Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This study investigates wage discrimination among non-farm workers, including both regular and casual workers, in rural India between the forward caste (FC) and backward caste (BC). Using data from NSSO unit-level employment and unemployment surveys from 2004–2005 and 2011–2012, as well as periodic labour force surveys from 2017–2018 to 2019–2020, the study found that the wage differential between FC and BC non-farm employees increased over time, with BC workers being paid less than FC workers. To determine the factors contributing to the wage difference, a linear regression model was used, and the decomposition method was employed to examine whether the difference was due to endowment or discrimination effects. Overall, the study highlights the persistence of caste-based wage discrimination in rural non-farm employment in India. For the betterment of BC workers and to reduce discrimination, the policies and programmes which are implemented by the government need to be revived.

Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
In their influential paper for the National Council of Applied Economic Research, Chatterjee and Kapur raised some fundamental questions about Indian agriculture and why it has not transformed with economic development. They identify six important ‘puzzles’ in Indian agriculture, one of which is the political economy puzzle. This puzzle refers to the fact that farmers have not been able to leverage their power of land and numbers to economically benefit themselves. The essay utilizes the political settlements framework to understand the underlying causes of this puzzle. Such analysis is important as it recognizes the historical and sociocultural traditions to explain the economic phenomenon of the backwardness of Indian agriculture.

Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.