Possibly even more than a public health crisis, Covid-19 is an economic crisis manifested most severely in the labour market. In the face of the pandemic, the structure of the labour market typifies the extreme vulnerability of workers in India.

On the occasion of World Food Day (October 16), prime minister Narendra Modi issued a commemorative coin of Rs 75 and dedicated 17 bio-fortified varieties of eight crops to the nation to celebrate the establishment of Food and Agriculture Organisa

Handholding domestic industries to develop domestic capacities should be a part of India’s economic strategy, not the entirety of it.

The better approach would be to start designing policies which support “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, and invest sufficiently in becoming comparable with China in terms of benefits due to economies of scale.

While rural India is poorer than its urban counterpart, in the COVID-19 crisis, it is the urban poor who are far more vulnerable with less social and government support.

The evolving situation around Covid-19 is becoming critical. Governments have already announced guidelines for citizens to keep themselves safe. Packages have also been declared to safeguard interests of various sectors.

In a rush to provide for the emergency, maintaining quality is needed. Hence, the effect could be counterproductive.

Lately, India’s trade policy seem to lack a vision. After actively pursuing it for over a decade, India decided against joining RCEP at the eleventh hour.

The finance minister, in her FY21 budget speech, announced a 16-point agenda to kickstart growth in agriculture and farmers’ income. While the agenda makes sense, following the money presents a disconcerting prospect.

Unless the government builds in right incentives for its agriculture action plan, things will not work. As has been the case with e-NAM and banana trains.

A dip in India’s ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) has rightly created a stir in the country.

The idea of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of its independence, was shared by prime minister Narendra Modi at a kisan rally in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) in February 2016.

The build-up to the 2019 elections inter alia has been characterised by competitive claims of formulae and formula to address poverty with rallying cries of surgical strikes, final assaults and “it is achievable”.

A recent Lancet study regards dietary factors to be amongst the biggest risk factors for death and disability in India.