{"id":92282,"date":"2026-03-12T11:22:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T05:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=92282"},"modified":"2026-03-12T11:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T05:52:17","slug":"daily-editorial-analysis-12-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/daily-editorial-analysis-12-march-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Editorial Analysis 12 March 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Holding Up Half the Sky on India\u2019s Farms<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The celebration of <strong>International Women\u2019s Day<\/strong> on March 8 highlights the achievements and struggles of women across sectors.<\/li>\n<li>In the same spirit, the <strong>Food and Agriculture Organization<\/strong> declared the <strong>International Year of the Woman Farmer<\/strong>, drawing attention to the vital yet often unrecognized role of women in agriculture.<\/li>\n<li>In India, women form a backbone, pillar, and essential workforce of the agricultural economy, contributing significantly to <strong>crop cultivation<\/strong>, <strong>livestock rearing<\/strong>, and <strong>agricultural labour<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Despite this central role, women farmers remain <strong>undercounted<\/strong>, <strong>underpaid<\/strong>, and economically marginalized.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Challenge of Counting Women Workers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Accurate measurement of women\u2019s participation in agriculture remains difficult due to the <strong>informal nature<\/strong> of rural economies.<\/li>\n<li>Much of women\u2019s labour is <strong>home-based<\/strong>, <strong>seasonal<\/strong>, <strong>intermittent<\/strong>, and closely linked with <strong>care work<\/strong>, making it difficult for surveys to capture their actual contribution.<\/li>\n<li>Many women perform multiple tasks such as <strong>childcare<\/strong>, <strong>animal care<\/strong>, and <strong>farm work<\/strong> within a single day, which often leads to their labour being unreported.<\/li>\n<li>Nevertheless, available data indicates a rise in rural women\u2019s workforce participation. Among rural women aged 15 and above, participation increased from 35% in 2011\u201312 to 46.5% in 2023\u201324.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Scale of Women\u2019s Participation in Agriculture<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Crop Production<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Women play a critical role in <strong>crop production<\/strong>. Field studies conducted by the <strong>Foundation for Agrarian Studies<\/strong> show that women contribute a substantial share of labour in farming activities.<\/li>\n<li>In several villages across Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, women accounted for about <strong>one-third of family labour<\/strong> in crop cultivation.<\/li>\n<li>When both family and hired labour are combined, women\u2019s contribution becomes even more prominent.<\/li>\n<li>In some villages, women represented <strong>more than half of the total agricultural labour<\/strong>, reaching up to <strong>61%<\/strong> in certain regions.<\/li>\n<li>These patterns illustrate the dependence of farming systems on women\u2019s labour and their active involvement in sowing, transplanting, weeding, and other farm operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Livestock Rearing<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>livestock sector<\/strong> is one of the fastest-growing segments of agriculture and relies heavily on women\u2019s labour.<\/li>\n<li>Activities such as <strong>feeding animals<\/strong>, <strong>collecting fodder<\/strong>, <strong>cleaning sheds<\/strong>, and <strong>milking<\/strong> are largely performed by women within rural households.<\/li>\n<li>Households that own <strong>milch cattle<\/strong> almost always involve women in daily livestock care.<\/li>\n<li>With nearly <strong>40 million rural households<\/strong> owning milch animals, millions of women spend several hours each day performing livestock-related tasks.<\/li>\n<li>Despite their continuous labour, women rarely receive direct <strong>financial recognition<\/strong> or <strong>economic compensation<\/strong> for these contributions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Agricultural Wage Labour<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Women also participate as casual wage labourers in agricultural operations.<\/li>\n<li>However, <strong>mechanisation<\/strong> and changes in agricultural practices have reduced the overall demand for manual labour, particularly affecting women workers.<\/li>\n<li>The share of women in casual agricultural labour varies across regions but remains substantial in many villages.<\/li>\n<li>Women workers often come from <strong>manual labour households<\/strong> or <strong>small peasant families<\/strong>, where agricultural wage work is essential for <strong>household survival<\/strong> and <strong>livelihood security<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Persistent Challenges Faced by Women Workers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Inequality in Wages and Earnings<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Despite their extensive participation, women agricultural workers receive low wages, limited earnings, and face a significant gender wage gap.<\/li>\n<li>In many rural regions, women earn <strong>less than \u20b9300 per day<\/strong> for agricultural work.<\/li>\n<li>In some areas, women\u2019s wages are less than half of men\u2019s wages, demonstrating strong wage inequality.<\/li>\n<li>National statistics reveal a similar pattern: the average daily wage for women in agricultural tasks such as sowing and weeding is approximately \u20b9384, with variations across states.<\/li>\n<li>Even where wages are higher, inflation-adjusted earnings have shown little improvement over the past decade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Structural Inequality and Lack of Asset Ownership<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>A major structural barrier is the limited ownership of productive assets, especially agricultural land.<\/li>\n<li>Although women constitute nearly half of the agricultural workforce, only about <strong>10% of rural women own land<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Without land ownership, women face restrictions in accessing institutional credit, government schemes, agricultural subsidies, and decision-making power within farming households.<\/li>\n<li>This lack of ownership reinforces patterns of economic dependency and gender inequality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Women sustain India\u2019s agricultural economy through their extensive involvement in <strong>crop farming<\/strong>, <strong>livestock management<\/strong>, and <strong>rural labour markets<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Their work supports food production, household livelihoods, and the broader rural economy. Yet their contributions remain largely invisible, undervalued, and poorly compensated.<\/li>\n<li>Addressing these inequalities requires improved <strong>data collection<\/strong>, recognition of women as <strong>farmers and workers<\/strong>, expansion of <strong>fair wages<\/strong>, and greater access to <strong>land ownership<\/strong> and <strong>economic rights<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening these measures is essential for achieving <strong>inclusive rural development<\/strong>, ensuring <strong>gender equity<\/strong>, and acknowledging the vital role women play in sustaining India\u2019s agricultural system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Holding Up Half the Sky on India\u2019s Farms FAQs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Q1. <\/strong>Why is women\u2019s agricultural work often undercounted in India?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans. <\/strong>Women\u2019s agricultural work is often undercounted because it is informal, home-based, seasonal, and frequently combined with childcare and other domestic responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2. <\/strong>What proportion of rural women participated in the workforce in 2023\u201324?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans. <\/strong>About 46.5% of rural women aged 15 years and above participated in the workforce in 2023\u201324.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3. <\/strong>Which agricultural sector relies heavily on women\u2019s labour besides crop cultivation?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans. <\/strong>The livestock sector relies heavily on women\u2019s labour for tasks such as feeding animals, collecting fodder, and milking cattle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4. <\/strong>How do women\u2019s agricultural wages compare to men\u2019s wages?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans. <\/strong>Women\u2019s agricultural wages are generally much lower than men\u2019s wages and can be less than half of what male workers earn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5. <\/strong>Why is land ownership important for women farmers?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans. <\/strong>Land ownership is important for women farmers because it provides access to credit, government schemes, and greater economic and decision-making power.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/holding-up-half-the-sky-on-indias-farms\/article70732124.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hindu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>From Women\u2019s Development to Women-Led Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s development narrative is shifting from <strong>women\u2019s development to women-led development<\/strong>, where women are seen not merely as beneficiaries of welfare schemes but as active leaders shaping the nation\u2019s progress.<\/li>\n<li>Women\u2019s empowerment, or Nari Shakti, is increasingly driving India\u2019s growth, particularly in knowledge-based sectors such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), which are crucial for achieving the vision of a Viksit Bharat.<\/li>\n<li>This article highlights India\u2019s transition from women\u2019s development to women-led development, focusing on the growing participation of women in education, STEM fields, research, and innovation as key drivers of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Strengthening Girls\u2019 Education in STEM<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>India has strengthened the foundation for women in science through greater access to education and improved school participation.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Gender Parity Index<\/strong> has reached <strong>0<\/strong> at foundational, preparatory and middle levels, and <strong>1.1<\/strong> at the secondary level, indicating equal or higher participation of girls compared to boys.<\/li>\n<li>Declining dropout rates show better student retention.<\/li>\n<li>Initiatives such as early skill development programmes and Atal Tinkering Labs provide practical exposure to technology and innovation, encouraging girls to pursue STEM fields from an early stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Rising Female Participation in Higher Education<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s higher education sector has expanded significantly, with institutions increasing from 51,534 to over 60,000 and enrolment rising from 3.42 crore to 4.46 crore since 2014\u201315.<\/li>\n<li>Women have played a key role in this growth, <u>with female enrolment increasing from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore<\/u> and the <strong>Female Gross Enrolment Ratio<\/strong> <u>rising from 22.9 to 30.2<\/u>, indicating steady progress in women\u2019s access to higher education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Growing Participation of Women in STEM<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Women\u2019s participation in STEM education in India has increased significantly, accounting for <strong>43% of total enrolment<\/strong> in higher education, one of the highest shares globally.<\/li>\n<li>However, women represent <strong>6%<\/strong> of the national R&amp;D workforce, highlighting the need to strengthen the transition from education to research careers.<\/li>\n<li>Policy initiatives such as supernumerary seats for women in IITs and NITs have improved their representation from below 10% a decade ago to over 20% in recent years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Rising Participation of Women in Research<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Women\u2019s involvement in academic research in India has increased significantly.<\/li>\n<li>Postgraduate enrolment rose from 19.8 lakh in 2014\u201315 to 32 lakh in 2022\u201323, while doctoral enrolment increased from about 47,000 to over 1.12 lakh, reflecting a growth of more than 135%.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increasing Representation in STEM Research<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Women accounted for over 53% of STEM fellows under the UGC NET\u2013Junior Research Fellowship in 2024\u201325, with 7,293 of the 13,727 recipients pursuing doctoral research.<\/li>\n<li>This indicates growing female participation in advanced research fields.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Women in the National R&amp;D Ecosystem<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Within India\u2019s research and development ecosystem, about 45.87% of women researchers work in government institutions, 27.62% in higher education, and 26.51% in industry, showing their expanding presence across sectors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Policy Support and Fellowships<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Government initiatives have strengthened women\u2019s participation in research.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Prime Minister\u2019s Research Fellowship<\/strong> has supported over 3,500 scholars, including 35% women, and aims to fund 10,000 fellowships in the next five years.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Anusandhan National Research Foundation<\/strong> further supports the expansion of India\u2019s research ecosystem.<\/li>\n<li>Government initiatives, including the Union Budget 2026 proposal to <strong>establish safe and affordable hostels<\/strong> for girls pursuing STEM education, aim to encourage more women to build careers in science.<\/li>\n<li>As emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and data science grow, women\u2019s participation will be crucial for strengthening India\u2019s innovation ecosystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Women at the Core of the Viksit Bharat Vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>As India moves towards becoming a <strong>Viksit Bharat by 2047<\/strong>, women are expected to play a leading role in this transformation.<\/li>\n<li>With increasing participation across sectors and emerging technologies, Nari Shakti will drive India\u2019s knowledge economy and development journey.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>From Women\u2019s Development to Women-Led Growth FAQs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What does the shift from women\u2019s development to women-led development signify?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>The shift signifies recognising women not merely as beneficiaries of welfare schemes but as active leaders driving economic growth, innovation, and social transformation in India\u2019s development journey.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> How has India improved girls\u2019 participation in education and STEM?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>India has achieved near gender parity in school enrolment, reduced dropout rates, and introduced initiatives like Atal Tinkering Labs and skill programmes to encourage girls\u2019 interest in STEM fields.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> What trends show rising female participation in higher education in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Female enrolment in higher education increased from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore, while the Female Gross Enrolment Ratio rose from 22.9 to 30.2 since 2014\u201315.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> How are women contributing to research and innovation in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Women\u2019s postgraduate and doctoral enrolment has grown significantly, with more women receiving STEM fellowships and increasing participation in government institutions, academia, and industry research sectors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> Why is women\u2019s participation important for achieving the Viksit Bharat vision?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Greater participation of women in education, science, and emerging technologies will strengthen innovation, productivity, and knowledge-based growth, making them central to India\u2019s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/women-development-viksit-bharat-10571043\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>GDP Growth vs Employment Reality &#8211; Re-centering India\u2019s Economic Policy on Jobs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The release of a new GDP series with revised growth estimates has renewed debate about the state of the Indian economy.<\/li>\n<li>While the revised figures reinforce the narrative of India as the \u201cfastest-growing major economy,\u201d economists argue that excessive emphasis on GDP growth masks a critical issue \u2014 persistently <strong>high unemployment<\/strong>, especially among youth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>New GDP Series and the \u201cDouble-Deflation\u201d Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Key methodological change:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The latest GDP estimates adopt the double-deflation method for calculating Gross Value Added (<strong>GVA<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li>This method separately deflates output and input prices, giving a more accurate measure of real production.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revisions in growth estimates:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The 2024\u201325 growth rate is revised upwards slightly, reinforcing growth optimism, while the 2023\u201324 growth rate is significantly revised downward.<\/li>\n<li>Despite revisions, India continues to be portrayed as the <strong>fastest-growing <\/strong>major economy globally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Critical observation:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>While methodological improvements are welcome, the policy discourse remains disproportionately focused on production (GDP) rather than employment generation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Unemployment &#8211; The Understated Indicator<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rising unemployment trends:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Data from surveys such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey (<strong>PLFS<\/strong>) indicate that unemployment remains higher than historical benchmarks.<\/li>\n<li>For example, unemployment Rate (Current Weekly Status) in 2011-12 was 3.7%, while it stands at an average of <strong>2%<\/strong> (in the 10 months before Jan 2026).<\/li>\n<li>2011-12 serves as a reasonable benchmark since the effects of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the Mukherjee Stimulus had largely subsided.<\/li>\n<li>Since then, unemployment has remained consistently higher, though it has moderated slightly in recent years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Youth unemployment:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The situation is more severe for young people (<strong>15\u201329<\/strong> years). For example, the youth unemployment rate (Usual Status) in 2011-12 was 7.7%, while it reached 10.2% 2023-24.<\/li>\n<li>This indicates that economic growth has not translated proportionately into job creation, pointing to the phenomenon of \u201c<strong>jobless growth<\/strong>.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Inflation Trends &#8211; Policy or Agricultural Luck?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Official narrative: <\/strong>The Economic Survey claims that government policies have pushed the growth frontier, and tamed and anchored inflation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alternative explanation: <\/strong>Evidence suggests that the decline in inflation may not primarily be due to monetary policy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Role of agriculture:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Food prices<\/strong>, a major component of inflation, largely determine the inflation trajectory.<\/li>\n<li>The agricultural growth in 2024-25 was 4.2%, an unusually strong performance.<\/li>\n<li>Higher agricultural output reduces food price inflation, thereby lowering overall inflation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key issue: <\/strong>It remains unclear whether the current low inflation is the result of policy intervention, or favourable agricultural conditions (benign monsoon, natural factors).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Selective Presentation of Economic Indicators<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A key criticism concerns the asymmetry in official communication.<strong> For example<\/strong>,\n<ul>\n<li>The Economic Survey presents detailed inflation data from 2011 onwards, highlighting its decline.<\/li>\n<li>However, unemployment data for the same period is not similarly emphasised.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>If comparable unemployment data were presented, it would reveal that unemployment today remains <strong>higher <\/strong>than historic levels, contradicting the optimistic narrative of economic performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Methodological Puzzle in Unemployment Data<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>An unusual pattern emerges from PLFS data. During 2020-21 (COVID-19 pandemic), though the GDP contracted by ~7%, unemployment declined.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global comparison<\/strong>: In countries like the United States, unemployment surged during the pandemic despite a smaller GDP contraction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implication<\/strong>: This anomaly suggests a need for greater methodological scrutiny and clarification from the National Statistical Office (<strong>NSO<\/strong>) to enhance credibility of unemployment data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Key Challenges and Way Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Overemphasis on GDP growth<\/strong>: As the primary economic indicator.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reorient economic policy towards employment: <\/strong>Shift focus from growth-centric policy to employment-intensive growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Persistent unemployment<\/strong>: Particularly among youth.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Promote labour-intensive sectors<\/strong>: Such as manufacturing (especially MSMEs), construction, agro-processing, and labour-intensive exports such as textiles and footwear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jobless growth<\/strong>: Where production increases without proportional employment generation.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Strengthen agricultural productivity<\/strong>: Sustained agricultural growth helps control food inflation and supports rural employment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Selective economic narrative<\/strong>: Highlighting favourable indicators while downplaying others.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Balanced economic monitoring:<\/strong> Economic assessment should give equal importance to GDP growth, inflation, and employment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data credibility concerns<\/strong>: Due to unexplained statistical patterns.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Improve labour market data<\/strong>: Greater transparency in PLFS methodology. Clarification of anomalies such as declining unemployment during economic contraction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s strong GDP growth narrative does not fully capture the realities of the labour market.<\/li>\n<li>While methodological improvements in GDP estimation strengthen economic statistics,<strong> persistent unemployment<\/strong> \u2014 particularly among youth \u2014 remains a critical concern.<\/li>\n<li>A sustainable economic strategy must therefore move beyond celebrating growth figures and prioritise employment generation, data transparency, and balanced policy evaluation.<\/li>\n<li>Only then can India\u2019s growth translate into broad-based economic <strong>well-being<\/strong> and <strong>inclusive development.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>GDP Growth vs Employment Reality FAQs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Q1<\/strong>. Why has the adoption of the \u201cdouble-deflation\u201d method in GDP estimation been considered significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. It improves the accuracy of real GDP estimates by separately deflating output and input prices while measuring GVA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2<\/strong>. Why is GDP growth alone considered an inadequate indicator of economic performance in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. Because strong GDP growth has not translated into sufficient employment generation, leading to concerns of jobless growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3<\/strong>. What trend does recent labour market data reveal about unemployment in India since 2011\u201312?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. Unemployment rates have remained consistently higher than the 2011\u201312 benchmark despite recent economic growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4<\/strong>. How does agricultural performance influence inflation trends in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. Higher agricultural growth reduces food price, which significantly lowers overall inflation due to food\u2019s large weight in the CPI basket.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5<\/strong>. Why has the decline in India\u2019s unemployment rate during the COVID-19 pandemic raised methodological concerns?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans<\/strong>. Because unemployment fell even when GDP contracted sharply, contradicting global trends.<\/p>\n<p><strong> Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/we-need-better-unemployment-data-policy-must-pivot-to-jobs-10577358\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily Editorial Analysis 12 March 2026 by Vajiram &#038; Ravi covers key editorials from The Hindu &#038; Indian Express with UPSC-focused insights and relevance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":86373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[141,882,909],"class_list":{"0":"post-92282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-daily-editorial-analysis","8":"tag-daily-editorial-analysis","9":"tag-the-hindu-editorial-analysis","10":"tag-the-indian-express-analysis","11":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92282"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92304,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92282\/revisions\/92304"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}