Over the last few years, leaders of several countries across the world have realised the organic link between land, property rights, and climate change. Some of them have even started implementing innovative models and programmes around this. In our final episode of Season 2, we speak with Rachel McMonagle, climate justice and land rights advocate …

The 2011 census suggests that four out of five women workers in rural India work in agriculture as owner cultivators or as wage workers. However, women farmers continue to be disadvantaged when it comes to access to agricultural land ownership, compared to men. This, often, further denies them their rightful recognition as farmers which in turn, in…

There are between 60 to 90 million people living in slums across India. Owing to the poor or complete lack of property rights, the slum dwellers across Indian states grapple with issues such as poor access to civic amenities and basic essentials such as water and electricity. In this endeavour to help transform the slums into liveable habitats and …

Over the last few years, technology has made inroads in almost all aspects our lives — work, education, social interactions, governance and even land administration. Up until ten years ago, getting a copy of your land records would have meant a trek to the tehsildar's office. However, today, in a majority of districts and states, it is possible to …

It’s been nearly 6 years since the launch of RERA (Real Estate Regulation & Development Act) scheme which seeks to offer consumer protection to home-buyers as well as help boost investments in the real estate industry. Has the act been effective to solve problems of fraudulent housing and promise safe buy of property without worry? Join us as we sp…

The property rights of transgender persons, including their right to inheritance, have garnered little attention. Considering that ‘immovable property’ is the largest and most valuable asset for a significant population in India, access to property plays a vital role in elevating the social standing of persons. This is of particular importance sinc…

Land Laws in India are a complicated set of rules that are usually not very easy to comprehend. However, there is an ardent need to understand and be aware of these laws and rules as they govern the property that we own, rent, buy or sell. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Namita Wahi and Nitin Sethi to understand these laws and the relationship b…

With the motive of opening up the rental housing markets in India, the Union government passed the Model Tenancy Act, 2021. The MTA aims to provide a framework for transparency in renting property, minimising litigations and disputes between tenants and landlords by laying a clear set of clauses. The act also proposes to set up rent courts and trib…

Many parts of India are affected by a number of land acquisition disputes that stretch over years in courts. A 2017 study by Daksh shows that over 30% of the civil cases in India involve land and property disputes, many of which relate directly to land acquisition. Even though land acquisition litigations are expensive, time draining and goes for y…

Land is one of the most important financial assets for Indians, and yet also one of the most disputed. Many of us have experienced the frustration over not being able to access reliable and accurate ownership records or maps of the land we own or wish to buy. Digitisation has been increasingly seen as the solution to improving land records and serv…

Welcome to Season 2 of The Quint's fortnightly podcast, Land of a Billion. I'm Bhargavi Zaveri, your host for this season. Through this podcast, I'll be bringing you expert conversations about the most contentious of the holy roti-kapda-makaan trinity - that is the makaan over our heads, and the larger ecosystem that governs it. The Land of a Billi…

In our last few episodes, we have dived deep into various issues that concern property rights - from discussing the extent and impact of weak property rights on slum dwellers in Mumbai, Scheduled Tribes across India and tenant farmers among others to attempting to understand the various solutions that we could potentially employ to solve some of th…

As urban areas became the epicentres of COVID-19, it sparked several conversations about the frailties of Indian cities — the lack of affordable housing, the lack of adequate social safety nets, public health risks owing to poor sanitation, and most importantly, the vulnerabilities of informal settlements. To what extent are our urban policies succ…

With farmers at the forefront of the political discourse today, what are some of the more structural issues which are a part of the larger ecosystem of agriculture in India? For instance, with leasing out of agricultural land prohibited or restricted in most parts of the country - how does this affect the actual tiller of the land? Are they entitle…

Forests, regarded both as safeguards of biodiversity, as well as rich reserves of valuable resources, are often subject to unique laws and policies- especially when it comes to forest land. Since the colonial period, India has witnessed a continued conflict between indigenous forest dwelling populations and large resource extraction drives. For the…

The anxiety that comes with buying a plot of land or a house, is one that a majority of Indians are familiar with. Am I being quoted a fair price for this property? Is this seller or builder a genuine party? Am I going to be the next victim of fraud in the property market? At an administrative level, these concerns are further magnified. With a pop…

As the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown heavily impacted the economy, to address the impact on the agricultural sector and fears over food security, the central government announced emergency direct transfer of funds to farmers through the PM KISAN scheme. Looking at the instrumental role that such welfare distribution frameworks play in times of…

Surveying and mapping land have long served as the foundation for effective governance and administration. However, in large parts of rural India, while there are records of agricultural lands, no records exist of other inhabited lands, until now. In October, amid much fanfare, the Prime Minister physically distributed property cards to over 1 lakh…

Two out of every five people in Mumbai live in slums today. The sight of large clusters of blue tarped sheets over tinned walls is one that Indians are largely familiar with, just as we are familiar with the stories of slum residents’ vulnerability to fires, forced evictions, and even the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Why do we have such a large popula…

The 'Land of a Billion' podcast aims to look at the various issues that challenge our secure access to land, housing and property rights in India, by bringing together leading policymakers, economists, and social workers, to delve into the stories, policies, laws, and economics around land and property. Tune in every other Monday!…