2020: A repeat of 2008?

With huge economic strain given the impact of pandemic, it's time we question the leaders, the economists on whether it's a repeat of the history of the great recession of 2008?

A decade after the Great Recession of 2008, the global economy indicates the resurgence of economic complacency and unpredictability of markets as we dwell within close proximity of yet another global economic crisis.

 

Now: Main Street has collapsed

The current recession is not caused by a broken link within the system, but from an external threat, a worldwide pandemic. In order to keep the disease from spreading, many governments forced non-essential businesses to close and brought in lockdown orders, bringing many industries to a grinding halt.

But luckily, the overall financial system is in much better shape this time around - in part because of some of the policy changes made in response to the 2008 the recession.

Who's to be blamed?

USA, the hegemon seems to be the reason for such escalated international tensions. 

 Indices of major stock markets have been on a gradual decline in the financial year. Some even hint at the possibility of a “global debt bubble” which would inevitably cause another global recession. 

A bubble is an economic cycle which includes the rapid escalation of asset prices followed by contraction of the asset prices due to exuberant market behavior. With USA being the superpower, dollar's strength is incredible. Slight ramifications and the world pays off. 

The ramifications of the dollar's strength are witnessed via the trade war between the USA and China. This trade war has not only impacted their relation but also other countries especially south Asian countries who were caught between the crossfire. 

The USA should not be held solely responsible for an imminent global economic crisis. The global market faces stiff uncertainty in the midst of rising tautness in the European Union, with reference to Brexit, leading to Britain opting out of EU. 

Three major economic similarities between 2020 and 2008 recession 

1. Uncertainty: Both crises share uncertainty as a key factor once they emerged in one of the two leading economies (the United States in 2008 and China end of 2019) and spread globally.

To put it simply and following Frank Knight (1921), “uncertainty” can be defined as a non-quantifiable risk. It is a risk that cannot easily be traced so that its probability of occurrence and its impact can hardly be predicted. This applies both to the new non-visible coronavirus and to the ‘‘subprime’’ virus.

2. Collapse: The initial drops in the stock exchanges of major countries (up to one-fourth of their valuation) have been analogous between both crises. And both global recessions have been successively qualified as the largest since the Great Depression.

Warnings  but  'No Measures'.

Even with clear warning signs of an imminent global financial crisis, world leaders fail to take corrective measures and seek only benefit without realizing the damage. 

Ironically, the recession of 2020 will produce well-educated unemployed labour force. Isn't that great ?

Firstly, Covid has given a huge lift to online learning both in the metros and non-metros. Online education, for instance, has got a major boost. Educational institutions, business organisations among others, have taken online education to a new level by offering classes, coaching and courses in an innovative way to keep their audience hooked at these times of lockdown. In India, students and professionals are signing up for online classes- from entrance exams. 

Secondly, we have become more hygiene conscious. Yes, you heard it right. People have started taking personal hygiene more seriously. The ritual of washing hands, sanitizing things before use, that started as a compulsion is becoming a habit. According to IANS C-VOTER Gallup International Association Corona.

Work from Home (WFH) is the third major change that has become a part of our lives. Well, honestly speaking it was never a new concept. Many IT companies in the West and even in India has been practicising it with perfection. Covid 19 has taken it to another level with almost all companies asking its employees to WFH.

So, Corona has changed our life drastically. We never saw something like this coming. Who knew  from “keys....check” to “keys, hand santisizer, masks, gloves....etc.” but changes are a part of life. We have live this way now, at least for a while. But Covid has helped us to change many things in our life, in a good way.

CYBERBULLYING

The humanitarian crisis has cultivated a ‘New Normal’ vitality for all of us. Ranging from quarantine greenhouse dates to online classes and good-byes, we all have harmonized to the culture. Technology played an integral role in maintaining the continuity as it brought new dimensions to the responsibilities of educators and mentors. 

But we need self-introspection to rethink the ethical use of technology. If Zoom is that easy to hack into, it’s likely to expect kids and teens trying to follow suit. The era where gadgets are the ‘toys’ for the kids plus the ‘Lockdown’ has increased the fear of ‘Cyberbullying.

 

Cyberbullying is defined as “sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”. Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies, such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Websites, and defamatory online personal polling Websites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm. 

In India, an estimated 71 million children aged between 5-11 years access the Internet on devices of their family members, constituting about 14 percent of the country's active Internet user base of over 500 million. Two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 year (Data shared by the Internet & Mobile Association of India). Data and statistics have highlighted that post lockdown, the internet has amplified the risk of cyberbullying, including online discrimination for children and young people.

 

Cyberbullying ranges from flaming to Catfishing. 

Flaming is a confrontation often happens in online spaces, which entails one or more bullies attacking a particular person for their views or comments.

Exclusion is singling-out of the targeted person and to purposefully exclude them from chats.

Cyberstalking is a type of harassment that involves one or more bullies going to great lengths to gather information about a particular person, continually frightening or threatening them, following them around social media and other sites, and potentially crossing the line into physical stalking.

Outing is the malicious release of private information about a person to embarrass or humiliate by spreading rumours about someone’s personal life, sexuality etc. through pictures, screenshots, videos.

Masquerading is creating a fake identity to harass someone anonymously or to impersonate someone else, often called “fraping,” such as pretending to be the victim or a significant other to create a negative reputation for the victim. 

Trolling is to provoke victims through the use of insults, controversial topics or off-topic posts into acting out in a similarly angry way.

Catfishing refers specifically to those cyberbullies who steal photos and information from a victim’s social media account and recreate a fake one of their own, mimicking and pretending to be the victim. 

Students with higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance, 

Of all children who are bullied, more than one third reported bias-based bullying, a form of bullying that targets someone because of who they are or what they look like. Potential victims include LGBTQ youth, students with disabilities, and religious students, especially those who wear symbols of their religion. Students with a higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance.

Girls and young women are targeted due to body image or sexuality, and are more often harassed over social media. Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying; bullying statistics show that 38% of girls who use social media report being bullied online, compared to 26% of boys.

Cyberbullying Self-Harm

If left unchecked, the effects of cyberbullying can lead to extreme stress and depression, and students who are victims may feel drawn to self-harm as a result of their experiences. 

However, the victims of bullying are not the only ones who are vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal behaviours. 

Young people who cyberbully others are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing these feelings than those who don’t.

Cyberbullying can be devastating for victims and their families. The psychological harm inflicted by cyberbullying, just like bullying, is reflected in low self-esteem, school failure, anger, anxiety, depression, school avoidance, school violence, and suicide. 

It is even possible that the damage from cyberbullying would be greater than bullying because there is no escape for the victims; harmful material could be easily preserved as well as quickly and widely spread.

For the cyberbullies, the consequences of their actions can be very severe, including being suspended or expelled from school and being removed from sports teams, clubs, and activities. Certain types of cyberbullying can even be considered criminal.

What did students do after they were cyberbullied? 

Apparently, only a few try to take revenge; the majority of students chose not to inform anyone. Some chose to get away from the cyberbully. Few try to take revenge on the cyberbully or bully others.  

Some inform parents and siblings. Few students reported to school adults (e.g., teachers, school administrators).

“If you were cyberbullied at school or at home, would you report the incident to a school counselor, teacher, or administrator?”

 ‘NO’, that’s what most of the students answer.

The secret of Cyberbullying being SECRETIVE

The fear of not being understood, made fun of kept most of the teens away from reporting to their educators. The thought of them getting into trouble either because of being at fault or for no reason made them escape from the best advice. 

‘Why are you exacerbating the problem?

Parents remarks like: ‘We are restricting your access to technology. So, No Phone, No Social Media.”

Some thought it was “no big deal.” 

The above reasons reflect the importance of teaching students about, ‘ Cyber threats’. 

What are students' beliefs about cyberbullying? Why do they think people behave this way?

Some think various factors cause the problem, ranging from feeling insecure, angry, jealous, or mean, to feeling bored or having family issues. A troubling finding, however, is that the majority believe that cyberbullies do it for fun. 

Even more disturbing is the fact that one in five perceived cyberbullying as a “cool” act. This might be explained by students' perception that technology is exciting. These students might think that using it for aggressive acts is creative. Further, they might not realize the seriousness of cyberbullying.

 For example, one student's narrative, “I bully online and it does not mean anything,” demonstrates that some fail to see the negative effect of cyberbullying or bullying on victims. The actual reason behind this perception is unclear; nonetheless, it deserves our serious consideration because this is a potentially dangerous perception.

 Some think that nothing can be done about Cyber victims. Some summarize this feeling: “No one cares. Deal with it yourself.” Some hold the belief that this is a serious problem and needs to be stopped. 

Another serious theme emerged relating to freedom of speech. One in six students considered that people have the right to say anything they want, even if what they say hurts someone or violates someone's privacy. 

So, How can we combat cyberbullying yet respect and exercise our freedom of expression? 

Although we understand that there is no absolute freedom of speech, balancing the two is the ultimate question.

One out of three students believes that what happens online should stay online which reflects a general perception that cyberspace is separated from the real world. But what we do online affects what we do in real life. 

Designing educational systems: Creating our future in a changing world

Addressing cyberbullying should be a collective effort on the part of schools, families, students, and society. Because cyberbullying happens outside of school boundaries, schools might direct such issues back to parents, saying that they have no legal jurisdiction. However, cyberbullying can be rooted in school or vice versa, even if the incidents appear to be initiated using school property. This requires schools to consider the development of comprehensive programs to fight cyberbullying, including detailed and unified policies as well as effective programs to educate students. 

Establishment of Systematic Programs 

First, schools need to establish systematic programs to stop cyberbullying. Such programs should develop strong policies on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying.

 Administrators should investigate current acceptable-use policies for technology (e.g., mobile, Internet) in the schools. Telling others such as school adults or family members remains an effective strategy for combating cyberbullying. 

It is important to establish easy and multiple ways of reporting. For example, we could create help lines (e.g., a phone line), e‐mail, or Web links, and provide a box or similar device in hot spots in schools so students can report incidents or offer suggestions anonymously.

Teaching about Cyberbullying

Second, schools should educate school adults, students, and parents about cyberbullying and provide clear procedures to follow when cyberbullying occurs.

 At the fundamental level, adults, including teachers and parents, need to keep pace with new technology to understand how students communicate and how cyberbullying happens. Effective strategies, therefore, need to be included in school adults' professional development opportunities. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to learn such strategies.

 

Similarly, approaches to cyberbullying issues need to go beyond the one-time workshop mode for students and be part of regular curriculum learning. 

Such education can take place in different school situations, including classrooms, assemblies, and continuing education programs. For example, schools can use forums not only to mediate between cyberbullies and cyber victims, but also to offer opportunities for students to develop adaptive skills, such as dealing with emotional conflict and building positive behavioral patterns. Such forums help to build a strong rapport and trustworthy relationships between students and school adults as well as among students. 

Responsibilities associated with the use of Technology 

Students, a key group in fighting cyberbullying, need to learn responsibilities associated with the use of technology. They should be aware of the consequences of misuse of technology so that responsible behaviours can be promoted at an early age. They need to understand the dangers that exist and the importance of getting help from responsible adults when cyberbullying occurs. 

PANDEMIC & MAKING THE BEST USE OF IT 

Cyberbullying has been on the rise before lock down – some reports suggest that just 20% of bullying takes place at school now. The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse. These unusual circumstances means that some kids may be venting their frustration online – and their classmates become the targets.

With the aim of addressing these concerns, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office developed an information booklet titled “Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19” to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online. The booklet will be instrumental in keeping children, young people safe online through basic do’s, and don’ts that will help parents and educators teach their children how to use the internet safely.

“UNESCO is committed to ensure access to safe, inclusive and health promoting learning environments for all children. It is imperative that websites, digital platforms, social media platforms are free of Cyberbullying, if children have to access quality education. This information booklet titled ‘Safe online learning in times of Covid19’ highlights the negative consequences of cyberbullying and ways to eliminate and prevent the same”. UNESCO and NCERT are pleased to develop this booklet and hope that it acts as a valuable tool in creating a safer online environment.”

                        -Eric Falt, Director and Representative, UNESCO New Delhi

Pandemic and Parents : Working together

With COVID-19 closing schools in many states, children are turning to online schooling and with this comes a huge increase in device use by most children and teens. This is actually a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend some time talking with their child as to what cyberbullying means, and to talk through issues their child may be experiencing. It is also a great time for parents to establish guidelines and take the time to check-in and ensure that their child’s online behaviour is acceptable.

Younger children and tweens really should not be having “privacy” from their parents online. Parents need to be empowered to oversee what their elementary and middle school children are doing and with whom they are chatting. 

To think there wouldn’t be any cyberbullying during this time would be unrealistic, especially with so many children having excess frustration and a lot of free time. There will be children who take that frustration out on other kids. Parents need to be conscious of this possibility and schedule check-ins both to ensure their child is okay and behaving appropriately. 

With parents and children home, most households are getting back to family dinners. Parents can use those dinners not just to discuss cyberbullying but to talk about how their children are feeling in general — if they are feeling isolated, lonely or stressed. 

Although our concern is of course cyberbullying, what we are more likely to see is kids reaching out to one another as a support system. The upside to having all this connectivity is that sad and lonely children may actually have increased support.

We often see this in children who are hospitalized. They can feel very isolated. Having that virtual connection, the online social availability of their friends, really helps combat some of those feelings of loneliness and isolation. The hope would be that the social aspect of the connection that's going on in many homes right now with increased device use will outpace any uptick in cyberbullying. But it will be up to parents to make sure they are providing the guidance and supervision necessary to ensure that these online interactions are positive ones.

Human race has proven to overcome from all extremes the world has gone through may be it is a Plague, World Wars, Great Recession and many more. We have learnt lessons and we need to adapt and evolve every time and it’s a never ending process. This reminds of words of great genius Albert Einstein  that, “ Everything is Relative.”

Einstein gifted us with his inventions during the pandemic. Let us wait for the next ‘Science Genius’ from this Pandemic. It can be ‘YOU’. So, Let us work together to prevent the online propagated method of bullying.

A return to how life was at the start of 2020 is some way off. Even when lockdown restrictions are eased, coronavirus will affect our lives in many ways. What will struggle to get back to how it was before, and what might change for ever?

From Zooming clients to neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, digital platforms have become the only way for many of us to work, get fit or be educated and entertained. 

We're more relaxed about screen time hours for us and our kids, a huge culture shift from just a few weeks ago. It feels unlikely that'll disappear overnight. 

But key to a recovery will be job creation and keeping down living costs. The former means that, however uneasy, governments may have to tolerate China's continued investment around the globe. 

As for the latter, businesses need to keep costs low, and overseas sourcing of non-essential will continue. Some of the biggest brands, including H&M, have committed to helping workers in factories thousands of miles away to keep supply chains functioning. 

Those companies were already looking beyond China to lower cost nations such as Vietnam, Ethiopia and Bangladesh - countries which will work even harder to attract foreign customers. 

There'll be a lot less money in defence budgets for shiny new weaponry - with security being redefined because of the extraordinary weaknesses revealed by the pandemic. National security capability will be judged by stockpiled medical equipment and preparedness for the next pandemic or environmental catastrophe, not just on how many tank brigades can be deployed. 

CYBERBULLYING AND STUDENTS

The humanitarian crisis has cultivated a ‘New Normal’ vitality for all of us. Ranging from quarantine greenhouse dates to online classes and good-byes, we all have harmonized to the culture. Technology played an integral role in maintaining the continuity as it brought new dimensions to the responsibilities of educators and mentors. 

But we need self-introspection to rethink the ethical use of technology. If Zoom is that easy to hack into, it’s likely to expect kids and teens trying to follow suit. The era where gadgets are the ‘toys’ for the kids plus the ‘Lockdown’ has increased the fear of ‘Cyberbullying.

 

Cyberbullying is defined as “sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”. 

Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies, such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Websites, and defamatory online personal polling Websites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm. 

In India, an estimated 71 million children aged between 5-11 years access the Internet on devices of their family members, constituting about 14 percent of the country's active Internet user base of over 500 million. Two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 year (Data shared by the Internet & Mobile Association of India). Data and statistics have highlighted that post lockdown, the internet has amplified the risk of cyberbullying, including online discrimination for children and young people.

 

Cyberbullying ranges from flaming to Catfishing. 

•    Flaming is a confrontation often happens in online spaces, which entails one or more bullies attacking a particular person for their views or comments.

•    Exclusion is singling-out of the targeted person and to purposefully exclude them from chats.

•    Cyberstalking is a type of harassment that involves one or more bullies going to great lengths to gather information about a particular person, continually frightening or threatening them, following them around social media and other sites, and potentially crossing the line into physical stalking.

•    Outing is the malicious release of private information about a person to embarrass or humiliate by spreading rumours about someone’s personal life, sexuality etc. through pictures, screenshots, videos.

•    Masquerading is creating a fake identity to harass someone anonymously or to impersonate someone else, often called “fraping,” such as pretending to be the victim or a significant other to create a negative reputation for the victim. 

•    Trolling is to provoke victims through the use of insults, controversial topics or off-topic posts into acting out in a similarly angry way.

•    Catfishing refers specifically to those cyberbullies who steal photos and information from a victim’s social media account and recreate a fake one of their own, mimicking and pretending to be the victim. 

Students with higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance, 

Of all children who are bullied, more than one third reported bias-based bullying, a form of bullying that targets someone because of who they are or what they look like. Potential victims include LGBTQ youth, students with disabilities, and religious students, especially those who wear symbols of their religion. Students with a higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance.

Girls and young women are targeted due to body image or sexuality, and are more often harassed over social media. Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying; bullying statistics show that 38% of girls who use social media report being bullied online, compared to 26% of boys.

Cyberbullying Self-Harm

If left unchecked, the effects of cyberbullying can lead to extreme stress and depression, and students who are victims may feel drawn to self-harm as a result of their experiences. 

However, the victims of bullying are not the only ones who are vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal behaviours. 

Young people who cyberbully others are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing these feelings than those who don’t.

Cyberbullying can be devastating for victims and their families. The psychological harm inflicted by cyberbullying, just like bullying, is reflected in low self-esteem, school failure, anger, anxiety, depression, school avoidance, school violence, and suicide. 

It is even possible that the damage from cyberbullying would be greater than bullying because there is no escape for the victims; harmful material could be easily preserved as well as quickly and widely spread.

For the cyberbullies, the consequences of their actions can be very severe, including being suspended or expelled from school and being removed from sports teams, clubs, and activities. Certain types of cyberbullying can even be considered criminal.

What did students do after they were cyberbullied? 

Apparently, only a few try to take revenge; the majority of students chose not to inform anyone. Some chose to get away from the cyberbully. Few try to take revenge on the cyberbully or bully others.  

Some inform parents and siblings. Few students reported to school adults (e.g., teachers, school administrators).

“If you were cyberbullied at school or at home, would you report the incident to a school counsellor, teacher, or administrator?”

 ‘NO’, that’s what most of the students answer.

The secret of Cyberbullying being SECRETIVE

The fear of not being understood, and made fun of keeps most of the teens away from reporting to their educators. The thought of them getting into trouble either because of being at fault or for no reason made them escape from the best advice. 

‘Why are you exacerbating the problem?

Parents remarks like: ‘We are restricting your access to technology. So, No Phone, No Social Media.”

Some thought it was “no big deal.” 

The above reasons reflect the importance of teaching students about, ‘ Cyber threats’. 

What are students' beliefs about cyberbullying? Why do they think people behave this way?

Some think various factors cause the problem, ranging from feeling insecure, angry, jealous, or mean, to feeling bored or having family issues. A troubling finding, however, is that the majority believe that cyberbullies do it for fun. 

Even more disturbing is the fact that one in five perceived cyberbullying as a “cool” act. This might be explained by students' perception that technology is exciting. These students might think that using it for aggressive acts is creative. Further, they might not realize the seriousness of cyberbullying.

 For example, one student's narrative, “I bully online and it does not mean anything,” demonstrates that some fail to see the negative effect of cyberbullying or bullying on victims. The actual reason behind this perception is unclear; nonetheless, it deserves our serious consideration because this is a potentially dangerous perception.

 Some think that nothing can be done about Cyber victims. Some summarize this feeling: “No one cares. Deal with it yourself.” Some hold the belief that this is a serious problem and needs to be stopped. 

Another serious theme emerged relating to freedom of speech. One in six students considered that people have the right to say anything they want, even if what they say hurts someone or violates someone's privacy. 

So, How can we combat cyberbullying yet respect and exercise our freedom of expression? 

Although we understand that there is no absolute freedom of speech, balancing the two is the ultimate question.

One out of three students believes that what happens online should stay online which reflects a general perception that cyberspace is separated from the real world. But what we do online affects what we do in real life. 

Designing educational systems: Creating our future in a changing world

Addressing cyberbullying should be a collective effort on the part of schools, families, students, and society. Because cyberbullying happens outside of school boundaries, schools might direct such issues back to parents, saying that they have no legal jurisdiction. However, cyberbullying can be rooted in school or vice versa, even if the incidents appear to be initiated using school property. This requires schools to consider the development of comprehensive programs to fight cyberbullying, including detailed and unified policies as well as effective programs to educate students. 

Establishment of Systematic Programs 

First, schools need to establish systematic programs to stop cyberbullying. Such programs should develop strong policies on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying.

 Administrators should investigate current acceptable-use policies for technology (e.g., mobile, Internet) in the schools. Telling others such as school adults or family members remains an effective strategy for combating cyberbullying. 

It is important to establish easy and multiple ways of reporting. For example, we could create help lines (e.g., a phone line), e‐mail, or Web links, and provide a box or similar device in hot spots in schools so students can report incidents or offer suggestions anonymously.

Teaching about Cyberbullying

Second, schools should educate school adults, students, and parents about cyberbullying and provide clear procedures to follow when cyberbullying occurs.

 At the fundamental level, adults, including teachers and parents, need to keep pace with new technology to understand how students communicate and how cyberbullying happens. Effective strategies, therefore, need to be included in school adults' professional development opportunities. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to learn such strategies.

 

Similarly, approaches to cyberbullying issues need to go beyond the one-time workshop mode for students and be part of regular curriculum learning. 

Such education can take place in different school situations, including classrooms, assemblies, and continuing education programs. For example, schools can use forums not only to mediate between cyberbullies and cyber victims, but also to offer opportunities for students to develop adaptive skills, such as dealing with emotional conflict and building positive behavioral patterns. Such forums help to build a strong rapport and trustworthy relationships between students and school adults as well as among students. 

Responsibilities associated with the use of Technology 

Students, a key group in fighting cyberbullying, need to learn responsibilities associated with the use of technology. They should be aware of the consequences of misuse of technology so that responsible behaviours can be promoted at an early age. They need to understand the dangers that exist and the importance of getting help from responsible adults when cyberbullying occurs. 

PANDEMIC & MAKING THE BEST USE OF IT 

Cyberbullying has been on the rise before lock down – some reports suggest that just 20% of bullying takes place at school now. The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse. These unusual circumstances means that some kids may be venting their frustration online – and their classmates become the targets.

With the aim of addressing these concerns, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office developed an information booklet titled “Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19” to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online. The booklet will be instrumental in keeping children, young people safe online through basic do’s, and don’ts that will help parents and educators teach their children how to use the internet safely.

“UNESCO is committed to ensure access to safe, inclusive and health promoting learning environments for all children. It is imperative that websites, digital platforms, social media platforms are free of Cyberbullying, if children have to access quality education. This information booklet titled ‘Safe online learning in times of Covid19’ highlights the negative consequences of cyberbullying and ways to eliminate and prevent the same”. UNESCO and NCERT are pleased to develop this booklet and hope that it acts as a valuable tool in creating a safer online environment.”

                        -Eric Falt, Director and Representative, UNESCO New Delhi

• Pandemic and Parents : Working together

With COVID-19 closing schools in many states, children are turning to online schooling and with this comes a huge increase in device use by most children and teens. This is actually a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend some time talking with their child as to what cyberbullying means, and to talk through issues their child may be experiencing. It is also a great time for parents to establish guidelines and take the time to check-in and ensure that their child’s online behaviour is acceptable.

Younger children and tweens really should not be having “privacy” from their parents online. Parents need to be empowered to oversee what their elementary and middle school children are doing and with whom they are chatting. 

To think there wouldn’t be any cyberbullying during this time would be unrealistic, especially with so many children having excess frustration and a lot of free time. There will be children who take that frustration out on other kids. Parents need to be conscious of this possibility and schedule check-ins both to ensure their child is okay and behaving appropriately. 

With parents and children home, most households are getting back to family dinners. Parents can use those dinners not just to discuss cyberbullying but to talk about how their children are feeling in general — if they are feeling isolated, lonely or stressed. 

Although our concern is of course cyberbullying, what we are more likely to see is kids reaching out to one another as a support system. The upside to having all this connectivity is that sad and lonely children may actually have increased support.

We often see this in children who are hospitalized. They can feel very isolated. Having that virtual connection, the online social availability of their friends, really helps combat some of those feelings of loneliness and isolation. The hope would be that the social aspect of the connection that's going on in many homes right now with increased device use will outpace any uptick in cyberbullying. But it will be up to parents to make sure they are providing the guidance and supervision necessary to ensure that these online interactions are positive ones.

Human race has proven to overcome from all extremes the world has gone through may be it is a Plague, World Wars, Great Recession and many more. We have learnt lessons and we need to adapt and evolve every time and it’s a never ending process. This reminds of words of great genius Albert Einstein  that, “ Everything is Relative.”

Einstein gifted us with his inventions during the pandemic. Let us wait for the next ‘Science Genius’ from this Pandemic. It can be ‘YOU’. So, Let us work together to prevent the online propagated method of bullying.

As countries begin loosening restrictions and easing lockdowns, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released guidelines to allow private offices in India to operate at 100 per cent capacity, but urged people to work from home as much as possible.

Not just India, several countries have released norms for employees. In New Zealand, for instance, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that those businesses in the “position to do so” should consider a four-day workweek in order to boost domestic tourism.

Some private companies too have initiated steps to change their work culture in order to adapt to the pandemic. Tech giant Twitter, for example, was among the first global companies to allow employees to work from home. In a blog post published on May 12, Jennifer Christie, the leader of the People Team at Twitter, said “with very few exceptions”, offices would not open before September and there would be no in-person company events till the end of 2020. Later, CEO Jack Dorsey said he would allow employees the option to permanently work from home.

Due to Covid-19, it is likely that people would want to change their work environments, even after the pandemic. A Gallup poll found that three in five (59 per cent) US workers, who have been working from home during the pandemic, said they would prefer to continue even after restrictions are lifted. Over 41 per cent, meanwhile, said they would prefer to return to their workplace. At the time of this survey, 62 per cent of employed Americans said they worked from home during the pandemic.

Further, Covid-19 might also change the notion that creative work demands corporate campuses built by companies such as Facebook and Google, complete with free food, open office plans and ping pong tables, a report in the Associated Press said.

As COVID-19 still goes on to continue with the same pace, On a great note, Russia has provided the world with a sigh of relief as it has reportedly completed its first phase of COVID-19 human clinical trials, successfully.

The COVID-19 vaccine is being developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in collaboration with the Russian Defence Ministry.

The Chief researcher and the head of the Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, Dr Elena Smolyarchuk said that the  1st phase of human trials for the vaccine have been completed at the Sechenov University and they will be discharged to the market for commercial purposes soon.

However, there are controversies and contradictions on Russia's success in the 1st trial, since many countries and netizens all over the world since they believe that the world is still far from reaching the solution of the pandemic. 

No information on when this vaccine would enter commercial production stage has been published yet.

In another news, as of Sunday morning, the total number of global cases stood at 12,681,472, while the fatalities due to COVID rose to 564,420, increasing the graph day by day.

We can only hope that Russia's claims are true and the humanity savior vaccine enters the markets soon. 

Image credits- Inshorts Screengrab. 

The Coronavirus Can Be Airborne Indoors, W.H.O. Says

"We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19," Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO, told a news briefing."

• The World Health Organization has acknowledged that there's possibility of coronavirus being spread in the air under certain conditons


• The UN body releases new guidelines on COVID-19 transmission, including new scientific evidence available on the spread of the SARS-CoV-2

The coronavirus may linger in the air in crowded indoor spaces, spreading from one person to the next, the World Health Organization acknowledged on Thursday.

The W.H.O. had described this form of transmission as doubtful and a problem mostly in medical procedures. But growing scientific and anecdotal evidence suggest this route may be important in spreading the virus, and this week more than 200 scientists urged the agency to revisit the research and revise its position.

In an updated scientific brief, the agency also asserted more directly than it had in the past that the virus may be spread by people who do not have symptoms: “Infected people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms and when they don’t have symptoms,” the agency said.

The W.H.O. previously said asymptomatic transmission, while it may occur, was probably “very rare.” Some experts said both revisions were long overdue, and not as extensive as they had hoped.

“It is refreshing to see that W.H.O. is now acknowledging that airborne transmission may occur, although it is clear that the evidence must clear a higher bar for this route compared to others,” Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech, said in an email.

An aerosol is a respiratory droplet so small it may linger in the air. In its latest description of how the virus is spread, the agency said transmission of the virus by aerosols may have been responsible for “outbreaks of Covid-19 reported in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking or singing."

The guidelines stated that understanding how, when and in what types of settings the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads between people is critical for developing effective public health and infection prevention measures to break chains of transmission. WHO said current evidence suggests that COVID-19 transmission occurs primarily through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected individuals through their saliva and respiratory secretions, or through their respiratory droplets expelled when they cough, sneeze, talk or sing. The agency also said that asymptomatic people can also spread the virus to others, although it is still unclear to what extent this occurs and more research is needed in this area.

WHO stressed that high-quality research is urgently needed to understand the role of airborne spread of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures, the dose of virus required for transmission to occur, the settings and risk factors for superspreading events, as well as the extent of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. In this article, let us tell you how airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission and what you can do to stay safe from respiratory infections such as COVID-19.

What you can do to prevent contracting respiratory infections?

In the current scenario,

• it’s always best to wear a mask while venturing out in crowded areas to keep respiratory infections away.


• Try to keep at least 3 feet physical distance and wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.


• Do not touch your face unnecessarily.


• Practice respiratory etiquette.


• Avoid crowded places, close-contact settings and confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.


• Ensure appropriate environmental cleaning and disinfection.


• To maintain immunity, opt for Indian square meal and exercises like Surya Namaskar and Pranayam or any other cardiorespiratory fitness regimen. It can help your cardio-respiratory fitness and lowers blood pressure as well. Moreover, it also increases cardio-respiratory efficiency and respiratory capacity.


• To prevent transmission, WHO recommends identifying suspect cases as quickly as possible, testing, and isolating all cases (infected people) in appropriate facilities.

Pandemic and Digital Divide: Sparking Mental Trauma among young minds.

The lack of technological resources in the hands of the poor has challenged remote-learning which can create a big - learning gap between the rich & poor. We can't imagine the physiological trauma of a child who craves to study but can't.

Online Classes through the gifts of technology has bridged the gap between the educators and the students but has also mirrored “ Digital-Divide” in India.

The Digital Divide: The non-accessibility of gadgets has created a historic wave of mental-health problems like suicide, depressions etc.

According to the 2017-’18 National Sample Survey report on education, only 24% of Indian households have an internet facility. While 66% of India’s population lives in villages, only a little over 15% of rural households have access to internet services.

 

Giving a global perspective, UNESCO noted, “Half of the total number of learners — some 826 million (82.6 crores) students — kept out of the classroom by the Covid-19 pandemic, do not have access to a household computer and 43 percent (706 million or 70.6 crores) have no internet at home, at a time when digitally-based distance learning is used to ensure educational continuity in the vast majority of countries.”

The psychological trauma of the class 10 student who committed suicide as she was distraught by not being able to access classes online is unimaginable. Think about the students who used to go to school for the “Mid-Day Meal”.

Web-based learning in the Indian market has increased gigantic footing as of late. Beside simply scholastic content, they likewise empower students to pick up abilities and even get ready for serious assessments. Yet, there are different sides to each story. E-learning too has a considerable amount of advantages and disadvantages.  Let’s check some points

Almost sixteen lakh kids from poor households studying in government and municipal schools within the Delhi are watching disruptions of their studies without access to mobiles, net and laptops or desktops, at the same time privileged students from private faculties are taking online classes amid the coronavirus lockdown.

From coping with basics like internet connectivity and India’s notoriously undependable power supply to more structural issues such as curriculum and teaching methods, educators have come under tremendous stress.

A teacher from an SDMC faculty in Sarvapriya Vihar said the first actual problem in implementing the plan is: “We do not even have the database for the students or the parents’ contact numbers as a way to reach out to them.”

The teacher said there isn’t even a computer in the school for teachers to feed contact details into.

A mathematics teacher from a North Delhi municipal faculty agreed that executing the plan is a huge hassle. “At the same time as my faculty hasn’t received any orders, several others I recognize had been instructed to start WhatsApp class. But subjects like maths can't study on those applications, even for those who use WhatsApp. How will one take a look at calculations?”

Online education is not equal or the same or easy for everyone. When others are discussing the technical disadvantages of E-learning like lack of interaction, less cost-effective etc, while others don’t have a phone at least, this is the hidden truth of the society. It is the condition of the Nation’s capital.

According to a study conducted by scholarship ed-tech platform Buddy4Study, of the 25 crore students affected by the lockdown, 80 percent fall in the Economically Weaker Section category. Let’s read some stories:

Kartik and his sister Mansi are students of class5 and class 1, respectively, in distinct MCD schools in Kapashera. Their mother and father sell vegetables for a living. Kartik, who wants to be a police officer, said that they've no longer received any assignments from school on their father’s phone for the reason that lockdown started out. “We haven’t been given any work; on the grounds that schools closed, it’s been a holiday for us.”

Shyam Singh, a labourer in Samaypur Badli, had no clue what WhatsApp meant while he received a call from his son Sohan’s class teacher at an NDMC school. “Madam called five days ago, and I didn’t have WhatsApp installed on my phone. Now my son has explained it to me and I’ve downloaded the app, but no work has been assigned through the school yet,” he said.

Tarun, son of a domestic employee in GK-II, cannot now use his father’s second-hand phone as it has broken. The father’s employer offered to shop for him a simple phone but realized delivery of non-essentials online wasn’t possible amid the lockdown. The owner explained: “I felt depressed, that’s why I allow Tarun to take a class with my smart hone every morning.  I feel that’s was the sole thing I could do.”

A visually-impaired pupil at a Delhi government school, who didn’t want to be diagnosed, stated: “Assignments on WhatsApp were now not possible for me. I don’t have parents and my grandparents too antique to use WhatsApp.

The interaction with school students, their parents, and teachers from government schools revealed how everybody was suffering to bridge the virtual gap — many families do not have smartphones, not to mention computers or laptops. Some said they don’t understand how to use WhatsApp, even as some parents are engaged in vital services and need to take their only smartphones with them on work.

The humanitarian crisis has brought all the officials under the microscope. How to ensure a sound transaction of online classes to students, especially poor across the country?

The Mirror of lockdown has reflected how the rooted structural imbalances are between rural & urban, rich & poor even in the digital world.

"TEST-TRACK-TREAT" is the new formula for defeating the COVID-19.

The Union Ministry on the 1st of July announced that A Doctor's Prescription will no more be required for getting oneself checked for COVID-19. 

This order has come after a lot of chaos and tension caused when many concerned individuals with minor symptoms similar to COVID-19 were restricted from getting tested.

The Health Ministry advised all the states and UT's to allow all medical practitioners to prescribe the Coronavirus test for anyone who wants to get himself checked.

It said that this will decrease the load on the medical fraternity, the mental stress amongst people and lead to unprecedented situations. 

It is to be noted that this step is being welcomed by the public as random and aggresive testing is the only way to recognize the new strain of asymptomatic coronovirus and then get it treated. 

Did you know there are board games that will educate you about Coronavirus and it’s protocols. Surprising, right ? Well here’s how they work: 

“You make me sick” Game

COVID-19 is highlighted in a newly updated board game, “You Make Me Sick,” to teach students about the immune system, infectious diseases, and good health practices. Designed by Duquesne University’s Partnership in Education, the game is available as a free download and optimized to print from the organization’s website. The game is designed for two to four players and recommended for children age 11-15 years old. The game provides a learning opportunity for the whole family and can be used by parents who are home schooling their children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Covid 19 board Game by Veer

A 10-year-old in a Delhi school developed a board game around COVID-19 and it’s now available online. A Game that reflected the time of quarantine, hand sanitiser use, social distancing, maks wearing, and more. The board has 52 spaces and starts and ends with ‘Home’, the idea being that a person who leaves home, must follow all regulations, before coming back. On the way, if they sneeze, they must wash hands, literally, and miss a few turns. They may even land on a space that asks the player to perform a yoga pose, to boost immunity. “He had five or six rules, and we helped him develop them,” says the father. Besides the board, dice, and coins, the rule book also has a list of symptoms, precautions, and COVID-19 warriors like doctors, police, vegetable vendors and other essential supplies.

The Supreme Court's bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilker today gave its final decision regarding the leftover CBSE AISSCE Class 12th exams which were to be held in the month of July. The exams stand canceled now.

While, the class 10th exams were already canceled, the CBSE board has shared its decision to go ahead and declare the results by July 15th on basis on internals examinations due to the conditions caused by the pandemic COVID-19.

However, according to a CBSE OFFICIAL, the students will have an option to appear in examination if they wish to (and if the conditions would allow which is not probable)

but if they don't wish to appear then their performance of last internal examinations will be considered to grant them marks.

The board has clarified that option of appearing in the board exam will only be available to XIIth students and not for class Xth students.

This decision has bought to relief lakhs of students who were not in a mental state to give the remaining exams and also those who were in the containment zones.

CSIR constituent lab CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) Lucknow has received permission for carrying out Phase III trial of antiviral drug Umifenovir, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Friday. Umifenovir is mainly used for the treatment of influenza and is available in China and Russia, and has recently come into prominence due to its potential use for COVID-19 patients.

Why Umifenovir ??

•The drug has a good safety profile and acts by preventing entry of viruses into human cells and also by priming the immune system.

•All the raw materials for the drug are indigenously available and if the clinical trial is successful, Umifenovir can be a safe, efficacious, affordable drug against COVID-19. The drug has the potential for prophylactic use.

•If the clinical trial is successful, Umifenovir can be a safe, efficacious, affordable drug against COVID-19.

CSIR labs have been trying to repurpose different drugs for treating coronavirus patients. For the last three months, the Drug Controller General of India has allowed the use of Favipiravir drug, developed within the country by a CSIR laboratory, for clinical trials to treat coronavirus patients.

In light of the COVID 19 ongoing pandemic, the Apex Court of India has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to reconsider its decision of taking the leftover AISSCE exams for class XIIth and scrapping it off instead. 

On a petition filed by lawyer Rishi Malhotra, The Supreme Court’s bench consisting of Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjeev Khanna on Wednesday advised the CBSE board to mark the students on the basis of their internal evaluation, for the remaining papers. 

It is to be noted that while the board has scrapped off the remaining exams for class Xth students, it has rescheduled the remaining papers for AISSCE or class XIIth exams in July. 

The court saw many points in favor of cancelling the remaining exams such as the cancellation of the intermediate exams in other 25 countries affected by the pandemic. The lawyers also appealed to the court that premier institution’s like Delhi University and many IIT’s have also canceled their exams. They also kept before the court petitions signed by stakeholders across the country and cited their problems which included points such as restrictions and problems in hotspot and containment zones. 

The next hearing date has been given on 23rd June. The CBSE Board has been given almost a week’s time to come to a final binding decision regarding the remaining exams. It is expected that the board will either cancel the exams or come up with a better idea because the health and well-being of students is above all and in the present scenario, it seems impossible to conduct the exams. 

Featured Image Credits : istockphoto.com

While China had stopped reporting a rise in the fresh cases of COVID-19 and was gradually returning 

back to the track, the virus has again begin to haunt it as new strains have been found in the Chinese 

capital- Beijing, causing the highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases in China in the last 2 months.

As of Sunday, a total number of 8 cases were reported, bringing the toll to 74, all linked to the Xinfadi 

wholesale food market in South Beijing's Fengtai district. The government officials have also reported an 

outbreak in another wholesale market of Haidain district of China. The Chinese experts claimed that the 

genome sequencing had shown that the strains were from Europe, however they are yet to know how it 

came in the Chinese markets.

Following the sudden outbreak conditions, The Xinfadi and Haidain markets in China were immediately 

shut down along with 15 neighbouring residential and official compounds. According to recent reports 

24 testing stations have been set up while 10000 tests have already been taken. Around 5800 swab 

samples also been collected on random basis of people who were in close contact with those who 

visited the Xinfadi markets.

In the meantime, a complete lockdown has been imposed in the affected areas and all the schools, 

markets and officers have been closed as a precautionary measure. While the second wave of 

coronavirus has hit China again, it has brought with it a political wave as well, wherein the officials are 

playing the blame game with each other, causing the removal and transfer of as many as 5 secretaries 

and managers of district level administration.

It is to be noted that even though the fresh cases are few in number, it could yet cause a recession in the 

Chinese economy, keeping in view the political instability and the potential of the COVID-19 to create an emergency.

 

Featured Image Credits : Yahoo

The world population as of now is over 7.6  Billion. Covid-19 has created a majot crisis in 2020. It’s caused by human activities. The pandemic, is a human overpopulation problem. It seems that we have not really understood the role that crowding and overpopulation play, as crutial reasons for the pandemic. There are two main factors at play. As the city expanded and sprawled, natural lands gave way to human settlement. But as more and more people live in crowded cities, it becomes harder to control a pathogen that takes days to manifest.

Overpopulation is accompanied by negative environmental and economic outcomes ranging from the impacts of over-farming, deforestation, and water pollution to eutrophication and global warming. While a lot of  steps are being taken to better ensure that humans stay sustained, the issue of overcrowding has made lasting solutions more challenging to find. The reasons are that Overpopulation is largely attributed to trends such as people living longer and enjoying higher live birth rates. Advanced technology has made it possible. lack of education in many parts of the country is another reason responsible for too many children in a single family. 

This undetected growth into new habitats is bringing humans into increasing contact with wild-animal pathogens against which we have no biological defences. Wipe out the illegal wildlife trade. Bulldoze the wet markets. Stop this growth – something social distancing should make easier than ever.

Rapid growth of population directly effects per capita income in an economy.

A fast growth in population means a large number of persons coming to the labour market for whom it may not be possible to provide employment. In fact, in underdeveloped countries, the number of job seekers is expanding so fast that despite all efforts towards planned development, it has not been possible to provide employment to all. You see, migrant workers are suffering in these times. Many have lost employment and are facing difficulties paying expenses.

When the coronavirus pandemic reduces, adopting a strategy to stabilize the population is an important idea that needs to be on the table.

With the cases rising every day, its mark tends to reach a new height of 2,76,583 confirmed cases in India, surpassing Italy and Spain, reaching to the new limits of 5th most affected country by the virus worldwide. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister has alarmed Indians regarding the rise of covid cases which is likely to reach the 5.5 lakhs limit by the end of July. Now that’s not what Indians were expected to excel at.

According to the experiences of a few people, the hospitals are left with hardly any beds to treat new patients affected by the virus and simply not allowed to get admitted. Rumours has it that it is being done to alter the number of registered cases. Following this very fact, there’s a possibility that India is very close to surpass the United Kingdom.

A meeting was called by the Lt. Governor Anil Baijal with all the political parties. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the prevailing situation amidst Covid-19 and come up with an explication to combat the current scenario at 3pm on Tuesday. The all-party meet was called after reversing the order of the Government of Delhi by the Lt. Governor. It reversed the restrictions on testing for covid-19, and now the testing will take place within the parameters set by the apex of the health research body, i.e. ICMR. As per the Government’s order, asymptomatic patients will be excluded of who weren’t aged and have no co-morbid conditions. The decision has my full support as “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

According to the claims made by Anil Baijal, he emphasized on the importance on the need to expand Delhi’s infrastructure as to meet with the rapid rise in the cases of the pandemic. One of the solutions which had arisen was to temporarily convert the stadiums like Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Tyagraj Stadium, JLN Stadium, Pragati Maidan, a centre of medical facilities. Following this notion banquet halls, marriage places, were also being discussed into being utilized.

With people ratcheting in their respective towns, finally embracing the environment outside their homes, the relaxations have made people forget about the grave dangers the virus possess and how easily can it affect someone. With citizens belayed into the thinking everything will gradually enter the stage of quo ante, one shouldn’t forget that the biological war isn’t over and with every ignorance, it will claim lives of thousands of people.

India is a home to millions of people; one should remember it is not easy to contain the rapid spread of the virus in an overpopulated country. It is a tacit of playing your part to help control the spread. Yes, it is tough to stay at homes, longing for the long walks we took for granted, but it ought to be understood the willingness to step outside other than a necessity is a decoy one should learn to avoid.

QUARANTINE SCHOOLING: NEW NORMAL FOR HOMESCHOOLERS

With schools across the country closed in response to coronavirus, parents, teachers, and children are becoming subjects in an unofficial homeschooling experiment. But for experienced homeschoolers, coronavirus is a new normal, since you’re not supposed to leave your home unless necessary.

Schools have transitioned to distance learning, forcing parents to simultaneously manage their kids’ schooling and their own jobs. That part is nothing new to homeschooling parents, who have been sharing tips while they also navigate the changed realities outside. Parents have become accidental home school teachers now.  Home school parents advised others to keep in mind that academics are not the most important — especially while living in a pandemic. Of course, homeschooling during quarantine is quite different from homeschooling under ordinary circumstances. For example, many parents are unexpectedly adjusting work schedules to accommodate their new child care needs.

So, if you’re worried about your kids not completing a difficult assignment, know that one of the leading figures in Indian education has your back when you throw up your hands and let them read a book for an hour instead. The worst thing you can do is create a tense environment at home because “a stressful brain is not conducive to learning”. They don’t need you standing over them with your arms folded until they finish their fractions assignment during an already tumultuous time in their lives.

The most important thing parents need to homeschool their children is to like them, enjoy their company, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, and passion. They have to enjoy all their talk and questions and enjoy equally trying to answer those questions. For the majority of parents who homeschool, the only prerequisite is the desire to do so, along with a dedication to the educational process.

Therefore, try to find creative ways to engage with your kids. Use gardening as an educational tool: building a garden bed could be an engineering or architecture assignment. Cooking meals together can provide plenty of lessons in science, math and reading. Turning meal times into lessons and reading aloud while cooking is a simple idea to have a long time influence.

Homeschooling was and is likely to remain, a niche approach to educating school-age children. The pandemic may convince some parents that it’s the right one for them. By taking a pluralistic approach to education and letting a thousand flowers bloom, policymakers can make homeschooling a viable alternative for parents who desire it.

After two months of lockdown, airlines finally opened the gates for citizens of India. A common question which might have arisen in one’s mind is how was the “new normalcy” handled by the citizens and most importantly, the airport authorities.

As it was assumed, some stated were not keen for resumption for flights amidst the lockdown.  Around 630 domestic flights which were scheduled to operate on Monday were cancelled which were suppose to fly to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, while the number of flights were limited to Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The announcement of flight cancellations was made by the Centre on Sunday night.

What boggled the citizens even more was when they reached the airport on Monday and were told by the airline staff about the cancellation. Agitated, the citizens took their anger to social media which portrayed bellicose and disappointment. With utmost precautions, they expected to be on a flight to their desired destination which wasn’t fulfilled. The flight cancellation was expected in West Bengal due to the destruction caused by Amphan, and the retardation in the announcements could’ve been avoided had it been made clear to the passengers sooner, as it is not advised for people to step out for a longer duration.

The first flight which took off was on May 25, Monday,2020, 4:45am from Delhi, travelling to its destination on Pune, Likewise, the first flight from Mumbai, which is one of the busiest airports, took off at 6:45 am, with its terminus at Patna. The operations were carried out keeping the regulations recommended by the Civil Aviation Industry, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in detail was worked out between the Civil Aviation Industry, Airport Authority of India and the various flight operators. These SOPs included, not more than 2 people could travel in a taxi and the passengers were handed over a kit at the time of boarding their respective flights which included gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, and face shields.  According to recent reports, Maharashtra will be handling 50 flights per day whilst 25 arrivals will be handled by Chennai.

Maharashtra, the most affected state of the country should refrain from opening their gates and welcoming people. Some states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, accepted the domestic flights with a policy of putting all the flying passengers through a 7-day quarantine, at a place located by the government, and an additional 7 days at home quarantine after which they will be allowed to move around in the city. These actions are yet to show any positive results to hold back the coronavirus from its multiplication.

Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted a tweet on Monday evening, “From no domestic flights yesterday to 532 flights with 39,231 passengers today, action returned to Indian skies.” This was definitely a positive sign amidst these demoralizing times. But it should also be kept in mind that these times are here to prevail, ergo, necessary steps shall be taken and the decisions approved by all concerned which can be manoeuvred, keeping the publics best interest in mind.

After two months of lockdown, airlines finally opened the gates for citizens of India. A common question which might have arisen in one’s mind is how was the “new normalcy” handled by the citizens and most importantly, the airport authorities.

As it was assumed, some stated were not keen for resumption for flights amidst the lockdown.  Around 630 domestic flights which were scheduled to operate on Monday were cancelled which were suppose to fly to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, while the number of flights were limited to Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The announcement of flight cancellations was made by the Centre on Sunday night.

What boggled the citizens even more was when they reached the airport on Monday and were told by the airline staff about the cancellation. Agitated, the citizens took their anger to social media which portrayed bellicose and disappointment. With utmost precautions, they expected to be on a flight to their desired destination which wasn’t fulfilled. The flight cancellation was expected in West Bengal due to the destruction caused by Amphan, and the retardation in the announcements could’ve been avoided had it been made clear to the passengers sooner, as it is not advised for people to step out for a longer duration.

The first flight which took off was on May 25, Monday,2020, 4:45am from Delhi, travelling to its destination on Pune, Likewise, the first flight from Mumbai, which is one of the busiest airports, took off at 6:45 am, with its terminus at Patna. The operations were carried out keeping the regulations recommended by the Civil Aviation Industry, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in detail was worked out between the Civil Aviation Industry, Airport Authority of India and the various flight operators. These SOPs included, not more than 2 people could travel in a taxi and the passengers were handed over a kit at the time of boarding their respective flights which included gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, and face shields.  According to recent reports, Maharashtra will be handling 50 flights per day whilst 25 arrivals will be handled by Chennai.

Maharashtra, the most affected state of the country should refrain from opening their gates and welcoming people. Some states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, accepted the domestic flights with a policy of putting all the flying passengers through a 7-day quarantine, at a place located by the government, and an additional 7 days at home quarantine after which they will be allowed to move around in the city. These actions are yet to show any positive results to hold back the coronavirus from its multiplication.

Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted a tweet on Monday evening, “From no domestic flights yesterday to 532 flights with 39,231 passengers today, action returned to Indian skies.” This was definitely a positive sign amidst these demoralizing times. But it should also be kept in mind that these times are here to prevail, ergo, necessary steps shall be taken and the decisions approved by all concerned which can be manoeuvred, keeping the publics best interest in mind.

On 31st December when the hands of the clock struck 12, the whole world rejoiced, making New Year’s resolutions, promising to make this year count. Little did they know 2020 was a year of destruction. Since January the year has been off to a rocky start. This has specially been problematic for China.

The corona virus was first identified in China on 31st December 2019 according to the WHO China Country Office. The Virus was isolated on January 7, 2020 and finally the WHO confirmed the outbreak of the virus on January 12, 2020. This put China on the Hit list by the world. The Country was severely censured by all the countries, especially with the US, commonly referred to as the “Political Virus” these days. The US President is failing not to leave any chance to criticize China as he refers Covid-19 as the “Wuhan Virus” or the “Chinese Virus.”

As per a scientist in WHO, he claims to believe that the virus had been originated in lab, during a research going on bats. However, the origination of coronavirus remains unknown and unclear. Following to the statement made by the scientist, the city which experienced the merciless effects of the virus was Wuhan. This put China under a tremendous amount of pressure.  The Chinese Virology Institute was at the centre of the US allegations, as claimed it could be the place of birth of the virus.

Following this, the supposedly virus strains on bats which were used during the research were collected to verify the source. Astonishingly, the pathogens failed to match those which are the cause of the pandemic. It could be assumed that the evidence could’ve been tampered with.

The worlds two superpower countries are seemingly in a cold war. The US President Mr. Donal Trump claims it was China behind the outbreak of the pandemic. The president didn’t hesitate to call WHO a “puppet” of China. The were some serious accusations made the president, but when the tests came out to be negative, the Chinese administrations was in convulse with the US, stating that the claims made the US president were “pure fabrication.”  

Wang Yi, the former foreign minister of China was filmed for an interview on May 13, 2020 but was made public after a few days, where he states “Now we have three strains of live viruses... But their highest similarity to SARS-CoV-2 only reaches 79.8 %.” He also claims that the most politicians have ignored the most basic facts and they’ve created numerous lies and conspiracies to discredit China.

However, the US President should grasp the severity of the situation and concentrate more on controlling and treating those affected by the virus. He has reacted sharply against China. The coronavirus has created a havoc internationally, especially in the European countries and the world and they should put China under pressure to find a solution for elimination of this deadly virus.

Following the 2-month shutdown nationwide, the economy had come to a halt with absolutely nothing and no one working. This led to believe everyone that they finally had time to themselves and that it had stopped where they could, for once do sit in the comfort of their homes and not worry about the deadline on which the reports had to be submitted. Unfortunately, the vacation has ended and it’s time to go back to school.

According to recent reports, the domestic commercial passenger flights will resume effective May 25, 2020.  According to the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri’s tweet, he claimed that the domestic flights across India would resume in a “calibrated manner”. The tweet also mentioned “All the airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from May 25. SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation”

The Ministry of Home Affairs amended its guidelines by expunging domestic air travel from the list. The aim is to finally get the country on a move. It’s true that the world can’t simply sit down and do nothing; this might be a good start to finally resume and get things back on track and adapting to the “normal.” Top airline executives were scheduled to have a meeting the minister officials to finalize the modalities of resumption with SOPs for flight operations .Although some states gave expressed their concerns over the transportation among the red zones, on the other hand, the airlines don’t find it viable to only become operational only in green zones and it may also reduce the demand.

According tp the proposals from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the passengers are suppose to reach the airport 2 and/or 3 hours prior to their scheduled flight. Delhi, Mumbai, Hydrabad and Bangalore are one amongst the many airports which are setting up thermal screening counters at arrival and departure gates respectively, but since Delhi is one of the busiest airport across the country, the authorities have also decided to set up a system for UV disinfection of all baggage’s and trolleys as well. Mumbai and Banglore airports have created markings, making sure to keep a gap of 1.5 metres between every passenger, the cities have also reshuffled the seating arrangements in food courts to maintain the notion of social distancing.

According to New Zaeland’s reports, they are currently at level 2 alert with 380 Auckland buses running with foreign nationals being granted the permission to take domestic flights. New Zealand is in a state to allow the transportation as according to recent statistics, there hadn’t been any new cases of covid-19 reported in the last 48 hours.

Although extreme precautions are going to be taken and it may not seem viable to only operate in the green zones, but it is extremely important to safeguard the lives of their burgesses. This could be a good start to getting back on track gradually and safely. It is important to get the economy going soon but this could also be taking a huge risk since India has crossed a ballpark of 1 lakh cases overall. One could only hope that everything is administered as planned, And the flights keep making happy landings.  

The Shramik trains are an initiated by the Government of India for the migrant labourers who’ve migrated from rural areas in search of jobs in urban cities. With the poverty conditions touching the roof, the labourers in hope of providing a better future for their family move to the cities. The corona virus attack was so sudden and its impact was extremely high that it left no options to the workers to travel back to their homes. 

The number of migrant laborers crosses a mark of 40 million. As soon as the government announced the commencement of the lockdown whilst the outbreak of a deadly virus, the first gripping thought amongst them was finding a way to their sweet home. The rules of lockdown 1.0 strictly claimed for the citizens of India to remain in the comfort of their homes, but they refused to accept the shelter homes provided by the government and the fear of being quarantined a made them decide to go back to their homes and a mass exodus of set out through whatever means possible, so much so to travel by foot refusing the government’s attempt to stop the migrant flow, determined to reach their destination. 

With job opportunities diminishing due to the shutdown across the country, the labourers had only 2 choices left, either to stay put in the urban cities or to find a way back to their respective hometowns. In the turn of recent events, they gave the government no choice but to behest an order in their appeal, as a result of which the registrations for the Shramik trains kicked off. 

The incident which took place in Gurgaon was a classic example of how poorly the situation was handled. While the people climbed over one another just to get their registerations done, it could’ve been handled in a civilized manner, afterall the determinant workers of the government; the police has been working effortlessly and putting their lives on line just to maintain an order and discipline. The situation could’ve been handled by allowing a certain number of workers to stand in a queue, following the notion of social distancing and providing sanitizers in order to maintain hygiene and a good number of counters would’ve resulted in a much better posse for the government than they are in now.

According to reports, around 55000 workers have been sent back to Bihar, and till May 15, 2020, the helpline number provided by the government of Uttar Pradesh (1076), the administration had received around 50,000 applications with more calls pouring in. In totality, till date, 9 lakh migrant workers have been back to UP. In a broader perspective, around 15 lakh labourers have been sent back while India contains a whopping number of 6 crore migrant labourers, that’s simply 2.5% of the workers successfully sent back. 

According to recent announcements, Ministry of Railways in consultation with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have agreed upon the decision to operate 200 Shramik trains successfully from June 1, 2020, to fulfill the wishes of the stranded workers, hoping to be in the comfort of their homes and family, however the current politics being played by the congress and other political parties, giving false hopes to the migrant workers is higly despicable and is playing with the lives of the helpless.

In my opinion, the workers could’ve bid their time as the once the lockdown ends, various factories, companies, construction sites would post the vacancy of a job opportunity which the workers could’ve availed. Keeping in mind various houses require domestic help, their jobs would’ve resumed in no time, and the ruckus could’ve been avoided.

1. Australia welcomes probe resolution of WHA and promises to offer monetary assistance
2. China reacts over Australia negative remarks and asks to stop political manouver .
3. WHA elects 34 new members including India for executive board for 3 year term.
4. India in top contender list for Director post of executive board - WHA
5. USA hints WHA over stopping of funding if probe donot goes seriously 
6. INDIA agrees to increase its monetary contribution in WHA inspite of USA remarks.

1. China agrees on probe of Covid19.
2. Taiwan not invited by WHO to attend delegate introduction.
3. Issue of Taiwan neglected not in list of WHA essentials. 
4. WHA decides to set new credential goals.
5. Union of India calls for inclusive approach on probe of Covid19  China backs the call.

 “The world could learn from Taiwan’s success in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, yet it doesn’t have a seat at the World Health Organization.”

On Monday, May 18, representatives of 194 countries gathered virtually for one of the most important public health meetings in recent memory. A country thought to have had one of the best public health responses to the coronavirus pandemic—Taiwan was not invited. 
Taiwan attended the assembly as an observer from 2009 to 2016 but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, whom China views as a separatist, an accusation she rejects. 
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO as China has opposed its entry into international bodies. Taiwan was the first to begin screening passengers from Wuhan, starting December 31. 
Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations (UN) or its sub-organizations, but it aspires to participate. China also claims Taiwan as part of its territory and denies that Taiwan is a sovereign state. China is adamant about preventing recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state and its membership in the UN system. Like other U.N. organizations, the WHO considers Taiwan a part of the People’s Republic of China and excludes its government from membership. This, critics say, is detrimental to global cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Taiwan has emerged as one of the most effective countries in combating the disease. Taiwan and its defenders have strongly criticized the WHO and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for being overly deferential to Beijing.
 China, officially called the People’s Republic of China (PRC), refuses to allow that to happen. The PRC claims that Taiwan is a province of China, not an independent state. It says that only the PRC has the right to represent all of China in the United Nations and other international organizations, including the WHO, that limit membership to states. Taiwan’s government, generally called the Republic of China on Taiwan, has all the elements of statehood required by international law and maintains diplomatic relations with fifteen countries. Yet due to the PRC’s great-power status, including its seat as a permanent UN Security Council member, Beijing has been able to impose its “One China” policy upon the world.
 
In the early days of the outbreak, health officials in Taipei say the WHO ignored their warnings—based on communication with mainland colleagues—that the disease could be transmitted between humans, slowing the global response to the growing threat. Instead, in mid-January, the organization issued a now-infamous endorsement of China’s finding that there was no human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. The WHO continued to praise China’s handling of the virus throughout January, despite abundant evidence that authorities were covering up the severity of the situation in Wuhan. This praise was especially stark in contrast to the organization’s criticism of China during SARS. Taiwan has had remarkable success in combating the virus. More than two months after COVID-19 arrived on the island, it has seen only 380 cases and five deaths. Yet its health officials remain frozen out of emergency meetings and briefings at the main organization coordinating the global response to the pandemic. (In a painfully awkward interview with a Hong Kong journalist, one senior WHO official seemed to pretend not to hear the question and then insisted on moving on when asked about Taiwan.)

Why is Taiwan’s exclusion a problem, especially during the coronavirus pandemic?

Taiwan is an important stakeholder and a valuable partner in fighting this unprecedented crisis. Taiwan’s government is donating masks to countries in need and sharing its experience using technology to investigate outbreaks. It is also working with U.S. experts to develop more rapid diagnostic test kits and vaccines.
Despite Taiwan’s valuable input, the WHO continues to shun it. For example, when asked by a journalist about Taiwan’s exclusion and experience dealing with the pandemic during a recent interview, WHO senior advisor Bruce Aylward hung up the call after trying to avoid the questions. After this public relations disaster, the WHO claimed it was closely working with Taiwan experts, which Taiwan’s government refuted. Taiwan has continually shared coronavirus data with the WHO, but the WHO has never released this information to its members. Additionally, in a February coronavirus status report, the WHO misreported the number of cases in Taiwan based on information provided by China. It also continues to deceptively list Taiwan’s case numbers under China’s. Taiwan was snubbed by the WHO yet again when it was not invited to the organization’s emergency meetings in January. After repeated requests, in February, the WHO finally allowed two Taiwanese experts to attend an online forum. Such ludicrous limitations have rightly been scoffed at by many governments and critics.
The WHO’s exclusion of Taiwan from the global fight against the pandemic is a reckless dereliction of duty. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose election was due in large part to China’s support, has been widely criticized for actions that appeared to help China downplay the outbreak, delaying the international response as a result. Taiwan’s exclusion is an example of how the world’s health body puts politics before public health. Governments and concerned citizens must demand that the WHO fulfill its obligation—to represent the world’s health interests, not China’s—and hold the WHO accountable when it fails.
Wu said that Taiwan had agreed the issue of its participation would be put off until later in the year so the shorted assembly can focus on the coronavirus.
"Understandably, countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic," he said.
"For this reason, like-minded nations and diplomatic allies have suggested that the proposal be taken up later this year when meetings will be conducted normally, to make sure there will be a full and open discussion," Wu added.

U.S AND TAIWAN

The United States has attempted to maximize Taiwan’s involvement in international relations and has, without success, supported Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in various institutions, including the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s highest decision-making body. In March 2020, the Donald J. Trump administration enacted the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act, aimed at supporting Taiwan’s international presence. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the State Department would “do [its] best to assist” Taiwan’s “appropriate role” in the WHO.
 Nearly 15 countries, including Belize, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands,, and Honduras, had written to the director-general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asking that the question of Taiwan's participation be added to the agenda.
But on Monday Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said "countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic".

"We have accepted the suggestion from our allies and like-minded nations to wait until the resumed session before further promoting our bid," Wu said. He added that allies had suggested instead the proposal be taken up later in the year when the WHO is expected to hold in-person meetings. The calls for Taiwan to join the meetings had angered Beijing.

Apart from learning sudh Hindi and words  like atmanirbhar and PracharasabhaI I learnt one more thing about lockdown 4.0, we will have to accept corona virus as a part of our live now. On Tuesday PM Narendra Modi confirmed there will a fourth lockdown but this fourth lockdown will be completely different from the three lockdowns. This week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a six-hour video call with several chief ministers and asked for states' input on this matter.

“Normalcy on ground” will be the main focus of lockdown 4.0. For how long will we hide from the virus and stay at home? We have to move on from the virus and take precautions and lead our live. Yes, I know everything won’t be the same again. We will see everyone wearing masks and going to work now, we will see everyone in metro trying to maintain social distance and wearing masks and using sanitizers, we will see empty play grounds, the lines will look quite long because of one meter gap between customers, the fear of Coronavirus will still be there. I know the fear of Coronavirus won’t go until a vaccine is found. But there’s a silver lining to Coronavirus it made us see our real heroes, the doctors who are risking their lives to save their patients, the police who are hard on public just to keep them safe, the sanitary workers who are cleaning roads  for us and there are many more heroes we never realised to thank before Coronavirus.

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday, 12 May, announced that it will allow liquor shops to provide home delivery services subject to conditions for both the buyer and the seller.
 This decision was taken after witnessing the aftermath of a badly executed plan of allowing liquor shops to open across India which went in a direction opposite of social distancing. However, certain rules are to be followed.
   To think that the government has done nothing significant for the migrant workers who are trying endlessly and failing to get back safely to their families, prioritising such futile issues is completely illogical.
   We can agree that opening up liquor stores or allowing deliveries for liquor is going to help bring in abundant revenue for the government and assist in these times of crisis, on the other hand, there are people who are losing out on jobs not knowing when they will be getting their next meal. 
  A state like Maharashtra, with sky touching cases of Corona virus and low recovery rates and less resources, should focus more on how to aware it's population on the strength of immune system and encourage them to stay away from substances that can make them susceptible to the virus, so that the burden on Corona warriors decreases and they recover altogether as soon as possible.
  
  
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on 12th May, highlighting how large number of casualties have occurred not just in India, but worldwide as humongous number of people have lost their lives due to a single small virus.

   Mr Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to deal with the market slowdown due to the unexpected virus which would "empower different sectors of the society. "

 It is expected to help India become self-reliant and effectively deal and overcome Covid19. The details of the package will be given later Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman.

 Being self reliant could provide a good boost to our falling economy. It's highly essential to use indigenous products and be proud of it. During these last couple of months, India has learnt the importance of expanding and supporting local manufacturers, businesses and markets also to make our unprivileged working population, financially stable. If India would have focused on Self-reliance earlier, we would have managed the crisis better. Even though we lack resources, Mr Modi thinks that the talent India possess can lead to India making the best products.

   In his meeting with the chief ministers on Monday, PM Modi had indicated that the lockdown could be extended but would vary from the previous ones in relaxations and in reach.

  Expressing condolences for the victims, he said that India can move forward while dealing with the virus and help contribute in saving the world from this gripping situation.

In the end PM also mentioned that the announcement for Lockdown4.0 will be made before 18th May but this time it will be very different from last three times.