The Forum of Free Enterprise is a non-political organization founded in 1956 by A. D. Shroff, and has been established to educate public opinion in India on free enterprise and a democratic way of life. The Forum publishes booklets to further its objects. The following booklet is titled “Farmer Loan waiver & Absence of Free Enterprise in Indian Agriculture” was published on August 2, 2017 and was authored by Dr. C.L Dadhich, Dr. Barendra Kumar Bhoi, and Kumar Anand. This booklet is a composite of two separate articles the first is titled “Farm Loan Waiver in India: A critical evaluation” which was authored by Dr. C.L Dadhich & Dr. Barendra Kumar Bhoi and the second titled “Indian agriculture suffers from an Absence of Free Markets” was authored by Kumar Anand. The first article presents a systematic approach to highlighting the underpinnings of agrarian distress and reflecting on the economic implications of farm loan waivers. With the help of official data, authors of the first article have pointed out how agriculture has become an unviable proposition mainly due to three key factors namely, 1) small and fragmented size of asset holding, 2) growing dependence on non-institutional sources in the financing of agricultural operations 3) inefficient value chains.

And the second article by Kumar Anand articulates the crisis in Indian agriculture has much to do with the lack of principles, policies, and practices of the market economy – both at the input and output level. The author further raises the question of whether we have abandoned the central planning although the planning commission is dissolved. The author concludes with the view that Indian IT, Manufacturing, Banking, or Finance does not have national goals. Indian agriculture does not need either. And agriculture does not need so many interventions.