Despite decades of policy interventions, most Indian farmers have not seen their incomes rise, nor have they been able to increase farm productivity. Farmers are prey to indebtedness, a lack of choice in inputs, and underdeveloped warehousing and processing facilities. Our research finds that the distress in the sector primarily results from farmers having little or no control over their enterprise, and Indian agricultural policies provide a cautionary tale of distorting the market process.

A resilient and robust action towards environment protection and conservation should include local communities, sustainable livelihoods, sound economic incentives and a greater role for market-based instruments. At Centre for Civil Society, we approach the environment through the Terracotta vision which focuses on realigning incentives rather than reforming human nature. We believe that human action can be calibrated to positive environmental outcomes through communities, markets and incentives.

Regulatory frameworks, if designed well, can fuel the engine of global economic growth and ensure better economic outcomes. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, this fuel assumes more importance for global economic recovery. We focus on clearing out regulatory cholesterol through easily navigable and simple legal frameworks. By relying on evidence based policy analysis and the principles of the Rule of Law, we advocate for efficient and robust public administrative processes in ensuring a Business Enabling Environment and Ease of Doing Business.