-Press release by Working Peoples' Charter dated 21st September, 2020 Amidst the micro and macro-economic crisis of the last 5 years, the union government has aggressively pushed the agenda of labour law reforms -- purportedly to simplify India’s ‘complex’ labour legislations, improve the business environment, and augment growth and employment. These changes, driven primarily by the business fraternity, have been aimed at improving India’s ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’...
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Reimagining India’s welfare toolkit -Yamini Aiyar
-Hindustan Times Universalise PDS, make it demand-driven; give more funds to states; and ramp up MGNREGS I pen this column with a depressing sense of deja vu. Back in late March as India went into lockdown, I wrote in these pages of the urgent need for the State to change the rules of the game, avoid red tape, improve Centre-state coordination and adapt agile administrative processes as it sought to provide relief...
More »Universalisation and inclusion of nutritious food items in the PDS are the solutions for food insecurity problem
-Press release by the Right to Food Campaign dated 17th August, 2020 The Budget Session of Parliament was curtailed due to Covid-19 and the sudden imposition of lockdown and since then the Parliament has not been in session. Therefore, several civil society organisation networks and peoples’ movements, have organised an online Janta Parliament from 16th August to 21st August on a variety of social issues ranging from health to civil liberties. In...
More »Universal PDS is a better idea than One Nation One Ration Card to ensure food security, says Right to Food Campaign
-Press release by Right to Food Campaign, dated 11th August, 2020 Although One Nation One Ration Card has been projected as a solution to the food insecurity problems that mobile or floating populations face, there are some serious problems associated with the scheme, such as exclusion errors, etc. Instead of the ONOR scheme, the government should universalise the public distribution system (PDS) and open community kitchens in urban areas. Please click here...
More »Large sections of poor are unlikely to benefit from extension of food grains scheme -Swati Narayan
-The Indian Express Expansion and universalisation of the PDS, pensions, cash grants and employment guarantee schemes in both urban and rural areas are essential to tide through these difficult times. The Prime Minister’s extension of free food grains for 800 million Indians till November is undoubtedly a relief. The granaries of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) are overflowing with more than 100 million tonnes of food grains. But the economy has,...
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