Listen: Empowered groups to tackle Covid-19; Regulation on doorstep delivery of medicines; Salary cuts and lay-offs

As the second week of the nationwide lockdown in view of containing the Covid-19 pandemic passed, there was a method to the madness and essential services were mostly back on track. Last week saw extraordinary policy measures being taken by the government to adjust to the new normal.

• The week started with the Ministry of Home Affairs announcing the formation of 11 empowered groups.
• The government also filed a detailed status report on measures taken by it during the lockdown to ensure safety and security of citizens in response to a PIL filed with the Supreme Court. 
• Meanwhile the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare came out with a government order which regulates doorstep delivery of medicines, a service which falls in the essential category.
• As markets and macro-economic factors swung between the unpredictable to the dire, multiple startups announced salary cuts for employees and in some cases lay-offs as well. The current environment is also likely to impact homegrown SaaS firms who look at small and medium businesses in the US for revenues.