November 26, 2007

YCAR was happy to host Dr Mohanakumar S. on Monday, 26 November when he posed the questions: Why is it that workers doing the same type of work get paid differently within a small geographical area? His presentation gave listeners insight into the wage differentials for agricultural labourers in the southern most province in India, Kerala. Wage differentials in Kerala assume special significance because the state is historically known for its left-wing radical politics and militant trade unionism. Yet significant differences in hourly wage rate prevails for the same work and workers in the state.

From Kerala, India, Dr Mohanakumar S is a social scientist in the Economic Research Division of the Rubber Research Institute of India, one of the country’s premier agricultural research institutes. His area of specialization is the political economy of agricultural development and labour.

The event was co-presented by the Graduate Programme in Geography and YCAR.