Women&rsquo;s workforce participation is yet to recover to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, while men have regained most jobs they lost. We discussed workforce participation in the context of gender equity and the implications for women&rsquo;s empowerment with Christopher Elias, President of the Global Development Division at the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. Women&rsquo;s jobs are mostly in the informal sector so they're more easily pushed out of the workforce, said Elias. Gendered barriers including the increased burden of caregiving due to COVID-19 prevent women from being able to reenter the workforce. The pandemic has shown that efforts for women's economic empowerment need to be redoubled, he said.

‘Covid-19 pandemic has shown how we undervalue women’s work’

Women&rsquo;s workforce participation is yet to recover to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, while men have regained most jobs they lost. We discussed workforce participation in the context of gender equity and the implications for women&rsquo;s empowerment with Christopher Elias, President of the Global Development Division at the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. Women&rsquo;s jobs are mostly in the informal sector so they're more easily pushed out of the workforce, said Elias. Gendered barriers including the increased burden of caregiving due to COVID-19 prevent women from being able to reenter the workforce. The pandemic has shown that efforts for women's economic empowerment need to be redoubled, he said.

The government&rsquo;s move to raise the legal age at marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, with the aim of eradicating child marriage and ensuring gender parity, has prompted concerns from many public policy experts. Law is necessary but insufficient to bring the social change needed to end child marriage, explained Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India. Increased access to education is the main driver of a secular rise in age at marriage, she said. Girls must also be provided with skills linked to jobs for which there is market demand. Empowering women such that they decide if, when and to whom they wish to get married, is also crucial, she said.

'Law not sufficient to bring social change that will end child marriage'

The government&rsquo;s move to raise the legal age at marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, with the aim of eradicating child marriage and ensuring gender parity, has prompted concerns from many public policy experts. Law is necessary but insufficient to bring the social change needed to end child marriage, explained Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India. Increased access to education is the main driver of a secular rise in age at marriage, she said. Girls must also be provided with skills linked to jobs for which there is market demand. Empowering women such that they decide if, when and to whom they wish to get married, is also crucial, she said.

The 2022-23 budget kept the health budget unchanged as compared to the revised estimates of the 2021-22 budget. This is disappointing, K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India and Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive of the Centre for Policy Research, tell Govindraj Ethiraj. Watch the full interview for India&rsquo;s healthcare wishlist, where the budget falls short and the way ahead for better healthcare in India.

'No Country Has Provided Equitable, Inclusive Healthcare Without Investing In Public Health'

The 2022-23 budget kept the health budget unchanged as compared to the revised estimates of the 2021-22 budget. This is disappointing, K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India and Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive of the Centre for Policy Research, tell Govindraj Ethiraj. Watch the full interview for India&rsquo;s healthcare wishlist, where the budget falls short and the way ahead for better healthcare in India.

The assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarkhand, Manipur and Goa are nearing. States have started gearing up for the polls, and many of the voters like every election year are thinking whether they will be able to vote of not.
Many voters often complain of not finding their names in the voter list on the last day. If you don't want to miss out on voting this time, go through our short tutorial to check how one can register to vote.

How To Check Your Name In Voters' List

The assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarkhand, Manipur and Goa are nearing. States have started gearing up for the polls, and many of the voters like every election year are thinking whether they will be able to vote of not.
Many voters often complain of not finding their names in the voter list on the last day. If you don't want to miss out on voting this time, go through our short tutorial to check how one can register to vote.

&ldquo;Until water disappeared from our house, it remained invisible to us,&rdquo; said Mridula Ramesh, author of the book, Watershed: How We Destroyed India&rsquo;s Water And How We Can Save It. In her latest book, she writes about how Indians once understood how special water was and had devised ways to manage it well. In an interview, Ramesh, the founder of Sundaram Climate Institute, an investor in cleantech start-ups, and the executive director of Sundaram Textiles, talks about how we can manage water better at home, how there is inequality in access to water and why water is a woman.

‘We have forgotten our water in every way possible’

&ldquo;Until water disappeared from our house, it remained invisible to us,&rdquo; said Mridula Ramesh, author of the book, Watershed: How We Destroyed India&rsquo;s Water And How We Can Save It. In her latest book, she writes about how Indians once understood how special water was and had devised ways to manage it well. In an interview, Ramesh, the founder of Sundaram Climate Institute, an investor in cleantech start-ups, and the executive director of Sundaram Textiles, talks about how we can manage water better at home, how there is inequality in access to water and why water is a woman.

Oxfam&rsquo;s India&rsquo;s latest inequality report released on January 16, 2022, uncovered staggering data on wealth inequality in India. At $719 billion, India&rsquo;s 142 billionaires are now worth more than the poorest 555 million Indians &ndash; more than half a billion people. We spoke to Amitabh Behar, CEO of Oxfam India, to understand the data underlying the report. India has seen an explosion of inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic; steps like a wealth tax on the richest Indians and prioritising education, health and social security expenditure with the ensuing tax revenues are among the ways forward to a more equal society, Behar told us.

‘With exploding inequality, India can’t continue with business as usual’

Oxfam&rsquo;s India&rsquo;s latest inequality report released on January 16, 2022, uncovered staggering data on wealth inequality in India. At $719 billion, India&rsquo;s 142 billionaires are now worth more than the poorest 555 million Indians &ndash; more than half a billion people. We spoke to Amitabh Behar, CEO of Oxfam India, to understand the data underlying the report. India has seen an explosion of inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic; steps like a wealth tax on the richest Indians and prioritising education, health and social security expenditure with the ensuing tax revenues are among the ways forward to a more equal society, Behar told us.

Though daily new cases during India&rsquo;s ongoing third wave of Covid-19 have crossed 268,000 in three weeks, the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant means cases will rise even further, say immunologist Vineeta Bal and chest surgeon Arvind Kumar. Given India&rsquo;s non-optimal health infrastructure, testing asymptomatic contacts of positive cases for Covid-19 is less important than managing outcomes for symptomatic cases, says Bal. Early testing, however, is important to control the spread of infections, says Kumar. Both underscored the importance of vaccination, wearing N95 masks correctly and maintaining social distancing as proven tools for reducing Covid-19 infections and disease severity.

‘Early testing important to control the spread of Omicron’

Though daily new cases during India&rsquo;s ongoing third wave of Covid-19 have crossed 268,000 in three weeks, the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant means cases will rise even further, say immunologist Vineeta Bal and chest surgeon Arvind Kumar. Given India&rsquo;s non-optimal health infrastructure, testing asymptomatic contacts of positive cases for Covid-19 is less important than managing outcomes for symptomatic cases, says Bal. Early testing, however, is important to control the spread of infections, says Kumar. Both underscored the importance of vaccination, wearing N95 masks correctly and maintaining social distancing as proven tools for reducing Covid-19 infections and disease severity.

Across India, more people, including women, are now part of the financial system, as accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna have risen from about 125 million in January 2015 to about 440 million in December 2021. At the same time, digital transactions have increased. We interview G.R. Chintala, the chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development on financial inclusion, digital payments and the outlook on microfinance in India going ahead.

‘Women are the best borrowers and the best repayers’

Across India, more people, including women, are now part of the financial system, as accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna have risen from about 125 million in January 2015 to about 440 million in December 2021. At the same time, digital transactions have increased. We interview G.R. Chintala, the chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development on financial inclusion, digital payments and the outlook on microfinance in India going ahead.

After the first few cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant found in India, we asked Polly Roy, professor of virology at the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, why there is so much worry about this particular strain, given that the world has known the Covid-19 virus for nearly two years now, and that it was always expected that more variants would emerge. Roy says the variant may not be as dangerous as people fear and that disease outcomes, as with any variant, depend on individual immunity. Vaccination is the best path to beat all variants, she says, and adds that she is confident about the efficacy of existing Covid-19 vaccines against Omicron.

Omicron won’t be much more dangerous than other circulating Covid-19 variants

After the first few cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant found in India, we asked Polly Roy, professor of virology at the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, why there is so much worry about this particular strain, given that the world has known the Covid-19 virus for nearly two years now, and that it was always expected that more variants would emerge. Roy says the variant may not be as dangerous as people fear and that disease outcomes, as with any variant, depend on individual immunity. Vaccination is the best path to beat all variants, she says, and adds that she is confident about the efficacy of existing Covid-19 vaccines against Omicron.

A new Covid-19 variant, the Omicron, has put countries on alert, with many announcing travel bans and mandatory quarantines. Masks, physical distancing, hygiene, and avoiding crowds should help, but we must study the behaviour of the variant to model our public health response--if it leads to a mild infection, we should prepare for home care, and if it is found to more virulent, we must gear up our hospital facilities, he adds. The current mRNA vaccines and virus-vector vaccines focus almost exclusively on the spike protein, and if the mutations make the virus unrecognisable to the vaccine-induced antibodies, the initial defence could break down, he says, adding that inactivated virus vaccines like Covaxin may be safer to depend upon in the long run.

Omicron: ‘It’s like facing a new bowler for the first time’

A new Covid-19 variant, the Omicron, has put countries on alert, with many announcing travel bans and mandatory quarantines. Masks, physical distancing, hygiene, and avoiding crowds should help, but we must study the behaviour of the variant to model our public health response--if it leads to a mild infection, we should prepare for home care, and if it is found to more virulent, we must gear up our hospital facilities, he adds. The current mRNA vaccines and virus-vector vaccines focus almost exclusively on the spike protein, and if the mutations make the virus unrecognisable to the vaccine-induced antibodies, the initial defence could break down, he says, adding that inactivated virus vaccines like Covaxin may be safer to depend upon in the long run.

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With a substantial portion of the population vaccinated and now even children being immunised, Covid-19 is heading towards becoming endemic in India, Dr Anita Mathew, a senior consultant, physician and infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai, and Dr Rommel Tickoo, director of Internal Medicine at Max Super Specialty Hospital in Delhi, said in an interview. They urge continued caution and Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, including masking for the next six months. They suggest that all eligible Indians get a vaccine booster dose to give themselves another layer of protection. Annual Covid-19 booster shots may become part of our lives as we learn to live with Covid as we do with many other diseases, they say.

‘Everyone eligible should take a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose without hesitation’

With a substantial portion of the population vaccinated and now even children being immunised, Covid-19 is heading towards becoming endemic in India, Dr Anita Mathew, a senior consultant, physician and infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai, and Dr Rommel Tickoo, director of Internal Medicine at Max Super Specialty Hospital in Delhi, said in an interview. They urge continued caution and Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, including masking for the next six months. They suggest that all eligible Indians get a vaccine booster dose to give themselves another layer of protection. Annual Covid-19 booster shots may become part of our lives as we learn to live with Covid as we do with many other diseases, they say.

Inflation, which reached 7.8% in April 2022 despite weak consumer demand, is set to become the biggest headwind to India's economic recovery in fiscal year 2022-23, per a report by rating agency CRISIL. Weak demand reflects India's K-shaped economic recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic-induced contraction, with private consumption growing slowly because the poorer haven't benefited much from the recovery, says Dharmakirti Joshi, chief economist at CRISIL. The government must cut excise duties on petroleum products or reduce import duties on edible oils to control rising prices and inflation, already above the RBI's danger mark of 6%, sooner rather than later, he told us in an interview.

Inflation In India Is Already Above RBI’s Danger Mark Of 6%

Inflation, which reached 7.8% in April 2022 despite weak consumer demand, is set to become the biggest headwind to India's economic recovery in fiscal year 2022-23, per a report by rating agency CRISIL. Weak demand reflects India's K-shaped economic recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic-induced contraction, with private consumption growing slowly because the poorer haven't benefited much from the recovery, says Dharmakirti Joshi, chief economist at CRISIL. The government must cut excise duties on petroleum products or reduce import duties on edible oils to control rising prices and inflation, already above the RBI's danger mark of 6%, sooner rather than later, he told us in an interview.

Stateless Rohingya who cross over to India fleeing violence and ethnic cleansing do not have valid documentation. They run the risk of being picked up by police, detained indefinitely and deported to Myanmar, where their lives are at risk. Children are separated from their parents and legal and financial challenges further aggravate the misery of a persecuted ethnic minority. A ground report from Bengaluru, by Shreehari Paliath, who met Noor Banoo, a Rohingya refugee whose three children have been detained in West Bengal since the past five years.

Children Separated From Mothers: Rohingyas in India Fear Detention, Deportation

Stateless Rohingya who cross over to India fleeing violence and ethnic cleansing do not have valid documentation. They run the risk of being picked up by police, detained indefinitely and deported to Myanmar, where their lives are at risk. Children are separated from their parents and legal and financial challenges further aggravate the misery of a persecuted ethnic minority. A ground report from Bengaluru, by Shreehari Paliath, who met Noor Banoo, a Rohingya refugee whose three children have been detained in West Bengal since the past five years.

Unless users of water in villages &amp; townships become part of govt groundwater management progs, these will never be a community-owned schemes. Our ground report on how communities at the local level are fighting rural Karnataka&rsquo;s water crisis.

Training Local Communities To Rejuvenate Water Bodies In Rural Karnataka | IndiaSpend

Unless users of water in villages &amp; townships become part of govt groundwater management progs, these will never be a community-owned schemes. Our ground report on how communities at the local level are fighting rural Karnataka&rsquo;s water crisis.

In Karnataka, 43% of rural habitations do not have full drinking water coverage; of these, 41% get less than 40 liters of water/day and 2% get contaminated water. Our ground report on how communities at the local level are fighting rural Karnataka&rsquo;s water crisis.

Simplifying Complexities of Groundwater Management In Rural Karnataka | IndiaSpend

In Karnataka, 43% of rural habitations do not have full drinking water coverage; of these, 41% get less than 40 liters of water/day and 2% get contaminated water. Our ground report on how communities at the local level are fighting rural Karnataka&rsquo;s water crisis.

India is struggling with low labour force participation, low female labour force participation and a highly skewed labour market where the bulk of jobs are informal, says&nbsp; Naushad Forbes&nbsp; , co-chairman of Forbes Marshall and author of &lsquo;The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential&rsquo;. These challenges represent opportunities for India, he said in an interview. The biggest single driver of growth and prosperity is moving people from lower productivity occupations into higher productivity occupations, and if India can put millions of people in good quality jobs, there&rsquo;s the potential to create an economic miracle that will sustain for 30 years.

'India's jobs crisis is an opportunity to create an economic miracle'

India is struggling with low labour force participation, low female labour force participation and a highly skewed labour market where the bulk of jobs are informal, says&nbsp; Naushad Forbes&nbsp; , co-chairman of Forbes Marshall and author of &lsquo;The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential&rsquo;. These challenges represent opportunities for India, he said in an interview. The biggest single driver of growth and prosperity is moving people from lower productivity occupations into higher productivity occupations, and if India can put millions of people in good quality jobs, there&rsquo;s the potential to create an economic miracle that will sustain for 30 years.

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