-Press release by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha dated 30 January, 2022 The stress on the economy became evident, especially in the aftermath of the raging pandemic from the 7.3% contraction in GDP in 2020-21. The distress faced by poorer households has continued over a period of time with the pandemic acting as a catalyst in increasing the woes of such households. In a latest round of survey conducted by People’s Research on...

-Newsclick.in Scores of Mukhya Sevikas are protesting in Lucknow against low salaries and delayed promotions. Lucknow: Scores of Mukhya Sevikas (supervisors) employed under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) across Uttar Pradesh (UP) are protesting against the Centre and the state government in Lucknow since Monday for not fulfilling their long-pending demands of pay parity with the staff of other departments like the Secretariat and the delay in promotions. Holding placards that read,...

-The Hindu Business Line This is on the back of swift rise in prices of raw materials and global natural gas India is likely to witness an unprecedented jump in the Central government’s fertiliser subsidy on the back of swift rise in prices of raw materials and global natural gas. According to ratings agency Crisil, the government’s fertiliser subsidy bill is likely to be higher by ₹50,000 crore to touch the total...

-Newsclick.in The Narendra Modi government has carried the practice of making low budgetary allocations for MGNREGS to its limit. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme or MGNREGS was introduced by the United Progressive Alliance-I government despite opposition from the neo-liberal lobby within it, owing inter alia to the active intervention of the Left, which was supporting that government from outside. The scheme was restrictive from the beginning: it promised a maximum...

-The Hindu An SBI Research study’s claim that there is greater formalisation of the economy is unfounded According to a recent State Bank of India (SBI) Research report, the informal economy in India has been shrinking since 2018. Formalisation, the report says, has taken place through the gross value-added (GVA) route, consumption through increased digital payments, and the employment route. Let’s examine each of these. The report claims that the share of the...