In the current context the terms curfew, lockdown, and emergency are being used by representatives of the government and their agencies as per common parlance. Therefore, it is important for us to understand the context in which these terms are being used in order to interpret them meaningfully.
The 21 day lockdown has been announced pursuant to the directions of the National Disaster Management Authority, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
All establishments, except those engaged in the manufacture of essential commodities or provision of essential services, as listed in the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 24, 2020 and the addendum to the same are to be closed down. Several State Governments have also issued notifications detailing and elaborating on the scope of ‘essential services’.