-The Indian Express Real wages have risen across India in the past two decades, but the increase has been especially marked among rural unskilled workers. Three drivers — falling rural female labour force participation, a construction boom, and favourable agricultural terms of trade — help explain why unskilled rural workers fared better than their urban counterparts or workers with more education. Going forward, in the light of lower agricultural prices and...

-The Hindu Business Line The unique needs of those who work in cities even as they maintain homes in the village must be addressed by policymakers   Cities bring with them a sense of permanence. Many of them have been around for hundreds of years. Some of their more memorable institutions too tend to have long histories. It is no surprise, then, that most of urban policy takes aspects of a city to...

-The Hindu Dreze made the statement in an interview with The Hindu following a survey in six States, including West Bengal. Under a month of its emphatic victory in Bengal election a very definitive reason of Trinamool Congress’ [TMC] success was indicated by economist Jean Dreze. The Public Distribution System [PDS] has performed “enormously well” in Bengal, since the passage of the National Food Security Act [NFSA] in 2013, said Mr Dreze. Mr...

-Business Standard In last one month, chana futures prices have risen 17.37 per cent and on Thursday it closed at Rs. 6812 per quintal on NCDEX New Delhi: The government has launched a multi-pronged drive against price rise of essential commodities with different agencies doing their bit to ensure smooth supply and action against hoarders as well as profiteers. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday barred launch of...

-The Economic Times blog Prayers have been answered, monsoon has made landfall in Kerala, close to where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498. Potentially, the impact on political fortunes will be no less. This government has promised to double farm incomes in six years and economists argued that this would be impossible because it would entail a 12% annual growth in incomes; unprecedented globally. Starting from such abysmally low farm income...