-The Times of India AHMEDABAD: At a time when the 'Gujarat model' is being discussed on global forums, agriculture labourers in rural areas of the state are among the lowest paid in the country. These labourers form the backbone of the rural economy in the state. The average daily wage paid to agricultural labourers in Gujarat is the lowest among 20 states. Only Madhya Pradesh pays less to its farm workers than...

-Maintream Weekly In order to reduce and remove the many-sided disadvantages and problems faced by Dalits and adivasis, sub-plans for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been introduced to ensure adequate and justice-based availability of funds for these communities. Summarising the basic idea and rationale for this, the Planning Commission says: “the persistence of socio-economic backwardness of the SCs and STs in spite of the development efforts had warranted a special...

-The Indian Express Unseasonal rains are breaking the back of Indian farmers. The prime minister has taken the first step by deciding to raise the existing norms of compensation by a hefty 50 per cent - from the existing Rs 9,000 per hectare for irrigated crop, Rs 4,500 per ha for unirrigated crop and Rs 12,000 per ha for perennial crop. Further, the compensation will be given to all those who...

-NDTV There is the reality of a farmer's suicide and then there are versions of this reality. Whether you choose to accept the farmer's context of poverty, debt and extreme risk, or deny it, often depends on the class and profession you belong to. Fields pockmarked with brown mounds create a surreal setting. At least nine suicides by farmers have been linked to the crisis in West Bengal's potato belt. Farmers have...

-IANS The NHRC on Tuesday said it has rescued 101 bonded labourers from Madhubani in Bihar, after an NGO complained they were being made to work forcefully on agricultural lands and not being paid minimum wages. The 101 labourers from 38 families were Musahars, a community classified as Scheduled Caste. The rescue operation was carried out following a complaint received from an NGO in December 2014. The labourers have been provided relief under various...