The Three Farm Laws: An Analysis of the Provisions, the Concerns and the Road Ahead

Amidst the growing concerns for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of farmers brave the cold and the police blockades to protest and voice their disapproval of the newly enacted farm laws by the Central Government. The laws have been deemed to be revolutionary by the Central Government and have been advocated as long sought reforms in the agricultural sector. The laws, when read together, focus on a shift from the decades old APMC controlled Mandi system to the one dominated by market forces. They open the gates for corporates and finance houses to enter the agricultural sector, hoping to change the lives of millions who depend on farming and the allied activities. The three laws have faced challenges form the very onset. They were first challenged on being promulgated through ordinance route, then on their fragile constitutionality as against the spirit of cooperative federalism and are finally being opposed as against the best interests of the most important stakeholders of the sector i.e. the farmers. In this background, this paper firstly defines the provisions the three laws provide and explains the vision, when the three laws are read together. The focus then shifts to speculate on the how the laws will bring about constructive changes to the India’s agrarian sector while also arguing against the provisions and implementation of the Acts. The paper also provides insight into the constitutionality of the Acts and discusses the possible solutions and measures ahead