Articles by Ram Singh

The policymakers in India have constantly endeavoured to promote agricultural exports; however, certain agricultural products have been subject to extensive use of export restrictions as well. In this context, the article attempts to appraise the various trade policy instruments with special reference to “minimum export price” and examine how it has become a redundant trade policy tool. The case of onions is used to elucidate the exorbitant misuse of MEP by unscrupulous business fi rms and suggests a road map for policy reforms. Agriculture has been an integral part of the Indian economy for centuries. Despite the rapid growth of other sectors, it continues to be the primary source of livelihood for a majority of the country’s population (Mathur et al 2006). India is the world’s second largest producer and 10th largest exporter of agricultural products. With available production surplus in key agricultural products, the Government of

The draft Development of Enterprises and Services Hub Bill, 2022 refl ects signifi cant policy ambivalence and contributes to legal ambiguities for business fi rms. It is not only incoherent with other fl agship schemes of the Government of India but also is oblivious to the evolving global trade realities, thus exposing the potential risks of policy-induced distortion(s).

The ever-increasing import bill of edible oil has become a chronic problem for India with edible oil being the third largest among imported goods in India, next only to crude oil and gold. There are structural issues in production, productivity, and trade of edible oils. These energy-rich crops are grown in energy-starved conditions where more than 70% of the area under cultivation is rain-fed and often cultivated with low-quality seeds in a fragmented landholding and outdated agri-management practices. It further studies the trade liberalisation measures of a liberal trade policy regime, lower import duties, duty-exemptions under free trade agreements, and changes that India has witnessed in consumption as well as retail of edible oil.

The Government of India has rolled out new rules to restrict third country imports routed through free trade agreement partners for availing preferential tariff benefits. However, the regulatory and compliance-related burdens of the new rules will burden both import-dependent and value chain led export-oriented sectors, and make them uncompetitive in global markets.

This paper focuses on two aspects of the laws that govern the acquisition and transfer of agricultural land for other purposes: (a) litigation over compensation, and (b) the regulatory impediments obstructing voluntary land transactions. It shows that there is excessive litigation under the current land acquisition law. It is argued that any compulsory acquisition-based process is inherently prone to litigation, even if accompanied by presumably benevolent schemes such as land-for-land and the rehabilitation and resettlement packages. The paper offers suggestions on how to reform the regulatory framework that governs agricultural land and its use. It discusses the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011 and reveals how the bill leaves open several back doors for states to favour companies, and how it fails to address the fundamental causes behind the rampant disputes and litigation over compensation.