COVID-19 pandemic accelerated class inequalities and poverty in India. Comment. (150 words, 10 marks)

The pandemic produced an asymmetric crisis: formal, digitally connected groups often retained income, while informal workers, migrants and vulnerable households suffered severe livelihood losses.

• Employment: Lockdowns disproportionately affected informal workers, casual labourers, street vendors, domestic workers and small enterprises.
• Migration: Reverse migration exposed the insecurity of workers lacking contracts, housing and social protection.
• Digital divide: Online education and work benefited connected households but widened learning and employment gaps.
• Health costs: Treatment expenses, income loss and inadequate insurance pushed families into debt and poverty.
• Gender impact: Women faced job losses, increased unpaid care work and risks of domestic violence.
• Wealth concentration: Asset prices and large corporate market shares recovered faster than household incomes.

Food distribution, expanded MGNREGA, portable social security, urban employment guarantees, public health investment, learning recovery and support for micro-enterprises are needed. The pandemic therefore accelerated pre-existing inequalities, though welfare measures moderated its worst effects.

informal sector, reverse migration, digital divide, livelihood shock, gender inequality, social protection, MGNREGA.