-Newsclick.in Fearing that recent changes in labour laws will lead to further contractualisation of labour, several contract workers have joined the unionised of an auto component firm. New Delhi: Better late than never, as the adage goes. In a significant development, a section of contract workers in a major auto component manufacturing company in Manesar has turned to unionisation by enrolling themselves in the employees’ body representing permanent employees. The staff of the...

-Livemint.com Wide disparities in agri-marketing regulations have resulted in fragmented markets across states. The new farm bills aim to change this but the jury is still out on whether it will have the intended impact. On 26 September, government procurement of food crops commenced across the country, five days in advance, following the enactment of three contentious farm bills. Under the new policy regime, farmers need not sell their produce through designated...

-NetworkIdeas.org The results of the long-awaited time use survey conducted over January to December 2019 by the NSSO have just been published. This finally allows policy makers and the general public to have some idea of the extent to which unpaid work and other activities determine the lives of people across India. Of course, there are some concerns with the survey methodology, which must be borne in mind while considering the data....

-The Indian Express The 19-year-old’s mother says that none of their neighbours, most of them Thakurs and Brahmins, had paid a visit to offer condolences. “We collect fodder from their farms. We thought they would come at least once." Every time he goes to the local store, the 50-year-old says, the shopkeeper tells him to stand at a distance and chucks what he has purchased. Upper castes abusing them is so common...

-The Indian Express The primary objective of the survey was to measure participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities as well as measure the time dispositions on different activities. Mumbai: A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ‘Time Use Survey’ conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has shown that only 38.2 per cent of the population participates in “employment and other related activities”, spending 429 minutes (7 hours and 9 minutes)...