Nationwide Lockdown In India Research Articles

Assessment of Air Quality Index of Kolkata, Howrah, and 24 Parganas North during COVID- 19 Lockdown

In the course of COVID- 19 pandemic, a nationwide lockdown in India has been imposed from 22nd March 2020 extended to June end, thereafter a partial lockdown was enforced as a precautionary measure to confine the spread of COVID- 19. The anthropogenic activity was restricted during lockdown therefore the pollution level across many cities in India reduced drastically. This eventually led us to analyze the air quality scenario of Kolkata metropolitan city along with suburban areas of North 24 Parganas and Howrah in the state of West Bengal, India. In the present research, the air quality parameters like PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3, and NH3 were analyzed the during lockdown phase of 23rd March 2020 to 30th June 2020. A comparative study was done with the air quality data of the pre-lock down phase (March 2019 to 4th March 2020) and an Air Quality Index (AQI) was prepared. During lockdown coal/ fuel consumption was low due to the restriction of vehicle movement and road transport thus carbon emission in the air was less. AQI improved enormously with reduction of SO2 content to <80 %; among other pollutants NO2 and NH3 reduced to <54 % and <91 % in Kolkata, Howrah, and 24 Parganas North. P.M 2.5 drastically reduced in the regions of Kolkata, Howrah, and 24 Parganas North of West Bengal effectively to <81%, <91 %, and <95% respectively. P.M 10 reduced to <75%, <79%, and < 81 % in Kolkata, Howrah, and 24 Parganas North. In Kolkata there was 55% reduction in the level of CO. There was 4 folds reduction of P.M2.5 and P.M10 in Kolkata compared to March- June 2019. About 50 % to 60 % improvement in air quality was identified within 7days of the lockdown. Improvement of air quality during lockdown has benefited the environment and ecology.

Community health promotion and medical provision and impact on neonates (CHAMPION2) and support to rural India’s public education system and impact on numeracy and literacy scores (STRIPES2): an update to the study protocol (v 11) for a cluster randomised trial in Madhya Pradesh, India

BackgroundThis update outlines amendments to the CHAMPION2/STRIPES2 cluster randomised trial protocol primarily made due to the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown in India in 2020. These amendments were in line with national guidelines for health research during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe did not change the original trial design, eligibility, and outcomes. Amendments were introduced to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission and ensure safety and wellbeing of trial staff, participants, and other villagers. CHAMPION2 intervention: participatory learning and action (PLA) and fixed day service (FDS) meeting were revised to incorporate social distancing and hygiene precautions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PLA participation was limited to pregnant women and birthing partners. STRIPES2 intervention: before/after-school classes were halted for a period and then modified temporarily (reducing class sizes, and/or changing meeting places) with hygiene and safe distancing practices introduced. Data collection: The research team gathered as much information as possible from participants by telephone. If the participant had no telephone or could not be contacted by telephone, data were collected in person. COVID-19 precautions: trial teams were trained on COVID-19 precautions and used personal protective equipment whilst in the villages for trial-related activities.After restarting the trial between June and September 2020 in a phased manner, some trial activities were suspended again in all the trial villages from April to June 2021 due to the second wave of COVID-19 cases and lockdown imposed in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Trial timelines were also revised, with outcomes measured later than originally planned.Trial registrationClinical Trial Registry of India CTRI/2019/05/019296. Registered 23 May 2019.https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MzExOTg=&Enc=&userName=champion2.

Impact of cross border reverse migration in Delhi–UP region of India during COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract The declaration of a nationwide lockdown in India led to millions of migrant workers, particularly from Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar, returning to their home states without proper transportation and social distancing from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. This unforeseen migration and social mixing accelerated the transmission of diseases across the country. To analyze the impact of reverse migration on disease progression, we have developed a disease transmission model for the neighboring Indian states of Delhi and UP. The model’s essential mathematical properties, including positivity, boundedness, equilibrium points (EPs), and their linear stability, as well as computation of the basic reproduction number ( R 0 ) \left({R}_{0}) , are studied. The mathematical analysis reveals that the model with active reverse migration cannot reach a disease-free equilibrium, indicating that the failure of restrictive mobility intervention caused by reverse migration kept the disease propagation alive. Further, PRCC analysis highlights the need for effective home isolation, better disease detection techniques, and medical interventions to curb the spread. The study estimates a significantly shorter doubling time for exponential growth of the disease in both regions. In addition, the occurrence of synchronous patterns between epidemic trajectories of the Delhi and UP regions accentuates the severe implications of migrant plight on UP’s already fragile rural health infrastructure. By using COVID-19 incidence data, we quantify key epidemiological parameters, and our scenario analyses demonstrate how different lockdown plans might have impacted disease prevalence. Based on our observations, the transmission rate has the most significant impact on COVID-19 cases. This case study exemplifies the importance of carefully considering these issues before implementing lockdowns and social isolation throughout the country to combat future outbreaks.

The Effect of Nationwide Lockdown in India on the Epidemiology of Injuries During the First Wave of COVID-19

Background. The pattern of hospital admissions and medical care changed during the COVID pandemic.
 The aim of the study to describe the nature of patients attending the orthopedic emergency department of a level 1 trauma center in terms of number and proportion based on demographic characteristics and the nature of the injury before the lockdown, during the lockdown, and during the unlocking period of the nationwide lockdown for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
 Methods. We conducted a longitudinal study from 01.01.2020 to 31.12.2020. Patients attending the orthopedic emergency were grouped based on cause, type, and site of injury. The median number observed each day with IQR. The distribution of the same was compared between the prelockdown with lockdown period and the lockdown period with a phased unlocking period.
 Results. A total of 10513 patients were included. There was a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients needing inpatient care between the prelockdown phase and lockdown phase (p = 0.008). However, this was not seen between lockdown and postlockdown periods (p = 0.47). The proportion of road traffic accidents dropped from 26% to 15% during this time (p0.001). The proportion of contusions was reduced and that of soft tissue injuries increased (p0.001). The proportion of lower limb injuries decreased from the prelockdown phase to the lockdown phase, and that of spinal injury patients increased (p = 0.007). The proportion of patients with contusions increased and soft tissue injuries decreased during this period (p0.001). Lower limb injuries and road traffic accidents increased, and spinal injuries were reduced (p0.001).
 Conclusion. The lockdown for controlling the spread of the pandemic affected the demographic and epidemiological aspects of injuries attending the orthopedic emergency department of a level 1 trauma center in a developing country. There was a decrease in the proportion of females and children attending the ED during the lockdown. The number of road traffic accedents s decreased during the lockdown. The number of patients with contusions attending the trauma center during the lockdown decreased, but there was an increase in the number of patients with spine injuries. We suggest that improvement in triage facilities, wider use of telemedicine, and increasing the stock of PPEs are essential for tackling such situations in the future.

Urban Exclusion: Rethinking Social Protection in the Wake of the Pandemic in India

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent nationwide lockdown in India that began on 25 March 2020, caused a major disruption in the labour market, leading to the widespread loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. The findings from a telephonic survey of a representative sample of more than 3,000 households in the National Capital Region also reveal a dramatic loss in earning capacity. The place of residence and occupation mediated the impact of the lockdown, with greater vulnerabilities witnessed amongst those engaged in informal employment, especially in urban areas. The government rolled out a series of welfare measures in response to the widespread economic distress, with the provision of free foodgrains and cash transfers aimed at rehabilitating those who were the most affected. While the use of prior social registries enabled quick disbursement, our analysis shows that few households received both foodgrains and cash transfers, particularly in urban areas. Urban residents were also eight percentage points less likely to receive cash transfers than their rural counterparts. JEL Codes: I38, J21, O17

COVID-19 lockdown affects zooplankton community structure in dolphin appearing site of the River Ganga at Patna

Abstract The advent of the 2019 Corona virus impacted day-to day human activities and the nationwide lockdown in India completely paralyzed life (midnight of 24th March, to 31st June, 2020). However, this complete halt of human activity allowed the Ganga ecosystem to realise its maximum self-purification potential, resulting in the improvement of flow regime, water quality and over all restoration of the river. The most common manifestation of restoration of an aquatic ecosystem is zooplankton community structure; i.e. relative proportion of various functional feeding groups. The present study compares selected water quality parameters (DO, BOD, pH, Total coliform, Fecal coliform), and zooplankton community structure estimated during the lockdown period with the values recorded for the same period in previous three years at dolphin appearing site near Kalighat, (25° 37’ 19.398’’ N; 85° 9’ 55.8972’’ E), middle of the Patna city and Mittal Ghat (downstream site of the Patna City) at Gurhatta (25° 36’ 24.5772’’ N; 85° 13’ 1.6788’’ E). During each sampling, the dolphin emergence site and frequency were monitored for three hours duration. Monthly zooplankton samples were collected at both the sites using a 53 µm mesh size plankton net beginning January 2018 by filtering 45-50 l of river water. Zooplankton were identified and segregated based on functional feeding groups. The values of dissolved oxygen were significantly higher, whereas that of BOD level, total coliform and total fecal coliform were lower during the lockdown period than those in previous years. Detailed analyses revealed that relative proportions of Cladocera were significantly higher, whereas that of bacterivorous Rotifera were significantly lower than the previous values of the same months. The highly indicator species at both the sampling sites was Moina micrura during March-May 2020; in previous years it was Brachionus rotifers 8.8 (ind l-1) at Kalighat and Moina micrura (15 ind l-1) at Gurhatta. Our results suggest that during the lockdown the dolphin appearing sites at both stations shifted towards the riverbank whereas, zooplankton community structure changed towards algaevorous Cladocera without affecting overall species richness.

Working at Home to Living at Work: Ramifications of Digitalised Workplaces

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease across borders throughout the globe changed the functioning of organizations. More specifically, organizations in the Information Technology (IT) sector had made significant changes in their organizational processes. One significant change was the shift towards working from home. This article aims to understand the experiences of employees working from home and the emotional consequences of those experiences due to digitalised workplaces. Our study is a qualitative inquiry of the unique experiences of 20 IT employees working in the digitalised workplace during a nationwide lockdown in India. The lived experiences of employees during lockdown elicited that work from home, which in general is considered a blessing in disguise was gradually turning into a curse because of paucity of social bonding, thereby leading to the melancholy of crisis among individuals. We observed distorted work-life balance among employees emerging from blurring boundaries between work and personal life. Hence, the employees resorted to coping through psychological adjustments to new routines. A majority of the workers felt that full-time work from home had taken a toll on their mental health, leading to frustration, stagnation, and depression. Organizational support emerged as a silver lining amidst chaos. This study is one of the early and novel accounts of the implications of digitalised workplaces on employees working virtually for a significant duration for the first-time. We collected the data from March, 2020 to May, 2020 when the outbreak of COVID-19 was at its peak. Hence, the accounts of these employees are genuine and first-hand experiences of the initial shift in organizational processes.

COVID-19 peak estimation and effect of nationwide lockdown in India

There was a fury of the pandemic because of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2) that happened in Wuhan, Hubei province, in China in December 2019. Since then, many model predictions on the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan and other parts of China have been reported. The first incident of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India was reported on 30 January 2020, which was a student from Wuhan. The number of reported cases started to increase day by day after 30 February 2020. The purpose of this investigation is to provide a prediction of the epidemic peak for COVID-19 in India by utilizing real-time data from 30 February to 14 April 2020. We apply the well-known epidemic compartmental model “SEIR” to predict the epidemic peak of COVID-19, India. Since we do not have the complete detail of the infective population, using the available infected population data, we identify the R0 by using polynomial regression. By using the third-order polynomial equation, we estimate that the basic reproduction number for the epidemic in India is R0 = 3.3 (95%CI, 3.1–3.5), and the epidemic peak could be reached by September 2020.

Of Semiotics, the Marginalised and Laws During the Lockdown in India.

On 24th March 2020, the first nationwide complete lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister of India for 21 days which was later extended to 31st May 2020. Consequently, thousands of migrant workers placed in big cities had no other option but to go back to their native villages. Their journeys back to villages- thousands of kilometres on bicycles or foot due to the non-availability of public transport amidst the travel ban- were driven by the compulsions of food and shelter. In one of many heart-wrenching incidents, sixteen laborers were run over by a freight train (all passenger trains in the wake of lockdown had been halted) while they were resting on the railway tracks. The images of the Roti (Indian bread) on the railway track strewn across were beamed on the national news channels, as a telling commentary of the unimaginable hardships of these workers. Ironically, in the eyes of law, they were trespassers under the Indian Railways Act, 1989. The Indian Railway did not pay any compensation to the victims. Their act also violated the Indian Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Indian Penal Code, 1860- the law for the breach of lockdown guidelines and the law for disobedience of order by public servants respectively- for having decided to travel amidst a travel ban. The semiotics of law-making acts ‘criminal’ bereft of ‘moral culpability’ are seldom questioned on their supposed amoral foundations. Pandemic exhibited that social fissures not only condition the individual or community actions but also the actions of the State. Minorities especially Muslims were at the receiving end of State’s selective enforcement of lockdown laws in India. The various instances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic expose the hollow claims of equality before the law and the equal protection of laws as a constitutional promise to every citizen. This article aims to unravel the ostensible and the actual moral exhibition of such Indian laws through the lens of several incidents during the nationwide lockdown in India. This paper would argue that this constructed positivist amorality needs to be deconstructed to unearth the power imbalance that it seeks to hide.

Management of Safe and Adequate Blood Supply in COVID-19 Pandemic Amid National Lockdown

Background and Objectives: Blood centers around the globe are dependent on voluntary blood donation from healthy individuals to meet their blood supplies. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 pandemic has become one of the most critical global health emergencies of modern times. Blood transfusion service (BTS) in India faced numerous challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak and the following imposed country lockdown. We aim to identify the challenges faced by a standalone blood center and explore the mitigation strategies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at a standalone blood center done over a time period of 05 months including the nationwide lockdown phase. Personal invitation of donors, social media awareness, and in-house donation drives were implemented to improve donor inflow. Restricted donor entry, stringent donor selection, and adequate sanitization strategies were the key steps adopted to ensure the safety of donors and staffs. Results: After a declaration of nationwide lockdown in India, blood donation showed a drop of 13.36% and blood demand was also reduced by 25.70% in our study. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic affected blood donation process and blood supply and adversely affected BTSs. BTS should always be vigilant to adopt new practices even before guidelines are set by regulatory authorities in adverse situations. Restrictive blood transfusion strategies need to be emphasized in the country.

Change in Patterns of Tobacco Use during Lockdown due to COVID-19

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is among the biggest public health concerns globally, causing disease, disability, premature deaths with additional economic, social and environmental burden. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a nationwide lockdown in India which affected tobacco consumption due to various reasons.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on home delivery of contraceptives by community health workers in India: Time to (re) evaluate and innovate.

ABSTRACTThe World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global health emergency in January 2020, leading to a nationwide lockdown in India. It has been an experience from other outbreaks that governments cannot maintain the essential health services and guarantee health services. Due to COVID-19-related case management, all health schemes, including FP services, have been disrupted globally regarding availability, accessibility, appropriateness of service delivery, adequacy, and continuity of care. The impact of the pandemic on FP services listed includes disruptions in supply chain management, enhanced gender inequity, communication barriers, fear of going outside and buying contraceptives, discontinuity of ASHA capacity building, increased time spent with all family members, reverse migration of workers, and increased need of contraceptive commodities. Evidence shows the consequence of non-supply of logistics, social distancing, inadequate human resources, and inability to access services might result in 26 million couples in unmet need for contraception, resulting in 2.4 million unintended pregnancies and 1.45 million abortions, which may lead to unsafe abortions. Potential solutions to these problems include telephonic service delivery, maintaining a record, using video communication and other technological solutions using a smartphone, combining routine immunization with FP services, and installing self-dispensing machines for contraceptives at accessible places. The limitation of this work is that this is wholly experienced-based work and not based on primary findings from the field level data. These findings highlight the importance of reproductive health needs during the pandemic and guide policymakers.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE, THE FACE OF FACELESS: THE ORDEAL OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN INDIA DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID-19

In May 2020, when the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was galloping at a high rate and the entire world’s economy was brought almost to a standstill, there was fear and confusion all over. During the ongoing lockdown in India, a newspaper report published in the Hindustan Times shook the hearts of Indians. A small toddler tried in vain to shake up his mother who died on a railway platform in Muzaffarpur Bihar, India. She was a migrant worker, trying to return to her hometown due to the lockdown. (Singh, 2020). Such migrant crises and tragic stories were reported daily. The report posed a big question mark on the law and administration. The present study tried to capture the disaster and migrant crisis that unfolded since the implementation of the first nationwide lockdown in India with effect from March 24, 2020. The study also investigated the role of government agencies to curb the Exodus and provide relief to the millions and millions of interstate migrant workers. It aimed to figure out the reasons for the inefficacy of the government schemes and to understand the role of NGOs and locals who contributed to the relief measures. It also reveals that the worst-hit people due to the lockdown were the undocumented workers of the informal sector. It highlights the short-sightedness of the administration and the apathy shown towards the migrant crisis. The study also brings forward the commendable role of the NGOs and the locals who provided relief to the underprivileged section of the Indian economy. It demonstrates how at times even small efforts can go on to bring huge relief and encourages the participation of common citizens in times of crisis. It also foregrounds the fact that in India, among these migrants the fear of uncertainty and starvation was greater than the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reverse Migrant Workers in Uttarakhand

Introduction: The announcement of a nationwide lockdown in India in March 2020 in response to the CoVID-19 pandemic led an exodus of migrant workers back to their homes. The significant adverse impact of this event in its early phase on these reverse migrants has been well documented. With the passage of several months, these reverse migrants eventually reached their homes and re-entered their own communities. This study was conducted amongst a rural community on the interior regions of Almora in hill state of Uttarakhand. Aim: It aims to assess the impact of the later phase of the CoVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the reverse migrants, and compare this impact with the residents, who have never migrated. Methodology: Door-to-door survey was conducted in the study population, 5-9 months after the lockdown was announced. The participants were matched and grouped into residents and reverse migrants and were evaluated on PHQ-9, GAD-7, IES, and BRIEF-COPE to assess the impact on the participants. Results: No significant depression or anxiety was found in the reverse migrants group, even though the impact of the pandemic and lockdown was felt more by them as compared to the residents group. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups for depression or anxiety. Conclusion: These findings can be attributed to factors such as social support from the community members, engagement in work and the use of approach based coping mechanisms.

Challenges and Solutions for Keeping Maternity and Gynecology Services Functioning Comprehensively in Secondary Level Health Care Facility in COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Using a Clinical Spproach

OBJECTIVE: With the nationwide lockdown in India, and with a near-exclusive focus on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) there has been a great deal of neglect in the management of other illnesses leading to significant mortality and morbidity. We aimed to assess the feasibility of keeping obstetrics & gynecology services in a secondary care hospital functioning (in terms of regional experiences and comprehensive patient care measures) in the COVID-19 pandemic situation using a clinical approach. STUDY DESIGN: All policies of the World Health Organization and other international obstetrics- gynecological recommendations or guidelines were followed in keeping the services functional. Hospital data of obstetrics and gynecology services were maintained and compared with the previous year’s data of the corresponding period (January to December) through a retrospective observational study. RESULTS: Compared to figures for 2019, in-patient admissions, surgeries, and daycare procedures performed, and deliveries conducted were reduced in total but almost approached previous levels. The number of out-patient attendance and gynecologic laparoscopic surgeries were significantly reduced mostly in the initial month of lockdown (April 2020) and thereafter. Only limited COVID-19 testing was done and there was no mortality in patients or health care workers (HCW) in the obstetrics and gynecological department. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic had caused an unprecedented global healthcare crisis. The experience and data collected from our hospital in the study period validate the ‘clinical’ working protocol that enables comprehensive maternity and gynecology care at secondary level care centers even in a pandemic situation without adverse outcomes on patients or the hospital staff.

COVID-19-Related Financial Hardship, Job Loss, and Mental Health Symptoms: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study in a Rural Agrarian Community in India.

Several countries, including India, imposed mandatory social distancing, quarantine, and lockdowns to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Although these measures were effective in curbing the spread of the virus, prolonged social distancing, quarantine, and the resultant economic disruption led to an increase in financial stress and mental health concerns. Prior studies established a link between the first lockdown and an increase in mental health issues. However, few studies investigated the association between post-lockdown financial hardship, job loss, and mental health. In this study, we examined the association between COVID-19-related financial hardship, job loss, and mental health symptoms approximately nine months after the end of the first nationwide lockdown in India. Job loss was associated with higher reporting of mental health symptoms among men (aIRR = 1.16) while financial hardship was associated with poor mental health symptoms among women (aIRR = 1.29). Conversely, social support and government aid were associated with better mental health symptoms among women. Our findings highlight the need for financial assistance and job creation programs to aid families in the recovery process. There is also an urgent need for improving the availability and affordability of mental health services in rural areas.

Ozone chemistry and dynamics at a tropical coastal site impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown

The nationwide lockdown in India to curb the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to colossal reduction in anthropogenic emissions. Here, we investigated the impact of lockdown on surface ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over a tropical coastal station – Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram (8.5°N, 76.9°E). Daytime as well as night-time NO2 showed reduction by 0.8 (40%) and 2.3 (35%) ppbv, respectively during the lockdown period of 25–30 March 2020 as compared with the same period of previous 3 years. Unlike many urban locations, daytime surface O3 is found to be dramatically reduced by 15 ppbv (36%) with O3 production rate being lower by a factor of 3 during the lockdown. Interestingly, a feature of O3-hump during the onset of land breeze typically observed during 1997–1998 has reappeared with magnitude of 5–10 ppbv. A photochemical box model, capturing this feature, revealed that significant O3 sustained till onset of land breeze over the land due to weaker titration with NOx during lockdown. It is suggested that the transport of this O3 rich air with onset of land breeze led to the observed hump. Our measurements unravel a remarkable impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the chemistry and dynamics of O3 over this tropical coastal environment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12040-021-01666-3.

Effectiveness of short-term belly breathing training in individuals who work-from-home during the COVID-19 lockdown in India

COVID-19 impacted many lives around the globe, leading to a nationwide lockdown in India from the 25th of March 2020. Home confinement, physical and social isolation, the spread of false news through social media, fear of contracting the disease, lack of physical activity, and work-from-home situations have affected the mental status and sleep quality of individuals during the lockdown. We intended to identify the effect of belly breathing exercise in reducing the depression, anxiety and stress levels in individuals who work-from-home during the lockdown. A hundred participants were identified through snowball sampling and were divided into two equal groups. Group A received a health education program and belly breathing techniques, whereas group B was provided with a health education program alone. DASS 21 and single item Sleep Quality Scale was assessed before recruitment and after three weeks of intervention in both groups. Significant reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress levels were observed in group A (p<0.001) than that of group B. Participants who underwent belly breathing also reported significant improvement in sleep quality after three weeks of intervention. Belly breathing has found to be an effective and simple technique to instruct and perform, which significantly reduces depression, anxiety and stress levels in individuals who work from home and are in need of medical advice for their mental health status. We suggest the use of belly breathing in improving the mental status in any black swan events such as home quarantine or strict physical isolation measures, and even during any stressful situations.

Social Injustice in the Neoliberal Pandemic Era for Homeless Persons With Mental Illness: A Qualitative Inquiry From India.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge globally. It is much bigger than a bio-medical concern now with the multitudes of socio-economic, socio-political, socio-cultural, and psycho-social impact, which are likely to outlast the pandemic itself by far and long. The pandemic and the resulting challenges across societies highlighted the existing social injustices in a neoliberal world for historically marginalized populations like homeless persons with mental illness (HPMI). The nationwide lockdown in India to resist the spread of the virus posed a unique challenge to this vulnerable population. The present study thus attempts to understand the experience of HPMI during the COVID-19 induced lockdown through the theoretical framework of social justice vis-à-vis injustice. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted on seven HPMI rehabilitated in the community through an NGO situated in Kolkata, India. Seven stakeholders have also been interviewed to understand their experience in providing services to the HPMI during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Analyses of the narratives have been done using initial coding, focused coding and axial coding through the process of constant comparison of constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology. Critical insights from the study bring out experiences of HPMI during COVID-19 as a victim of structural violence, highlighting their exclusion and victimization due to the existing marginalized status, living closer to the edge as a consequence of the lockdown, lack of awareness of the gravity of the pandemic situation. The experiences of the stakeholders, on the other hand, pointed out the role of community members and social workers in partially mitigating the challenges. This study indicates that to mitigate the aftermaths, stakeholders, including community members, need to work together for rebuilding and enhancing the strength and resilience of the marginalized populations like HPMI, who are historically victims of social injustice in the neoliberal pandemic era.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION

The present research paper is focused on the protection of consumer rights during COVID-19 pandemic.Consumer is the king of market but locked at home due to COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions on consumer has hampered all economic activities of the country. Nationwide lockdown in India has created challenges before the consumer. In this attempt is made to understand how the rights of the consume is effected during the lockdown.The study will guide and suggest plan of action to maintain and protect the consumer rights. It is researched based article concerned to better understand the normal rights of the consumer. The study is undertaken during lockdown period to understand the consumer protection system.If consumer is satisfied it helps to maintain the law and order in the country and develop the cooperative attitude among the society. Attempt is made to simplify topic for better administration of the pandemic situation arisen due to COVID-19.This article will help to create awareness among society towards consumer protection. Satisfied consumer assists to develop hands in hands for efficient administration and fight the pandemic situation.The role of government in protecting the consumer rights during lockdown period is remarkable. Attempts were made to measure the experience of the students related to unfair and restricted trade practices.Every consumer is expecting to enjoy their rights but during pandemic it is more realistic to renounce their rights to combat coronavirus.