Mukta Naik, Eesha Kunduri & Manish (The original piece appeared in The Tribune on 28 December 2016) A sweeping indictment of cash needs to be replaced with a more nuanced understanding of the cash-driven economy. We need measures to protect those who are genuinely cash-dependent. The cash economy is multilayered, involving cash payments at multiple […]
Life has been hard following demonetisation, especially so for informal workers who constitute as per the NCEUS’ 2007 report, about 92% of India’s workforce. In Delhi, many of these informal workers are also migrants. But behind the stories of hardship, there is the reality of coping mechanisms and a variety of strategies that have helped […]
Posted in Financial Inclusion, Livelihoods, Migration and Development 
Tags: black money, cash, cashless, common good, demonetisation, Demonetization, digital, economy, evidence, fieldworks, hardship, homeless, India, informal workers, livelihoods, migrants, Modi, nationalism, notebandi, PM Modi, policy 
No Comments »This morning I was roped in to speak about the impacts of demonetisation on migrant workers by Gurgaon ki Awaz, a community radio station in Gurgaon, where I live. I was speaking on a live show with the mandate to highlight systemic problems that might impact migrant workers in particular ways in this predicament, when […]
Posted in Financial Inclusion, Labour Markets, political Inclusion, Political Rights Tags: banking, demonetisation, exclusion, identity, inclusion, migrants, politics No Comments »The tragic death of TISS Professor Sharit Bhowmik two days ago in Bangkok has left a gaping hole in that small but vital community of academics who have been vocal activists for causes that bring the voices of the most marginalised to the fore. I did not know Dr Bhowmik personally and therefore I will […]
The hilly states of India have had a long history of out-migration. In Uttarakhand, officials in the smallest towns and district capitals cite palaayan (migration) as a top concern. Farmers talk about falling productivity, climate change and poor connectivity to markets and youth rue the lack of employment opportunities for them in and near their […]
Posted in Migration Patterns, Urbanization Tags: migration decisions, return migration, rural BPO, Uttarakhand, youth 1 Comment »Innovation and creativity are key to social sector initiatives. For Agrasar, which is a not for profit organisation based in the National Capital Region, finding creative solutions that meet an immediate need has been an effective strategy. Agrasar operates 5 vocational training centres in Gurgaon, Saharanpur and Haridwar; however, our long-term interest is in providing […]
Posted in Uncategorized Tags: cities, doemstic workers, informal migrant workers, jobs No Comments »The economic benefits of migration to the city is often offset by expenditure towards schooling, healthcare, food, sanitation and other services that the State is meant to provide.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has recently released, from its 70th round, key indicators on the situation of agricultural households in India. The results of the ‘Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households in India’ pertain to the crop year 2012-13. For the fraternity interested in migration issues, this could be an interesting dataset to […]
Regardless of economic class or place of origin, migration is synonymous with opportunity. The question of whether migration is something people are forced into or whether is a choice people make has intrigued researchers and academics; in my opinion, it isn’t an either/or situation.
Posted in Livelihoods, Migration and Development Tags: cities, housing, migration, urban No Comments »
