Op-Eds

The Code's effects on employment and productivity depend less on its provisions than on how mandates interact with firm size, labour market structure, and worker perceptions of contributions. Social security – the provision of a safety net against retirement, health expenses, and income shocks – is a foundational principle of formal employment. In India, this...   Read More

Improving standards compliance, institutional coordination, and farmer-market linkages is critical for enhancing India’s competitiveness in global agri-food trade India stands at a pivotal moment in global agri-food trade. It is among the world’s largest producers of rice, milk, spices, fruits, fisheries, and several horticulture products, yet its share in global agricultural exports remains modest at around...   Read More

India’s recent gains in women’s employment and leadership reveal both expanding opportunities and the structural barriers that continue to shape economic agency. The trends highlight a doubling of women in managerial roles alongside a rise in the rural female labour force participation rate (LFPR) to 45.9 percent. To what extent does this shift signal genuine...   Read More

Schools shift to online teaching during heat waves or pollution. Poor children suffer, as they cannot access instruction. India’s education policy today rightly emphasises better learning outcomes, equitable and inclusive education, and the human capital required to achieve the country’s developmental goals. But for millions of children, the basic condition that makes all of this...   Read More

In the fourth part of our series on India’s new labour reforms, Afridi and Talukder focus on the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 – in terms of its rationale, the key legislative changes that it entails, state-level implementation, and what the existing theoretical and empirical literature says about potential impacts. They contend that...   Read More

Empires were once forged in iron and fuelled by coal; today, they may fracture over elements most people cannot spell. Empires were once forged in iron and fuelled by coal; today, they may fracture over elements most people cannot spell. In the circuitry of the modern economy, power no longer flows only through oil wells...   Read More

In the third part of our series on India’s new labour reforms, Afridi and Smruti focus on the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 – in terms of its rationale, the key legislative changes that it entails, state-level implementation, and what the existing theoretical and empirical literature says about potential impacts. They contend that the Code may improve allocative...   Read More

Data shows that young Indians spend an extraordinarily long time waiting for the right job opportunity to show up. The rise of AI will probably elongate the wait. This is a worry. Who’ll support them till they find suitable employment? India’s unemployment debate is missing a crucial dimension: time. Time spent waiting is a loss...   Read More

For generations, the work women do within the home has gone largely uncounted in national productivity measures. The Time Use Survey is an important step toward correcting that oversight. International Mother’s Day, celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May, is an occasion to express gratitude to mothers for their love, care, and countless sacrifices. The word “mother”...   Read More

In the second part of our series on India’s new labour reforms, Afridi and Thakur focus on the Code on Social Security, 2020 – in terms of its rationale, the key legislative changes that it entails, state-level implementation, and what the existing theoretical and empirical literature says about potential impacts. They contend that it is likely to...   Read More