Former Visiting Fellow Adam Auerbach (political science) authored an analysis for The Washington Post's Monkey Cage political blog discussing the challenges faced by the citizens of India who are living in the slums.
"According to India’s 2011 census, 65 million people, or 17 percent of the country’s urban population, live in slum settlements," he cited, noting that for this segment of India's population, it is almost impossible to follow social distancing as they depend on leaving their homes to use communal water sources, shared toilets, and remove their trash. Similarly, his survey found that the average household has one or two small rooms where six people live. The crowded living conditions make it difficult to contain the spread of coronavirus, and government institutions often ignore the needs of the poor.
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