, even if we make them?” he asks. His firm, J.P. Kachiwala Textiles, supplies processed cloth to garment makers, who in turn export finished garments to larger firms such as British retailer Marks & Spencer. But even those businesses are now shut. “Once you start your plant, you have to keep operations going 24x7, else it becomes an expensive proposition,” he says. Having to pay salaries to 250 employees without any income is another burden.

Kachiwala and around 450 like While industries in the ‘essential him in the textile processing business goods’ category already had permiss- in Surat are staring at a bleak future. So ion to operate, the new guidelines are the nearly 200,000 small and large allow several sectors to reopen. These powerloom units in Surat that supply include industries in rural areas, and cloth to the processing units. This is manufacturing and industrial units the case in almost all major industrial with access control in special economic hubs in the country. The lockdown that zones (SEZs), export-oriented units and MAGAZINEbegan on March 25 may have slowed KINGthe industrial estates and townships. But spread of COVID-19, but has crippled there are a number of preconditions. India’s economy. Many analysts have For one, as far as possible, workers must predicted flat growth or even economic stay on factory premises. If this proves contraction in the first quarter of the impossible, factory owners must make current fiscal. their own transport arrangements for With this in mind, the Union min- workers—and the vehicles used must istry for home a�airs (MHA) issued operate at less than 40 per cent capacity new guidelines on April 15 to allow at to ensure physical distancing. Factory least some industries to restart opera- premises must be regularly sanitised. tions. Industry body CII (Confedera- All workers entering or exiting must be tion of Indian Industry) had wanted thermal screened, must have medical the government to allow the textiles, insurance, and employers must discour- garments and automobile sectors to age gatherings of 10 or more people.

GETTY IMAGES GETTY begin work from April 20 to meet their These restrictions mean that industries export obligations. While a partial lift- that do open face higher costs and di�- ing of restrictions seemed an ideal way cult working conditions. But the biggest to get the economy going while halting “disincentive”, as Anand Mahindra puts the spread of the virus, the plethora it, are directives that impose severe pen- of guidelines from the Centre, states alties on management, which may in- 170 and local administrations have not clude punishment with imprisonment, The number of districts eased matters much. Add to these the if an employee is found to be COVID-19 across India classified disruptions in the supply chain, access positive. An MHA spokesperson clari- as ‘hotspots’, or ‘red’ to labour and the stalled demand, and fied on April 22 that penalties would districts. The other the result is that most firms—even those apply only if o�ences occurred with the classifications are ‘non- hotspots’ or ‘orange’ outside COVID-19 ‘hotspots’, which “consent, cognisance or negligence” of districts and ‘non-infected’ were allowed to resume operations from the employer, but many feel this leaves or ‘green’ districts April 20—have remained closed. room for unnecessary prosecutions.

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 25 B I G RAJIV SAJDEH, 57 STORY Owner, Tex & Twist, Amritsar INDUSTRY Hoping against Hope CASE STUDIES CASE Another issue is that firms in ‘hotspot’ districts must remain ince April 20, when Punjab closed regardless. All districts in decided to gradually open India have been put in one of three S up the industry after almost categories—hotspot or ‘red’ districts, a month of curfew, Sajdeh, the non-hotspot or ‘orange’ districts owner of Tex & Twist, was hopeful and non-infected or ‘green’ districts. that he might also get a green sig- Across the country, 170 districts nal to open. He runs a small fabric have been classified as hotspots. Of manufacturing unit on the outskirts these, 42 are in Maharashtra, Tamil of Amritsar, employing less than Nadu and Delhi—and these three 20 people. A maker of fire- and states together account for about 30 chemical-resistant cloth fabric, per cent of India’s GDP. This means his products leave his factory’s that despite the partial relaxation of assembly line and go to the cottage the lockdown, industrial activity is industry for testing and sorting. likely to remain muted. “I was asked to make provi- Moreover, the district collector, sions for the sta�’s stay at the the fulcrum of local administration shop floor and food,” he said. and directly in charge of measures “But none of my employees were to contain the pandemic, is likely to ready to leave their families (in the prioritise safety over easing restric- present circumstances) and stay PRABHJOT GILL tions, given that lives are at stake. at the factory, even if I made the MAGAZINEprovisions to do so.” There is a KINGseeking an undertaking from own- PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE spread of small and micro industry ers of factories that they would Since the MHA’s notification on in Amritsar, for manufacturing be prosecuted for any violations. April 15 permitted industries out- shawls, blankets, fabrics and “It will be impossible for a small side ‘red’ districts to begin operat- hosiery, which also engages the company like ours to make sure ions from April 20, there were hopes cottage industry for works like we don’t have a COVID-19 patient that some firms would quickly embroidery, knotting and labelling. among the sta�,” he says. “And I restart work. But the response Like most of his peers in the city, can’t a�ord a prosecution.” from industry has been tepid. R.C. he too is worried since the state is - Anilesh S. Mahajan Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, says his company is not in a position to start work at all. “The car industry depends not just on ern manufacturing makes it impossible and group CFO, JSW Steel. He says that the factories that assemble the cars, for plants to operate in silos. This is if business is to normalise, the entire but on the entire supply chain. Any why steel companies, including JSW supply chain has to be opened up and disruption in that and we will not be Steel, Tata Steel and SAIL, have had demand also has to recover. “If allowed, able to manufacture the final prod- to drastically cut production, although production levels can be normalised uct,” he says. For example, Maruti steel-making is a ‘continuous process’ very quickly, but restrictions have to be Suzuki makes engines at its plant industry and was allowed to maintain eased across the country,” he says. In in Gurgaon—a hotspot—which is operations. Strict labour norms and a a similar vein, UltraTech Cement—a closed. Without those engines, its lack of demand also played spoilsport. leading cement manufacturer from Manesar plant (which assembles JSW Steel, which has six plants in the Aditya Birla Group, with 19 plants cars), cannot work. These plants, in India, was operating them at the bare across the country, including in Rajas- turn, are connected to a network of minimum capacity. “Everything was than, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, over 300 suppliers. Production also closed. Getting inputs, getting workers Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh depends on sales—and dealerships to factories and despatching the final and Chhattisgarh—says that it has only across the country are closed. product, [all of it] was impossible,” says “partially resumed” operations. This integrated nature of mod- Seshagiri Rao, joint managing director Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto,

26 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 VICKRAM KUMAR, 44 arranging for transport of labour Director, Net Paradigm, Noida is a daunting challenge. As a garment exporter, cooking inside the factory is out of the question. “Our lunch area is 45 ft long—with Grappling with six feet social-distance, I will be able to accommodate only Uncertainty seven people.” There is also fear of persecution by the police and ickram Kumar, whose ambiguity on the rules. “This is ﬁrm makes kidswear for the toughest time I have seen in V exports, is one of the many the past 15 years, since I started small business owners in Noida the factory.” Kumar’s shipments grappling with uncertainty on all are stuck in his factory. With his counts. His source of information two key markets—North America remains WhatsApp groups and the and Europe—out of business, he news. For a small business like his, is considering realigning his busi- providing accommodation on-site ness for the domestic market. with six feet social-distance and - Shwweta Punj SHEKHAR GHOSH

did not do so. “Raw material supp- PRAKASH PADIKKAL, 64 liers are closed, and the police Owner, Havistha Steel, has restricted the movement of Navi Mumbai vehicles,” he says. He does not want to run the risk of his sta� contracting the illness, which could lead to the closure of his unit Little to Gain and the quarantine of all employ- MAGAZINEadikkal, whose fac- KINGees. He is unsure of business even tory makes equipment for after May 3. “The government Pchemicals, food and pharma- made paying salary compulsory ceuticals industries, had downed (during the lockdown), but where shutters on March 17, when the will we pay salaries from, if there Maharashtra government ordered is no business?” asks Padikkal, all private ﬁrms closed. Although who is also vice-president of the he could have opened his factory TTC-MIDC Industries Association. under the “essential services”, he - M.G. Arun

terms the lockdown the most severe firms have to approach administrative virus is extremely contagious. In Uttar amongst all economies and wants the o�ces individually and file undertak- Pradesh, the government later clarified government to review its response to the ings saying they will adhere to the that in areas where more than 10 cases pandemic. “What has been started by MHA’s norms. If they violate these pro- had been identified, factories would re- the virus has been compounded by not- visions, they could be held liable under main closed. So far, only firms involved so-smart action by the government,” he Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. in food processing or essential services told India Today TV, adding that the have opted to stay open. government’s ‘draconian’ conditions for edium and small businesses For MSMEs, access to raw materials re-starting were big roadblocks. are also struggling to meet also remains a challenge. “The situation Small businesses are also ham- M MHA requirements, espe- is that MSMEs in rural areas are open strung. Anil Bhardwaj, secretary gener- cially when it comes to accommoda- while their raw material suppliers and al of the Federation of Indian Micro and tion and transport for workers. Most component suppliers are closed,” says Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME), small workshops simply do not have the Bhardwaj. “So restarting is tough.” He says that getting approvals from local space. Moreover, transporting workers estimates that of FISME’s two million authorities is a problem. There is no remains a risk, given that many cases of member-firms, not even five per cent automatic process for approvals, and so COVID-19 are asymptomatic and the re-opened on April 20. To get a clear

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �27 B I G STORY

INDUSTRY

picture of how Indian industries are and SEZs in Mundra and Dahej have responding to the partial lifting of the been given permission to resume work, “The biggest challenge lockdown, �� conducted a as well as 285 export-oriented units. is getting orders and survey across many states. In a nutshell, Exports from SEZs in Gujarat were payments. For now, we the news is not good. worth Rs 1.85 lakh crore in 2018-2019. M.K. Das, principal secretary, can look at machinery ON-GROUND ISSUES industries and mines, says that of the maintenance... it will be In Maharashtra, industrial activity 125,000 big industries in the state, a gradual restart” has been permitted in ‘orange’ and about 27,000 have partially restarted. ‘green’ zones in 20 districts, includ- Companies have moved from 8-hour VIKRAM KIRLOSKAR ing in SEZs and those areas under the shifts to 12-hour shifts to maintain President, CII Maharashtra Industrial Development social distancing. He claims that of the Corporation (MIDC). Almost all major 1.2 million workers in rural areas, about industrial units have remained closed. 300,000 have rejoined work. One of the For instance, auto parts manufac- major worries for the smaller factory Pradesh still does not have one,” says turer Lumax, with plants at industrial owners is transportation. Says Sudhir Vinod Sharma, MD of Deki Electron- townships near Pune—at Chakan and Mehta, chairman of the Rs 27,000 crore ics, a manufacturer of film capacitors. Chinchwad—hasn’t restarted work. Torrent Group, “For the industry, the On April 20, when business owners in “Supply chains are extremely inte- one month lockdown has felt like a year. Noida logged on to the government por- grated,” says Deepak Jain, its MD. It will take three to four months for tal, they found it dysfunctional. Trips “Restarting them is not easy. We have to business to recover.” to the district magistrate’s o�ce didn’t align our output with our customers’ re- In Uttar Pradesh, the lockdown is yield any information—many were told quirements. A lot ofMAGAZINE synchronisation is set to continue in as many as 19 dis- KINGto wait for clarifications from Lucknow. required.” Jain, who is also president of tricts, including Lucknow, Agra, Noida, Then, re-opening of businesses was the Automotive Component Manufac- Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar cancelled, since Noida was a ‘red’ zone. turer’s Association, explains that while and Basti. A major problem appears In Punjab, on April 19, Chief Minis- they may have permission to restart to be getting permission to restart. ter Captain Amarinder Singh ruled out work, for component firms to be sure “Most states were supposed to set up an any relaxation in the curfew, except for that their output will have buyers, they online facility [through which] busi- the harvest and procurement of wheat, have to wait until their customers—au- nesses could seek approvals, but Uttar till May 3. But the next day, the state tomotive firms—have developed their business plans. Even many of the firms in the ‘essential’ category (like food, The new MHA guidelines on April 15 a pharmaceuticals and steel) in Mumbai’s have chosen to remain shut. Why so, a TTC-MIDC industrial belt—compris- COLD START ing over 7,000 firms and employing over 700,000 people—have not reopened, 1. The plethora of 2. Some guidelines do 3. The fear of work- citing stringent government norms. guidelines from the not appear to consider ers testing positive Centre, states and firms’ (in)ability to for COVID-19, causing In Gujarat, many factories in the even some local admin- maintain their sup- a factory shutdown, dozen-plus industrial clusters in the istrations are confus- ply chains and allow a keeps many businesses state remain closed, with factory own- ing, and occasionally, smooth flow of goods to closed. Major costs are ers fearing FIRs if any of their workers extremely tedious and from factories incurred when starting test positive for COVID-19. However, or stopping production the government has moved swiftly to SOLUTION SOLUTION assure industry associations that legal Ensuring that there is a All restrictions that SOLUTION action would be taken only in case of single-point mess- impact the supply chain Companies need to severe or deliberate violations that lead aging system, with di- need to be reviewed. be allowed to work to a spread of the disease. About 1,500 rections laid out clearly, Transportation even if cases are of the total 2,000 factory units spread would make it much without harassment discovered—after across 20 SEZs like Kandla, Adani Port easier for businesses from the police must workers get medical att- to reopen also be assured ention/ are quarantined

28 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 government said industries in rural ensure the maintenance of machinery,” sizeable numbers of employees coming areas and in recognised industrial zones says Hari Thiagarajan, chairman of the in from Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad in could operate along MHA guidelines, CII’s Tamil Nadu chapter. UP or adjoining Rajasthan. with state additional chief secretary In Telangana as well, reopening has Meanwhile, in Karnataka, the Vini Mahajan telling industrialists that been deferred to May 3. Information government withdrew an order allow- they had to make arrangements for technology is the dominant sector, and ing IT firms to operate with 30 per cent either transportation of employees or the state is firm about the lockdown in of their workforce and said on April for them to be accommodated on-site. the Greater Hyderabad area. Most busi- 18 that all employees need to continue The state government has also identi- nesses have continued their operations to work from home, except those in fied hotspots in six districts—Mohali, with employees working from home. essential services. In Madhya Pradesh, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, Mansa Most companies are outside the con- projects under MGNREGA have and Ludhiana—which require intensive tainment zones in the state capital. started, especially in Bundelkhand and monitoring, alongside other hotspots In Himachal Pradesh, the state tribal areas. Construction work has also in the state. These regions contribute government has allowed the production begun in some districts, albeit in a small roughly 25 per cent to the state GDP. of essential products and medicines in way. And in Rajasthan, mining and the industrial belt in Baddi, in Solan construction work has started, while n Tamil Nadu, reopening has been district. However, media reports say limestone quarrying has begun in Jodh- deferred to May 3. The CII’s Tamil that of the 323 pharma units there, 49 pur, Udaipur and other industrial zones. INadu chapter has been pushing major ones aren’t operational as they for a partial relaxation so that export- find it di�cult to comply with MHA REMOVING THE HURDLES oriented and critical sectors—including norms. In Uttarakhand, the industry is To get businesses moving, several food processing and commercial vehicle concentrated in pockets like Pantnagar districts need to move out of the ‘red manufacturers—can restart. The state in Rudrapur, Haridwar, Dehradun and zone’ classification. That, of course, is one of India’s major manufactur- Sitarganj. But with migrant labourers means the disease has to be controlled, ing hubs, comprising automobiles and having returned to their villages, firms for which there are no short-cuts. ancillaries, cement, chemicals, fertilis- are finding it di�cult to start opera- Meanwhile, what businesses are look- ers, refineries, steel and textiles. Though tions. “It is very di�cult for us to make ing for is clarity in regulations. The the state government had permitted food and lodging arrangements for multitude of directives from multiple ‘continuous process’ industries to workers,” says Arun Saraswat, president agencies is not helping. Industry is operate with skeletal sta� on April of state-owned SIDCUL, in Haridwar. seeking a single roadmap to opening of 7, it withdrew the permissionMAGAZINE within In Haryana, the state government KING businesses. It also wants the govern- hours in the wake of the spread of the has issued green passes for workers in ment to take a more lenient view on infection across the state. “Some of factories that are allowed to operate, managing the workforce. Insisting on these industries are mulling a staggered red passes for workers in essential ser- accommodation for workers at factories approach to restarting the businesses. vice and blue passes for those involved and companies providing transport There are many migrant workers stuck in construction activities. However, in- for workers may be practical for large in factories and plants across the state, terstate travel is an issue. Businesses in firms, but not so for small and medium- whose services could be utilised to Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonepat have sized ones, especially with no business activity to keep cash flows going. Most norms seem to have been framed without much feedback from industries, allowed some businesses to reopen, but many and how to coax them to resume operations which has led to blanket restrictions where a more nuanced approach would have helped. Bajaj has a point when 4. MHA directives sug- 5. MHA norms stipulate 6. The new proto- he says that firms outside municipal gested employers would that workers need to cols for regular sa- units should have been permitted to face punitive action be accommodated nitising of premises, start. Also, workers aged 20-60, who if workers test posi- within factory premises screening of sta� and are supposedly more immune, could tive for COVID-19, chill- or in adjacent buildings. physical distancing will be allowed to work in factories and ing business sentiment This is impossible in impose an unsupport- showrooms. The government will have many cases able burden for many SOLUTION smaller firms to quickly move on firming up norms MHA clarified that penal- SOLUTION that industry finds easier to comply ties would apply to only Most factories cannot SOLUTION with. Else, in its e�orts to control the o�ences with the accommodate sta� The government should pandemic, it will end up throwing out employer’s consent, on-site. Workers announce incentives the baby with the bathwater. ■ cognisance or neg- should be allowed and support to help —with Shwweta Punj, Anilesh S. ligence. Many say this to commute, with compliance with new Mahajan, Amarnath K. Menon and still allows for unneces- appropriate precautions protocols, especially so Uday Mahurkar sary prosecution and sanitation for small firms

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 29 A CITY-SIZED SLUM LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MUMBAI, DHARAVI ALSO SUPPORTS A MICROCOSM OF BUSINESSES

Graphic By NILANJAN DAS

Industries: Small scale units of leather, garments, pottery and plastic recycling

$1 billion (RS 7,600 crore) Annual estimated MAGAZINE KING turnover 5,000 No. of industries

15,000 Single-room factories

800,000 People living in a 2.1 sq. km. area. About 30% of the population is Muslim, 6% Christian and the remaining 63% Hindu. 189 There is a sprinkling of Buddhists and No. of COVID-19 3,500 other minority religions too cases so far Tests done 30 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 so far THE BIG STORY DHARAVI MUMBAI MUMBAI’S TICKING TIME BOMB The island city’s most densely packed habitation is now a COVID-19 hotspot. Why Dharavi’s lack of MAGAZINEsocial distancing is cause for KINGserious concern

By KIRAN D. TARE

wathed in personal protection gear, a mask on the face and temperature gun in hand, Dr Deepali Patil had an unusually hostile reception when she visited a chawl in Dharavi. A pregnant lady displaying ﬂu-like symptoms refused to be screened. She initially screamed at the doctor, asking her to go away, but later relented after some cajoling. Fortunately, she was found to be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Dr Patil, S a private medical practitioner, is one of 10 teams, each led by a doctor, a nurse and two o�cials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), dispatched by the municipal body to go door-to-door looking for coronavirus positive patients in Dharavi. Asia’s largest slum is on the edge these days and health workers, especially, are 12 viewed with fear and suspicion. Millions No. of deaths THE BIG STORY DHARAVI

live here in 8 foot by 10 foot brick shan- 20 virtual panel discussion, one of ties which open into sewers and narrow Mumbai’s most distinguished residents lanes. Some 189 people have tested agonised about Dharavi and the city’s positive here for COVID-19 in the past failure to build a�ordable housing. “For 16 days. Twelve people have died. If the first time, the close proximity and Mumbai, with close to 3,500 cases, is low-value structures that we have built the epicentre of COVID-19 in Maha- are the cause of new problems,” Tata rashtra, then Dharavi is at the core of Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata the problem. It has the highest number said. “The past few months have taught of infections in the city’s smallest geo- us that we’re su�ering from close prox- graphical knot—a 2.1 sq. km. irregular imity.” He called for a “re-examination pentagon in the heart of Mumbai. of what we consider to be acceptable It is not clear how many more are standards in terms of quality of life”. infected because health workers like Dr Patil—who are checking residents THE OUTBREAK for symptoms of fever and cough—find Around 55 per cent of Mumbai’s 12 it di�cult to enter its warrens. What is million population lives in slums like known is worrying enough—COVID- Dharavi which occupy just 0.5 per 19-positive patients have been found cent of the metropolis’ real estate. The in all 17 of its slum clusters or ‘pockets’. sunless slum’s undying spirit and the Dharavi is among the most densely dreams of its residents for a better life populated places on earth. So dense have been eulogised in films such as the that around 800,000 inhabitants, 2008 Hollywood hit Slumdog Mil- more than Jala ndhar’s population, are lionaire and, more recently, the Zoya packed into an area the size of Lakshad- Akhtar-directed Gully Boy. Rais Khan, weep’s Kiltan Island.MAGAZINE Mumbai’s popula- a tailor who lives in a tiny one-room KING tion density is 228 people per hectare; dwelling perched atop another shanty, in Dharavi, it’s a mind-boggling 3,846. epitomises this spirit. His five-member Social distancing is doomed to fail family can only access their house using here simply because residents live in a narrow, steep ladder. They share the such close proximity. More worrying is space with a sewing machine, their Dharavi’s location, and the potential for source of livelihood which Khan uses

COVID-19 cases to explode across the to realise the family’s dreams for a MILIND SHELTE city. The slum city is flanked by Mahim better life. His son Kasim wants to be on the west, Mat unga on the east. Ma- an engineer and daughter Nargis has harashtra chief minister Uddhav Thac- keray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’ ambitions of studying medicine. His in Bandra (East) and the city’s second wife Farida spends the day cooking and business district, the Bandra-Kurla The slum cleaning for the family and looking after Complex, are just five km away. has defied daughter Iram. Khan worries about his This is also the reason why the slum redevelop ment survival during the lockdown. His earn- is under siege now. Policemen conduct ings are locked away in large blue plastic flag marches here on alternate days, since 1997— the bags that hold the clothes he tailors for appealing to people to not step out. year the state clients. They are still to be delivered. Drones buzz over the shanties look- government Dharavi’s chawls have always been ing for violators even as policemen a breeding ground for disease. Natu- scan footage from CCTV cameras in a first mooted the ral epidemics have swept through the newly set up control room. The BMC idea. Today, the slum since as far back as 1896 when has deployed over 200 doctors in half stalled project the plague wiped out nearly half its a dozen ‘fever clinics’ to scan residents residents. The place is a nightmare for for symptoms. A private laboratory has is back to haunt healthcare providers. Dysentery, cholera been roped in to swiftly collect samples the city and typhoid epidemics are common. if symptoms are detected. At an April Ironically, the COVID-19 outbreak

32 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 CLEANING UP Disinfectant-spraying machines at work in Dharavi

slum’s business district—the 90 Feet Road—are closed. Heaps of plastic pel- lets sit outside recycling units. “I am not sure whether business will get on track in the near future,” says a rueful Praful Shinde, a local leather goods retailer. Health workers, meanwhile, have their own horror stories of how residents are defying social distancing. Residents of Mukund Nagar recently ritually bathed a COVID-19 patient’s body in the open before his burial. Since then, they a�rm, the number of COVID-19 patients has shot up. Enforcing social distancing is proving to be a challenge for even the police. “They disappear…and reappear a little while later,” says an exasper- ated police constable, Deepak Ahire, recounting his futile e�orts to disperse MAGAZINE KINGpeople. Crowds still throng the grocery stores within the slum, pushing aside barricades installed by store owners to avoid direct contact. Dr Patil says she fears for her safety sometimes. “At some places, the crowds swell to watch us conduct screenings.” Social worker Raju Korde explains why social distancing is a problem in a slum where the lanes are so narrow in places that two people can’t walk side by originated here not in the matchbox died. The disease has now spiralled side. “The houses are like matchboxes shanties but in a multi-storeyed through the slum pockets—Mukund with no proper ventilation. They need housing complex in Dr Baliga Nagar, Nagar, Dhanwada Chawl, Social to step out to breathe fresh air.” Over the slum’s poshest pocket. On April Nagar, Janata Society, Kalyan Wadi, 90 per cent of the residents use the 225 2, a 56-year-old garment trader had PMGP Colony, Murugan Chawl, public bathroom complexes and 1,500 hosted preachers of the Tablighi Rajiv Gandhi Chawl, Shastri Nagar, toilets daily. Fifty persons on an average Jamaat in his ﬂat, died of COVID-19. Nehru Chawl, Indira Chawl, Gulmo- use a toilet seat each day. “The possibil- The Union health ministry blames a har Chawl. Not one has been spared. ity of infections spreading is very high,” congregation at the Tablighi Jamaat admits local councillor Babbu Sheikh. headquarters in Delhi in March for haravi’s thriving business The BMC has been disinfect- 30 per cent of all cases in India. It is hub, its informal economy ing all 225 public toilets in Dharavi not known if the Jamaat members in and its vibrant businesses daily. A special treatment and solution Dharavi were part of that, but what D of leather, garment, pot tery machine imported from New Zealand has emerged is that the preachers and plastic recycling that gen erate has been deployed for the purpose. Five had also attended a birthday func- an estimated $1 billion (Rs 7,600 teams of 150 sanitation workers are tion in the locality and met several crore) worth of business each year, sweeping the roads, collecting and dis- people in the area before the trader are shuttered. The shops lining the posing of garbage. BMC workers also

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �33 THE BIG STORY DHARAVI

SAY AAH A doctor takes a swab sample of a young resident in Dharavi

Dharavi is rapidly emerging as a test of the chief minister’s leadership. He has been under continuous pressure from the opposition over his handling of the pandemic. Leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis emphasises the need for aggressive testing all over the city, especially in Dharavi. “The BMC has suddenly stopped testing asymptomatic patients so that the number of positive patients stays low,” he says. “But this is dangerous. They are playing with people’s lives.” BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi says they will test the AFP asymptomatic patients after a quarantine period of at least five days. With the locals shy of discussing The Union government, though, is not convinced the BMC can handle their symptoms, the BMC the crisis. On April 21, it dispatched a has tapped 150 local medical team of five experts under additional practitionMAGAZINEers to convince them KINGsecretary Manoj Joshi to assess the situation. The team is empowered to issue orders to the civic body wherever required. On the first day of his visit, fumigate the area every alternate day. Dharavi into five zones of 55,000 Joshi suggested that the state govern- Local MLA and school educa- residents each for a focused approach. ment focus on door-to-door services tion minister Varsha Gaikwad from “All of them will be screened for fever and the high-risk patients in the slums. the Congress says the government has and cough in a couple of weeks. We are He also recommended the shifting of focused on sanitisation, containment working in mission mode.” The corpo- suspected patients out of the slums. and isolation in Dharavi. The 50-bed ration’s chief health o�cial, Dr Daksha But the issue that isn’t going away is Sai Hospital has been taken over for Shah, says the drug hydroxychloro- the political apathy and vested interests treating COVID-19-positive cases. The quine or HCQ, now being exported by that have stalled attempts to replace corporation has created a 300-bed India across the world, is not yet being Dharavi’s shanties with multi-storeyed isolation facility at the Rajiv Gandhi used in Mumbai for treatment. buildings. Since 1997, the Maharashtra Sports Complex, a two-storey structure government has floated multiple ten- with two big halls located at Kala Qila, WHO IS TO BLAME? ders to redevelop the slum but without close to the Mithi river that flows near The outbreak has put the spotlight on success. In the most recent attempt Dharavi. A municipal school in the Dharavi’s most prominent neighbour, this January, Dubai-based SecLink heart of the slum is also being equipped Uddhav Thackeray. The chief minister Technologies Corporation won a Rs with a 700-bed isolation facility. Since continues to stay at ‘Matoshree’ and 28,000 crore bid to redevelop the slum. the locals are shy of discussing their uses the o�cial residence Varsha on For reasons unknown, the contract symptoms with o�cials, the BMC has Malabar Hill for his meetings. The has still not been awarded, forcing the approached 150 local medical practitio- BMC is responsible for the health fa- company to issue a threat of seeking Rs ners to convince them to step forward if cilities in Dharavi and Uddhav’s party, 2,299 crore in compensation. Today, the they have health problems. the Shiv Sena, has controlled it since stalled project is coming back to haunt Assistant municipal commissioner 1997. The Sena won three of Dharavi’s city authorities. It’s a stark reminder of G/ North ward Kiran Dighavkar seven municipal wards in the 2017 of how public health is sometimes held says the BMC has for now divided corporation elections. hostage to political whims. �

34 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 A visionary, Mukul Vashisht, Proprietor, RR Gifting, is reaping the fruits of his consistent hard-work to be one of the leading group in the niche market in the Indian corporate & personal gifting category, worth approx. Rs 250,000 crores. His panache also lies in the varied range of products available.

The online gifting industry is one of the contributors to the growth of Indian e-commerce space. Personalised gifts are customer-centric, adhering to preferences and Mukul Vashisht, Proprietor choices of the recipient. Mukul Vashisht PROPRIETOR CUSTOMIZED CORPORATE GIFTING: INTUTIVE, UNIQUE & INNOVATIVE

� YOUR VISION “ A Good Gift Lifts !” . motivated to excel in my �eld of work every moment. towards the hurdles which might cross our path. It lift’s up the bond ofMAGAZINE friendship, association Recently, our e�orts got recognized by APS Research KING Together we will ! Gift, Lift, Shift your mood to let acquaintance and further opens avenues to trend the and Media as a “ Leading Gift Manufacturer of the Year happiness brood ! journey for long . A gift , big or small is good enough Award & Certi�cate of Excellence “ for remembrance and memories . It wafts you back to your association with that place or person. So, ‘it’ � YOUR BIG IDEA has to be special and ofcourse accessible . We at RR Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. Solution leave no stone unturned to live up to our We focus to maintain the quality of the product. We motto ! work together as a unit so that we can deliver on time, believing in team spirit where together each achieves � YOUR PHILOSOPHY more and team e�ort pays o� .Business just to earn “ A gift, big or small has no value without being an money won’t help in the long run. It won’t satiate our object of utility”. Utility of gift items plays a major role quest to be the best. in its sale. Things with no utility just gather dust in a dead space in the remotest corner of a home or o�ce ! � YOUR SUCCESS MANTRA Attractive gifts at a�ordable prices utility and � YOUR ASPIRATION durability for people of all age groups. Strengthening bonds creating magic by caring for “ Innovation is the mother of inventions”. Bringing relationships whether it be the corporate sector, about structural & functional amendments in our private sector or at the personal level. We at RR products would take us miles. Even the customers Solution aspire to reach the masses too. Inaccessible would look forward to the launch of our new products. and expensive items should be brought within the reach of all that too out a lower price sometimes even � MESSAGE TO MILLENNIAL tailor - made to suit their requirement and pocket ! Gift , Lift , Shift your mood to let happiness brood ! Buy authentic gifts for authentic friendships, � YOUR INSPIRATION association and acquaintances. R. R Solution Corporate Gifts & Novelties Having a penchant for business. It has now become D- 24/396, Chattarpur hills, New Delhi - 110074 my bread and butter. It holds my interest and keeps � WAY FORWARD www.rrgifting.in me engrossed to think about its expansion and Looking forward to surpass the Chinese products. [email protected] accessibility each day. My mother always keeps me Competition is tough but we plan to become rough Mukul Vashisht 98188 67921, 8527399075 C O V I D - 1 9

TREATMENTS CRACKING THE COVID CURE CODE With WHO warning that the worst is yet to come and a vaccine at least a year away, India and the world must race against time to develop a deﬁnitive treatmentMAGAZINE for COVID-19 KING

By SONALI ACHARJEE

PANKAJ NANGIA/ MAIL TODAY

etween January and March this year, a team of doctors at China’s Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen performed convalescent blood plasma transfusion on five critically ill COVID-19 patients su�ering from acute respiratory distress. With guarded optimism, the team spent the next few weeks studying the after-e�ects on the patients. To their delight, and the global medical fraternity’s interest, the results o�ered hope. Within 10 days of receiving plasma harvested from individuals previously cured of CO- VID-19, three of the five patients saw their condition improve and the viral load reduce. They were eventually discharged. It’s still early days, but medical experts believe the Chinese experience B has demonstrated that convalescent blood plasma therapy can help patients develop critical antibodies against COVID-19 which, as of April 22, had globally infected 2,585,193 people (19,818 in India) and claimed 179,838 lives (652 in India). About 55 per cent of our blood is a liquid called plasma; the rest are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets suspended in the plasma. When plasma is harvested, the cells in it can be filtered through the machine and returned to the donor. It is then screened for other viruses MAGAZINE KING

CLOSE CALL A mobile COVID-19 testing van collects samples in Delhi’s Chandni Mahal area

before being declared safe for use. Indian Council of Medical Research be based on limited studies, but a health Plasma harvesting is estimated to cost (ICMR), on April 18, won approval from emergency of this scale demands that hospitals around Rs 12,000-15,000 the central drug regulator to start con- no stone be left unturned. “Drug trials per donor. “We need to keep a gap of valescent plasma transfusion trials in are happening worldwide at breakneck two weeks before harvesting plasma COVID patients is being seen as a major speed,” says Dr T.V. Narayana, president, from the blood [of recovered patients] step towards understanding the full Indian Pharmaceutical Association. The in order to ensure that no COVID cells potential of this therapy. If it is shown to frantic search involves scanning thou- remain,” says Dr Asha Kishore, direc- have desirable clinical results, the treat- sands of existing molecules to ﬁnd one tor, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for ment can also be extended to those with that can cure or at least halt the onset of Medical Sciences and Technology in moderate symptoms. At present, given severe symptoms. New drugs, even with Thiruvananthapuram. “By then, IgG the limited understanding, only severe approvals fast-tracked, can take up to 12 (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies would COVID patients are eligible in the US years to develop, test and manufacture. have developed. These could help the and the UK. In India, it is yet to com- Since a COVID vaccine is still a year next person build up similar antibodies mence for any individual. Ninety-nine away, repurposing old drugs appears to against COVID-19.” Indian institutes have volunteered to be be our best bet in the short-term. “A new The e�cacy and safety of this treat- part of the trials beginning April-end. molecule needs to be heavily tested on ment is yet to be determined. That the The treatments being explored may cell cultures, animals and randomised

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 37 THE OPTIONS AGAINST COVID-19 India is considering various antivirals, immunomodulators and alternative therapies against the novel coronavirus

ANTIVIRALS

How they � An RNA-dependent � Most antivirals � Some also target � Toxicity and e�cacy work RNA Polymerase are targeting to M Protease, a are important parameters � The COVID-19 protein is unique to the inhibit this protein, speciﬁc protein for drugs to ensure virus is a double- coronavirus that causes which would that cuts host cell that they do not harm stranded RNA virus COVID-19; it is not prevent the virus proteins for the essential cells in human with 29 proteins present in humans from replicating virus to digest beings instead

Drugs being tested REMDESIVIR LOPINAVIR/ FAVIPIRAVIR VALPROIC ACID RITONAVIR Approved for: Previously Brand names: tested in humans for Ebola, Brand names: Emletra/ Encorate, Epilex, Valparin but yet to be approved or Lopimune licensed for it Approved for: Epilepsy Approved for: HIV Trials for COVID: Gilead has Trials for COVID: Trials for COVID: Oxford initiated two randomised human The International Centre University is conducting trials. ResultsMAGAZINE about safety and KINGfor Genetic Engineering human trials. Trials are also e�cacy of the drug expected by and Biotechnology on using a third immuno- May 2020. (ICGEB) has written to modulator drug (interferon ICMR to conduct animal Key research: beta) by WHO and human trials, and Brand name: Avigan � A study by the Key research: has been contacted by US-based National GlaxoSmithKline � Trials at the Jin Yin-Tan Approved for: Institute of Allergy Hospital in China found the Influenza Key research: Pre- and Infectious drug helped improve symp- clinical research by Diseases shows Trials for COVID: toms rapidly after being ICGEB shows the mol- the drug prevents Being conducted in India administered to 199 patients ecule inhibits M Protease COVID progression by Lasa Supergenerics in rhesus macaques. Findings � An exploratory, ran- Key research: A Manufactured in are yet to be peer reviewed. domised study published in India by: Multiple firms the journal Med showed nei- Chinese study of 340 par- � Research by University of (Sun, Abbott, Sanofi) ther drug improves clinical ticipants showed the drug Alberta, Canada, shows the outcomes of COVID inhibited the enzyme RNA Price: Rs 19-78 for drug inhibits RNA Polymerase Polymerase in the virus 10 tablets of the coronavirus and stops it Manufactured in India from replicating by: Emcure/ Cipla Manufactured in Patent holder: Patent India by: Fujifilm manu- � A University of Chicago study has expired Price: Rs 2,900 for factures Avigan in Japan. involving 125 COVID patients 60 tablets Indian companies are shows the condition of 123 looking to get approvals improved after taking the drug Patent holder: No patent for production granted till date in India Manufactured in India by: Patent holder: Patent Gilead looking to partner with expired in 2015 Indian companies Patent holder: Gilead granted patent in India on February 2020

38 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 IMMUNOMODULATORS C O V I D - 1 9 How they work � Several TREATMENTS � Cytokine storms—when a immunosuppressive/ misguided bid by the human immunomodulatory drugs immune system starts to attack are being explored to treat groups of humans to ascertain how organs instead of viral cells—are cytokine storms among much of a compound is needed to inhibit COVID patients common in COVID-19 an enzyme or kill a virus, how safe it is and what the side-e�ects are,” says Dr Ashutosh Kumar, assistant professor Drug being tested of pharmacology and toxicology at the HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Hyderabad. Brand name: Key research: Plaquenil � A small study was halted in Manufactured TOO EARLY TO Brazil over risk of heart failure Approved for: in India by: Zydus CELEBRATE Malaria � A study of 30 patients in Cadila and IPCA Since its outbreak in Wuhan last De- France showed it could help Trials for (caters to 60 per cent cember, COVID-19 has infected people treat COVID COVID: Novartis of the global supply) in three ways—a few are asymptomatic, � A French study in the journal plans human Price: Rs 63-93 about 80 per cent have minor symptoms BMJ found no statistical di�er- trials in the US for 15 tablets such as fever or cough, and the remaining to test the drug ence in the death rates of those su�er major respiratory illness or a cyto- who took the drug and those Patent holder: against COVID-19 kine storm, when the body’s own immune who did not Patent has expired system damages organs. Given the di�er- ences in symptoms, a person’s immune SYMPTOMATIC MEDICATIONS system clearly has a crucial bearing on how the disease plays out. Taking note of Cannot kill the virus or stop it from replicating it, ICMR, on April 21, invited fast-tracked research proposals for immunology-based PARACETAMOL AUGMENTIN approaches to preventing and curing COVID symptom it COVID symp- COVID. Such research could shed light on targets: Fever MAGAZINEtom it targets: KINGa new line of treatment. Immunobooster TAMIFLU To aid the global hunt for a treatment, AZITHROMYCIN researchers in China, on April 9, pub- Challenge: Must COVID COVID symptom it lished the structure of the M Protease of be stored in 16 symptom targets: Severe throat degrees Celsius it targets: the virus. This has helped several research infection Severe firms use computer-aided drug design Challenge: Antimicrobial influenza and drug screening to identify existing resistance among Indians drugs that can inhibit the enzyme. An- tiviral drugs commonly target proteins, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS which are essential for viruses to synthe- sise proteins from human cells—a step needed for its replication. In the novel BLOOD PLASMA THERAPY ARSENICUM ALBUM 30 coronavirus, the two main proteins targeted by drugs are RNA-dependent RNA Plasma from COVID-recovered A homeopathic solution prepared patients is given to severe COVID by diluting aqueous arsenic trioxide Polymerase and M Protease. Even though patients. The plasma will contain until little or no arsenic remains in it several drugs are being tested (from the antibodies that would have built Japanese influenza drug favipiravir to the Key research: A study in the up against the virus, and they epilepsy drug Valproic Acid), three remain journal Homeopathy noted that could help reduce the viral load. the frontrunners in terms of the ongo- Arsenicum Album was successful Key research: Administered to in reducing swine flu symptoms ing global trials—hydroxychloroquine five severely ill patients in China. during a trial. But there was no pla- (HCQ), lopinavir/ ritonavir and remdesi- The condition of three improved cebo group for the study. vir. (Read The options against COVID-19) These drugs are also the top ones be- Trial stage: ICMR has received Trial stage: A panel is considering tested by the World Health Organi- approvals to conduct human tri- ing the treatment and might send it zation Global Solidarity Trial, a multi- als in India for approval to ICMR, before trials country e�ort to kickstart drug trials against COVID-19. At present, the three drugs have only been studied in small

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 39 C O V I D - 1 9

TREATMENTS

groups. While early research seems works, the next day, another says it does for can apply for a compulsory licence, promising, a controlled, double-blinded, not. It is all too early and all too limited stating unmet demand, excessive pricing randomised trial on a large group of to definitely say which drug will defeat or lack of local manufacturing. But this people remains the gold standard to the COVID virus,” says Dr Narayana. won’t apply in the case of remdesivir gauge the long-term e�cacy and toxicity The results of human trials of the as the drug patent needs to be held for of a drug. The trial needs to include three drugs are expected in May-June. three years before Section 84 can be people of varying ages, stages of disease, India is interested in joining the WHO applied. However, there are ways out gender, ethnicity, and so on. “To rule trials, though it’s yet to do so formally. of this. For instance, Section 92(3) of out any bias by the drug developer and If a drug is found to have high e�cacy the act says the government can issue the person tested, all trials should be against COVID-19, India will be in a compulsory licences without hearing the random,” says Dr Kumar. “This means good position to manufacture it. “We patent holder during emergencies. “This the tester does not know which person produce 60-80 per cent of the global is a critical time. Commercial players they are picking. The trials also need supply of anti-malaria and anti-HIV should not get to hold monopoly over es- a placebo group—those not given the medicines,” says Dr Narayana. sential drugs in a pandemic,” says Leena drug—to rule out false positive results.” Meghaney, patent attorney and country Remdesivir, developed in 2009 for head, Médecins Sans Frontières, an Hepatitis C and then repurposed for international medical humanitarian Ebola in 2014 by US-based biopharma organisation. “If a drug becomes avail- firm Gilead, is being touted as the most able to treat COVID, it must be priced promising. This is largely based on an reasonably and distributed equally.” April 10 publication, in The New Eng- land Journal of Medicine (TNEJM), of ALTERNATIVE a study of remdesivir administered to THERAPIES 53 severely a�icted COVID patients. If a drug Allopathic cures aren’t the only options The study says the condition of 68 per becomes available being considered against COVID-19. cent of the patients improved. But it is for COVID, it The ministry of AYUSH has sought sug- too small a sample.MAGAZINE Two recent attempts KINGgestions from some 2,000 homeopathy at human trials in China have failed must be priced and ayurveda doctors for alternative because of lack of enrolment. There are reasonably and treatments. A task force has been set up two ongoing phase 3 trials by Gilead. to finalise a line of treatment and send to HCQ, an antimalarial drug synthe- distributed equally” ICMR for approval. “China has been us- sised in the 1950s, was advocated by US — LEENA MEGHANEY ing traditional medicine along with al- president Donald Trump on the basis of Country head, Médecins lopathic drugs. Indian traditional cures two small studies in France and China. Sans Frontières do not just boost immunity but also have These showed the drug had antiviral antiviral properties,” says Shripad Naik, properties and, along with azithro- Union minister of state for AYUSH. mycin, reduced the COVID viral load. ACCESS TO DRUGS A leading homeopathic drug being But neither study was randomised or Where India could face problems is the considered by AYUSH is Arsenicum large enough to o�er conclusive proof. pricing for drugs. In 2018, a research by Album with 30C potency. “Potencies are The biggest fear is the side-e�ects of the Public Health Foundation of India as per di�erent stages of a disease, HCQ—heart palpitation, permanent showed that 55 million Indians were di�erent age groups and di�erent im- blindness, migraine and, in some cases, pushed into poverty because of out-of- munity levels. Homeopathy has over even death. Novartis, though, has an- pocket payments for medicines. While 4,000 remedies in its bank,” says Dr Ajit nounced human trials in the US. patents for anti-malaria and anti-HIV Kulkarni, a Pune-based homeopathic The anti-HIV combination of drugs have expired, Gilead got the pat- practitioner with 30 years of experience. lopinavir/ ritonavir is also being con- ent for remdesivir in India this February. COVID-19 continues to kill people sidered against COVID. Clinical trials ICMR has expressed interest in using worldwide. With cases of relapse on 199 patients at Wuhan’s Jin Yin-Tan remdesivir if local firms can produce it, among the cured being reported from Hospital saw the drug reduce symptoms and Gilead has announced plans to find China and South Korea, WHO has rapidly. But research published in the an Indian partner. However, the pricing issued a statement that the ‘worst is yet TNEJM shows it did not improve clini- of the drug will remain in its hands. to come’. The next few weeks are critical outcomes for patients. “Worldwide, Under Section 84 of The Patents Act cal, as results of large trials will show there is endless drug gossip doing the of 1970, an Indian company seeking to if any drug is on the horizon to give us rounds—one day, one study says a drug market a drug it does not hold a patent reprieve from the deadly virus. ■

40 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 C O V I D - 1 9 | COLLATERAL DAMAGE

BEHIND THE MASK There is as yet no cure for the COVID-19 virus, but in India and elsewhere, the only remedy has been the bitter medicine of a national lockdown. The brutal disruption of the lives and livelihoods of millions of economically vulnerable citizens has been hard to ignore even from the comfortable social distance of our homes. Yet, beyond the distressing images of hardship and poverty, many other cruel consequences of this crisis are now emerging—the su�ering of chronically ill non-COVID patients whose treatment is in limbo; the peril of vulnerable children in a world where priorities have changed; of women with no escape from physical and sexual abuse by their partners; the costs to people with mental health issues in a time of global paranoia. And most tragically, perhaps, the trauma of those who lose loved ones but who are denied even the cold comfort of traditional rituals of parting. This is not, of course, a comprehensive record of the collateral costs of the pandemic, but it is a reminder of how much more needs to be done to ﬂatten the curve of su�ering.

MAGAZINE KING

Illustration By NILANJAN DAS DIGGING DEEP Volunteers carry out a burial at a Muslim graveyard in Delhi

COLLATERAL DAMAGE AP BEREAVEMENT

know if they bathed him and made him wear new clothes for his last journey.” The last journey now is a terribly lonely one FINAL for families. Death in the time of COVID-19 has necessitated that people stay apart at a time MAGAZINE ofKING profound grief. Many are not even allowed to see o� their loved ones to the crematorium or JOURNEY the burial site, denying them the closure they desperately need. Social distancing measures Funerals have become hurried, lonely ensure funerals are hasty a�airs conducted a�airs as COVID-19 forces people to stay with little, if any, family presence. “The regret I apart even at a time of grief and loss will live with is how we buried him,” says a man from Srinagar who lost his father. “Everything By Suhani Singh was done in a hurried way as if we wanted to get rid of him.” That only 10 people including the cleric could convene compounded his grief. Fear of contracting the virus has resulted in unfortunate incidents in which the bodies of raveen Sharma, 26, (name changed on COVID-19 victims, including doctors who have request) remembers his 57-year-old father’s last died in the line of duty, have been denied a rest- wish. It was to shave o� his stubble. “My father ing place. Like in the recent case of Dr Simon was always clean shaven,” says Sharma from a Hercules in Chennai whose family faced hostil- quarantine centre in Howrah where he has been ity from locals gathered at the Kilpauk cem- with his mother and sister since April 12. “He kept etery. En route to another in Anna Nagar, the running his fingers through it and whispered that ambulance with Hercules’s body was attacked, it was itchy. I had promised to shave it o� once forcing his wife and children to run. “He is he returned from the hospital.” It wasn’t to be. in some distant graveyard all alone,” Anandi Sharma’s father died of COVID-19 on April 14. He Simon, his wife, told India Today TV. In a P doesn’t know where his father was cremated. “My similar case, after the death of Dr John L. Sailo uncle and cousins were called to clear o� the bills Ryntathiang (see box), founder of Shillong’s and from a distance they watched a couple of men Bethany Hospital and beloved for his charitable in PPE (personal protective equipment) take the work, his family struggled for 36 hours to find a plastic-wrapped body away,” he says. “I don’t even cemetery willing to take his body. Much like the Ebola epidemic in West Africa which continues, there will be shortage of shrouds, bamboo brought about a sea of change in burial traditions there— and earthen pots. “We are giving sandalwood garlands notably putting an end to the custom of touching the right now instead of flowers,” he says. corpse, the contagious nature of COVID-19 has necessi- The usually bustling Manikarnika and Harishchan- tated new protocols, overturn- dra ghats in Varanasi now wear a deserted look. When ing ancient Indian funeral once families from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even REMEDIES practices. Proof now has to from Nepal, would bring the bodies of their beloved here, � Hospitals and the be given that the death was the lockdown has brought down the numbers from 40-50 nearest crematorium not caused by the virus. In cremations daily to 10-12. “It is because of the government should have a joint Kashmir, newspapers now order asking people to cremate bodies at a place near their protocol once a person carry obituaries with a request residence,” says Vishwanath Chaudhari of the Dom Raja is declared dead. This will reduce the burden to convey condolences over the family, under whose supervision the last rites are con- on the family phone. At the Tajganj crema- ducted. It’s a similar situation at the Daraganj or Rasoola- torium in Agra, over 120 urns bad cremation ghats in Prayagraj, which have been seeing � Counsellors at hospitals should be available are waiting to be collected by fewer outsiders, and the Swarg Dwar cremation point in to help families cope families after the lockdown, to Puri, Odisha, where the number of bodies arriving has with any social stigma then be taken for immersion come down to single digits. in the holy rivers. Even bier- With supply chains obstructed, shortages are becom- � The public should be informed that a makers are afraid to come to ing a concern for cremation grounds, too. At the Bhain- bleach-covered body work. Gautam Pawar of Antim sakund ghat on the river Gomti in Lucknow, contractors in a sealed bag poses Sanskar Sewa, an organisation are running out of pyre wood, which is making people no risk for others at that manages the last rituals choose electric cremations. Surya Vikram Singh of the cremation grounds at a crematorium in Mumbai, Nagar Nigam at the Bhainsakund electric crematorium worries that if the lockdown says 10-12 bodies are now cremated daily, up from three

Grave MAGAZINEConcerns KING SHUAIB KHATIB present at the site wears but to use an electric his body lay in his own huaib Khatib PPE, the bodies are bur- crematorium,” he says. hospital for 36 hours. The hasn’t seen his ied with the help of a rope —Suhani Singh family wanted to bury him S wife and four kids so as to avoid contact in Nongpoh, Sailo’s na- in three weeks. As one and thereafter the area is tive town, but residents of the three men put in sanitised. Khatib has set and community leaders charge of the burials of aside 15 people for the job A Healer refused, fearing infec- the Muslims who died of who work in shifts. Shunned tion from the dead body. COVID-19 in Mumbai, he Currently, Bada Ironically, Sailo had set is now holed up in a hotel Qabrastan is handling Dr JOHN L. SAILO up the Bethany Hospital with 10 of his sta� mem- around 50 per cent of the RYNTATHIANG Outreach in Nongpoh to bers from Bada Qabras- COVID-19 casualties in n April 13, Dr John provide a�ordable health- tan in Marine Lines. An Mumbai and Khatib has L. Sailo Ryntathi- care to the poor. area in the graveyard has got eight more grave- Oang, founder The state adminis- been cordoned o� for the yards to make space for of Shillong’s Bethany Hos- tration then planned to COVID-a�icted dead. He the bodies. He even once pital, became the ﬁrst in bury the body in Shil- expects it to be sealed claimed a body from the Meghalaya to test positive long, but there, too, the o� for at least a decade. hospital when no one for COVID-19. Though he family faced hostility “Unlike other graves from the family would. was known for his philan- from locals. Eventually, which are dug four feet At Bada Qabrastan, the thropic work and was ar- the government reached deep, these are 10 ft COVID-19 burials are done guably the most revered out to the churches and deep,” says Khatib. As free of cost. “It hurts physician in the state, the ﬁnally the Riatsamthiah per the Brihanmumbai when people are fearful social ostracisation of the Presbyterian Church Municipal Corporation and object to take them Ryntathiang family began cemetery at Lawmali al- guidelines, there is a sep- in,” he says. “If we close right after his diagnosis. lowed his body to be laid arate entrance area for our doors, then the gov- Two days later, when to rest there on April 16. the ambulance, everyone ernment has no choice the 69-year-old died, — Kaushik Deka

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �43 COLLATERAL DAMAGE BEREAVEMENT A Long Road to Last Rites AKHIL CHANDOK n the morning of March 24, the day Othe nationwide DIWAKAR PURUSHOTTAM lockdown was announced, Akhil Chandok*, 40, suf- fered a massive heart attack and was rushed MASKING GRIEF Family members follow necessary precautions at a funeral to Delhi’s Batra hospital. procession in Jaipur during the lockdown “Initially, no one would attend to him because they all thought he was a COVID patient, and they kept insisting that he be taken to the COVID ward,” says to four. This has led the Nagar Nigam to activate a Chandok’s brother-in-law, Lakshman Dhingra*, second electric crematorium. The nagar ayukta, Indra who runs a grocery store in Chittaranjan Park. Mani Tripathi, has ordered a new electric connection When the family insisted that he had no symptoms for the facility. of the virus, one of the doctors finally checked him In some cases, mobile internet has come in handy and pronounced him dead. A death certificate was for funerals. In Rajasthan, Kishan Maharaj, a priest in denied until the family agreed to a post mortem. Bikaner, used WhatsApp video calling for the first time to Chandok’s wife, though, did not want his body perform the last rites, even though the deceased, Punam to be desecrated until his parents had come. Since Chand Mali, 30, died of a non COVID-19 illness on April they lived in Rohru,MAGAZINE Himachal Pradesh, they had 10. “It was hard,”KING says Maharaj. “Everything had to be no choice but to wait. Chandok’s parents, how- explained as to a child. But I had no option. To escape the ever, were stopped in Chandigarh. Dhingra then clutches of the pandemic, I will follow what Modi says.” decided to take his brother-in-law’s body up to Rohru for the last rites. n breaking traditional practices, the pandemic has “Since we couldn’t get hold of a hearse, we also, in some cases, led people to find empathy and hired an ambulance and drove it 500 km up to Roh- solidarity across religious divides. In Bhopal, when ru. Not a single dhaba or eatery was open along Shama Namdeo, 50, passed away from tuberculosis, the entire way,” says Dhingra. Since the lockdown her family was in dire straits. Her husband, Mohan, did not permit large gatherings, only about 20 aI chaat vendor and the sole bread earner of the family, people came for the ceremonies. Dhingra and his felt helpless. “We did not know how to get my mother’s wife returned to Delhi in the same ambulance with cremation done,” says Akash, Shama’s son. “People were a letter from the village panchayat which would suspicious and scared for their own lives.” When relatives come in handy at state borders. “Death is an inter- said they could not make it for the cremation and friends minable tragedy in every circumstance, but worse were scared to attend the last rites, even though Shama’s is having to rush through the last rites, and not death was not related to COVID-19, it was their neigh- perform ceremonies that are integral not just to bour Mohammed Shahid Khan, 43, who came to their the mourning process but also to ensure that the rescue. Khan along with his son Adil and a few other final journey of a family member is in accordance neighbours collected about a dozen people and raised with tradition,” says Dhingra. “Rituals are a big some money to purchase basic material required for the part of what defines us, especially when it bears cremation. “Many in our locality felt they should not ex- the stamp of the finality that death summons.” As pose themselves to the body, but we decided to go ahead, he deals with a sister’s inconsolable grief, he also following all precautions,” says Khan. “I could not have waits for the death certificate to come through. imagined a more di�cult time, that even those who are —Chumki Bharadwaj dying are not getting enough people to carry their body (*Names changed on request) for the funeral. I hope God is kind and this ends soon.” � —with Romita Datta, Rahul Noronha, Moazum Mohammad and INDIA TODAY Hindi Bureau

44 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 MAGAZINE KING COLLATERAL DAMAGE MEDICAL CARE IT’S ALL ABOUT COVID For those su�ering from illnesses other than COVID, like cancer, diabetes or critical pregnancies, the lockdown has meant their treatment has fallen by the wayside

By SONALI ACHARJEE MAGAZINE KINGSATISH BATE/GETTY IMAGES

n the evening of April 13, a dia- had to put their chemotherapy on hold. “We are per- betic, 40-year-old man was admitted forming chemo but on a much smaller scale. Aggressive to Ariston Multispeciality Hospital chemotherapy is being delayed if possible because we in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park. “He had don’t want to immunocompromise a patient,” says ketones in his urine and since he was Dr Vijaykumar M., director, Kidwai Memorial Institute running a slight fever, we tested him of Oncology, Bengaluru. Early studies from Wuhan for COVID-19,” says general physi- have shown that cancer patients with COVID should cian and hospital board member Dr first be treated for the virus before receiving chemo. O Ish Kathpalia, who has been treating The lack of public transport, too, has been a major the patient for 15 years. Three days later, Dr Kathpalia roadblock. Kidwai Hospital, frequented by patients received the results of the patient’s COVID-19 test. He had from across the state, has seen its numbers dwindling. tested positive for the virus. The patient has been shifted In Maharashtra, which has 5,943 COVID cases, preg- to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Dr nant women are being advised to stay at home, even Kathpalia, his family and the Ariston sta�, are all in quar- when reporting signs of distress. “We had a woman antine. The hospital shutting down has been a huge blow in her third trimester call our helpline saying she was for the residents of the neighbourhood who depend on it leaking fluid and had been advised by a hospital to stay for emergency care. “The impact on residential clinics and at home. We told her to go to a hospital immediately. smaller hospitals is significant. If there is one case, we have She had to have an emergency C-section,” says Dr to shut down completely. We’ll now have to reduce services Aparna Hegde, urogynaecologist and director of Arm- till the hospital is fully sanitised,” says Dr Kathpalia. man, an NGO which works with children and pregnant While there is no available data on how the lockdown women. “We o�er a voice calling service in 10 states is impacting those with other illnesses, such as cancer, and, for the lockdown, we have set up a tele- diabetes, critical pregnancies and thalassemia, or the long- consultation service with 28 doctors.” term health of the marginalised, stories of individuals In the early days of the lockdown, blood was a major a�ected are pouring in from across India. In Karnataka, concern. Now blood banks have found ways to connect which had 554 cases as of April 22, cancer patients have with donors. But if demand for blood were to rise, the

46 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 ACCESS DENIED A cancer patient from Bihar On April 15, Raju Gilgittia, an assistant section o�cer camps outside with the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), Mumbai’s rushed his 50-year-old mother, Ratnamma, to Yatharth Tata Memorial Hospital Hospital in Noida after she developed a fever and had dif- ﬁculty breathing. In January, Ratnamma was diagnosed with renal failure and had received her last dialysis two days earlier. The hospital, going by the MoHFW guidelines, insisted she get tested for COVID-19 before receiving treatment. Ratnamma died the next morning. NephroPlus, which runs 203 dialysis clinics across India, says the COV- ID-19 outbreak has led to a 12 per cent fall in their sessions. “The lack of a�ordable public transport could be one reason,” says Vikram Vuppula, founder and CEO, NephroPlus. Dialysis is one of the most routine treatments and halting it can lead to toxins in the body and eventually death.

cross India, 586 public hospitals with 100,000 isolation beds and 11,500 ICU beds have been REMEDIES turned into COVID facilities. Public hospitals � Hospital apps to help maintain that are not dedicated COVID centres but doctor-patient communication where the general OPD has been shut as a � PPE kits for doctors to interact Aprecaution, like AIIMS in Delhi or King George’s Medical with suspected COVID-19 patients College, are making exceptions for old patients to follow up with other illnesses so that their on routine consultations. Still, with more resources being treatment does not get delayed channeled towards the virus, there is certainly a fall in the � Home service for dialysis for number of hospital beds, ICU care and healthcare services those who can’t a�ord private available for non-COVID individuals. “Availability of PPE transport and COVID testing kits is every hospital’s biggest concern. � Starting public communication to If patients are being asked to put routine care on hold in eliminateMAGAZINE fear of routine check-ups larger cities, imagineKING the situation in smaller towns,” says Dr K.K. Aggarwal, cardiologist and former head of the � Minimising visitors to hospitals Indian Medical Association. He adds that heart patients to protect sta� and patients who have stocked up on medicines haven’t reported many problems, but those su�ering from diseases which need monthly, or even weekly check-ups need extra help. Health concerns which do not need emergency care— current supply would not be enough. “We have about 50 per such as dental problems, wounds, burns or cataracts—are cent less demand for blood right now since only critical cases being postponed or dealt with via ‘virtual’ consultations. are receiving blood,” says Vanshree Singh, director of the However, not everyone can video call a doctor or reach a Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). The collection of blood district hospital for emergencies. There are close to 25,000 has come down from 200 units per day to 40-50 units and primary health centres (PHCs) in India, each servicing be- is mostly from long-time donors who have been given passes tween 40,000 and 80,000 people. With limited transport and transport to come to a collection centre. The National to the closest PHCs, community health centre doctors are Blood Transfusion Council of India has stated that the viral taking only emergency cases and Asha workers are being load in donated blood is too little for it to be high risk; how- engaged for COVID outreach. “Asha workers usually deal ever, if anyone does develop symptoms after donating blood, with dozens of villages, now they have no transport to visit they are asked to immediately let the blood bank know. them,” says Rajat Kumar Das, chairman of Asha India, The IRCS also held a donation drive for around 40 donors which works alongside Asha workers to fill gaps in nutrition in Delhi with social distancing norms enforced. Digital in 100 villages of West Bengal. “Food is available but the outreach has helped them greatly. This has also worked with poor have to make do with basic food, low in nutrition.” other hospitals, including Kidwai. “We reached out to all our Healthcare workers not directly involved with CO- patients via phone or email to reassure and inform them of VID-19 care are doing their best to fill in the gaps wherever how we can all cope,” says Dr Vijaykumar. Inhouse patients possible, but even as e-consultations mitigate some risks, at Kidwai include 60 children, some as young as five, and six more outreach needs to be done for those pockets where the end-of-life-care patients at present. For them, the hospital internet cannot reach. Compromised nutrition and unat- now advises against outside visitors and has assigned a tended health complications, even for what seems like a few single permanent attendant. short weeks, are silent killers in the long run. �

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �47 COLLATERAL DAMAGE CHILDREN THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT COVID-19 IS EXPECTED TO BE MOST DAMAGING FOR CHILDREN IN POOR COUNTRIES, UNDOING THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS ON CHILD MORTALITY KIDS OF COVID By Shougat Dasgupta Children queue up for a hot meal at a distribution point in Adarsh Nagar, Delhi

MAGAZINEOVID-19 disproportionately places, indicatedKING that “within the first three days of the kills older people. In India, reports lockdown, we were headed for disaster”. Some families show, about 75 per cent of those in remote parts, she adds, “faced a 3 km walk for a meal, who have died (543 at the time so 12 km back and forth for just two meals in a day.” of writing) were over 60 years of In cities, though the authorities, in Delhi for instance, age, and 42 per cent were 75 and have assured reporters that there is food and shelter for older. Significantly, over 83 per cent all, video footage shows people knocking women and of those who have died, su�ered children out of the way to get to food, and lines stretch- C from the likes of diabetes, cardiac ing over a kilometre or two for a bowl of rice, dal and, if diseases and high blood pressure. In New York City, the they are lucky, a fistful of vegetables. most severely a�ected city in the US, the country with Street children in Delhi, authorities say, are being the most COVID-19 infections and deaths in the world, housed with their families in nearby schools, with social just 0.04 per cent of those who have died are under 18 distancing maintained even though a single school may years old. None of this is to say children cannot die of house as many as 1,500 people. But this determined the virus. On April 18, a 45-day-old infant succumbed optimism fails to consider the loss of dignity people, to COVID-19 at Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Medical College even children, feel. Nearly everyone you talk to in a line, and dozens of children in India have been infected. A outside a school or a soup kitchen—the best of which recent international study suggests that for every child are run by NGOs rather than the authorities—men- requiring intensive care, some 2,381 children have tions feeling bereft without work and the ability to been infected. Still, the chief burden borne by children feed oneself. And questions too have to be asked about around the world has been psychological. how many people are actually being fed and how many While middle-class children in India must grapple times. Independent observers like Aangan have report- with the claustrophobia of confinement and abundant ed food is not plentiful or universally available. Children time but very little to do with it, at least their stomachs have been filmed eating frogs. Tens of millions of people are full. Atiya Bose, executive director of the Aangan are estimated to not be on any public distribution list Trust, which works to protect some of India’s most and it is unclear if they are receiving necessary aid. In vulnerable children, says reports from volunteers Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has said those without and the people they work with in Bihar, among other ration cards can apply for electronic coupons and that

48 INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 cook their own food”. The working class includes child labour. As per the 2011 census, there are over 10 million child labourers between the ages of 5 and 14. More recent studies suggest 80 per cent of child labourers live in rural India and over 62 per cent, between the ages of 14 and 17, are engaged in hazardous work. On April 15, 12-year-old Jamlo Makdam, a farmhand in Telangana, set o� on foot with a group of women and children for their village in Chhattisgarh, cutting through forests to evade interstate police. Having walked for three days, she died of heat ex- haustion and dehydration just 20 km short of her village. State authorities say they will investigate what one o�cial called “a clear case of child labour”.

SANCHITKHANNA/GETTY IMAGES he UN, in another report released on April 15, summarised the e�ects of COVID-19 on children in stark terms: “They are expected to be most damaging for children in the poorest countries, and in the poorest neighbourhoods, Tand for those in already disadvantaged or vulnerable situations.” It estimates that 42 to 66 million children might fall into “extreme poverty” as a result of the measures taken to combat the virus. With the world anticipating economic woes as pronounced as those during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the UN says the progress of the past three years on child mortality will be reversed. Of course, in India 44 per cent of children under five years some 1.5 million peopleMAGAZINE have registered in a week and are malnourished. KING “Moderate acute malnutrition cases,” 300,000 people have used the coupons to receive meals. says Dr Chandrakant Pandav, a member of the national But coupons require smart phones. Inevitably, agents council on nutritional challenges, “will turn into ‘severe have sprung up, say some daily wage workers struggling acute malnutrition’. India might face a surprising increase to register for the coupons, charging fees that poor people in maternal and child mortality because resource alloca- must pay if they want to eat. And you can be sure that if tions are now completely focused on COVID-19.” Still, parents aren’t eating, neither are children. According to a argues Pandav, despite the closure of vital anganwadi report released this month by the United Nations’ World schemes—mid-day meals, for example—“the benefits of Food Programme, some a total shutdown far outweigh the risks.” Other experts, 265 million people will face though, contend that this is unknowable until years later, REMEDIES acute food insecurity by the when the e�ects of current policies become manifest. end of 2020, up from 130 It is apparent though that the worldwide shutdown, � Enhance outreach of million people last year. Its which nearly all governments insist is our only option, free meals and rations to families of vulnerable chief economist Dr Arif Hu- has sinister side-e�ects for children. The most immediate children sain has said in interviews is hunger. Children are also more vulnerable to abuse— that the lockdown required physical, psychological and sexual. Pornography searches � Resume anganwadi services to combat COVID-19 is in India have risen exponentially since the lockdown “potentially catastrophic for began; more disturbingly, according to a report, searches � The Childline India millions who are hanging for snu� pornography in which children are filmed being Foundation Helpline by a thread... [and] a ham- hurt have risen by 200 per cent. Unfortunately, as Atiya #1098 o�ers emergency assistance to at risk kids mer blow for millions more Bose says, poor children in India are used to scarcity, to who can only eat if they their lives being near constantly bu�eted by events they � Restoring and earn a wage”. cannot control. What COVID-19 has exposed sharply is enhancing the liveli- In India, Animesh that while the virus might not discriminate, society does, hoods of impoverished families is the best Das, a trade union activ- and class and caste above all will influence your experi- guarantee of their ist, says “the government ence of a harsh, ongoing lockdown. More questions need children’s’ well-being should ensure working class to be asked of those who govern, of the plans they appear people are in a position to to have failed to make to protect the most vulnerable. �

MAY 4, 2020 INDIA TODAY 49 COLLATERAL DAMAGE MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL ILLNESS

FFor four days after Prime Minister Narendra GOES Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, Preeti Borkar* barely got out of bed. The 46-year- old Mumbai-based English teacher didn’t want to eat or speak. “Ever since I heard that COVID-19 had reached India, I started getting panic attacks. It was VIRAL getting di�cult for me to breathe, and that being a Given the recent spike in numbers, COVID symptom, I thought I had contracted it,” she it is clear mental ill-health is now says. “I kept thinking of what would happen if one India’s second, quieter pandemic of my family members contracted the virus; that we would be dumped in some hospital on a dirty bed By Shreevatsa Nevatia and I would be left all alone to die.” Soon enough, she imagined she had fever and a sore throat. Having been in therapy since 2005 for depression, Borkar knew she needed medical intervention. She sought out a psychiatrist who gaveMAGAZINE her a new prescription which KING helped alleviate her symptoms. Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty of Mumbai’s Dr L.H. Hiranandani Hospital feels the COVID-19 outbreak can be particularly di�cult for the likes of Borkar, patients who already su�er a mental health a�iction: “There is a sudden sense of shock, fear of death or separation from family.” Weeks into the lockdown, we now even have evidence of otherwise ‘healthy’ people exhibiting signs of anxiety and depression that resemble pathological symptoms. For those with existing diagnoses, COVID is that very kind of stressor doctors often ask them to guard against.

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) last tried to survey the Indian mental health landscape in 2015-2016. Ac- cording to its ﬁndings, 13.7 per cent of India’s population su�ered mental illnesses. And while 30 million Indians had access to the country’s mental health infrastructure, 120 million others had been ignored. In India, the demand for mental healthcare has always far exceeded its supply. By making impossible access to even the few mental health practitioners in the country, COVID-19 has not just revealed the tragedies of our mental health crisis, but also exacerbated it. A week into the lockdown, the Indian Psychiatry Society

50 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 Illustration by RAJ VERMA estimated our mentally ill population had grown by 20 per paranoia, but Dr Deb cent. If true, we have a second, quieter pandemic to battle. REMEDIES says editorialisation of Psychiatrist Dr Aniruddha Deb points out that in India, � If the stress of isola- facts matters, too. “When “a majority of the service for the psychiatric population is tion is making you lose you blame a particular sleep and your appetite, provided by non-government sources”. To try and fill that community for the spread call a helpline number gap in West Bengal, Dr Deb helps runs Mon (Bengali for (1800-120-820050), of a disease, specific mann, or mind), a psychiatric nursing home in Kolkata. and if you are su�er- phobias become active,” Within days of the lockdown, Dr Deb and his colleagues ing acute anxiety, con- he says. Schizophrenics, had to close down their in-patient services. “We usually tact a psychologist or for instance, are already have only nine to 10 patients, but to look after them, we psychiatrist prone to paranoia, and by need a sta� of about 25. Our food providers were find- � Check in with your implying that a disease is ing it impossible to procure food for all of them,” says Dr therapist or psychiatrist being spread deliberately, Deb. “It is also very di�cult to make psychiatric patients if stressed. Many doc- “you amplify their fears”. understand the importance of physical distancing and hand tors are now even happy The psychiatrist says he to do a video call washing. Very often it is also di�cult to manage a patient is witnessing an unfortu- without close contact.” While Mon’s nine psychiatrists and � Be mindful of the nate resurgence: “People six psychologists have entrusted families and relatives with quantity and quality of who were well for a couple the care of their patients, they are running a skeletal emer- information you con- of years are suddenly go- sume. Books, music, gency service, responding to five to eight calls a day. ing berserk, sure someone films and web shows are distractions, but will attack them.” ON FEAR AND LOATHING they can be succour, too Tannika Majumdar Batra, 35, a Kolkata-based freelance SILVER LININGS graphic artist, was diagnosed with bipolarity, anxiety and SCRAPBOOK post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 2012. She is trying During the lockdown, hard not to think of her financial future: “As a freelancer, we video-conferencing has proved a boon for many who have nothing now, and the uncertainty of work a�ects my can now speak to their therapists online, but Dr Vinod anxiety levels.” Though presently not on any medication, she Kumar, psychiatrist and head of Mpower Centre in Ben- says, “I’m trying to be okay, but the paranoia from my PTSD galuru, says “online interactions can be helpful, but not has been severe.” BatraMAGAZINE is afraid of dealing with delivery- as gratifying KING as real-life ones.” men. Days, when her husband takes his mother to the hos- On April 3, Mpower, an organisation that works with pital for her dialysis, are particularly di�cult. “I fear for my people with mental health concerns, launched a helpline cats, my husband, my brother. I am afraid that, suddenly, to help alleviate COVID-related anxiety. Already having something is going to happen to one of them,” says Batra, seen more than 4,000 people call in, Dr Kumar says, “Any one of the first mental health advocates to have detailed her kind of disruption to normal lives—unemployment, rela- mental health history on social media. tionship troubles, domestic violence—is going to lead to The possibility of death and disease is often exaggerated increased stress levels, and this needs to be addressed. But by minds that are already in turbulence. Hypochondriacs, the biggest trauma is perhaps being experienced by those in particular, internalise ideas such as persecution and who have either contracted the virus or lost a loved one to social vengeance somewhat easily. Knowing this fact well, it. These experiences can lead to chronic PTSD.” Sandip Chaudhuri* has tried hard to protect his hypo- Other practitioners are trying hard to look at the chondriac father from COVID-19 news. “We are not taking bright side. Dr Shetty says he saw a clinically depressed newspapers and switch on the TV rarely, but seeing people patient lose his symptoms after the pandemic broke: “He in masks is enough to make Baba cringe,” he says. Though suddenly showed a lot of resolve and took charge of family Chaudhuri and his family wash their hands and dry masks responsibilities. His depression suddenly seemed to fade on the terrace, his father has seen enough to develop his away.” Dr Deb talks about how people’s loneliness might theories of conspiracy and biological warfare. be alleviated by the sudden proximity of family members. Delusions, a common e�ect of stress, are also a symp- “People who are obsessed about washing their hands tom that often defines the manic highs of bipolar patients. might find comfort in the fact that everyone else is now Dr Shetty speaks of a young man whose diagnosis of washing their hands, too,” he says. Batra, for her part, bipolarity confirmed itself a few days after the COVID-19 says, “When I first started recovering in 2015, I began outbreak made headlines. “He started imagining that he is enjoying my solitude. It helped me understand myself. responsible for the COVID-19 crisis and that he had special I’ve been taking one day at a time since. I’m happy that powers to resolve it.” Two other patients of Dr Shetty devel- everyone else now seems to be doing the same.” � oped suicidal tendencies, saying that “they would rather kill —with Aditi Pai and Romita Datta themselves than die of COVID-19”. The news can, of course, precipitate delusions and *names changed on request

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �51 COLLATERAL DAMAGE DOMESTIC ABUSE THE VIRUS AT HOME The lockdown has spelled doom for victims of domestic abuse. With no scope of relief, activists are worried about the toll it will take on women’s psyche

By Aditi Pai & Romita Datta

MAGAZINEIllustration byKING NILANJAN DAS

landline phone. But when the organisation, which provides support services to women and children facing violence, o�ered help, she hung up saying she couldn’t bring shame upon her parents, plus that she had nowhere to go. Swayam, too, strapped for resources at a time like this, could not follow up. “Domestic abuse cases have gone up by 33 per cent in urban areas and 20 per cent in rural areas during the nationwide lockdown. But this is a skeletal assess- ment based on what we hear through distress calls For Kamilini*, the lockdown put in place to miti- and emails. I am sure this number would be very high Fgate the spread of COVID-19, could not have come at a considering the large number of women in rural areas, worst time. Trapped in an abusive marriage for almost who have no access to internet and no money to re- 10 years, she had ﬁnally mustered the courage to set up charge their phones,” says Anuradha Kapoor, founder a meeting with a lawyer to begin divorce proceedings. director of Swayam. As per a National Commission for She had also lined up a job as women’s hostel superin- Women’s (NCW) report, the number of incidents of do- tendent on the outskirts of Kolkata. She could almost mestic violence has increased dramatically. If January taste the freedom. But then the world, along with her and February recorded 300 and 280 cases respectively, carefully laid out plans, came to a standstill because just the last week of March saw a shocking increase in of the coronavirus pandemic. To make matters worse, numbers—250 in eight days. States like Punjab, Hary- her husband found out about her plans and what ana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have recorded a large followed next was emotional and physical torture. He spike in instances of domestic abuse and even marital even threatened to kill her if she ever dared to open her rape during the lockdown. mouth. With her mobile phone conﬁscated and home The lockdown is testing even strong relationships internet connection cut o�, she managed to make and has been a death sentence for more fraught ones. one distress call to the Swayam helpline through her Small arguments over household chores, which inevita-

52 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 bly fall on the women of a household, are getting blown and call at all times.” Seeing women buckle under pres- up and, in some cases, culminating in violence. As sure also gives the abusers another reason to humili- consultant psychologist Anuttama Banerjee says, going ate her. “The lockdown and the resultant di�culty in by the sharp increase in the number of distressed and accessing help, in fact, is giving the perpetrators of panic calls women’s rights organisations are fielding, violence the confidence to go on with it,” says Banerjee. it seems many marriages and relationships lack a solid Paradoxically, in a few cases, the lockdown is push- foundation. “Relationships are crumbling and once the ing some women to give their abusive relationships a lockdown ends, we expect a lot of break-ups and many second chance. This may be prompted by their appre- people rethinking their relationships,” says Banerjee. hensions and insecurities about the economy and their For Shrikala P.*, a 42-year-old graphic designer own uncertain financial and social situations. Dishaa from Mumbai, the lockdown and being stuck at home Desai, psychologist and outreach associate at Mpower with an insensitive husband with no respite, has Centre in Mumbai, says that in some cases husbands brought her to the brink of a nervous breakdown. “A are justifying their physical aggression and verbal fortnight into the lockdown I realised I couldn’t take outbursts using COVID-19 as an excuse and women are the abuse any more. My husband’s business has not deluding themselves into believing it. What is worrying, been doing well and he has been taking it out on me, though, in all this is the psychological health of women. throwing tantrums over food and every other little “Endurance for such a long time might just take them thing. My work has taken a backseat as I have to cater to the precipice and if they are unable to spell out and to his and his mother’s demands of food preferences share their woes for long, it might cause grievous dam- throughout the day. My husband has stopped paying age,” fears Kapoor. for the groceries and milk as well and shifted the entire financial burden on me. When I tried to explain that omplaints of abuse are not necessarily I’m not getting enough projects right now, he threw a centred around husband-wife relationship cup of hot tea at me, which burnt my skin. After that I or among live-in partners. They are also was so scared of him that my hands would start shak- coming from women between the ages of ing every time I saw him. When I finally mustered the 18 and 30, irrespective of marital status. courage to call theMAGAZINE police and seek help, the o�cer gave TheirC abusers KING being brothers, fathers, brothers-in-law, him a stern warning. I have two children and don’t even a village headman. “Young girls of 16 years and 18 want the marriage to fall apart as I am unsure of my years are being forced to get engaged so that they can financial situation after be married o� at the earliest date available after the the lockdown ends,” she lockdown lifts. In most of these cases, the pressure is REMEDIES says. Her husband has coming from the men of the household, probably be- � NGOs are operat- been silenced for now, cause they are worried about the future implication of ing 24-hour helplines but Shrikala fears the COVID-19 on the economy—pay cuts, loss of jobs,” says to provide phone and storm that is likely to fol- mental health activist Ratnabali Roy. There have also text support to victims low the uneasy calm. been cases of women of low and middle-income groups of domestic violence. If you find it hard to find For some, the abuse being abandoned by men because they see the di�cult help in your city, call the is subtle but still verbally times as an excuse to shrug o� their responsibilities. National Commission for demeaning and equally Ashwini*, who works as a part-time household help Women on their lock- dangerous. “Since I am a in Mumbai, recalls with horror how she was thrown down emergency num- housewife and don’t have out of her home at 10 pm during the lockdown. “I was ber: 7217735372 to ‘work-from-home’, dragged out of the house after a fight. I didn’t have any � In case you need [my husband] thinks money or a phone and was scared to walk on the desert- urgent rescue, con- I am underemployed ed streets. I sat down at the bus stop when a patrolling tact the police in your and having a whale of a police van brought me home and threatened to arrest area for immediate time,” says Janaki*, who my husband if he raised his hands at me again. He had intervention lives in Kolkata. “He has no option but to take me home. I am scared. He drinks, � If phone or physical been piling all kinds of and with no alcohol available, he’s getting restless and conversations are not house work on me. It taking his frustrations out on me,” says Ashwini. an option, look for a seems like the domestic With no respite in sight, the possible extension family member, friend or psychologist to confide chores never end. Plus, of the lockdown is only inspiring fear in the hearts of in either on WhatsApp when he works late, he victims. Home is no safe haven for them. � or over email expects me to stay awake as well to be at his beck *names changed on request

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �53 MAGAZINE KING MAGAZINE KING MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK � HOW TO GET AN EDUCATION LOAN � WITHDRAWING EPF ONLINE

Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE SMART MONEY EDUCATION LOAN FUNDING THE FUTURE Online portals have made it simpler to explore and apply for education loans and scholarships Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE

our child has worked Loan Application form, submitting documents. “The rate of interest depends hard to get admission filters appear for loca tion, Sethi says application forms on the ranking of the college/ Y into her dream coll- course and loan amount. are mostly complete, but university, value of collateral, ege. She has the offer letter, Once the details are put students tend to not provide guarantor/ co-applicant’s and now it’s time to arrange in, a list of loan schemes accurate details in the first credit score, besides the loan funds. But what if you are a from public sector banks, instance. “Providing correct amount and tenure,” says bit short? You will have to cooperative banks and even and complete information Raj Khosla, MD of MyMon- explore education loans or private banks will show up. along with the required doc- eyMantra.com. Female ap- hunt for grants andMAGAZINE scholar- Before selecting a loan, check uments greatly enhancesKING the plicants are eligible for a 0.5 ships. The government has scheme details and eligibility approval rate and how fast it per cent concession. Some simplified the pro cess with criteria thoroughly. You can comes through,” he says. banks may offer big-ticket dedicated onl ine portals— apply to three banks at the Ensure that you frequen- loans of up to Rs 40-80 lakh vidyalakshmi.com for educa- same time. Needless to say, tly check the dashboard for elite colleges in India and tion loans and vidyasaarathi. public sector banks sanc- and registered e-mail for overseas. “The interest rates com and scholarships.gov.in tion the maximum number updates about the applica- for overseas studies range for scholarships. Let’s look at of education loans. “We get tion. The bank may put your from 9.5-14 per cent, which the details: around 1,000 applications a loan application on hold if is slightly higher than nor- month on the vidyalakshmi more information is needed. mal rates,” Khosla adds. HOW TO APPLY portal. As part of the pro- Respond to bank queries The IBA model requires FOR A LOAN cess, we ask students to ap- within 15 days if loan collateral for loan amounts The NSDL (National ply through the portal even amount is equal to or less more than Rs 7.5 lakh. The Securities Depository Ltd) if they approach us directly,” than Rs 7.5 lakh and within collateral security can be in e- Governance Infrastruc- says Virendra Sethi, head, 30 days for loan amounts the form of land/ building/ ture, under the guidance of mortgages and other retail above that, or else banks government securities/ the department of financial assets, Bank of Baroda. may mark your application public sector bonds/ units services (DFS), department ‘Closed’, say instructions on of UTI, NSC, KVP, LIC of higher education and the HOW TO ENSURE the portal. policy, gold, shares/ mutual Indian Banks Association LOAN APPROVAL fund units/ debentures, (IBA), has developed a com- You need to be eligible as per INTEREST RATE AND bank deposit in the name mon portal, Vidyalakshmi. the norms laid down by the LOAN AMOUNT of student/ parent/ guard- The DFS guidelines say that banks. The process becomes Under the IBA model, stu- ian or any other third party all education loans must be simpler if you already have dents can avail of education with suitable margin. Some routed through this portal. an account at the bank you loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for banks may offer collateral- After you sign up and are applying. Be careful domestic institutions and Rs free loan on the higher fill the Common Education while filling up forms and 20 lakh for overseas ones. amount also.

56 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 FUNDING YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION APPLYING FOR him with the loan application (parental incomes less than SCHOLARSHIPS ● Apply for student loans process, but also told him Rs 6 lakh) to pursue higher Signing up on the Vidyas- on vidyalakshmi.com, about the interest subven- education abroad. a one-stop shop for aarathi portal gives one all information on loan tion scheme that helped him The ministry of social access to various scholar- schemes by banks reduce his loan burden. “The justice and empowerment ships provided by corpo- bank manager and loan advi- provides the Dr Ambedkar ● Fill up a common edu- rates. Vidyasaarathi does cation loan form and an sor were quite helpful. They Central Sector Scheme of not charge for its services. you can apply to three guided me to the vidyalak- Interest Subsidy on Educa- Once you select a course banks at a time shmi portal for information tional Loans for Overseas level, you can browse and ● Compare interest on government scholarships Studies for Other Backward apply for multiple scholar- rates, processing fee, for poor students,” he says. Classes (OBCs) and Econo- ship schemes. The maximum collateral and margin The loan advisor at SBI mically Backward Classes requirements amount of scholarship will be told him about the Central (EBCs). This is applicable for less than or equal to the edu- ● Check out government/ Sector Interest Subsidy students with family incomes cational course fees as stated corporate scholarships Scheme, which helps out less than Rs 8 lakh and Rs on portals such as in the admission certificate vidyasaarathi.com and students whose parents 2.5 lakh respectively and for or fee receipt. “Each college scholarships.gov.in earn less than Rs 4.5 lakh approved courses of studies per annum. As per the IBA abroad at Masters, M.Phil has its own fee structure. On ● As per the IBA model, an average, in 2019, students loans up to Rs 10 lakh model, all borrowers get a and Ph.D level. The interest got approximately Rs 30,000 are available for Indian concession of 1 per cent if subsidy during the morato- in the form of scholarships,” institutes and Rs 20 they service the interest dur- rium can be up to Rs 75,000 says Gagan Rai, managing lakh for studies abroad ing the moratorium period, per quarter. director and CEO, NSDL e- ● Provide collateral for which includes the period of Although 90 per cent of Governance Infrastructure. loans above Rs 7.5 study and, typically, one year education loans are pro- lakh; some banks offer “As of now, scholarships after that or six months after cessed through public sector higher amounts without are live for engineering collateral you get a job. Ideally, you are banks, Khosla says opting courses, ITI courses,MAGAZINE under- not required toKING make interest for an NBFC like Avanse, graduate and postgraduate or principal payments during Tata Capital and HDFC programmes. Some scholar- this ‘holiday period’. How- Credila can help you avail ships are also available for THE ever, simple interest accrues a more flexible loan for a diploma and 11th and 12th MORATORIUM during the moratorium and larger range of courses and standards,” he adds. PERIOD gets added to the principal universities. The ministry of elect r o- ● Moratorium includes amount once the repayment In any case, parents n ics & information tech - the study period and, starts. So, if you pay interest should avoid dipping into nology runs a common typically, one year after during the moratorium its elf, their retirement funds. “The national scholarship portal, ● Interest payout during it reduces the loan burden. education loan option may www.scholarships.gov.in, the moratorium period Under the Central Sector not be possible for everybody, which has information on is optional; get 1% con- Interest Subsidy Sch eme, especially those nearing cession if you pay schemes of the central/ state the government bears the retirement. For such borrow- governments for pre-matric, interest burden on behalf ers, a better option would post-matric and tech nical of students from economi- be to take a loan against and professional courses. cally weaker sections. The an asset (such as property). PARENTS scheme is applicable for loan HDFC Credila, for instance, INTEREST CUTS SHOULD AVOID amounts up to Rs 7.5 lakh gives loans against immov- DURING THE and with interest amounts able property. Since this is a MORATORIUM DIPPING INTO less than Rs 2 lakh. collateralised borrowing, the When 24-year-old Abhishek RETIREMENT Another scheme, Padho interest rate will be lower,” Tiwari approached State CORPUS TO Pardesh, under the ministry says Khosla. Weigh all op- Bank of India for a loan to do FUND LOANS. of minority affairs, provides tions depending on your sav- a two-year MCA from Sardar LOAN AGAINST interest subsidy to meritori- ings and fund requirements Vallabhbhai Patel Institute AN ASSET IS A ous students from economi- and make the best choice for of Technology in Gujarat, his BETTER IDEA cally weaker sections of noti- your ward’s future. ■ loan advisor not only assisted fied minority communities —Aprajita Sharma

MAY 4, 2020 �INDIA TODAY �57 SMART MONEY EPF

ithdrawing one’s done at the time of joining. EPF (Employee’s A HARROWING You must also link your W Provident Fund) PAN to your UAN. Your balance has hitherto been Aadhaar too must be linked a tedious task. You need to TASK NO MORE to your mobile number fill several forms, arrange Online withdrawal of EPF makes the entire so that you can use the documents, visit the EPF process simpler and quicker OTP to authenticate any office (EPFO) and follow up Aadhaar-based transac- continuously. Not any more. tion. If you have worked for The entire process is now many organisations, you online, which enables you to should ensure your previous apply for EPF withdrawal EPF accounts have been from the comfort of your migrated to your UAN. home. The proceeds are credited directly into your CLAIMING ONLINE bank account. There are a If you are withdrawing your few things, though, that you EPF after being unem- need to keep in mind. ployed, your past employer should have updated your TIMING OF date of exit. Next, you should WITHDRAWAL log in to the EPF member Changes in rules since 2016 portal and verify all your have reduced the time an personal details, including individual has to wait for KYC. Your bank account after leaving employment Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE number too needs to be veri- to withdraw EPF balance. fied by entering the last four “If an EPF subscriber has struction of a house, illness digits. If withdrawing your been unemployed forMAGAZINE over a of a family member, educa- HOW ONLINEKING EPF as an unemployed per- month, they can withdraw tion or marriage of children. WITHDRAWAL son, you need to fill in Form up to 75 per cent of the EPF This too can be done online. WORKS 19, and Form 10C if you are corpus and have the remain- You do not have to submit withdrawing EPS (Employ- ● UAN must have been ing 25 per cent transferred endless documentary proof, activated to access ees’ Pension Scheme) before to a new EPF account when self-certification is enough. EPF facilities online completing 10 years of they start working again,” ● KYC through the e service. To apply for an ad- says Suresh Sadagopan, THINGS YOU NEED mployer while in ser- vance against the EPF while founder, Ladder7 Financial To claim your EPF balance vice should be in place in employment, you need Advisories. However, if online, you first need a ● UAN must be linked Form 31. In cases of pension you wait one more month, UAN or a universal account to Aadhaar and bank request, typically at age 58, account you can withdraw more. number. Most working and with at least 10 years of ● Log in to the EPF “Employees below 58 can people already have it. eligible service, fill in Form member portal withdraw the entire EPF You can also visit the EPF 10D. You can make only one ● Verify your KYC details balance after two or more member website to see if a and service eligibility claim per session. If claim- months of leaving a job,” says UAN has been assigned to conditions are correct ing both EPF and EPS, you Archit Gupta, founder & your EPF. If you are a new and complete need to do it separately. Af- CEO, Cleartax. joinee or do not have a UAN ● Select relevant claim ter filling out all the details, Online EPF withdrawal for some reason, you can re- option you need to authenticate does not require you to quest for the same through ● Authenticate your claim it through Aadhaar-based go through your previous your employer. Then, you using OTP received on OTP. Following confirma- mobile registered with employer. Aadhaar-based have to link your Aadhaar tion, it takes 2-3 weeks for UIDAI authentication suffices. and bank account numbers the amount to be credited to ● Funds are credited Besides withdrawal, one can to the UAN and ensure the directly to your bank your bank account. Mean- take advance against the KYC details against the account within 2-3 while, you can track your EPF for specific purposes, UAN are complete, which weeks claim status online. ■ such as the purchase or con- your employer usually gets —Naveen Kumar

58 �INDIA TODAY MAY 4, 2020 FILMS OF THE HOW TO SURVIVE CENTURY A LOCKDOWN FOR PG 60 GAMERS PG 64

THE HOME STRETCH Q&A WITH FOR ATHLETES GETS JACQUELINE LONGER PG 62 FERNANDEZ PG 66

FILMS THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO THE 21ST CENTURY As movie theatres are left deserted and the shooting of new ﬁlms stalled, we comfort ourselves by looking back at 10 of the best Indian ﬁlms that released in the past 20 years

Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE

MAGAZINE KING A best-of list is useful only if you Super Deluxe (2018) acknowledge its subjectivity Incredibly ambitious and compul- and limitations. This list tries sively entertaining, this Tamil film to cover the popular and uses multiple narrative strands— involving a dead body, a trans- the under-watched, various woman (a great performance by genres and styles (Tillotama Shome) as a boy, Vijay Sethupathi), a porn actor’s (and cheats a bit to with harrowing results. This mortified son, and an extra- haunting production is about terrestrial—to comment on the include more than how the Partition created 10 films). Prepare ghosts and demons and how your counter- we draw boundaries between ourselves and others. arguments Aligarh (2015) Manoj Maqbool Bajpayee’s (2004) Oye Lucky! Lucky perfor- & Oye! (2008) mance as Goliyon Aspiration and how to bridge an elderly ki Raas- the class divide have been re- professor leela current themes of our recent persecuted because of his Raam- cinema. The most energetic homosexuality, anchors this Leela (2013) such film is Dibakar Banerjee’s plaintive film. But equally meaning of life, self-perception, It is often pointed out that the OLLO, about a West Delhi special is how the film gives and what it is to be “alien”. “masala” spirit of Shake- boy trying to pull himself into us a protagonist who is him- speare’s plays has influenced a better world…and finding self provincial and conserva- Kumbalangi Nights Hindi films. Vishal Bhardwaj’s himself obstructed by a series tive in many ways—confused, (2019) vibrant transposing of Mac- of father figures (all played by vulnerable, not an obvious Part of the new wave in Malay- beth to the Bombay under- Paresh Rawal) along the way. poster boy for a bold Queer alam cinema, Kumbalangi Nights world kicked o� his Shake- Pride movement. is a warm-hearted story speare trilogy, and is rightly about four brothers considered a milestone in Luck by Chance living in a Kochi vil- the new Hindi cinema; but (2009) & Dil lage. Soubin Shahir Sanjay Leela Bhansali’sMAGAZINE take KING Dhadakne Do (2015) and Fahadh Faasil on Romeo and Juliet is equally Many still deem Zoya Akhtar’s play two very dif- poetic, and profane. most respectable film to be ferent patriarchs—the her debut Luck by Chance, a contrast between them highlight- Manorama Six Feet commentary on the Hindi film ing one of the film’s central ques- Under & Johnny industry. But, tions, what is a “complete man”? Gaddaar (both 2007) Gangs of Wasseypur the unabash- —Jai Arjun Singh Two terrific modern noirs (2012) edly populist in which directors Navdeep If you include just one Anurag Dil Dhadakne Singh and Sriram Raghavan Kashyap film, would it be the Do, deserves (respectively) pay tribute disciplined Black Friday, the praise too. to thrillers past. Manorama surreal No Smoking, or the The film was Six Feet Under, which uses hard-hitting Mukkabaaz? The criticised for being about Roman Polanski’s Chinatown towering Kashyap achieve- “rich people’s problems”, as a template, is about an en- ment, however, is the epic but it is full of universally gineer playing detective in a Gangs of Wasseypur, which relatable emotions and fine Rajasthani town; Johnny Gad- manages to be both a pastiche ensemble acting. daar weaves in references to and utterly one of a kind. Is Hindi films like Parwaana in this a story about gangland telling the story of an amoral wars in the hinterland, or youngster double-crossing about our nourishing and his partners in crime. destructive relationship with Vicky Donor cinema? You decide. (2012) This marvellous light comedy—about Qissa (2013) a Delhi boy who becomes a sperm This Punjabi film is best donor inaugurated the “how watched on big screen Ayushmann Khurrana grew up” to savour its stately sub-genre. Khurrana would play widescreen composi- more variants on the callow young tions and atmospheric man who has to look in the mirror, sound design. Irrfan at himself and his society, in “issue” Khan plays a Sikh man films like Dum Laga ke Haisha, who raises his daughter Badhaai Ho and Article 15—any of which could have been on this list. #MyFilmsoftheCentury PANKAJ TRIPATHI, actor

Paan Singh Tomar lot—an authentic depiction of (2010) life in a Karnataka village. Like Bandit Queen, the film is another favourite Newton (2017) of mine. Its landscape and When I first read the script, characters are real. I was amazed at how one could write such an inter- Thithi (2015) esting story about voting. It doesn’t take a stand on who’s I am from a village in Bihar, right or who’s wrong but lets so I related to this film a the audience decide whose side they are on.

Ship of Theseus (2012) Cinema is such a strong medium. It can change lives. I feel we don’t focus on that much. We tell ourselves that #MyFilmsoftheCentury audiences need only enter- RADHIKA APTE, actor

tainment, but this ﬁlm com- GOSWAMI RACHIT pelled audiences to think.

Court (2014) Black Friday (2004) Dil Chahta Hai (2001) It spoke of a significant It changed a lot of When I was coming of age, it issue—manual scavenging. things in our filmmaking was a film very dear to me. I I remember calling up the and storytelling—the im- love it and can watch it any film’s casting director to en- portance of talking about number of times. quire about one of the actors certain things through who appeared as a witness. the medium of cinema. Killa (2014), Court (2014) MAGAZINEHe told me she was the wife The wayKING Anurag Kashyap and Fandry (2013) of one of the victims. made it was very di�er- These are the best films I ent from everything we have seen in the last decade. MILIND SHELTE had seen before. There They match world standards, was a wave of films and each is an extremely that have tried to be honest work of art. like his films. —As told to Suhani Singh

� FILMS GOODBYE TO mother on Skype, in her kitchen, LANGUAGE (2014) sometimes on her phone. Yet the After breaking the conventions film beautifully uses the “home ONCE UPON A of cinema in Breathless, Jean- movie” format to give us a film Luc Godard was still redefining that is a tribute to her mother and TIME IN HOLLY- cinema half a century later. In an exploration of personal and WOOD (2019) THE this film, he used 3D in a way universal themes about home Shot on 70 mm, Quen- never used before. and rootedness. I loved what tin Tarantino’s love �I, DANIEL BLAKE (2016) she said about the film, “I think letter to Hollywood WORLD A Ken Loach film about ordinary if I knew I was going to do this, I told in his grammar and people falling through the cracks wouldn’t have dared to do it.” language. Perhaps his of a bureaucratic system, about �DAWSON CITY: best film so far. VIEW inequality and social injustice. FROZEN TIME (2016) Shivendra Singh �THE SALESMAN (2016) Perhaps one of the best In this beautifully acted play documentaries on film that I have Dungarpur, filmmaker, within a play set in Iran, Asghar seen. A multi-layered film archivist and founder Farhadi explores the complexi- that tells so many di�erent ties of relationships and male stories, using rediscov- director of the Film patriarchy. ered footage from films Heritage Foundation, �NO HOME MOVIE (2015) discarded and buried in lists films from around The title says it all. The Chantal the permafrost at an Akerman film is an intimate video outpost in the Yukon the world that defined essay, recording conversations Valley over a cen- cinema this century between the filmmaker and her tury ago. LEISURE THE HOME SPORTS STRETCH GETS LONGER WITH TOURNAMENTS CANCELLED AND THEIR FITNESS IN JEOPARDY, SPORTSPERSONS MULL THEIR FUTURE AND THAT OF THEIR GAMES

DUTEE CHAND Athlete I’ve been doing general core and dumbbell exercises at home. My coach guides me on the phone. As a runner, I need to be out running, but I can’t. I am very anxious. Even if we don’t train for five days, our endurance goes down. Our MAGAZINEongoing training has completely stopped. KING We will have to chalk out a completely new schedule once this is over. I am worried ASHWINI PONNAPPA about the Olympics. Otherwise, Badminton player household work and my law SEBASTIAN KAHNERT/ALAMY LIVE NEWS We hadn’t finished our qualifying studies keep me busy. I am also period [for the Olympics]; we had watching television. five or six tournaments left [to play in order to qualify]. So, it’s strange not knowing what the situation will be and, going forward, what the Badminton World Federation will decide in terms of the qualifying criteria. I’ve never ever had this long a break. I was injured in December-January and was VISWANATHAN ANAND recovering, but that didn’t stop me Chess grandmaster from going to the court. You can do Typically, [breaks] are up to a month; so something, even if it is a simple drill when the next tournament starts, you are or playing for 30 minutes. Now, you in the best of shape. Initially, we felt have to figure out ways of staying tournaments may resume in May or in touch with the game. June, so this was just a longer training camp. But it looks like it may be a while. The most important thing is to keep following chess, do MARK DAVIDSON / ALAMY interesting work that you don’t have time for otherwise, and schedule a return to training when tournaments resume. Chess is dif- ferent in that an online game is almost like a game over the board. There is no loss of experience. Online tournaments have started springing up, so we can have events before the regular calen- ALAMY dar returns. Q A PITCH REPORT

HARSHA BHOGLE COMMENTATOR

Q. What will be the impact of the sus- pension of IPL? SAURAV GHOSAL There will be a search Squash player for another window. The IPL is a sporting There is a finite amount of time as to what your body juggernaut, but it is also can do at a particular age. But another way of looking a great provider. Not at it is that in these months that we aren’t competing, Q just for players, but for the body and mind are not going through the same How do you envis- freelancers, event sta�, stress as when we play. Hopefully, it will extend my age cricket post- technical crew. For a career slightly and conserve my mental and physi- lockdown, particu- very large number of cal bank […] We generally don’t have such long larly the T20 World people, it’s peak income periods of training before a tournament. If what we Cup later this year? period. The BCCI’s do in those two-three months of o�-season we do It depends on when finances, too, are built for the next four or five, we will be dead. There’s we are in a position to around a successful IPL a fine line. I’m trusting what my trainer tells me to restart. I think sport season, so they will try do, trying to mix the sessions up without causing will emerge stronger in their best to find a win- too much stress on the body and mind. It’s a ALEX PANTLING/GETTY IMAGES terms of spectator in- dow. I foresee support challenge as well, so it’s interesting. volvement because it is from players around the one of the very few feel- world. We are already good activities around. seeing that. MAGAZINEBut KINGsport depends on sponsor investment and Q. How do you think that will be linked to the teams can regroup slowdown and possible after this lull? SUNIL CHHETRI reduction in demand. In They will struggle, but Footballer India, cricket will come given that everyone is in I am doing [at least] the bare minimum to stay back very strongly, but the same boat, it will be fit by watching what I eat and working out at given the limited scope a level playing field. But home. It’s not the same as training with the for investment, other primarily, the players will boys and coaches on the pitch. I’m trying sports could su�er. want to stay fit. to focus on staying calm. I am not afraid The T20 World Cup of losing form as such. What we’re going and the IPL were to be through is unprecedented and much the highlights of the bigger than our careers. Maybe later, year, and I hope we I would think missing out a year aren’t in a situation was a big deal. But right now, I MATSUO .K/AFLO SPORT/ALAMY LIVE NEWS where we have just want to see how we, as only one possible. humans, emerge from this and go back to normal lives.

HARSHA BHOGLE says cricketers, on return, will struggle for —As told to Sukhada Tatke a while, but it will be and Bhavya Dore level playing ﬁeld IMAGES VISIONHAUS/GETTY THE GAME ISN WITH POST-APOCALYPTIC STORYLINES AND MULTIPLAYER OPT I LEISURE

STATE OF DECAY 2 It is hard to stand out when every other video game is about zombies, but State of Decay 2 does. It is a heady mix of base-building, charac- MAD MAX ter-building and the ﬁght to survive. As charac- Inspired by the movie series, this game stays ters are randomly generated through the course true to its source material—gorgeous waste- of the game, your task is to build a community lands peppered with inspiring combat and lots of survivors. Death is also permanent. If a and lots of cars. You, of course, play Max, and character you have taken time and care to build your life has recently been spared by a warlord dies, he or she is gone forever. While this sounds because he thinks you are a prophet who will like more work than play, the actual killing of bring about the existence of an ultimate vehicle zombies is a gore-ﬁlled satisfying experience. called Magnum Opus. You start from scratch, The brilliance of State of Decay 2 is that it never gathering parts for the car, protection and gear puts you in a position that will make you feel like for yourself, all while building your legend by you have the advantage for too long. taking down bases and roaming patrols of the Platforms: PC, Xbox One other factions. The ultimate goal is to control Price: Starts at Rs 1,099 the entire wasteland. If you like the movies, there is a good chance you will love this post- apocalyptic world as well.MAGAZINE KING Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Price: Starts at Rs 1,099

FALLOUT SERIES Fallout deals with a world grappling with a nuclear fallout. Every version of this game, with the exception of Fallout 76, is wholly brilliant. You are a person who has just left a nuclear fallout vault and your job is to explore the landscape. Running amok are mutant humans and creatures that you need to avoid or kill to survive. Fallout is a role-playing game, which means your character evolves with every choice and action. A perfect game to play when quarantined. Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3/4 Price: Starts at Rs 565 N’T OVER YET IONS, THESE VIDEO GAMES ARE A GREAT FIX FOR LOCKDOWN ISOLATION

DEATH STRANDING Death Stranding has you playing a delivery guy in a post-apocalyptic United States. The beginning never quite explains the origins or identities of the invisible creatures who have destroyed the world. You just know they consume the dead, cause explosions and a rain that ages everything. Playing the DHL guy is tedious, especially since you have to walk almost everywhere, but that said, the story is very satisfying and the game has a knack for creating genuine emotions for its characters. Platform: PlayStation 4 Price: Starts at Rs 2,499

THE DIVISION 2 MAGAZINE KINGThe Division is a secretive government organisation that goes into action in the US in the event there is a collapse of normal law and order. The ﬁrst game in the series has the American population devastated after a virus infects Black Friday shoppers. The second game, based in Washington DC, continuing this virus-infected wasteland theme, is more reﬁned. Great to play with friends, the game, somewhat ironically, helps bring home some of the social interaction we so desperately need right now. Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Price: Starts at Rs 900

THE LAST OF US The Last of Us is based in a world ravaged by mutant Cordyceps fungus, the stu� that turns insects into zombies. This particular strain turns humans into violent zombies too. You play Joel, who has to ferry a young girl, Ellie, across the US. At your disposal are a limited selection of weapons and a heightened sense of hearing. The storyline explores Joel and Ellie’s relationship and uses it to take you on a journey. There is a sequel planned this year, so you might want to play this one first. Platform: PlayStation 3/4 —Jaison Lewis Price: Starts at Rs 699 QA Q. You were at a Panvel farm with a few friends when the lockdown was announced, right? It was by chance I got locked down here, but I am quite blessed to be HER TIME here. It’s full of nature. I have been working out a lot and making salads with vegetables from the garden here. I ride horses twice daily, and I have become better at it. TO KILL I also bathe the horses and Often resigned to taking a backseat clean the stables. whilst filming, Mrs Serial Killer forced Jacqueline Fernandez to stretch herself as an actor. She feels the forthcoming Netflix film marks a new chapter in her career

Q. What has been your biggest realisation from the lockdown? One daunting realisation was that as humans, we make such a big deal about ourselves. If we go tomorrow, this planet will continue thriving. MAGAZINE KING

Q. After Drive, Mrs Serial Killer sees you return to an OTT platform. Were there apprehensions? I have got to the point where I don’t care anymore. I realised that if I don’t experiment, I would never be able to grow. Transition is always daunting, as you don’t know if you are making the right moves. But I see Mrs Serial Killer as the start of the next chapter of my career.

Q. Is it the most you have been pushed as a performer? It was quite intimidating at first, especially on the first day on set. And when I found out that Manoj Bajpayee was in the film, I was like, “Oh no, I am so screwed”. Like quite a lot of commercial actresses, I am used to taking a bit of a backseat. We shot for two months continuously. I have never done that before because I never have had that much to do in a film. —with Suhani Singh

66 Volume XLV Number 18; For the week April 28-May 4, 2020, published on every Friday Total number of pages 68 (including cover pages)