Punjab’s agricultural crisis is a ticking time bomb that threatens the very foundations of the state’s economy and the well-being of its people. As water tables plummet and soil fertility declines, the once-thriving breadbasket of India — Punjab — is now on the brink of an environmental and humanitarian disaster. An examination of Punjab’s agricultural […]
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Originally published in The Telegraph In a bid to accelerate the adoption of solar energy across residential and commercial uses nationally, the Government of India recently declared its intent to hire and train nearly one lakh individuals for the installation process. This is in line with the Government’s larger mission of encouraging adoption of solar […]
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Originally published in the Hindu BusinessLine In May, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs convened a two-day brainstorming session to review the status of urban planning and governance across India. Recognising that urban development is primarily a state responsibility, it becomes essential to study state-specific issues for nuanced policy deliberations. Thus, we turn our […]
Read More »Energy, groundwater, and agriculture are intricately linked, each influencing the other in significant ways. This interdependence is crucial for sustainable development, resource management, and food security. A reliable and efficient energy source can optimize groundwater usage, but the provision of highly subsidized or nearly free electricity for agriculture has long been a key concern in […]
Read More »“Punjab, as an agricultural region, plays a pivotal role in the nation’s food security, primarily through its dominant rice-wheat cropping system. Covering over 80% of its cultivated land, this intensive farming practice has contributed 21% of India’s rice and 31% of its wheat production during 2021-22, despite occupying a mere 1.5% of the country’s geographical […]
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A Tuition Market: An Alarm Bell One of the markets in Ludhiana, the largest city of Punjab, has a strangely funny name: Tuition market. A significant proportion of the “market” is filled with coaching centres – training students mostly in IELTS, in addition to competitive exams such as JEE and NEET. Another similar site in […]
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Originally published in the Bar and Bench “Proposals for structural reforms within state/administrative institutions have disproportionately prioritised the executive and legislative branches, neglecting the imperative for commensurate attention to judicial administration. It is opportune to redress this imbalance by advocating for similar efficiency reforms within the judicial domain, especially digital.” Resisting the allure of ‘isomorphic […]
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Originally published in Moneycontrol Despite a vision document spelling out the precarious situation of the present and enlisting the steps needed to become a Developed Punjab by 2047, Budget 2023-24 failed to stick to the path of fiscal consolidation, and instead cut back on much needed expenditure needed to sustain human capital, industry and infrastructure […]
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