From the coronavirus to farmer protests, poll violence, Olympic gold, and economic fallout, the country witnessed all kinds of events.
2021 reminds me of a riddle: What's worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm in your apple. What's scarier than a gloomy year of a pandemic? The second year of pandemic. Like many countries around the world, India, too, has been grappling with the social and economic fallouts of COVID-19, on top of the public health catastrophe. Every year has its share of good and not so good events. Some are life changing, while the others are paradigm-shifting events. As we bid farewell to 2021, here is a rerun of the events that grabbed headlines this year.
India hit by a second covid wave and the rollout of vaccination thereafter
2020 had a brief period of relative normalcy before COVID-19 upended everything. In 2021, the pandemic has dominated our lives since day one. From January 1 to Dec 10, 3·3 million people had died from COVID-19, a much higher number than in 2020. The delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has established itself as the dominant variant globally. India had a devastating second wave of infections, peaking at more than 2·7 million on May 3. Shortage of hospital beds and supplemental oxygen resulted in needless deaths, reaching almost 29,000 on May 17.
All in all, the significant inefficiency, dysfunction, and acute shortage of the healthcare delivery systems in the public sector failed to match up with the population's growing needs at the time. But then again, every cloud has a silver lining, and there is always some ray of hope. For instance, we did make considerable progress in vaccine distribution and manufacture, among other things. The country began its vaccination drive on January 16, 2021, for healthcare workers, later extended to people over 60 years of age and those above 45 with specific comorbidities. In the next phase, from April, vaccination for all above 45 years was approved, and it was expanded for everyone above 18 years of age from May 1.
The initial pace of the vaccine drive led to several experts raising questions on whether India would ever be able to inoculate its mammoth population successfully. But even amidst the initial vaccine hesitancy and politics surrounding the jab, the nation proved everyone wrong. The first big milestone came when India celebrated PM Modi's birthday in September with a landmark number of vaccinations. The country successfully achieved the feat by vaccinating a record-breaking number of 2.5 crore citizens in a single day on September 17. India's next big achievement came a month later, in October, when the nation's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed the 100-crore number, marking a vaccine century. There were celebrations across the world to honour the momentous occasion. As of December 22, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 138.96 crore (1,38,95,90,670).
However, the world sees a resurgence of the pandemic late in the year, as the highly infectious Omicron strain spreads at an unprecedented rate. With initial vaccine immunity wearing off, governments are trying to counter the virus with booster shots and a return to restrictions.
Post poll violence in Bengal
Bengal post-poll violence refers to murders, rapes, and vandalism in numerous West Bengal districts following the announcement of the results of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. The violence erupted just hours after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won the third term in office in May. According to the Calcutta high court, the West Bengal government failed to properly investigate accusations of alleged violence during the assembly elections in May and April.
Farmer's Protest
The farmers' protests that erupted in November 2020 and reached its peak during 2021 ended after the bill to cancel the three farm laws was passed in both houses of the parliament. While a range of menaces afflicted the farmers' protests, nothing came close to the siege of the Red Fort by protesters during the tractor rally on January 26, 2021, and the attendant riots that erupted in the national capital. From losses worth Rs 60,000 crores to the egregious subversion of the elected government to the insidious resurgence of Khalistan sentiments and a host of criminal activities such as murders, riots etc., the farmers agitation has been a serious assault on the national security, public exchequer and our fundamental values.
Controversial retrospective tax law scrapped after a long wait
The government passed a bill to scrap the controversial retrospective tax that was introduced in March 2012. It took the NDA government several years to finally scrap the controversial tax rule – a move that has been welcomed by a host of economists and foreign businesses. The bill was introduced to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, aimed at scrapping tax demands for past payments from companies. The government has also agreed to settle ongoing disputes and pay refunds to penalised companies under the controversial law.
Delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics finally held, and India's triumph story
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were held after a delay of one year from its scheduled July 24 to August 9, 2020, frame because of the pandemic. It was the first time in history that the Olympic Games were rescheduled. On August 7, the javelin thrower ended India's wait for a first Olympic medal in athletics. With an 87.58m long throw, Neeraj Chopra sealed a top podium finish in Tokyo–which was also India's first Olympic gold since Abhinav Bindra (Shooting) created history in Beijing 2008. While in a team event, a resolute Indian men's hockey team rewrote history as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years. Also, PV Sindhu created history after winning the bronze medal in badminton in Tokyo Olympics.
India registered their highest-ever medal tally in both; the Olympics and Paralympics at Tokyo. While the country won seven medals (1 gold, two silver, and four bronze) at Olympics, the Paralympic contingent returned with an incredible 19 (5 gold, eight silver, and six bronze). Two para-athletes, Avani Lekhara and Singhraj Adhana (both in Shooting), won twin medals at the Games.
Tata Sons' successful bid for Air India a transformational move for the country's airline sector
Announced on October 8, the deal will see the Indian conglomerate–through its special purpose vehicle (SPV) to obtain the long-ailing Air India for INR180 billion ($3.2 billion). It will pay INR27 billion in cash while assuming INR153 billion of Air India debt.
Consequent to the acquisition, the Tatas will own a 100% stake in Air India (a full-service airline operating in domestic and international markets), 100% in its subsidiary Air India Express (a low-cost carrier airline that focusses on short-haul international operations, especially in the Middle East market) and 50% in the joint venture Air India SATS (airport services on ground and cargo handling). The total permanent and contractual employee strength of Air India & AIXL is 13,500.
Harnaaz Sandhu brings home Miss Universe title after 21 years
In the field of glamour, India's Harnaaz Sandhu made the nation proud by bagging the long yearned-for Miss Universe title at the 70th edition of the beauty pageant event in December. Harnaaz brought home the prestigious honour 21 years after Lara Dutta won it in 2000. Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021 in a glitzy ceremony held at the Red Sea port of Eilat by her predecessor Andrea Meza of Mexico. Apart from Miss Universe, the 21-year-old has multiple pageant titles to her name, including Femina Miss India Punjab in 2019 and Femina Miss India 2019, where she was placed as a semi-finalist.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. It embodies all that is progressive about India's socio-cultural, political, and economic identity. The official "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" journey commenced on March 12, 2021, a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of Independence and will end post a year on August 15, 2022.
Cyclones that hit India
Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, India witnessed three cyclones, Gulab, Tauktae and Yaas, leaving behind a trail of destruction across several Indian states. As per a report by IPCC, flash floods, sizzling temperatures, droughts and intense cyclones are likely to occur in India because of climate change and will continue to devastate regions in South Asia unless drastic measures are taken to curb carbon emissions.
India's top military official, Bipin Rawat, dies in a helicopter crash
General Bipin Rawat, India's defence chief, was one of 13 people killed in a helicopter crash on December 8, raising doubts about the future of the military reforms he was leading. Rawat was the country's first chief of defence staff, a position created by the government in 2019.
COVID-19 remains a pervasive influence over life in India and across the world. And yet, even as a new surge in cases portends a winter of uncertainty, a look back at the past year offered many reminders of how much more we now know about this global threat, the remarkable importance of vaccines, other public health measures, and the resiliency of humankind. As 2021 draws to a close, we are experiencing a slow but steady return to normal, with the world hoping for a brighter 2022. The year 2022 will bring its own set of challenges to India. How effectively the country and its people emerge from the pandemic as the third wave is just around the corner, the constant domestic turmoil and an adverse regional climate will be key determinants of how India manages to face the new challenges ahead.
(The author is Dean, Students Welfare, Central University of Jammu)
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