Introduction

This chapter provides an introduction to the papers in this volume that discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social and economic development in India and explore a path forward. While summarising some of the main insights in each paper, the chapter proposes that the disruption caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity to reframe the theoretical frameworks in the field of development to bring them into greater alignment with the principles of justice, inter-group unity and solidarity and environmental sustainability. The present narrow focus on economic growth as the goal of development will need to be replaced by a broader focus on human well-being which includes the spiritual, material and social dimensions of life. Progress towards this vision will require active collaboration between the State, civil society, the private sector and individuals as protagonists of development. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Shifting from Economic Poverty to Prosperity: The Challenge for Indigenous Communitie: Revue Canadienne de Recherche sur les OSBL et l'Économie Sociale (ANSERJ)

Only three self-funded second- stage women's shelters in First Nation communities were found in Canada. [...]maps show that no community foundations are available on reserves in Manitoba. Under the circumstances, the inequitable playing field that Canada has set up for First Nation communities, through the Indian Act and Canada Revenue Agency rules among others, is hidden from sight. [...]the role of the social economy in the settler state is never questioned or changed. [...]the social inequities rampant in Indigenous communities are never exposed or dealt with. First Nations include few or no community foundations, community colleges, notfor- profit training centers, and food banks. [...]rather than First Nations people controlling their own land and territories, the Crown holds land and resources in trust under the Indian Act.

A Satanic Master Signifier: The Prosperity Preacher, the President, and the Disobedient Virus

This article presents an account of prosperity gospel preacher Kenneth Copeland's unwavering support for Donald Trump. Employing an approach to discourse derived from Ernesto Laclau and Chantelle Mouffe, I examine two aspects of Copeland's teachings and practices. First, I examine his infamous judgement upon Covid-19 (The Judgement), in which he declares war on the virus as a satanic plot. Second, I consider his spiralling teachings on faith, which, like The Judgement, pay considerable attention to the figure of Satan. Both of these aspects reveal Satan's central role in establishing the stability of Copeland's discursive world. Satan functions, in Laclau's terms, as an empty signifier. I call this empty signifier the master signifier, a play on the master Satan. I claim that to understand Copeland's commitment to Trump, Trump's relationship to the master signifier is crucial. Copeland casts Trump as an anointed king, a central player in the cosmic battle to realise America's divine destiny. To be a member of the prosperity gospel community, despite its twists and turns, is to be committed to standing with the anointed against the external foe, Satan.

E-Government as a Key to the Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Development in the Post-COVID Era

Our paper focuses on the role of e-government in relation to economic development within the post-COVID era. Nowadays, e-government represents the service which utilizes digital technology to create electronic pathways to improve the efficiency of public services, increase economic prosperity, and improve the standard of living. In this paper, we argue that e-government presents the only proper and viable model for public administration in the 21st century by embedding internet-based technologies to ensure smooth interactions between the government and its citizens, solving the most socially important problems, enabling internal communication between public servants, and delivering public services to the entire population regardless of age or gender. In addition, we show that stakeholders and policymakers should foster the development of an adequate and non-discriminatory environment for e-government through regulatory frameworks, policy guidelines, and government guarantees. Our study is based on the results of our own survey that was administered using a snowball and quasi-random sample of 400 respondents (aged 19–26 years;56.2% females and 43.8% males) from the Czech Republic (N = 136) and the Russian Federation (N = 264), of whom 58% were women and 42% were men (M ± SD = 45.53 ± 11.46, median age 44). Our results show that the e-government enhancement concept has been perceived as an effective tool for fostering economic prosperity, tackling corruption, and helping to avoid uncertainty. Based on the theories of customer-focus and relationship marketing, this study suggests that the most significant factor influencing the success of e-government projects is citizen orientation, followed by channel and channel orientation, and technology orientation. We show that the governments of developing countries should prioritize e-government applications in their requests for international assistance and cooperation, as well as international financial support. Moreover, we argue that digital transformation should become the key element of the changing business and market needs in the post-COVID era.

Establishing a resilient, economically prosperous and inclusive world by overcoming the gender digital divide in the new normal

There has been a widespread proliferation of digital technologies in the last few decades with worldwide usage increasing to 4.66 billion active internet users in 2021. This amounts to 59.5% or half of the overall population and is significant. On the one hand, the changing digital state of affairs means that there are greater opportunities for businesses, economies and societies to flourish since 92.6% (4.32 billion) access the internet through mobile devices (Statista, 2021). On the other hand, this digital revolution has not percolated equally, with women having less access to resources and capabilities to utilise digital tools. This phenomenon is known as the 'digital gender divide' (OECD, 2018). Correspondingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had favourable outcomes for women, with many losing jobs, downscaling their careers or leaving the workforce. Generally, it has disadvantaged women both economically and socially to the extent of slowing their progress towards gender equality and empowerment. With the new normal, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of the digitalisation process, possessing digital skills and know-how will be an essential must-have. Digital working offers possibilities for women to become business owners, work flexibly and remotely, be connected to the rest of the world, and have easy access to information and education. For this to happen, the digital gender divide must be resolved by quick, concerted and inclusive pragmatic global policy-level actions to empower women to play a significant part in the digital landscape that would lead to economic prosperity and resilience, equal societies and a much better world. © 2022 Kemi Ogunyemi and Adaora I. Onaga. All rights reserved.

AWARENESS OF OCCUPATIONAL FIQH (ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE AND LAW) IMPLEMENTATION IN COVID-19 SITUATION AMONG WORKERS IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA 1

Resumo: A fiqh (Jurisprudencia Islámica) é um ramo da fiqh que lida com leis islámicas para questoes ocupacionais contemporáneas. A implementação de Pelan Induk Terengganu Sejahtera (Plano Mestre de Terengganu Prospero) ou PITAS 2030 que visa formar um estado próspero e religioso, a implementação da fiqh ocupacional entre os trabalhadores é altamente essencial, particularmente quando se enfrenta a nova situação normal pandémica da COVID-19. Contudo, a implementação eficaz necessita de uma excelente consciencialização entre os trabalhadores para que seja praticada de forma eficiente e empenhada. Por conseguinte, este estudo visou o levantamento do nivel de consciencialização sobre a implementação de fiqh ocupacional especialmente durante a situação da COVID-19 entre os trabalhadores em Terengganu. Dinamicamente, este estudo foi realizado através de uma abordagem quantitativa empregando o inquérito e o método descritivo. Através do inquérito, verificou-se que o nivel de consciencialização sobre a fiqh ocupacional entre os trabalhadores de Terengganu era elevado. Assim, podem ser organizados mais programas para melhorar ainda mais o seu nivel de consciencialização e encorajar a implementação eficiente de fiqh ocupacional entre os trabalhadores, particularmente durante a situação pandémica da COVID-19 e para 'O Novo Normal'.Alternate :Occupational fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) is a branch of fiqh dealing with Islamic laws for contemporary occupational issues. Terengganu's implementation of Pelan Induk Terengganu Sejahtera (Master Plan of Prosperous Terengganu) or PITAS 2030 which is aiming to form a prosperous and religious state, occupational fiqh implementation among the workers is highly essential, particularly while facing COVID-19 pandemic new normal situation. However, effective implementation needs excellent awareness among the workers so that it will be practiced efficiently and committedly. Therefore, this study aimed to survey the level of awareness on occupational fiqh implementation especially during COVID-19 situation among workers in Terengganu. Dynamically, this study was performed through quantitative approach employing survey and descriptive method. Through the survey, it was found that the level of awareness regarding occupational fiqh among Terengganu workers was high. Thus, further programs can be organised to improve further their level of awareness and encourage efficient occupational fiqh implementation among the workers particularly during COVID-19 pandemic situation and to 'The New Normal'.

Promoting or Inhibiting? Digital Inclusive Finance and Cultural Consumption of Rural Residents

Improving the cultural consumption level of rural residents is of great practical significance to help revitalize rural culture and achieve common prosperity. Based on this, this study empirically examines the role and impact mechanism of digital inclusive finance on enhancing the cultural consumption of rural residents using panel data of 30 provinces across China from 2011 to 2020. The results show that: (1) Digital inclusive finance can significantly improve the cultural consumption level of rural residents. After a robustness test and endogenous analysis, this conclusion is still stable. (2) Digital inclusive finance significantly improves the cultural consumption level of rural residents through three paths: raising the income level of farmers, promoting the level of urbanization, and improving the level of financial development. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the breadth of digital inclusive financial coverage can significantly improve the cultural consumption level of rural residents, but the depth of digital inclusive financial use and the degree of digitization do not show an enhancing effect;the development of digital inclusive finance in the eastern area has a significant role in promoting the cultural consumption level of rural residents, but the role is not significant in the central and western areas.

Risk Characteristics of Catastrophic Health Expenditure in Multidimensional Borderline Poor Households in China.

Background: Ending poverty and realizing common prosperity are the essential requirements for the localization of Marxism in China. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the post-poverty era further aggravates the risk of catastrophic health expenditure for borderline poor households and increases the uncertainty of returning to poverty due to illness, potentially undermining decades of hard-won efforts to eradicate poverty in China. Methods: Based on the latest data released by China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) database, this paper uses the Logit model to empirically explore the risk characteristics of catastrophic health expenditure of multidimensional borderline poor households based on identifying multidimensional borderline poor households. Results: The results show that factors such as family income level, child support, and medical insurance have different impacts on catastrophic health expenditure, and the risk of catastrophic health expenditure of multidimensional borderline poor households is much higher than that of non- multidimensional borderline poor households, and there is a certain difference between urban and rural areas. Discussion: The government should strengthen and improve the social security system and health service system, such as medical insurance, and more resources should be allocated to multidimensional borderline poor households, especially in rural areas.

Poverty Reduction Effects of Medical Insurance on Middle-Aged and Elderly Families under the Goal of Common Prosperity in China.

Eliminating poverty due to illness is an important way for China to pursue common prosperity. The high medical expenditure caused by the aging population has brought severe challenges to governments and families of all countries, especially in China, where the entire population has just been lifted out of poverty in 2020 and then hit by COVID-19. How to prevent the possible return of poor boundary families to poverty in China has become a difficult research topic. Based on the latest data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, this paper discusses the poverty reduction effect of medical insurance on middle-aged and elderly families from the absolute index and relative index. Medical insurance had a poverty reduction effect on middle-aged and elderly families, especially the poor boundary families. For example, people who participated in medical insurance reduced their financial burden by 2.36% for middle-aged and older families compared to people who did not participate in medical insurance. Furthermore, the poverty reduction effect had heterogeneity in gender and age. This research brings some policy implications. For example, the government should give more protection to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and low-income families and improve the fairness and effectiveness of the medical insurance system.

China 2021: Coping with the resilience dilemma of the Chinese model

In 2021 Chinese internal politics were dominated by the domestic economy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worked well to project the numerous successes of Chinese politics through history. Yet, Beijing's insistence on the need to rethink the developmental path of China's economic model also demonstrates the extent to which the important engines that have driven China's growth in the past four decades must now be diverted to an internal dimension. This is the case of the dual circulation strategy and the common prosperity policy, whose guidelines are envisioned by Chinese leaders and political elites to transform the country's existing growth model through a fully fledged internal rebalancing, and which spared not even the once unscrutinized, cross-border flow of data coming out of China.

Victory in the Time of c ovi n Defying a Pandemic at an Indian Megachurch

The global COvID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 required significant ritual adjustment in churches worldwide, particularly the larger ones. It has also provoked theological reflection on the origins on the virus, as well as on what God's Word had to say in response. This article investigates the adjustments and reflections at one Indian megachurch, Bangalore's Full Gospel Assembly of God (FGAG), with special reference to its utilization of a victory-oriented and defiant gospel of divine care, protection, and health. The question that animates this investigation is: Can a gospel of victory and health survive a global pandemic? The answer, somewhat counterintuitively (but in another sense - for those familiar with prosperity theology - not at all) is that it not only survives, but thrives. The article attempts to account for this thriving with reference to two distinctive characteristics of the soft version of the prosperity gospel that are manifest in FGAG's victory gospel, both of which are inculcated through ritual repetition and performance: 1) Its paradoxically simultaneous insistence that the faithful are, by God, already victorious, and that miraculous reversals await those who aren't, and 2) its boldly defiant response to evidence that all is not well..

The Economic Consequences of Xi Jinping

In the aftermath of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping’s principal focus will be on state and national security, while an entirely new economic- and financial-policy team, with little experience, will take charge of China’s troubled economy. Its members will have to manage several systemic problems – a debt mountain, a property bust, a rapidly ageing population, zero-COVID policies – and develop a viable new economic-development model. This would be a demanding agenda anywhere, but Xi’s China has to tackle it guided by an ever more devoutly Leninist approach to economic management, industrial policy and governance, at a time when China faces the most hostile external environment it has known since Mao Zedong, as exemplified by foreign decoupling. Although Xi’s China is capable of important accomplishments in science and technology, and of flexing its diplomatic and military muscles in defence of its interests, China’s politics may be much less capable of fixing the country’s systemic economic and financial weaknesses. The consequences of Xi Jinping’s economic programme, including an emphasis on self-reliance, promise to extend beyond China’s borders to foreign actors and countries that once benefited from its economic rise.

Nimi Wariboko’s The Pentecostal Hypothesis and African Pentecostalism during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world in significant ways just as it has opened new vistas of thought in both secular and religious circles. This article is situated within the frames of African Pentecostalism, which found itself in a gap during the lockdown in early 2020. This ‘gap’ is grounded on Nimi Wariboko’s The Pentecostal Hypothesis, which I use as a theoretical framework to interrogate how the African Pentecostal churches, which inadvertently found themselves in a ‘gap’ responded to the predictions that Africa would be the most hit by the pandemic, and how it also impacted on their teaching and praxis. The thrust of The Pentecostal Hypothesis is the creation of, and insertion into, a gap between sense and spirit, and how such a gap creates an opportunity for meaning-making: “It does not make sense, but it makes spirit.” That is, even though something may not make sense on the basis of scientific data and rational argument, there is a sense in which appealing to spiritual data, it will still be meaningful. In order to achieve this, the author adopted interpretive method, a qualitative method that helps to engage Wariboko’s socialtheological worlds of the Pentecostals within the context of COVID-19. Through this method, we analyze the responses of African Pentecostals and attempt to validate them against The Pentecostal Hypothesis. It was thus observed that many Pentecostals’ theological explications of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot pass as absolute epistemology of the pandemic as some of them assumed. Consequently, it is concluded that there is the need for a constructive engagement so that sense and spirit can be utilized for human flourishing in a pandemic or crisis situation. © 2022 Open Access/Author/s - Online @ http//: www.pharosjot.com

EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL EXPENDITURE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Fiscal policy has been used by various governments to promote economic growth. The effectiveness of government expenditure on economic growth depends on recipient sector of government expenditure. This study contributes to this research area by investigating the effect of government agricultural expenditure on economic growth in the Kingdom of Lesotho. The government of Lesotho identified the agricultural sector as a productive sector that is central to the achievement the economic growth goal and development plan. Descriptive statistics and inferential econometric techniques (ARDL, DOLS and VEC Granger causality) over time-series data for the period 1982-2019 were utilized in this study. The results suggest that while current level and pattern of government agriculture expenditure cannot stimulate the desired economic growth and prosperity in the country, domestic investment appear to be a stimulant of the desired economic prosperity. Consequently, any economic growth policy or strategy that is premised on government agricultural sector expenditure would fail. Thus study recommends that countries including Lesotho should prioritize sustained increase in domestic investment.

Developing a Quality 4.0 Maturity Index for Improved Business Operational Efficiency and Performance

Purpose: Technological advances and increased environmental turbulence require a transition in quality management. The study aimed at developing a Quality 4.0 maturity index for improved business operational efficiency and performance. Methodology/Approach: This conceptual paper introduces a theoretical business evaluative model that allows an integrated analysis of technology-driven, quality management dimensions. The model is based on theoretical and empirical information and describes Quality 4.0 business analysis by a theoretical central business dimensional concept, formal statistical analytical methods and uses these data to assign a maturity index score to the business. Findings: The study builds the Quality 4.0 maturity index following the analysis of seven continuous quality improvement dimensions. The maturity of these dimensions in the business is assessed with a five-point maturity level. The effectiveness of the index should be confirmed with fit as covariation and a composite score for the level of Quality 4.0 maturity. Research Limitation/Implication: The research is based on theory and has not been validated with empirical data. It is recommended that a validation study be conducted based on the approach and guidelines provided in the paper. Originality/Value of paper: The study helped develop a theoretical aspect of total quality management during an era of the fourth industrial revolution. It also aimed at practically benefiting a business by focussing on improved business capacity and capability to mitigate the environmental turbulence associated with pandemics. The paper provides novel work, as it describes one of the first Quality 4.0 maturity index models that may be used to improve business.

Semiconductor Catch-Up Is Not Enough: Twigging the Context of China's Ambitions

The extensive narrative of growth and development of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in China by Jiang and Murmann (2022) and the discussion of Chinese strengths and weaknesses portray the remarkable progress that China has made, especially in technology relative to advances in the basic sciences. In our response, we situate their contribution in the larger context of Chinese economic growth and the challenges it faces in transforming these accomplishments into an embedded national capability to become a leading innovation economy and thereby deliver prosperity to its enormous but aging population. The contexts for the successes and weaknesses in ICT that Jiang and Murmann (2022) describe so admirably are vital for a more comprehensive understanding of their place in the overall development of China.

CHINA 2021: COPING WITH THE RESILIENCE DILEMMA OF THE CHINESE MODEL

In 2021 Chinese internal politics were dominated by the domestic economy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worked well to project the numerous successes of Chinese politics through history. Yet, Beijing’s insistence on the need to rethink the developmental path of China’s economic model also demonstrates the extent to which the important engines that have driven China’s growth in the past four decades must now be diverted to an internal dimension. This is the case of the dual circulation strategy and the common prosperity policy, whose guidelines are envisioned by Chinese leaders and political elites to transform the country’s existing growth model through a fully fledged internal rebalancing, and which spared not even the once unscrutinized, cross-border flow of data coming out of China. © Viella s.r.l. & Associazione Asia Maior.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on women entrepreneurial sustainability: the role of Islamic microfinance institutions

Purpose The breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments all over the globe to bring radical changes to all walks of life. Strict lockdowns are not only adversely affecting the social, economic, and psychological wellbeing of individuals but also questioning the sustainability of most businesses. In wake of the current scenario, this study is aimed at exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic is influencing the sustainability of entrepreneurship particularly from a female perspective and further providing insights into the role of Islamic financial institutions in the sustainability of businesses during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study that takes social constructivism approach to study the underlying phenomenon. Semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect primary data. Secondary data are also utilized in this study to theoretically define various concepts relating to entrepreneurial sustainability. The application of thematic analysis revealed various risks associated with sustainability. The interviews reveal the ground realities and tell us about the hardships being faced by the entrepreneurs due to ongoing crises. The participants of the study also shed light on the role of Islamic financial institutions during the pandemic. Findings The study results revealed that it may look impossible for women entrepreneurs to halt or avoid the adverse consequences of the pandemic;however, a few female entrepreneurs strived to guard their existing portfolios with the help of Islamic microfinance institutions. Whereas, several women, especially those running home-based businesses, lost their income streams. Despite these rapid challenges, most female entrepreneurs are working on inventive online systems to sustain their business activities during the crisis. Finally, guidelines are suggested which can help achieve sustainability of the entrepreneurial startups. Research limitations/implications The outcomes of this study are expedient for funding agencies, government authorities and Islamic financial institutions as well as for non-government institutions to establish sustainable and broader policies for women to become successful entrepreneurs during severe disasters like COVID-19. Moreover, the study is a helpful tool for women entrepreneurs to avert the worst impact of the pandemic with the help of Islamic microfinance institutions. The themes of this study help generate realistic information to appraise the strategies to create facilitating business environments that drive the women to carry out the entrepreneurial activity during any crisis like the COVID-19. Practical implications The results of this study provide evidence that crisis can be anticipated up to some extent if entrepreneurs become able to take proactive decisions in case of expected or identifiable threats. The study may also help the women entrepreneurs to comprehend the serious consequences of the pandemic by shifting their mode of financing to Islamic finance. Although this pandemic is a cause of physical discomfort instead this research may encourage the female entrepreneurs not to lose heart, just find the potential opportunities for their home-based and small businesses and manage funding from the Islamic microfinance institutions. Originality/value The study adds to the existing literature on entrepreneurial sustainability with a particular focus on the role of Islamic microfinance institutions for women entrepreneurs' sustainability in Pakistan. Secondly, the study employs the entrepreneurial sustainability model (ESM) that, according to the best of our knowledge, has not been used by the researchers earlier to study the given research phenomenon. Thirdly, the study findings are expedient for funding agencies, government authorities and financial institutions as well as for non-government institutions to establish sustainable and broader policies for women to become successful entrepreneurs during disasters like COVID-19.

The Twin Chessboards of US-China Rivalry: Impact on the Geostrategic Supply and Demand in Post-Pandemic Asia

This essay offers a small state perspective on US-China rivalry in the post-COVID-19 era. After tracing the emergence of the "twin chessboards" of big power rivalry, namely, high and low politics competitions, the essay assesses the impact of these competitions on the post-pandemic Asian order, with a focus on Southeast Asia. I argue that while US-China competition has been rising rapidly in high politics (that is, in the military field), the increasing importance of low politics—infrastructure and connectivity development, technology, trade, finance, public health, and other functional areas—is shaping the prospects, pace, and patterns of the onset of Cold War 2.0. The intensified US-China animosity across the twin chessboards is widening the scope of the competition, increasing the number of players, and mounting pressure on all smaller states. Arguably, however, it is also providing these smaller states with more maneuvering space. These developments reshape geostrategic supply and demand in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, the smaller states are developing additional layers of partnerships with actors near and far, thereby broadening their hedging options in an increasingly uncertain and high-stake environment.