Livelihood News - India Together

UNORGANISED LABOUR
An endless wait for social security

The finance minister’s dream of extending social security cover to all unorganised workers in the country is a lofty one undoubtedly, but Kathyayini Chamaraj identifies the many gaps in the existing law that need to be addressed for that dream to be realised.

Labour Issues Human Rights

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SKILL DEVELOPMENT – II

The skills journey: A long history but no destination in sight

In the second and concluding part of his exposition on India’s skill development efforts, Shambhu Ghatak traces the journey under the UPA and NDA governments, only to find that while the thrust remains the same, the end is far from sight.

Economy Education

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The gap between where we are and where we want to be

The Skill India Mission aims to provide skills training to around 402 million people by the year 2022. In the first of a two-part series, Shambhu Ghatak upholds estimates of skilled workforce from various reports to highlight the yawning gap that needs to be bridged.

Economy Education

DOMESTIC WORKERS

Can we do something for those we cannot do without?

In an upper to middle income household a domestic help and her services are indispensable. Yet, she is not given the diginity, living wages and other benefits one gets in the organised sector. Pushpa Achanta talks to the activists working for the domestic workers' rights to find what it will take to recognise these rights in our society.

Urban Poor Society

RIVER POLLUTION AND LIVELIHOODS

In Vapi, can decades of damage be finally turned around?

Rapid industrial growth brought wealth but also unchecked pollution to the town of Vapi. It impacted the local fishing communities by destroying their livelihoods. Manisha Goswami and Bharat Patel report on the decades of damage caused by the chemical industries in the area.

Environment GUJARAT

RURAL INDIA

The case of sustainable poverty in rural India

In what appears to be a damning indictment of the Five Year Plans, launched in 1951, as well as the economic reforms process that began in 1991, the first ever socio-economic survey has painted a dismal picture of rural India, says Devinder Sharma.

Opinions Devinder Sharma Poverty

TRIBAL WELFARE

All good, but only on paper

An apparently well-intended plan to help very poor tribes in Madhya Pradesh find sustainable livelihoods bears no relation to the reality of how it is actually implemented. Money is simply distributed and disappears, but things remain unchanged. Susmita Guru reports.

Adivasis Poverty M.P.

E-FLOWS REPORT

Keep our rivers flowing!

A report from the water resources ministry underlines, for the first time, the importance of ‘e-flows’ in river basin planning, so that our rivers are able to carry out all the functions needed to sustain entire riparian systems. Shripad Dharmadhikary discusses the key points in the report.

Environment

THE DONGRIA KONDH HABITAT

Securing tribal rights means understanding them first

The recent letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, urging states to recognise the habitat rights of vulnerable tribal groups under the FRA, is a welcome move. Meenal Tatpati, Rashi Misra and Subrat Kumar Nayak analyse the Dongria Kondh experience to underline what is necessary to do so effectively.

Forests Adivasis Human Rights

STREET VENDORS

A futile struggle for the right to trade

Legislation for street vendors mandates registration of all vendors and allocation of spaces for them by the state in designated zones. Navya P K’s interaction with street vendors in Delhi reveals a reality that is in stark contrast to what the law holds.

Trade Laws DELHI

GROWTH VERSUS IDENTITY

Why the Dongria Kondh rejected development in the Niyamgiri Hills

The 2013 rejection of the bauxite mining plan in Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hills by the local tribal gram sabhas is hailed as the first successful environmental referendum in the country. Meenal Tatpati and Rashi Misra visit the region to find out what led the people to oppose the proposed ‘development’.

Forests Mining Adivasis Human Rights

RURAL WAGES

Skills-building an imperative for rural India too and here’s why!

A recent report from the Ministry of Labour and Employment reveals that skill-intensive occupations such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical work pay more in rural India. Shambhu Ghatak looks at the data closely to argue for greater efforts towards imparting skills, especially to rural women.

Agriculture Labour Issues Economy Work+Life

MIGRANT LABOUR

Daily wage-earners in Delhi find little cause to cheer for AAP

The AAP manifesto may have talked at length about “a flexible and fair labour policy” and regularisation of contract workers, but for a vast section of daily wage-earners, such promises hold no meaning. Devanik Saha talks to one to find out why.

Labour Issues Economy DELHI

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Retired Scientist
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