-The Hindu Spells of impoverishment during the pandemic were not infrequent, and lower castes and minorities bore the brunt of it Few observations survive the test of time. Fewer gain significance over time. Engel’s Law is a case in point. A version is that the poorer a family, “the greater the proportion of the total outgo which must be used for food. The proportion of the outgo used for food, other things...

-Scroll.in The government has projected 8.9% growth in 2021-’22, which is lower than the January estimates. India’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 5.4% in the October-December quarter and is likely to expand at 8.9% in 2021-’22 financial year, government data showed on Monday. During the second quarter (July-September) of the 2021-’22, the economy grew by 8.4%. In its FIRst advance estimates released in January, the National Statistical Office had projected 9.2% growth for...

-The Tribune Minimising paddy straw burning needs multi-pronged and eco-friendly approaches. There is no single solution to manage its massive quantities. All on-field and off-field technologies have limitations. Combined, they would improve soil health, grain production and fertiliser-use efficiency, reduce pollution, and ensure long-term agriculture sustainability. Concerted efforts are needed to make eco-friendly techniques economically viable, especially for small farmers. WITH mechanised farming and assured irrigation, farmers of northwest India raise 2-3...

-Newsclick.in Both BJP and BSP may see dwindling dalit support with SP-RLD-SBSP alliance gaining. The political churning going on in Uttar Pradesh is arguably the most intense among the dalit communities which make up a sizeable 21% of the population of the state. In the last election, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had managed to get significant support from various dalit communities winning 74 of 84 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes....

-Down to Earth blog Women workers in garment industry share stories of gender discrimination, insensitive treatment and government apathy  The garment industry has long been under the microscope for flouting labour codes, breaking environmental norms, violating human rights, pay structures and much more. The women garment workers who attended an orientation workshop at a hotel on Delhi-Gurugram road October 2021, headed by Society for Labour and Development (SLD), know about these flaws. In...