What They Lost In Lockdown

Context: Post-lockdown misery of India’s migrant workers warrants some urgent measures.

Effects of lockdown on India’s migrant workers

• Distress migration: due to non-existent social security and unilateral decisions.
• Loss of livelihoods: based on the Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE) data - 
  • Among men who lost employment in April 2020, about 68 % of the workers had a fall in income between December 2019 and August 2020. 
  • 56 % of women remained unemployed even in December 2020. 
• Paradox of hunger despite having plenty: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has four times the buffer stock norms.
  • Azim Premji University (APU) survey: 90 % of the respondents reported a reduction in food consumption during the lockdown.
  • “Hunger Watch” survey in October 2020:  About 48 % of respondents went to bed without a meal at least once, and about 30 % had to skip meals “sometimes” or “often”.
  • NITI Aayog has proposed to lower the food subsidies from 75% to 60% in rural areas and from 50% to 40% in urban areas.
• Devastating impact on women and children’s nutrition: According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Phase 1, child nutrition indicators have stagnated or worsened between 2015 and 2019. 

Way forward

• Universalise rations: rather than going for technocratic fixes like One Nation One Ration (ONOR) Card.
• Secure employment and better livelihood opportunities: especially for women.
  • As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2018-19), 4 out of 5 rural women willing to work are unemployed.
  • Provide due recognition to Anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers and provide them with better wages.
• Strengthen Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA): by
  • Increasing the entitlement to 200 days per household per year.
  • Increasing wage rates.
• Boost bottom-up consumption: By Introducing an urban employment programme like MGNREGA.