In 2024, global employment expanded in line with a growing labour force, keeping the global unemployment rate steady at 5 per cent, similar to that of 2023. Slowing productivity growth remains a major bottleneck with respect to expanding the opportunities for decent work. On the back of stable unemployment rates, …
For the widows of farmers who committed suicide in Maharashtra, life is a tale of suffering and harassment Alarge chunk of rural India is feeling the jaws of the agrarian crisis sink in even deeper, tearing its veins apart. In the midst of this crisis, there are the women who …
Maharashtra in the grip of severest drought since 1972 maharashtra seems to be heading towards a drought-year. On July 9, the state government declared a
The Bengal famine of 1943 is arguably the worst economic disaster of 20th century south Asia. This paper traces the background of the famine and analyses the role of the land market in fuelling food price rise. It appears that in a monetised, already famished, agrarian economy, during situations of …
The Centre would give first preference to state cooperative banks while reimbursing the debt waiver amount, according to P Mohanaiah, chief general manager, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard). The cooperative banks across the country are facing an acute fund shortage due to the surge in kharif loan …
In the context of an alarming increase in the farmers’ suicide, the Government of Maharashtra announced a Special Package of Rs. 1,075 crore for six districts of Western Vidarbha (December, 2005). Subsequently, Hon’ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh announced a comprehensive Package of Rs.3,750 crore for development of agriculture and …
The study reveals that materialism is on the rise in rural Punjab as most farmers have adopted new housing patterns coupled with all the facilities previously found in urban areas only. The availability of more durable goods with majority of the farmers indicates a clear shift towards material possession. Areas …
KANCHI KOHLI, MANJU MENON Ministers of the United Progressive Alliance government are often heard mouthing platitudes about inclusive growth. On the face of it, inclusive growth seems a democratic ideal. But platitudes aside, what does the ideal really translate into for farmers, fishworkers and tribals? It means having to face …
Suicides continue in the land of white gold. It has been 8 two months since Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced a Rs 60,000-crore loan waiver for farmers. It was meant to prevent debt-ridden ryots from committing suicide. But in Vidarbha, where a large number of cotton farmers have committed suicide, …
Climate exchange Unfair share of cause and effect Ecological damages are distributed more towards poor nations Human activities are changing ecosystems across the globe. Though many of the changes are for food security and economic development, their ecological damages are immense Six major ecological damages caused by human activities are: …
POLA IS THE HARVEST FESTI-val in Maharashtra. On this day every August, farmers in the agricultural belts of the state bathe their buffaloes, paint their horns and parade them around their villages. As the villagers of Bhadumri (in western Vidarbha) were busy sprucing up their cattle in August 2006, 35-year-old …
This paper tracks the organizational and financial history of the Integrated Village Development Project (IVDP) and the self-help group (SHG) network it supports in Tamil Nadu, India. It describes how the network is connecting and negotiating with a variety of formal sector institutions, paving the way towards aligning the "informal" …
it was the biggest feature of the union budget, and was played to the maximum effect. Waiver of small and marginal farmers' loans amounting to Rs 60,000 crore triggered a virtual stampede among political parties to claim credit for it; the ruling United Progressive Alliance (upa) termed the decision
The applicants are mother and son, having two acres of land. They availed a loan of Rs.30,000 on November 7, 2002. They were regularly making payments. But recently due to distress, repayment could not be made. Now an amount of Rs.20,117 is due. According to the [North Malabar Gramin] bank, …
FOR some years now, the Budget speeches of the Finance Minister have been impressive exercises in the art of rhetoric, that is, of verbal persuasion without reference to reality. It has often been the case that the more P. Chidambaram talked about a particular issue in his speech, the less …
WHILE announcing the Rs.60,000-crore debt relief for farmers, it was clear that Finance Minister P. Chidambaram overlooked a crucial aspect of the debt phenomenon, the debt peasants owed to private moneylenders. Talking to mediapersons in the days that followed, he reiterated this oversight. His argument was that it was impossible …
In Vidarbha, many farmers will not benefit from the waiver because they possess over two hectares of land. Above, Durpata Bhalerao Ataram, whose husband committed suicide in 2007. DURPATA BHALERAO ATARAM'S land is no longer an asset. It seems like a burden. She has 10 acres of it, but no …
The judgment one reaches on what the current year's Budget will do for farmers will vary depending on whether its provisions are seen as a sui generis exercise or are viewed within a longer term perspective that encompasses an awareness of the continuing and relentless drive to implement neoliberal policies …
