Rural India vs Covid-19: Train curbs a relief but challenges remain

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal’s announcement on stopping even long-distance train services, barring goods trains, may come as a boon for rural areas. 

The people, reportedly rushing back after governments began shutting down major cities, may well be heading to regions more vulnerable to the pandemic. Many are said to be returning to their families in rural India.

A major pandemic like the coronavirus (COVID-19) is more likely to leave the average rural Indian in greater debt; and he or she is also less likely to be able to find the necessary infrastructure to seek treatment, shows an analysis of the