States and State LegislaturesKerala Government’s Response to COVID-19 (January 30, 2020 - April 22, 2020)Anoop Ramakrishnan- April 22, 2020On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfareacknowledgedthe emergence of COVID-19 that was spreading across China. On January 30, 2020, the country’s first COVID-19 positive case wasreportedin Kerala.  By March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic.  This blog summarises the key policy measures taken by government of Kerala to respond to the pandemic.As on April 22, Kerala has had 427confirmed casesof COVID-19, of which 307 have recovered (highest rate of recovery in the country). Only three deaths have been recorded in the state so far.Pre-lockdown period: Early measures for containmentFollowing the first confirmed case involving a returnee from Wuhan, China, theinitial responsesby the state were aimed at surveilling, identifying, and conducting risk-based categorisation of all passenger arrivals from China and others who had come in close contact with these travellers. As two more cases were confirmed on February 2 and 3, the state governmentdeclareda health emergency in the state.Subsequently, a healthadvisorywas issued to track, identify, and test all travellers with a travel history to Wuhan since January 15, 2020.  Such passengers and their close contacts were to be kept in isolation for 28 days.  The advisory also directed all lodging establishments to maintain a register of travellers with travel histories to corona-affected countries. A similar advisory was issued forstudentreturnees as well. With no further confirmed cases being reported immediately, on February 12, the statewithdrewthe health emergency.  However, a high state of response and surveillance continued to be applied.Second wave of infectionsWhen a second wave of infections began spreading in early March, the government took several multi-pronged measures to address the threat. The following measures were taken in this regard:Health measures:Revised guidelines for the clinicalmanagementof COVID19 patients, covering testing, quarantine, hospital admission, and discharge, were issued.Instructions were issued regardingairportsafety protocols as well as testing offoreignnationals entering and exiting the state. All foreign arrivals, even if asymptomatic, were to be kept in isolation until their test reports were available.Further guidelines and precautions on social distancing and various hygiene norms, such as, use of sanitsers, were also issued tomalls, shopping centres, andsalons.Movement restrictions:All non-medical educationalinstitutions, including anganwadis andmadrassaswere immediately shut down till March 31 and exams of classes 1-7 were postponed. Exams for classes 8 and above were to be held as scheduled. Universityexamswere also postponed till March 31.Government departments were asked to maketemporary arrangementsregarding working hours of their employees. Officials were also instructed to look into welfare measures formigrant workers.Guidelines were also issued toprivate establishmentsregarding working time, safety measures, and leave for employees.Administrative Measures:On March 17, COVID19 was declared anotified disaster, thus becoming eligible for funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). SDRF is the primary fund available with state governments for responses to notified disasters. Notifying a disaster enables states to spend more from the SDRF to fight the said disaster.In order to better coordinate the state’s response, the government issued instructions to constituteCOVID-19 cellsin all departments.Meetingsand inspections by government officials were also to be avoided.Local Self Government institutions were assigned variousrolesand responsibilities. These include: (i) running awareness programs, such as, ‘Break the Chain’ initiative, (ii) conducting sanitation and cleanliness drives, (iii) regular outreach to home isolated/quarantined persons, (iv) activating committee system to manage responsibilities, (v) ensuring availability of essential commodities, (vi) categorising and ensuring available response mechanisms, such as, material resources, volunteers, medical resources etc, and (vii) ensuring special attention to vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens, and persons with co-morbidities or undergoing special treatments.The lockdown periodOn March 23, Kerala announced astate-wide lockdowntill March 31.  A day later, the central government announced a nation-wide21-day lockdown.Restrictions imposed under the state’s order included: (i) stoppage of all forms of passenger transport services, (ii) prohibition of a gathering of more than five persons, and (iii) closure of all commercial establishments, officers, and factories, except those exempted.  Use of taxis, autos or private vehicles was permitted only for procurement of essential commodities or for medical emergencies. Establishments providing essential goods and services such as banks, media, telecom services, petrol bunks, and hospitals were permitted to operate.On April 15, the central governmentextended the lockdowntill May 3.  Some of the key measures undertaken during the lockdown period are:Administrative MeasuresA round-the-clockwar room, comprising members of different departments, was set up to monitor and supervise all COVID-19 containment activities.ACorona media cellwas set up to monitor and tackle the threat of fake news surrounding COVID19.With the legislature not in session,the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020was promulgated by the Governor of Kerala on March 26. The Ordinance empowers the state government to undertake necessary measures and specify regulations to counter the threat of an epidemic disease.  It also specifies a penalty for those who violate orders made under this Ordinance.Healthcare MeasuresTreatment guidelines:The government, on March 26, declared theentire state as COVID-19 affected.On March 24, the government had issuedclinical guidelinesfor the investigation and treatment of COVID-19 cases.  A week later, asimplified matrixfor isolation/quarantine and testing was released.Advisories were issued for: (i) antenatal and delivery care forpregnant women, (ii)withholdingandrestartingroutine vaccination of children, (iii) ensuring continuity of services forTB patients, and (iv) management ofalcohol use disorders.Testing:Regular guidelines regarding testing were also issued. They include (i)advisoryon using rapid diagnostic kits, (ii) in-principlesanction to developsuch rapid kits, and (iii) guidelines forantibody testingby the private sector.Resource management: To respond to the increase in confirmed cases, guidelines were issued toconvert private hospitalsinto COVID hospitals. The tenures ofmedical professionals retiringon March 31 were extended up to June 30.Temporary recruitmentmeasures for Health Inspectors were also introduced.Guidelines were issued forhuman resource managementin all COVID-19 hospitals, in order to ensure the safety of the frontline health workers.Further, to prepare the next phase of response, the government has also issued (i) guidelines toidentify community transmission, and (ii) released criteria foridentification of hotspots.Essential Goods and ServicesOn March 25, the state declared alist of essential servicesunder the Kerala Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1994.Various exemptions from lockdown were issued to services that were later deemed essential. These include: (i)shops and bakeries, including departmental stores, (ii)online food deliveries, (iii)parcel services, for delivery of essential goods, (iv) automobile serviceworkshops, (v)shops and service centresfor mobile phones, computers etc, only on Sundays, and (vi)plumbers and electriciansto undertake maintenance work in houses and flats.On April 3, orders were issued to set upcommunity kitchensunder the aegis of Kudumbasree and Local Self Governments (LSGs). Kudumbasree is the poverty eradication and women empowerment programme implemented by the Kerala government. As on April 20, a total of 339Community Kitchenshave been functioning in 249 panchayats across 14 districts of the state. They have served a total of 5,91,687 meals since April 4, 2020. The government has also instructed LSGs to hire volunteers for the kitchen and pay them anhonorariumof Rs. 400 (for one-time service) or Rs. 650 (for the whole-day).Welfare MeasuresUnder SDRF norms, funds were released to theHealth Departmentfor relief and response activities for COVID-19.EachDistrict Collectorhas been allocated Rs. 50 lakh for carrying out various COVID-19 outbreak-related control and prevention activities.Financial assistance has been sanctioned to (i)fishermen, (ii)artists, (iii)lottery agents and sellers, and (iii)elephantsand other such animals being looked after.A 2000-crore worthChief Minister’s Helping Hand Loan Schemewas announced for people facing lockdown-related unemployment and hardships. The scheme will be operationalised through neighbourhood groups under the aegis of Kudumbasree.Post-lockdown strategies – Strategies easing lockdown relaxationsExpert Committee:On April 4, anExpert Committeewas constituted by the government and on April 6, the Committee submitted itsReporton the guidelines for post-lockdown regulations. It recommended a conditional, three-phase strategy, with districts being the unit of implementation. Relaxations would be progressively eased in each phase depending on criteria, such as, (i) number of new confirmed cases, (ii) percentage increase/decrease in number of persons under home surveillance, and (iii) no emergence of hotspots..Containment Guidelines:After the lockdown was extended till May 3, the state releasedrevised guidelines for containment, that recommended classification of districts into four zones, based on number of cases and disease threat. The zones – Red, Orange A, Orange B, and Green – would have different, graded restrictions, with Red having stringent restrictions in the form of a lockdown till May 3. The Orange A and B zones would have a lockdown till April 24 and 20 respectively, followed by a partial relaxation thereafter. Green zone would have a lockdown till April 20 and relaxation in restrictions thereafter.Based on the above order, the state issued anadvisory for industrial unitsto follow while resuming operations. Some of the Standard Operating Procedures to be followed include: (i) conducting disinfectation of premises, machinery, and vehicles, (ii) arranging exclusive transportation facilities with vehicles operating at 30-40% capacity, (iii) mandatory thermal scanning of people, (iv) following hygiene and social distancing norms, including a cap on elevator capacities and size of meetings (v) mandatory corona-related insurance cover for workers, (vi) mandatory use of CCTVs, and (vii) preparing a list of nearby COVID-19 hospitals .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 LegislaturesKerala Government’s Response to COVID-19 (January 30, 2020 - April 22, 2020)Anoop Ramakrishnan- April 22, 2020