66% reported salary cut, 19% lost jobs amid COVID-19, finds MOTN poll

According to the Mood of the Nation poll, Indians from various walks of life were deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Certain industries such as food, hospitality, aviation faced harsher challenges than others. The MOTN poll finds that while a lot of people believe that the lockdown helped contain the spread of the virus, some also opined that it had a deep impact on the economy.

According to the Mood of the Nation poll, 39 per cent respondents felt that the nationwide lockdown helped in slowing down the spread of coronavirus. Another 28 per cent felt that while the lockdown helped in containing the spread, it also caused a lot of hardships. And then 10 per cent said that it adversely impacted the economy.

Many lost their jobs and a majority of people faced salary cuts. Around 66 per cent of the respondents of the poll -- 3 percentage points more than last year's MOTN poll in August 2020 -- reported salary cuts. As much as 19 per cent said that they lost their jobs or businesses. It is marginally better than the 22 per cent reported in the previous MOTN. According to the poll, 3 per cent said that their income had increased.

Around 67 per cent believed that the government's handling of the economic distress that rose from the pandemic was good or outstanding. About 22 per cent found it to be average while around 10 per cent felt it was poor or very poor.

According to the Mood of the Nation poll, India has given a resounding 'yes' to Modi government's handling of the pandemic. As much as 23 per cent found the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis to be outstanding, while 50 per cent found it to be good. However, 8 per cent said that they found it poor or very poor.

Despite a high rate of infection during the coronavirus pandemic, only 7 per cent of the respondents said that their family members had tested positive for COVID-19. COVID-19 was mostly restricted to larger cities, which might have mitigated the impact. Around 73 per cent of the MOTN respondents said that none of their family members died of coronavirus, while 25 per cent reported losing a near one.

Amongst the ones who got infected, as many as 61 per cent said they went for treatment at a government hospital, while 24 per cent said they picked a private facility. As much as 12 per cent said they did not visit a hospital at all.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Russia's Sputnik V to cost less than Rs 730 in India

Also read: Fire at Serum Institute: 5 dead, company to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation to families