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Urban Exclusion: Rethinking Social Protection in the Wake of the Pandemic in India

Author

Listed:
  • Pallavi Choudhuri

    (Pallavi Choudhuri (corresponding author) is a Senior Fellow at National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, India. E-mail: pchoudhuri@ncaer.org)

  • Santanu Pramanik

    (Santanu Pramanik is currently a Research Director, LEAD at Krea University, New Delhi. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow at National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, India. E-mail: santanu.pramanik@ifmr.ac.in)

  • Sonalde Desai

    (Sonalde Desai is a Professor at National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, India, and Distinguished University Professor at Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA. E-mail: sdesai@ncaer.org)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent nationwide lockdown in India that began on 25 March 2020, caused a major disruption in the labour market, leading to the widespread loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. The findings from a telephonic survey of a representative sample of more than 3,000 households in the National Capital Region also reveal a dramatic loss in earning capacity. The place of residence and occupation mediated the impact of the lockdown, with greater vulnerabilities witnessed amongst those engaged in informal employment, especially in urban areas. The government rolled out a series of welfare measures in response to the widespread economic distress, with the provision of free foodgrains and cash transfers aimed at rehabilitating those who were the most affected. While the use of prior social registries enabled quick disbursement, our analysis shows that few households received both foodgrains and cash transfers, particularly in urban areas. Urban residents were also eight percentage points less likely to receive cash transfers than their rural counterparts. JEL Codes: I38, J21, O17

Suggested Citation

  • Pallavi Choudhuri & Santanu Pramanik & Sonalde Desai, 2023. "Urban Exclusion: Rethinking Social Protection in the Wake of the Pandemic in India," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 17(1-2), pages 59-93, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:mareco:v:17:y:2023:i:1-2:p:59-93
    DOI: 10.1177/00252921231199788
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Informal Employment; Income; Social Protection; Cash Transfer; COVID-19; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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