Pakistan, July 9 -- As COVID-19 brought the developed world to its knees the challenge is far bigger for the developing world. Countries that are already struggling with their enormous populations, high rate of poverty, unemployment, impacts of Climate Change and security challenges of all types imaginable. South Asia as a sub-region stands in the same line. The impacts of the pandemic are likely to reverse the progress made by the region by multiple years, as a vast majority of the population is dependent on informal economy and impoverished while the states have little capacity to mitigate the socio-economic impacts.

India is the most affluent country in the region, yet it is one of those struggling with the gravest of challenges. The ...