Just after the Indian government issued the first lockdown rule to cope with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in March 2020, the energy consumption in India plummeted dramatically. However, as the lockdown relaxed, energy consumption started to recover. In this study, we investigated how COVID-19 cases affected Indian energy consumption during the COVID-19 crisis by testing if the lockdown release had a positive impact on energy consumption and if richer regions were quicker to recover their energy consumption to the level before the lockdown. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, the study reveals that a long-run relationship holds between the COVID-19 cases and energy consumption and that the COVID-19 cases have a positive effect on Indian energy consumption. This result indicates that as lockdown relaxed, energy consumption started to recover. However, such a positive impact was not apparent in the Eastern and North-Eastern regions, which are the poorest regions among the five regions investigated in the study. This implies that poorer regions need special aid and policy to recover their economy from the damage suffered from the COVID-19 crisis.

The present research analyzes the potential economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Asian economies using a systematic review approach. The cause-effect relationship framework showed that the outbreak of COVID-19 slowed down the gross domestic product (GDP) along with major economic sectors and indicators in the South Asian economies. The short and long-run predicted scenario showed that, compared to the agriculture sector, the service and manufacturing sectors will be affected more seriously in all South Asian countries. It was found that governments in the region are trying their best to adopt and implement expansionary fiscal strategies to combat this situation. Many countries have included farmers and allied workers in the government’s support system to utilize resources. In order to maintain the balance of international trade, the import and export of essential items must be given special support. To cope with this situation, governments can invest money from different autonomous institutions to expand Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The findings of this research will be helpful for policy planners to formulate appropriate programs for short and long-run demands, along with economic and fiscal policies to sustain and revive the economic activity in South Asia.

Agriculture holds significant socioeconomic importance in South Asia, with women playing vital roles in various agricultural activities. Recognising their contributions is essential for food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. This research investigates the crucial role of women in agricultural development in South Asia, employing systematic review methods and text-mining techniques. The study utilised a systemic review methodology for thorough review procedures and data analysis, incorporating the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model and text mining techniques. The initial search on Scopus generated 292 papers, while the Web of Science (WoS) databases provided 324 relevant articles. Following a thorough screening process, 47 articles were ultimately included in the review. The word cloud analysis highlights key terms like “women,” “empowerment,” and “agriculture,” underscoring their significance in women’s involvement in agriculture. The review also identified a research gap in intersectionality, an essential aspect of gender studies. Furthermore, VOSviewer software’s network analysis depicted various parameters’ interconnectedness in women’s agriculture participation. This systematic review extensively examined recommendations, extensions, and policies concerning women’s involvement in South Asian agriculture. Finally, the study emphasises the crucial link between women, agriculture, and South Asia, advocating for policy interventions and further research to empower women.