Op-Eds

There is a need for community-based approaches for resolving the water crisis and liberating women from the task of fetching it India accounts for 18 per cent of the world's population, but holds only 4 per cent of its water resources, making it one of the most water-deficient regions in the world As the annual...   Read More

Though the government has been running a Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation since 2014, a comprehensive database of farmers’ usage of farm machinery isn’t available. Ownership of power farm equipment in India is low. The recently released NCAER White Paper on ‘Making India a Global Power House in the Farm Machinery Industry’ suggests that there are...   Read More

As India increasingly urbanises, it has become important to measure its economic parameters, not only at the aggregate level but also at the disaggregated level. The literature review suggests that there are differences across city tiers. However, we find that the current statistics simply do not capture the nuances of the urban economic parameters. This...   Read More

Women need healthcare the most but often they are the ones who do not have adequate access to it. As we celebrate another International Women’s Day, it is time to yet again take stock of the progress in gender equity across various parameters of human development. And while there may be some reason to celebrate...   Read More

The key is to not put all eggs in the single basket of state-led programmes and to ensure that other spaces for women’s activism are preserved. The vibrancy of the Indian women’s movement is acknowledged worldwide. However, its gradual transformation has received much less attention. Over the years, its thrust has moved from serving as...   Read More

Small farmers lack access to tools, as the tractor-dominated farm machinery sector suffers from demand, supply constraints India is simply not producing the sort of farm machinery that our small and marginal farmers want or can readily use at a price which appeals to them. Farm machinery comprises equipment used at various stages of farm...   Read More

There is plenty of blame to go around for the current debt situation. Debtor countries that borrowed unsustainably; large creditor countries, especially China, and private creditors, who lent recklessly on opaque and unfair terms; and multilateral organisations that failed to monitor and warn of the unsustainable amount of debts being raised, are all to be...   Read More

Trams are more energy-efficient and economical. After the push for carbon neutral transport system, all metros in India are now moving towards electric-bus. Recently, Mumbai introduced double-decker e-bus like the one that plies in London. The impression one gets is that this is the preferred mode for an urban transport system. However, one finds it...   Read More

Bank account ownership took a leap over the last decade. But some of the gains stagnated during the pandemic. 2021 Global Findex data show that 78% of women reported having bank accounts. However, 64% did not withdraw any funds during the last 12 months, and 28% reported having an inactive account. Budget 2023 announced the...   Read More

Ayushman Bharat: These schemes have a good coverage. But funds use will suffer, if people are unaware of entitlements The introduction of social health insurance has been one of the most significant innovations of the past decade. While public health spending (including both Centre and States) has seen only a marginal increase over the last...   Read More