The October Peace Journalist magazine has arrived!

The new Peace Journalist magazine is out, and features Prof. Raj Gandhi discussing peace journalism as well as dispatches from Ghana, South Korea, Cameroon, and elsewhere.

You can access the magazine as a .pdf file at:
https://www.park.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Peace-Journalist-Oct-2019-web.pdf .

Or, you can view the magazine in a flip-through format at:
https://issuu.com/peacejournalism/docs/peace_journalist_oct_2019-web .

The next edition of the magazine is April, 2020. Submission information can be found on page 2 of the magazine.

Enjoy!

Steven Youngblood
Editor, The Peace Journalist
Director, Center for Global Peace Journalism
@PeaceJourn

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Punjab Agriculture Crisis is Worsening

Lovepreet Singh was a young farmer with a lot of dreams. Knowing well that he inherited an outstanding loan of Rs 8 lakh he still wanted to give farming a try. But unable to pay back the loan, he finally ended his life. He was only 22-year-old.

The suicide by Lovepreet Singh of Barnala district sent shockwaves in Punjab. In three generations, the family had lost five members to farm distress. A year and a half ago, his father, Kulwant Singh, had ended his life by hanging himself just a day before the state government launched the first phase of the farm loan waiver. His grandfather too had earlier committed suicide. “We had taken around 8-acres of land on lease at the rate of Rs 50,000 per acre annual rent but due to the hail storm in 2017 our wheat crop got damaged. We could never recover from that, “his mother Harnail Kaur told the media. 

This is probably the first instance when members of three generations of a farm family had borne the brunt of continuing indebtedness. Earlier, there were cases when a father or mother and his or her son had committed suicide but the fact that the economic crisis is being passed on from a farmer to his next two generations clearly shows how deep-rooted the malaise is. This remains me of yet another tragedy when a farmer Jaswant Singh had tied his five year old son to his waist and jumped into the canal. He left behind a note saying that he knows it is unfair to take his son along to the watery grave but he knows for sure that his son wouldn’t be able to pay back the Rs 10-lakh outstanding loan he carried.   

Despite the farm loan waiver launched by Capt Amarinder Singh’s government, under which Rs 2-lakh outstanding for a farmer from a cooperative bank is written off, the spate of suicides continues unabated. This year alone, between the months of January and July, 645 farmers had taken the fatal route to escape the humiliation that comes along with indebtedness. With private money lenders, banks and agents of micro-finance institutes (MFIs) as well as the Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) breathing down their necks, farmers are increasingly being driven to commit suicide. According to data compiled by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), between April 1, 2017 and August 31, 2019, a total of 1,280 farmers and farm workers had committed suicide.

The fact that Punjab, the bread basket of the country, has turned into a hotbed of farmer suicides over the years, is certainly not without reasons that are unknown. With Rs 4,609-crore of farmers bad loans having been written-off since the Congress government launched the loan waiver scheme, a total of 5,61,886 indebted farmers have benefitted so far. With the possibility of more bad loans being waved off in future diminishing, there is little possibility of the benefit being extended to more farmers. But at the same time there is no denying that the government has in fact gone back on its electoral promise of waiving all outstanding farm loans taken from cooperative, nationalised, private banks as well as from private money lenders. This would have entailed an expenditure of close to Rs 90,000-crore, which the state government said it didn’t have.  

If the death toll so far in 2019 is any pointer, on an average three farmers are committing suicides every day. The continuing tragedy on the farm is happening at a time when Punjab on the other hand has been bestowed with Krishi Karman Award for being the best performing state in rice production in 2017-18. Punjab has been the top contributor of rice to the central pool since 2009-10, except for 2010-11 when Andhra Pradesh had left Punjab behind. In case of wheat, Punjab has retained the top position in contributions to the national pool since 2008-09, providing on an average 37.83 per cent of the total contribution to the food reserves. With such a high contribution of wheat and rice to the central pool, and with 98 per cent cultivable area under assured irrigation, the rigid dichotomy between increased crop productivity and worsening agrarian distress remains rather unexplained.

Now take a look at the three criteria specified for Krishi Karman Award – first is for achieving high production for which 55 marks are kept; secondly, 30 marks are assigned for the special initiatives taken for achieving record output; and finally, 15 marks are reserved for expenditure under foodgrain development schemes – and the reasons for the continuing crisis in agriculture becomes crystal clear. If only the package was redesigned keeping at least 50 per cent marks for the welfare of the farmers growing these crops, the policy planning focus would have shifted to ensuring a decent and sustainable livelihood for the farming community in distress.

The thrust of the state policies have so far remained on increasing foodgrain production at whatever cost without caring for the farmer who toils endlessly to produce the record harvest. According to studies, Punjab tops the global productivity in cereal crops – wheat, rice and maize, and yet has turned into a graveyard for farmers. Take another example. To fight the menace of stubble burning, Punjab has formed 6,400 farmer groups to provide those with machines as well as to educate them on why not to burn the paddy stubble after harvest. Teams of experts comprising scientists from the Punjab Agricultural University and the state department of agriculture will be interacting with these farmer groups.

To sell the highly subsidised machines, 6,400 farmers groups have been formed. I don’t understand why similar groups cannot be created to address the worsening agrarian crisis? Why regular camps and interactive sessions cannot be held with farmers in small groups, learning from them the reasons which lead to farm suicides? Why can’t these suggestions be collated and then action taken reports is filed? Why should the state government only swing into action when farm machinery has to be sold and keep quiet to address the bigger humanitarian task? #

Worsening agrarian crisis. Deccan Herald. Sept 25, 2019. 

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/main-article/worsening-agrarian-crisis-763727.html

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Restraint And Seclusion Not To Be Used As School Punishment

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995

In California public schools, "Hands off!" should be the motto for school staff.  There are so many minefields involving interaction between staff and students that this is the best policy.  One issue which may come up with an unruly child, or a student who the staff cannot handle competently, is the use of restraint and seclusion- e.g. staff putting hands on a child to stop their movement or control them.  This subject is much broader than a single blog, but one basic for parents to know is that school staff cannot impose restraints or seclusion as punishment, for any child.

In 2019, significant legislation went into effect (see California Education Codes 49005-49006.4) about restraints, seclusion, when these things are appropriate/not appropriate and what is allowed.  For now, the one basic I want to impart to parents is the fact that restraint and seclusion cannot be used just because staff feel like it (e.g. because Joe mouthed off) and are reserved only for situations in which a serious danger is present. 

Under California Education Code §49005.2

"A pupil has the right to be free from the use of seclusion and behavioral restraints of any form imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff. This right includes, but is not limited to, the right to be free from the use of a drug administered to the pupil in order to control the pupil’s behavior or to restrict the pupil’s freedom of movement, if that drug is not a standard treatment for the pupil’s medical or psychiatric condition." [emphasis added]

Restraints or seclusion (within certain limits) are NOT prohibited in emergency situations or when there is a "clear and present danger of serious physical harm to the pupil or others that cannot be immediately prevented by a response that is less restrictive." [Ed §49005.4]

Additionally, a police or security guard's action to protect public safety, a timeout that is part of a school program in a non-locked setting, an escort where a student is being touched on their arm, etc. for direction, and possibly other actions depending on the circumstances, are not included in the prohibition.

Yet, if your son or daughter is mouthing off and is taken to the ground when they are not a physical threat, that restraint would not be appropriate.  Locking a student in a room when they have not acted in a dangerous manner would also be prohibited.

Some parents reading this may believe these things don't happen at schools.  Unfortunately they would be wrong.  Children are manhandled and treated improperly on a daily basis in California schools.  It is up to parents to take notice, complain, and address inappropriate restraint and isolation, using the law as their weapon, to defeat such harmful practices.

Best,

Michelle Ball

Education Law Attorney 

LAW OFFICE OF MICHELLE BALL 

717 K Street, Suite 228 

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Phone: 916-444-9064 

Email:help@edlaw4students.com 

Fax: 916-444-1209

Website: http://www.edlaw4students.com/

Blog: http://edlaw4students.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/michelleaball

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/EdLaw4Students

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Law-Office-of-Michelle-Ball/191273330901857

[please like my office on Facebook, subscribe via twitter and email, and check out my videos on Youtube!]

Please see my disclaimer on the bottom of my blog page. This is legal information, not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed by this posting, etc. etc.!  This blog may not be reproduced without permission from the author and proper attribution of authorship.

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Kansas City peacebuilders exemplify Peace Day's spirit

Note: This article also appears in the Kansas City Star at:
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article235150442.html

When you open the paper or turn on the TV and see the daily flood of tragic news about violence and its victims, it’s easy to feel discouraged, even hopeless.

While we regularly view stories showing the heart-wrenching impact of violence on its victims, the media report much less frequently about what’s being done to stem this violence and build peace. For example, a recent Nexis Uni news search (for Sept. 12, 2019) showed a greater than 4 to 1 ratio of hits for crime and violence stories than for peace and peacebuilding stories.

Yet, even though they’re frequently out of the spotlight, it’s encouraging to know on this International Day of Peace that Kansas City’s peacebuilders are ubiquitous, and actively engaged to make our community more harmonious.

The nascent Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Coalition has compiled a list of anti-violence, peace-promoting organizations in the KC area. This list includes 113 organizations that address poverty and homelessness (Bishop Sullivan Center at bishopsullivan.org and Cherith Brook at cherithbrookcw.blogspot.com); international connectedness (Global Ties KC at globaltieskc.org and the Sister City Association of Kansas City at kcsistercities.org); and peacebuilding education (the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University at park.edu/peacecenter the Johnson County Community College Office of International Education at jccc.edu, the Buchanan Initiative for Peace and Non-Violence at Avila University at avila.edu/academics/avila-centers-initiatives/buchanan-peace-nonviolence and Global and Multicultural Education-GAME-kcglobalconcepts.org/game/).

Among these entities, Kansas City is fortunate to have numerous “rock star” peacebuilders and peacebuilding organizations. For example:

--The Center for Conflict Resolution (ccrkc.org), which does programming in area schools designed to “teach skills that prevent normal conflict from becoming verbally or physically violent.” They also provide mediation and conflict resolution training.
--Ad Hoc Group Against Crime (adhocgroupkc.com), which promotes healing and justice by serving as a bridge between the community and law enforcement. They also provide support to victims of violent crime, and work to prevent violence in KC.
--International Relations Council (irckc.org), which works with partner organizations to bring a global perspective to the community. IRC hosts international speakers, student forums, and smaller discussions about vital issues affecting our society.
--Rotary International (rotary.org), an international service organization, has a strong area presence. There are 21 Rotary Clubs in the KC area on the Missouri side, and 17 more in Kansas, engaged in peacebuilding projects like anti-bullying initiatives in schools and collecting shoes for South American orphans.

Volunteering with one of these organizations is a great way to contribute to peace, but if you’re not a “joiner,” don’t despair. According to the U.S. Institute for Peace (usip.org) and Mediators Without Borders (mwbdr.com), you can still build peace by:

--Volunteering to help those in need (there is a strong connection between poverty and violence)
--Attending an event like the annual Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference on Oct. 31 (11:30 a.m. at Avila University), Nov. 1 (1:00 p.m. at Park University), and Nov. 2 (8:30 a.m. at Johnson County Community College). This year's theme is Human Rights and Peacebuilding, and the keynote speaker is Sarah Margon, foreign policy director of the Open Society Foundations. For more information, see https://www.jccc.edu/conferences/peacebuilding/ .
--Spreading the word about organizations that work to help victims of violence
--Sharing a meal with someone from a different community
--Learning about and employing techniques to resolve conflicts non-violently
--Facilitating dialogue between communities, especially those in conflict
--Creating or contributing to an artistic work or video that emphasizes peace themes
--Writing blogs, op-eds, and letters to the editor about peace
--Attending a peace rally
--Organizing a community project, especially one that builds bridges across communities

So while it’s understandable to be discouraged by the violence and discord around us, conversely, it’s easy to be encouraged by the numerous peacebuilding efforts in Kansas City, and to be empowered by the knowledge that each of us can help make our world a more peaceful place.

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Why increasing land degradation should be a cause for worry.

Pic courtesy: Mongabay-India

Researchers at the University of Sheffield in 2014 found that soils in urban areas in UK were healthier on an average than the intensively-farmed crop lands. Gardens, local parks and allotments generally were significantly more nutritious carrying 32 per cent more organic carbon, 25 per cent higher nitrogen and 36 per cent higher carbon to nitrogen ratios. The garden soils were also less compacted. 

The study was led by Dr Nigel Dunnett, who had then warned: “With a growing population to feed, and the nutrients in our soil in sharp decline, we may soon see an agricultural crisis.” The team warned that the sick farm soils in UK are left to sustain only about 100 crop harvests. In fact, the problem that afflicts future food security is not only limited to UK, but is global in reach. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that if the current rate of degradation continues unabated, the world’s top soil would disappear in another 60 years. Aware that soils are the foundation for all civilizations, but with soil fertility declining to almost zero in intensively-farmed regions, with more of chemical fertilizer and pesticides usage turning the soils toxic, and with excessive drawing of groundwater sucking even deep aquifers dry, desertification is fast creeping.

In India, which hosts the 14^th Conference of Parties (CoP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in New Delhi, nearly 30 per cent of the country’s land – more than 4 times the size of UK – has been degraded due to deforestation, intensive farming, soil erosion and groundwater depletion, collectively leading to desertification. Such is the decline in soil fertility that I am sure the gardens and local parks in the urban areas in India must be more healthy and nutritious than the cultivable lands. Further, continuous application of chemical fertilizers along with mechanized farming has turned the soils compact. Agricultural Universities are aware of the formation of a hard layer that has formed almost a feet below the surface thereby restricting the spread of plant roots and also obstructing the seepage of water to the ground.

Unfortunately, the universities have been recommending more of chemical fertilizer application as the way forward to address nutrient deficiency in exhausted soils thereby further compounding the crisis. But this will hopefully change after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address appealed to farmers to shift from chemical fertilizers and follow more of natural farming techniques in crop cultivation. We can’t blame the farmers; after all they are following the package of practices recommended by the agricultural universities and state agricultural extension machinery. To ensure that farmers make a shift to non-chemical practices, the first and foremost task would be to reduce fertiliser subsidy. Already studies have shown that 1 per cent reduction in fertiliser subsidy reduces land degradation by 3 per cent.

Since the Prime Minister has now spoken about the dire need to protect soil health, preserve underground water from contamination, and to provide for a healthy food chain, I am sure agricultural universities and extension agencies have got the right message to shift to integrated non-chemical farming practices. But this is easier said than done. Universities are not immune to stubborn resistance from agribusiness lobbies. Perhaps the best way forward is to directly transfer the fertiliser subsidy into farmers account but not link it to fertiliser usage and instead allowing him to use it for organic manures, composting etc. The best indicator for a good and healthy soil is when the organic matter in soils grows at a pace that the percentage of earthworms increases manifold.

The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) entitled ‘Climate Change and Land’ has specifically mentioned intensive cultivation, including draining of wetlands for bio-fuel cultivation (and this includes ethanol from sugarcane), to be a predominant reason for growing land degradation. It says the cultivable soils are being lost at a rate 100 times faster than it is being formed. In India, a study by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) shows that nearly 1.4 per cent of GDP is lost to degradation of forests alone. It estimates the annual loss accruing from land degradation and land use change at Rs 3.17-lakh crore, roughly 2.5 per cent of country’s GDP. At a time when a cash transfer of Rs 1.76-lakh crore from the Reserve Bank of India to the government is being seen as a big financial support, the loss from degradation of forest lands needs to be properly evaluated.

Although India has pledged to restore 5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 so as to become a land degradation neutral country, what is worrying is the rate at which deserts are fast encroaching. Desertification is no longer confined to the semi-arid regions encompassing Rajasthan, Haryana and to some extent in Telangana but is fast expanding to Jharkhand, Gujarat, Goa and Delhi where the spread is almost 50 per cent, says an ISRO report. Besides Punjab, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, desertification is also expanding in the hill states of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Arunachal Pradesh. At the rate at which drought is getting widespread and frequent, more and more areas are coming under its fold.

Add to it the rate of deforestation – 1.6 million hectares of forest cover lost since the year 2000 – and according to IndiaSpend felling of 10 million trees has been allowed between 2000 and 2015, the threat of expanding deserts is too serious to be lost in claims and pledges. While any interference in eco-sensitive zone and protected areas must stop, efforts must be also put in place to ensure that cultivable lands are not allowed to further degrade. In fact, a time-bound programme needs to be launched to reclaim degraded arable lands. A lesson can be drawn from China which has promised to save at least 124.33 million hectares of its arable lands from any further degradation, and at the same time protect 53.3 million hectares out of it in a high-quality, by 2020.

I see no reason why India cannot do the same. Faced with rapid urbanisation, India too needs to demarcate a significant proportion of its 159.7 million hectares of arable land in a healthy condition, and bring at least 70 million hectares under top quality parameters by 2022. But for this ambitious target to be achieved, India will have to protect soils the way it protects tigers. #

Protect soil health to curb land degradation. The Tribune. Sept 9, 2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/protect-soil-health-to-curb-land-degradation/829807.html?fbclid=IwAR1-TiV2RG-U3hGjbzf4Lkc9hVSTiTy54msG3maDFeUbpVjczIAANSyUEL0

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KC Star gets it right on murder epidemic coverage

Given the daily violence in our world, and the political polarization inherent in the gun debate, it might seem that journalists, and particularly peace journalists, have no choice but to impotently stand by and do little but report about the carnage.

However, recent coverage in the Kansas City Star is disproving that theory.

First, The Star’s coverage has increasingly focused on victims, rather than just the usual recitation of a murder’s gory details. Stories like “Relatives of P&L shooting victims speak out” (https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article234365432.html) and “Family mourns KCK shooting victim” (https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article13063739.html) follow a key peace journalism principle, giving a voice to the voiceless, in this instance, the friends and families of murder victims. Articles like these correctly take the spotlight off of shooters, and put is squarely on the victims whose lives were cut short. It’s gratifying that a platform is available for families to make statements like, ““He was known for being humble and he always asked for advice on life and what he could do to make himself better.”

In addition, The Star has attempted to move beyond just “play by play” coverage of crime, and instead is discussing solutions, another key PJ principle. One example is a recent guest column by a criminal justice professor who lays out possible solutions to the gun violence epidemic in Kansas City, including focusing on gun accessibility, the local jail, and on anti-violence technology. (https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article234578187.html)

Finally, a recent Star editorial pulls no punches as it admonishes the community for its indifference to epidemic violence that is impacting especially the African-American community, noting that the “incredibly, and indefensibly, this city has reacted to the growing (gun violence) crisis with a collective shrug.” This crisis includes the recent murders of three Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools (KCPS) students in a nine day period. The KCPS are a majority African-American district. In a much needed slap in the face for readers, the editorial asks what the reaction would be if the young murder victims were from white majority school districts. “What would the public be if these shootings had occurred in more affluent suburbs like Blue Springs or Lee’s Summit… or if students from (exclusive) private schools like Rockhurst High School or St. Theresa’s Academy had their lives cut short by gun violence?”
 (https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article234675022.html#storylink=mainstage)

While journalism alone can’t solve society’s problems, we as journalists can take a cue from the Star, and remain vigilant while reporting with victims and solutions in mind. As I wrote in Peace Journalism Principles and Practices, “Peace journalists would cover daily crime in a way that is less episodic and more analytical, and be proactive in exploring community issues that explain crime. PJ would also offer counter-narrative crime stories that show the deep impact that crime has on communities, and explore possible solutions other than incarceration.”

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Rural Economic Distress led to Slowdown

Terming the economic slowdown as unprecedented and perhaps the worst in the past 70 years, the Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar had called for extraordinary steps to fuel the economy. But strangely I did not find the Niti Aayog raise any alarm bells when it became known that Indian farmers suffered a back-breaking loss of Rs 45-lakh crores in the 17 years period, between the years 2000 and 2017.

The unprecedented crisis in agriculture, which was evidently passing through its worst phase in the past 70 years, did not evoke any response from the mainline economists as well as the policy makers. Not only the OECD-ICRIER study that pointed to the denial of rightful income to farmers and thereby leading to a loss of Rs 45-lakh crore, an earlier leaked Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18 report of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) had shown that 3.4-crore casual labourers in rural areas, of which 3-crore were farm workers, had lost their job between 2011-12 and 2017-18. The signs of a terrible rural economic distress were all there but it is only that the policy makers refused to see it.

It was as if nothing had hit the Indian economy, which strangely feels turbulence only when the industry fails to perform. It was as if rural India does not exist; as if rural India is somewhere situated in sub-Saharan Africa, so far away so not be of any concern. But if only the Niti Aayog had woken up in time to the grim realities that continued to plague Indian agriculture perhaps the economic slowdown being felt now wouldn’t have been so pronounced. The slowdown is essentially an outcome of a downward spiral in domestic demand, which emanates from a slump in real farm incomes thereby resulting in a collapse in rural demand. Low liquidity has nothing to do with the present crisis.  

With ‘near-zero’ growth in real farm income in the past two years, and with less than half a percent growth per year in the preceding five years, between 2011-12 and 2016-17, it was quite apparent that the rural economy was undergoing a sharp slump. Farm incomes are at a low in 14 years. To add to the dismal scenario, a report of the Reserve Bank of India had shown that public sector investment in agriculture had also remained very low -- between 0.3 to 0.4 per cent of the GDP between 2011-12 and 2016-17 -- clearly showed that how a sector which provides the largest employment in the country has been neglected all these years.

All efforts should therefore be to revive the rural economy. But on the contrary, while the crisis was in agriculture it was the industry which built up a sob story showcasing how auto sales were down, the inventory for the real estate was building up, underwear sales were refusing to pick up and Parle biscuits had warned of 10,000 workers at the verge of being laid off since the poor were thinking twice before buying a Rs 5-pack of biscuits. Seeking an economic stimulus package of Rs 1-lakh crore, industry lobby groups were backed by a large section of the media. In the deafening noise that the drum-beaters created, farmers and rural poor were once again forgotten. 

All measures to kickstart the slowing economy harbours on improving sentiment, provide more sops and tax concessions to the rich, and thereby providing more money into the hands of affluent sections of the society. But I wonder how will all this help in creating more demand. How will it help in providing more money into the hands of the poor? While everyone agrees that the slowdown is essentially because of a collapse in rural demand, I don’t understand how will measures that provide more money into the hands of those who are actually responsible for the slowdown, be helpful. Isn’t it like what the Chief Economic Advisor K Subramanian had said of India Inc’s tendency to “privatise profits, and socialise losses?”

After all, with almost Rs 8.5 lakh crore of bad loans written-off in the past 12 years, since 2007, and with banks staring at another Rs 17-lakh crores of stressed loans, of which many analysts say Rs 12-lakh crores is unlikely to return, it is the private sector which has already sunk a black hole. Since 2009, ever since the days of the global economic meltdown, the Indian industry has been getting an economic stimulus package of Rs 1.8 lakh crores every year. In other words, it has already received Rs 18-lakh crores by way of a bailout package in the past ten years. All this is in addition to an annual tax concession in the range of 5 per cent of GDP. The Chief Economic Advisor was right when he said that the industry should learn to fend for itself, and not run to the government every time it is faced with a slowdown. When the government provides a stimulus package to bail out loss-making Air India, the industry cries for privatising the public sector airline; but when the loss-making industries seek a bailout package to survive why shouldn’t they be nationalised? 

While all eyes are on the Rs 1.76-lakh crore lifeline that RBI has provided, the best option to revive economic growth lies in providing more money into the hands of rural poor. Considering that the average income of a farm family in 17 states of India or in roughly half the country is only Rs 20,000 a year, the cash reserve should be used to double the direct income support to farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme. At present, land owning farmers are given an income support of Rs 6,000 per year. It should be doubled to Rs 12,000 per year per family, which effectively means an income support of Rs 1,000 per month. It is also time to include the landless farmers under the ambit of PM-Kisan. 

In addition, public sector investment in agriculture needs to be enhanced significantly. To begin with, efforts should be geared up to upgrade the promised 20,000 village haats into modern mandis. #

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