-Scroll.in The systemic, structural reasons that precipitated their distress have been completely ignored. The images of devastation faced by migrant workers in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown imposed in March shook the conscience of the nation: the scale of the problem and the severity of the distress pushed this hitherto invisible population into the spotlight of public and policy attention. More than 75 days into the lockdown, after the crisis had almost...

-Press release by Working Peoples' Charter dated 21st September, 2020 Amidst the micro and macro-economic crisis of the last 5 years, the union government has aggressively pushed the agenda of labour law reforms -- purportedly to simplify India’s ‘complex’ labour legislations, improve the business environment, and augment growth and employment. These changes, driven primarily by the business fraternity, have been aimed at improving India’s ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’...

-Livemint.com * Market participation is meaningless without information. Should every Indian farmer get a smartphone? * Without internet connectivity and market intelligence, the transaction cost associated with selling in places outside the local market are higher than the value of the produce FATEHPUR: Kamlakant is a smallholder farmer in Daulatiyapur village of Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh. He is an enthusiastic vegetable cultivator and every season, he searches for answers to three basic...

-The Hindu Lok Sabha passes taxation Bill; Congress, Trinamool MPs say it is meant only to clear the fund. The Lok Sabha cleared the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, here on Saturday, despite strong criticism from the Opposition which said the Bill was aimed at giving an “all clear to the PM CARES Fund”. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Bill will replace an ordinance brought...

-The Tribune After failing to come up with data on the number of migrants killed while making their way back to villages, the government said it did not have the complete data on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses, support staff and ASHA workers, who have been affected by and died of Covid. However, the government said kin of 155 healthcare staff, including 64 doctors, had sought relief under...