States and State LegislaturesTamil Nadu Government’s Response to COVID-19Anoop Ramakrishnan- April 29, 2020On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfareacknowledgedthe emergence of COVID-19 pandemic that was spreading across China.  Tamil Nadureportedits first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 7, 2020.   As of April 28, the state has 1,937confirmed casesof COVID-19 (seventh highest in the country).  Of these, 1,101 have recovered (third highest rate of recovery in the country among states with 100 or more cases) and 24 have died.  The state government has taken several actions to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19.  In this blog, we look at the key measures taken by the Tamil Nadu government between January 19 and April 28, 2020.Initial phaseThe Tamil Nadu government came out with aseries of responsesbetween January 19 and February 1.  These included: (i) readying Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) at state and district levels, (ii) setting up of a 24/7 control room, (iii) thermal scanning of air travellers from China, (iv) creating isolation wards in the General Hospitals of four major cities, and (v) running appropriate awareness campaigns.Some of the other early measures are summarised below:Health measuresOn March 13, the Governor declared COVID-19 to be anotified diseasein the state of Tamil Nadu, under theTamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.  Notifying a disease allows for incidences of the disease to be mandatorily reported to the government and in turn, helps authorities to respond with appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the disease.On March 15, the government prescribed theTamil Nadu COVID-19 Regulations, 2020.  These regulations detail the responsibilities of hospitals and individuals, and the powers of officials in relation to the diagnosis, treatment, and containment of COVID-19. These include (i) creation of isolation wards in hospitals, (ii) containment measures in an area once positive cases are detected, and (iii) mandatory 14-day home isolation for asymptomatic air travellers from COVID-19 affected countries.On March 15, the government also mandated a 14-day institutional isolation for all air travellers toprevent import of infectionsfrom other states.  The state also initiated setting up of testing camps and conducting disinfectation drives in the border districts.Travel and MovementOn March 15, the government notified aseries of instructionsthat restricted the movement of people in the state.  These include (i) shutting down of establishments, such as, educational institutions (up to Class 5), theatres, malls etc, and (ii) banning of inter-state travel for 15 days.On March 16, the government announced additionalrestrictionstill Mar 31, such as, closure of: (i) anganwadis and making alternate provision of dry ration for children at their homes, (ii) swimming pools, amusement parks, gyms, zoos, museums, bars, clubs etc, and (iii) all educational institutions, except the conduct of practical exams for class 10 and 12, and various entrance exams.State borders were sealed offfor road traffic, except for movement of essential commodities, from March 20 to March 31.Public transportation services, such as metro rail and inter-state private buses, were also suspended till March 31.The Prime Minister asked the country to observe aJanta Curfewfrom 7 am to 9 pm on March 22,. The state government furtherextended this curfewto 5 am on March 23.  Following this, the government immediately announced astate-wide lockdownfrom March 24 up to April 1.On April 5, the government issued anadvisoryfor the quarantine of migrant workers and the conduct of health camps for them.Welfare MeasuresOn March 15, the government announced financial assistance of a total ofRs 60 croreto various departments, such as, health, transport etc, to take precautionary measures to combat COVID-19.On March 24, the government announced the distribution ofcash support of Rs 1,000to all entitled family cardholders.  Further, they were also eligible for free supply of essential commodities such as rice, dal, sugar, etc, during the month of April, through the Public Distribution System (PDS).During the lockdownA state-wide lockdown was announced from March 24 to April 1, followed by anation-wide lockdownbetween March 25 and April 14.  On April 13, the state-wide lockdown wasextendedup to April 30. This was followed by theextensionof the nation-wide lockdown from April 15 to May 3. Under this, certain activities could be resumed after April 20.Some of the key measures undertaken during the lockdown period are:Travel and movementAmidst the lockdown, on March 25, the governmentnotifiedthat establishments providing essential goods and services, which were allowed to operate.  These included establishments such as  (i) police forces, (ii) treasury, (iii) public utilities, (iv) banks, (v) media, (vi) telecommunications, and (vii) shops dealing with food, groceries etc.  Further, on March 28, the government permitted a fewagriculture-related establishmentsto operate, such as, Mandis, fertiliser shops, and agencies involved in procurement of agriculture products.AnExpert Committeeformed by the state government to formulate guidelines for phased exit from lockdown after April 20, recommended the extension of the lockdown till May 3.  Certainselect activitieswere, however, permitted to resume operations from April 20 onwards. These include (i) MNREGA works related to irrigation and water conservation, (ii) rural construction projects on irrigation, dam safety, hospital buildings, roads and bridges, and (iii) state and central government offices at one-third capacity.In view of rising number of cases, on April 24, stringent curfew orders were passed in the districts of (i)Chengalpattu, (ii)Kancheepuram, and (iii)Thiruvallur. The curfew will be imposed between April 26 and April 29, from 6 am to 9 pm, and with more stringent restrictions than under the ongoing nation-wide lockdown, such as, (i) petrol bunks to operate only between 8 am and 12 noon, and (ii) supermarkets and shops to remain shut.Curfew orders were passed in5 more districts.  In Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, curfew is imposed between 6 am and 9 pm from April 26 to April 29.  In Salem and Tiruppur, curfew was imposed from April 26 to April 28.Welfare MeasuresOn March 30,   the government announced a cash assistance ofRs 1,500 per monthto be credited into the bank accounts of differently-abled persons.  It also announced thattransgenders without ration cards, were eligible to receive 12kg of rice, 1kg of dal, and 1 litre of cooking oil, from fair price shops (FPS).Further, a cash assistance of Rs 1,000 was announced for (i)all ration card holdersthrough FPS, (ii)registered auto drivers and construction workers, (iii) members ofTN Cine Welfare Board,  and (iv)match factory workers.On April 2, the government announced aconcession packageto manufacturers of COVID-19 related medical equipment, who will commence production before July 31, 2020. The package applied to both MSMEs and large manufacturers of equipment, such as, ventilators, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits and medicines.  Some of the concessions include: (i) 30% capital subsidy, upto Rs 20 crore, (ii) 100% stamp duty waiver, (iii) 6% interest subvention for capital loans for two quarters, (iv) commencement of manufacturing without prior approval, and (v) provision of necessary land on priority basis for short-term/long-term leases, etc.Rs 50 lakh grant wasannouncedto the families of frontline workers in the event of their unfortunate demise.  If infected by COVID-19, they are eligible for Rs 2 lakh assistance towards treatment costs.  In certain cases, if eligible, their kin would also receive a government job offer.On April 7, the government announced thatMLALAD fundscould be utilised for COVID-19 prevention and containment activities. A total of Rs 1.25 crore can be utilised towards prevention, containment, treatment, and purchase of medical equipment, PPEs etc.Health MeasuresOn April 2, the government released a list ofdesignated COVID-19 hospitalsin the state. Instructions were issued to refer all COVID-19 positive cases exclusively to these designated hospitals. However, willing citizens were alsopermittedto approach private hospitals, at their own cost. Private hospitals were further instructed to establish dedicatedfever clinicsto cope with the increasing load of flu and fever cases.Amidst a rise in the number of cases, on April 4, the government issued instructions to: (i) avoid all kinds of religious gatherings, (ii) hospitals to not show religious bias in treating patients, and (iii) doctors to coordinate with the government and check in on the mental health of quarantined patients via video conferencing facilities such as Skype.On April 5, the government issuedcluster containment measuresto stop the transmission, morbidity, and mortality associated with the further spread of COVID-19. This was in response to the large number of imported infections from the attendees of the Nizamuddin conference in Delhi.Various guidelines were issued towards (i)treatment protocolof COVID-19 positive patients, (ii) appropriate management ofsuspect casesof COVID-19, (iii)dead body management, (iv) criteria for classification ofhotspots, and (v) protocol for use ofRapid Antibody Testsin hotspot areas.Resource Management:On March 27, the Chief Ministerannouncedan additional COVID-19 related recruitment of doctors and lab technicians. The recruited members were to join within three days of the notification. On April 25, an additional 1,323nurseswere also recruited.A two-month extension was announced to the tenures of medical professionals retiring onMarch 31andApril 30.The government also instructed District Authorities to ensure theprotectionof doctors and other hospital staff who are being forcefully evicted from their houses by landlords. As a measure to develop immunity against COVID-19, the government, on April 25, alsorecommendedproviding Zinc and Vitamin tablets, and herbal powder to all personnel on frontline duty in containment areas.Other MeasuresAdministrative:Eleven committeeshave been formed to coordinate implementation of various welfare programmes. In all districts, Crisis Management Committees have been formed under the district collector.Education: The conduct ofsemester examinationsin universities and colleges is postponed to the beginning of the next academic year, as and when the institutions reopen. Private colleges and schools were alsoinstructedto not compel students/parents to pay pending dues for 2019-20 or advance fees for 2020-21.Industry:On April 22, the government released a list of industries classified ascontinuous process industries. These are companies where the production lines are functioning 24/7. The list includes (i) refineries, (ii) large steel plants, (iii) large cement plants, (iv) sugar mills, (v) large paper mills, (vi) tyre manufacturers etc.Technology:The government launched aWhatsapp Chat Botfor providing latest information and guidance related to COVID-19 in both Tamil & English.For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»
States and State LegislaturesTamil Nadu Government’s Response to COVID-19Anoop Ramakrishnan- April 29, 2020