SPRF
Introduction As India grapples with leveraging its manufacturing prowess to fuel its growth story with challenges emerging on the fronts of international trade, a closing demographic window, concerns of premature deindustrialization, etc., an analysis of what has been called as her de facto Industrial Policy—Production Linked Incentives, announced in 2020—becomes imperative (Dhar, 2024). Launched to […]
1. Introduction As India witnessed another major general strike in July, allegedly consisting of 25 crore workers, called by the leading central trade unions in pursuance of a number of demands against the central and state governments, a concern over their ‘presence’, and more so of the efficacy of their ‘tactics’ is renewed (The Wire […]
Introduction Time-use patterns provide a crucial lens to assess how workers divide their time between paid work, unpaid responsibilities, education, and leisure. It can tell us something beyond wages, and help us understand the worker not merely as the seller of labour. It can give cues to situate the worker beyond an entity of the […]
India’s demographic dividend—having more working-age than dependent population—provides for a significant opportunity for economic growth. The median age of the country stands at 28.4 years, which is significantly lower than countries like China, Japan, and the USA, which stand at 39.6, 49.4, and 38.3 years respectively (United Nations, n.d.). India’s current working age (15 to […]
This year, in the monsoon session of the Parliament, the Income Tax (No.2) Bill was passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and stands to come into force from 1st April, 2026 onwards. Reviewing the existing Income Tax Act of 1961 was announced in the budget session of 2024 by the current finance […]
Introduction: Contexts and Contingencies The discourse around one of the key labour issues in India, today, adequately typifies a major objective in writing this paper. This relates to the ongoing conflict between the central government’s attempt to notify the four new Labour Codes, which were announced in 2020, and have been met with consistent protests […]
Introduction In this fast-paced world, fashion serves as a medium of self-expression, allowing individuals to showcase their personalities and ideologies through their styling choices. The choices made regarding clothing and accessories can establish a person’s social, political, and economic identity. Yet, as the world delves into this pursuit of authenticity and creativity in our appearances, […]
Among developed nations, the European Union (EU) has remained at the forefront of environmental protection, distinguished through proactive and legally binding measures. While many countries have set ambitious climate targets, the EU has gone a step further by enacting comprehensive policies that drive sustainable practices both within its borders and globally. The European Green […]
Introduction In the May of 1990 when Montek Singh Ahluwalia delivered his seminal paper, “Towards a Restructuring of Industrial, Trade and Fiscal Policies” for an internal discussion in the government, a reservation on the question of labour was made for a later date, saying, “Reforms relating to labour legislation are also necessary. However, this is […]
Introduction India’s investment in research and development (R&D) has been slow, decreasing from 0.82% of its GDP in 2009-10 to 0.64% in 2020-21. As noted by the Department of Science and Technology in a 2023 report, most developed countries spend more than 2% of their GDP on R&D. However, India’s R&D investment has been lower […]