Region: South Asia
Getting behind the corona statistics: How a small shopkeeper took on the pandemic
This blog has been written by Rahul Chatterjee, with additional material from Stuart Rutherford and Md Kalim Ullah of the Hrishipara Daily Diaries Project. Based on a case study, this blog analyzes how a small corner shop owner in Bangladesh managed to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores strategies to speed up recovery and bounce back from the pandemic’s effects.
Feb 23, 2021
Reimagining the Indian government’s telemedicine platform
This note highlights three key challenges—abuse, availability, and access that telemedicine platforms in India, such as the government’s eSanjeevani, need to address. It also benchmarks eSanjeevani with other global telemedicine platforms and suggests strategies to tackle the prevalent challenges.
Feb 10, 2021
Public Distribution System spending by the Indian government
The cost of procurement and distribution of wheat and rice alone understates the expenditure of the Government of India on PDS. This video calculates the total cost of PDS to the government, including various subsidies like fertilizer. It discusses the feasibility of transforming these subsidies and distributing them as universal income support for farmers.
Feb 3, 2021
Fertilizer subsidy reforms and the way forward
The Government of India has introduced various reforms to enhance efficiency and transparency in the fertilizer distribution system. However, differential fertilizer policies in India have led to the overuse of urea among farmers, which creates an imbalance in soil health. This SI module highlights some reforms to encourage the judicious and efficient use of fertilizers by farmers.
Feb 3, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs): Bangladesh report
The COVID-19 crisis has proven devastating for MSMEs in Bangladesh, which have seen their revenues reduce to almost half. Our report analyzes the pandemic’s economic consequences on MSMEs and highlights their coping strategies. It also provides policy recommendations to help them recover.
Jan 28, 2021
Samveet Sahoo, Abhishek Anand, Nabila Khurshed and Khandaker Shaoli Hassan
Jan 28, 2021
Samveet Sahoo, Abhishek Anand, Nabila Khurshed and Khandaker Shaoli Hassan
Addressing three key issues of BC agents in India for COVID-like challenges
The network of business correspondents (BCs) has evolved into the backbone of financial inclusion in rural India. However, it continues to face challenges, which were further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog highlights three key issues that hinder the sustainability of the BC model.
Jan 28, 2021