The Covid-19 pandemic has kept India&rsquo;s 250 million children of school-going age out of school for over 18 months. India&rsquo;s digital divide has meant many have not been able to access online learning, and are thus effectively shut out of learning. Now, calls to reopen schools are growing as India emerges out of the second Covid wave. What should be the plan in case of future Covid-19 outbreaks? How can the digital and gender divides in education, deepened by the pandemic, be addressed from a policy perspective? To discuss all this, we spoke with Rukmini Banerji, CEO of the Pratham education foundation and Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India.

‘When schools reopen, focus on rebuilding basics’

The Covid-19 pandemic has kept India&rsquo;s 250 million children of school-going age out of school for over 18 months. India&rsquo;s digital divide has meant many have not been able to access online learning, and are thus effectively shut out of learning. Now, calls to reopen schools are growing as India emerges out of the second Covid wave. What should be the plan in case of future Covid-19 outbreaks? How can the digital and gender divides in education, deepened by the pandemic, be addressed from a policy perspective? To discuss all this, we spoke with Rukmini Banerji, CEO of the Pratham education foundation and Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India.

How is rural India battling the Covid19 crisis and what are the challenges faced in providing healthcare facilities to remote parts in India? IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj asks Dr.Pavitra Mohan, Secretary, Basic Healthcare Services and Dr. Rajani Bhat, Consultant Pulmonologist. Dr. Pavitra Mohan says there is fear and mistrust in the public healthcare system and coercion used to promote vaccination drive has stopped people from approaching public healthcare facilities in rural India. Dr. Rajani Bhat talks about offering solution to this problem with the formation of a community science alliance. Watch the entire video for more insights.

 Covid-19 in rural India: tackling fear, mistrust and lack of infrastructure | IndiaSpend

How is rural India battling the Covid19 crisis and what are the challenges faced in providing healthcare facilities to remote parts in India? IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj asks Dr.Pavitra Mohan, Secretary, Basic Healthcare Services and Dr. Rajani Bhat, Consultant Pulmonologist. Dr. Pavitra Mohan says there is fear and mistrust in the public healthcare system and coercion used to promote vaccination drive has stopped people from approaching public healthcare facilities in rural India. Dr. Rajani Bhat talks about offering solution to this problem with the formation of a community science alliance. Watch the entire video for more insights.

What are steroids like dexamethasone, methylprednisolone? Are they helpful in treating Covid-19? What happens if a Covid patient is given an overdose of these steroids. IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj speaks to pulmonologists Dr. Lancelot Pinto,&nbsp; Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai and Dr Rajani Bhat- based in Bengaluru.
 Dr. Bhat says only Covid patients who are severely ill require steroids.&nbsp; If it is used at an early stage it might have detrimental effects. While steroids are easily available over the counter in India, that is not the case in UK or the US where they are made available to patients who are hospitalised.&nbsp;
 Dr. Pinto says "Minimalism really works in a disease like Covid19".&nbsp; Immunity of patients gets suppressed because of intake of high doses. Younger people are being given more steroids than older patients and are ending up in a worse state- says Dr Pinto.

Covid-19 Drugs: are steroids being over prescribed & reducing immunity? | IndiaSpend | Black Fungus

What are steroids like dexamethasone, methylprednisolone? Are they helpful in treating Covid-19? What happens if a Covid patient is given an overdose of these steroids. IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj speaks to pulmonologists Dr. Lancelot Pinto,&nbsp; Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai and Dr Rajani Bhat- based in Bengaluru.
 Dr. Bhat says only Covid patients who are severely ill require steroids.&nbsp; If it is used at an early stage it might have detrimental effects. While steroids are easily available over the counter in India, that is not the case in UK or the US where they are made available to patients who are hospitalised.&nbsp;
 Dr. Pinto says "Minimalism really works in a disease like Covid19".&nbsp; Immunity of patients gets suppressed because of intake of high doses. Younger people are being given more steroids than older patients and are ending up in a worse state- says Dr Pinto.

ICMR revised Covid-19 treatment protocols on April 22. Some of the recommendations in the new document are the same as the initial set announced in March 2020 and doctors continue to prescribe drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and ivermectin which are not found effective.
 Are Patients Pressuring Doctors To Overprescribe Drugs? Watch IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj discuss this with Dr Gunjan Chanchalani, Consultant Intensivist, Cumballa Hill Hospital &amp; St Elizabeth Hospital and Dr Sumit Ray, Head of Department of Critical Care, Holy Family Hospital.&nbsp;
 Dr. Gunjan Chanchalani says doctors are under pressure due to lack of resources and poor healthcare development. She adds that conditions of her patients have not worsened by not taking the drugs. Dr Sumit Ray says the patients panic as their trust level is low due to over privatisation and argues that it is necessary to gain their trust.

Remdesivir, Ivermectin, Plasma- why doctors are under pressure to prescribe these therapies?

ICMR revised Covid-19 treatment protocols on April 22. Some of the recommendations in the new document are the same as the initial set announced in March 2020 and doctors continue to prescribe drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and ivermectin which are not found effective.
 Are Patients Pressuring Doctors To Overprescribe Drugs? Watch IndiaSpend's Govindraj Ethiraj discuss this with Dr Gunjan Chanchalani, Consultant Intensivist, Cumballa Hill Hospital &amp; St Elizabeth Hospital and Dr Sumit Ray, Head of Department of Critical Care, Holy Family Hospital.&nbsp;
 Dr. Gunjan Chanchalani says doctors are under pressure due to lack of resources and poor healthcare development. She adds that conditions of her patients have not worsened by not taking the drugs. Dr Sumit Ray says the patients panic as their trust level is low due to over privatisation and argues that it is necessary to gain their trust.

With India seeing a spike in Covid19 cases once again, we understand the progression of the disease. Databaaz' Govindraj Ethiraj speaks to health experts Dr. Tanu Singhal and Rakesh Mishra to understand the intensity of the disease. They also discuss about the newly identified double mutants and the risk it poses.

Covid19 Double Mutants: What Are The Risks? | DataBaaz

With India seeing a spike in Covid19 cases once again, we understand the progression of the disease. Databaaz' Govindraj Ethiraj speaks to health experts Dr. Tanu Singhal and Rakesh Mishra to understand the intensity of the disease. They also discuss about the newly identified double mutants and the risk it poses.

Two cousin sisters in UP's Badaun district were found hanging from a tree in 2014. Societal prejudices and deep inequities were among the many complex reasons that led to the terrible tragedy. So what happened? Sonia Faleiro, award-winning author who investigated their true story for her book 'The Good Girls' speaks to Databaaz' Govindraj Ethiraj.

Sonia Faleiro l Badaun, UP murder case: System failed two young girls

Two cousin sisters in UP's Badaun district were found hanging from a tree in 2014. Societal prejudices and deep inequities were among the many complex reasons that led to the terrible tragedy. So what happened? Sonia Faleiro, award-winning author who investigated their true story for her book 'The Good Girls' speaks to Databaaz' Govindraj Ethiraj.

What does Priya Ramani&rsquo;s victory mean for the future of the #MeToo movement in India and what precedent will Priya Ramani Vs MJ Akbar case set for victims of sexual harassment?
Watch this important conversation with Priya Ramani and her lawyer, Sr Adv Rebecca John, steered by Journalist and Author Namita Bhandare, via Databaaz and Indiaspend.

First victory for #MeToo in India: MJ Akbar vs Priya Ramani case

What does Priya Ramani&rsquo;s victory mean for the future of the #MeToo movement in India and what precedent will Priya Ramani Vs MJ Akbar case set for victims of sexual harassment?
Watch this important conversation with Priya Ramani and her lawyer, Sr Adv Rebecca John, steered by Journalist and Author Namita Bhandare, via Databaaz and Indiaspend.

In this interview with Anuradha Gupta, the deputy CEO of GAVI, Govindraj Ethiraj discussesHow #Coronavaccine is being rolled out in India and across the world at a time when the herd immunity is rising? What challenges lie before in immunising people? And what can be its solutions?
Anuradha Gupta suggests, "Nobody is saved until everyone is saved. So, in 2021, the demand will outstrip the supply. Therefore, we will have to take a targetted approach which focusing on vaccination high priority groups first. This will reduce the transmission and save the #healthsystems from overwhelming."

Covid-19 vaccines: will poor countries be left behind? | DataBaaz

In this interview with Anuradha Gupta, the deputy CEO of GAVI, Govindraj Ethiraj discussesHow #Coronavaccine is being rolled out in India and across the world at a time when the herd immunity is rising? What challenges lie before in immunising people? And what can be its solutions?
Anuradha Gupta suggests, "Nobody is saved until everyone is saved. So, in 2021, the demand will outstrip the supply. Therefore, we will have to take a targetted approach which focusing on vaccination high priority groups first. This will reduce the transmission and save the #healthsystems from overwhelming."

Why women & young people lost more jobs during the pandemic | DataBaaz

Almost 15 million jobs have been lost between December 2019 and 2020. Jobs for women and young people have been disproportionately impacted by Covid19 in India. "It is women who are losing jobs more than men, it is the graduates and postgraduates losing more jobs than the others," says Mahesh Vyas, MD &amp; CEO, Centre For Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) tells Govindraj Ethiraj in this interview. "Job loss, no matter which way you cut it, is of a distressing kind," &nbsp;says Vyas.

How dangerous is the new UK Coronavirus strain? | DataBaaz

The new #covid19 #mutation found in the UK has 17 different variations from the previous virus. And this makes the virus much more infectious. What's the difference between this new mutation of the #covid19 virus and the previous ones? One of the big difference is that multiple changes in the new virus structure make it more infectious to younger people, says Prof K Srinath Reddy to Govindraj Ethiraj.

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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

Even as the earlier targets for conserving biodiversity, set in Aichi, Japan for 2011-2020 are largely unmet, 196 countries will meet in Kunming, China, to adopt a new Global Biodiversity Framework. This includes 21 targets to halt biodiversity loss and 10 milestones to transform society&rsquo;s relationship with biodiversity. In the run up to the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in August, we explain the role of this framework in protecting biodiversity, and what must change for it to be implemented. Experts say what is needed is a stronger framework, including in funding conservation and monitoring it, such that countries will be compelled to abide. @flavialopes1398 , in our #TIL explainer, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.

#TodayILearned: Can The Global Biodiversity Framework Protect Biodiversity?

Even as the earlier targets for conserving biodiversity, set in Aichi, Japan for 2011-2020 are largely unmet, 196 countries will meet in Kunming, China, to adopt a new Global Biodiversity Framework. This includes 21 targets to halt biodiversity loss and 10 milestones to transform society&rsquo;s relationship with biodiversity. In the run up to the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in August, we explain the role of this framework in protecting biodiversity, and what must change for it to be implemented. Experts say what is needed is a stronger framework, including in funding conservation and monitoring it, such that countries will be compelled to abide. @flavialopes1398 , in our #TIL explainer, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.

Across the world, it is very difficult to find genomic, clinical and metadata on variants of Covid-19 in a cohesive manner. &ldquo;Hence, we get a piecemeal view of the emergence and transmissibility of these pathogens,&rdquo; says Manisha Bhinge, the managing director for health at the Rockefeller Foundation, and of the Global Networks and Partnerships with the Pandemic Prevention Institute, which was set up in 2021. This is true of India too, where the capacity to manufacture testing kits for Covid-19 has improved manifold, and its cost has reduced from almost Rs 4,500 to Rs 250-Rs 300, says Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and director of the Center For Cellular And Molecular Platforms. Govindraj Ethiraj interviews both experts to understand India&rsquo;s testing capabilities in the face of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus.

‘To Control Omicron, Need Cohesive Data On Genomes, Clinical Signs, Geography’

Across the world, it is very difficult to find genomic, clinical and metadata on variants of Covid-19 in a cohesive manner. &ldquo;Hence, we get a piecemeal view of the emergence and transmissibility of these pathogens,&rdquo; says Manisha Bhinge, the managing director for health at the Rockefeller Foundation, and of the Global Networks and Partnerships with the Pandemic Prevention Institute, which was set up in 2021. This is true of India too, where the capacity to manufacture testing kits for Covid-19 has improved manifold, and its cost has reduced from almost Rs 4,500 to Rs 250-Rs 300, says Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and director of the Center For Cellular And Molecular Platforms. Govindraj Ethiraj interviews both experts to understand India&rsquo;s testing capabilities in the face of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus.

Early childhood care is critical for children&rsquo;s holistic development, encompassing aspects of health, nutrition, education, and cognitive and emotional development. Access to full-day childcare has been shown to raise poor working women&rsquo;s incomes by at least 50%, says Mirai Chatterjee, chairperson, SEWA Cooperative Federation. The government needs to invest more on childcare, and extend the Integrated Child Development Services from the current two to three hours to at least eight hours, she tells IndiaSpend in this interview.

Full-day childcare can help women double their incomes

Early childhood care is critical for children&rsquo;s holistic development, encompassing aspects of health, nutrition, education, and cognitive and emotional development. Access to full-day childcare has been shown to raise poor working women&rsquo;s incomes by at least 50%, says Mirai Chatterjee, chairperson, SEWA Cooperative Federation. The government needs to invest more on childcare, and extend the Integrated Child Development Services from the current two to three hours to at least eight hours, she tells IndiaSpend in this interview.

Reversing the trend observed in most developing countries, in the face of economic distress, India&rsquo;s workforce is migrating back to agriculture. Why is this happening and what does it imply for India&rsquo;s economy? With investment falling steadily and no new jobs being created, India&rsquo;s existing and new labour force is moving back to farms for mostly low productivity work, says economist Mahesh Vyas, the chief executive officer at the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. This is disguised unemployment, and the return to normalcy will be a long struggle, he says.

Stalled Growth & Investment Is Pushing India’s Labour Force To Return To Farms

Reversing the trend observed in most developing countries, in the face of economic distress, India&rsquo;s workforce is migrating back to agriculture. Why is this happening and what does it imply for India&rsquo;s economy? With investment falling steadily and no new jobs being created, India&rsquo;s existing and new labour force is moving back to farms for mostly low productivity work, says economist Mahesh Vyas, the chief executive officer at the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. This is disguised unemployment, and the return to normalcy will be a long struggle, he says.

With Kerala accounting for roughly half of all daily new Covid-19 cases in India, questions abound over why. What do these case numbers mean for the rest of Kerala, and about the ability of Kerala to cope with its caseload? More importantly, what does Kerala&rsquo;s experience portend for the rest of the country? For answers, we spoke with Kerala-based doctors and public health experts V. Ramankutty and Rajeev Jayadevan.

'Despite high vaccination rate, Kerala mustn’t let guard down during Onam’

With Kerala accounting for roughly half of all daily new Covid-19 cases in India, questions abound over why. What do these case numbers mean for the rest of Kerala, and about the ability of Kerala to cope with its caseload? More importantly, what does Kerala&rsquo;s experience portend for the rest of the country? For answers, we spoke with Kerala-based doctors and public health experts V. Ramankutty and Rajeev Jayadevan.

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

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