In the Wednesday Webinar held on 24 February 2021, some students of M.A. Public Policy and Governance programme presented their Policy Brief with their recommendations on the three Farm Acts.
The three Farm Acts namely – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (FPTC) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services (FAPS & FS) Act 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) (ECA) Act 2020 were introduced in the Parliament on 14th of September and received the President’s assent on 27th September 2020. These Acts aimed at liberalising the agriculture sector hopes to attract private investments, and open new market avenues for the agricultural produce. But, the farmer community fears that the Acts would lead to the corporatisation of agriculture and a complete withdrawal of government from the agricultural market sphere. This has led them to the streets calling for the repeal of the three Acts. The protests have seen popular figures coming out in solidarity and have drawn attention from the international media. On multiple petitions being filed against constitutional validity of the three Acts, by individuals and farmers’ organisations, the Supreme Court, on 12th January 2020, constituted a committee to hear the grievances of farmers and views of GOI and to submit their recommendations.
With an intention to develop an understanding and contribute to the ongoing Committee’s stakeholders’ consultation process, the students of M.A. PPG, with the support of the faculty, undertook policy analysis and investigated the legislative design of the three Acts. Eventually, they came out with a Policy Brief with recommendations on the three Farm Acts and submitted the same to the Supreme Court Committee.
Speakers
Aswathi Prakash – Introduction
Priyanka, Veena Mahor – Farmers’ Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Act
Arth Mishra, Arun Kumar – Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act
Sivapriya Ambalavanan – Essential Commodities Amendment Act