Jalib Beigh
THE empty streets have become the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. The whole world has come to a sudden halt. The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a worldwide health catastrophe that has a deep impact on the way we perceive our world and our day to day lives. Not only the rate of contagion and patterns of transmission threatens our sense of agency, but the safety measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus also require social distancing by abstaining from doing what is naturally human, which is to find comfort in the company of others.
There are round about ten nuclear-powered nations & expenditure amounting to $1.8 trillion on the military by the whole world to fight against each other yet they are failing to tackle a nano-micron sized organism.
Healthcare workers are on the front line of the pandemic outbreak response with limited PPE’s and as such are exposed to hazards that put them at threat of infection. These hazards include pathogen contact, extended working hours, psychological agony and fatigue. Self-isolation and quarantine have precipitated depression and anxiety among people. People are away from their loved ones, dispossessed of personal liberties, and altered routine and livelihood. This is leading to frustration, boredom, low mood, and potentially depression. Anxiety is also rising at an alarming rate from fear of contagion and scarce clarity around social distancing guidelines, often made worse by less reliable media sources creating confusion and fear-mongering. Prolonged isolation and stress from the pandemic can affect people differently. It could put a strain on families, make those feel isolated who living alone and threaten people’s sense of purpose by keeping them off from work and those who are experiencing financial uncertainty in the middle of the pandemic have added stress that is difficult to resolve. Despite those differences, the experience of staying home together through a pandemic can be considered a collective mental disturbance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every sector & among those badly hit sectors is education. Education is a constitutional right in India, but its provision falls beneath the satisfactory standards. Lack of education is a primary problem in India, and the Indian government schools are a clear picture of this. The infrastructure of schools is in a pathetic state and a lot of school teachers are not properly qualified, with 31% of them not having a degree. About 40% of schools are without electricity. Only a small over 50% of children enrolled in schools in India make it to 12th Class. Less than half of them enter higher educational institutes. By and large, only those students who can afford posh ‘private coaching’ advance through the entrance tests to the popular engineering and medical colleges.
When the whole world is trying to impart education through online mediums India is lagging way behind in this race. It is the time when India should try investing in the educational sector & promote online education which will eventually help masses of students. Diversity of online study material in the form of videos and texts will encourage students to adopt online education platforms & online courses at UG or PG level are much more affordable than traditional programs.
The pace at which the economic shockwaves from the plague has hit developing countries is dramatic. The COVID-19 crumple of the global economy is prompting comparisons with earlier major economic adjustments at the time of World War II. Globalisation has made countries inter-dependent to some extent & by closing borders completely, the world is deprived of goods and products that were produced by countries together, therefore, hurting economies and worsening unemployment situation. There are round about ten nuclear-powered nations & expenditure amounting to $1.8 trillion on the military by the whole world to fight against each other yet they are failing to tackle a nano-micron sized organism. Now, will 13,890 nuclear warheads help any of the nations out there or will there be anyone left on this planet to use them? This pandemic is exposing each and every fault in the working of governments, International bodies & Organisations like UN/WHO/ILO.
Talking about India’s economy it was already in decline due to the recession in the automobile sector & this pandemic is adding nails to the coffin. The impact of COVID-19 has mostly been felt across sectors such as logistics, auto, tourism, metals, electronic goods, MSMEs and retail. The Demand & Supply chain is also affected to the worst extent, as a result, India is suffering huge inefficiencies of working capital, which is tied up in stock/inventory that is probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, India is facing losses in income to parallel trade, counterfeiting, and other reliability intimidation, and a lack of adaptableness to shifts in demand or conditions.
In the moment of dire mental trauma world is going through something which needs to be addressed with diligent care. Even after the pandemic is over it will leave its traces over the global economies which will take round about at least five to six years to overcome the trade depression post COVID-19 pandemic. It is the high time for organisations like United Nations, World Health Organisation, International Labour Organisation and all the countries over the globe to come & work together for the betterment of humankind. In the future the amounts spent by countries on defence should be temporarily stopped and those funds should be diverted into healthcare & in the development of trade & commerce.
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