-Down to Earth Why are farmers protesting the government’s ’reforms’, ask many. A look at how Bihar’s farmers have fared may explain The recent controversy about India’s newly minted farm laws have brought back into focus what Nitish Kumar did a decade-and-a-half ago: Shutting down the mandi (wholesale markets for agricultural produce) system in 2006. The much-touted ‘reform’ has impacted the state’s farmers, and not in a good way. Farmers have had to...
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Why should Indian agriculture be liberalised when in most countries governments subsidise it? -Christophe Jaffrelot and Hemal Thakker
-The Indian Express Without some support from the state, the smallest of Indian peasants would be even more vulnerable. On September 27, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to three contentious farm bills passed by Parliament — The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 (FAPAFS), the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 (FPTC) and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020...
More »Fixing the rules of the economy -Arun Maira
-The Hindu The fundamentals of the game have to change as they currently favour wealthy investors and not workers and tiny enterprises India has an incomes crisis: incomes of people in the lower half of the pyramid are too low. The solutions economists propose are: free up markets, improve productivity, and apply technology. These fundamentals of economics must be re-examined when applied to human work. Three solutions Economists say markets should be freed up...
More »Rajasthan govt. to bring bill against Centre’s farm laws, says Ashok Gehlot
-PTI/ The Hindu In the meeting of the State council of Ministers held at the Chief Minister’s residence, the effects of Centre’s three new laws on the farmers were discussed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said his government will bring a bill against the Centre’s farm laws on the lines of Punjab. The Chief Minister announced this on Twitter, hours after the Punjab assembly unanimously passed four bills and adopted a...
More »What India’s farm reforms aim to change, in three charts -Arjun Srinivas and howindialives.com
-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...
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