On January 16, 2021, India began Phase-I of what may be the world’s largest vaccination drive, aiming to vaccinate nearly 300 million frontline workers against COVID-19. This rollout featured India’s indigenously developed Covaxin (Bharat Biotech/Indian Council of Medical Research) and indigenously produced Covishield (Serum Institute of India/Oxford-AstraZeneca), marking the beginning of a potential end to the pandemic’s eleven-month siege. 

How can representation be designed such that the interests of vulnerable groups are best accommodated? Social science has tackled this question for decades, but much of the research on this topic has focused on the specific format of quotas. However, mandatory quotas—whether in politics, education, or the private sector—represent just one type of representation. They are a form of inclusion that allow minority groups to enter existing institutions and, at their highest level, mainstream marginalized interests through descriptive and substantive representation.

Of the many uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage it has inflicted on global communities, economies, and systems, its impact on India has been especially grim. While the nature and devastation unleashed by the pandemic has caused nation states to adopt an insular and introspective approach, given the interconnectedness of world systems, it is crucial to examine how partnerships can be built around the process of recovery, especially with countries in Africa.

Climate change affects countries, regions, and communities disproportionately. Places and populations already socio-economically vulnerable are set to bear the brunt of the global heating world. In the Indian context, recent research demonstrates that 75 percent of Indian districts are vulnerable to extreme climate events.