Consul General Dr. Swati V. Kulkarni on How India is Handling the Coronavirus Pandemic
What is the current COVID-19 scenario in India?
India has been able to control the number of COVID-19 positive cases substantially. As we speak, positive cases are about 25,000 and we have seen recovery of about 5400-plus corona infected patients. We have also seen limited number of deaths. These are positive developments. In medical terms, we could say that we have more or less succeeded in flattening the curve. Our sustained efforts may flatten it altogether. Indiaremains cautious and vigilant about it. Out of about736 districts in India, about 429 districts have shown positive cases. We have witnessed emergence of hotspots in only 12 districts. Rest of the 300-plus districts are without any cases. States which have hotspots, among others, are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Can you briefly tell us about the measures taken by the Indian Government to deal with the viral scourge?
On 19 March 2020, our Prime Minister urged Indians to observe a one day, self-imposed “People’s Curfew.” This was received well, and it prepared the country for an extended lockdown that has been in place since March 24, 2020. The lockdown has prevented the community spread of the virus. A massive contact tracing and surveillance operation is ongoing on a pan-India scale to preempt transmission of coronavirus. The Government has extended the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns for financial year 2018-2019 to June 30, 2020. GST returns for March, April, and May have also been extended to June 30, 2020.
Government raised existing threshold for Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to INR 1 crore from INR 1 lakh earlier. So far, India has disbursed financial assistance amounting to U.S. $3.9 billion—about 1% of GDP—to more than 320 million people, with aspecial focus on direct cash transfer. About 800 million poor people have been given free food and 80 millionfamilies free cooking gas. Through Jan Dhan account, Aadhar, and mobile number, at the click of a button,the Government has been able to transfer moneydirectly and immediately to the poor and the needy, benefiting crores of families during this crisis.
Another case in point is the education sector. The government has undertaken efforts such as the DIKSHA Portal to help teachers and boost e-learning including ePathshala to enable access to various e-Books and learning material.
How do you foresee COVID-19’s effect on Indian economy?
These are tough times for the global economy—the focus is moving from scale to survival. India, too, will have to grapple with this scenario. The lockdown—complete shutdown—has significantly affected our economy, and the Government is mindful that unprecedented efforts will be required towards its revival. The Government will have to confront turbulence on account of disruption in trade flows and attenuated growth aggravated by the demand, supply, and liquidity shocks that COVID-19 has inflicted. It is our expectation that the course of economic recovery in India will be smoother and faster than in many other countries. Indeed, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its latest report “The COVID-19 shocks to developing countries,” has predicted that the major economy least exposed to recession would be India. Also, significantly, the IMF, while forecasting global recession due to COVID-19, has projected India’s growth rate at 1.9% in 2020, indicating 5.8% rebound in 2021. Post COVID-19, we envision spike in e-commerce, online healthcare, personal care, entertainment, education, media, food/food retail, telecommunication, pharmaceutical, and utility services. Some sectors such as apparels, chemicals, agriculture, mining, tourism, transportation, and automobiles etc. may witness short-term challenges.
How is India engaging with the international community to combat COVID-19?
On March 15 2020, at a virtual meeting of South Asian leaders, our Prime Minister’s proposal to establish a South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19, with an initial U.S. $10 million from India, was unanimously welcomed. This fund has become operational. India has already sent medical supplies and testing equipment to SAARC nations. On March 26, 2020, at a virtual G-20 leader’s summit, our Prime Minister announced India’s contribution to G-20’s U.S. $5 trillion into the global economy to limit job and income losses from the coronavirus. As of April 11, 2020, India has shipped Hydroxychloroquine tablets to 13 countries including U.S., Spain, Germany, Bahrain, Brazil, and SAARCnations etc.
India and U.S. are understood to be collaborating in the fight against the COVID-19. Can you please elaborate?
On bilateral front, India exported a consignment of Hydroxychloroquine tablets along with its active pharmaceutical ingredients and also facilitated return of Americans from India. The premier institutions, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of USA and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), are collaborating on diagnostic and curative aspects of the disease. Indian businesses and prominent community organizations like American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), Sewa International, and others in the US are working with local administrations and communities, in combating the pandemic. We applaud our community and feel immensely proud of their valuable contribution in fighting COVID-19.
What steps has the Consulate taken to reach out to the Indian diaspora?
These days, home is the new office. The internet is the new meeting room. For us, the health and well-being of our staff is paramount, and we have taken steps to remain safe by following strict hygiene guidelines. We request all to bear with us if our response and delivery time is a little slower than usual. We have helplines in place. As of today, we have responded and provided assistance to 700-plus emails and phone calls received from the diaspora. We are doing this in right earnest with a skeletal staff.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to serve people in our jurisdiction during this crisis. We do not have a written template or any precedent to deal with such a situation. We are regularly issuing advisories on social media handles as the situation evolves.
As of now, there are no special flights planned for travel to India. People are advised to avoid any travel for their own safety and in the interest of public health. All are advised to visit the Consulate’s website and social media handles from time to time to receive updates on the situation.
We are happy that all our associations are extending assistance to the needy which, among other things, includes supplies, food, and masks. Our little India in USA must live together, think together, lead together, work together, and walk together in tackling the scourge. This spirit of unity and harmony, transcending all nationalities, will no doubt, earn great respect for our community.
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