COVID-19 Pandemic in India Points to Need for a Decentralized Response

• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20984524
• Author: Alaknanda Shringare,Seema Fernandes
• Published date: 01 September 2020
• Date: 01 September 2020
• Subject Matter: Governance Matters

Governance Matters
State and Local Government Review
2020, Vol. 52(3) 195-199
COVID-19 Pandemic in India
ª The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20984524
Decentralized Response
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Alaknanda Shringare1
and Seema Fernandes2
Abstract
The inter-governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India not only revealed centralized
tendencies but also exposed weaknesses in the administrative and planning processes needed for a
cohesive but flexible national response. This paper highlights some of the subnational states’ early
responses to increasing COVID-19 cases and argues that, while India resorted to centralized
measures to deal with the pandemic, a decentralized response may have proved more beneficial.
Policy recommendations following this line of thinking conclude the article.
Keywords
decentralization, COVID-19, Governance, Local Governments, Intergovernmental
Introduction
response, especially a lack of public health
infrastructure. This paper highlights some of
India reported its first case of COVID-19 on Jan-
the states’ early responses to increasing
uary 30, 2020 and the nation’s hundredth case on
COVID-19 cases and argues that while India
March 14th (Figure 1). By March 23rd, the World
resorted to centralized measures to deal with
Health Organization’s (WHO) emergencies pro-
the pandemic, a decentralized response may
gram director declared that the global “trajectory
have proved more beneficial.
of the virus would be determined by how aggres-
sive and sustained the action of highly populous
countries like India was in dealing with the out-
Central Response to Pandemic
break” (DownToEarth 2020). Two days later the
Leaves Crucial Gaps
federal government imposed a nationwide lock-
down that lasted sixty-eight days. Despite this
Government intervention is critical for mitigating
aggressive action, COVID-19 cases in India
the impact of the pandemic (Kumar 2020a, 12)
crossed the 1 million mark in mid-July and
reached 7 million in mid-October. Based on the
1 Department of Political Science, Goa University, Panaji,
total number of cases, India became the second
Goa, India
worst hit country in the world, trailing only the
2 Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Devel-
United States.
opment (SIRD–Goa/ATI–Goa, Ela Farm, Old Goa, India
India’s response to COVID-19 revealed cen-
Corresponding Author:
tralized tendencies of government but also
Alaknanda Shringare, Department of Political Science, Goa
exposed weaknesses in the administrative and
University, Taleigao Plateau, Panaji, Goa 403 206, India.
planning processes needed to launch a national
Email: ashringare@unigoa.ac.in

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196
State and Local Government Review 52(3)
Figure 1. Timeline of Coronavirus spread in India. Source: News 18, Aug 23, 2020; The Indian Express, October
17, 2020, and statista, 2020.
yet some experts criticized India’s COVID-19
go back to their hometown. A lack of social
management for excessive centralization
safety net measures forced migrant workers to
(Kumar 2020b, 10) and a lack of a clear legal
walk back to their hometowns, potentially
framework to justify pandemic responses
spreading the virus and “exposing once again
(EPW Editorials 2020). The central govern-
India’s deep economic divide and the govern-
ment declared a national lockdown without
ment’s apathy toward the workers who power
taking the states into their confidence, expos-
the country’s growth” (Chatterjee 2020).
ing striking disregard for federal principle.
With health policy falling in the states’ purview
there were questions raised over the constitu-
Lessons from States
tional validity of the lockdown.
After 68 days of nationally mandated lockdown
Centralized advisories issued through the
the damage caused to the economy forced the
Ministry of Home Affairs also disempowered
national government to begin a phased reopen-
the states. One example is a circular issued by
ing on June 8th. This largely left management
the federal government in the first week of
of the COVID-19 pandemic to states. Several
April 2020 asking state governments not to pro-
states responded with a more decentralized and
cure any safety kits—procurement would be
localized approach to manage of the pandemic.
managed by the center and supplied to respec-
tive states—many states subsequently experi-
Kerala State
enced shortages of medical safety equipment
and many doctors and nurses tested positive for
Though
Kerala
reported
India’s
first
COVID-19 (The New Indian Express 2020).
COVID-19 case in late January and initially
The pandemic also revealed pressing chal-
topped the list of states with higher cases, the
lenges to the healthcare system in India...