-The Hindu An opening up has to be accompanied by an increase in relief budget for the most vulnerable After a 39-day lockdown, what will be the shape of things to come? How should one strike a balance between ensuring livelihoods, minimising strife, and maintaining social distancing? In a discussion moderated by G. Ananthakrishnan, Reetika Khera, and Giridhar R. Babu examine the options. Edited excerpts: * With less than a fortnight left for...
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Rising food insecurity: Tackling hunger during the coronavirus crisis -Geetanjali Krishna
-Business Standard Food insecurity is on the rise as subsidised food distributed via govt-run ration shops is not easily available to everyone Napoleon once famously said that an army marches on its stomach. Many argue that the present countrywide lockdown is causing widespread poverty and consequent hunger, making it that much harder for the nation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, the work of Dilli Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan (DRRAA), Right...
More »Perils of lockdown and informal sector workers: Reflections in the time of Covid-19 -Amrita Ghatak & Kingshuk Sarkar
-Vikalp.ind.in The unprecedented fear of Covid-19 leading to ‘social distancing’ through lockdown in the entire India has yet again unfolded the plight of informal sector workers even in the midst of a universal public health crisis worldwide. The lockdown, for a huge number of informal sector workers is associated with the loss of livelihood; but for others engaged in low-valued essential works such as home delivery, scavenging and cleaning the society,...
More »‘Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems’ review: Have plumbers, need architect -Jean Drèze
-The Hindu Seeing economists as ‘plumbers’, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo show how economic reasoning and evidence can shed light on real-world issues John Maynard Keynes, the founder of Keynesian economics, once said that “if economists could manage to get themselves thought of as a humble, competent people, on a level with dentists, that would be splendid”. Judging from recent opinion polls, economists still have a long way to go. According to...
More »FM’s announcement of Rs 1.7 lakh crore in the wake of COVID-19, is less than half of the Rs. 3.75 lakh crores required to fulfill the minimal “emergency measures”, convey concerned citizens & grassroots activists
-Press releases by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha dated 26th March, 2020 Civil society activists and concerned citizens have responded to the emergency measures that were announced by the Finance Minister on 26th March, 2020 for the poor, the vulnerable and the migrant & informal workers. An open letter by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha -- an umbrella organisation of CSOs and social activists working for the unorganised sector and MGNREGA workers -- has been issued...
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