The World Economic Outlook – a bi-annual publication of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- released in October 2020 has anticipated that the economic progress made by the countries since the 1990s to reduce poverty would be turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, economic disparity would rise too in the post-COVID world because the crisis has disproportionately impacted women, informal sector workers and people with...
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Research shows intermediaries’ role is misunderstood. Local market realities more at play -Shoumitro Chatterjee, Mekhala Krishnamurthy, Devesh Kapur and Marshall M Bouton
-ThePrint.in Researchers associated with Pennsylvania University’s India study centre looked at agricultural markets of Bihar, Odisha and Punjab. They found that intermediaries are a rational response to the dominant structure of Indian farming. Most Indian farmers have tiny farms that yield meagre incomes. They face a multiplicity of risks, which jeopardises even these low incomes. These twin pressures are particularly acute in eastern India, manifest in the two states that were the...
More »Anything but samvad -Avijit Pathak
-The Tribune Democracy is not about oratorical skills, it requires mindful listening Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it is said, is an excellent orator. The other day, while laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament building, Mr Modi, with his characteristic style, invoked Guru Nanak, reminding us of the great saint’s message: “Jab tak sansar rahe, tab tak samvad rahe”, and stressed on the need for dialogue to preserve the ‘soul...
More »The roots of the agricultural crisis run deep -Himanshu
-The Hindu Declining agricultural incomes and flagging state support to agriculture are some of the key structural issues The standoff between farmers and the government continues even after a few rounds of discussion and more than a fortnight of protest at the Delhi border by the farmers. The latest proposal by the government indicates its willingness to amend the three agriculture-related Acts passed in September. On the contentious issues of registration of...
More »Neither govt nor protesting farmers recognise challenge of depleting natural resources and climate crisis -Richa Kumar, Nikhit Kumar Agrawal, PS Vijayshankar and AR Vasavi
-The Indian Express If we truly want to ensure the livelihoods of our farmers and provide safe, healthy, nutritious food for our consumers, it is imperative to make policies that go beyond the productivity trope and populist posturing. Proponents of the three new farm laws have claimed that they will engender competition in agricultural markets and will give farmers a choice to sell wherever they like. The opponents of these laws, including...
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