While the BJP and Congress have both made promises to migrants in their respective manifestos, they have overlooked some critical areas.

An election manifesto is a public document outlining a political party’s vision, intention, and promises. For the first time, the BJP and Congress have expressed concern for migrants, in their manifestos for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns brought attention to migrants and made them visible to the state and policymakers. There are an estimated 600 million internal migrants in India and they contribute significantly to the economy. Yet, they remain highly vulnerable and disenfranchised. In this context, it is important to examine the promises made by the two main political parties to effectively include the huge migrant population.

S. IRUDAYA RAJAN,KULDEEPSINGH RAJPUT

The Maharashtra government must create a favourable legal environment that protects the rights of and ensures the safety of seasonal migrant workers in the sugar industry. Read more in the link below.

S Irudaya Rajan / April 06, 2023

Marie Percot

Mon Jan 16, 2023 12:00 AM Last update on: Mon Jan 16, 2023 01:35 AM

S. Irudaya Rajan and C.S. Akhil

As much as the country of destination, the country of origin is responsible for the current situation. A regional alliance between South Asian and Gulf countries is the only way to stop the exploitation of low-skilled migrant worker

As India’s fertility rate falls, the window to the window to cash in our demographic dividend is getting shorter. Have we failed to leverage it?

The pandemic has underlined the need for policy interventions.

Urbanisation and the growth of cities in India have been accompanied by pressure on basic infrastructure and services like housing, sanitation and health. The 2011 Census of India reveals that the urban population of the country stood at 31.16 per cent. It indicates that there are about 4.5 lakh houseless families, a total population of 17.73 lakh living without any roof over their heads. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are the two states with an acute housing crisis.

The findings of the recently released NFHS-5 on population and health indicators have received extensive attention. The finding that there are 1,020 women for 1,000 men, an improvement over the last round of survey, has led to a wide-ranging conversation. One of the reasons for such extraordinary attention is the absence of Census 2021 to gauge sex ratio trends. The finding, of course, has implications for a range of other issues, especially those related to gender equality — they carry pointers for those wishing to gauge the success of government programmes that aim to remove gender-based discrimination. Some have also questioned the data. It is important to state that the correct interpretation of data has been lacking in both these cases.

An accurate count of mortality during pandemic is possible if a database is created on the basis of demographic principles and sound information, rather than epidemiological models based on suspect inputs and assumptions.