Introduction

The arrival of the COVID-19 virus and the resultant pandemic are the most critical health calamity of the century since the Second World War, which has destroyed both lives and livelihoods. It is a human, economic, and social crisis. Although the virus has not discriminated and has easily crossed frontiers, its lethal impact has been disproportionately felt by the poorer and the marginalised sections of every country and region in the world. Since the lockdown, unpaid work for women at home has increased with patriarchy and social norms placing undue load on young girls. South Asian countries struggled to control the rate of infections although Bhutan did well in tackling the virus with the King, the officials, and members of civil society each playing their part in this moment of national crisis. Online classes have exposed the digital divide and existing socio-economic faultlines with poor students having limited or no access to Internet.