-TheWire.in The mass exodus of MIGrant workers from cities after the nationwide lockdown has amplified the housing crisis for MIGrant workers in cities. ‘Low-income MIGrants’ in cities have always subsumed under the blanket, but arguably vague, term ‘urban poor’. This categorisation overlooks the mobility dimension of MIGrant workers’ lives where they are constantly moving between places in search of work, following capital. The government’s own estimates also indicate that with each passing...

-The Indian Express NITI Aayog’s draft report is well-intentioned. But its failure to address the policy distortions at the root of MIGrant workers’ issues cannot be overlooked The lockdown-induced suffering of millions of MIGrants raised awareness regarding their magnitude, vulnerability, and role in the economy. It also led to a flurry of measures by the central and state governments. It is now encouraging that the Niti Aayog, on the request of the...

-The Hindu To say that growth and inequality converge in terms of their effects on socio-economic outcomes is outrageous The Economic Survey 2021 (https://bit.ly/2OfqfVQ) does not seem to be a policy document derived straight from the empirical data of the economy or the social compulsions embedded in it. On the contrary, the Survey rings with policy postulates based on strong ideological overtones. Of interest would be Chapter 4, captioned ‘Inequality and Growth:...

-The Tribune Under the programme, 344 crore person-days employment generated so far this financial year; 1.69 crore new job cards New Delhi: The flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) emerged as a crucial source of employment to wage seekers in the country, especially the returnee MIGrant labourers, during the Covid-induced national lockdown. The highest ever 344 crore person-days employment has been generated so far this financial year (2020-21). It is...

-The Hindu COVID-19 forced many to discontinue studies and join their labouring parents. BHUBANESWAR: Unlike his three siblings, Arjun Naik, 11, had never stayed in a dingy room near a brick kiln along with his parents. All these years, he was a student at a residential school run by the Odisha government. His classmate, Somu Naik, was put up in such accommodation for months. It was not a pleasant experience. Almost a year...