February 2016
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Union Budget Speech, 2016-17

"Our agenda for the next year is, therefore, to ‘Transform India’ in this direction. My Budget proposals are, therefore, built on this transforma

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Economic Survey 2015 -16

"This year’s Economic Survey comes at a time of unusual volatility in the international economic environment. Markets have begun to swing on fear

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Modern Day Slavery: A Study of Tribals and Dalits as Bonded Labour in Brick Kilns

Scholars have analysed bonded labour in South Asia as a result of poverty, social exclusion, and the failure of state mechanism to act against the practice and its underlying causes. The chronically poor, predominantly drawn from the Scheduled Castes and minority groups are often those who are enslaved under this oppressive system.The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy’s latest Report examines the conditions of migrant labour from rural areas of four States – Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar, and analyses the causes behind the persistence of bonded labour even 40 years after it was abolished. Based on interviews of labourers, brick kiln owners, civil society members, lawyers and government officials it brings out the issues of unorganised labour in India, and how industries disregard labour protection and welfare. The action taken by the state to end the labour bondage is ineffective, while the efforts of non-government organisations have been more on release than rehabilitation. The Report, authored by Ajita Banerjie suggests the manner in which bonded labour should be contextualised in the discussion to improve labour standards. Related Articles : 1. Ebenezer, R. 2020 . Ensuring Zero Tolerance for all Forms of Forced Labour , The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, July 14. [https://www.thehinducentre.com/the-arena/current-issues/article32043893.ece]. 2. Chanda, R and Ghosh, S. 2015 . Amendments to the Child Labour Act: A Positive or Regressive Step? , The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, June 23. [https://www.thehinducentre.com/the-arena/current-issues/article7341933.ece]. 3. Rajendran, S. 2015 . Retrogressive Changes to Child Labour Act Should Be Withdrawn: Nina P. Nayak , The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, May 27. [https://www.thehinducentre.com/the-arena/current-issues/article7251011.ece].[PDF 1.25 MB]

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Railway Budget Speech 2016-17

The Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhu, presented the Railway Budget for the year 2016-17. In his budget speech, Suresh Prabhu made the point

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Address by President Pranab Mukherjee to the Joint Session of Parliament - February 23, 2016

Full text of the address by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, to the joint session of Parliament on February 23, 2016. The President’s Address marked the start of the Budget session of Parliament. Source: Office of the President of India. Resources: Full text of Speech by The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to the Joint Session of both houses of Parliament. [PDF 329 KB] (Copyright © 2014 The President of India)

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No Consistency in Delhi’s Approach to Kashmir: A.S. Dulat

Kashmir remains India’s unsolved puzzle even after six decades. Its history has thrown up strange paradoxes and challenges for policy makers in New De

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JNU Arrest: Not Just a Crackdown, It's a War on Democracy

Is the current tension between the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Indian government unique? In this article, Vasundhara

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Rights in Review - The Supreme Court in 2015

The responsibility of the Supreme Court of India in upholding fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution is unparalleled. Year on year, it se

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Dispelling Budgetary Gloom

Ahead of the Union Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is presented with a few challenges. Plan allocation is down and several centrally-sponsored s

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Rajasthan and Haryana Panchayat Amendments strike at the heart of Universal Adult Suffrage

The right to vote and the right to contest are central to the concept of citizenship in an electoral democracy. Individuals can be disqualified from