The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a deep structural change in the Indian economy. During its first wave, India’s rural economy displayed an extraordinary resilience to the effects of the pandemic, an absolute contrast to the situation faced by its urban counterpart; and it soon became obvious that a two-speed economy existed during the first wave, with one sector flourishing as the other struggled to keep up.
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The rural sector of economy had a roller-coaster ride in the first and second waves of COVID-19. Last year the village population remained unaffected and resisted the effects of the pandemic. The second wave however, was the worst for the rural sector. It was severely hit, and suffered damages that resonate till now.
The agricultural sector however, performed well in 2020, owing to the exemptions of COVID restrictions on agricultural services. But when a large chunk of human resource was disrupted in the second wave, the unemployment that increased was not absorbed by the agricultural sector as well. This was due to the extreme of urban-rural migration, and expenditure on healthcare. The unemployment “travelled” from cities to the villages.
Currently, the rural sector is standing at the edge of technological reform, with almost every industry turning to E-commerce channels and establishing lesser contact-based channels.
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Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master, it was rightly said. Electronic devices have grown into an inevitable part of our daily lives.
