-The Indian Express The contraction seen in first-quarter GDP data is severe, but not unexpected. What should be done — or not done – at the level of govt policy so that the economy gets a chance to rebound as quickly as possible? * How should one read the first-quarter GDP data and the contraction by 23.9%? What signal does it offer for the future? And does it give any idea of...

-TheWire.in From seeds and machinery to livestock and irrigation, the state needs to change the status quo. One eye must be firmly kept on the future. If Punjab’s agriculture sector is to succeed, it has to think beyond short-term crises such as the current pandemic-induced one. For instance, the Expert Group headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia has made important recommendations about seeds, agricultural research, livestock, dairy and food processing. It has been noted that...

-The Indian Express A comparative study of data on Accidental Deaths and Suicides released by NCRB shows that suicides in the agriculture sector have declined by 10% — from 11,379 in 2016 to 10,281 in 2019. Suicides in the farm sector have steadily declined over four years, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A comparative study of data on Accidental Deaths and Suicides released by NCRB...

ActionAid Association's (AAA) national level survey among people dependent on the informal economy during the third phase of the national lockdown towards the end of May 2020 (i.e. between May 14th and May 22nd, 2020) has documented the "nature and extent of the transitions in the lives and livelihoods of informal workers, including migrant workers, during the pandemic and provide[s] an insight into the precarity they experience and the coping...

-The Indian Express More and better-distributed rainfall this year is likely to result in higher sowing, higher production, productivity and profitability for the agriculture sector. While it is clear that India’s broader economy will contract this year, it is also true that well-distributed rainfall has meant that the agriculture sector per se may be quite productive this year. A new report by Crisil throws light on the prospects of the farm sector. Here’s...