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Articles by Thiagu RanganathanSubscribe to Thiagu Ranganathan

The Curious Case of Cocktails, Weedicides, and Tonics

Vol. 54, Issue No. 44, 09 Nov, 2019
Thiagu Ranganathan, Sarthak Gaurav

This study uses primary survey data collected from Vidarbha, Maharashtra, to analyse pest attacks and pest management practices among cotton farmers who are at the risk of long-term exposure to toxic pesticides. We find that despite a reduction in bollworm infestations, secondary pest pressure is high. Farmers use pesticides indiscriminately and there is widespread practice of using “pesticide cocktails.” Farmers also mix pesticides with fertilisers. The use of weedicides and “tonics” is also widely prevalent. Farmers who perceive pesticides as yield-enhancing input spent more per acre on them. These findings raise concerns about the role of agricultural input dealers in filling up the agricultural information void for pest management.

Facilitation and Whistle-blower Protection by Indian Firms

Vol. 54, Issue No. 15, 13 Apr, 2019
M V Shivaani, Thiagu Ranganathan

The policies related to whistle-blowing among the BSE 30 companies in India are analysed. In the facilitative aspect, 80% of the firms explicitly mention the reporting authority. Similarly, 80% of the firms have elaborated on how the reporting should happen, whereas only 10% of the firms allow complaints to be registered over phone. The findings indicate an urgent need to develop and enforce corporate policies to protect the whistle-blowers.

Pesticide Usage by Cotton Farmers in India

Vol. 53, Issue No. 19, 12 May, 2018
Thiagu Ranganathan, Sarthak Gaurav, Imdadul Islam Halder

With India emerging as a leading cotton producer in the world, and considering the large-scale adoption of Bt cotton cultivation, there is a need to understand the patterns of pesticide use by cotton farmers, especially as environmental, ecological, and health concerns surrounding pesticide use continue to be debated.

The Words that Made Budget Speeches in the Last 5 Years

Vol. 53, Issue No. 9, 03 Mar, 2018
If a sector is mentioned a lot of times in the budget speech, it does not neccesarily mean that the funds allocated to it is high. In the case of “agriculture”, the weighted frequency of the word is the highest in the last budget, whereas the proportion of funds allocated to it was the lowest across the five-year period.

Antibiotic Treatments for Short-term Morbidity in India

Vol. 52, Issue No. 47, 25 Nov, 2017
Thiagu Ranganathan

The proportion of patients receiving antibiotic treatment for short-term morbidity in India is estimated using nationally representative survey data, the Indian Human Development Survey conducted in 2011–12. It is found that antibiotic usage varies across different parameters: the types of symptoms, the primary source providing medical advice/ treatment, number of days the patient was ill, age group of the patient, and the month in which the survey was conducted.

Income Mobility among Social Groups

Vol. 52, Issue No. 41, 14 Oct, 2017
Thiagu Ranganathan, Amarnath Tripathi, Ghanshyam Pandey

Looking at income mobility across different social groups in India using the India Human Development Survey data from 2004–05 and 2011–12, different notions of mobility are calculated. Average mobility across quintiles is seen to be higher among backward castes. Higher inter-temporal mobility among households belonging to Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes is noticed, while positional movement is similar across different social groups. Per capita absolute income changes are seen to be the highest for forward castes, while per capita directional income changes were highestfor sc households.

An Inquiry into the Composition of Farm Revenue Risk

Vol. 48, Issue No. 26-27, 29 Jun, 2013
Sarthak Gaurav, Thiagu Ranganathan

In a liberalised economy, a fundamental understanding of the components of farm revenue risk through the relationship between yield and price risk is imperative. This study decomposes the changes in revenue risk over two decades of cotton cultivation in six districts of the Vidarbha region in Maharashtra into changes in price risk, yield risk, and the natural hedge. Examining data in two periods, 1991-2002 and 2003-11, it shows that though there has been a reduction in price variances, the increase in covariance between yield and price and the change in yield variance have caused increased riskiness in cotton revenues. It also indicates directions for future policies.

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