IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 26, Issue 2, Series 7 (February. 2021) 32-40 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0837-2602073240 www.iosrjournals.org 32 |Page COVID-19 and Globalization: Changing International Order and Impact on South Asia Rahul Mohanty Senior Research Fellow Department of Sociology Utkal University 751005 Abstract: This paper is based on the recent global political development after the advent the pandemic COVID-19. Our prime focus in the paper is the South Asian region but in this age of globalization, with the pandemic itself being a risk with global connectivity, the issues in the region cannot be treated in isolation without taking into consideration some the major global players like China, U.S.A. etc in the present scenario. The central concern of the paper is to highlight some of the basic defining traits of globalization that have gone on to a mode of backlash presently. This has brought a new political order in the region challenging the ideals of liberalism and globalization. This has set the stage for new emerging patterns of risks envisaged in major social and political institutions. Our attempt here is to examine the forces of globalization and the current political development in the world in general and South Asian region in particular amidst the Corona Pandemic outbreak. Though we have accommodated instances from other parts of the world to strengthen and add more clarity to our arguments, this paper basically captures the upcoming trends and possibilities in the region and beyond to understand where we stand. Key words: Risk Society, Globalization, Disinformation, Localization, South Asia, COVID-19 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 11-02-2021 Date of Acceptance: 26-02-2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION: The ongoing COVID-19 virus has turned to be the greatest health pandemic for the world in twenty- first century. The mysterious outbreak, still evolving symptoms, and its ability to quick spread have made it unique pandemic to mankind. However apart from these physiological challenges, it has also brought societal provocations from economic recession to changing geopolitical equations. Probably in the context of nation- states the biggest challenge it possesses is, its impact on globalization. This pandemic induced change in the dynamics of globalization will include alteration in all its dimensions from economic to political, from cultural to ecological. Some scholars even argue that this pandemic may cause the end of Globalization (Rapoza 2020). Globalization will end or revive in a new form is a matter of further debate but it is for sure that this pandemic will change the way globalization has marched as a juggernaut. In the last six months the changes witnessed by the world and hindrances suffered by globalization is unprecedented in last forty years. Under economic front of globalization, multinational companies got freedom to establish industries in low cost of production state in order to minimize cost and benefit of the product was enjoyed by customers all over the world. Developed countries often own these conglomerates and developing countries get the foreign investments and employment from it. But now there is an increasing call for localization to deal with restrictions on immigration throughout the world due to the pandemic. Even various economic sectors like Tourism, Manufacturing etc have been severely affected by it. Similarly in political front globalization has arguably led to the limitation in the power of national government and boosted international institutions like United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, World Bank groups etc. But this pandemic has again strengthened the national governments to the extent that some states have witnessed the rise of authoritarian regimes. On the other hand it has weakened the credibility of global institutions like World Health Organization. Geopolitics of the globe is also transforming significantly with shift in balance of power under the influence of COVID-19. Overall every pillars of globalization like interconnectedness, borderlessness, free flow of ideas, capital, information etc have been severely affected by this pandemic. This is because it entails a free flow of risk as well. In the next section, we tend to draw your attention to the basic characteristic traits of globalization as a process. We reiterate that the purpose is to highlight the backlash and in order to do so we underscore some of the basic nuances of this process. We argue that with the outbreak of the pandemic some of the defining traits of globalization as a process have been backlashing in the last few months though we do not intend to presume that this trend would