WB flags under-reporting of Covid deaths in India, other S Asian nations

World Bank retains India's GDP growth projection at 8.3% for FY22, cautions any global slowdown due to Covid waves may pull it down

The World Bank (WB) has retained projections for economic growth of India at 8.3 per cent for 2021-22, but said that any slowdown in the world due to further Covid waves will pull it down. The bank attributed the low growth to uncertainty related to Coronavirus (Covid-19) and weakened household and firm balance sheets.

In its latest report on South Asia, the multilateral agency flagged the issue of under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths in the region, including India. It said India’s Covid-19 deaths are growing more rapidly than other South Asian countries.

According to official data, the South Asia region accounts