-Press release by Peoples' Action for Employment Guarantee dated 1 February, 2020 The Peoples’ Action for Employment Guarantee is distressed to note the total lack of responsibility and sensitivity accorded by the Union Budget 2020-21 to the rural economy in General, and MGNREGA in particular. It is telling and obviously callous that the Budget estimate for this year at Rs. 61,500 crores is Rs. 9,500 crores less than the revised estimate...

-The Pioneer All stakeholders must engage in educating the population about sexual and reproductive health and highlight the multi-sectoral approach that will be necessary for improving adolescent health and breaking inter-generational cycles of disease Investing in adolescent health is essential to realising multiple sustainable development goals set by the UN, to be achieved by 2030. Given that India houses more than 253 million adolescents, it is pertinent to realise that neglecting their...

-Down to Earth Millions of Indian households transfer poverty to the next generation, making poverty eradication nearly impossible Something that has haunted me through my 22 years of reporting the rural India is how some people in certain regions always remain poor. I have visited them multiple times for various assignments, but have always found them talking about poverty. Like me, they too always wonder: “Why do we remain poor?” I have mostly reported...

-Livemint.com * An open economy spurred growth and created a generation of aspirational millennials, but provided few avenues to follow these dreams * The cruelty of their situation is exacerbated by the fact that as a whole, millennials are better educated than previous generations Whenever I discuss my research on Indian millennials, most people assume that I’m talking about the social-media addicted youth they see in Delhi or Mumbai, glued to their smartphones...

-The Indian Express What economists do not like to dwell on and what Karl Polanyi had noted a long time ago is that the economy is ultimately embedded in society, institutions and politics. When these are damaged, the economy begins to stall. With India’s deep political troubles, and protest marches breaking out all over the country, it may seem odd to be writing on economics. Yet, it would also be wrong not...