Livelihoods
‘We Belong Neither to the Land Nor the Sky’: Kashmiri Nomads After Pahalgam
VIDEO: Pastoralist communities like the Kashmiri Chopans and the Bakarwals are facing an escalating crisis after the terrorist attack that killed 26 people in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April 2025. As authorities respond with sweeping security measures, including the closure of 48 tourist destinations, which include some high-altitude locations and key grazing routes, hundreds of nomadic and shepherd families have been stranded in the lowlands during the peak of their seasonal migration. This critical period is essential for livestock grazing and securing livelihoods for the year ahead.
Women in the Workforce
Dalit women reclaiming Punjab’s farmlands. ‘We are born on this land, have a right to it’
In village after village in the Malwa region, Dalit women have won the right to farm common land. They are now protesting and courting arrest to demand a new casteless settlement: Begumpura. Under the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, one-third of village common land—known as panchayat land or shamlat deh— is to be allotted to Scheduled Castes or Dalits for agricultural use.
In The Salt Pans Of Thoothukudi, A Rs-10 Patriarchal Tax On Dalit Women Speaks To Enduring National Discrimination
Decades after equal pay laws, Dalit women in the Thoothukudi salt pans of Tamil Nadu still earn Rs 10 less daily or Rs 300 less monthly than men. They carry 25-kg baskets under the scorching sun, yet tradition justifies the gap and serves as a reminder that men are still regarded as superior. Despite court rulings and hard labour, gender—and caste—discrimination persists across generations.
Only 1 out of 5 blue and grey collar workers is a woman, high attrition a huge challenge: Report
BENGALURU: Despite women’s overall share in blue-grey collar roles rising from 16% in FY20-21 to 19% in FY 23-24, as per the PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey), they still account for only about one in five workers in this segment, with high early attrition rates threatening productivity and continuity. This is according to a study 'State of women in the blue-grey collar workforce 2025', released by the Udaiti Foundation in partnership with Quess Corp Limited. The blue and grey-collar workforce is a segment that forms the backbone of industries like manufacturing, logistics, retail, healthcare, and financial services.
More than minimum: Why govt is mulling ‘living wage’, and what it could mean for women at work
While living wage standards would benefit all workers, the impact could be more significant for women, who face higher opportunity costs. Low wages are holding women back from formal employment – 54 per cent of blue- and grey-collar women employees are unhappy with their pay and 80 per cent with saving nothing or less than Rs 2,000 per month, according to a new report. “Income is a make-or-break factor driving women’s exit from the blue-grey collar workforce,” according to the report by Quess Corp, and the Udaiti Foundation. "Inadequate wages that ignore local realities simply drive them out,” it added, flagging a “clear gap between minimum wage and living wage”.
IT Workers
‘Don’t Resign Under Pressure’: TCS Layoffs Face Union Heat as 12,000 Jobs Slated for Cuts - Largest Ever?
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) faces backlash after announcing layoffs for 12,000 employees, about 2% of its global workforce. Employee unions, including the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union, have deemed the layoffs unlawful, urging workers not to resign under pressure and to document their experiences.
When profits trump people: The quiet cost of layoffs at successful companies
The TCS move is not driven by financial distress. It’s a strategic decision. And it isn’t an isolated one. Intel is reportedly preparing to cut close to 15,000 jobs. In their case, it’s more understandable. They ended FY24 with a reported loss of $18.8 billion. But what about Microsoft, which earned over $88 billion in profit last year? Or Meta, which made more than $62 billion? These are not companies struggling to survive.
TCS layoffs: Will job cuts in the tech sector trigger a real estate downturn in Bengaluru?
TCS’s 2% job cut may hit Bengaluru’s real estate market, where IT drives housing demand. Experts foresee slower premium sales and rising lender caution
AI and Jobs
‘AI will gobble up most low-hanging jobs of coders’
Given the transformational and disruptive capacity of AI, enterprises no longer require an army of coders with low single-digit experience in software development. An immediate impact of this will be a reduction in junior level talent and downsizing of project teams, say industry experts
Labour Rights
Delhi govt.’s move to amend labour laws will strip lakhs of workers of their rights, say experts
The government is planning to amend the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954. Trade union leaders and experts have criticised the Delhi government’s move to amend at least two labour laws as part of its ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy, saying the amendments will strip lakhs of workers in the city of several rights.
Endangered Workers
Shortly after landing in Tamil Nadu for work, 6 men from Jharkhand abducted, families get video calls with gun to their head
The youth, aged between 20 and 21, had just deboarded a train and were en route to a job site when they were allegedly kidnapped by a local gang in what appeared to be a premeditated extortion attempt, officials said. Jamtara MLA and state Health Minister Irfan Amsari took cognisance of the case. States coordinated to trace the migrant workers, but only after their bank accounts were drained by the abductors.
Boosting Manufacturing
Forest Rights
Kashmir: Tribals Say Elected Govt Should Relax Rules To Provide Forest Rights After 86% Claims Were Rejected
Jammu and Kashmir rejected 86% of forest land claims under the Forest Rights Act, approving only 6,020 out of 46,090, sparking tribal dispossession concerns. The data shared by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durga Das Uikey in the Lok Sabha presented the grim picture of the FRA, which was extended to Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 after the abrogation of Article 370.
Providing Jobs
Demography Is Destiny: Can India Find Jobs For Its Young Workforce?
With an estimated 12 million young people entering the workforce annually and despite impressive economic growth in recent years, the correlation between rising GDP and job creation remains weak.
Labour Unions
‘Fly, folks, fly’: Kochi entrepreneur slams trade union workers for blocking work at construction site
Taking to LinkedIn, Isaac said, "Despite paying costs and taxes, I’m stuck - unable to unload materials like toughened glass, which requires skilled labour and specialised equipment like glass catchers. Why? Labour unions are blocking progress, demanding control over tasks they’re often untrained for."