Relevance : GS Paper III (Indian Economy)
[900 words reduced to 250]
- The Telangana government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme has spotlighted the policy of utilising cash transfer to assist land-owning farmers with a non-agricultural income.
- The average monthly income of rural households is Rs 8,000, with agricultural households deriving only 43% of their income from agriculture.
- The government has sought to double farmer income by raising minimum support prices, but such initiatives would apply directly only to 48% of rural India, with non-agricultural households being left behind.
- How to increase farmers’ income?
- embrace non-farm diversification
- breeding policy needs to be revamped
- a national breeding policy is needed
- Buffalo breeding ought to be given more attention
- Development of indigenous breeds of livestock
- Feed supply needs to be mitigated through greater imports
- Private investment must be encouraged
- Animal health care should become a priority
- create better incentive structures for investment in livestock
- State governments should sponsor research
- focus on developing markets, infrastructure and institutions
- How to improve conditions of migrant workers?
- Enable migrant workers to get deserved access to various government schemes.
- Access to Anganwadi facilities should be provided
- Compliance of multiple laws exist for the welfare of construction workers should be ensured
- Registration of workers with the Welfare Board should be made mandatory.
- to improve the condition of women, strict anti-harassment laws should be implemented.
- Creche facilities at construction sites should be provided
- Workers should also be provided with training and skilling in their areas of interest
- While India’s post-Independence rural policy has primarily been about driving people away from agriculture and towards cities, we must now incentivise job creation at their doorstep.
