Agrarian Crisis in India: Struggling with policy fallow

Photo: Prasad

Low technological inputs have caused a stagnation in foodgrain productivity; Buner Pukur a Santhal village in Birbhum, West Bengal.

Abstract: The Indian agriculture sector is at a critical juncture, with productivity stagnating and technological inputs being negligible. Policy failures in most critical sectors of agriculture has caused severe distress to farmers.

The authors are former Director and Research Scholar at Centre for Research in Urban Affairs, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, respectively. rs.kalbandi@gmail.com


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An aqueduct, usually a long bridge with multiple arches, is a structure for carrying water. In the past, aqueducts were constructed to irrigate crops.

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present either at or near the surface of the soil for varying periods of time during the year.

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The treatment process of drinking water through which suspended particles stick together chemically, rendering them easy to remove is known as coagulation. The process involves the addition of a chemical and then a rapid mixing to dissolve the chemical and distribute it evenly throughout the water.

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Brackish water is water with salt content higher than freshwater, but lesser than seawater.

Water footprint is the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services used by an individual or a group. It can help measure the water usage for a single process, such as growing rice or stitching a pair of trousers.