COLLECT: Community-led Local Entitlements and Claims Tracker
Our Sample
Hamlet-level: 14 states
Household-level: 17 states
Exclusively Household-level data
In an attempt to document the plight of vulnerable communities and workers, the COLLECT team gathered information from the most marginalised hamlets and households over nine months from 16 states across India. The data covers aspects of access to food, schemes and entitlements, government relief, healthcare, as well as livelihood. Data about the impact on children, nutrition and abuse has also been documented. Between April and December 2020, the COLLECT action research model generated information for 75 districts across the country on a quarterly basis, over three rounds.
The dashboard below provides a theme-wise analysis of the COVID-19 impact in different hamlets (yellow buttons) and for workers (blue buttons). The data can be filtered as per identity or location by clicking on the check boxes in the left Filter Panel.
RIGHT TO EDUCATION
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a direct impact on the education of children. Over the nine months, 98% hamlets reported that at least one child was not able to receive online education. In April-June, 71% hamlets reported that No child was able to access online education. In access to free textbooks from government schools, even in October-December, 44% hamlets reported instances of non-receipt of textbooks. With very limited physical activities for children during the period of lockdown and with almost no access to nutritious food, the health concern of children remains high and crucial to be dealt with.
“When we the elders, adults are struggling to use smart phones how can we expect the children to use such online platforms for education? Another important thing to consider is how many of them have access to smart phones? This number is very less.”
- Reported from Balrampur District, Chhattisgarh
“Access to education has always been difficult for children from our community, but this pandemic has made matters worse. Network problems and the lack of proper phones have been a major hindrance particularly for children from the DNT communities, who often reside at the outskirts of towns or villages."
- Reported from Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh
RIGHT TO FOOD
The access to ration under public distribution system was high in most of the months, more than 75% of the hamlets reported that everyone got their entitled ration. However, it saw a wide variation among various social groups. Among the social groups, there was high distribution among ST and SC hamlets (close to 85%), whereas among Muslim, Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT) this was around 50-60% hamlets from April-September, which increased slightly to 60-75% during October-December. In close to 80% of the locations no non-card holders received ration support between April-December. More than 50% of the locations reported that no one received ration in lieu of mid-day meals in April, May and June, however, this reduced greatly July onwards. This was 36% in December.
“The linkage of the adhaar card with the ration was another problem faced. In a family of seven, if the aadhar was linked for only two then they were given ration only for two. With no access to the internet, linking the aadhar card duing this time was impossible.”
- Reported from Morena, Madhya Pradesh
“Dry rations were being distributed in a few locations; however as the locations are distant from the main are this led to hindrance in accessing the distributed rations due to which many could no benefit from it.”
-Reported from Rajkot District, Gujarat
RIGHT TO HEALTH
During April-June one-fourth of the locations reported immunization not being done, which reduced to 15% in Oct-Dec. Only 20% of the locations reported regular visits by the healthcare workers. This was particularly low for Muslim and Urban Poor categories. More than 40% locations reported that there was at least one instance of lactating mothers not receiving supplementary nutrition. Across the nine months an average of 43% locations reported that school going children (6 to 14 years) received dry ration in lieu of mid-day meal.
“None had access to mid day meal between April to June. It is only very recently that dry ration is being distributed. However cooked meal from Anganwadi is still not available.”
-Reported from Surat District, Gujarat
“The children and pregnant and lactating women belonging to Nut community are neither registered in the Anganwadi centre nor received any dry ration under Take Home Programme during the lockdown period.”
- Reported from Araria district, Bihar
RIGHT TO WORK
Starting from April, there was a sustained increase in the number of locations that reported that everyone got work under MNREGA till July. After peaking in July (22%), there was a subsequent decline to 16% in December. Among vulnerable communities, at least 40% hamlets reported not having any job under MNREGA. Only one-fourth of the locations who got work, received their wages within a months time. During the peak return migration period, at least 73% locations reported that one or more migrants were not registered with local authorities. Among vulnerable/excluded groups, every three in four hamlets reported an increase in indebtedness. Indebtedness was acute in the urban locations, where 95% locations reported an increase.
“There is strict restriction on the mobility of members from the DNT community. In the time of Covid-19, we can't even enter the main village. In this situation no one is ready to give us any job, even in their farm. They fear that we may will bring covid-19 along with us. They think we move around with the virus inside us.” - Reported from Araria, Bihar
“During this pandemic, Muslims have been targeted. Specifically, after the Tablighi Jamaat incident and the vicious media campaign, many Muslims have faced discrimination. Muslim vegetable vendors were also boycotted. Many of them started depending on informal loans”.
- Reported from Ahmedabad, Gujarat
RIGHT TO SOCIAL SECURITY
Right after the announcement of the lockdown there was significant increase in instances of Domestic Violence in locations, as 51% have reported an increase, this reduced only slightly to 46% in the third round (Oct-Dec). An average of one-third of the locations reported an increase in Child abuse, i.e., any form of verbal or physical intimidation of children across the three rounds. The receipt of pensions improved in July-Sept, but again saw an increase in locations reporting non-receipt of pensions in the subsequent months.
“The DNT hamlets are often on the outskirts and government schemes and entitlements do not reach them. In addition to this, the stigma of sex work which is the main work for many of the DNT communities here, is another reason for them to be excluded.”
- Reported from Araria, Bihar
“Increase in unemployment and limited wages has lead to rise in tensions and frustrations within the family which has lead to a further increase in incidents of domestic violence”
- Reported from Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu
STATUS OF WORK
(Household-level data)
In the months of April-June, there was a sharp increase in the number of workers that lost their jobs as well as workers that took a loan. Indebtedness was highest in April-June (57% overall), which reduced slightly in July-September to 47 %, only to return to an increasing trend in the last round of data collection (57%). In terms of wages, an average of 50% workers received wages in full, while the remaining received either only partial or no wages during this pandemic.
“There is strict restriction on the mobility of members from the DNT community. In the time of Covid-19, we can't even enter the main village. In this situation no one is ready to give us any job, even in their farm. They fear that we may will bring covid-19 along with us. They think we move around with the virus inside us.” - Reported from Araria, Bihar
“During this pandemic, Muslims have been targeted. Specifically, after the Tablighi Jamaat incident and the vicious media campaign, many Muslims have faced discrimination. Muslim vegetable vendors were also boycotted. Many of them started depending on informal loans”.
- Reported from Ahmedabad, Gujarat