Punjab’s Urban Policy Needs a Shake-Up

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 […]

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Powering Punjab’s Agriculture: Navigating the Dynamics of Energy-Water Interplay

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 […]

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Addressing the systemic lock-in within Punjab’s agricultural system

“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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The Canadian Dream: No Alternative to the One Way Ticket?

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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Reforms for a tech-forward Punjab & Haryana High Court: Identifying challenges

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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Punjab Budget: Will 2024-25 see a course correction of the last Budget’s failures?

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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