Thoughts

The impact of COVID-19 on millions of people in India was devastating. Hundreds of thousands were deprived of their livelihoods, left out of school, and were unable to access basic healthcare. But the lack of technology and facilities - especially within the public sector - for children belonging to economically disadvantaged communities affected their ability to access affordable education. So, is it time for the sector to embrace liberalization?

The advent and growth of technology revolutionized the way we live. But COVID-19 exposed the deep-seated and oft-ignored social and economic disparities between communities, particularly when it comes to social services such as education, water, health and sanitation, and food. While many people argue that technology can serve as a socio-economic equalizer, can the same be said for India, a country where digital literacy continues to remain a buzzword?

Civil and political rights throughout South Asia are a highly contested and contentious field, often putting the lives and liberties of many individuals fighting for individual freedoms at risk. This is also true for those who fight for peace, as happened with one such activist in Pakistan in 2018.