The three new labour codes passed by Parliament without discussion make sweeping changes to labour laws; they reduce the regulatory powers of the government; they hand over some oversight functions…
India’s new labour codes that consolidated 29 central labour laws in 2019-2020 reveal a pro-employer ideology. These codes reverse hard-won protections and return conditions to colonial-era standards.
Labour rights in India have been based on the norms of the International Labour Organization but these have not led to any noticeable increase in standards. India’s labour regulatory regime can…
Employment and wage trends since the mid-1990s have seen 3 phases of growth. In the 3rd period, since 2017–18, the ‘quantity’ of employment has grown. This has been mainly of the self-employed with…
There is no connection between politics, elections and governance in Bihar. It is instead caste that defines both society and politics: caste parties and caste-based alliances seek to get the better…
The story of the Vikassheel Insaan Party or VIP, a party of the Nishad community in Bihar, is important for understanding the positives and negatives of the rise of small caste-based political…
The story of the Muslim vote in Bihar is not the triumph of the AIMIM, but the strong desire of the Muslim voter in both majority and minority areas across the state to express herself against the…
The air pollution crisis of the Indo-Gangetic plain runs deep. Quick fixes won’t work — it demands systemic change, bold reforms, and multi-pronged action.
Air pollution levels worsen each year, yet action is stymied by the government maintaining there is no correlation with deaths and diseases. As India embarks on a decadal review of its air quality…
The precarity of informal workers in India's coalfields point towards the need for discussions around 'just transition' to bring together climate justice and labour justice.
The free LPG connection scheme has seen a huge increase in the number of poor rural homes with gas stoves; more needs to be done to make LPG affordable and encourage the use of this clean fuel,…
The differences in fertility between communities in India are no longer a matter of concern. All socio-religious groups show a significant decline in the average number of children per woman, and…
‘Overpopulation’ can no longer be a concern in India, as across states and across religious groups fertility has been falling in recent decades and approaching replacement level. Fears about a…
Rapid population growth is no longer a major issue in India as it was in the 1970s. Current challenges include harnessing the demographic dividend, developing elderly care systems, addressing inter-…
