The Bodies Beneath Swachh Bharat
If urban modernity is built on denial of dignity to those who clean it, then what kind of progress is it?
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India | Online Blog | Poverty | Unemployment
From Guarantee to Denial: How MGNREGA is Being Systematically Weakened
A budget of Rs. 86,000 crore in FY26 is grossly insufficient and clearly shows that livelihood security for rural poor is not a priority for the Modi government.
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Labour Protections Under Attack in Andhra and Karnataka – 2 Articles
“The Cost of ‘Ease’: Labour Protections Under Attack in Andhra and Karnataka”: State governments are, paradoxically, simultaneously relaxing labour protections while lacking the capacity to enforce even existing regulations. Also: “‘Lazy’ Workforce or ‘Arrogant’ Government? Row Over Andhra Ordinance Allowing Ten-Hour Workdays”.
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India’s Unemployment Trends are Sending a Distress Signal
The employment rate among youth has declined from around 53% in 2004-2005 to 40% in 2022-2023. The fall in employment rate occurred alongside a fall in youth labour force participation rate. Clearly, the youth are increasingly falling out of the labour force as they are not finding work: they are becoming “discouraged workers”.
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Underpaid and Unheard: The Struggle of Kerala’s ASHA Workers
The ASHAs of Kerala receive a meagre honorarium though they play an indispensable role in the State’s healthcare. They are seen as ‘volunteers’ and the Centre refuses to classify them as ‘workers’, but the State government has failed to meet their immediate demands for fair pay and social security.
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In Bihar, Corruption in Govt Exams Is Pushing Women to Marriage and Motherhood
With stable employment outside government scarce, educated female aspirants say they are being pushed towards domesticity and marriage after repeated cancellation of exams.
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Health and Education Outlays Cut in Budget 2024-25; NREGA Budget Stagnant
Budgets for most of the schemes and departments, such as education, health, social security pensions, and mid-day meals, are either stagnant or have increased only nominally. Accounting for inflation, the NREGA budget is effectively lower by ~Rs 4,000 crore compared to the FY2025 budget.
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What does Karnataka’s New Bill for Platform-Based Gig Workers Entail?
A critical appraisal and some suggestions on the Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2023.
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Union Budgets 2014 to 2024 – Article 2: India’s Unemployment Crisis
In this second article of our budget analysis of the past 10 years of the Modi Government, we critically analyse the unemployment data given in official documents that claim that unemployment in the country has fallen to historic lows.
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What Is to Be Done About Unemployment?
An increase in government expenditure financed by larger wealth and inheritance taxation provides the easiest and most direct route to the generation of larger employment in the economy.
