India coronavirus dispatch: Continuing legislative work through a crisis

From a continued shortage of safety gears for health workers, to unforeseeable dangers of mass surveillance, and whether to do rapid tests or not – read these and more in today’s India dispatch

Here’s a round-up of important coronavirus-related articles from across Indian publications. From a continued shortage of safety gears for health workers, to unforeseeable dangers of mass surveillance, and whether to do rapid tests or not – read these and more in today’s India dispatch.

Citizens Under Lockdown

Is India neglecting its migrant workers abroad? A question that may arise in the case of international migrant workers is of attribution of state responsibility. Should the host country be responsible for the workers who are residing there or should the source country (or country of origin) support its nationals? Arguably, a migrant worker contributes to both countries’ economy. Therefore, shouldn’t the migrant worker’s civil right to good health be a shared responsibility in times like these? Read more here.

Stroke is an exception, rush to hospital: People in an extremely vulnerable group need to follow the specific advice about their health condition. A healthy diet, regular physical activity (at home) and reduction of anxiety and stress. While the anxiety of contracting the virus is understandable, emergencies like a brain attack or stroke cannot wait. Read here on why prompt attention at the earliest is the only way to achieve the best outcomes.

Opinion

How crucial legislative work could continue in crisis: Many of our MPs are already interacting with their constituents and party colleagues via video conferencing. Therefore, the switch to a virtual meeting for legislative work might be easy. What will require work is the setting up of protocols for ensuring participation, security and robust technology. Read more here.