Shows
The Signal BriefChina's Debt DramaFor the first story, we are looking at China cracking down on people with bad debts and expanding its dystopian social credit system to punish citizens with poor financial histories, as the country grapples with a housing market downturn, slowing growth, and economic challenges.In our main story we dive into the monsoon predictions by the IMD that came earlier this week. What would an above normal monsoon mean for rural incomes and the food economy? We talk to Agricultural Policy Expert Devinder Sharma about this in today’s episode.It’s going to be a...
2024-04-1917 min
In Focus by The HinduWhere is the farmers' protest heading?Farmers are back at the barricades, this time they have been stopped by the Haryana police at the Punjab-Haryana border. Twenty-two-year-old Shubhkaran Singh has died in the protests. Farmer leaders have suspended their protest till February 29 when they will announce their next course of action.The agitating farmers are firm that there should be a legal guarantee for MSP purchases but the Centre has, instead, come up with a five-year contract to purchase pulses, maize and cotton from farmers.So, where does the agitation go from here? To discuss...
2024-02-2625 min
NL HaftaHafta 473: MSP guarantee for farmers, what happened in SandeshkhaliThis week, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by journalist Monideepa Banerjie and agricultural policy expert Devinder Sharma.On the situation in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, Monideepa gives a timeline of what happened. She explains that after being accused of exploiting local women, TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh has been absconding for the last 50 days and hasn’t returned to the village. Shardool says, “It is the BJP that has shown why it is important to have a strong opposition.”The panel then discusses the farmers’ demand for a minimu...
2024-02-242h 09
AttributionsIndian Agricultural Policy and Climate ChangeSend us a textWe speak with Devinder Sharma about all things India, agriculture, climate change and importantly agricultural policy in India. We visit topics like the recent heatwaves and their impacts on Indian agriculture, how important the monsoon is to Indian crops, the farmer protests that shook the country, agricultural policy related to giving farmers a living wage and how that will help farmers adapt to climate change, and many other topics.Devinder is a food and trade policy analyst and a former agricultural journalist. He was trained as an agricultural scientist and holds...
2023-07-0448 min
WorklifeIndiaThe cost of India’s food nationalismAs the Russia-Ukraine war continues with no end in sight, countries across the world are imposing new restrictions on food exports. Many countries have banned essential items such as edible oils, poultry and grains. Now experts fear this protectionist move by governments could lead to the worst food crisis the world has seen in decades.India too, recently announced curbs on its wheat and sugar exports. The decision came after an unseasonal heatwave in the country affected crops and drove domestic prices to a record high. But critics say it could lead to further food inflation and...
2022-06-0326 minIn Focus by The HinduCan wheat exports affect India’s food security? | In FocusWheat procurement in the country by the Food Corporation of India and State government agencies is expected to be about 22 million tonnes – just half of the 44 million targets set for this season. News reports suggest that exports are causing wheat prices to rise beyond the Rs. 20 per kilo of the minimum support price fixed by the Central government.What are the challenges for wheat procurement and production and will exports impinge in any way on the country’s food security?Guest: Devinder Sharma, distinguished writer and commentator on food and agricultureHost: Amit Baru...
2022-05-0421 min
Ecoholics 'Thinking Tree'Food Policy Analyst, Researcher, Writer Mr. Devinder Sharma On Agricultural CrisisFood Policy Analyst, Researcher, Writer Mr. Devinder Sharma On Agricultural Crisis
2021-05-0653 min
The InquiryWhy do the Indian farmer protests matter?It has been called the world’s biggest protest. In November 2020, thousands of farmers marched to New Delhi to protest against new laws that the Indian government says will modernise farming. The farmers set up camp in and around the capital, blocking major highways. Over 50 days later they are still there, in spite of freezing temperatures. Even after the Supreme Court stayed the laws until further notice, the farmers say they aren’t budging until they are repealed completely. They say these reforms will strip them of protections they’ve enjoyed for decades, resulting in lower prices and ruined liveli...
2021-01-2122 min
The Big StoryThe Three Agri Bills That Triggered Akali Dal & Farmer ProtestsWhy are Punjab and Haryana farmers protesting against the central government in defiance of the pandemic restrictions ever since the Parliament’s Monsoon Session began on 14 September? And why did Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Minister for Food Processing and a leader of the BJP's long-time ally Shiromani Akali Dal, resign recently?
In the centre of both these acts are three new bills on agricultural reforms that were recently passed in the Lok Sabha. They will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha – and will become laws if they are passed by the Upper House too.
Now...
2020-09-1818 min