Articles by Meenakshi Rajeev

The International Labour Organization included the concept of decent work in the Sustainable Development Goals to address concerns about workplace conditions, especially in developing countries. Among the different sectors of any developing economy, agriculture and allied activities have lagged the most in terms of decent work. This paper examines decent work in the fisheries sector in India. Using the National Sample Survey Office data from the Employment and Unemployment Survey of India, the paper arrives at a multidimensional decent work index. The paper finds that labourers belonging to the richer states rank lower in terms of decent work compared to the relatively poorer states, indicating higher inequality in the former regions. It also finds that per capita incomes are well below the poverty line for more than 40% of workers in fisheries.

Crop insurance is a vital component of agriculture, especially in a country such as India, where the majority of farmers are small and marginal with low savings that reduces their ability to weather agricultural risks and fluctuations. Programmes extending insurance cover for crops in India have long been in operation, but have not been able to include the majority of the agricultural sector within their ambit. Analysing the 70th Round Situation Assessment Survey data, collected by the National Sample Survey Office, the performance of crop insurance at the household level is examined and factors that determine its adoption are identified using an econometric analysis. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is then analysed by looking more closely at the structure of the scheme.

This article examines the National Sample Survey Organisation unit record data pertaining to debt and investment (59th round) and highlights inequality in access to credit by certain segments of society. In particular, it shows that weaker sections such as female-headed households have a much lower access than their male counterpart even when they are involved in similar economic activities and consequently face significantly higher rates of interest.

Marginal farmers in rural West Bengal, as seen from a field survey carried out in the Hooghly district, are increasingly relying on the trader class as a major source of credit for working capital, as opposed to traditional moneylenders or the formal sector. The repayment rates by these farmers are also better than that of the comparatively better off farmers.

For the preparation of statewise Human Development Reports (HDR), difficult issues related to income and poverty estimates at the district level first need to be sorted out. While norms for national accounts and macro data systems are set by the Planning Commission, the need for information based on local understanding has gained further urgency with the setting up of District Planning Committees in all states. HDR computing efforts have thrown up many issues of data - both of a conceptual nature and also of availability. This paper looks at these constraints as they were discussed at a workshop and how participants sought to address these in connection with income and poverty estimates.