-Scroll.in Fiscally austere policies will only serve to further escalate the revenue shortfall and debt problems. Several economists and businessmen have expressed their disappointment with the contents of the financial package announced by the government to face the unprecedented economic crisis brought about by the Covid-19-induced lockdown, the suddenness and severity of which had itself surprised many epidemiologists. The callousness toward the migrants and lack of immediate preparation to send them back –...

-Newsclick.in The poor need food and money, not more loans. Only demand-side interventions will revive the economy. The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that almost all countries are struggling to cope with. Like the rest of the world, India is fighting the spread of the disease and its adverse consequences on the health system and its finances. On the economic front, India was already facing a prolonged slowing down. Even before...

-TheWire.in Millions of agricultural labourers are currently under stress due to the ongoing lockdown which has led to a loss in income, loss of jobs for migrant labour and a disruption in the supply chain. Following the stress on the agricultural sector by the COVID-19 related lockdown, the central Government has announced medium to long term relief measures as part of an economic package. However, the package has fallen short on immediate...

-The Hindu Cabinet also extended the repayment date for standard short-term loans upto ₹3 lakh for agriculture and allied activities, till August 31, 2020. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Monday approved an increase in the minimum support prices (MSPs) for all mandated kharif crops, including paddy, pulses and cotton, for the 2020-21 marketing season. The Union Cabinet also extended the repayment date for standard short-term loans upto ₹3 lakh for...

-TheWire.in The dire situation induced by the nationwide lockdown is now threatening to undo the last few decades of work in poverty alleviation. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent nationwide lockdown measures have accelerated simmering rural-agricultural distress. Migrant workers who have recently returned to their native villages are but another critical dimension of the deteriorating situation. The dire circumstances are now threatening to undo the last few decades of work...