SPRF
ABSTRACT The Government of India recently invited private sector investments in Indian Railways, citing the need to modernise the Railways and reduce the demand-supply gap in passenger transport. In this context, this paper attempts to analyse the reasons for the Railways’ crisis-ridden present-day reality and whether going down the path of privatisation would proffer a […]
ABSTRACT The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflected in rising unemployment rates and starvation deaths across the country, was met by calls to universalise the Public Distribution System. Recognising that the pandemic served to exacerbate already existing food insecurity in the country, this paper seeks to explore the public discourse surrounding policy responses […]
ABSTRACT The rapid increase in urbanisation has seen challenges emerging in the planning and management of land. This issue brief seeks to explore the market-based financing tools for land management and analyses whether it can be an alternative for efficiently using urban space. Using case studies from Mumbai and Ahmedabad, this issue brief further […]
ABSTRACT The issue of labour law reforms has been at the core of the conventional discourse on industrial investments and job creation in India, wherein these laws are seen as restrictive and complex. The series of labour law changes made by several state governments in May 2020 also had the rationale of driving industrial […]
ABSTRACT This paper attempts to analyse the recently passed amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), under the broader legal discourse relating to counter-terrorism, national security and human rights concerns. It further looks at UAPA in light of domestic jurisprudence on fundamental rights protection as well as various international legal instruments to assess its […]
ABSTRACT The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the underlying conditions surrounding India’s healthcare system today. With a population of over 1.33 billion people, India spends 3.66% of its total GDP on healthcare, out of which the total government expenditure is only 1.28%. In light of this unprecedented health crisis, this paper seeks to highlight the […]
ABSTRACT In light of the recent Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on 17th March 2020, this paper attempts to evaluate the current scenario of abortion-seeking in India. Despite being an essential healthcare need for millions of women and their families, safe and legal abortions continue to be inaccessible almost […]
ABSTRACT Scheduled Tribes are one of the most disadvantaged, marginalised groups in India. Traditionally dwelling in forests, land is the basis of not just their livelihood, but also their collective cultural identity. However, alienation of tribal populations from lands they have occupied for generations has become a common practice across the country. The development rhetoric […]
ABSTRACT The agriculture sector in India has witnessed continued distress in recent years with net investments in agricultural assets decreasing along with the sector’s share in the economy. Farmers have been grappling with stagnant incomes in the absence of true price realisation at the farmgate level, while paying a high retail price for other commodities […]
In a two-part publication, SPRF looks at sustainability in the fashion industry. Watch our explainer video below. ABSTRACT The fashion industry has seen several cultural changes over the course of history, in line with larger social and political contexts. Currently, fast fashion brands hold a monopoly with consistent growth year after year. There are […]
ABSTRACT In 2005, the Government of India declared that India had eliminated leprosy as a public health issue. However, according to the WHO, 1,25,000 new cases of leprosy continue to be reported in India every year, with 60% of the world’s total new leprosy cases being in India. This paper seeks to bring leprosy back […]
ABSTRACT This paper intends to provide an overview of the RCEP trade deal and look at India’s trade with ASEAN countries to understand how its performance under ASEAN influenced its participation in the RCEP negotiations. The various factors that may have influenced India’s decision to not participate in the RCEP deal are explored. The paper […]
ABSTRACT This paper explores the rise in hysterectomies (a medical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus) among sugarcane labourers in the Beed district of Maharashtra. Employing an intersectional lens, the paper examines how bodies of female labourers in the region are imbued in a complex set of relations shaped by the agrarian crisis, migration patterns […]
ABSTRACT Over the years, India has emerged as a major producer and exporter of opium. However, only a small percentage of the total domestic cultivation of opium is utilized to meet the medical needs of patients in India, an issue which lies at the core of the opioid paradox facing the country. This paper explores […]