Due to the current pandemic, governments all over the world have given stay at home orders and have advised people to follow precautions like social distancing. These measures have a significant impact on our social, economic, and political setting which ultimately affects the volume and distribution of crimes worldwide. To understand the impact of social distancing policies on crime, we have compared the crime statistics during the pandemic (2020) with that of the previous year (2019) for the two metropolitan cities New Delhi, India, and New York, USA. We observe the trends of different types of crime and conclude that while crimes like residential burglaries have reduced, crimes like domestic violence have increased significantly. A rise in commercial burglaries 1 was observed in New York whereas in New Delhi a decline was observed because of the presence of the police on roads. Furthermore, A decline in crimes like robbery, burglary, larceny, etc. was observed whereas a sharp increase was seen in the cases of domestic violence in both the cities.

The objective of this research is to study the socio-economic challenges faced by farmers in the wake of sustainable agriculture in India. This paper identifies issues related to sustainable agriculture that contribute significantly to the lives of rural populations and examines the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in addressing them. The study also seeks to focus on the replicability of sustainable agricultural practices. The analysis is conducted through online surveys and telephonic interviews with farmers and members of NGOs working in the area of sustainable agriculture. It has been found that the practice of sustainable agriculture is growing. However, despite this positive assessment, sustainable agricultural practices have encountered numerous challenges like the inappropriate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, hesitation to opt for new practices, shortage of resources, gender discrimination, landholding being too small to make sustainable farming practices economically viable, and many more. The involvement of NGOs and other self-help groups in the lives of farmers, in order to pursue sustainable agriculture, has made a positive impact. Although developments are taking place, the rate is quite low. Therefore, we may conclude that change for the better is coming albeit gradually and more active steps towards the process need to be taken.

This paper critically examines the link between the loan market and the housing market that works through mortgage loans. Repayment of such mortgage loans depends on the future earning potential of the borrowers, which in turn depends on the overall state of the macro economy. Under buoyant macroeconomic conditions, all borrowers pay back their loans and both the loan market and the housing market function well. However, a temporary income shock in the economy, which undermines the repayment ability of the borrowers, may result in speculative lending by banks thereby leading to a crisis. This calls for strict monitoring of mortgage loans by regulatory authorities.