Economic Policy in Covid-19 Times reflects on the immediate impact of Covid-19 on the lives, livelihoods, and policies in Tamil Nadu, one of the states most affected by Covid-19 in the country and records it for posterity. It contributes to the public debate surrounding Covid-19 and its aftermath by suggesting short- to medium-term measures in the state’s post-pandemic socio-economic policy, which could help to mitigate the disastrous effects of the pandemic.
The authors have drawn on their long experience to offer a panoramic view of Tamil Nadu economy and society. This volume discusses potential policy reforms in the MSME and agriculture sectors, including the recently repealed Farm Acts, the macroeconomic scenario in the wake of Covid-19, and issues of migrant and informal labour. The authors also analyse environmental markets and Tamil Nadu’s highly successful marine fisheries sector, the Tamil book-publishing industry, the tourism sector, and industrial clusters in the state, and suggest means of revival and opportunities for employment generation. The issue of food security, affordable housing and infrastructure development post–Covid-19, and the role of the state and Panchayati Raj Institutions to aid social development are also examined.
Timely and informative, this volume will be of interest to policymakers, think tanks, and academic audiences. Its lucid prose will also attract the informed public, eager to understand the changing socio-economic milieu during these exceptionally trying times.