As India battles an unforgiving second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, this CEDA Policy Brief from April 2020 can still help policy makers tackle its effects on people’s lives and the economy

With nationwide lockdown and high unpredictability during COVID-19, this policy brief recommends a forward-looking relief package. The authors suggest disbursement of both cash and in-kind transfers to all households holding a ration card while strengthening the PDS system and supply chain simultaneously. In the second part of the brief, the authors recommend targeted policy measures for the few salient population groups. Special attention is drawn to some of the pressing issues, such as malnutrition amongst children, increased fertility rates, domestic and intimate partner violence, needs of temporary/seasonal migrant workers amongst other most vulnerable population groups.