Societal Impacts of Covid - 19 Pandemic on Indian Society
Abstract
As any organism makes through the cells the humans are the cells of society, as any organism can be healthy with disinfected cells the human society can be exist through the healthy humans. Therefore, the health of humans is always primary aim of any state for the betterment and existence of society. There are many factors affect the human life. The spread of outbreaks, epidemic or pandemic through various viruses is not a new phenomenon of the human history but most of them were limited by countries or states of the world. The contemporary world are suffering, since last six months, the massive pandemic of Covid-19 virus which never been experienced by the present generation. The present article, based on secondary source of data, relates to analyses the impacts of lockdown implemented due to Covid-19 pandemic on the Indian society within sociological perspective. The article focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the social relations as well as social institutions and culture of India
Key Words: Virus, Covid-19, Pandemic, Society, Social Institutions, Culture
Introduction:
The society is the web of social relations which possible through the social actions of humans. The humans are integral and active part of each society. As any organism makes through the cells, the humans are the cells of society. As any organism can be healthy with disinfected cells the human society can be exist through the healthy humans. Hence the health of humans is always primary aim of any state for the betterment and existence of society. “According to World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (William L. & Ron M. 2014, P. 799) Our health is affected by the various factors like, lack of nutritional food, unbalanced diet, unhygienic condition, poverty, industrialization, urbanization, diseases, infections, large family, overcrowded houses, polluted environment etc. The fact is that the history of human society always has been witnessing of various bacteria, viruses, parasites and infectious diseases are, may be turn into outbreaks or pandemic, upset the individuals, animates, culture, societies and environment. The spread of outbreaks, epidemic or pandemic through various viruses, Plague; Influenza; Smallpox; Yellow Fever; Diphtheria; Measles Outbreak; Typhus; Cholera; Meningitis; Dengue; Encephalitis lethargica; SARS Outbreaks; Ebola outbreaks; Swine Flu, did not a new phenomenon of the human history but most of them had limited by countries or states of the world. The contemporary world are suffering, since last six months, the massive pandemic of COVID-19 virus which never been experienced by the present generation.
Microbiological Analysis of Virus:
From Plague to AIDS epidemics have been most mighty disease to afflict the various human societies. Different viruses are always being the major cause of epidemics or pandemic in the different parts of the world. “Viruses have these unique characteristics. (1) They are energy-less. They float around until they come in contact with an appropriate cell. (2) They are basic life forms composed of a protein coat, called capsid that surrounds genetic material. Viruses do not have organelles or ribosomes. (3) The genetic material is either DNA or RNA. Never both! The genetic material contains instructions to make millions of clones of original virus. (4) Replication of the genetic material occurs when the virus takes control of the host cell’s synthetic machinery. Viruses contain all of the genetic information, but not enzymes, needed to build millions of replicas of the original virus. Virus structure is starting from nucleic acid and proceeding to the capsid and envelope. The nucleic acid strands can be single-stranded, double-stranded, linear, or looped, in separate segments or one continuous strand. The nucleic acid sequences can encode a simple message or encode hundreds of enzymes and structural proteins. There are 2 types of RNA viruses: positive (+) stranded and negative (-) stranded. The positive (+) means that the RNA is just like a messenger RNA (mRNA). When a positive (+) stranded RNA virus enters a host cell, its RNA can immediately be translated by the host’s ribosomes into protein. When negative (-) stranded RNA viruses enter a cell, they are not able to begin translation immediately.” (Mark G; William T. & C. Scott, 2014, P. 226)
“Two special RNA viruses deserve mention here: (1) Retroviruses, of which HIV is a member, are unique because of their ability to incorporate into the host genome. (2) Reoviridae, including rotavirus, is unique as they are the only viruses with a double stranded RNA genome. Unlike RNA, DNA cannot be translated directly into proteins. It must first be transcribed into mRNA, with subsequent translation of mRNA into structural proteins and enzymes. Most DNA viruses have both a negative (-) strand and a positive (+) strand. (Mark G, et al., 2014, P. 227) Unlike positive (+) stranded RNA, which is translated directly into proteins, the negative (-) stranded DNA is used as the template for transcription into mRNA. There are two types of capsids: Icosahedral Symmetry Capsids and Helical Symmetry Capsids. Package the DNA or RNA inside the icosahedral capsid!” (Mark G, et.al., 2014, P. 228)
“An icosahedral capsid with nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) inside and a coiled helical nucleocapsid (RNA) let us cover the structure with lipid bilayer membrane. Viruses acquire this membrane by budding through the host cell nuclear or cytoplasmic membrane and tearing off a piece of the membrane as they leave. There may be various glycoproteins embedded in their cell membranes. Viruses that do not have membranes are referred to as naked or no enveloped. Those with membranes are referred to as enveloped. Viruses are classified according to their: (1) Nucleic acid: Types of nucleic acid: DNA; RNA, Double vs. single stranded, Positive (+) or negative (-) stranded RNA and complexity of genome. (2) Capsid: Icosahedral and Helical. (3) Envelop: Naked and Enveloped. (4) Size: the diameter of the helical capsid viruses and the number of capsomers in icosahedral capsids.” (Mark G, et al., 2014, P. 229)
“DNA viruses are sometimes referred to as the HHAPPPy viruses. Herpes, Hepadna, Ade no, Papova, Parvo, Pox are their examples. Most DNA viruses are double-stranded, show icosahedral symmetry and replicate in the nucleus (where DNA customarily replicates). Two DNA viruses, Parvoviridae and Poxviridae, break these rules. There are certain generalities about RNA viruses, most of which are the opposite of DNA viruses. Most RNA viruses are single stranded (half are positive stranded, half negative), enveloped, show helical capsid symmetry, and replicate in the cytoplasm. Toga, Corona, Retro, Picorna, Calici, Reo, Flavi, Orthomyxo, Paramyxo, Rhabdo, Bunya, Arena, Filo are examples of RNA viruses. (Mark G, et al., 2014, P. 231) Viruses cannot reproduce their own. They must invade a cell, take over the cell’s internal machinery and instruct the machinery to build enzymes and new viral structural proteins. Then they copy the viral genetic material enough times so that copy can be placed in each newly constructed virus. Finally, they leave the host cell. In order for viruses to reproduce, they must complete these 4 steps: (1) Adsorption and penetration. (2) Uncoating of the virus. (3) Synthesis and assembly of viral products (as well as inhibition of the host cell's own DNA, RNA and protein synthesis). (4) Release of virions from the host cell (either by lysis or budding).” (Mark G, et al., 2014, P. 232)
Coronavirus:
“The name ‘coronavirus’ is derived from Latin corona, meaning ‘crown’ or ‘wreath’, itself a borrowing from Greek κορώνη korṓnē, ‘garland, wreath’. The name was coined by June Almeida and David Tyrrell who first observed and studied human coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, these viruses cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses), while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19. Coronaviruses constitute the subfamily of Orthocoronavirinae, in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales and realm Riboviria. They are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 26 to 32 kielbasas, one of the largest among RNA viruses.” (Wikipedia - Corona Virus)
“The word was first used in print in 1968 by an informal group of virologists in journal ‘Nature’ to designate the new family of viruses. Human coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s. E.C.Kendall, Malcom Byone and David Tyrrell working at the Common Cold Unit of the British Medical Research Council in 1960 isolated from a boy a novel common cold virus B814. In 1965, Tyrrell and Byone successfully cultivated the novel virus by serially passing it through organ culture of human embryonic trachea. Around same time, Dorothy Hamre and John Procknow at the University of Chicago isolated a novel cold virus 229E from medical students. The two novel strains B814 and 229E were subsequently imaged by electron microscopy in 1967 by Scottish virologist June Almeida at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Not only were they related to each other, but they were morphologically related to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). A research group at the National Institute of Health the same year was able to isolate another member of this group of viruses using organ culture and named the virus strain OC43. Human coronavirus 229E and OC43 continued to be studied in subsequent decades. Other human coronaviruses have since been identified, including SARS-CoV in 2003, HCoVNL63 in 2005, MERS-CoV in 2012 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019.” (Wikipedia - Corona Virus)
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2):
“Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, the virus was commonly referred as the ‘coronavirus’ or ‘Wuhan coronavirus’ or ‘Wuhan virus’. In January 2020, WHO recommended ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ (2019-nCov) as the provisional name for the virus and has also been called human coronavirus 2019 (HCoV-19 or hCoV-19). On 11 February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses adopted the official name ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To avoid confusion with the disease SARS, the WHO sometimes refers to SARS-CoV-2 as the COVID-19 virus in public health communications. The public often calls both SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes coronavirus. As described by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, it is the successor to SARS-CoV-1, the strain that caused 2002-2004 SARS outbreak. Taxonomically, SARS-CoV-2 is a strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus.” (Wikipedia - SARS-CoV-2)
“SARS-CoV-2 belongs to broad family of viruses known as coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) virus, with a single linear RNA segment that is contagious in humans. It is the seventh known coronavirus to infect people, after 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, MERS-CoV and original SARS-CoV. SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the subgenus Sarbecovirus (beta-CoV lineage B). Its RNA sequence is approximately 30,000 bases in length. SARS-CoV-2 is unique among known betacoronaviruses in its incorporation of a polybasic cleavage site, a characteristic known to increase pathogenicity and transmissibility in other viruses. Each SARS-CoV-2 virion is 50-200 nanometers in diameter. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has four structural proteins, known as S (spike), E (envelope), M (membrane) and N (nucleocapsid) proteins; the N protein holds the RNA genome and the S, E and M proteins together create the viral envelope. The spike protein is the protein responsible for allowing the virus to attach and fuse with the membrane of host cell; specifically, its S1 subunit catalyzes attachment, the S2 subunit fusion. Protein modeling experiments on the spike protein of the virus soon suggested that SARS-CoV-2 has sufficient affinity to the receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 on human cells to use them as a mechanism of cell entry. Initial spike protein priming by transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for entry of SARS-CoV-2. After a SARS-CoV-2 virion attaches to a target cell, the cell’s protease TMPRSS2 cuts open the spike protein of the virus, exposing a fusion peptide in the S2 subunit and the host receptor ACE2. After fusion, an endosome forms around the virion, separating it from the rest of the host cell. The virion escapes when the pH of the endosome drops or when cathepsin host cysteine protease, cleaves it. The virion then releases RNA into cell and forces the cell to produce and disseminate copies of the virus, which infect more cells. SARS-CoV-2 produces at least three virulence factors that promote shedding of new virions from host cells and inhibit immune response. Whether they include down regulation of ACE2, as seen in similar coronaviruses, remains under investigation.” (Wikipedia - SARS-CoV-2)
“The virus primarily spreads between people through close contact and via respiratory droplets produced from coughs or sneezes within range of about 1.8 meters (6 ft.). Human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed on 20 January 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, other studies have suggested that the virus may be airborne as well. Laser light scattering experiments suggest speaking as an additional mode of transmission. Indirect contact via contaminated surfaces is another possible cause of infection. Preliminary research indicates that the virus may remain viable on plastic and stainless steel for up to three days, but does not survive on cardboard for more than a day or on copper for more than four hours; the virus is inactivated by soap, which destabilizes its lipid bilayer. Viral RNA has also been found in stool samples and semen from infected individuals. The degree to which the virus is infectious during the incubation period is uncertain, but research has indicated that the pharynx reaches peak viral load approximately four days after infection or the first week of symptoms and declines after.” (Wikipedia - SARS-CoV-2)
“Symptoms of COVID-19 can be relatively non-specific; the two most common symptoms are fever (88%) and dry cough (68%). Less common symptoms include fatigue, respiratory sputum production (phlegm), loss of the sense of smell, loss of taste, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, headache, chills, vomiting, coughing out blood, diarrhea, and rash. Recommended preventive measures include hand washing, The CDC and WHO recommend individuals wear non-medical face coverings in public settings where there is an increased risk of transmission and where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, Social distancing (also known as physical distancing) includes infection control actions intended to slow the spread of disease by minimizing close contact between individuals, monitoring and self-isolation for people who suspect they are infected. The WHO recommends 1 meter of social distance; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 2 meters.” (Wikipedia - Covid-19 Pandemic)
“There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Primary treatment is symptomatic and supportive therapy. Antiviral medications are under investigation for COVID-19. However, The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has approved five drugs in the last month for COVID-19 treatment - two antiviral: Remdesivir and Favipiravir and three for easing the symptoms: Dexamethasone, Tocilizumab and Itolizumab. COVID-19 can be provisionally diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and confirmed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of infected secretions or CT imaging of the chest. The usual incubation period (the time between infection and symptom onset) ranges from one to 14 days and is most commonly five days. Some infected people have no symptoms, known as asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers; transmission from such a carrier is considered possible. As at 6 April, estimates of the asymptomatic ratio range widely from 5 to 80 percent. Strategies in the control of an outbreak are screening, containment (or suppression) and mitigation. Contact tracing is an important method for health authorities to determine the source of infection and to prevent further transmission. Increasing capacity and adapting healthcare for the needs of COVID-19 patients is described by the WHO as a fundamental outbreak response measure.” (Wikipedia - Covid-19 Pandemic)
Widespread Impacts:
“The COVID 19 pandemic is caused by SARS CoV 2. The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 has been traced back to 1 December 2019 in Wuhan. The WHO declared the outbreak (An outbreak is a noticeable, often small, increase over the expected number of cases), Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic (In the most classical sense, once an epidemic spreads to multiple countries or regions of the world, it is considered a pandemic) on 11 March. As of 23 July 2020, more than 15 million cases of COVID 19 have been reported in more than 188 countries and territories, resulting in more than 620,000 deaths; more than 8.58 million people have recovered. Based on Johns Hopkins University statistics, the global death-to-case ratio is 4.1 percent (620,257 deaths for 15,077,182 cases) as of 23 July 2020. The number varies by region.” (Wikipedia - Covid-19 Pandemic)
The most of countries, including India, of the world have executed lockdown as the most effective way of prevention and control the transmission of COVID-19. “By 26 March, 1.7 billion people worldwide were under some form of lockdown which increased to 3.9 billion people by the first week of April - more than half the world’s population. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns, workplace hazard controls and facility closures, restricted free movement and set up border controls, national reactions have included containment measures such as quarantines and curfews (known as stay-at-home orders, shelter-in-place orders or lockdowns). The COVID-19 pandemic in India is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by SARS-CoV-2. The first case of COVID-19 in India, which originated from China, was reported on 30 January 2020.” (Wikipedia - Covid-19 Pandemic) As of 23 July 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has confirmed a total of 12,38,634 cases, 7,82,606 recoveries (including 1 migration) and 29,861 deaths in the country. India currently has the largest number of confirmed cases in Asia and has the third highest number of confirmed cases in the world after the USA and Brazil. India’s case fatality rate is relatively lower at 2.41%, against the global 4.1%, and recovery rate is 63.13% as of 23 July 2020. Six cities account for around half of all reported cases in the country - Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. “On 22 March, India observed a 14 hour voluntary public curfew at the instance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was followed by mandatory lockdowns in COVID-19 hotspots and all major cities. Further, on 24 March, the Prime Minister ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, affecting the entire 1.3 billion population of India. On 14 April, the PM extended the nationwide lockdown till 3 May which was followed by two-week extensions starting 3 and 17 May with substantial relaxations. Beginning from 1st June, the Government has started unlock the country (barring containment zones) in three unlock phases.” (Wikipedia - Covid-19 Pandemic)
The pandemic affect most of countries of the world so they have been executing lockdown to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. They have sealed their international borders as well as internal borders among states, districts, cities and villages. All kind of transportation (Aviation, shipping, road and railways) and traffic have banned by the different countries and states which downfall the rate of crude oil and traded it in the minus rate ever first time in the history. Billions of people of the different regions of the world confine at their home which cause of global social and economic disruption. The production at all kind of factories and industries have almost stopped, the business; trading and markets have shut, collapse of share markets of different countries, examination and education at schools, colleges, universities and institutions have been closed either on a nationwide or local basis in 172 countries, affecting approximately 98.5% of the world’s student population. All kind of sports, religious, political, cultural events have postponed or cancelled. The Indian society hasn’t been excluding from such kind of worldwide influences. So the researcher has curiosity to explain the various impacts of COVID-19 on Indian social system in the present article.
Research Method:
The present article “Societal Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Indian Society” is based on library method. Whatever data present in the article have taken from various books, websites, news broadcast in various news channels as well as published in newspaper, reports, articles, individual survey and observation by researcher.
Effects on Indian Society:
As above mentioned, Government of India have implemented lockdown of 60 days and though the process of unlock have been progressive there are some restrictions have been prevalent in the containment and micro containment zones, where remarkable cases of COVID-19, of different parts of the countries. The country has been transient stage during the lockdown as well as unlocks process and suffering as worldwide impacts on society. The article analyzes impacts of COVID-19 on social relations, culture and major social institutions like, economy, family and marriage, state and education within sociological perspective.
Social Relations:
The society is web of social relations which possible through the interactions among the individuals. Social relationships are vital to maintaining good health but lockdown, article 144 and notifications of authority have controlled and restricted the interactions among individual which have affected social relations because people cannot meet each other. The sociological concept of ‘social distancing’ (including the physical distance) becomes popular in private life as restrict the infection from others though it violate in public life and various markets. The social distancing is totally reverse concept for Indians because we live in situation of close proximity which have seen in every streets, societies, villages and cities of India during lockdown period too. However, many people have been suffering the social isolation from their familiar which has created psychological problems like isolation, regression, depression, angriness, insomnia and unhappiness. Such mental situation makes dissention into family relations too.
Economy:
The most affected social institution is the economy due to circumstances created from fight against COVID-19 in the world including India. The primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of economy of all countries of the world, including India, destructively have been influencing by the pandemic. “India’s growth in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2020 went down to 3.1% according to the Ministry of Statistics. The World Bank and rating agencies had initially revised India’s growth for FY2021 with the lowest figures India has seen in three decades since India’s economic liberalization in the 1990s. On 26 May, CRISIL announced that this will perhaps be India’s worst recession since independence. SBI research estimates a contraction of over 40% in the GDP in Q1 FY21. The Indian economy was expected to lose over Rs.32,000 crore (US$4.5 billion) every day during first 21-days of complete lockdown. Under complete lockdown, less than quarter of India’s $2.8 trillion economic movement was functional.” (Wikipedia - economic effect) So GDP and GST have reduced while decreased the national and per capita income, collapsed of share markets. Stock markets in India posted their worst loses in history on 23 March 2020 (BSE SENSEX dropped 10 per cent or 3985 points and closed at 25981 points which was its lowest in last four years). Import-export has stopped, increased of foreign debt during lockdown, imbalance of payment have formed, sprouting the monetary crisis for the government and citizens due to agricultural loss, unemployment and loss of job; shut down of business and trading, markets and malls. On the other hand, the rate of gold and silver is rigging at highest level day by day because of safe investment.
The primary sector involves production of raw material, agricultural; mining and fishing sectors, have faced huge problem during the lockdown. The selling of agriculture production of the farmers has delayed as well as huge loss has suffered the farmers who grow the cash crop due to close off the APMC by government. The mining and fishing industries have conked and people employed in it have been unemployed during lockdown. The secondary sector of economy includes different kind of production or transformation of raw materials into goods. Manufacturing has stopped due to shut down of all kind of small scale and large scale industries; cottage industries and handicrafts. All the companies have been suffering huge lost, sell off of their product, undemand of goods and services except the essential commodity; and hurdle to pay salary of their workers which all the factors have forced to permanently shut down of some small scale industries cottage industries and handicrafts, business and trading. The tertiary sector contains the supplying of services to consumers and businesses i.e. banking, telecom, transportation, tourism, hotel industry, film industry. All the services affected due to long lockdown. Up to 53% of businesses in the country were projected to be significantly affected due to the lockdown.
Shut down of all the sectors of economy lead to huge rate of unemployment and loss of job. “Unemployment rose from 6.7% on 15 March to 26% on 19 April and then back down to pre-lockdown levels by mid-June. During the lockdown, an estimated 14 crore (140 million) people lost employment while salaries were cut for many others, More than 45% of households across the nation have reported an income drop as compared to the previous year.” (Wikipedia - economic effect) The unemployed, small merchants, artisans have altered their occupation and started the occupation of grocery, vegetable during lockdown. Monetary crisis is sprouting for all the class of society desists of transportation. The scarcity of grocery, goods and services has led to dearness in society. On the one hand income of citizen has stopped or decrease during lockdown, other hand they have face of increasing of dearness due to the touting of essential commodity or grocery. So the saving of citizen give out, some fall in debt, some people taken money from money lender with high interest which is one of the reasons of committed suicide by citizens. The positive impact of lockdown on economy is that the degree of online trading and online transaction has been increasing during lockdown and unlock period.
State:
The international relations among different countries of the world and states have influenced with the transmission as well as destructive effects of COVID-19. The most of countries have accused against the China for spreading COVID-19 in all over the world which created agitation to boycott the China. Consequently, the world has divided into two parts like hostiles and alliance countries of China. Recently Government of India has banned the Chinese application and citizens of India also have boycotted the Chinese goods as well as ‘Make in India’ slogan has publicized to public. In so much the government has cancelled and banned the contract of Chinese companies. The USA and other countries have coalition to India against combat with China due to the dispute at India-Chinese border.
The government offices in India have shut down for public services during the lockdown and yet not all the starting with full staff. The failure of government and their administrator has realized during the lockdown. So frequently the Supreme Court of India and High Courts of different states have ordered to the government to improve the facility at hospitals, increase the capacity of bad at hospitals, provide safety to corona warriors, increase of testing and solve the problems of migrant laborers and so many issues. The conflict among the different states of India has caused to the refusal of migrant labourer. The border of different states has witnessed politics of various political parties, conflicts among laborers and police as well as administrators which also happened in the various cities of India. Exception of such conflicts and incidents of suicide the crime rate has reduced due to the lockdown of citizens. The government must be planning of transportation for laborers to their homeland. Moreover, the income of the different state as well as government of India has decreased due to shutdown of production units, trading and services during the lockdown. However, they must be investing their capital, fund and deposits for increasing the health care services and facilities, construction of new hospitals, covid care centers and recruit the new staff. As far the highest priority for the government should be save the life of citizens, they announced various kinds of help i.e. provide food security and supplied ration, free health care facility in hospitals and covid care centers, financial assistant to beneficiaries, pay loan for needy citizens, sector related incentives, tax deadlines extensions, the Repo rate have reduced at the lowest since 2000 which force to decline the lowest interest rate, EMIs being put on hold for three months.
“On 24 March in his address to the nation, the Prime Minister announced 15,000 crore fund for the healthcare sector. On 25 March the Modi government announced the world’s largest food security scheme for 800 million people across the country. On 26 March the Finance Minister announced a number of economic relief measures for the poor. Rs.170,000 crore will fund the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana which will provide both cash transfer and food security, with the aim that no one goes hungry amidst the lockdown. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries will get free cylinders for at least three months. This will benefit over 80 million Below Poverty Line families. The next day the Reserve Bank of India also announced a number of measures which would make available Rs.374,000 crore to the country’s financial system. The government would expedite payment of first installment (2,000) due in 2020-21 in April itself under the PM-KISAN. On 3 April the central government released Rs.17,287 crore to different states to help combat coronavirus. The Ministry of Home Affairs approved Rs.11,092 crore for states as relief under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund. On 18 April, India changed its FDI policy to protect Indian companies from opportunistic acquisitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 12 May the Prime Minister announced an overall economic package worth 20 lakh crore, adding that the fourth phase of the lock down will be different with new rules, 10% of India's GDP, with emphasis on India as a self-reliant nation. During the next five days the Finance Minister announced the details of the economic package. Two days later the Cabinet cleared number of proposals in economic package including a free food grains package. This Rs. 20 lakh crore includes the previous government packages (Rs.1.7 lakh crore) as well as the RBI decisions (Rs.5-6 lakh crore). They make up about 40% of the package. On 20 June the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched to tackle the impact of COVID-19 on migrant workers in India. It is a rural public works scheme with an initial funding of Rs.50,000 crore covering 116 districts in 6 states. The Government of India announced a variety of measures to tackle the situation, from food security and extra funds for healthcare and for the states, to sector related incentives and tax deadline extensions.” (Wikipedia - economic effect)
Family and Marriage:
There are two kind of contrary situation have shaped in family due to lockdown of COVID-19. The first situation is that there has been increasing the degree of cooperation into family (family is the group of the different households whose members are related by blood relations but they are living under the different household) as well as household (household is the group of person who live under one roof and taking the meal making at common kitchen). The physical and social proximity have increased the members of family and household due to the leisure time. The male members of family and households have passed their leisure time with parents, wife, children and other members of family which has strengthen their relationships. They have revived indoor games like, carom; card game; snake and ladder and so on. They have changed their ways of eateries and enjoyment. Many male and unmarried girls have learnt new recipe. The efficacy with mobile, internet and television have increased and it became the important means of entertainment, sharing knowledge and time pass during the lockdown. The talking through call and chatting through social apps with relatives and friends have acclimated. The social ties have strengthened through monetary or other help from relatives to the households.
On the other hand, the conflict, regression, depression and anxiety have accelerated in nuclear household due to loss of job and income, lack of business and trading, quarrels among family members, no work for artisans, small merchant and hawkers. Many organizations including UNICEF have estimated that millions of families will be hustle into condition of poverty and starvation due to COVID-19 pandemic which is one of the most relevant reasons to unlocking the country though increasing rate of transmission of COVID-19 in India. Unlike the joint household nuclear household couldn’t handle the debt and mortgage of land or ornaments situation. Such crisis has led to family conflict as well as suicide and psychological problems.
The lockdown has announced during the marriage season. So the most of preplanned marriage have suspended and cancelled due to the regulations of notification of lockdown. Very few marriages have organized with obey the rules of social distancing and with restricted people. Thus marriage has become private matter and social responsibility against the religious beliefs and religious rites related to marriage that has diminished.
Education:
The educational institutions have been shutting down since the enactment of lockdown and yet the all the schools, colleges, institutions and universities of various states of India are shutting down for students and somewhere it open with limited staff. The private tuition classes have yet closed by regulations of the government. Period of the lockdown due to COVID-19 was the time of different examinations of schools, boards and universities which have cancelled, postponed or planning in future month. The issue of handling the examination has become political controversy because the lack of proper decision making among the government, educationists and students of higher education. Therefore, conflict has emerged between universities administrators and students unions.
The major educational change taking place to lockdown due to COVID-19 is the online teaching against the classroom teaching has promoted by government and its mechanism. Although some deficits (lack of technical knowledge of different apps, boringness of students, low speed or unavailability of internet, no smart phone) and protest of online teaching it has been accepting as only option against the classroom teaching. Consequently, all the persons who associated with education system must be learning the various app which provide the online teaching, the parent must be purchased new smart phone and facility of internet for their children which makes them mobile addict. Moreover, yet some students have been excluding from online teaching due to have no smart phone or internet connectivity. If there were single smart phone at home then the son have more priority of online teaching against the daughter due to the discrimination. The guardians have assessed online teaching as the means of collecting fees by trustees and somewhere conflict has happened among them. Therefore, Government of Gujarat, along with the Gujarat High court, orders to all the schools that any school cannot collect fees from any students until the start of classroom teaching. So the association of the trustees of private schools of Gujarat State decides to stop online teaching immediately against the decision of government.
Culture:
Culture is the blueprint of way of life which delineates our way of thinking and conduct. The lockdown have been changing our lifestyles, ways of thinking and ways of conduct. The men have realized that they can live without luxury, physical facilities, outing and so on. The patients of COVID-19 have discriminated by the normal citizens, some kind of cruelty against them has seen at hospitals, cremains and public life which will be changing our social values. The migrant laborers also have victimized by our social system and administration. Social distancing and social isolation in contradiction of humanity, benevolence, love, help, have dominated over people of the society. On the contrary, some temples, NGOs, associations have supplied food and ration kit to needy people as well as provide some kind of help by money, tickets for transportation and so on for limited duration. In fact, the industrialists, businessmen, merchants, celebrities and citizens have been donating in relief fund of government. Moreover, believes of people have transformed due to the faith and devotion against the god have reduced. The temples have shut down; the religious activities and religious rites stopped due to the regulation of lockdown, all kind of activities related to the art (music and dance programme, sport events, exhibitions, public gatherings, celebration of festivals) have postponed or cancelled which are evidences of effects on culture due to COVID-19. All the facts will be shifting our culture in future.
Conclusion:
From the earliest times to present society, pandemics have affected human history in innumerable ways: demographically, culturally, politically, financially and biologically. The article presents the overall scenario of various negative impacts on different aspects of society of lockdown enacted due to the pandemic of COVID-19. The pandemic have flagellated the public life, the citizens have confined at their home, all kinds of industries; trade and business have shut down, all the markets have locked, every types of transportation have stopped, all kind of social and cultural activities have cancelled or postponed. Although COVID-19 pandemics have affected destructively on human society, the positive effects of it was it purified the natural environment during the lockdown period. All kind of the pollutions have decreased at the optimum level. Thus, pandemic have altered the societies and its overall structure, they have spread through, affecting personal relationships and the man-made as well as natural environment. As the crisis surrounding COVID-19 continues to spread around the world and infections rise, there have been widespread effects on culture, society and the economy. The critical situation is that we cannot effective about widespread testing and public have not committed to their test because of its fear, they do not follow the social distancing as well as wearing of mask which may create the worst kind of situation in India. On 22 July, the highest cases (48,294) of COVID-19 have recorded in India. Hence the curable vaccine or drug is the only way to win over the pandemic and we will hopeful that it will be invent in near future. The latest news is that the vaccine of Oxford University is effective for COVID-19 and Covaccine, made in India, permits for human trial. Russia also litigates that they invents the vaccine for COVID-19 and starts testing over humans. If we succeed in invention of vaccine or drug then will save millions of lives in universe.
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Dr. Manishkumar Mansukhbhai Jansari, Assistant Professor in Sociology, Shree Bhikhabhai Patel Arts College, Anand, Gujarat, 388001 Mo: 9173725350 & 9428622253 Mail: jansari.manish8@gmail.com