Government faces headwinds at home and abroad

The severity of the damage to India's reputation by communal politics should not be underestimated. Nor should the deteriorating state of the economy

Even as global opinion takes serious note of growing religious intolerance in India, the government’s hopes for solace at home are likely to be meagre. Policymakers everywhere are struggling to choose between opening up the economy and continuing a lockdown. However, India’s job is tougher because of the weight of the informal sector in the economy and limited fiscal headroom.

Crisil had warned that any extension of the lockdown beyond May 3 might lead to a zero growth in GDP. Factoring in a second extension of the lockdown, Barclays has also predicted a 0per cent GDP growth in this calendar