Simran Kaur Social Science
The Economics of Agrarian Unrest in The Punjab Region of India
The ongoing farmer demonstrations in India that erupted in late 2020 in protest of agriculture reforms passed by the Modi administration have become some of the largest seen in modern history. However, agrarian unrest in the Punjab region has been a persistent issue since the partition of India, with external pressures such as debt, water shortage, and expensive inputs forcing its farmers to consider suicide as the only option. Simran will be conducting a meta-analysis of economic research in Punjab to determine policy factors that have contributed to the ongoing protests. Alongside this, she will be gathering qualitative data in the form of informant interviews with Punjabi farmers to explore the motivations behind these protests. The culmination of this research will be in the form of a senior thesis in Public Health.
