The following research articles, fieldnotes, and policy briefs are drawing from the research under Pandemic Studies Unit.

PSU Booklet

Learn more about our genesis and outputs through this handy booklet!

In 2020, we started a Pandemic Studies Unit to understand the pandemic’s effect of on India’s rural economy, with a focus on agricultural production, employment, wage rates, women’s work, migrant workers, debt, food security, and education. view pdf

Publication 1

A Step to Further Private and Corporate Interests in Agricultural Land in Karnataka a policy brief by Aparajita Bakshi and Soham Bhattacharya

The Karnataka government has followed in the footsteps of the Central government with its promulgation of the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 (henceforth the Karnataka Land Ordinance) on July 13, 2020. This Ordinance seeks to further ease corporate and private interests in agricultural land, and could potentially alienate small and marginal farmers in unirrigated areas from their land and livelihoods. view pdf

Publication 2

Migrant Worker in the Post-Covid-19 Era a policy brief by Shamsher Singh

The crucial role that migrant workers play in keeping the wheels of the Indian economy running has been brought into sharp focus the year, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. view pdf

Publication 3

Policies to Support Women During the Pandemic: Lessons from the Kerala Experience a policy brief by Mridul Eapen

Kerala’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic both on the health and economic fronts has been acknowledged world-wide. view pdf

Publication 4

Changing Policy Landscape for Protection of Migrant Workers in India a policy brief by Kunal Munjal and Ishaan Bamba

This brief highlights the shortfall of different labour codes in ensuring protection to migrant workers, and implications of the revised provisions for the target population. view pdf

Publication 5

The Covid-19 Pandemic and Rural Dalit Households: Observations from Two Villages in Tamil Nadu a working paper by M. Thangaraj and C. A. Sethu

This working paper attempts to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Dalit households in rural India, with a special focus on two villages in Tamil Nadu. The paper is based on telephonic surveys conducted by the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS) as part of its Pandemic Study Unit (FAS – PSU). view pdf

Articles from Review of Agrarian Studies

The Pandemic Studies Unit of the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS) conducted a telephonic survey of 164 informants from 26 villages across 13 States of India between mid-September and mid-October, 2020. The questions in the interviews sought primarily to understand the effects of the pandemic on agricultural production, employment, income, and food security in rural India. The informants represented a cross section of village society. Of the 164 informants, 22 were from landlord/rich capitalist farmer households, 36 from rich/middle peasant households, 45 from poor peasant households, 38 from manual worker households, and the remaining 23 from households engaged in business and other non-agricultural activities.

The Review of Agrarian Studies (ras.org.in: vol. 11 no. 1, January-June 2021), published the following articles based on the results from the survey.

1. The Covid-19 Pandemic and Agriculture in Rural India: Observations from Indian Villages by Tapas Singh Modak and Soham Bhattacharya view article

2. Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Food Security and Indebtedness in Rural India by S. Niyati and R. Vijayamba view article

The Review of Agrarian Studies (ras.org.in: vol. 10 no. 1, January-June 2020), also brought together articles on the pandemic and agrarian conditions in India and different parts of the world.

1. Covid-19, Food Insecurity and the Need for Government Action view article

2. Covid-19 and the Rural Non-Farm Sector view article

3. Covid-19 and Climate Change view article

4. Introduction: The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic by R. Ramakumar view article

5. Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security Under Covid-19: Lessons from China by Shenggen Fan view article

6. Agriculture and the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Analysis with Special Reference to India by R. Ramakumar view article

7. One Step Behind: The Government of India and Agricultural Policy During the Covid-19 Lockdown by Sudha Narayanan and Shree Saha view article

8. Challenges to India’s Rural Healthcare System in the Context of Covid-19 by T. Sundararaman and Alok Ranjan view article

9. Changing the Narrative: Economics After Covid-19 by Carolina Alves and Ingrid Harvold Kvangraven view article

10. Covid-19 and Circular Migration in India by Ravi Srivastava view article

11. Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Villages by Tapas Singh Modak, Sandipan Baksi, and Deepak Johnson view article

12. Impact of the Pandemic on Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in India by S. Niyati and S. Nelson Mandela view article

FAS Blog

The Foundation’s blog carries a series of posts on different aspects of the repercussions of the pandemic on society and economy of rural India.

1. Studying Women’s Work: Women Farmers in India by Nihira Ram and Sandipan Baksi view blog

2. Farmers’ Protest Against Farm Laws: Impressions from the Tikri Border by Shamsher Singh view blog

3. Implications of the Collapse of Income from Migration: Reflections from Two Villages in Bihar by Sandipan Baksi and Rakesh Kumar Mahato view blog

4. MGNREGS and the Pandemic Crisis: Reflections from Tripura by Ranjini Basu and Tapas Singh Modak view blog

5. Impact of Covid-19 on the Indian Countryside: Some Findings by FAS Team view blog

6. Building Inclusive Food Systems by Madhura Swaminathan view blog

7. When the Invisible Disappeared: Migrant Labour in Agriculture in the Pandemic by R. Ramakumar view blog

8. The Covid­-19 Pandemic and Indian Agriculture: A Note by R. Ramakumar view blog