-Newsclick.in The survey by the Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC) also stated that they are facing discrimination and stigma as employers doubt them of being carriers of the virus. The nationwide lockdown, announced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, has exposed the dishonorable condition of informal workers, especially in cities. The conditions of domestic workers- most of them women- have further been deplorable. A survey by the Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC)...

-Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Statement on Missing Health System element of the Stimulus Package dated 3rd June, 2020 The strengthening of the public system needs a shift towards pro-people orientation. There is, therefore, a need to ensure a genuine bottom up, need-based decentralised PLAnning, implementation and monitoring, with strong involvement of communities. Please click here to read the entire statement. ...

-The Hindu Economists urge cash transfers to 80% of households to revive economy. The Centre needs to announce a ₹10 lakh crore fiscal stimulus package providing universal food ration and cash transfers for 80% of households in order to revive the economy at this time, the Heterodox Economists Collective has urged. Employment guarantees must be expanded for both rural and urban workers at a time of soaring joblessness, the group of economists...

-Society for Social and Economic Research Monograph 20/3 Key Messages Lack of PLAnning and preparation by the Central government for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a massive blow to India’s economy and has caused enormous hardships to working people of the country. Harvesting of Rabi crops • UnPLAnned and sudden imposition of the lockdown resulted in a massive and unprecedented disruption to agricultural activities such as harvesting, sale of agricultural produce, and purchase...

In the midst of COVID-19 lockdown, desert locust swarms have been seen in parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh in the second half of May 2020. The recent attacks by desert locust swarms have caused massive crop damage, depletion in the stock of cattle fodder and destruction of green vegetation in these states. As on 25th May, 2020, over half of Rajasthan’s 33 districts were...