ABSTRACT
The question of state responsibility has been raised in the wake of the pandemic COVID-19. The nature and profile of the South Asian states are different. The South Asian states have often been criticized for not performing their responsibilities. COVID-19 has changed this myth. The private-public debate has posed in a new manner. Despite constraints, the role of the states has been positively manifested in the South Asian context, but at the same time, there are so many critics raised against the state. In the era of globalization, a debate is raised about the existence of state welfares. This pandemic has proved the essentiality of the state. The new managerial perception of the state has come forward due to COVID-19. There are three objectives of this study: (i) to search the responsibility of the selected South Asian states in combatting COVID-19. (ii) To make a comparative study among the selected states to identify the managerial perspective in combatting the situation. (iii) To explore the new policies of the states to handle the pandemic. This study based on a mixed-method: (a) content analysis method; and (b) observation method. The current study offers a new dimension of state responsibility and how civil society does matter.
