Covid-19, Poverty and Income Inequality of India

Context

Consumer Pyramids Survey

Poverty rose but income inequality fell

• Poverty certainly rose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• However, income inequality actually fell.

What the editorial is about?

• The need for assessing prospects for inequality by understanding the decline in inequality during the pandemic after it ends.

India and Covid-19

• COVID-19 has upended Indian society.
• Over two-thirds of the country has been infected by COVID-19 and perhaps five million or so people have died, directly or indirectly, from the pandemic.
• The economy too has taken a beating. Even though there has been a V-shaped recovery, output remains about 10% lower than in 2019.

Covid-19 and Poverty

• Poverty certainly rose during th