Responsible Governance in Containing the Spread of COVID-19 in a Developing State

Authors

  • Debarshi Mukherjee Department of Business Management, Tripura University Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022, India
  • Subhayan Chakraborty Department of Business Management, Tripura University Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2710-9113
  • Subhasis Bhadra Department of Social Work, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Rajasthan 305817, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-9500
  • Khandakar Kamrul Hasan Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2462-1165
  • Lokesh Kumar Jena Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1146-6044
  • Ranjit Debnath Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.2.119.136

Keywords:

Government policies, e-Learning, COVID-19, Northeast India, Vaccine hesitancy

Abstract

Aim. The study aims to evaluate the government policy implementation in tackling the global pandemic and framing universal policies for responsible governance. It also measures the impact of training interventions and non-training implications in containing the spread of COVID-19 at the grassroots level.

Methods. The samples were drawn empirically from pathological tests conducted over 23 weeks to precisely examine the success of the State Government's approach in lowering COVID-19 mortality and spread. Through trend analysis, the outcome has been predicted. The study establishes a link between acknowledged ideas and government practices, providing insight into how relevant the implementation of planned state-craft programs is.

Results. The findings indicated that government-imposed policies account for timely pandemic containment, and even a tiny developing state lacking advanced medical facilities and technology can set an example in combating the epidemic.

Conclusions. The temporal analysis is based on the inputs acquired from government publications and other sources, allowing us to assess policy initiatives that encompass training interventions and non-training implications as prioritized by the State Government. The paper shows that a good emergency preparedness and response system is needed to prevent huge losses in any sector. This includes the already-struggling health sector, which India needs to put first to avoid more tragedies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Debarshi Mukherjee, Department of Business Management, Tripura University Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022, India

    He is an alumnus of Visva Bharati, Santiniketan, and Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan. He is a Professor and Head (for the 2nd consecutive term) of the Department of Business Management, Tripura University (A Central University), and also the founding Head (i/c) of the Department of Tourism Administration. He has established the state’s first business incubator fully funded by the Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India. He is the State Coordinator of the AICTE-sponsored Student Induction Programme for Tripura. He has been nominated as a Mentor by AICTE for newly inducted teachers of technical education and also as an expert for AICTE’s NEAT 2.0 initiative. Having specialized in the information systems domain, his research interest lies in developing blended learning models and ICT intervention in tertiary education ensuring learning continuity. Besides teaching and academic administration, he has worked extensively in curricula design and Innovative Andragogy Development over the last two decades. His endeavor in research has earned him over 100 publications to his credit. He has worked on many funded projects sponsored by NABARD, and ICSSR besides offering consultancy services for clients like Manipal Global Education Services. He has delivered over 100 invited talks and chaired technical sessions at many conclaves like IIT BHU, MSME Institute Agartala, Mirwais Neeka University Afghanistan, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Tripura, and Agartala Govt. Medical College Agartala. Four doctoral students have earned their degrees under his guidance, while six are pursuing, including one international student. He has conducted leadership and motivational sessions with the management students and teachers at various institutions, including AICTE and MHRD sponsored Faculty Development Programmes and Refresher Courses. He has also deliberated in the different radio & television shows in Tripura, Bangladesh and USA. He also writes regularly for newspapers and news portals on contemporary issues.
    He has also been nominated as a Drafting Committee Member to prepare the Vision Document 2047 for the Govt. of Tripura. He is currently advising the Directorate of Skill Development, Govt, of Tripura to develop skill-based training modules for the promotion of tourism in the state.
    He has recently published a book on MGNREGS, and an edited volume titled PURVOTTARAN – THE RISE OF NORTH EAST: Paradigms of Development in the VUCA World was published by Bloomsbury, and both the forewords were written by the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Tripura.

  • Subhayan Chakraborty, Department of Business Management, Tripura University Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022, India

    He is the Research Scholar of the Department of Business Management, Tripura University, and completed MBA (Finance & Entrepreneurship Development) in 2012 (Gold Medal) from the same institute. Professionally he is a Government Officer posted at Panchayat Raj Training Institute, Agartala, and works closely in Capacity Building and Training of Elected Representatives and Functionaries of Rural India. His preferred area of research is Learning Continuity and measuring Learning Gain. He has work experience of around ten years in the field of Teaching, Training, and Administration and was also a former faculty of the Department of Business Management, Tripura University, and Faculty of Management Studies, ICFAI University. He is a Certified Master Trainer of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad, Government of India.

  • Subhasis Bhadra, Department of Social Work, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Rajasthan 305817, India

    She joined the Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India, on 03.11.2017 and currently holds the position of Associate Professor (Social Work). He had completed his Masters of Social Work from Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal. He had also completed his M.Phil and PhD in Psychiatric Social Work from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences: Bangalore, Karnataka. He had wide research experience and had over 30 plus publications in national and international reputed journals.

     

  • Khandakar Kamrul Hasan, Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India

    He is an International Doctoral Scholar from Bangladesh in the Department of Business Management, Tripura University. He has completed his master's from Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University. His preferred area of research is Learning Continuity, Online learning, Management education, Design Thinking, and Tertiary education. 

     

  • Lokesh Kumar Jena, Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India

    He is the Research Scholar of the Department of Business Management, Tripura University, and completed his MBA (Agri-Business Management) in 2019 from Sambalpur University, Odisha, India. His preferred area of research is Logistics and Supply chain Management. He qualified National Eligibility Test (NET)-2020 in Management. 

  • Ranjit Debnath, Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar str., Tripura 799022, India

    He holds a B.Sc in Hotel and Hospitality Management, IHM, Pusa, New Delhi & M.A in Tourism Management, IGNOU, New Delhi. He has four years of work experience in India Railway Catering and Tourism Corp. Presently pursuing a PhD in Business Management from the Department of Business Management, Tripura University, Tripura. His research interest includes the System approach to Learning, Learning Continuity, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data Analysis. 

References

A. P. Christoff et al. (2021). Swab pooling: A new method for large-scale RT-qPCR screening of SARS-CoV-2 avoiding sample dilution. PLOS ONE,16(2), e0246544, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246544.

Arvind Pandey, A. P. (2021). Determinants of COVID 19 pandemic in India: an exploratory study of Indian states and districts. Journal of Social and Economic Development, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-021-00154-0.

Azizah F. Siddiqui, M. W. (2020). Situation of India in the COVID-19 Pandemic: India's Initial Pandemic Experience. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 1-18.

Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview. . New Directions For Teaching and Learning Series, No. 68, (pp. 3-11).

Batista, A. M. (2021). Simulation of deterministic compartmental models for infectious diseases dynamics. arXiv preprint arXiv:2106.02085, 1-7.

Bhanot, D., Singh, T., Verma, S. K., & Sharad, S. (2020). Stigma and discrimination during COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in public health, 8, 829.

Biswendu Bhattacharjee. (2020, 7 July). Tripura to begin rapid antigen tests. Retrieved 24 June, 2021, from The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agartala/tripura-to-begin-rapid-antigen-tests/articleshow/76831766.cms

Chokshi, M., Patil, B., Khanna, R., Neogi, S. B., Sharma, J., Paul, V. K., & Zodpey, S. (2016). Health systems in India. Journal of Perinatology, 36(3), S9-S12.

COVID19INDIA. (2021, 29 June). Tripura Covid Status. Retrieved 29 June, 2021, from Covid19India: https://www.covid19india.org/state/TR

Curley, B. (2021, 21 March). Vaccinated or Not, COVID-19 Testing Is Still Important: Here's Why. Retrieved from HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vaccinated-or-not-covid-19-testing-is-still-important-heres-why

Debraj Deb. (2020, 28 July). Tripura: Door-to-door Covid survey hits roadblock, villagers claim virus only affects urban people. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/tripura/tripura-door-to-door-covid-survey-hits-roadblock-villagers-claim-virus-only-affects-urban-people-6527430/

Debraj Deb. (2021, 25 May). Paid Covid care centre to come up in Agartala in light of rising cases. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/tripura/paid-covid-care-centre-agartala-rising-cases-7329319/

Debraj Deb. (2021, 11 June). Tripura claims 'significant' economic growth despite pandemic, Opposition rubbishes it as 'jugglery of statistics'. Retrieved from The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/tripura/tripura-claims-significant-economic-growth-despite-pandemic-opposition-rubbishes-it-as-jugglery-of-statistics-7354890/

Divya Bhanot, T. S. (2021). Stigma and Discrimination During COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.577018.

Duffy, K. (1995). Social Exclusion and Human Dignity in Europe. Background report for the proposed initiative by the Council of Europe. , Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Express, T. I. (2021, 30 June). 80 - 98%: Tripura among top in vaccine table, here's why. Retrieved 30 June, 2021, from The Indian Express: https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/the+indian+express-epaper-indexp/8098+tripura+among+top+in+vaccine+table+heres+why-newsid-n294328566?s=a&uu=0x0ea56b9577bd3718&ss=wsp

Gauttam et al. (2021). Public health policy of India and COVID-19: Diagnosis and prognosis of the combating response. Sustainability, 13(6), 3415.

Geetanjali Kapoor, A. S. (2020, April 20). COVID-19 in India :State-wise estimates of current hospital beds, intensive care unit(ICU) beds and ventilators. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from The Centre for Disease dynamics, economics and policy: https://cddep.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/State-wise-estimates-of-current-beds-and-ventilators_20Apr2020.pdf

Giri, S. &. (2021). A neglected reality of mass media during COVID-19: Effect of pandemic news on individual's positive and negative emotion and psychological resilience. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol - 180, 110962,.

Guest, J. L., Del Rio, C., & Sanchez, T. (2020). The three steps needed to end the COVID-19 pandemic: bold public health leadership, rapid innovations, and courageous political will. JMIR Public health and surveillance, 6(2), e19043.

Hales, A. H. (2020). Social ostracism:Theoretical foundations and basic principles. Social psychology: Handbook of basic principles, (3rd ed., pp. 337–349).

I. Cooper, A. M. (2020). A SIR model assumption for the spread of COVID-19 in diffferent communities. Chaos Solitons Fractals 139, 110057.

Kapoor, A., Ben, X., Liu, L., Perozzi, B., Barnes, M., Blais, M., & O'Banion, S. (2020). Examining covid-19 forecasting using spatio-temporal graph neural networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2007.03113.

Kipling D. Williams, A. H. (2019). Social ostracism as a factor motivating interest in extreme groups. In Current direction in ostracism, social exclusion and rejection research, 1st Edition (p. 14). Routledge.

Kumar, V. M., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Trakht, I., & Thyagarajan, S. P. (2021). Strategy for COVID-19 vaccination in India: the country with the second highest population and number of cases. npj Vaccines, 6(1), 1-7.

M Chokshi, B. P. (2016). Health systems in India. Journal of Perinatology, 36, S9–S12.

Ministry of Ayush, GoI. (2021, 14 April). About the Ministry. Retrieved 23 June, 2021, from Ministry of Ayush: https://main.ayush.gov.in/about-us/about-the-ministry

MoHFW. (2020, August). RESPONSE AND CONTAINMENT MEASURES - MoHFW. Retrieved 23 June, 2021, from MoHFW, GoI: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/ContainmentandSurveillanceManualforSupervisorsincontainmentzones.pdf

Monaco, E. J. (2008). Training and Policy Implementation: Turning Policy into Practice. PDP Communique Vol 21, pp. 2-6.

Muddiman, D. (2000). Theories of Social Exclusion and The Public Library. In Open to All? : the Public Library and Social Exclusion. (pp. 1-15.). London: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries,. Retrieved from http://www.med.uottawa.ca/courses/epi6181/course_outline/Sociology_Social_Exclusion.htm

Mukherjee D, S. M. (2020). Assessment of Patient Satisfaction in Tertiary Care Public Hospitals. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, Inderscience , DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2020.10038486.

Mukherjee et al. (2020). Challenges in Learning Continuity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Methodological and Thematic Review. South Asian Journal of Management, Jul-Sep2020, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p56-78. 23p.

Murphy, M. P. (2020). COVID-19 and emergency eLearning:Consequences of the securitisation of higher education for post-pandemic pedagogy. Contemporary Security Policy, 1-14.

MyGov. (2021, 27 June). Covid-19 statewise status. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from MyGov: https://www.mygov.in/covid-19

National Institute of Aging. (2020, 4 September). Why COVID-19 testing is the key to getting back to normal. Retrieved 24 June, 2021, from National Institute of Aging: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/why-covid-19-testing-key-getting-back-normal

News18. (2020, 12 May). Neighbours Boycott Tripura Man Despite Testing Covid-19 Negative. Retrieved 28 June, 2021, from News18: https://www.news18.com/news/india/neighbours-boycott-tripura-man-despite-testing-covid-19-negative-2616069.html

Peplow, M. (2020, 26 June). Developing countries face diagnostic challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from Chemical & Engineering News, ISSN 0009-2347, Volume 98, Issue 27: https://cen.acs.org/analytical-chemistry/diagnostics/Developing-countries-face-diagnostic-challenges/98/i27

PIB, Delhi. (2021, 16 March). Addressing Social Stigma associated with COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved 28 June, 2021, from Press Information Bureau: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1705063

Planning (Statistics) Department, Govt. of Tripura. (2020). Tripura at a glance. Agartala: Research & Publication Unit, Directorate of Economics & Statistics.

Priyanka Deb Barman. (2020, 7 April). Tripura reports first case of Covid-19, becomes 5th State in Northeast to be affected. Retrieved 20 June, 2021, from Hindustan Times: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tripura-reports-first-case-of-covid-19-becomes-4th-state-in-northeast-to-be-affected/story-mqU9OUxOob5ygpytm9mPbO.html

PTI. (2021, 29 June). Tripura CM says 73 village panchayats fully vaccinated. Retrieved 30 June, 2021, from Deccan Herald: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/tripura-cm-says-73-village-panchayats-fully-vaccinated-1002842.html

Rad, F. A., Otaki, F., Baqain, Z., Zary, N., & Al-Halabi, M. (2021). Rapid transition to distance learning due to COVID-19: Perceptions of postgraduate dental learners and instructors. Plos one, 16(2), e0246584.

RD (Panchayat) Department, GoT. (2020). Training Calendar FY:2020-21. In R. (. PRTI, Training Calendar FY:2020-21 (pp. 15-16). Agartala: RD (Panchayat) Department, GoT.

Reuters. (2021, 18 June). Third wave could hit India by October: experts. Retrieved 24 June, 2021, from The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/third-wave-could-hit-india-by-october-experts/article34851407.ece

Rogers, R. W. (1975). "A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change". Journal of Psychology. 91 (1): 93–114. doi:10.1080/00223980.1975.9915803. PMID 28136248

Roumell, E. A. (2019). Priming Adult Learners for Learning Transfer Beyond Content and Delivery. ADULT LEARNING Vol. 30 No. 1, 15-22.

Savery, J. R. (2006, 5 22). Overview of Problem-based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, volume 1, no. 1((Spring 2006)), 9-20.

Sayed Sajjad Ali. (2021, 14 May). Mass testing drive launched in Agartala. Retrieved 24 June, 2021, from The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/mass-testing-drive-launched-in-agartala/article34560965.ece

The Hindu. (2020, 12 May). COVID-19 care centre in every district in Tripura. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/covid-19-care-centre-in-every-district-in-tripura/article31568097.ece

The World Bank. (2021). Hospital beds (per 1,000 people). Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from The World Bank: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.BEDS.ZS

Vinesh. (2014). Role of Training & Development in an Organizational Development. International Journal of Management and International Business Studies.Volume 4, Number 2, 213-220.

Weston, D., Ip, A., & Amlôt, R. (2020). Examining the application of behaviour change theories in the context of infectious disease outbreaks and emergency response: a review of reviews. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-19.

WHO. (2020). Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it. Retrieved 22 June, 2021, from World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it

WHO. (2020, 11 March). WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020. Retrieved 22 June, 2021, from World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020

WHO. (2021, 25 June). WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. Retrieved 27 June, 2021, from WHO Covid-19 dashboard: https://covid19.who.int/

World Health Organisation. (2020, 22 July July). Responding to COVID-19 - Learnings from Kerala. Retrieved 19 June, 2021, from who.int: https://www.who.int/india/news/feature-stories/detail/responding-to-covid-19---learnings-from-kerala

Worldometer. (2021, 29 June). Indian Population Live. Retrieved 29 June, 2021, from Worldometer: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/india-population/

Wikipaedia. (2021, 18 June). List of cities in India by population. Retrieved 23 June, 2021, from wikipaedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_India_by_population

Williams, K. D., Hales, A. H., & Michels, C. (2019). Social ostracism as a factor motivating interest in extreme groups. In Current Directions in Ostracism, Social Exclusion, and Rejection Research (pp. 18-31). Routledge.

Downloads

Published

2022-09-27

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Education Culture and Society

Section

ETHICS

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Debarshi Mukherjee, Subhayan Chakraborty, Subhasis Bhadra, Khandakar Kamrul Hasan, Lokesh Kumar Jena, Ranjit Debnath

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

CC-BY

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. All authors agree for publishing their email adresses, affiliations and short bio statements with their articles during the submission process.

How to Cite

Mukherjee, D., Chakraborty, S., Bhadra, S., Hasan, K. K., Jena, L. K., & Debnath, R. (2022). Responsible Governance in Containing the Spread of COVID-19 in a Developing State. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 13(2), 119-136. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.2.119.136