Official commentators should engage with critics in appreciating the gravity of economic setbacks rather than quibble over the IMF’s short-term growth projections
Year: 2023
Pushed to the Limit: Poor, Stressful Work Conditions Mar Freight Train Drivers’ Lives
Much of the work of checking of trains before departure has been put onto the shoulders of loco pilots and guards – a technical task they are not trained to do. Slackened safety standards are among the many troubles they face.
Pushed to the Limit: The Working Lives of India’s Freight Train Drivers
Loco pilots are being pushed to the limit to cover the work on the railways – through lengthening work hours, continuous night shifts and reduced rest times. These conditions go a long way in explaining the recent spate of fatal railway accidents.
India’s Toy Industry Production and Trade since 2000
India has turned a net toy exporter lately—claimed as an evidence of the success of “Make in India” and related promotional policies. Analysing a unique, unit-level data set of formal and informal manufacturing and trade since 2000, the official claims and policy outcomes are assessed.
Op-ed related to this detailed commentary are available online here and here.
Unpacking the ‘Industry 4.0’ Narrative and Its Implications
Examining the digital technology systems underlying the ongoing industrial transformations towards cyber–physical production systems, this article argues that the “industry 4.0” narrative prevents India from recognising that digital technologies are all mediated by information and communications technology hardware, software and other electronics products, along with other software-embedded devices/machinery. Getting entrapped in the big tech-driven industry 4.0 narrative and its neo-liberal interpretations will severely curtail India’s ability to formulate the combination of policies that will reduce forex drain from our digital consumer economy.