Can loan waivers bring down farmer suicides?

Farmer suicides increased 7% to 17,368 in 2009, from the 2008 count of 16,196

There were more farmer suicides after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) waived Rs 60,000 crore in farm loans in 2008, minister of state for agriculture Purushottam Rupala claimed in the Rajya Sabha on July 25.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on farmer suicides second Rupala. Farmer suicides increased seven per cent to 17,368 in 2009, from the 2008 count of 16,196.

NCRB started publishing detailed data on farmer suicides, including reasons and land holding status of farmers or cultivators who committed suicides, from 2015. The UPA-I government announced a Rs 60,000-crore debt waive while presenting the Budget for 2008-09. It