Lets discuss about the changes that will happen Post-Covid-19
The State is back, and how!
Therefore, the post-coronavirus world will need a strong, efficient State that enjoys the confidence of its people.
Social Safety Net for the poor
It is expected that the economic effects of coronavirus disease would be massive and devastating. Inequalities within countries were still expanding at an unprecedented pace before the crisis. All the Covid-19 epidemic has achieved is to illustrate the appallingly unfair manner in which the virus impacts the wealthy and the not so privileged. That is as true in affluent countries like the US, where the Blacks are adversely impacted, or even in a world like ours, where we have seen foreign workers put in pain. Now we are thinking of a modern democratic contract.
It would be up to most states in the post-COVID-19 world to formulate some form of a social safety net that covers not just the right to food, housing, education, but also health. The Covid-19 crisis has taken social welfare problems to the weak and disadvantaged of us.
India’s Covid-19 Diplomacy
India not only navigated the lockdown effectively but also took advantage of the geopolitical possibilities that presented themselves. The swift decision to send critical medicines (such as HCQ and Paracetamol) to our neighbourhood and to core friends such as the US, the EU, Brazil, and Israel was not only focused on our wider ideology of "Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam"-" the entire planet is one country-but also on "our attempts to contribute meaningfully to solving what is essentially a global problem..
India will in the immediate future increase its development of active pharmaceutical ingredients. With around 70% production of global vaccines and drugs such as HCQ, India is well-positioned to fulfil the role of the region and the world's "net public health security provider".
SDGs may have to be re-calibrated
As it is well known, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been agreed upon after a lengthy negotiating period and the broad deadline for achieving those is 2030. In fact, the SDG 3 talks about "ensuring safe lives and encouraging wellness for all of all ages". Without knowing the full impact of the coronavirus disease, it is difficult to predict whether the necessary progress can be made in meeting this objective. Depending on the economic effect of this crisis, especially in countries such as India, other SDG goals such as "No Poverty" and "Zero Hunger" could also be adversely affected.
The SDGs need to be re-examined, both from the point of view of time frames and the resources needed to achieve them in a timely manner by poor countries.
It is Geopolitics, stupid!
A crisis of this nature would allow countries to forget their small divisions in a perfect environment, and come together for the sake of the greater good. Yet, there are very few signs of that happening. Indeed there has been no meaningful multilateral coordination at all.
It is more than a reasonable chance that big rivalry of power, parochial national interests, and raw geopolitics will rule the roost in the post-COVID 19 world.
