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Wednesday, January 7, 2026
TopicLabour force

Topic: Labour force

Data on unpaid labour divides economists. But they agree on one thing: real rural wages have stagnated

India’s employment data flawed, argues economist Santosh Mehrotra, citing unpaid family labour & sectoral shifts. UFL falling as share in total workforce, counters Surjit Bhalla.

India mustn’t skip the manufacturing train. Services alone won’t tap into demographic dividend

Jobs, while they increased by 11.2 crore during the Modi years, are the Achilles’ heel of India’s development as labour participation remains low and the informal sector dominates.

85% of platform-based gig workers put in 8 hrs daily but don’t get basic social security — NGO survey

Non-profit's survey of 5,000-plus gig workers engaged with 20-plus platforms finds that these are full-time jobs. Report points to issues of health, income security & lack of regulation.

More Indian women are joining workforce but gender employment gap is still high, shows new report  

Latest Moody’s Analytics report shows India, Philippines have shown highest decline in gender employment gap since 2019. But the disparity for India is still 4 times that of US, EU.   

On Camera

A 2-hour op, precise extradition—what Maduro’s capture tells us about modern US military

Despite multiple agencies being involved, the US could maintain a clear chain of command. This is something India should consider too, as it defines the theatre command structures.

Trump threatens India with fresh tariffs on Russian oil, calls PM Modi a ‘good guy’

The latest comment comes as New Delhi and Washington have yet to sign a trade agreement. India’s purchase of Russian oil has reduced, but Moscow remains top source for crude.

S-300, Su-30 jets, T-72 tanks: Inventory of Venezuela’s largely Russian-origin arsenal

Venezuela also boasts of a diverse portfolio of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance and being employed for kinetic purposes as well.

A year-end Mea Culpa in National Interest—The Army-Islam combo doesn’t kill democracy

Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.