Statistically Speaking

What are the issues surrounding the elections?

05 Apr 2023 00:30 AM IST

One of the major issues on voters’ minds and being played into by parties to fight the 2023 state elections is corruption. The term of the current BJP government in the state has been marred by a slew of large-scale corruption allegations. In July 2021, the president of the Karnataka

What is the current on-ground sentiment?

05 Apr 2023 00:28 AM IST

The months leading up to the state Assembly elections have seen several high-profile defections, including BJP leader from Chikkamagluru H.D. Thammaiah and four-time MLC Puttanna, both of whom left the BJP to join the Congress. Although the elections are only a month away, the parties are yet to announce their

Countdown Karnataka Assembly elections

05 Apr 2023 00:27 AM IST

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced last week that elections to the 224-member Karnataka state Assembly will be held on 10th May in a single phase and the results will be announced on 13th May. The coalition government of Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) and the Indian National Congress (INC)

Boosting Rural Demand, Reviving MGNREGS

31 Mar 2023 00:35 AM IST

The scheme’s impact on reducing rural poverty and improving standards of living is well established through several studies. According to a recent study by Azim Premji University, by compensating for income loss caused by COVID-19-induced shutdowns by up to 80 per cent, the scheme provided a much-needed safety net for

Insufficient Funds In Spite of Demand

31 Mar 2023 00:34 AM IST

MGNREGS is facing a double whammy of sorts as the reduced rate hike in daily wages is coupled with a declining budgetary allocation for the rural programme. There is no component of standalone fund allocation to states and UTs under MGNREGS and funds released to the states and Union Territories

From Low Wage Hikes to Declining Interest

31 Mar 2023 00:33 AM IST

On 24th March 2023, the Union Ministry of Rural Development notified a hike in wage rates under the rural job guarantee programme for the Financial Year 2023-24. The hike, applicable from 1st April 2023, ranges from Rs. 7 to Rs. 26, or between two per cent to ten per cent

Taking it Beyond Unskilled Work

31 Mar 2023 00:32 AM IST

MGNREGS is a demand-driven employment guarantee scheme which guarantees at least 100 days of paid employment (in the form of unskilled manual work) in a financial year to every rural household. The scheme is premised on the need to create employment and generate productive assets in rural areas thereby supporting

Sub-Par Wage Hike, Declining Allocation: Double Whammy for MGNREGS

31 Mar 2023 00:31 AM IST

According to a study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the University of Maryland, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) helped reduce the incidence of poverty in rural areas by up to 32 per cent and prevented 1.4 crore people from falling

Which Indian islands are under threat of disappearance?

29 Mar 2023 01:39 AM IST

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are perhaps the most famous islands in India, is a group of 836 islands perched at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Out of the hundreds of islands around 31 are inhabited. However, the islands have experienced a major

Climate change and rising sea levels

29 Mar 2023 00:18 AM IST

It is estimated that more than 7,500 square kilometres of Indian coastline are at high risk for the impact of climate change-related events fueled by rising sea levels. Sea levels alongside the Indian coast have been estimated to have risen by 8.5 centimetres in the past fifty years. Scientific predictions

The Threat of India’s Sinking Islands

28 Mar 2023 22:24 PM IST

The coastal regions of India are home to around 170 million people. However, the effects of climate change, rising sea levels, erosion, and the increase in extreme weather events such as tropical storms and cyclones are threatening the lives of people living in India’s coastal regions, in particular, those living

Is India Prepared?

24 Mar 2023 01:45 AM IST

Using a currency for international trade has to go beyond the currency being a medium of exchange for goods and services trade. It must reflect the ability to support transactions in the capital markets as well. This calls for greater integration and opening up of the domestic economy and the