The Corona pandemic is on its way to being proving disastrous for many sectors in the National and International arena. The microbe is finding it so comfortable here that it may not leave us for many more years. The post corona scenario does not look bright for many of the sectors and is likely to bring them standing against many challenges.
As said above, the microbe is not likely to leave us so early even if there is a ZERO patient situation. It might hide for now and one day after a few years it may rise again. It has been proved that human transmission is the most convenient way of spreading this disease. Hence “social distancing’ is one rule which is likely to remain in force for many more years to come for the safety and security of people in India as well as for the entire world.
An effort is made here to address the sectors and challenges which are anticipated post corona period.
Broad list of sectors which need special attention is placed below.
- Education
- Engineering
- Conceptualization and designing
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Entertainment
- Banking
- Industries
- Pharmaceutical and medical field
- Journalism
- Food
- Tour and travel
Each of these sectors is addressed below.
Education:
This is going to be one of the most affected sectors in the post corona period. With a long gap of lockdown timing, it would just not be possible to complete the syllabus in the remaining period of a semester or educational year. More than that; the challenge is to restrict about 20 or 40 or more students getting accumulated in a single class due to continued instructions of “social distancing”.
This will call for practicing e-learning with distance learning to take over the routine practice of classroom learning in a very short period. Necessary apps will be developed and students along with teachers/professors will have to update themselves with this practice. A lot of topics that had to be left out during the lockdown period may be left to the students to prepare themselves under appropriate guidance. Students may be then deemed to have learned those topics and accordingly they might be covered under their assessment/examination.
CHALLENGE:
- This situation will generate empty school and college buildings which might be required to be utilized for some different useful functionality.
- Teaching staff and administrative staff will have to be reorganized to meet with the practice which will be followed from now on.
- School buses conveying students between school and home from school might lose their business.
- Stationary in the form of books, notes, journals, pen, pencil etc will not be required anymore in the quantity as were required pre corona period.
Engineering:
Engineering and Technology have proved to be the backbones of Industrial growth at both National as well as International level. Their functioning will undergo a major modification in the post corona period.
A – Conceptualization and designing:
Persons to conceptualize the project will be required to be extra cautious for focusing on those products for manufacturing which are conducive to the environment to prevail in the post corona period. They might be required to select an environment-friendly process or product and they might also be under pressure to provide an adequate buffer to cope up with such a microbe based epidemic/pandemic.
Additionally, cropping up of some new type of turbulence from any corner of the world will have to be considered. It could be an environmental disorder (which is right on cards even today in the form of global warming) or human enmity based (terrorist attack type) turbulence of ultra-high intensity etc.
Architects while designing new structures to house industry or commercial/residential complex etc might be under pressure to give the highest priority to environmental protection which is also called “Green Building” concept or energy-efficient structures needing minimum man-made facilities (electricity or air conditioners) for comforts along with due importance to “Social Distancing”.
B – Manufacturing:
It is anticipated that there might be major changes in manufacturing policies as approved by the Government in the post corona period to safeguard against damages and casualties. Only those products or items might be permitted for production; which are not harmful to mankind or any living organism under any adverse situation like an unfortunate explosion or leakage due to some malfunctioning etc. Stringent safety norms, norms for environmental protection and human safety might come into force for all manufacturing units.
C – Services:
This is the sector that will be grossly affected in the post corona period. The availability of skilled or semi-skilled workforce might reduce to a great extent because of large scale migration of such workforce to their home town and most of these workmen come from some specific pocket in India. With their poor availability or non-availability, the skill of manufacturing is likely to suffer. This may be compensated to some extent by atomization but the availability of suitable machinery for complex manufacturing processes will need a huge time. Services that might need immediate atomization are housekeeping and hospitality management, maintenance team for different Engineering disciplines etc.
Entertainment:
This sector affects home members. It is mostly occupied by audiovisual medium and social media. Referring again to the extended enforcement of “social distancing”, watching drama or movie or cultural gatherings in theatres or clubhouses will be discontinued for an unlimited period. The addiction of entertainment for people of all age groups will necessarily need to entertain them by the entertainers. Post corona period might make producers of drama or film or serials produce such an item which can be enjoyed by people of all age groups in a drawing-room on TV. The concept of home theatre might get a big boost due to this situation. Watching the entertainment programs (serials or movie may indirectly bring a hold on producing something which stresses antisocial acts which are to the benefit of society and future citizens.
Banking:
With the same concept of “social distancing”, Banks might also operate less from their building and with reduced manpower.
Digital transactions have already started getting momentum in most of the commercial dealings at a professional and personal level. This reduces the possibility of visiting banks for transactions. All Banking services might likely be gradually converted to digital transactions. It is also likely that Banks may also operate from home most of the time with few days of presence in Bank premises by the Bank staff.
CHALLENGE:
Whenever we carry out any digital transaction, we ensure that it is safe and secured. Yes. This is going to be a big challenge for Banks and all financial Institutions who have to manage and handle digital transactions that all of them are safe and secured. Cybersecurity will be required to be furthermore tightened and secured to gain confidence and trust in the hearts of the customers that their transaction is safe and secured. Chances of digital frauds may increase with an increase in digital transactions so while implementing safety norms for Banks and all financial Institutions in the future, they will have to be extra cautious with better cybersecurity for safe and secure digital transactions on their platform.
Industries:
The post corona scenario is likely to bring a big question mark on the existence of many industries. Industries carrying potential hazards for environmental safety and human safety may have to seize in the post corona period.
The Paper industry also does not look like having a bright future in the post corona period because as said earlier, notes, books and other stationery for the education field are likely to be digitized so they will not need any paper. Print mediums may also be mostly digitized and every magazine or newspaper would be available “on screen” so they also will not need any paper. On the other side, manufacturing paper requires huge demolition of trees and vegetation which ultimately imbalances the environment. So the paper industry is likely to face tough times to survive in the post corona period.
Other industries that have a major role to play in National GDP are petrochemical, chemical, fertilizer and pesticide industries. Of course few of them carry huge potential hazards for environment safety and human safety so their survival could be critically reviewed by the authorities with focused attention in the direction of identifying their equivalent but safe alternative.
The construction industry might maintain its current pace but a yellow signal is required to be shown to construction industry players concerning quality. With the availability of limited manpower and material resources for continuing construction activities for all functionality, it is expected that overall pricing in this sector might find its new bottom. The constructors should not compromise with the quality of construction to compensate with the price glut because that is a hidden potential hazard for human safety occupying that structure constructed with poor quality.
One idea that emerges out of this situation takes me back by nearly ten decades. India used to be an agriculture-oriented country until the first half of the last century. The industrialization has then slowly taken over and so focus from agriculture – which remains a core competency of Indians – started getting diverted. Imagine, if that core competency is restored with concentrated efforts and appropriate focus, India would certainly and quickly recover well from the expected crises in the post corona period. With the available infrastructure for agriculture and adequately trained farmers (who used to be well respected by our forefathers), it may not take more time to adopt agriculture as a prime activity even by Indian industrialists. It has distinct advantages. It involves ploughing the soil so microbe hidden in the soil would be destroyed in the process. It supports environmental protection measures. It is almost a self-employed type of activity under which everyone is enthusiastic to be a part of producing their family food. It can be reformed with a new base on natural fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer which will reduce the demand for chemical fertilizer and that industry carrying few potential hazards might not be required anymore. It might also help in diverting focus from non-veg food towards veg food. Thinking seriously for going towards agricultural activities as our prime action is certainly worth considering by the individuals and local/national authorities.
Pharmaceutical and medical field:
Medicines are going to be required until the existence of the world. Hence this area will go on getting uninterrupted attention. This sector is very important and service-oriented as it is providing right now. While the pharmaceutical sector is going to be benefited from a boost from authorities, it must also pass on the benefits to the common public in the form of prices, availability and quality.
Regarding Doctors in general and all specialists in their respective fields, they will be required to be more and more alert. Few doctors have an attitude of “Capitalizing from chaos” which displays the very poor character of the doctor. One unfortunate incident questions their oath was taken at the time of their graduation to work with humanity on top of everything. While Doctors are real warriors in the war against the current pandemic, I am reminded of an incident. Parents of 10 weeks old children (having complaints of loose motion) called up the pediatrician Doctor (who was present when the child was born) during the lockdown period. The doctor informed before any advice that his advice and consultation would cost them Rs. 1,000.00. If parents were ready to pay this amount as an “Emergency consultancy” then only parents were allowed to talk further. This is a benchmark of dishonesty on the part of the doctor. Such incidences must be eradicated from the system at least during such pandemic situations.
Low profile hospitals will have to be grossly upgraded and equipped with tools and instruments to treat patients having any illness irrespective of the location of the hospital. This will require the appropriate competency of treating staff and Doctor/s. Patients may drop in with any complaint from any corner – village or town or city of the megacity. Medical service must be comfortably available with special facilities to test even for insignificant symptoms.
Journalism:
Journalists have acquired a special place in today’s society for the last couple of decades. They bring news happening in any part of the Nation to us in our drawing-room. What is gaining more focus in the post corona period is their functioning with more transparency and truth. News often loses their factual reality by the time they are broadcast or telecast due to many influences.
The integrity of journalists will have to be 100 % and camouflaged or twisted or distorted news will have to be discontinued if we need a healthy atmosphere in the country.
Yellow journalism or Paparazzi approach which took the life of Princess Diana before a few decades lead to gross disaster though it may improve TRP of the channel to broadcast or telecast the news.
Why can’t we have “No Negative News day” at least once a week?
Food:
Food outlets in the form of restaurants, roadside hotels, or even carts are regularly in action in the service of the people. These spots will have to intensively improve hygiene in their work area. Unhygienic conditions will attract insects and bring different diseases with them. It is also likely that the prices of raw materials for this sector might be high immediately after the corona holidays. But it would be necessary to maintain the quality of the food item by every outlet. Sanitization of the place after each visit by an individual or a group would be a MUST action.
Food outlets will have to come up with strategies concerning improving convenience in-home delivery. People visiting food outlets might reduce in number and people ordering food at home might increase in number so customer loyalty programs may come to great help to the outlet owners.
Tour and travel:
With the increased threat of spreading of disease for which human touch has proved to be one of the prime sources, the tour and travel industry will face the worst of their days. Restrictions to accommodate a minimum number of tourists, the threat of tourists, attractive tourist spots like Italy, Switzerland, few parts of Europe, New York, etc coming under disastrous effects of the current pandemic, tourists visiting these places will be grossly reduced. This, of course, might give rise to new tourist spots in the world with better health care measures.
Few other sectors like Judiciary, Parliament house, malls, festival celebration, etc will be addressed with all necessary precautions by the respective authorities.
Conclusion:
The following can be concluded after the above-mentioned deliberation.
- Cybersecurity will gain special attention and will also be more tightened with time.
- It will open many new dimensions of managing existing sectors with new methods and actions.
- Sectors that have gloomy futures will attract special attention by the owners for their restoration.
- Agriculture looks like an emerging sector attracting a very concentrated focus by farmers as well as local and national authorities.
- Darvin’s theory of “Survival of the fittest” will again be proved right.
