Given that India’s rural economy has been in deep distress for the past five years, this is tragic. Most children in rural areas and also from poorer households in urban areas have had their studies badly disrupted. While better-off households in rural and urban areas have managed through online classes, gaps in education will have serious consequences for those at the bottom of India’s pyramid. Likewise for access to health, with people in rural areas or in small towns and urban agglomerations short of services. But the unequal burden of the pandemic has engendered trends that point to these gaps widening for a prolonged period.

Source: Mint May 06, 2021 17:37 UTC