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Pallavi Choudhuri, National Council of Applied Economic Research
Santanu Pramanik, National Council of Applied Economic Research, India
Sonalde B. Desai, University of Maryland
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent nationwide lockdown in India that began on March 25, 2010, caused major disruption in the labour market, leading to the widespread loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. Findings from a telephonic survey of a representative sample of more than 3,000 households in the Delhi National Capital Region reveal dramatic loss in earnings capacity. Place of residence and occupation mediated the impact of the lockdown, with greater vulnerabilities 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 food grains and cash transfers aimed at rehabilitating those who were the most affected. Our analysis suggests the presence of unmet need and exclusion errors, with such errors exacerbated in the urban areas. Findings also reveal that likelihood of receiving benefits increases with improvements in targeting at the local level, and is vital for building social registries.
Keywords: COVID-19, Inequality, Policy evaluation, Applied demography
Presented in Session 168. Socioeconomic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic