JUkti 1.0

EXPRESS
YOURSELF
~ The Undeniable Truth:
~ The Pandemic &
its impact on Students
Making sense of
the unfamiliar
Climate the only winner
in the global pandemic
:; Mattrl1ls Science and E,
PANDEMIC
from tfi e fiou s e of
J U x P r e s s.
Students' Media Body I Jadavpu r Un i versity
Is there a revolution
on the brink of this
pandemic?
-- The COVID-19
propaganda playbook
, ..~-~--

~magazine edition is like an arch,
carved and displayed multiple times over. Yet
here is another, crookedly carved, delicately
displayed, for the first time ever. The thing
about a collective endeavour is that the baton
is not in your hand for too long, you put your
touch, you polish its edges and pass it along.
The finished product doesn't reflect you but
has a reflection of you, and with it, you find
reflections similar to yours. For anyone
peering into this kaleidoscope, you have to
only remember the words by the great
Elton John - ''There's a time for everyone,
if they only learn,
that the twisting kaleidoscope
moves us all in turn,"
Presenting to you JUkti 1.0,
our crookedly crafted kaleidoscope.

03 IJUkti 1.0 IJUxPress June 2020
The UndeniableTruth:
The Pandemic
Sometime after the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University made an announcement asking
students to vacate campus indefinitely, owing to the Coronavirus scare, more than 1000
students signed a letter to the pro Vice-Chancellor putting forth a request to call off the
summer examinations conducted by the university, owing to the disruption of academic
routine.
Covid-19 has reshaped how students are educated worldwide, putting a dent on the entire
system. Spread over Asia, North America, Europe and some parts of the Middle-East. many
countries have resorted to taking prompt steps to alleviate the problem at hand. According to
the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), over 421 million
children have been affected due to the closing down of schools, in 39 countries, as of March
13, while in 22 other countries, there has been "localized" confinement. All of these decisions
to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 has affected millions of students to move to 'home
schooling' for an indefinite period of time.
The pandemic has accelerated the world to amalgamate teaching with technology,
convenience and innovation. In efforts to decelerate the outbreak, Hong Kong has come up
with 'interactive apps' to promote learning at home. About 120 million Chinese students have
been given access to study material through 'live television broadcasts'. While First-World
countries like the USA China, Japan etc. have access to better technological products (say
the 5G network) to embrace these newer modes of learning, can the same be stated for the
rest of the world?
While the Hong Kong based readtogether.hk forum (formed cumulatively by over 60
educational institutions, publishers, media etc.) may have been adept in providing more than
goo educational assets, including videos, book chapters, assessment tools, and counselling
services for free, the same is not the scenario for the lesser developed nations. Only 60% of
the world's population is online. What happens to the rest? A final year student expressed his
concerns, "We were having on line classes for a week but that soon got disrupted since many
don't have access to a stable internet connection at home. Besides,with our semester results
on hold, many of us cannot apply to abroad universities for an early action program. Though
the current semester hasn't been called off, the indefinite inactivity puts a dent in the normal
functionality of the academic routine."
The students' letter addressed to the pro Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University raised
several legitimate concerns of the student community, especially those in their final year.
What happens to the final assessment examinations and the semester results? A student of
second year voiced his concern , "I had bagged an internship in Italy- one that is offered to only
one student from the university every year. Due to the pandemic, not only does the internship
stand cancelled, depriving me of a three-month experience at a new place, it also greatly
impacts my CV negatively."
Even if some students have the privilege of being in the comfort of their own homes, can we
overlook complexities such as lack of space, unwanted noises, lack of good internet
connection or just the lack of a sound learning environment? Moreover, what happens to the
needs of students with disabilities? The problem tends to worsen for international students
who have to spend a mandatory period in quarantine, apart from making those hefty travel
plans.

The UndeniableTruth:
-9)he Pandemic
Every educational institution has students living in rented apartments, away from their family.
Many live out of necessity due to long distances but let's not fail to acknowledge those who
live away solely out of choice. Not everyone has a secure, harmonious family life where they
can coexist in peace. There are many who have conflicted relationships with parents. This
Corona scare has posed a challenge for them, leaving them with little choice but to go back
to the toxic and unwelcome atmosphere of their home. This inevitably exacerbates mental
health.
Besides, the constant company of the same set of people in one's vicinity, as ordained by the
quarantine period, might increase conflicts and render the otherwise peaceful home
atmosphere toxic. Adolescence is a quintessential period for socialization. How detrimental
can being confined within the four walls of one's home without the opportunity to meet their
peers prove to be? As is the tendency of the digital era, students will inevitably overindulge
themselves into electronic technology, thereby compromising the safe limit of screen time
and physiological wellbeing. Physical inactivity during the lockdown considerably
exacerbates physical health, with numerous students complaining of back pain and the like.
Moreover, the mental exhaustion stemming from lack of movement has cost students a
great deal. Sleep schedules are disrupted. Boredom has paved the way for unhealthy
binge-eating habits, leading to weight gain and diminishing self-confidence for many whose
self-image is still closely tied to their physical appearance.
However, one can always carve out a silver lining out of the most challenging situations. This
lockdown has closed down liquor stores, facilitating a period of detoxification for several
addicts. Moreover, many have finally resumed hobbies that were on hold due to the
otherwise busy schedule; many have taken to newly found interests, as well. Many take the
opportunity to spend more time with working parents who are now home-bound due to the
recent work-from-home mandate. Many are treating this as a break from the academic year
and using this period to their benefit.
Therefore, the global pandemic has dual impacts on students- while many continue to reap
the benefits of the current "break", yet others suffer inexplicably and count the days to
normalcy. Whatever the individual situation is, the pandemic has sent the world to a
standstill, with international students having to make complex travel plans and undergo a
mandatory quarantine period and billions awaiting restoration of normalcy, as the economic
condition of many sensitive classes remain at stake.
Courtesy
R_a i c a M_a n d a l
and
R_i y a n k a ~a h a

05 IJUkt11 oIJUxPress June 2020
Courtesy
.e_r a t y u s h a Q_a s
and
~udarshana
Q_a n g u l y
ASmore countries across the globe fight for survival amidst the COVID-19
pandemic, pop culture is uniting people under its umbrella with predictions, entertainment
and hope, amidst major changes of its own.
Pop culture has always evolved, moulding itself to the growth of the era and the
prevalent choices. As the pandemic hits more countries severely, people are turning to
movies, music and books for entertainment and hope. In these times of great distress, pop
culture has been a relief to most. From videos ofquarantined neighbourhoods in Italy show
citizens singing from the balconies to social media trends like the making of the Dalgona
coffee; the Internet is connecting people all over the world, helping them to take their mind
off things. Interest in movies about doomsday, pandemics, epidemics, and related themes
has surged alongside the spread of Covid-19. Google trends indicate that searches for
"pandemic movies" started slightly rising in December, when coronavirus concerns first
emerged and by March, the numbers skyrocketed. More and more "predictions" to the
pandemic are being found everyday through movies, tv series and books as people turn to
them more, now that they are spending more time at home.
Early on, netizens were keen to find if the pandemic had been referenced in "The
Simpsons". Although no accurate indication has been found, a loose reference can be
made to episode 21 of season 4 where the fictional Osaka Flu arrives in Springfield from
Osaka, Japan, via an infected package. Even in the Disney movie called ''Tangled" based on
the tale of Rapunzel, it was found that the kingdom from which Rapunzel was locked away,
was called "Corona." Even the way Rapunzel lives in the movie, isolated and locked away in
a tower is eerily to similar to how people around the world are now isolating themselves
during. The 2011 film, "Contagion" shows a near accurate representation of how the virus
might have spread. In the movie too, a pandemic outbreak surges around the world as the
scientists race against time to find a cure. The clear outline of the origin of the virus and its
transmission plays a significant role in representing the current outbreak. Pop culture
came out to be a lesson along with entertainment and allowed everyone to have an idea
about all the effects a pandemic might have. From summarizing the phenomenon to
understanding it, the need of the hour is to be aware of correct facts and also, to
understand the consequences of all actions. A surge in interest in zombie and apocalypse
movies has been observed since the breakout of the virus and movies like the 2013 World
War Z starring Brad Pitt is gaining renewed popularity. "12 Monkeys", an American TV
series, shows a post-apocalyptic world where protagonist travels back from 2043 to 2015,
to prevent the contagion ofa deadly plague by destroying the Army of the 12 Monkeys who
released the virus. The protagonist stating - "all I can see is dead people", ominously
foreshadows how a deadly pandemic not only affects the present, but might also affect the
future, if proper precautions are not taken.

Certain books have also been recently discovered,
which seemingly hint at the pandemic. Dean Koontz's
1981 thriller Eye of Darkness mentioned an artificially
created virus named Wuhan-400. It was even stated
in the book that, "It affects only human beings." Kim
Kardashian, too, popularised a Sylvia Browne novel
(End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the
06 IJUkt1 1.0 IJUxPress June 2020
OP CULTURE
IN THE TIME OF
THE PANDEMIC
End of the World) which reads, "In around 2020, a severe pneumonia like illness will spread
throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and bronchial tubes and resisting all known
treatments. Almost more baffling than the illness itself will be the fact that it will suddenly
vanish as quickly as it arrived, attack again ten years later, and then disappear completely."
Even the hugely popular comic series Asterix seems to have foreseen the pandemic. In a
2017 Asterix comic, called Asterix and the Chariot Race, a ruthless Roman villain by the
name of Coronavirus is featured. Italy has been severely affected by the pandemic,
reporting the largest number of deaths in the world.
In a chilling discovery fans have also recently brought up an episode of the Korean drama
series "My Secret Terrius". In the tenth episode of the first season, which aired in 2018, a
doctor says, "We must do more research, but it looks like a mutant coronavirus. The
incubation period of the virus is 2 to 14 days. The virus was manipulated to attack the lungs
directly within just five minutes of being exposed." On being asked if there is a cure, she
further mentions, "There's no cure or vaccine available at the moment. They are hard to
develop." These ominous discoveries also seen on "Young Sheldon", are certainly disturbing
but have surprisingly brought people together as more of them take interest and watch
these movies or TV series, read the books and provide entertainment while they are stuck
at home every day.
In this new wave of being alone together brought forth by the pandemic, pop culture has
almost completely shifted to streaming sites. For the foreseeable future, streaming giants
like Netflix, Hulu and Spotify seems to be the only sources of a collective cultural
experience. Although the excitement and the experience might never match up to seeing
movies on release days or enjoying concerts with friends, this is the only possible solution
right now. Big names in pop music from BTS to Harry Styles have cancelled World Tours.
Millions of dedicated fans who have been waiting for months were devastated by the news
but at this point, it can't be avoided. With movie theatres being shut down, studios began
dropping their theatrical releases to video-on-demand early, a phenomenon that was
largely unthinkable till now. The result of this means huge losses by producers but perhaps
streaming can allow people to retain a certain way of life, to encourage us to protect one
another and the more vulnerable members of our society by staying home and staying
engaged online. It seems like a necessary tool to keep people sane and safe by bringing
entertainment and a sense of community, back to everyone. Pop culture has once again
proved its necessity to bring entertainment and hope even as the pandemic spreads fear
and uncertainty.

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430 B.C. is the year of the earliest recorded pandemic in human history. The Plague of Athens, as it is
popularly called, occurred during the second year of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and
Sparta. It wiped out about two-thirds of the population of Athens, and is believed to be the trigger that
caused the downfall of Athenian society, their loss in the war, and the shift of regional power to Sparta.
11th century Europe saw the rapid spread of leprosy. A now familiar disease, it was incurable then, and
believed to be sent as a punishment for man by God The Black Death of 1347, the Russian Flu of 1889,
SARS of 2003, Ebola of 2014, the Zika virus of 2015- these, and countless other examples of pandemics,
and epidemics that have laid waste to thousands of lives over time. We are currently making history by
being amidst another such ghastly affair: however what makes this situation a completely unfamiliar
territory can only be understood by comparing it the familiar.
In 1918 when the world was not quite the global community we know it to be today, when transport by
ships and railway were common: overseas trade occurred through ports and shipping docks and the
world was freshly recovering after the Great War, a respiratory disease termed as the Spanish Flu hit the
world like no other. Considered to be one of the deadliest pandemics in history, it occurred in three
waves, from 1918 till its eradication in 1920, killing an estimated 25 million people, although some critics
chalk the numbers to be closer to 40-50 million people. The flu, much like Covid- 19, spread
predominantly because of travel, person-to-person contamination, as well as no natural immunization
to the novel virus, causing a higher risk of infection.
The virus spread through the trading docks and ports, through the railways and due to the end of the
great war - the events of which hindered the eradication of the virus immensely in two ways- first, as
soldiers were returning in masses from foreign lands back to their countries after the war there was the
possibility of them being carriers of the virus, and second, that contesting countries refused to be
transparent about the number of cases officially recorded by them
In March of 1918, the U.S discovered their first case in a Kansas military base, and by July the flu had
spread to most of Western Europe, South Pacific islands including Samoa and New Zealand, and even
busy ports, like those in India, China, and South Africa, thus subsequently entering countries through
inland transportation routes.
Lockdowns and curfews were established back in 1918 to prevent the people from interacting and
spreading the virus amongst themselves. Back then there were no hopeful antibiotic treatments, nor the
prospects of a vaccine, to help battle the virus, thus governments resorted to quarantine measures,
banning public gatherings, cancelling social events, decreasing business hours, and use of
disinfectants, to tackle the same.
It is found that those of the states that implemented rigorously their lockdown methods, recorded a
lower mortality rate than those of them who failed to do the same. For example, Philadelphia threw a
parade which attracted almost 200,000 people even after measures were set up against the virus, and
so started losing about 807 people per 100,00 in the first six months of the pandemic. This is as
compared with the city of St. Louis that observed strict quarantine measures without a hiccup, and had
a comparatively lower rate of deaths per 100,000 people, that being around 385. Thus the measures
being taken against the spread of Covid- 19 in the present, can almost be called tried and tested
Similar comparisons can be drawn between South Korea and the U.S.A today, where the outbreak of
Covid-19 started almost simultaneously. The South Korean administration immediately implemented
proper lockdown procedures, as well as made available a process for mass testing for the corona virus.
Observing a dip in the number of positive cases per day, and South Korea currently stands at having
around 9,887 cases recorded, with just 165 deaths. USA on the other hand, was neither as fast nor as
efficient in their control of the outbreak, initially implementing neither lockdown, nor making available
test-kits for public use, and thus, their late response making them new global epicenter of the virus.
Unfortunately, the virus is not the only thing that has been seeping into society. Since it's outbreak in
Wuhan, China, the people from China, and In fact, even other East Asian communities and ethnicities,
have been subjected to extreme racism and xenophobia. It went as far as President Donald Trump
calling the virus the "Chinese virus".It is to prevent this that in 2015 the World Health Organization issued
guidelines for the naming of strains of diseases. This, they said, was to minimize the stigmatization of
affected people, economies, and nations as has happened with plagues and diseases in the past- like
the Ebola outbreak in 2014 saw widespread racism and xenophobia against the targeted African
community. "Ebola" the name of a river in Congo, where the virus was first detected.
The Spanish flu, unlike the name suggests, did not originate in Spain. In fact, the only reason why the
pandemic stuck to be referred to as the "Spanish" Flu was because Spain was a neutral country during
the First World War, and thus had no inclination to censor the spread of the virus within its borders,
unlike the countries of USA Germany, and the like, had Thus, it freely offered uncensored, transparent
information about the virus and its horrors, and later came to be stigmatized because of it.
As humanity continues to face a seismic shift in the ways of "living" life, history holds important lessons
for the world to read, realise and reflect on. One other example to consider here would be the infamous
plague, commonly called the "Black Death of 1347", that wiped out half of Europe's population. It is said
that the Black Death influenced the Renaissance in Europe- one of the greatest epochs for art and
literature, catalyzing the transcend from medieval times to the modern, also showcasing how the
people turned something traumatic, into something creative, that left an impression over the world for
centuries to come. Whether the current times will yield the same result, is yet to be seen.
Every major outbreak in history has been successful in startling the human mind, changing the way we
perceive the world around us. Destiny has yet again placed us in a position where self- scrutinisation
seems to be the only way that can save us from being pawns in the hands of nature. It is time that action
is carried out, and with responsibility, for a better future and a better tomorrow.
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CLIMATE THE ONLY WINNER
IN THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC
The COVID 19, with all its virulence and ferocity has temporarily altered our way of life and
brought the world to a standstill giving a much needed practical reminder of how poorly we are
treating nature and how healthy, it used to be. The air quality has almost visibly improved.
Although this climatic dimension may seem to be the much needed silver lining to the cloud of
despair now incumbent upon us, it is really hard to fathom whether this may bear actual fruit in
the future. News pouring in from around the world report that people around the world are still
contemplative about its relevance and that the prospect of a climatic healing is way too
abstract in the face of a catastrophe this huge, and more importantly, this imminent. However,
it must be conceded that within weeks of the worldwide industrial lockdown induced by this
contagion, the Venetian canals have been running clear water for the first time in ages, fossil
fuel emissions have drastically dropped and you can heard birds chirping in central London.
Global climate has undergone resuscitation on a scale mankind alone could never have hoped
to achieve.
Coronavirus has led to an astonishing shutdown of economic activity and a drastic reduction in
the use of fossil fuels.
Roisin Commane, an assistant Professor in the department of Earth and Environmental
Sciences at Columbia University says that the worldwide CO levels have dropped by half. In
China, measures to contain the virus in February alone caused a drop in carbon emissions of an
estimated 25 percent.
However, climate researchers and visionaries have not refused to take this as a major paradigm
changer. Climatic reparations include serious economic and financial cuts on a worldwide
scale, which many argued would be very costly and unrealistic. Now, with worldwide industrial
lockdowns, effective quarantining and plummeting social interactions, the corona virus
definitively shows that collective large scale structural changes are feasible in face of a crisis.
Quite fittingly, Amy Jaffe, a leading expert on global energy, policy and sustainability says,
"Suppose you were a policymaker and you were thinking about what you would do to lower
emissions - you just got a pretty good instruction."
N02 emission level on January
Source. dailymail.co.uk

Sattelite images from Europe and especially Italy show the massively reduced emission levels
of nitrogen dioxide, a major pollutant released in about every possible industrial production
process and from automobile exhausts from around the continent.
The redness of the first image depicts the high level of emissions on January before the vicious
nature of the virus had revealed itself. The second image, taken in around the end of February,
showing a significant decrease in the redness, specially over North Italy signifies the total
shutdown of all industries in that area and hence a much lower NO2 emission footprint.
In New York,scientists at Columbia University reported a 5-10%drop in carbon dioxide emissions
this week, as traffic levels fell 35%.CO2, being a greenhouse gas, is a direct factor in determining
the extent of global warming. A fall in its production is a definite indication that the climatic health
of the world, is finally, on its way to recovery. These changes, if intended to be sustained,
however, must be coupled with social security schemes as safety nets to prevent people from
getting caught adversely in the transition into a fossil fuel free world.The covid pandemic is one
the greatest disasters to strike human kind since the World War 2 and if we don't capitalise on
the lessons we have learnt from it, a warmer planet, not so long down the lane of what we call
development, will be a much greater problem. Thus we have come to question whether this
outbreak can really be a probable climatic inflection point.
In India, with the entire country observing 'Janata Curfew' on March 22 and a subsequent total
industrial lockdown from March 24, the air pollution levels across the country have taken a
massive hit. Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Lucknow witnessed clean air as the Air Quality Index
stayed within two digits. Kolkata recorded a significant improvement in air quality. According to
an official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, the PM 2.5 air quality index (AOI) was
'satisfactory' in all the automated air monitoring stations in the city during the day. The sudden
fall in pollutants and the subsequent blue skies, early spring blossoms and the sight of the
Dhauladhar range from the Jalandhar town in Punjab signal a dramatic shift for India which has
21 of world's 30 most polluted cities, according to the 10 AirAirVisual's 2019 World Air Quality
Report.
After decades of concentrating on economic development and insisting that global warming
was mainly a problem for the more industrially-developed countries, Indian industry is at last
facing up to perils posed to its own future climate change. The onus should not be on the
government, industrialists and philanthropists alone to pave the way for climatic amelioration as
the common citizens of the country are the arch-torchbearers of this noble endeavor.
Introduction of community awareness programmes and apportioning of eco-friendly resources
can make the task feasible.
Although, these immediate improvements guarantee no success for us in the
fight against climate change, it definitely increases our odds of winning at it.
Looking at the massive collective action around the pandemic, academic Amy
Turner says, "We have the opportunity to reset the economy in a way that
mitigates climate change." In a way in which the bubonic plague had forced the
erstwhile Europe to revamp its entire sanitation and healthcare services into the
Europe of today,scientists hope that this outbreak will have a similar effect on the
approach people have towards health in general and climate in particular.
Coronavirus has shown us a possibility of a carbon free economy. But the
question arises whether we are actually able to maintain this head start or fall
prey to gluttony, as mankind, since time immemorial, always has.

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t~~~o~:~~::o~~?wiped off a third of humanity quite possibly did
away with feudalism and could be partially credited with triggering the rise of capitalism.
Since it cut off the population significantly, it left ample bargaining power in the hands of the
survivors, affording them the liberty to negotiate wages. In England as a last effort to protect
the withering upper-class institutions, a law for ceiling the upper limit for wages was set,
however strong peasant revolts led to the tumbling of the feudal system altogether. A minor
recession was followed by surging economic growth in Europe. An increase in wages led to
an increase in spending capacity and higher consumption rates. More and more people were
drawn to the market economy, as the trade networks became widespread.
Almost 700 years later, capitalism is not as liberating as it once proved to be. Another
economic revolution might be on the brink of this ongoing pandemic. A socialist one
perhaps.
Ever since countries started falling down the chutes into the hollows of a pandemic,
economists, researchers, and scientists have been plagued with questions of how this could
have been avoided; who should be held responsible; and how far are we yet to fall?
The answer to all of them is a resounding accusation pointing directly at us. In a global bid at
profit maximisation, squeezing out the maximum interest and securing the largest surplus,
human welfare has been left far behind.
The coronavirus that has us all in havoc, belongs to a family of virus, (including SARS and
MERS) that we have been familiar too since a long time.. However, there was never any
inclination to research and develop a vaccine for it by pharmaceutical companies since it did
not invite profit. Hence here we are, without a cure for an illness that could have very well
been avoided. Even now, pharmaceuticals have coronavirus therapies under development,
but the prospect of grabbing the market with their own COVID-19 therapy keeps them from
pooling their collective resources for a more advanced and quick solution. This situation
definitely busts the myth around the farce that capitalism fuels innovation.
The only reason that Italy is still standing is because of its universal single-payer health care
system, which ensures that no matter the job or income level, they are entitled to the best
treatment possible. While on the other hand, countries with rigorously privatised healthcare
systems, with the motto that 'you need to earn the right to healthcare with work and income'
are understaffed, lacking in resources and are faltering on the face of a pandemic.
What happens to the over-populated developing world that is not only understaffed, lacks
resources and has irregularly distributed healthcare but is also home to a capitalistic set-up
that profits from such scarcity. Would it survive a pandemic of this magnitude?
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics says "2020 is a real inflection point." One
would have to live under an unusually large rock to not realise the impending recession that
we are walking into. Last year, Bloomberg Economics created a model to determine the
odds of America entering into a recession. The chances now stand at 100 percent.
In other words, what we are looking at is an extraordinary number of layoffs, a situation of
excruciating unemployment, mass hysteria and among other things a severe political crisis
as governments scramble to rebuild what was lost.
As India witnesses an overwhelming migration of labourers, the largest in recent history, a
precursor of the fate that so many hopeless, clueless men and women are walking towards,
the privilege of the ones who can afford to 'stay at home' becomes blatantly evident. What is
the utility of coming out of a pandemic if you slide back down into poverty?
Countries with viable social safety nets may soften the blow of the harsh recession. Norway,
for instance, is giving all workers affected by the slowdown a generous paid leave. The
United Kingdom and Denmark are putting forward expansive relief packages, covering
workers out of work.
In countries where such systems don't exist, this is a one time opportunity to develop them.
A great challenge awaits us at the end of this tunnel. 700 years ago, the end of a pandemic
resulted in a revolution, sweeping aside one economic order to make way for another. Will
the survivors of this pandemic pool their collective discontentment to stand up to an order
that has repeatedly overlooked them?

''There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors ofperception"
- Aldous Huxley
They say that every crisis brings an opportunity but the possibilities in this case seem to be available to only one party
in the crisis. Calling it the biggest emergency-aid operations in the world since 1949, there is hardly a day that has
gone by without the news of Chinese medical equipment reaching grateful recipients. Not long after it recognized the
seriousness of the outbreak in Wuhan, the Chinese Communist Party declared a "people's war" against the pandemic
and since then it has challenged any narrative challenging this endeavour. From initially skirting the facts surrounding
the disease's origin to praising the government response to this crisis; from late February the message shifted to an
accusatory tone towards the xenophobia of the West and casting doubt on the virus's origin.
The propaganda network of the Chinese government is worldwide and it has the power to pump in billions in order
to influence perception outside Chinese borders. State-run news outlets - particularly those in English - have been
seen to function round the clock in order to get the message across. Meanwhile, a number of high-ranking Chinese
diplomats have flocked to social media sites such as Twitter in order to support the country's extensive PR that is now
focussed on damage control. On the assessment of such extensive online content, one can come to the conclusion
that primarily three dominant images have been projected upon the world.
The first is of spurring optimism. From the month of December of 2019, sustained efforts to cover up the crisis and
silence the whistleblowers was the primary agenda of the government, while a more optimistic view was thrust upon
the world.'Positive energy' was the focal point of these campaigns and this was the only image that China wanted the
world to see. Propaganda played a crucial part to ensure that every time the government handed out a mask, the
cameras would be watching. Coupled with extensive efforts to silence the plight of the Chinese citizens who felt
betrayed by the inaction on behalf of the administration, the positive image was selective and conscious.
The second category of content was the image of the protector. From the 'sick man of Asia' to the 'saviour of the
world', the country has projected itself at the forefront of the fight as a partner.donor and selfless leader to the world.
With praise from foreign experts such as WHO officials and Mark Lowcock; the PR strategy did not disparage the
efforts of any country fighting the battle, except for the USA. By focussing on stories that headline President Trump
downplaying and denying the concerns; it fails to address essential questions of effective distribution of medical
equipment and containment of the virus.
The third strategy so employed is a tool to dispute the origin of the virus. Starting in late February, when Chinese
epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan stated that the virus may not have originated from China; a laboratory in Wuhan
recently broke its silence to deny that the COVID-19 virus originated from there. When CDC reports started showing
stages of early infections in the US, screenshots of such incorrectly translated Chinese headlines began to trend
online. Simultaneously, the community of Chinese officials on Twitter engaged in acts of disinformation to push
stories like the virus originating from US army personnel in Wuhan.
Thus, while the optimistic spin given by any government in times of sever crisis is not unique, the propaganda
machine indeed is. Headed by Huan Kunming, the CCP Publicity Department rules the state media, including China
Global Television Network, China News Service, China Radio International and many more. The vast endeavours
include sending CCP-mouthpieces US Congressional Offices, publishing pro-Beijing articles from Germany via Nihao
Deutschland and dominating African television via Star Times. Historically, from the Tiananmen Square massacre to
the SARS outbreak of 2003, the CCP has attempted to quell negative Party publicity by touting timely transparency in
the system, claiming control and opposing overseas overreaction.At home, the propaganda machine's predominant
job has been to respond selectively to the grievances of people with gestures both symbolic and practical. By
silencing Dr Li's early warnings, firing provincial officials for mismanagement, exonerating Li and then ignoring calls
for free speech; defensive and rhetoric tactics have been used at all times to pacify public opinion.
Meanwhile, the propaganda has been stepped up by the adoption of the 'face mask diplomacy' from Serbia to
Rwanda. The crisis has given rise to Chinese companies scouting for distressed assets and its latest hunting ground
has been Europe. By profiting from the selling of ventilators, masks and PPEs, even damaged ones, Chinese
companies especially state-owned ones have targeted buying companies at throwaway prices. From hostile
takeovers to bailouts, the European hunting grounds have now become easy prey at the hands of Chinese companies
and their excessive liquidity. In retaliation, in the midst of this crisis, countries like Italy have announced curbs on
foreign takeovers in sectors like banking, energy and healthcare. Spain meanwhile has announced laws for
government approval in cases investment worth more than 10% of Spanish companies while Germany too has made
foreign takeovers harder.
With the reports of renewed Chinese activity in the South China Sea during the crisis, the potential political rewards
for China still remain immense when it comes to global economic domination by replacing the USA and maintaining
the 'supremacy' of Chinese-style socialism.The real conclusion to be drawn from such events is the preparations for
long-term security for every country affected by the pandemic. For the CCP, the 'gun' and the 'pen' are the primary
tools to cross-out history internationally. While the propaganda has matured from defensiveness to selective
dialogue, the continuous adaptation of the messages seems to be the biggest strength at the hands of the CCP. It is
thus up to individual countries to navigate this barrage of agitprop and focus on long-term sustainable measures
against future global health crises that can potentially cause the collapse of respective health sectors and threaten
the security of a country's economy.
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It is not World War Ill. nor an asteroid, not even the looming climate change crucible. But it is a tiny
microbe, novel Corona Virus, that has brought the entire world to a standstill, reduced the hubris of
capitalist markets to its knees. A contagious disease spreading like wildfire, the burgeoning death toll
across nations, prolonged lockdow ns, bearish stock markets have set off a trail of human tragedies
and a financial contagion , reviving memories of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.
Economists fear that the economic symptoms of COVID 19 are likely to be faster and far more severe
as compared to the GFC. While the 2008 crisis took 3 years to spell the disaster, COVID had shown
telling economic crisis within three weeks. The International Monetary Fund estimates the global
economy to be growing at -3% in 2020, a "far worse" effect than GFC or Great Depression. The
Doomsday scenario has led to an unprecedented free fall mode of each component of aggregate
demand- consumption, capital spending and exports. As the pandemic sent panic waves across the
globe, it also caused a series of mind-bending distortions in the global financial market. the most
bizarre of them being the bench mark price of crude oil in the United States plummeting to negative
scales recording a more than 300%drop.
The UNCTAD has estimated that the global economy will undergo a recession of some trillions of US
dollars. Although the advanced economies are in a better position to tackle the crisis, the Least
Developed Countries and the developing nations are among the worst hits as the investors have
already pulled out about $83 billion and have plunged in debt distress. The Global Financial Stability
Report has focused on three potential weak spots- risky segments in global credit markets, emerging
markets and banks. With markets down 35%, uncertainty lingers whether the pandemic will cause a
V-downturn with a sharp and rigorous rebounce after the health crisis, or it would take the form of a
drastic vertical I line, followed by stagnation.
The aviation industry has been shattered to bits and the pandemic threatens to leave most airlines
bankrupt. The oil markets are in no better shape, the primary reason being the sharp fall in travel as
the transportation sector accounts for about 60% of the oil demand. Even as demands are expected
to be restored in the post-COVID world, the present scenario spells menace and the International
Energy Agency predicted an annual decrease in demand of 90000 barrels per day, the largest fall in
the decade. The price of food has been projected to decrease 2.6% in 2020 due to supply chain
disruptions and border delays.
The World Trade Organization predicts that world merchandise can plummet between 13% to 32%,
depending on how fast we recover from the pandemic. The adverse effects on globalisation are likely
to be protracted for a longer time period. The WTO Director General, Robert Azevedo, in a press
release, emphasised on the role of free trade on the road to recovery as a means of fostering
favourable business environment.
Another of the disrupting impacts of COVID ravaged economy is unemployment. which is predicted
to be higher than Great Depression. Economists at ST Louis Fed state that the US will see
employment reductions of over 46 million jobs for 2020. In countries like India, the informal economy
and low- income workers, who constitute a significant share of the population, are the worst hits.
Fortunately, the government has proposed financial support through direct benefit transfer.
Unfortunately, a lion's part of this segment does not have a bank account. The historic job losses
might affect women disproportionately, says a CITI report. Women are more represented in industries
of education, health, retail, leisure and hospitality, the most vulnerable sectors in thejaws of lockdown
crisis.
As the COVID cases burgeon throughout the world, setting new records each day, stock markets are
swayed by the uncertainty with rising volatility and falling markets. The COVID-19 crash was similar to
the crashes from the global financial crisis and 1987 in how stocks of various styles and factors
reacted. The stock market was hit by the intensity of the coronavirus and the startling economic game
plan that put production on pause to reduce personal contact and limit the spread of the virus.
"Everyone got decimated in March and April because no one planned for a complete shutdown,'' said
David Whiston, equity strategist. However, with the gradual easing of lockdown in many parts of the
world, there has been a surge in the stock market. Analysts said the recent boost was fuelled by hope

fJ'lie Jlftermatli contd.
surrounding the gradual reopening of the economy, more news on efforts to find a vaccine and more
talk of even more stimulus money that might roll out of Washington. In India, sectors like metals,
banks, cement. oil & gas, and auto may witness a revival in the days ahead, according to brokerage
and research firm ICICI Direct in a research report.
Tangled in the crisis,the nations w ill have to rely on their ow n Contingency funds and assistance from
international organisations to bolster the financial status. The World Bank would roll out $14 billion fast
track package, in association w ith the IDA (International Development Association) and IFC
(International Finance Corporation) to expand trade finance and working capital for business. The
emergency G-20 summit decided to put in $5 trillion into the lifeline of the world economy to increase
the liquidity in the market. The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, with the G-20
Finance Ministers and central bank governors have discussed the possible measures like setting up
emergency finance and replenishing their Catastrophe Containment and Relief Fund to alleviate the
economic doom
'The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is right now", they say. This is the time
for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector to build resilience to further economic shocks, in
the field of finance, resource, organisation, operation and revenue. The World Economic Forum
stressed on the importance of SMEs and entrepreneurs for maintaining employment and financial
stability in a world after the pandemic.
Even amidst the dejection and depression of the "pancession" (pandemic-induced-recession), the
IMF Managing Director rings in notes of positivity and views this as an opportunity to shift to
digitalisation, encompassing e-learning, e-government. e-commerce and so on, thereby linking
SMEs to consumers on a digital platform. The world hopes to emerge on the other side of the
pandemic with low carbon footprint and a climate resilient economy. Strategists and the
governments worldwide should focus on policies that gear for a paradigm shift towards a sustainable,
green economy. India too should bide this opportunity to increase support for renewable energy
through appropriate policies and business models.
It is a time for wait and watch as we all hope a speedy recovery of the world from the medical
emergency and its economic aftermath. The economy can be refashioned again on the anvils of hope
with international cooperation and global overseas partnership.
(J{ejerences:
■ ECONOMIC TIMES
■ CNBC
■ https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/202o/o3/23/pr2og8-imf-managing-director-statement-follo
wing-a-920-ministerial-call-on-the-coronavirus-emergency
■ https://www.financialexpress.com/market/coronavirus-lockdown-restrictions-stocks-to-buy-during-i
nd1a-economy-rev1val-sensex/1g4538g/
R41..IJEEINt5H!I.IIIUIL41..i.liiii.-il!ii- - - -

■JV stuaents Cena lie[ping liana auring Corona crisis
Once again the students of JU have come to the rescue of the people. As the entire world gears up to
fight the corona virus pandemic the students of JU aren't far behind. In fact a group of people under
the banner "Initiative by the Students, Research Scholars and Alumni of Jadavpur University" have
joined hands to help the people in these dire times.
When asked about w hat inspired the students to take up the responsibility to help the people in need,
Hindol Mazumdar, a research scholar from Pharmaceutical Technology, said how the culture and
heritage that the university imparts to its students has taught them to always be by the side of the
people in dire situations such as these testing times that the country and the world face at large.
As the crisis increases by the hour, sanitizers and masks become scarce. Even if they are available
they are being sold at an exorbitant rate which many cannot afford. Therefore the student community
started a collection drive, making optimum use of the social media to provide the essential items to
those who are in dire need. When we asked Anushka Paul, a third year student of the English
department regarding the difficulties of getting the fund ready, she replied that the collection went
smooth enough for there were many who were cooped up in their homes but wished to help. Hindol
Mazumdar reminisces how helpful people have been during the fund collection procedure, and how
it had never been a hurdle for them because people themselves stood up for the cause as soon as
the plea for funds was raised through social media.
With the fund ready they immediately bought masks, food rations and raw materials for preparing the
sanitisers. The masks were distributed at gate 4 from Monday 23 March 2020 below market prices.
They were priced at Rs 20, keeping Rs 5 profit to buy further supplies and for the FUND FOR THE
PEOPLE. Based on the revenue generated by selling masks and generous contributions from the
citizens, they accumulated a fund of 17000 rupees on day 1 itself, w hich was then used to buy
isopropyl alcohol, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide for producing sanitizers following the WHO
guidelines. This humblejourney that began in the AFSU TT room was soon transformed in much more
large scale, as students started distributing masks and sanitizers to specifically those people who are
compelled to go out during the lockdown sanitation workers, public health workers, families of
patients, guards and other such people. The sanitizers were prepared after following hygiene
stringently.
The FUND FOR THE PEOPLE is set up with a special attention to the slums, daily wage workers and
homeless people. Masks, soaps and sanitizers and food rations are being distributed to them for free.
The students started distributing sanitizers by branching out to different areas. Sanitizers were
sprayed on the people out on the streets, sanitizers were distributed to vehicles at traffic lights, menial
workers, municipality workers and the police.
Angana Kundu said, "We have distributed 44,000 masks as of yet. Our producers are PIT (People's
Initiative for Technology). We have made 113375 litres of sanitizer in 4 lots total as of now. We are
moving to our 5th lot of production. The food distribution I'm not sure but around 10 tonnes of food
and grains total."
The response these students received has been overwhelming. The essential service workers
cooperated remarkably to spread the word.
Besides this, the students started distributing food to the homeless people from the 31th of March.
Jadavpur University COMMUNE, the community kitchen arranged in the parking lot beside UG Arts
Students at work in the AFSU TT room: finished products:
Sanitizer bottles ready for distribution
Masks as prepared by the students
ready for distribution

JV stuaents [ena lie[ping liana au ring Corona crisis I CO n t d.
building cooked food to be distributed to the migrant labourers, cycle rickshaw pullers and homeless
people in Jadavpur, Dhakuria and Gariahat stretch.
While coping with the COVID-19 crisis, West Bengal also faced the terrible destruction caused by the
Amphan super cyclone that caused immense destruction in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas
districts. Again, an effort was made by the students under the banner of Amphan Super Cyclone
Response that was organized to raise money for the victims of the cyclone affected areas. They most
notably have already visited the Sundarbans twice. On their first visit itself. they distributed 4000 ration
kits, each of which consisted of 500 gm chire, 200 gm batasha, 250 gm chhatu, 4 packets of biscuits,
2 packets of ORS, 1 pack of Zeoline, baby food and sanitary napkins.
When asked about the major problems they faced at work, Anushka Paul replied getting raw
materials was the real hurdle. But these fail to daunt them as she continues that "social solidarity of
the student community is the glimmer of hope in these dark times".
Hindol Mazumdar shares the sentiment. He believes that the country doesn't have the economic
infrastructure to go through a lockdown, hence the best way to cope with this lockdown would be to
keep in touch with the daily wage workers who will be worst hit by this and help them in this time of
need in every way possible by reaching out to them and how even while being at home, it should be
the responsibility of the students and youth at large to do so.
The JU students set an example by remembering their social duties in this critical moment when a
global pandemic grips the entire mankind and didn't lose faith in their abilities even when faced by the
Amphan cyclone and it's destruction.
Should any of the readers be interested in funding the "Initiative by the Students, Research Scholars
and Alumni of Jadavpur University", they can reach out using the following details:
Bank: ICICI
Branch: Alwar, Rajasthan
Name: Souradeep Chakraborty
Ace no: 430101500246
IFSC CODE: ICIC0004301
9831561063 (GooglePay)
For any other information related to their work, financial or logistical help or contributions please
contact:
1) Hindol Mazumdar : 8902712637
2) Sourav Sahoo : 9051712203
3) Angana Kundu : 9874829895
4) Anuska Paul : 9123887617
Should any of the readers be interested in funding the "Amphan Super Cyclone Response", they can
reach out using the following details:
Whatsapp number: 072920 13690
Facebook link where related links can be found: https://www.facebook.com/qsynetwork/?ti=as
Cooking being done at
the Jadavpur University
Commune
Students out
distributing food for
the destitute
Prepared Ration lists
ready to be distributed
Students on their way to
the Sunderbans with relief

■ :M.es que un sport?
The Revierderby, the intensely contested grudge match between neighbours Dortmund and Schalke,
usually draws in around 80,000 spectators to the Signal lduna Park every year, the largest for any
football game on the planet. The sight that greeted the players, the managing staff, and indeed the
fans watching from home on the 16th was therefore a particularly bleak one. Even Lucien Favre, the
winning manager of this Geisterpiele, or 'ghost game' as such spectator-less games are aptly called
in Germany, sounded nonplussed- "There is no noise. You shoot at the goal, you make a great pass,
you score and nothing happens. It's very, very weird."
The decision to gradually resume sporting events, as the world slowly realises that Corona might just
be something that we'll have to live with for quite a while, is a controversial one, with plenty of
detractors and supporters. The obvious primary bone of contention being the safety concerns, with
the naysayers pointing to incidents like the surge of Covid cases in Liverpool after their match against
Atletico Madrid at Anfield on 11th March, which was attended by more than 52,000 people, including
3,000 from Madrid, where a partial lockdown was already in force. The clubs however cite their
economic issues, with 13 of the top 36 clubs in Germany facing insolvency, and the Premier League
top flight alone estimating a loss of atleast £1bn if the 2019-20 season is not completed. On the
broader issue of the economy, in countries like Spain, La Liga by itself accounts for 1.4% of the nation's
GDP, and a strong argument could be made for the revenue stimulus that the resumption of such
sports leagues could provide their respective Governments at a time when they are strapped for cash.
The biggest reason, however, for the restart would be the much required boost to public morale in
this unprecedented environment of gloom It is in view of this that several countries that have been
able to flatten the curve somewhat are starting to bring competitions back online, including Taiwan
which restarted its Baseball League in April, the Australian Rugby League which resumed play in late
May, with the Australian Football League set to follow in June if the country's cases continue to
decline, and the South Korean Baseball League under stringent regulations. In fact. plans are in place
for a South Africa-India T20 series to be played in August. in a "Bio-secure environment." With the
Bundesliga already up and running, and the Premier League, La Liga as well as Serie A scheduled to
follow suit. it seems that sports is indeed making a comeback. Unfortunately, women's sport has not
received even a fraction of that support from the governing bodies, except for the the Frau
Bundesliga, which was the beneficiary of a €2om solidarity fund raised by the top 4 German Clubs;
and the NWSL, which is the first sporting competition scheduled to restart in the US.
However, even with the worldwide return of sport imminent. it is evident that things won't be the same
anytime soon, if ever. Measures such as frequent temperature checks and hand sanitizer usage,
distancing in locker rooms (including curbs on activities like high-fives and spitting), and wearing of
masks and gloves unless on field have become routine. The most striking of these being, of course,
the lack of crowds, which has resulted in the home-away equations of spectator sports becoming
completely lopsided, which has a significantly bigger impact on the smaller clubs battling relegation.
This also has the side-effect of reducing spectator immersion in the sport. with initiatives taken to
counter this ranging from the hopeful, as FSV Mainz put up large banners over empty seats to help
viewers forget the absence of fans, while Leeds United started an initiative for 15,000 'crowdies', life
size cardboard cut-outs of season-ticket holding fans or their loved ones (which led to another
interesting faux pas, as they were embarrassingly forced to remove a picture of Bin Laden that had
somehow snuck in past their gazes); to the empty, as broadcasters hired 'crowd DJ's to generate
artificial crowd noise for the TV viewers (going so far as to mix in 'boo's for Arsenal's defeat against
Brighton, as if to rub it in) while the players on the field were left to the sounds of the game; to the
straight up bizarre, seen when the South Korean FC Seoul used sex dolls dressed up in the home
colours to fill up the empty stands and perhaps the audience's need for intimacy, albeit in a different
context than expected. Perhaps the most fitting conclusion to this state of affairs came from an
unexpected source, as the soft sound of a solitary but superbly skilled (if a bit repetitive) saxophone
player streamed into the desolate stands of the Merseyside derby. The song? Joy Division's "Love will
Tear us Apart".
(}{e f e re n c es:
■ BBC ■ The Guardian ■ NYTimes ■ CNN
■ theconversation.com ■ LATimes ■ Bild

• Interview witli tlie (JJ[acement Coorainator
As COVI D 19 hits the economy, what is the scenario of placements and internships? Is there job
security? Is there an impending 'jobpocalypse"? JUkti editorial team members interact with the
Placement Coordinator Aditya Das, Chemical Engineering, UG 3 to find the answers to such questions,
that are knocking every final year student's mind.
1. Viewing the fact that the economy will go through a sharp downfall owing to the COVID 19
pandemic, how will the placement scenario be affected? Certain companies like PWC has
already frozen their recruitments through campusing, thus increasing the unemployment rate.
Will this be beneficial for the companies in the later years?
PC- Everything is a speculation as of now since the companies keep changing and taking up new
projects. It's very difficult to get to know the expansion policies and growth as they are confidential. On
a general overview, the US-India companies will be most hit considering the downfall of the US
economy.
PWC has it's headquarters in Kolkata and PWC Kolkata doesn't have as good projects as PWC
Bangalore or Delhi, and since the overseas projects are pretty huge, they have frozen their
recruitments. Similarly, other companies with such base may freezing recruitments to curb their
expanses as of now.
2.Which sector will be the worst hit? How can the final year students ace up to cope with this?
PC- Exactly which sector will be the worst hit will be pretty difficult to say but generally speaking after
seeing the economic conditions of the world, the consultancy or service sector will be the worst hit.
But that doesn't mean the big companies will be highly affected. And as long as the new, big projects
are not affected,the other companies won't see a huge loss. It may have a bad economic year but not
a total downfall. Thus, recruitments will go on as usual but the number of recruiters may decrease,
while increasing the competition among the students.
3.Will the impact be reflected in the coming years as well? How will the internship programs and
industrial trainings be affected once everything normalises?
PC- Since it is unknown how long will the pandemic situation last. it can't be determined how long the
economic effect will last as well. So may be the recruitments will be shifted a little bit but it won't affect
the job security of the students much.
As for the internships and trainings, these are very volatile things. Most of them are not looking
forward to industrial trainings. The second years may not have the opportunity to go for summer
internships which is sometimes important during campusing. But that won't be much of a problem
since these internship programs are not going to give jobs to the students. But the internship
programs are very important for the 3rd year students since these are the potential channels for
pre-placement offers. It is likely that these programs may get shifted to winter and even there is the
option of working from home. Thus, everything will be revised once the situation is normal. As of now,
there is no need to worried about anything.
4.ls there any chance that companies will cut short their projects at hand? Or will the period of
economic revival post the Corona crisis open up more opportunities for projects?
PC- Same as what I said for the first question. It totally depends on the company and the company
does whatever is best suited for their own benefit.
ADITYA DAS, PLACEMENT COORDINATOR, UG-3, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Samriddhi Ganguly I Sampriti Saha

• 'WO(}{,£(}) Jlq' 'WJI(J{ - q'J[P, COo/J(}J-19 C(J{ISIS
INDIA FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC
INTRODUCTION:
With a stir caused in the face of humanity, COVID-19 proves itself to be
powerful enough to ripple the humans off their lives. Starting from a small
confined region of the Wuhan market. the deadly virus has positioned
itself in more than 200 countries, seeking lives of millions and leaving a
far greater extent temporarily impaired. China, as believed to be the
epicenter of the Covid-19 has already lost over 4,600 people and India
has lost over 9,200 lives. With history of coronavirus traced back, this new
stain, Covid-19 bears g6%resemblance with that found in bats and is yet
very similar to SARS-CoV whose outbreak took place in the year 2002.
Having flu-like or pneumoniac symptoms shown followed by prolonged
fever and dry cough, this deadly virus has caused havoc among elderly
people and people of low immunity. The death toll doubles itself with
every passing day, leading most of the countries to a state of lockdown.
HISTORY:
Two other recent coronavirus outbreaks have been experienced. Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome (MERSCoV) of 2012 was found to transmit
from dromedary camels to humans. In 2002, Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS-CoV) was found to transmit from civet cats to humans.
Although COVID-19 has shown some similarities to recent coronavirus
outbreaks but there are differences as well. SARS cases totalled 8,098
with a fatality rate of 11 percent as reported in 17 countries, with the
► Confirmed Cases: 354,055
► Active Cases: 155,226
► Recovered: 186,935
► Deaths: 11,903
► :Migrated: l
► Total Tests:6,084,256
► Recovery Rate:52.796%
► Death Rate: 0.0336%
COVID-19
majority of cases occurring in southern mainland China and Hong Kong. The fatality rate was highly
dependent on the age of the patient with those under 24 least likely to die (one percent) and those
over 65 most likely to die (55 percent), No cases have been reported worldwide since 2004.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),as of 2020, MERS cases are more than 2.500, have
been reported in 21 countries, and resulted in about 860 deaths. The fatality rate may be much lower
as those with mild symptoms are most likely undiagnosed. Only two cases have been confirmed in
the United States, both in May of 2014 and both patients had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia. Most
cases have occurred in the Arabian Peninsula. It is still unclear how the virus is transmitted from
camels to humans. Its spread is uncommon outside of hospitals. Thus, its risk to the global population
is currently deemed to be fairly low.
ONSET OF THE DISEASE IN INDIA:
30th January, 2020:- First case in India was detected in Kerala. Victim was a student of Wuhan
University of China.
02nd February, 2020:- The second case was detected again in Kerala who was also a student of
Wuhan University of China.
03nd February, 2020:- The third case of the country was also from Kerala who was also a student
from Wuhan , China.
03rd March, 2020:- India recorded two new cases of COVID-19 after 28 days. 4th and 5th positive
case of COVID-19 was detected in Delhi. One was a 45-year man who had a travel history to Italy and
the other was a 24-year engineer who had a travel history to UAE.
05th March, 2020:- A sudden spike of twenty-three new cases were reported in India. First case of
COVID-19 from Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh. Victim had a travel history to Iran. More than 1,200 people
were quarantined in West Bengal.
07th March, 2020:- The total number of confirmed cases across the globe crosses 100,000 mark
Three new cases reported in India. First case of COVID-19 detected in Jammu, Ladakh and Tamil
Nadu. All 3 victims had a foreign travel history.
10th March, 2020:- First case of COVID-19 detected in Karnataka, Punjab, Maharashtra and Kashmir.
Next day, first case of COVID-19 was detected in Rajasthan.
12th March, 2020:- WHO declared COVID-19 as a controllable pandemic. 13 new cases reported in
India. First death of India was of a 76-year old man from Kalaburgi of Karnataka who had a travel
history to Saudi Arabia. Andhra Pradesh reported its first COVID-19 case.
14th March, 2020:- Eight new cases and 2nd death reported in India. Seven patients recovered from
COVID-19, 5 from UP and one each from Rajasthan and Delhi and were discharged from hospital.

'WO (J{L (JJ JI 7' 'WJI CJ{ - q'J[P, CO o/ I (JJ - 1 9 C (]{ISIS
16th March, 2020:- More than 150 countries had reported the spread
of COVID-19 in their country. Seven new cases reported in India. First
case reported in Orissa and West Bengal who had a travel history to
Italy and UK respectively.
New cases •
15,000
20th March, 2020:- First vaccine trial on human was done by USA 44 10
_
000
new cases reported in India. Third death of the country in Rajasthan.
First celebrity of country tested positive for COVID-19. Gujarat and s.ooo
Chhattisgarh reported its first COVID-19 positive case who had a travel
history to London.
23rd March, 2020:- Globally, total confirmed cases crosses 300,000
mark. 132 new cases and 3 new deaths reported in the country. First
death in West Bengal of a 55-year old man.
26th March, 2020:- 87 new cases and 4 new deaths was reported in
the country. First death in Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir. Andaman
and Nicobar Islands reports its first COVID-19 case.
30th March, 2020:- 92 new cases with 4 new deaths in India. Total
confirmed cases in India crosses the 1,000 mark, the tally reaching
1,071 and total 29 deaths.
contd.
India • All time •
10,667
16 June
17 Apr 14May 10 Jun
05th April. 2020:- According to MoHFW, a total of 3577 COVID-19 cases, (including 65 foreign
nationals) have been reported in 29 states/union territories. These include 274 who have been
cured/discharged , 1 who has migrated and 83 deaths. Delhi has a rise of 58 new cases while
Maharashtra experiences a spike of 113 new cases on April 5.
12th April. 2020:- A total of 8447 COVID-19 cases have been reported in 31 states/union territories.
These include 765 who have been cured, discharged or migrated and 273 deaths.
19th April. 2020:- A spike of 16 116 COVID-19 cases reached including (77 foreign nationals) in 32
states/union territories. These include 2301 who have been cured/discharged, 1 migrated and 519
deaths.
26th April. 2020:- A tremendous spike of 26 917 COVID-19 cases (111 foreign nationals) reached in 32
states/union territories, including 5913 cured/discharged, 1 migrated, 826 deaths.
03rd May 3, 2020:- A total of 10 887 people have been cured, recovery rate at 27%.The total number
of confirmed cases is now 40 263.
10th May, 2020:- 41, 472 Active Cases, 19.357Cured / Discharged. Death toll rises to 2109.
17th May, 2020:- There are 53,946 Active Cases, 34,109 Recovered/Discharged/Migrated and 2872
Deaths in India.
24th May, 2020:- Active Cases spiked to 73.560,with 54.440 Cured/ Discharged,1 Migrated and 3,867
Deaths in India.
31st May, 2020:- There were 89,995 Active Cases, 86,983 Cured/ Discharged, 1 Migrated and 5,164
Deaths in India. Recovery rate has improved significantly with 4740% amongst COVID-19 patients (on
30.05.20), an increase of 4.51%in the recovery rate from the previous day's recovery rate of 42.89%.
07th June, 2020:- 120.406 Active Cases, 119,292 Cured/ Discharged, 1 Migrated and 6929 Deaths in
India. During the last 24 hours, MoHFW reported total of 4,611 COVID-19 patients cured, with recovery
rate of 48.20%amongst COVID-19 patients, while all active cases are under medical supervision.
14th June, 2020:- There were 149.348 active cases, 162,378 cured/ discharged, 1 migrated and 9,195
deaths in India. During the last 24 hours, MoHFW reported total of 4,611 COVID-19 patients cured ,with
recovery rate of 48.20%amongst COVID-19 patients, all active cases are under medical supervision.
THE LOCKDOWN SERIES:
1. Lockdown 1.0:- The first phase of lockdown was announced on May 25 and extended till April 14.
Restrictions are imposed on the wake of the mass fatalities.
■ All offices( Government of India/Subordinate offices and Public Corporations/State/Union Territory
Government. their Autonomous Bodies , Corporations, etc. ) shall remain closed. Employees to
perform duties on 'work from home' basis. Exception on defense, police, home guards and
emergency services.
■ Commercial and private establishments shall remain closed
■ All transport services to be closed.
■ All educational institutions, coaching etc. to remain closed.
■ People, who arrived to India after 15.02.20 shall remain under strict quarantine. People failing to
violate shall be bound to legal action under Sec. 188 of the IPC.
2. Lockdown 2.0:- Due to the doubling of the active cases, the Second Phase was put on action from
April 15 and continued till May 3. While the entire nation is at a standstill, self-employed persons, IT
repairs, plumbers, carpenters and motor mechanics are allowed to operate from April 20, taking into

'WO (J{L (JJ JI 7' 'WJI CJ{ - q'J[P, CO o/ I (JJ - 1 9 C (]{ISIS contd.
consideration that they are working in non-containment zones.
Relaxation from April 20 is allowed in non-hotspot areas in order to
ease the burden of daily wage labours and industry.
3. Lockdown 3:- India entered the Third Phase on May 4 which was
extended for a period of two weeks, till May 17, This decision was put
to force after the country witnessed the highest spike on 3 May with
2.487 fresh cases and 83 fatalities. However this Lockdown
experiences a less severe pattern in comparison to both the
lockdowns with relaxation on the movement of inter-district vehicles.
Flights, metro services, passenger trains buses, cycle-rickshaws,
auto-rickshaws, malls will however remain closed. Identification of the
Hotspots (Red, Orange, Green) based on the risk factor criteria would 400
Deaths ...
be carried out.
■ RED ZONES: Identified on the basis of active cases, doubling rate of
300
confirmed cased, extent of testing and feedback.
■ GREEN ZONES: Districts with zero confirmed cases
■ ORANGE ZONES: Those which do not fall in either of
the mentioned two categories.
4. Lockdown 4:- Centre put to force Lockdown 4.0 from May 18 which
extended till May 31. This time the scenario is bit different with
relaxation given to industries and commercial areas with exception to
any mode of public gatherings. Private offices can open at full strength
with most of the work being carried out at home. Buses are allowed to
run, but carrying only 20 people at a time. Markets can carry out their
business at odd-even basis. Domestic airlines resumed their duties
from May 25
5. Lockdown 5.0:- In lockdown 5.0 guidelines, the government has
allowed certain relaxations. The lockdown has been extended in
containment zones till June30. Night curfew timing has been revised.
This comes even as India's COVID-19 cases stand as 86.422, recovered
cases at 82,369 with 4,971 fatalities (May 31). Unrestricted movement
of persons and goods both in inter and intra-state is allowed.
UNLOCK 1:
■ Phase 1: Religious places and all places of worship, hotels,
restaurants and hospitality services and all shopping malls have been
functioning since June 8.
■ Phase 2: Educational institutions will beresumed after consultation
with respective States and Union Territories.
■ Phase 3:Decision will be taken on reopening of International airlines,
operation of metro, gymnasium, sports, entertainment etc.
■ MP, WB, Punjab and Mizoram have extended their period of
lockdown due to the dramatic increase in the affected figures.
200
100
27Mar
India T All time T
21 Apr 16 May
■ Work from home:The Centre has advised workplaces to practice WFH as far as possible.
RUMOURS AND MYTHS OF NOVEL CORONA VIRUS:
10Jun
In the recent times, a number of rumours have come up regarding the origin of the virus. One such
rumour is spreading just like wild fire which states that coronavirus had started in the Chinese lab. In
this version of story, corona virus SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in the lab by humans as a new
bioweapon. While another version of the story points out the faulty laboratory from where the virus
had escaped. The US conservative seems to have performed a commendable job in sprewing several
rumours against the Chinese by politicizing the bioweapon rumours for several weeks. Further former
White House strategist Steve Bannon went a step higher by telling the Fox News that the Chinese
Communist Party was still hiding something about the origin of Covid-19. More such rumours are
being spread by on line sources which is clearly deviating from the real causes.
SCIENCE AGAINST THE RUMOUR: The scientific origin of the virus may have been impossible for the
humans to be created since it possesses two unusual biochemical features which could only have
come about after the virus jumped from animal to humans which is also known as zoonotic transfer-
natural selection in a non-human animal host prior to zoonotic transfer and natural selection in
humans following zoonotic transfer. Bats seem to be an intermediate in the process.
26 IJUkti 1.0 IJUxPress June 2020 Rounak Sarkar I Promila Rani Ghosh- - - - -

■
With the COVID-19 pandemic spewing its contagious network and the swirling vortex of Amphan
lashing the coastline, mankind witnessed a tale of two disasters. Super cyclone Amphan was one of
those natural disasters that leave man at the mercy of an infuriated Nature, listless and helpless,when
man prays for a Noah's Arc to rescue them from the ensuing deluge.
Amphan has been discretised as a Category 3 cyclone with wind speed as high as 22okm/hr. The
states of West Bengal, Orissa and Bangladesh have never witnessed a super cyclone of this intensity
since the 1999 cyclonic winds that took away about 10000 lives in Orissa. A research by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has observed that hurricanes, typhoons and
cyclones are becoming stronger over the days worldwide. The study shows that the warmer
temperature of the sea surface of Bay of Bengal is a primary reason for stronger cyclonic winds.
Words of caution, spelled by the Meteorological Department of India, prompted the National Disaster
Response Force to take measures to evacuate the low-lying coastal areas, which ran the risk of
getting inundated by the flood waters. Almost 5 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and
Orissa and about 50000 from Sundarban area, while the cyclone barrelled towards the coastline. The
prevalent social distancing norms made the process even more challenging. With a catastrophe on
one side and a deadly virus on the other, the residents of the affected areas were playing a game of
Roulette with death.
About 40 NDRF teams had joined in hands for evacuating the people to avert casualties. Sensing the
impact of the super cyclone, the Indian Meteorological Department sent out a Yellow Alert. forbidding
fishermen to venture out into the raging waters on 19th and 20th May.
On 20th May, 2020, the whirlwind, after culminating its energy over the Bay of Bengal, made its way
towards the mangroves of Sundarban, which is home to about 4 million people. Carving in towards
North and North East. Amphan strode over to Kolkata, leaving devastations through its trajectory.
North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore were the worst sufferers of the ravaging storm that
battered the areas with a speed of 185 km/hr.
Amphan left behind a battered and devasted state causing immense damage to the economy and
ecology. "Everything gone"- the sighs of despair in the voice of the Sundarban residents speak
volumes about the extent of damage. Amphan claimed more than go lives and caused a reported $13
billion in damage in West Bengal alone. The cyclone battered Kolkata, uprooting trees, pulling roofs
off and leaving thousands homeless. Power and water supplies were disrupted in many nook and
cranny of the cyclone ravaged areas. Some 5000 trees were reported to have been uprooted in
Kolkata alone. Most of the casualties were caused by electrocution or being hit by falling trees and
debris.
The raging winds unleased havoc on the ecologically sensitive Sundarban mangroves. The flood
waters inundated the low-lying areas, leaving the crops damaged and turning the soil infertile by the
saline water. Mud embankments in the Sundarban delta, a UNESCO site, were breached as the surge
whipped up by the cyclone inundated several kilometres of the Island. With sea water entering
agricultural land, officials now fear more than 2 lakh farmers could be severely affected. The hapless
cries of the homeless, coupled with the loss of fields and crops, loom large over the area. Be it Bulbul,
Ayla or Amphan , the residents of this part of Bengal and Bangladesh always bear the brunt of the
cyclonic wrath.
The collision of COVID-19 crisis with Amphan super cyclone wrecked one of the most iconic places in
Kolkata- College Street. Heartbreaking pictures of the aftermath emerged as myriads of books were
found floating in the muddy waters. Books worth more than Rs 50-60 lakhs have reportedly been
destroyed by the cyclone. The sale of books, already stalled by lockdown, would plummet as the
books were exposed to the beast from the Bay of Bengal. With godowns waterlogged, books of
nursery rhymes to algorithms, novels to those of examination preparations, lay scattered through the
41 NDRF teams
on ground,
nearly 5lakh
evacuated in
Odisha, WB:
DG SN Pradhan
on Cyclone
Amphan

contd.
lanes, capturing the distress of the shopkeepers. With books getting drowned, wet and torn, sank the
emotions of the entire literary crowd who hail College Street as their pilgrimage.
Within moments, the City of Joy, was reduced to tears by the swirling super cyclone. Even our
beloved campus of Jadavpur University, hailed as "Kolkatar Obhimaan", was not spared of the wrath
of the storm. A stroll around the campus would leave one in shock, given the immense loss of
greenery. The storm uprooted trees and smashed the iconic sculpture that stood for years in front of
the Central Library. A part of the boundary between Gate 3 and 4 was dazed to the ground. Giant trees
like mahogany and banyan were uprooted and the felled trees blocked the pathway to the football
ground and the concrete driveway that leads to Aurobindo Bhavan. Images capturing rows of trees
bowing down along the campus lanes unfolded the Genesis of heart wrenching emotions among all
Jadavpurians. The campus, that once boasted of the rich biodiversity, would never look the same
without the green canopy, so say the students.
After the calamitous devastation, came a time even more horrific to witness. The vestiges of the
flattened huts, damaged crop fields, fallen down trees and tangled mesh of power lines silently
elocuted the despair of the people. The stout trees, that once stood tall with hubris, the mud huts, that
once sheltered the members, the vast stretches of mangroves, that once boasted of the biodiversity,
were all reduced to scratch by the catastrophe. The eternal struggle of man versus nature only
showed itself too prominently amidst the gloom of wreckage. The lull that followed was more eerie
than the storm. Silence loomed large everywhere- the silence of helplessness, the silence of
dejection.
After an aerial survey of the cyclone hit areas, the PM assured assistance to the state and announced
an aid of Rs 1000 crore to rebuild the state. The state administration too went to its farthest to relieve
the citizens from the wreckage of the super cyclone. NDRF teams were deployed to clear the roads
of the fallen trees and the state sought assistance of the army. The Public Health Engineering
Department has been working tirelessly in its attempt to restore power and water supply to the entire
state.
Shattered and broken, yet the region sees beacon of light. Battered by the storm surge and torrential
downpour, Bengal socio economy has been rendered still, coupled with the halting effects of
lockdown. Yet. the City of Joy chimes in tunes of revival and hope, waiting to see the new dawn and a
new beginning. Because, after all the devastation and damage, "tomorrow is another day".
(J{ejerences:
■ INSAT images
■ Windy images
■ BBC coverage
■ News 18 coverage
■ The Telegraph

...
..
)
..
....
1' ..
...
..
BLEH
Soumalya Ghosh
Someday, somewhere when I lay down under the sky;
Among the distant stars, the memories flash, and hence I can't deny,
Moments of truth, moments of mystery, moments when you hold your smile;
Red in my memory, blue in my dreams, hooking up to your songs for a while.
Incarcerating my soul, you are that beat of my heart, which now you own;
Days pass by with a misty future ahead, as every step will be written on the stone.
Don't you see how my lips tremble when I say your name, how my eyes dance like fireflies?
Hence I do not know how to tell you how, every time my heart dies:
When I realize that I will never be by your side in the future, my heart cries.
I
DAUGHTER
Ahona Roy Chowdhury
I don't know what it is to be a daughter.
They say that blood runs thicker than water.
But why is it that I feel no ties?
I look at my mother and I see it in her eyes,
The pure, unconditional love she bears.
I know 'motherhood' has been glorified for years.
Their sacrifices becoming not a choice but a consequence.
Yet unmistakably I've seen love in her, hence
Her love must make me a daughter?
There have been days when I have thought her
Love for me was misplaced, a mistake,
Because despite my desire to reciprocate,
I've let my heart be an impassive stone.
Despite her love, I have felt alone.
My father does listen to what I have to say,
But smiles at my concerns, at the end of the day,
I'm not the older son whose advice holds sway
And not until my brother had to move away,
Did I become my father's right hand
Despite a daughter, (almost) a dependable young 'man'.
I was twelve when one day I served him tea
Without being asked to, and he
Smiled sweetly and said "It's great,
You're finally learning how a daughter should behave."
What it is to be a daughter, I don't know yet.
I'm putting together pieces from the society's set
Of rules and do's and don'ts I can find,
So that one day I can have my peace of mind.
'-=========~';= =::::-~'~===!:;===:!JI
~ 8:58 PM,
MARCH 30, 2020
Deeb aka r fvt aj um de r
Hi there1
How you doing?
I am good.
The weather is so good, right?
People are dying.
0 I'm bored.
Whoever knew this would happen?
You, by the way, look great in that photo...
Why, you are the best-dressed one in class1
0 it's rather hot here.
Yesterday, it was raining here.
Heartbeats are ceasing everywhere ...
I'm so bored ---
Why, I'm the painted boat upon the painted ocean
(or whatever it was).
Lucky me1I have a boat to sit on,
Lie on,
...

A VEHICLE
IN THE
FLOATING
WORLD .•
Santanu Das
A vehicle floating in the world,
I now make my home in the wildlands.
I can't stop you see, so I float along,
Slapping myself to stay awake at night.
The roads are empty but I cannot speed as I would
But what if I end on a cliff's edge?
I long for my hometown, where faces I know-
Do not call me a virus- a reason
For this world to come to an end.
Where they just know me by my name and open the door to wave.
I want this to end so that I can fly back home.
This truck has seen me cry, without hiding my face, amid wildflowers and stars.
From Hubei, I will say. My place of birth. That is where I stay.
For the years that will dream, while kids go to school
They will remember a Xiao, who drove a truck around the world for twenty days.
I I - -';::::~U I I I I ':====:-'-=-~ ==;~"-)
..
•
+ .
DEARTH
Jayee Ghosh Roy
Have you ever seen a garden-
Bereft of nutrients,
Empty of gay colours,
..
Devoid of the energy of the glowing stars,
But an engulfing dreary dark sky?
A garden too infertile to cultivate passions,
Or to grow ambitions, or to plant a wish?
A garden where spring is never seen;
Where tiny green leaves of liberty and hope bud,
Not to break bondages of perpetual infertility,
But only to turn beige.
Slowly beige leaves turn brown,
And more slowly into the soil .
..
Not very different from the unwatered dream's trajectory
To looming obscurity of the listless mind.
Perhaps if treated with sprinkles of love, nourishment, and care,
It would have been an ornamental orchard or a mango yard.
Perhaps it would have been golden with marigolds, or merry with
sunflowers.
Maybe it was meant to be a beautiful embodiment of life,
But it is what it is.
An infinite tangle of unwanted weeds-
With its ever-growing outstretching arms;
Carpeting the garden's bosom
And crippling the budding of blossoms.
Have you ever seen such a garden?
One where fruits of labour fall before they ripe
And liquor waters the cracked soil?
Have you ever seen the broken back of a poor man,
Bent with the heavy toll of weeds of poverty?
..
..

♦
..
•
..
•
+ "
• ..
....~===~=~:::::::::===:::;::::==:;·--:::;;;;;::;.=-=;==::::;;;;~ ===:;;::::~:==·:.;"I~1r I : 1 • · 1_ ·• I ~ I I - · 1---1- -
...
IF THE RAIN
HAD RHYTHM
Debosmita Saha
If the rain had rhythm,
Would it be English or would it be Burmese?
If the rain had rhythm,
Silent like the monks,
Showering like the bullets,
Slaughtering like the machetes -
What if the cry of the Rohingya was the rhythm of rain ?
Where the camouflage uniforms stripped the women of their pride,
Buried their husbands,
Killed the womb before it saw daylight;
Would it pitter-patter for the homeless?
Isn't this defeat of humanity
So accurate, so grim ?
What if their homes didn't burn for ages ?
..
.. ·•..
What if the land of Buddhists spared the fibres, nerves and flesh of her Islam sons?
~ -
"'
...
What if the rain could wash away the blood stained borders,
The tales of patriotism stuck between now and forever?
Whatever happens,
Silence lingers.
DADDY
Dishani fvtondal
You know how they say that a girl's first love is always her Dad? I think that is true since I've always loved you a~?
little more than Mother i
I want you to know, Daddy, that I've met the man of my dreams1 And oh you'd just love him1
1I'm crazy about him and I know he loves me too.
Oh, Daddy, I know this is real because he's so much like you1
He's six feet two and more stubborn than you when it comes to quitting his alcohol.
And, Daddy, I must tell you of the thing that surprises me of all-
He shakes his leg absentmindedly in his sleep just like you do after a wild fight with Mother.
Oh and speaking of fights, he says awful things to me in a temper and never apologizes but I know he never
means them, Daddy, like you never meant them when you did the same to Mother1
Oh Daddy, I almost forgoti
He's got clubbed fingers like you that leave a mark on my cheek just like yours left on Mother's.
It's true1 I check in the mirror every time, Daddy.
He tells me that I'm broken and that I need him
My friends tell me I'm not broken and that I should leave him but I'm pretty sure they'rejustjealous.
A part of me wants to leave though, Daddy, but I can't I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him
He tells me I'm broken and I believe him, Daddy.
You see, Daddy, I love you but I think it was you who broke me.
..

JUkti 1.0

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