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Methodology of Data Collection Unsuited to Changing Rural Reality: A Study of Agricultural Wage Data in India

Author

Listed:
  • Yoshifumi Usami

    (Research Fellow, University of Tokyo, yoshiusami@gmail.com.)

  • Arindam Das

    (Joint Director, Foundation for Agrarian Studies and PhD Student, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, arindam@fas.org.in.)

  • Madhura Swaminathan

    (Professor, Economic Analysis Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, madhuraswaminathan@gmail.com.)

Abstract

Technological change and the modernisation of agriculture in India have led to many changes in farming practices. The mechanisation of field operations such as ploughing and harvesting, for example, has not only changed total labour use in crop production but has led to changes in labour-hiring practices and in wage forms. There is a rise in labour arrangements that pay wages on a piece-rated basis rather than on a time-rated one. In this article, we examine the two major official sources of data on agricultural wages in India, Wage Rates in Rural India (WRRI) and Agricultural Wages in India (AWI), in the context of these changes in farming practices. In addition to reviewing published material, we conducted personal interviews with relevant officials at various agencies to understand the actual process of data collection. Village-level data from the archive of the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS) are also examined to get a picture of the complexity of rural wage arrangements.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoshifumi Usami & Arindam Das & Madhura Swaminathan, 2020. "Methodology of Data Collection Unsuited to Changing Rural Reality: A Study of Agricultural Wage Data in India," Journal, Review of Agrarian Studies, vol. 10(2), pages 48-74, July-Dece.
    • Handle: RePEc:fas:journl:v:10:y:2020:i:2:p:48-74
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