SUPREME COURT CALLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON CENTRE AND STATES’ MEASURES TO TACKLE FARMERS’ DISTRESS ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

The Supreme Court has directed the Additional Solicitor General to place before it a detailed and comprehensive report outlining the steps taken by the Union Government, State Governments, and other relevant stakeholders to address the deep-rooted and continuing distress faced by farmers across India. The direction was issued during the hearing of a long-pending writ petition that raises concerns about farmers’ suicides and the structural issues contributing to agrarian distress.

The matter was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya. The writ petition was originally filed in 2014 by a non-governmental organisation, Citizens Resource and Action and Initiative, which sought relief for the families of farmers who had died by suicide in the State of Gujarat. The petition highlighted the economic, social, and institutional factors leading to such extreme outcomes and urged judicial intervention to ensure accountability and remedial measures.

Over the course of the proceedings, the scope of the case was significantly widened. In 2017, the Supreme Court took note of the fact that farmers’ distress was not confined to a single State and that similar issues were being reported across the country. Recognising the national dimension of the problem, the Court expanded the ambit of the petition and called for the formulation of a nationwide action plan. All State Governments were impleaded as respondents, reflecting the Court’s view that addressing agrarian distress requires coordinated efforts at both the central and state levels.

When the matter was taken up recently, the Chief Justice emphasised the need for a consolidated and structured account of the measures being implemented to improve farmers’ welfare and to tackle the causes that push many into vulnerable and distressing situations. The Court granted time to the Additional Solicitor General, Aishwarya Bhati, to compile and submit comprehensive information on initiatives undertaken by the Union Government, State Governments, and other stakeholders. The bench recorded that the report should address the various factors that consistently contribute to agrarian distress, including economic pressures, indebtedness, crop failures, market volatility, and access to institutional support, on a pan-India basis.

The Court made it clear that the exercise was not limited to listing schemes but was intended to provide a holistic overview of policy interventions, welfare programmes, and support mechanisms aimed at alleviating farmers’ hardships. By seeking such a report, the Supreme Court underscored the importance of evidence-based assessment and inter-governmental coordination in dealing with a problem that has serious social and human consequences.

In addition to directing the governments to place their initiatives on record, the bench also granted liberty to the petitioner organisation to submit its own suggestions and findings. The Court allowed the NGO to present information it has gathered from different parts of the country, including field-level data and recommendations that could assist in shaping a more effective and responsive policy framework.

The matter thus continues to serve as a platform for examining farmers’ distress at a national level, with the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive understanding of existing measures and potential gaps. The directions issued reflect the Court’s sustained engagement with the issue and its attempt to ensure that governmental responses to agrarian distress are coordinated, transparent, and capable of addressing the root causes of farmers’ hardships across India.