Pandemic and Inclusive Governance

Abstract

The welfare provisioning and distributive justice in a pandemic, as seen in the context of the current worldwide COVID impact, assume particular importance for achieving the goals of inclusive development. The world has, undoubtedly, witnessed in recent times average gains in material prosperity with gross domestic product per capita doubling in low- and middle-income countries. But, even with the world becoming richer, poverty and destitution continue to be experienced by a large population living on the margins of this growth story. It is a pandemic and a disaster that is axiomatic in the development policy context for structuring policies and institutions for inclusive governance. It is in this context that this chapter looks at the policies and interventions made by the government in India, for the incorporation of productive capacities of the poor and marginalized post the COVID pandemic impact through the numerous welfare policy initiatives. The focus of this chapter is on the policy interventions pertaining to agriculture services, food security, livelihood and employment, public health, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs. The chapter attempts to provide an understanding of, and a mapping of, the operational issues that underlie challenges and opportunities for inclusive governance across rural areas and urban areas (in urban areas, the focus being on slums). In the rural context, the chapter looks at the policy provisions for agriculture, food security, and employment; and in the slum settlements in urban areas, issues of health and WASH are covered along with food security policy for the urban poor. These domains are critical to addressing the immediate challenges of distributive justice and well-being in a pandemic, as they are central to concerns of livelihood and affordable living. In the same context, these domains are significant to develop a framework of inclusive governance and build an understanding of the institutions for inclusive development. The chapter makes important policy inputs for structural interventions, involving public administration/government, private sector, and civil society, for governance in a pandemic. The chapter draws on government notifications and guidelines, projects, and initiatives conducted through corporate social responsibility initiatives by the private sector and civil society groups in slums and recommends how convergence between these groups and initiatives can be met going to support efficient capital and human resource.