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Model Nagar Raj Bill: Taking Democracy to the Grassroots

Participation of citizen in local governance is a key component for good governance. It extends the citizens’ role beyond that of a voter . It ensures a more equal distribution of power and resources...

by Kedar Diwan | On 21 Feb 2021

Prakriti Karyshala: Case Studies Ecomanagement: Mapping and Securing Commons

Prakriti Karyashala, launched in 2012 through the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), to respond to the rising needs of rural communities to respond to ecological change. It trains a cadre of f...

by Anjali P Iyer | On 20 Nov 2020

The COVID-19, Migration and Livelihood in India

Sudden eruption of migration crisis resulting from the out-break of COVID-19 again reminds us the urgency of the matter. This policy paper presents how our understanding of migration and livelihood...

by R. B. Bhagat | On 08 May 2020

How to Modernise the Working of Courts and Tribunals in India

Indian courts are clogged with large backlogs. Part of the reason for the problem is that cases take a very long time to move through the courts. It slows progress of court cases is harmful for the In...

by Pratik Dutta | On 30 Mar 2019

India's Universal Basic Income: Bedeviled by the Details

The idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI)-—periodic and uncon- ditional cash payments to all citizens—has gained renewed attention amid growing concerns about technological unemployment in advanced e...

by | On 28 Mar 2019

Human Rights Watch World Report, 2019. Events of 2018

World Report 2019 is Human Rights Watch’s 29th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, draw...

by | On 27 Mar 2019

Guidance Note of the Secretary-General : The United Nations and Land and Conflict

Over the coming decades, competition and conflict over land is likely to intensify with the growing pressures of climate change, population growth, increased food insecurity, migration and urbanizatio...

by Secretary-General United Nations | On 21 Mar 2019

UDAY Power Debt in Retrospect and Prospects: Analyzing the Efficiency Parameters

The Government of India launched the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY), in November 2015, with an objective of “Power for All”. Under the UDAY scheme, selected States agreed to convert 75 per cent...

by Amandeep Kaur | On 11 Jan 2019

Bangladesh Goes to the Polls: A Street-side View

An informal but informed Indian professional on assignment in Dhaka sends this engaging commentary on the general elections in Bangladesh.

by Srikanth S | On 05 Jan 2019

How Do We Prevent a Food Crisis in the Midst of Climate Change?

The current global warming trends are extremely likely to be the result of human social and economic activity since the middle of the 20th century (NASA 2018). Evidence of rapid climate change varies...

by Kunmin Kim | On 21 Nov 2018

Indian Banks and the Prevention of Corruption Act: Freedom and Discipline

Selfless activists like Mr. Pai teach us the importance of continuously interrogating the functioning of our democracy. The NPA issue has persisted for almost a decade. It has eroded the profitability...

by Ashima Goyal | On 29 Oct 2018

Aging and Implications for Elderly Care Services in the People’s Republic of China

Aging can be harmful to an economy over the long run, as an increase in the share of the elderly population reduces both the labor force and output per adult, and increases the social security burden....

by Hiroko Uchimura-Shiroshi | On 10 Sep 2018

Strengthening India’s External Intelligence Infrastructure: An Assessment .

This paper outlines a number of points, which would help to develop a more superior external intelligence infrastructure. In absence of a national security strategy (NSS), the task of intelligence age...

by Shantanu K. Bansal | On 04 Sep 2018

Investing in Health Security for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific: Managing Health Threats Through Regional and Intersectoral Cooperation

Asia is a hot spot for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, including those with pandemic potential. At the same time, the region is grappling with growing antimicrobial resistance and the hea...

by Megan Counahan | On 24 Aug 2018

Building Food Security in Asia through International Agreements on Rice Reserves

The policy brief aims to mitigate the impact of natural disasters on food security, ASEAN established a rice reserve on 4 October 1979. The rice reserve was developed to alleviate poverty and to eradi...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Aug 2018

Assessment of the BUB Program: Improving Access of Local Communities to Basic Services and Strengthening Social Capital

The Aquino administration through the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC) and Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Cluster (GGACC) launched the Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) exercise in...

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 05 Jul 2018

Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment of Hydropower Plants in Nepal: A Contextspecific Approach

This paper investigates the public participation (PP) process in environmental impact assessments (EIA) of three large-scale hydropower plants (HPs) in Nepal, with a view to improving the PP process t...

by Jon Munch-Petersen | On 27 Jun 2018

Multidimensional Poverty and Catastrophic Health Spending in the Mountainous Regions of Myanmar, Nepal and India

Economic burden to households due to out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) is large in many Asian countries. Though studies suggest increasing household poverty due to high OOPE in developing countries, s...

by Bidhubhusan Mahapatra | On 29 May 2018

Labour Regulations in India: Improving the Social Security Framework

An important segment of labour regulations concerns the protection aspects of social security. These regulations provide safety nets or fall back mechanisms to enable workers to cope with crises that...

by Anwarul Hoda | On 30 Apr 2018

The Role of Plant-Breeding R&D in Tractor Adoption among Smallholders in Asia: Insights from Nepal Terai

Combining agricultural census data from Nepal from 2001 and 2011 with various spatial agroclimatic data, we show that increase in yield potentials due to the introduction of high-yield technologies ...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 27 Apr 2018

Global Food Policy Report 2018

The 2018 Global Food Policy Report reviews major food policy developments and events from the past year. Leading researchers, policy makers, and practitioners examine what happened in food polic...

by IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute | On 24 Apr 2018

Draft National Forest Policy, 2018

The overall objective and goal of the present policy is to safeguard the ecological and livelihood security of people, of the present and future generations, based on sustainable management of the fo...

by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Chang GOI | On 11 Apr 2018

Cow Vigilantism: Crime, Community and Livelihood January 2016 to March 2018

From 2015 there has been a spate of incidents of violence and intimidation around issues of cow slaughter and beef. These ranged from the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq for alleged cow theft, slaughter...

by PUDR Peoples Union for Democratic Rights | On 04 Apr 2018

Agricultural Productivity Shocks, Labor Reallocation, and Rural-Urban Migration in China

This paper analyses the way households in rural China use rural-urban migration and off-farm work as a response to negative productivity shocks in agriculture. I employ various waves of a longitudin...

by Luigi Minale | On 04 Apr 2018

An Analysis of Nepal’s Transit through India

Nepal, a landlocked country, relies on transit access from neighbouring countries to participate in international trade. For Nepal, the nearest sea-port is that of Kolkata in India and the transit a...

by Isha Dayal | On 28 Mar 2018

Trade Facilitation Measures to Enhance Women’s Participation in Cross-border Trade in BBIN

Trade facilitation measures improve the trading environment by reducing transaction costs and thereby increasing the gains from trade. Although the use of trade facilitation measures for tackling tr...

by Sanjana Joshi | On 28 Mar 2018

Regional Cooperation to Combat Climate Change: The Way Forward

This paper is based on the presentation given by the author at the Fifth WIEF roundtable on climate change held in Dhaka, organized by the WIEF secretariat on 20 March 2012. The paper will introduce t...

by | On 21 Mar 2018

Strategies to Make Last-mile Energy More Inclusive: Examples from India

Sustainable access to energy has the power to catalyze social and economic development and promote better educated, healthier, more productive and resilient communities. Yet many families across th...

by | On 16 Mar 2018

Women and Land in the Muslim World: Pathways to Increase Access to Land for the Realization of Development, Peace and Human Rights

This report looks at global normative work, regional frameworks, and good country level practices, it provides an analysis of the most important aspects to be taken into consideration to successfully...

by Ombretta Tempra | On 09 Mar 2018

SAARC Food Bank (SFB) Institutional Architecture and Issues of Operationalisation

In view of the need for an appropriate institutional architecture to address the food security concerns in South Asia, issues of proper operationalisation of the SAARC Food Bank (SFB) have assumed cr...

by | On 06 Mar 2018

Report Summary Women’s Healthcare: Policy Options

The paper says that the Committee noted that synergy between the central and state policies will bring changes in women's healthcare.

by Nivedita Rao | On 06 Mar 2018

Labour Dynamics and Social Security in Leather-based Enterprises in Mumbai and ShanghaiA Preliminary Background Study

The advent of Globalization has led to profound transformation in the global economy in terms of policy paradigms, growth trajectories and developmental strategies of governance, in the advanced eco...

by | On 26 Feb 2018

Maritime Terrorism and Piracy: Security Challenges in South East Asia

The paper says that the region is plagued with piracy and has also witnessed maritime terrorism related activities, drug smuggling, gun running and illegal migration.

by Vijay Sakhuja | On 09 Feb 2018

Budget 2018: Highlights of the Draft FY2018 Japan Budget

FY2018 budget, the budget for final year of the intensive reform period set in the Fiscal Consolidation Plan, continues to pursue both economic revitalization and fiscal consolidation.

by | On 09 Feb 2018

Proceedings of the Workshop: State of the Art of Local Governance - Challenges for the Next Decade

The discussions in the workshop ranged from scrutinizing overall models of governance via technical and administrative applications to philosophical debates about the core values of democracy

by Bent Jörgensen | On 07 Feb 2018

Citizen Engagement, Deliberative Spaces and the Consolidation of a Post-Authoritarian Democracy: The Case of Indonesia

This paper argues that support for citizen participation and accountability among civil society actors can consolidate local deliberative spaces and improve the performance of local government.

by Hans Antlöv | On 07 Feb 2018

The Indian Parliament as an Institution of Accountability

This paper examines the institutional challenges facing the Indian Parliament. It argues that over the years there has been a decline in the effectiveness of Parliament as an institution of accounta...

by Pratap Mehta | On 05 Feb 2018

Choosing Democracy: Natural Resource Management for Environmental Policy Makers, Donors and Practitioners

The brief talks about supporting local democracy in forestry is crucial for enhancing local people’s wellbeing.

by Jesse Ribot | On 02 Feb 2018

Social Infrastructure: Way Forward

The tenth chapter of Economic Survey 2018 has sown that investments in social infrastructure and human development has paid off well. The policies and schemes have also been mentioned in detail. The g...

by Lakshmi Priya | On 31 Jan 2018

A New, Exciting Bird’s-Eye View of the Indian Economy Through the GST

Data on the international exports of states (the first in India’s history) suggests a strong correlation between export performance and states’ standard of living. India’s exports are unusual in tha...

by Arun Jaitley | On 30 Jan 2018

A Guide to Using Budget Analysis

Budget analysis entails analysis and assessment of budget from the lens of marginalised sections of population with the objective of prioritisation of public expenditures and collection of revenues...

by Happy Pant | On 17 Jan 2018

The Politics of Institutional Reform and Post-Conflict Violence in Nepal

How does the reform of state institutions shape prospects for peace after war? Existing re- search on the institutional causes of peace focuses on how institutional designs, as the out- comes of ref...

by Julia Strasheim | On 17 Jan 2018

Indigenisation of Lithium ion Battery Manufacturing A Techno-economic Feasibility Assessment

The paper talks about the growing demand in the clean energy industry is expected to increase LCE production to about 410,000 tonne by 2025.

by Tanmay Sarkar | On 12 Jan 2018

People, Policy and Partnership for Disaster Resilience Development

The paper narrates about the proceedings that were centered on a wide range of community level risk reduction efforts that are effectively reducing vulnerabilities as well as influencing development p...

by National Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction NADRR | On 10 Jan 2018

Mapping Spaces For Democratic Participation In South Aceh Indonesia

The paper explored participatory aspects of local democracy in Aceh and some major challenges in South Aceh for people’s participation in local decision-making processes.

by Leena Avonius | On 08 Jan 2018

Prioritizing Agricultural Research and Extension

India’s agricultural research and extension system has grown tremendously to meet the country’s rapid change in research and development (R&D) needs over the past half century. Major activities in thi...

by | On 27 Dec 2017

Effective Public Investments to Improve Food Security

This paper focuses on public investments to improve food security can be placed into five broad categories.

by Livia Bizikova | On 18 Dec 2017

Consumption Pattern in West Bengal - A Study of Per Capita Expenditure Elasticity by Income Group

The understanding of consumption patterns of the households of different income groups is essential for the development of successful food security policies. In recent years the studies on consumption...

by | On 08 Dec 2017

Globalisation, Democratic Decentralisation and Social Secutiy in India

This paper examines the role of democratic decentralisation in promoting inclusive governance (responsive, efficient equitable) and social security in the context of globalisation. Firstly, the paper...

by | On 07 Dec 2017

Sustainable Energy for All in South Asia Potential, Challenges, and Solutions

This paper narrates about the challenge of meeting energy demand is likely to get more complex, as it is growing to keep pace with the population growth and expanding economy.

by Muhammad Iftikhar | On 01 Dec 2017

Labour Regulations in India: Improving the Social Security Framework

An important segment of labour regulations concerns the protection aspects of social security. These regulations provide safety nets or fall back mechanisms to enable workers to cope with crises that...

by | On 30 Nov 2017

Freedom of Expression in Pakistan: A myth or a reality

The study adopts a qualitative approach to understand the power dynamics and draws out conclusions from a wide variety of stakeholders regarding the issues at hand.

by Sadaf Liaquat | On 23 Nov 2017

Reduction of GHG Emissions and Attainment of Energy Security through Sustainable Production of Biofuels: Is it a Viable Option ?

This study is a part of Indo-US bilateral JCERDC project for Development of Sustainable Advanced Ligno-cellulosic Biofuels Systems (SALBS). We profusely thank our Director, Prof. S. Galab for his cons...

by M. Gopinath Reddy | On 27 Oct 2017

Manual And Codebook Of The WageIndicator Labour Law Database - Version 1 - October 2017.

The report narrates that the COBRA is the web-based system for the WageIndicator Labour Law database.

by Kea Tijdens | On 23 Oct 2017

Undersea Pipedreams and Indian Energy Security

Iran’s game-changing nuclear deal with the West and imminent ending of the US-led sanctions open a window of opportunity for deeper Indo-Iranian relations. On the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Ufa...

by Research and Information System for Developing Countries | On 17 Oct 2017

Remittances and Exchange Rate Linkages: Experiences of Nepal

This paper concentrates on the impact of a few macroeconomic variables—nominal exchange rate, economic activity in host countries and workers' outflow—in determining the remittance inflows to Nepal.

by Bhubanesh Pant | On 09 Oct 2017

Selecting Appropriate Methodological Framework for Time Series Data Analysis

This paper discusses the properties of time series data, compares common data analysis methods and presents a methodological framework for time series data analysis

by Dr. Min Shrestha | On 09 Oct 2017

Central Bank Communication: The Practice in Nepal Rastra Bank and Impact on Inflation

The paper says that it will contribute to make monetary policy more effective and thus enhance its impact.

by Sarthak Karki | On 06 Oct 2017

The Impact of State Medical Marijuana Laws on Social Security Disability Insurance and Workers' Compensation Benefit Claiming

The authors study the effect of state medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Workers' Compensation (WC) claiming. The paper uses data on benefit claiming draw...

by Johanna Catherine Maclean | On 25 Sep 2017

Contributory Pension Schemes for the Poor: Issues and Ways Forward

The issue of old-age income security in India assumes significance in view of the expected rise in the elderly population in the years to come, problems of poverty and vulnerability among them and the...

by D Rajasekhar | On 14 Sep 2017

Real Democratization in Cambodia? An Empirical Review of the Potential of a Decentralization Reform

This has facilitated the growth of a (more) positive relationship between civil society and the local state reduced the governance gap and enhanced the legitimacy of the local state.

by Joakim Öjendal | On 01 Sep 2017

Culture and Food Security

This paper reviews available cross-disciplinary evidence on how culture affects food security. We discuss the impact of culture on all four dimensions (availability, access and choice, utilization, a...

by Elena Briones Alonso | On 31 Aug 2017

Strengthening India’s External Intelligence Infrastructure: An Assessment

This paper attempts to outline a number of points, which would help to develop a more superior external intelligence infrastructure.

by Shantanu Bansal | On 28 Aug 2017

Indian Food and Welfare Schemes: Scope for Digitization Towards Cash Transfers

The paper presents a case for a phased rolling out of direct benefits transfer (DBT) for Food in India. By studying all states and Union Territories on three broad parameters: demographics, performanc...

by Shweta Saini | On 21 Aug 2017

U.S. Immigration Reform and the Dynamics of Mexican Migration

The 1986 US Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was directed at tackling the problem of growing unauthorized migration through legalization of unauthorized immigrants, increasing border security...

by Jan van Ours | On 17 Aug 2017

Can Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) be Part Solution to the Indian Debt Problem?

This paper details the approaches of other countries when their banking sectors were burdened with unsustainable levels of impaired assets. The paper examines the bad debt situation in India, the circ...

by Jaimini Bhagwati | On 11 Aug 2017

India, Climate Change and Security in South Asia

South Asia faces a wide array of social, political, and economic issues that already threaten security in the region. The region has a history of border disputes, sectarian violence, and government co...

by David Antos | On 09 Aug 2017

The Importance of Being Siliguri, or the Lack Thereof Border-Effect and the “Untimely” City in North Bengal

Debashis Chakraborty visited Siliguri for the first time in 1952. After the final examinations of Class IV, this was his first trip to Siliguri to visit the part of his family that had relocated to th...

by Atig Ghosh | On 04 Aug 2017

Making Women Count for Peace: Gender, Empowerment and Conflict in South Asia

With a focus on Northeast Indian experiences and a comparative look at Nepal, this project addresses the role of women in local governance and politics, particularly within the context of peace and se...

by Calcutta Group | On 04 Aug 2017

Can Social Protection and Labour Programmes Contribute to Social Inclusion? Evidence from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal

Discussions around the post-2015 development goals and the proposed ‘leave no-one behind’ principle have revived global interest in inequality and the role of social protection in promoting social...

by | On 04 Aug 2017

Rethinking Electricity Sector Reform in Developing Asia: Balancing Economic and Environmental Objectives

The OECD or ‘standard’ model of electricity sector reforms has been widely adopted in non-OECD Asian countries since the 1990s. However, despite two decades of attempts at reforms, no notable progress...

by Tooraj Jamasb | On 31 Jul 2017

Concepts and Realities of Family Farming in Asia and the Pacific

The Asia and the Pacific region has the largest number of family farms in the world. It is home to 60 per cent of the world’s population and to 74 per cent of the world’s family farmers, with China al...

by Jingzhong Ye | On 30 Jul 2017

Is Nepal’s Renewable Energy Subsidy Reaching Poor People of Rural Areas? A Study of Biogas and Solar Home Systems

This paper analyse data from the Nepal Living Standard Survey for the year 2010/11 to determine the extent to which these programs have reached the poor. The Government of Nepal has been providing fin...

by Dipendra Bhattarai | On 28 Jul 2017

Fuel Blending in India: Learnings and Way Forward

The expert paper further estimates significant potential for an overall improvement in balance of trade with increased blending in the context of an expected recovery in global crude oil prices.

by Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy CSTEP | On 27 Jul 2017

Overview of the Evolution of Agricultural Mechanization in Nepal: A Focus on Tractors and Combine Harvesters

This study was conducted to understand the evolution of agricultural mechanization in Nepal, specifically its determinants on both the demand and supply sides, as well as impacts on agricultural prod...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 26 Jul 2017

Rethinking the Development of Post-War Sri Lanka Based on the Singapore Model

This study explores three major points, namely, Singapore's development process,Singapore's model of economic development, and the economic challenges of post-war Sri Lanka. This study explores pages...

by Sanika Sulochani Ramanayake | On 25 Jul 2017

Trade Facilitation for a More Inclusive and Connected Asia and Pacific Region: Progress and Way Forward

This study also describes trade facilitation projects that promote development through deepening regional cooperation and integration.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Climate Change, Food Security, and Socioeconomic Livelihood in Pacific Islands

The results of the study indicate that climate change will likely have significant negative impacts on agricultural output in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.

by M.W. Rosegrant | On 05 Jul 2017

India and her Neighbour: Indo-Nepal economic cooperation through Uttar Pradesh.

In the era of globalization where the whole globe plays to be our home, has regionalization lost its importance? At least in the context of South Asian nations the answer can no way be a Yes. Regiona...

by | On 29 Jun 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2017

This issue of the Asia Bond Monitor includes two special discussion boxes. Box 1 discusses the risks to emerging Asia’s financial stability under tightening global liquidity conditions. Box 2 discusse...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Jun 2017

Fiji: Creating Quality Jobs - Employment Diagnostic Study

This report, a joint effort of the Asian Development Bank and the International Labour Organization, seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the context, constraints, and opportunities for increasin...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Jun 2017

Digital Financial Services in the Pacific: Experiences and Regulatory Issues

This report examines the current use of DFS in the Pacific, analyzes the issues that need to be addressed, and provides recommendations for increasing financial inclusion in the region.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jun 2017

Impact of the Draft Central Labour Codes 2017 on CHWs in India

Ashas, the lowest rung of contracted full-time community health workers, face irregular pay and lack social security. Will the draft Central Code on Labour enable their regularization and a fixed wa...

by Kavita Bhatia | On 14 Jun 2017

Myanmar Transport Sector Policy Note: Trunk Roads

This report reviews how the road sector in Myanmar can make the greatest contribution to the country’s national ambitions as possible. It seeks to identify bottlenecks and attempts to formulate possi...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 01 Jun 2017

Myanmar Transport Sector Policy Note: Rural Roads and Access

Rural roads and rural transport services are fundamental to reducing rural poverty and enabling social and economic development. Evidence from Myanmar, and from around the world, makes it clear that a...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 01 Jun 2017

Myanmar Transport Sector Policy Note: River Transport

Myanmar has an extensive river network that is well positioned to serve the country’s main transport corridors, including the link between Yangon and Mandalay. However, main rivers are difficult to na...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 31 May 2017

Draft Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare

In line with the recommendations of the 2nd National Commission on Labour, Ministry of Labour & Employment has taken steps for simplification, amalgamation and rationalization of Central Labour Laws a...

by | On 23 May 2017

Asian Water Development Outlook 2016: Description of Methodology and Data

This paper provides background information on the applied methodology and the underlying data of the Asian Water Development Outlook 2016 (AWDO 2016). The purpose is to document the methodology and th...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 May 2017

Towards a Better Future for Women and Work: Voices of Women and Men

Decent work, the core mandate of the ILO, is defined as productive work for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.Decent work involves opportunities for work that:...

by International Labour Organization [ILO] | On 17 Apr 2017

Security Cooperation in South Asia

South Asia continues to be one of the most important crisis regions in the 21st century. It is characterized by an interlocking web of old and new security risks. There are unresolved territorial disp...

by | On 17 Apr 2017

Space India 2.0 Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives

This book addresses many of these prevalent policy issues and suggests measures to address them from the varied perspectives of space commerce, space policy, space security, global governance, and in...

by | On 14 Apr 2017

An Interview with Anand Patwardhan

For over 40 years Anand Patwardhan’s documentary films have stood for freedom of expression. He faced censorship on numerous occasions, took the government to court, and won each time. Anand is not ju...

by Vidya Bhushan Rawat | On 10 Apr 2017

State of the World’s Forests 2016

This report explores the challenges and opportunities represented by the complex interrelationship between forests, agriculture and sustainable development. It demonstrates that the sustainable mana...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 21 Mar 2017

The Cooperative Pathway of Enhancing Rural Livelihood and Nutrition Security

a major challenge before Indian agriculture is the standardization of methods of providing the power and economy of scale to small producers. A serious problem confronting our agriculture is the di...

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 14 Mar 2017

Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Journalist 2016 : Acceptance Speech

The Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Journalist for the year 2016 was given to independent journalist Neha Dixi on March 1, 2017, at a function at the Indian International Centre, Delh...

by | On 09 Mar 2017

Haryana Budget : 2017-18

Haryana Budget presented by Hon'ble Minister Capt. Abhimanyu.

by Haryana Government | On 07 Mar 2017

Kerala Budget 2017-18

Kerala budget presented by Hon.Finance Minister Thomas Issac.

by T.M. Thomas Issac | On 06 Mar 2017

The Cyber Command: Upgrading India's National Security Architecture

India is increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks that range from intrusions that affect the integrity of data to large-scale attacks aimed at bringing down critical infrastructure. This vulnerability...

by | On 03 Feb 2017

‘GOING DARK’ in India: The Legal and Security Dimensions of Encryption

Encrypting communications enhances privacy and the security of information services. This, in turn, incentivises innovation in the ICT sector and contributes significantly to the growth of the interne...

by | On 02 Feb 2017

Debating the World in the Asian Century

As Asia finds itself in the limelight, whether in terms of major power relations, rising insecurity and potential for conflict, or economic governance, it is worth asking, even before broaching the re...

by | On 02 Feb 2017

Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition in Bangladesh

The battle against the challenges with food security and nutrition will have to be fought on many fronts at the same time. In general, anything that promotes broad-based or inclusive growth, thereby r...

by | On 18 Jan 2017

Non-Communicable Diseases and Risk Factors in Migrants from South Asian Countries

The following document contains a review for a research project on migration and chronic or non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It begins with an overview of the geographical scope; the review focuses s...

by | On 11 Jan 2017

Inequalities in Secondary Education: Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

Secondary education is an important stage in the school education ladder as it equips students with skills important for higher education and the labour market. Besides helping students to choose diff...

by | On 10 Jan 2017

Going Cashless: Is India Ready for Digital?

Cash, alas, is not free; its use comes at a significant cost. I have studied the cost of cash in over 70 countries, in research outlined in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, titled ‘The...

by | On 04 Jan 2017

Plastic Bag Ban in Nepal: Enforcement and Effectiveness

The rampant use of plastic bags in Nepal has led to growing concern in recent years regarding the impact of discarded plastic bags on the environment. Though a number of different control measures a...

by Bishal Bharadwaj | On 29 Dec 2016

Amma Deivamanar (Amma became Goddess)

A benevolent dictator but one who sincerely loved the masses. She is unforgivably not a leader who believed in the collectivity of a Party to afford democracy. But she did what was needed. She display...

by Shyam Sundar | On 14 Dec 2016

Challenging Discrimination in Employment: A Summary of Research and a Typology of Measures

The scope of this project was defined by the mandate of the ILO. It therefore focused on the employment relationship as it relates specifically to migrant and ethnic minority workers. The normative ba...

by | On 28 Nov 2016

Mapping the South-Asian Political Landscape in the Context of Migration

Review on , Partha S. Ghosh’s book, ‘Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South-Asia’ ; Sage Publications India, 384 pages

by Aashish Khakha | On 03 Nov 2016

Building BRICS in Goa

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa form the bloc of emerging economies, but is it still relevant? For several years now, the most talked-about trend in the global economy has been the rise...

by Al Jazeera . | On 25 Oct 2016

India-Africa Partnership for Food Security: Issues, Initiatives and Policy Directions

The paper argues that there is strong rationale for India-Africa collaboration on food security, given their common challenge of hunger, undernutrition, and low productivity. This paper offers specifi...

by | On 24 Oct 2016

Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation in Agriculture: Methodology for Assessment and Application

Climatic changes and increasing climatic variability are likely to aggravate the problem of future food security by exerting pressure on agriculture. However, there are lot of uncertainties about the...

by | On 17 Oct 2016

Concerns of Food Security, Role of Gender, and Intrahousehold Dynamics in Pakistan

The available literature in Pakistan is generally lacking in a critical examination of the issues related to intrahousehold resource allocation. This black box is due largely to the lack of individua...

by Hina Nazli | On 10 Oct 2016

Poor Women in Urban India: Issues and Strategies

It is generally recognised that poverty is experienced differently according to their gender, age, caste, class and ethnicity and within households. Income levels, food security and indeed life choice...

by | On 05 Oct 2016

Stories of Harassment, Violence and Discrimination: Migrant Experiences between India, Nepal and Bangladesh

This Project Briefing explores the experiences of these people as they migrate, drawing on findings from a baseline study on their vulnerabilities, particularly to HIV and AIDS, as they move between t...

by | On 29 Sep 2016

Agricultural Prices and Food Policy

Supply-demand imbalance at a given time is the main problem in India. Not much can be done with demand, as increase and shifting patterns in demand are normal with economic growth and urbanisation. St...

by C S C Sekhar | On 20 Sep 2016

The Power of Sport Values

The social and physical roles of sport are especially relevant today, in a global context deeply challenged by discrimination, insecurity and violence. We believe in the unique potential of physica...

by UNESCO UNESCO | On 20 Sep 2016

Water for Food: Innovative Water Management Technologies for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation

This paper sets out the water and food security challenges in Least Development Countries (LDCs) and developing countries. The document explores the rainfed-irrigation nexus in different regions of th...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD | On 12 Sep 2016

Multi-Sectoral Approaches to Nutrition: The Case for Investment by Agriculture

Globally, 165 million children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition, or stunting, and more than half (85 million) of these children live in Asia. Increasing access to nutritious diets b...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 12 Sep 2016

Child and Maternal Health and Nutrition in South Asia - Lessons for India

South Asia has been characterized by its minimal progress in the areas of child and maternal health and nutrition in comparison to other regions in the world. The case of India is especially enigmatic...

by | On 09 Sep 2016

Toward SDG 2: Food Security and Urbanization in the Global South

In light of the United Nations’ SDGs1 and their global hunger directive, in particular Goal 2 to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition,” it is clear that food security will be a m...

by | On 09 Sep 2016

Smallholder Agriculture’s Contribution to Better Nutrition

Food insecurity and under-nutrition remain pressing problems in the developing world. Despite their direct contribution to food production, small-scale farmers and their households are disproportionat...

by Steve Wiggins | On 06 Sep 2016

The MDG Hunger Target and the Contested Visions of Food Security

This paper explores the normative and empirical consequences of the MDG hunger target (1C), to halve the proportion of people who are undernourished, measured by the proportion of children under 5 who...

by | On 06 Sep 2016

Undernutrition in Infants and Young Children in India: A Leadership Agenda for Action

In India, child undernutrition happens very early in life; 30 per cent of Indian infants younger than six months old are underweight and 58 per cent of children in the age group 18–23 months old are s...

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 05 Sep 2016

Ecosystem-based Adaptation: A Win–Win Formula for Sustainability in a Warming World?

Many national and international environmental agreements acknowledge that the impoverishment of ecosystems is limiting the world’s capacity to adapt to climate change and that ecosystem-based adaptati...

by | On 05 Sep 2016

How Can India Help Prevent Food Price Volatility?

This article is about India's role in reducing food price volatility in the world. India has come a long way from a ‘ship to mouth existence’ to a country that is ready to confer legal right to food t...

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 02 Sep 2016

ICT in Agriculture: Connecting Smallholders to Knowledge, Networks, and Institutions

Enhancing the ability of smallholders to connect with the knowledge, networks, and institutions necessary to improve their productivity, food security, and employment opportunities is a fundamental de...

by World Bank [WB] | On 01 Sep 2016

Challenges to Food Security in South Asia

The high levels of under-nutrition and persisting hunger in the region not only calls for an assessment of the situation of food production and consumption but also issues like access to food by the p...

by Arindam Banerjee | On 31 Aug 2016

Call to Action: Hunger, Under-Nutrition and Food Security in India

This policy brief presents to parliamentarians and other policy makers, to examine the hunger, undernutrition and food security situation prevailing in India. It advances the need to undertake effecti...

by N.C. Saxena | On 31 Aug 2016

Large-Scale Migration and Remittance in Nepal: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

Almost half of all households have at least one migrant abroad or a returnee. Estimates of the number of Nepali migrants abroad vary widely, but the most frequently cited estimate, including seasonal...

by World Bank [WB] | On 25 Aug 2016

Microcredit Program Participation and Household Food Security in Rural Bangladesh

We use a relatively new and unique panel dataset collected from rural households in Bangladesh to examine the effect of microcredit program participation on household food security. The main distingui...

by | On 25 Aug 2016

Education for Rural Development: Towards New Policy Responses

The big challenge of the new century is the reduction of poverty. Virtually all countries and donors agree on the importance of reducing poverty and its attendant problems of inequity, lack of respect...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 24 Aug 2016

Food Security and Agricultural Development in Times of High Commodity Prices

Efforts to promote food security must distinguish between short-term and medium-term measures, but also between countries with agricultural potential and without such potential, argues this paper. Fur...

by | On 24 Aug 2016

Diversity in Donorship: The Changing Landscape of Official Humanitarian Aid

The lead agency in India’s assistance strategy is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA is directly responsible for assistance to Bhutan, Nepal and Afghanistan, and advises the Department of...

by | On 19 Aug 2016

Seeds of Adaptation: Climate Change, Crop Diversification, and the Role of Women Farmers

Women farmers around the world are taking the lead in putting crop and varietal conservation and diversification strategies into practice as a way to strengthen local climate change adaptation capacit...

by | On 17 Aug 2016

Revisiting RP's Hybrid Rice Program

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2004 the International Year of the Rice (IYR). The IYR is a venue to promote improved production and development of sustainable rice-based systems that wil...

by Philippine Institute for Development Studies | On 16 Aug 2016

The State of Food and Agriculture: Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty

This edition of The State of Food and Agriculture 2015 reviews the effectiveness of social protection interventions in reducing poverty, raising food consumption, relieving household food insecurity a...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 16 Aug 2016

An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healt...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 16 Aug 2016

Food Security, Inclusive Growth, Sustainability, and the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Over the next several decades, the world faces an historic challenge and opportunity at the nexus of food security, economic development, and the environment. The world needs to be food secure. The wo...

by Craig Hanson | On 10 Aug 2016

Gender and Food Security

Persistent hunger and malnutrition is a problem affecting millions of people globally, the majority of whom are women and girls. Food and nutrition insecurity is a political, economic and environmenta...

by Bridge Cutting Edge Programme | On 09 Aug 2016

Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine and Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy

This Work Programme will leverage research and innovation to address major societal challenges. Ensuring food and nutritional security, together with resource efficiency, and facing climate change. Ac...

by European union | On 09 Aug 2016

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in LDCs

70% of the population engaged in agriculture. The vast majority of the poor and food insecure are in rural areas. Therefore poverty alleviation and food security must start in these areas. The most cr...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD | On 09 Aug 2016

Market Integration and Price Transmission in Tajikistan’s Wheat Markets: Rising Like Rockets but Falling Like Feathers?

The extent of market integration and transmission of food price shocks is a major determinant of price stability and overall food security, particularly in developing countries. Few studies have exam...

by Jarilkasin Ilyasov | On 08 Aug 2016

Food Scurity and Nutrition: The Drivers of Change

This section looks at a range of factors that enable progress towards food security and nutrition goals. The list of factors – economic growth, agricultural productivity growth, markets (including int...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 03 Aug 2016

Universal PDS: Efficiency and Equity Dimensions

India being home to the largest number of poor and malnourished population in the world, the tabling of National Food Security Bill has renewed the public pressure for universalization of PDS in Ind...

by Sowmya Dhanraj | On 03 Aug 2016

Informality in South Asia: A Review

Labour markets in South Asia have been characterized as dualistic, with a relatively small, well-protected formal sector and a large unprotected informal sector. Indeed, the formal workforce is very s...

by | On 29 Jul 2016

Distributional Effects of Means Testing Social Security: Income Versus Wealth

This paper compares Social Security means tests that would reduce benefits for recipients who fall in the top quarter of the income distribution with means tests aimed at those in the top quarter of t...

by Alan Gustman | On 20 Jul 2016

Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025)

he United Nations General Assembly agreed a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. The resolution aims to trigger intensified action to end hunger and eradicate...

by United Nations (UN) | On 20 Jul 2016

A More Sustainable Energy Strategy for India

This paper analyses what is possible as a low carbon scenario for India using India Energy Security Scenarios-2047 tool developed by the erstwhile Planning Commission and later refined by its successo...

by Montek Ahluwalia | On 19 Jul 2016

Food Security and the Millennium Development Goal on Hunger in Asia

The MDG on hunger requires that the proportion of people suffering from hunger be halved between 1990 and 2015. Behind this apparently simple statement lies much complexity: the food intake required t...

by | On 19 Jul 2016

Parliament Session Alert Monsoon Session : July 18 – August 1 2 , 201 6

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the Monsoon Session between July 18 and August 12, 2016. There will be a total of 20 sittings. The agenda for legislation includes nine Bills for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 18 Jul 2016

Odisha State Agriculture Policy 2013

A wholesome policy framework for the benefit of the farmers of the State is in place since 2008 with a focus more on the economic well-being of the farmers, rather than just on production and growth....

by Government of Odisha | On 11 Jul 2016

Rural Livelihood Diversification and its Measurement Issues: Focus India

The rural structural distinctiveness in terms of resource endowments and factors of production often has bearings on livelihood and well-being of their people, constraining improvement in the economic...

by Rajiv Mehta | On 11 Jul 2016

Energy Security for India: Petroleum Demand Estimations and Projections

Crude oil and other petroleum products play an important role in India’s energy security and in sustaining its high growth rate. Against that background, this document empirically analyses petroleum d...

by Pradeep Agrawal | On 07 Jul 2016

Irrigation Water Management for Food Security in India: The Forgotten Realities

India’s water crisis is often perceived to have been perpetuated by the widening gap between the utilizable water resources and the aggregate demand for water in agriculture and other sectors in certa...

by | On 04 Jul 2016

Opportunities to Enhance Non-Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation in China

In recent years, China has developed and implemented a range of policies to address climate change, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and transition toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient s...

by Katherine Ross | On 30 Jun 2016

Beautiful Minds: The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics

This is that time of the year when the economics fraternity is abuzz with the news of potential winners of the prestigious prize in economics, the Nobel Memorial Prize. This will be the 45th year of a...

by Saibal Ghosh | On 30 Jun 2016

Malnutrition: Unanswered Questions from Attapadi

India claims to have achieved financial growth of 7% but despite this high growth rate, poverty and inequality has also grown exponentially and social security, standard of life, security of labor ha...

by Child Rights and You CRY | On 27 Jun 2016

Water Scarcity and Food Security

The water crisis already looming large will therefore quite probably trigger significant shortfalls in cereal production and, as a result, a massive global food crisis. But before that the dearth of p...

by | On 24 Jun 2016

Climate Risk and Food Security in Nepal: Analysis of Climate Impacts on Food Security and Livelihoods

Food security is a priority issue in Nepal. In spite of recent progress, Nepal is amongst the most at-risk countries in the world in terms of prevalence of stunting and wasting: 42 per cent of childre...

by World Food Programme WFP | On 24 Jun 2016

Right to Food in India: Mitigating amidst Challenges

What are the policies that Indian government has implemented to alleviate poverty and hunger? Can we say that these are implemented in the right way? What lies in future?

by Aarti Salve | On 24 Jun 2016

Food Security Challenges in Asia

The problems of food security and agriculture should be viewed within the context of the broader structural transformation as Asia becomes increasingly urban and nonagricultural. This paper aims to re...

by Asian Bank | On 23 Jun 2016

Innovative Water Management Technologies for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation

Agriculture is central to food security and economic growth in developing countries and provides the main source of livelihood for three out of four of the world’s poor. But food production requires s...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD | On 20 Jun 2016

Nutrition and Agriculture

Agriculture and nutrition are linked in many ways. People have long recognized the most obvious connection—food security is one of the three pillars of good nutrition, along with good care and good he...

by Lawrence Haddad | On 17 Jun 2016

Desertification and Land Degradation: Atlas of India

Land degradation and desertification pose an ever - increasing global environmental threat. Human activities such as over cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices, along...

by Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO | On 17 Jun 2016

A Report on Elder Abuse and Crime in India

As a result of the current ageing scenario, there is growing need for care of the older persons in terms of social, economic, health and shelter. Together with these issues, security of older persons...

by Helpage India | On 15 Jun 2016

The Revival of the Silk Roads (Land Connectivity) in Asia

This paper argues that contrary to popular belief, in the bygone era, there was not one but two Silk Roads in Asia – the Northern and the less well-known South-western Silk Road (SSR). The SSR connect...

by | On 10 Jun 2016

From Uniformity to Diversity: A Paradigm Shift from Industrial Agriculture to Diversified Agroecological Systems

Today’s food and farming systems have succeeded in supplying large volumes of foods to global markets, but are generating negative outcomes on multiple fronts: widespread degradation of land, water an...

by | On 10 Jun 2016

Children's Voices, Children's Rights: One Year After the Nepal Earthquake

The consultations highlight the high rate of penetration of the Nepal earthquakes response (97.5 per cent of consulted children acknowledged to have benefitted from relief assistance), likely due to...

by Virgil Fievet | On 09 Jun 2016

Building the Foundations for Sustainable Nutrient Management

The report details how rising CO2 emissions are altering the chemical balance of our oceans and outlines the wide-ranging consequences of this emerging issue on marine food chains and ecosystems as we...

by United Nations Environment Programme UNEP | On 07 Jun 2016

Contracting by Small Farmers in Commodities with Export Potential: Assessing Farm Profits of Lentil Growers in Nepal

This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in a case where new market opportunities are emerging for smallholder farmers in Nepal. CF is...

by Anjani Kumar | On 07 Jun 2016

Global Action on Climate Change in Agriculture: Linkages to Food Security, Markets and Trade Policies in Developing Countries

The objective of this report is to catalyse thinking about the ways in which agriculture – which has a vital role in global food security, development and natural resources use – can and must be fully...

by Aziz Elbehri | On 06 Jun 2016

Nutrition: The First Two Years are Forever

This report reads from UNICEF’s policy, programme and communication experience globally and in India, both at national and state levels, and builds on the work by the National Coalition for Sustainabl...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 03 Jun 2016

Women and Conflict in Afghanistan

This report assesses the status of women in present-day Afghanistan, including the gains achieved with international support after the U.S.-led intervention in 2001. It examines gaps and challenges to...

by International Crisis Group | On 26 May 2016

Afghanistan’s Political Transition

This report reviews Afghanistan’s 2014 presidential election and the related political contests. Drawing on interviews in Kabul and the work of researchers in several provinces, this study does not se...

by International Crisis Group | On 26 May 2016

Political Conflict, Extremism and Criminal Justice in Bangladesh

Political repression is reaching new highs in Bangladesh. The government’s abuse of rule of law institutions for political ends has created an atmosphere of injustice that is increasingly exploited by...

by International Crisis Group | On 26 May 2016

Democratising Forest Business: A Compendium of Successful Locally Controlled Forest Business Organisations

This book presents 19 case studies from 14 developing countries that show how local people have been democratising forest business and draws a set of conclusions from analysis of these case studies wh...

by | On 25 May 2016

Institutionalising Civilian Control of the Military in New Democracies: Theory and Evidence from South Korea

This paper aims to answer the question of how and under what circumstances civilian control can be established in newly democratised nations. To do this, the paper proposes a new theoretical argument...

by | On 23 May 2016

India State Hunger Index: Comparisons of Hunger across States

The results of the India State Hunger Index 2008 highlight the continued overall severity of the hunger situation in India, while revealing the variation in hunger across states within India. It is in...

by Purnima Menon | On 20 May 2016

Report by the Fact Finding Team on Violence in Bastar Division between State Forces and Maoist Insurgents

A delegation comprising of Sanjay Parate, Secretary State CPI-M, Vineet Tiwari, Joshi-Adhikari Institute, New Delhi, Archana Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University and CC member AIDWA, and Nandini Sundar...

by | On 19 May 2016

Women, Energy and Water in the Himalayas: Integration of Women in Planning and Management

The policy guidelines were developed as part of the pilot project 'Incorporating Needs and Roles of Women in Water and Energy Management in Rural Areas in South Asia-Capacity Building in Rural Areas o...

by | On 18 May 2016

Rainwater Harvesting: A Lifeline for Human Well-Being

This publication highlights the link between rainwater harvesting, ecosystems and human wellbeing and draws the attention of readers to both the negative and positive aspects of using this technology...

by | On 18 May 2016

Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception are Substitutes

There is longstanding debate in population policy about the relationship between modern contraception and abortion. Although theory predicts that they should be substitutes, the existing body of empi...

by Grant Miller | On 18 May 2016

Biodiversity for Sustainable Development: Delivering Results for Asia and the Pacific

The aim is to develop capacity at the individual, institutional and systemic levels to identify and implement new options for effective democratic governance for biodiversity and ecosystem management...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | On 18 May 2016

High and Dry : Climate Change, Water, and the Economy

The impacts of climate change will be channeled primarily through the water cycle, with consequences that could be large and uneven across the globe. Water-related climate risks cascade through food,...

by World Bank [WB] | On 11 May 2016

Advancing the Interests of Bangladesh’s Migrant Workers: Issues of Financial Inclusion and Social Protection

The study is expected to contribute to stimulating debate around the broader issues of safeguarding the interests of migrant workers through financial mainstreaming of their income, raising efficacy o...

by | On 11 May 2016

Evaluation Study of Targeted Public Distribution System in Selected States

The Ministry of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs has entrusted a study to the NCAER to assess whether, and to what extent, the weaknesses noted by past evaluation studies on the TPDS ha...

by Sohini Paul | On 09 May 2016

Faltering UDF, Rising LDF and the Unknown Factor of the Third Front in Kerala Elections 2016

The ruling United Democratic Front's chances of coming back to power in the forthcoming elections in Kerala seem bleak, while a resurgent Left Democratic Front is gearing up to form the government. Ho...

by N Rajendran | On 09 May 2016

Measures, Spatial Profile and Determinants of Dietary Diversity: Evidence from India

Food security policies in developing countries generally focus on calorie intake, which is not sufficient to tackle the triple burden of malnutrition: undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and...

by Mousumi Das | On 02 May 2016

Sustainable Energy Security for India: An Assessment of Energy Demand Sub-System

This paper presents a quantitative assessment of Sustainable Energy Security (SES) of the energy demand sub-system for India by calculating a SES index. The demand sub-system has been evaluated for fo...

by | On 02 May 2016

Measuring and Evaluating Energy Security and Sustainability: A Case Study of India

Using an indicator-based approach, the present study develops a framework for sustainable energy security of India. First, it presents the energy supply and demand situation in the country under diff...

by | On 02 May 2016

Tamil Nadu: What Voters Want and How They Rate Government Performance

This report consists the findings of a survey carried out in February 2016 in Tamil Nadu. The purpose of the survey was to find out what voters really want from the Government and how they rate the pe...

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

Elderly in India

Population ageing has profound social, economic and political implications for a country. The increasing number of older persons put a strain on health care and social care systems in the country. O...

by Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation (MOSPI) | On 25 Apr 2016

Global Nutrition Policy Review: What Does it Take to Scale up Nutrition Action?

This Global Nutrition Policy Review is based on a questionnaire survey conducted during 2009–2010, in which 119 WHO Member States and 4 territories participated. Selected case studies illustrate the...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 22 Apr 2016

Coping with Water Scarcity: An Action Framework for Agriculture and Food Security

This report develops around the conceptual framework to address food security under conditions of water scarcity is part of this programme. The purpose of this report is to assess the options and scop...

by Pasquale Steduto | On 13 Apr 2016

International Food Security Assessment, 2015-2025

Food security in the 76 low- and middle-income countries included in this report is expected to improve between 2014 and 2015. These countries are low- and middle-income countries as classified by the...

by Anthony Murray | On 12 Apr 2016

Human Security & Food Security

As the international community transitions from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the challenges ahead of Member States is to build on the substanti...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 12 Apr 2016

Role of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in Improving Agricultural Productivity in Selected Districts

A study was undertaken by the Council for Social Development with the sponsorship of Planning Commission, Government of India with the following specific objectives to analyse the impact of NFSM initi...

by Ankita Goyal | On 05 Apr 2016

Bangladesh National Food Policy Plan of Action (2008-2015)

The NEP Plan of Action (PoA) 2008 translates the provisions of the National Food Policy, 2006 towards achieving its three core objectives into 26 strategic areas of intervention, priority actions to b...

by Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) | On 04 Apr 2016

Global Food Policy Report 2016

IFPRI’s Flagship Report puts into perspective the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of 2015 and highlights challenges and opportunities for 2016. This year’s report takes an in-dep...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 04 Apr 2016

Agriculture-Nutrition Linkages and Child Health in the Presence of Conflict in Nepal

This paper focuses on this agriculture-nutrition link in Nepal in the context of the country’s decade-long civil conflict. Using panel household data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), co...

by Elizabeth Bageant | On 30 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Delhi: 2016-17

Budget speech by Finance Minister Manish Sisodia.

by Manish Sisodia | On 29 Mar 2016

Youth, Work and Skills: An Analysis of the 2011 Census

This piece looks at the trends in the youth work force participation rates over the past 30 years of Census data and questions whether the emphasis on youth skills for sustainable development can actu...

by | On 28 Mar 2016

How the Collapse of ‘Chimerica’ Will Affect South Asia

India and Pakistan, the two large countries in South Asia, must work for the region’s collective good rather than moving closer to the United States and China, respectively, and promoting the interest...

by Shahid Javed Burki | On 28 Mar 2016

Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2016

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2016 ranks 126 countries on their ability to deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy. The results of the global Energy Architecture Pe...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 22 Mar 2016

Impacts of Rural-Urban Cleavages and Cultural Orientations on Attitudes toward Elements of Democracy: A Cross-National, Within Nation Analysis

This paper follows the lead in substituting variable names for national social systems from the project on “Democratization and Value Change in East Asia.” Specifically, it investigates the associatio...

by Robert Albritton | On 21 Mar 2016

The Conceit of Reason the Cunning of History versus - Modernity and Caste in India

This paper addresses the central question as to how and why caste still survives under conditions of democracy and modernity and what do we make of it. I try to explain this phenomenon by viewing it i...

by Sanjeeb Mukherjee | On 21 Mar 2016

Contested Idea of Nation Madhesi Upsurge in Nepal

The end of World War II marked the advent of Ethnic disputes in the world. The explicit wars for territory converted into implicit wars for identity and recognition; perhaps, because a part of the pop...

by Kalpana Jha | On 21 Mar 2016

A Case for China’s Security Role in South Asia

The paper focuses on the constructive role that China can play in enhancing security in South Asia. The potential contribution that China can make to enhancing non-traditional security in the region i...

by Ramandeep Kaur | On 21 Mar 2016

Impact of Property Rights Reform to Support China’s Rural-Urban Integration

As part of a national experiment, in 2008 Chengdu prefecture implemented ambitious property rights reforms, including complete registration of all land together with measures to ease transferability a...

by Songqing Jin | On 20 Mar 2016

Cybersecurity, Internet Governance and India’s Foreign Policy: Historical Antecedents

India’s stances in global Internet governance debates have often been noted, and criticised, for their strong preference for multilateral models of engagement, as different from the multistakeholder a...

by Saikat Datta | On 17 Mar 2016

The Enigma of the ‘Indian Model’ of Development

The paper is an attempt to unveil the enigma of the ‘Indian model’ of development. After discussing the evolution of India’s development policies over the last six decades, the paper attempts to unfol...

by Amit S. Ray | On 16 Mar 2016

The South China Sea: Resetting the Chessboard

The U.S.’ re-engagement in the Asia-Pacific marks a significant recalibration of its foreign policy and a turning point in the power politics of the region. The impetus for this re-engagement is borne...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Deciphering the Security Community Debate

Several attempts have been made in recent years to revive a process towards developing more trust and reconciliation in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space. But much of this debate has not been very...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Porous Borders The Study of Illegal Markets from a Sociological Perspective

State concerns about crime and security issues have strongly affected conceptions of economic action outside the law, a traditional field of research in sociology. This increasing encroachment by poli...

by Matías Dewey | On 14 Mar 2016

Threats of Nuclear Terrorism: A Case Study of India

In the post-9/11 world, India’s nuclear establishment is threatened by nuclear terrorism. Some analysts suggest that India may be home to up to 36 active terrorist organizations. It is thus crucial th...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Carving up the Skies: China's New Air Defense Zone

China’s establishment of a new Air Defense Identification Zone has heightened tensions in Northeast Asia, with Japan, South Korea, and the United States having been swift to react to Beijing’s announc...

by Sangsoo Lee | On 12 Mar 2016

Pakistan's Nuclear Security: Separating Fact from Fear

For more than a decade fears have been voiced by the international community at the prospect of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or other non-state actors. The author ar...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Rethinking National Security: China's New Security Commission

The newly established Central National Security Commission (CNSC) of China held its first meeting on April 15. The inaugural meeting of this body marks a significant milestone in the reorganization of...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Eurasian Union versus Silk Road Economic Belt?

While Russia and China are heralding a new “strategic partnership,” this policy brief explores how competition between the two countries may increasingly emerge in regard to Central Asia—a region wher...

by | On 11 Mar 2016

People's or Party's Army in Vietnam?

While the Vietnam Communist Party’s grip over the army remains strong, Zachary Abuza examines the growing calls challenging the Vietnam People’s Army’s duty to defend the ruling party over national in...

by | On 11 Mar 2016

China's Myanmar Policy: Dilemma or Strategic Ambiguity?

Enmeshed directly and indirectly in Myanmar’s ethnic conflicts, Beijing is facing a dilemma in how to deal with ethnic Chinese irredentist groups amidst ongoing fighting in northern Shan State. Failur...

by | On 11 Mar 2016

Producing a Rationale for Dowry? Gender in the Negotiation of Exchange at Marriage in Kerala, South India

The allocation of scarce budgetary resources away from ‘alternative’ channels of social security underscores interlocking concerns: a) the financial drain that marriages of girls pose to families and...

by Praveena Kodoth | On 09 Mar 2016

Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Putin, Progress and Problems

This article intends to bring to light the energy security concept in the region, while analyzing how this multilateral cooperative energy scheme can contribute to building a new regional economic sec...

by Se Hyun Ahn | On 09 Mar 2016

Porous Borders: The Study of Illegal Markets from a Sociological Perspective

State concerns about crime and security issues have strongly affected conceptions of economic action outside the law, a traditional field of research in sociology. This increasing encroachment by poli...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

Nuclear-Public Relations Management In Southeast Asia

Due to the pragmatic need for ensuring energy security, governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have to date emphasised the potential economic and technological benefits of n...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 Mar 2016

The Nuclear Gravy Train: An Update on Southeast Asia

Notwithstanding the global financial crisis, energy security remains one of the top priorities for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in th...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Water Woes and Food Security

This NTS-Alert examines the nexus between water management and food security in Asia and how climate change exacerbates the adverse impacts that result from poor water management. It then highlights t...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Putting Food on the International Table

Based on the recent Group of Eight (G8) Summit held in Italy, this issue of the Alert will examine international deliberations on food security with a focus on the efforts and challenges facing the G8...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Maritime Predations in Southeast Asia: Three Case Studies

While piracy in Southeast Asia has been addressed better over time, maritime predations continue to occur in the region. These predations, on small traders and maritime communities, afflict these grou...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Security in Cyberspace: The Return of the State

The recent cyber attacks on South Korea and the United States, as well as those on Georgia in 2008 and Estonia in 2007 have awakened a certain consciousness in the minds of the international community...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

The Final Frontier: Non¬Traditional Approaches to Cyber Security

The discourse on Cyber Security, a relatively new field in non-traditional security studies, has been dominated by the need to protect information infrastructure from both state and non-state actors....

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

‘Land Grabbing’: The Global Search For Food Security In Southeast Asia

By the end of the last decade, the total area of farmland globally that was acquired by government-backed foreign investors amounted to nearly half the size of Europe. In addition to Latin America, Af...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Transnational Organised Crime In Southeast Asia: Threat Assessment

Transnational organised crime is considered one of the major threats to human security, impeding the social, economic, political and cultural development of societies. Much attention has been given...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

An Agenda for Peace: Curbing the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons

Although weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) are considered to pose the gravest threat to international peace and security, in practice, small arms and light weapons (SALWs) kill more people than WMDs....

by Pau Hangzo | On 04 Mar 2016

Food and Health in the Asia-Pacific: The Economics of Access and its Implications for Health

This is the first of a two-part NTS Alert series that will explore the intersection between food security and health issues in the Asia-Pacific. This NTS Alert focuses on health problems stemming from...

by J. Ewing | On 03 Mar 2016

Examining ASEAN Capacity in the Context of the Thai- ¬Cambodian Border Dispute

Amidst heightened expectations regarding ASEAN’s contribution to international order, particularly in the context of a trend towards multilevel security governance, ASEAN is attempting to transform it...

by Holly Haywood | On 02 Mar 2016

New Institutional Developments In ASEAN: Towards A More Effective (Genuine) Security Architecture?

The recent establishment of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) as an integral part of the ADMM, a forum created in 2006 as a means of fostering defence and security dialogue and coo...

by | On 02 Mar 2016

Peacebuilding Governance – Negotiating the Khmer Rouge Trials

The domestic policies of the Khmer Rouge regime resulted in widespread human insecurity. The pursuit of justice against past atrocity crimes through the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodi...

by Lina Gong | On 02 Mar 2016

Connecting the Dots: An Analysis of Union Budget 2016-17

It presents a comprehensive analysis of the priorities and proposals in Union Budget 2016-17, focusing on social sectors (such as education, health, drinking water and sanitation, food security etc.)...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability CBGA | On 02 Mar 2016

Report on "Strategy of Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security"

The Coalition serves as a platform for the members to collaborate and achieve a common vision: "To achieve sustainable food and nutrition security for all" The Coalition aims to raise awareness, foste...

by Coalition for Food & Nutrition Security India | On 02 Mar 2016

Liberalization, Globalization And The Dynamics Of Democracy In India

In the closing decades of the twentieth century there has been an almost complete intellectual triumph of the twin principles of marketization (understood here as referring to the liberalization of do...

by D M NACHANE | On 01 Mar 2016

Ontological Security and India-China Relations: From Border War to “News War”

This paper joins the growing scholarship on the ontological security needs of states in international relations (IR) literature and explores its relevance to India-China relations. Ontological securit...

by | On 01 Mar 2016

Cultivated Land Conversion in China and the Potential for Food Security and Sustainability

With over a billion people in China, the issue of cultivated land conversion is extremely important both in terms of food security and environmental sustainability. This paper investigates the relatio...

by Shunji Cui | On 01 Mar 2016

Contesting Identities in Bangladesh: A Study of Secular and Religious Frontiers

The birth of Bangladesh in 1971 was an epoch-making event within the post-colonial order of South Asia. Led by the middle classes, a bitter and bloody war of Liberation from Pakistan was fought, based...

by Sanjay Bhardwaj | On 01 Mar 2016

Food Security and the Targeted Public Distribution System in India

Annual food production is enough to feed the 6.9 billion people in the world today. However, access and distribution of food in order that people do not have to die due to hunger continues to remain e...

by Ruth Kattumuri | On 01 Mar 2016

Making Agroecology Viable For Small Farmers: Experiences From The Fields

Agroecological farming weaves in the essentials so that there is profit for each-soil, seeds, traditional knowledge of communities, food security and food sovereignty.

by | On 29 Feb 2016

Highlights of the Draft Budget of Japan for FY2016

Highlights of the budget of Japan for the year 2016.

by Ministry of Finance, Japan MOF, Japan | On 29 Feb 2016

Porous borders in a changing world: What does this mean for security in Southeast Asia?

The issue of borders, their porosity and the security challenges they create amid a rapidly changing regional and global strategic environment is indeed a serious one for Southeast Asia. The criticali...

by | On 27 Feb 2016

'Stock’ solution to regional food security: Which way forward?

Consumption patterns in Southeast Asia are changing rapidly. As the region becomes more affluent, demand for protein and wheat is expected to increase. Such shifts may leave countries with no choice...

by Belinda Chng | On 27 Feb 2016

Planning for Asian food security towards 2025

Higher investment in the agricultural and food sectors, food price stability and regulatory barriers are among the key issues for Asia, according to experts at a recent meeting to discuss the region...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Human Security 20 Years On: The evolution of human security

The latter part of the 21st century witnessed a shift in the understanding of international security. As tensions between countries eased with the end of the Cold War, new and significant security c...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

20 Years of Human Security: A special focus on food security

This year is the 20th anniversary of the release of the 1994 United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report, which defined the concept of human security and brought it to int...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

20 Years of Human Security: A Special Focus on Environmental Security

This year is the 20th anniversary of the release of the 1994 United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report, which defined the concept of human security and brought it to int...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

20 Years of Human Security: A Special Focus on Community Security

This year is the 20th anniversary of the release of the 1994 United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report, which defined the concept of human security and brought it to int...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

20 Years of Human Security: A Special Focus on Health Security

This year is the 20th anniversary of the release of the 1994 United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report, which defined the concept of human security and brought it to int...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

20 Years of Human Security: A Special Focus on Political Security

Security used to be defined in military terms with the state as the referent of security. From this state-centric lens, political security means the stability of the state’s political regime and socia...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

New Issues in Human Security: Energy-Climate-Water-Food Nexus

Today, millions of people experience insecurity as a result of new and complex issues threatening human welfare and dignity, such as climate change and the contested or inefficient use of energy and w...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Energy Security in the 21st Century: A Human Security Perspective

Energy security is no longer just about the security of supply; it is multifaceted and inextricably linked to public health and environmental issues. Amidst political instability in oil-producing regi...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

2015: A Year for Reflection

2015 is a critical year for global and regional institutions, and for the international community as a whole, as it represents a milestone in the big push for achieving global goals of peace, human se...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Reinforcing Health Security in ASEAN

With the recent rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, it is important to further reinforce ASEAN’s pr...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Adapting to Emerging Challenges of Food Insecurity Post-2015

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) defines food security as a “situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to suf...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Water Security in Southeast Asia: Moving beyond Basic Access

Water security is a cross-cutting and multidimensional developmental issue which was nestled within Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on environmental sustainability. Target 7c of Goal...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Networks of Experts and Non-Traditional Security in Asia

From the ‘migrant crisis’ to transboundary haze pollution and the Avian Influenza virus, Asian countries continue to face multiple new security threats which require international cooperation. These n...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Rising Milk Price – A Cause for Concern on Food Security

Continuous rise in food prices has been posing a serious policy challenge in India. Milk is a major contributor to the food price rise due to its high growth in demand in the domestic and internationa...

by S. Rajeshwaran | On 27 Feb 2016

Social Security Schemes: A Case for Universalisation

Prime minister’s recent introduction of new social security schemes to ensure insurance and pension for all remains a laudable step. These schemes were launched on May 9, 2015 and are expected to enha...

by Charan Singh | On 27 Feb 2016

Securitization of Illegal Migration of Bangladeshis to India

Over 10 million illegal migrants from Bangladesh live in India, according to both official and unofficial estimates. This paper examines the securitization of the issue by various actors through a cen...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Building a Regional Disaster Response Mechanism for a Secure ASEAN Community

A series of recent humanitarian crises in Southeast Asia have signalled a new impetus to re- think the nature of security cooperation in the region. The outbreak of pandemics, the devastating impact o...

by Melly Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Is Nuclear Energy a Viable Option for All?

The prospect of nuclear energy as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels has increased sharply due to soaring oil prices. This has been further boosted by the challenge of global climate change. D...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Are Regional Security Frameworks Prepared?

Amid the mixed emotions threatening to dampen the celebratory mood of the 40th Anniversary of ASEAN and its series of related summits, there are important questions about their respective agendas. The...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Repositioning US Engagement in Southeast Asia: A Case for Non-traditional Security

Southeast Asian officials and analysts have complained about the waning US interest in the region due to the US preference for a bilateral approach to Southeast Asia. This US approach is out of sync w...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Climate, Food, and the New North-South Divide

Global efforts to tackle climate change and food security are hampered by North-South differences over cost sharing. But rising interdependence and the South’s new pragmatism and bargaining power are...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Workshop Report on “Energy and Non-Traditional Security”

From the Subregional Workshop on Energy Security and Non-Traditional Security Singapore 27 – 29 August 2008, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The workshop on Energy and Non-Traditional Security (NTS)...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Energy Security in Singapore: Challenges and Opportunities

The pursuit of energy security traditionally revolves around securing supply sources. Is there more to it than just supply issues? The effectiveness of energy security also depends on whether energy c...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Weighing Issues: Human Security in ASEAN’s Fight for Food

Recent global food price shocks have demonstrated the urgent need to effectively address food insecurity in Southeast Asia – both at the national and regional level. This think-piece goes beyond issue...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Energy and Non-Traditional Security: A Tripartite Approach

Energy supply and price volatility are no longer the only concerns that constitute contemporary energy security problems, which now comprise environmental and socioeconomic issues. Mitigating these no...

by Collin Koh | On 25 Feb 2016

ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement: Sealed or Leaking?

The ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement signed recently in Thailand marks a milestone for ensuring regional energy security by including a provision for voluntary oil stockpiles. However, mandatory, as...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Resolving Internal Conflict in Myanmar: A Human Security Approach

National security in Myanmar has always been equated with state security by the ruling military junta. However, the drive to protect the state has led to insecurities for its people. This paper argues...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

The Economic Crisis and Labour Migrants: A Test for Human Security?

As the current global economic crisis deepens, labour migrants have begun to experience the consequences of both political and economic insecurity. How effective are legal frameworks in protecting the...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Responding to Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia

Emerging security challenges in Asia are compelling the international community to take a hard look at their causes and implications on state and human security. Given the growing complexity of these...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 25 Feb 2016

Health and Human Security: From Establishment to Operationalisation

The international community is now faced with an influenza pandemic and the rhetoric of global health security has become more urgent. Whilst our preparedness for such an emerging infectious disease i...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Towards Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between India and Central Asian Republics

Despite some recovery in recent years, Central Asian Republics (CARs) remain in difficult economic situation and they present a serious challenge to Asia. It is in the mutual interest of both CARs and...

by Ramgopal Agarwala | On 24 Feb 2016

Human Security: A Response to the Climate Security Debates

Debates about climate change as a threat to international peace have focused on conflict, civil unrest, and the consequences for states. Human security offers an alternative, people-centred approach t...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2016

Oiling the Wheels of Foreign Policy? Energy Security and China’s International Relations

This paper offers a review of a broad set of issues that are recurrent in international discussions about interconnectedness of energy and security in China’s international relations. The primary purp...

by Zha Daojiong | On 24 Feb 2016

Human Securitising’ the Climate Security Debate

Efforts to understand the connection between climate change and national, regional and international security have fuelled something of a climate security industry, evidenced in a range of reports fro...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2016

Social Protection in Apec in Pursuit of Inclusive Growth

The paper seeks to take stock of some of the key APEC documents/reports relevant to social protection and safety net programs, and also of the experience of APEC member-economies, with special focus o...

by Janet S. Cuenca | On 24 Feb 2016

The Puzzle of Small Farming in Japan

Japan’s small farming represents a puzzle. Currently nearly three-quarters of farmland is operated by farmers whose farm size is well under optimal size. Being too small is the main reason for the hig...

by Yoshihisa Godo | On 24 Feb 2016

Enhancing Energy Security, Underpinning Development: The Future of Nuclear Energy in ASEAN

If ASEAN intends to meaningfully enhance its energy security, take greater steps to protect itself from instabilities in the international energy market, and effectively underpin its continued develop...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Report on “Dealing with Energy Vulnerabilities: Case Studies of Cooperation and Collaboration in East Asia”

Much literature on East Asia’s energy security has focused on the dynamics of competition over resources and how potential conflicts could arise from this. While this analytical perspective identifies...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 23 Feb 2016

Powering Growth: The Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Perspective on the Energy Security Policies in Singapore

The Singapore government treats energy security as a means towards achieving sustainable economic growth. It is on that note that the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) and National Energy Policy (NE...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Food (In)Security in Urban Populations

The food crisis at the end of the last decade and the resulting food riots that occurred in cities all over the world exposed the vulnerability and fragility of the current global food system and high...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Rising Food Prices and Food Security: Impact of the 2008 Food Crisis on Asia

The trend of rising food prices has made this basic human need inaccessible to an increasing number of people. The impact on vulnerable groups, especially the poor, is immense. Food price rise has imp...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Non-Traditional Security Challenges, Regional Governance, and the ASEAN Political-Security Community

Much of the attention on institutional development within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has focused on the progress in establishing the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC)....

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Pakistan’s Flood Disaster: An Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis

The recent monsoon-related floods have wreaked havoc in Pakistan. Decades of development outcomes have been wiped out and critical human security challenges have been precipitated. It is critical to b...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Aquino’s Challenge: Energy Security in the Philippines

The next President of the Philippines faces many challenges to his incoming administration. A crucial one is ensuring the country’s energy security. Addressing this will strengthen the Philippine econ...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Securing Food Futures in the Asia-Pacific: Human Securitising Regional Frameworks

The global food crisis of 2007 to 2008 drew attention to the importance of food security as a regional challenge for the Asia-Pacific. Regional strategies to achieve food security have recognised the...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 22 Feb 2016

Crafting Energy Security Cooperation in East Asia

Existing work on energy security tends to over-emphasise the prospect of competition and conflict over resources while under-exploring the promise of cooperation. This policy brief provides a framewor...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

Security Sector Governance and Conflict Management in Southeast Asia

Security sector governance (SSG) poses a huge challenge to states transitioning to democracy, particularly in cases where the military and other components of the security sector had been very influen...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

Securitising Food Futures in the Asia-Pacific: Human Securitising Regional Frameworks

The global food crisis of 2007 to 2008 – which was characterised by both volatility in food prices and shortages of food – and the uneven but almost certainly largely negative impacts of climate chang...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 22 Feb 2016

Report on “Climate Change, Migration and Human Security in Southeast Asia”

The Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), organised a study-group meeting to address the topic of ‘Climate Change, Migration an...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 22 Feb 2016

Report on “Inter-State Water Conflicts in Southern Asia”

Water conflicts are a subject of intense debate and discussion in Southern Asia, which comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and China. Factors such as the history of partiti...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 22 Feb 2016

Asia’s Food Security Conundrum: More Apparent than Real?

There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, yet one billion people are hungry. Biotech approaches to food production will not enhance food security in Asia unless severe distortions in existin...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

Redefining Food Security in the Face of Foreign Land Investors: The Philippine Case

The Philippines is a country targeted by foreign investors seeking agricultural land. It is promoting itself to them in the hope of securing their business. These investors frequently use food securit...

by Ben Shepherd | On 22 Feb 2016

Changing Population In Japan And A Life-Long Active Society To Cope With It

Japan's ageing population also has a sort of depth. By “depth,” I mean that within the older population itself the proportion of very old people aged 75 years old and over is increasing particularly r...

by Atsushi Seike | On 21 Feb 2016

Early Lessons from the Process to Enhance Understanding of Loss and Damage in Bangladesh

This document is the culmination of a process that unfolded over two years in Bangladesh, which benefitted from contributions from individuals and organisations too numerous to mention by name here. H...

by Erin Roberts | On 21 Feb 2016

Preferential Trading In South Asia

This paper examines the economic case for the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement signed on January 6 th, 2004 by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. It s...

by Tercan Baysan | On 21 Feb 2016

ASEAN Response to Asian Food Security Concerns

As global food security rises to the top of the policymaking agenda, new approaches are being explored. Within ASEAN, Singapore’s position as a food importer is changing to become an active contributo...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Singapore’s Growing Role in Asian Food Security

In seeking to ensure its own food security Singapore, may be transforming itself from a passive food importer to an active contributor to the regional and global food system – through research and dev...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Thailand’s Floods: Political and Security Impact

The devastating floods in Thailand add another dimension to the range of security threats to the country. What are the political and security implications of the floods on Thailand?

by | On 20 Feb 2016

The 19th ASEAN Summit: Tackling Floods, Food and Stability

This week’s ASEAN Summit will take place against an increasingly unpredictable environment, as seen in the widespread floods in the region. The series of ASEAN-related meetings will have to address th...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Feeding Southeast Asia in the 21st Century

Southeast Asia’s food security challenges are multifaceted and complex, with an estimated 14 per cent of the population suffering undernourishment. The recent International Conference on Asian Food Se...

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

Climate Change and Migration in Southeast Asia: Responding to a New Security Challenge

Migration and displacement are among the range of pressures on people and their communities likely to arise from the economic, social and environmental consequences of climate change. Despite fragment...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 20 Feb 2016

In Search of Food Security: Addressing Opacity and Price Volatility in ASEAN’s Rice Sector

The availability of rice has long been considered a key indicator of food security in Southeast Asia. However, for largely strategic reasons, there is a paucity of information in the public domain on...

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

Would a Southeast Asian Rice Futures Market Be Feasible, and What of Food Security?

In 2010, it was proposed that Singapore consider hosting an international rice futures market, with cited benefits being enhanced price discovery and price stabilisation. The RSIS Centre for Non-Tradi...

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

The Military along the Security-Development Frontier: Implications for Non-traditional Security in the Philippines and Thailand

The militaries of developing countries have often gone beyond the mission of external defence, to perform unconventional roles ranging from disaster relief and economic management to law enforcement a...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Climate Change, Migration and Human Security in Southeast Asia

The proposition that migration as a result of climate change has consequences for regional and global security has become prominent in public discourse over the last few years. Yet much of that debate...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Report on “Policy Roundtable on Asian Non-Traditional Security”

This report presents the proceedings of a Policy Roundtable on Asian Non-Traditional Security held in Beijing on 30-31 July 2012. Attended by academics and policymakers from across the region, the Rou...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 19 Feb 2016

The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR): Cooperation, commitment and contradictions

This NTS Working Paper examines the prospects for the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) launched in July 2012. It looks at whether the APTERR can overcome the limitations of past rice r...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Addressing Global Land Challenges

This lecture is based on the realization that the current global approach to land systems cannot meet the needs of the majority of people in developing countries in regard to security of tenure and it...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

China’s Outbound Investment: The US Experience

U.S. policy expressly welcomes Chinese investment, and since 2000 Chinese companies have invested nearly $50 billion in the United States. Notwithstanding those facts, the U.S. regulatory environment...

by Mark Feldman | On 19 Feb 2016

Is Access to Tractor Service a Binding Constraint for Nepali Terai Farmers?

Using results from the three rounds of Nepal Living Standard Surveys (conducted in 1995, 2003, and 2010), this study empirically assesses whether access to rented tractors or custom hiring services is...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 18 Feb 2016

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015: Opportunities and Challenges for Food Security

This NTS Policy Brief is based on the proceedings of the Expert Group Meeting on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015: Opportunities and Challenges for Food Security held in June 2013. A key messag...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Food Security: What It Means for a Food-Importing Country

Most countries depend on three “food taps” – imports, self-production, reserve stocks – to make food available. All countries import some amount of food to meet their increasingly diverse dietary dema...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Food Security Post-Calamity: A Chronic Dilemma

Many Asian countries are highly susceptible to climate hazards, resulting in food insecurity. The magnitude of the devastation of typhoon Haiyan should serve as a clarion call for regional action to i...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Food Security Robustness: A Driver of Enhanced Regional Cooperation?

Food security encompasses multiple, inter-connected dimensions, from production-related concerns, to market and price dynamics, environmental trends and policy approaches. Given this, ‘robustness’, th...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Demographic Dividend or Demographic Threat in Pakistan

This paper looks into the demographic dividend available to Pakistan and its implications for the country, mainly through three mechanisms: labour supply, savings, and human capital. For economic bene...

by Durr-e- Nayab | On 17 Feb 2016

Power, Violence, Citizenship and Agency: A Review of the Literature

This Working Paper comprises a literature review that was carried out to inform the formulation of a research project on power, violence, citizenship and agency, which addresses how social actors reac...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

State Of Climate Information Products And Services For Agriculture And Food Security In Myanmar

The increasing variability of seasonal climate and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events that are expected to accompany climate change will impact agricultural production and fo...

by Ruby Policarpio | On 17 Feb 2016

Methods for Identifying Low Emissions Development Options for Agriculture

Low emissions development strategies (LEDS) are national economic and social development plans that promote sustainable development while reducing GHG emissions. While LEDS programs have helped to mai...

by Sonja Vermeulen | On 17 Feb 2016

ASEAN’s Haze Shroud: Grave Threat to Human Security

Transboundary haze pollution is posing significant multiple risks to the well-being and security of people in ASEAN. Beyond looking at it as an environmental issue, it is a severe threat to human secu...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Strengthening Energy Security: Key to Sustainable Development in Asia

With the growing urgency of energy security in an era of climate change, the option to increase the share of renewables and nuclear energy in the energy mix will increasingly become attractive in Asia...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Women, Peace and Security: Impact of UNSCR 1325 on Indo-Pacific

On the 15th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, how far have countries in the Indo-Pacific region come to implement its peace and security agenda?

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Gender Differences in Climate Change Perception and Adaptation Strategies: The Case of Three Provinces in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta

This report, which forms part of the PIRCCA project outputs, focuses on the results of the survey conducted in the first half of 2015 on climate change perception and adaptation strategies of male and...

by Michael Sheinkman | On 16 Feb 2016

Citizen-Led Accountability and Inclusivity in Pakistan

This ‘theory in practice’ paper examines the experiences of citizens groups seeking to hold Pakistan’s elected representatives and governance institutions accountable. A sustained period of democracy,...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Well-being and Public Attitudes in Afghanistan: Some Insights from the Economics of Happiness

Afghanistan is a context where individuals have to cope with the most adverse of circumstances. In this paper, we use the tools provided by a new approach in economics, which relies on surveys of happ...

by Soumya Chattopadhyay | On 16 Feb 2016

Mainstreaming Children in the Union Budget 2016-17: The ‘Mantra’ of Inclusive Development

in order to ensure the inclusion and social security of children, the Central government must pay attention to the concerns raised by Sates and the upcoming Union Budget must include some of the point...

by Kumar Shailabh | On 15 Feb 2016

Corruption and (In)Security

For security policies to be effective states must recognise and respond to how corruption ignites and magnifies these dangers. In some countries and regions corruption is the facilitator of insecurity...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Pension and Social Security Schemes in Pakistan: Some Policy Options

An examination of the public pension and social security schemes in Pakistan reveals that the provision of regular pensions is limited to formal sector employees only. A number of social security sche...

by Naushin Mahmood | On 14 Feb 2016

Toward Reconciliation in Afghanistan

How can we make sense of where the United States is in Afghanistan today? A poor country, wracked by 30 years of civil war, finds itself at the mercy of insurgents, terrorists, and narco-traffickers....

by Michael O'Hanlon | On 14 Feb 2016

Pakistan Seeks Control of Its Afghanistan Endgame

Encouraging Taliban attacks on NATO, leaders of the Pakistan military and its intelligence service are impatient for the US to abandon the war in Afghanistan. The Pakistani goal is to prevent a pro-In...

by Bruce Riedel | On 14 Feb 2016

Maximizing Chances for Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan

The following is a Campaign 2012 policy brief by Bruce Riedel and Michael O’Hanlon proposing ideas for the next president on America’s foreign policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vanda Felbab-Brow...

by Bruce Riedel | On 14 Feb 2016

The Afghanistan–Pakistan Challenge: Meeting Humanitarian Needs

For Campaign 2012, Bruce Riedel and Michael O’Hanlon wrote a policy brief proposing ideas for the next president on America’s foreign policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan. The following paper is a r...

by Elizabeth Ferris | On 14 Feb 2016

A Deadly Triangle: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India

The hostility between India and Pakistan lies at the heart of the current war in Afghanistan. Most observers in the West view the Afghanistan conflict as a battle between the U.S. and the NATO-led Int...

by William Dalrymple | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan After ISAF

Summer 2013 brought one of the most violent fighting seasons in Afghanistan since the US military and state-building effort began in 2001. On the cusp of the momentous 2014 presidential elections and...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan’s Deep Challenges and Transition Opportunities

The continued withdrawal of ISAF forces and the handover of responsibilities to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) along with a strong Taliban military push dominated the security realm. The ANSF...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Security and Political Developments in Afghanistan in 2014 and After : Endgame or New

The excerpt below introduces a book chapter written by Vanda Felbab-Brown for the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior anthology, Afghanistan 2014, published in March 2014. In this chapter, Dr. F...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan’s Displaced People: 2014 and Beyond

Afghanistan is the largest refugee repatriation operation in the world. More than 5.7 million people have returned in the last ten years, representing nearly a quarter of the current population of 28...

by Aidan O'Leary | On 14 Feb 2016

Living Arrangement: How does it relate to the Health of the Elderly in India?

India has the second largest population of elderly people after China. The living arrangement of the elderly is seen as a parameter of great importance in understanding their plight in developing coun...

by Mitali Sen | On 14 Feb 2016

Public Health in india: Challenges Ahead

As the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country in the world, India has experienced sea change since its independence in various facets of development. However as per public heal...

by Anuj Sabharwal | On 13 Feb 2016

Dietary Diversity in the Everyday Lives of Children in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

This paper investigates young people’s and their caregivers’ experiences of food insecurity, diet and eating practices in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also provides original child-focused evidence...

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 13 Feb 2016

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2014

This report looks at what a new energy architecture might look like and how best-in-class enabling environments have already helped some high-ranking countries begin their transitions to more efficien...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 11 Feb 2016

Women’s Frequently Asked Labour Rights Questions

From 2012 to 2016, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the WageIndicator Foundation and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) are running the Labour Rights for Wom...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

Bangladesh: Bangladesh: The Adolescence of an Ancient Land Ancient Land

On January 11, 2007, a state of emergency was declared in Bangladesh. A new caretaker government which condoned greater military involvement in the governing of Bangladesh was installed. This is the t...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

To Manage Conflict in South Asia: China’s Stakes, Perceptions and Inputs

For Chinese researchers of international relations, to see a security challenge through the lens of conflict prevention and management represents a relatively fresh exploration that has begun to recei...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

An Index of Fiscal Democracy

Over the past four decades, the accumulation of policy legacies and public debt has led to a decline in fiscal flexibility in Germany and the United States. By applying an index of fiscal democracy to...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Trade and Sustainable Land Management in Drylands

This publication aims to provide a wide range of perspectives from various stakeholders on how trade policies and processes could contribute to advancing the objectives of sustainable land management...

by International Centre and Sustainable Development | On 08 Feb 2016

Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management: a Field Guide

Reducing risk and increasing resilience to natural disasters and climate change requires access to knowledge, information and the active participation of vulnerable population. Planning Communication...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 08 Feb 2016

Progress of the World's Women 2000

Launched in June of 2000, "Progress of the World's Women" is UNIFEM's biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. The first iss...

by UN Women | On 08 Feb 2016

Building Integrity And Countering Corruption In Defence & Security

This is the second edition of the TI Defence and Security Programme's Handbook, Building Integrity and Reducing Corruption in Defence and Security: 20 Practical Reforms. This Handbook has a simple pur...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Working to Improve Price Indices Development in Pakistan

Given the importance of Consumer Price Index (CPI), there has been long debate on its measurement issues. It is the best and most well-known indicator of inflation, which is further used for evaluatin...

by Mahmood Khalid | On 06 Feb 2016

An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship between Food Insecurity, Landlessness, and Violent Conflict in Pakistan

This study is an attempt to examine empirically the association between socio-economic measures of deprivation—such as food insecurity, landlessness, unemployment, and human under-development—and the...

by Sadia Mariam Malik | On 06 Feb 2016

Bangladesh National Integrity System Assessment 2014

One of the key strategic areas of Transparency International Bangladesh's research has always been the institutions of democracy and specialized pillars of governance and accountability, which constit...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Truth, Power and the Rehabilitation of the Facts

This paper is an attempt to analyze the age-old phenomenon of leaks - the deliberate disclosure of secret information - and its relationship with the principle of transparency in a democracy. Secrets...

by | On 03 Feb 2016

The Process of National Security Decision-Making in Israel and the Influence of the Military Establishment

This study researches the decision-making process in national security matters in Israel; and examines the influence and role of the military establishment in this process. To achieve this purpose, th...

by | On 03 Feb 2016

Iraq, From Security to Political Management

This study begins with an assessment of the years of US occupation in Iraq, focusing on its repercussions, explicating its outcomes, and exploring the horizons of political evolution in this country a...

by | On 03 Feb 2016

The Inter-linkages between Democracy and Per Capita GDP Growth: A Cross Country Analysis

The empirical growth literature gives no clear indication as to how democracy impacts growth; there is evidence of both positive and negative effects and also of no direct link in democracy and growth...

by Madeeha Gohar Qureshi | On 03 Feb 2016

Rent Seeking Opportunities and Economic Growth in Transitional Economies

This study empirically explores the growth effects of rent seeking activity (RSA) for a group of 52 developing/transitional countries, using a dynamic panel data approach. The modelling framework is a...

by Nasir Iqbal | On 03 Feb 2016

Fiscal Decentralisation and Economic Growth: Role of Democratic Institutions

This study attempts to analyse the impact of fiscal decentralisation on economic growth. It also examines the complementarity between fiscal decentralisation and democratic institutions in promoting g...

by Nasir Iqbal | On 03 Feb 2016

Food Security Post-2015: What Countries Need to Do So That Regional Collaboration Can Be Effective

Attempts to explain why ending hunger has been so hard, so here the focus is on four main themes: the complex role of markets, the importance of government policies, the historical process of structur...

by C. Peter Timmer | On 03 Feb 2016

The EU And Asia In The United Nations Security Council

This contribution addresses the political and legal aspects of European and Asian membership and practice in the UNSC. First, it highlights the difficulties of the European Union (EU) becoming a fully...

by Jan Wouters | On 03 Feb 2016

The 2014 Arab Opinion Index

The 2014 Arab Opinion Index is the third annual survey of Arab public opinion carried out by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. In 2011, the survey was carried out in 12 Arab countries,...

by Arab Center for Policy Studies | On 02 Feb 2016

Children Affected by Armed Conflict in South Asia: A Review of Trends and Issues Identified Through Secondary Research

‘Armed conflict’ is defined in this report as the use of armed violence to resolve local, national and/or international disputes between individuals and groups that have a political, economic, cultura...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Pushing the Debate on Public Health

In honour of Krishna Raj, the legendary editor of Economic and Political Weekly, the Anusandhan Trust established the Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture series on Health and Social Sciences. This year’s lec...

by Padma Prakash | On 02 Feb 2016

Rural Transport, Safety and Security

By 2020, road accidents are expected to be the third highest cause of death and disability globally. Transport safety concerns in poor countries have focused mainly on roads and motorised traffic, but...

by International Forum for Rural Transport and Develo IFRTD | On 01 Feb 2016

Sudan and Iran: The Journey of Rapprochement in light of the Current Arab Landscape

This study examines Sudan's relationship with Iran in light of the numerous Israeli air raids being launched against it, and explores whether the Sudanese regime has a preference for Iranian or Arab a...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

Developing Technologies for Sustainable Fisheries in Asia

Governments in Asia must prioritise technologies that improve fishery productivity to meet the growing local and international demand for fish. This increased productivity must be sustainable, however...

by The WorldFish Center TWC | On 01 Feb 2016

Off-shoring, Insecurity and the Protectionist Threat

The financial crash of 2008 threatens economic insecurity in industrialized countries to an extent not experienced since the Great Depression. But as discussed in the World Economic and Social Survey...

by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs | On 31 Jan 2016

Increasing Public Spending in Agricultural R&D to Ensure Food Security in Developing Countries

Arguably, ensuring food and nutrition security for all people in the coming decades is the major challenge for the global community. Food demand is increasing in aggregate and per capita values, in pa...

by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs | On 31 Jan 2016

China and its Peripheries: Beijing and India-Sri Lanka Relations

China has emerged as one of the important factors in India-Sri Lanka relations. It is important to contextualise this intervening variable, before going into various aspects of China’s footprints in S...

by N Manoharan | On 31 Jan 2016

Climate-Smart Agriculture in Sri Lanka

The climate-smart agriculture (CSA) concept reflects the ambition to improve the integration of agriculture development and climate responsiveness. CSA aims to achieve food security and broader develo...

by World Bank [WB] | On 30 Jan 2016

Trade Policy and Food Security: Farm Policies of Developed Countries: What Kind of Trade Policy Framework is needed to Support Food Security Goals?

Farm Policies in developed countries have been widely blamed for creating problems for food security in developing countries. These problems have included high barriers to developing country exports,...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Food Security, Price Volatility and Trade: Some Reflections for Developing Countries

Eugenio Diaz Bonilla and Juan Francisco Ron work up from the household level to connect international trade rules to the national strategies needed to achieve food security. Their paper surveys the po...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Trade Policy Responses to Food Price Volatility in Poor Net Food-Importing Countries

In recent years, high and volatile prices have contributed to acute shortages of basic foodstuffs in poor, net food-importing countries. This paper examines the new challenges these countries face, an...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Agricultural Domestic Support and Sustainable Development in China

China's fast-growing farm subsidies have generated new interest in whether these programmes can help achieve public policy goals, without distorting trade and production. This study, by NI Hongxing, f...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Trade and Food Security

The evolving food security agenda offers governments a chance to address some urgent concerns and strengthen the multilateral trade system. The Doha Agenda has been overtaken by time and events. Many...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Agricultural Trade and Food Security: Some Thoughts about a Continuous Debate Food Reserves in Developing Countries: Trade Policy Options for Improved Food Security

Previous agricultural trade negotiations were conducted when global prices were lower. They focused on policies that artificially expanded supply in some countries, or reduced demand in other countrie...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Parliamentary Oversight and Social Accountability

Parliamentary oversight is one of the cornerstones of democracy. John Stuart Mill asserted that the most appropriate tasks of a representative body are to : oversee and clarify the government actions,...

by BRAC University | On 30 Jan 2016

Institutions of Accountability Series : The Judiciary Policy Note

The courts are one of the most fundamental institutions where power is contested in a constitutional democracy. A functioning and an independent judiciary can restrain and hold the executive accountab...

by . BRAC | On 30 Jan 2016

Institutional Approach to Anti-corruption: An Evaluation of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh

Currently, corruption is one of the most discussed topics in the everyday life of Bangladeshi people. They experience it at almost every stage from the top lair of the bureaucracy to the petty grocery...

by Harun Rashid | On 30 Jan 2016

Seeing Like a Citizen: Voice Of The People

‘Seeing like a citizen’ encapsulates within it the notion of being “heard as a citizen”. And it is in this context that the issue of voice has been explored in the research on ‘Deepening democracy, bu...

by Simeen Mahmud | On 30 Jan 2016

Revision of India-Nepal Treaty of Trade and Its Implications for Strengthening Bilateral Trade and Investment Linkages

The paper highlights the trend in bilateral trade between the two countries. It notes that barring setbacks in certain years, the bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing briskly. It...

by Indra Nath Mukherji | On 30 Jan 2016

Palestinian Public Opinion: Attitudes towards Peace Negotiations and National Reconciliation

This report presents selected results of the 2014 Arab Opinion Index from Palestine (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). The Arab Opinion Index is the largest opinion poll of its kind in the Arab regio...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Israel and the Fencing Policy: A Barrier on Every Seam Line

This article tries to analyze the multiple aspects of separation barriers built by Israel since its inception in 1948, and evaluate their effectiveness in order to show whether such a policy makes Isr...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Tracing Qatar’s Foreign Policy and its Impact on Regional Security

Drawing strongly upon recent International Relations literature on the foreign affairs of small states, this paper elaborates several arguments on the trajectory of Qatar’s foreign policy: (1) An “act...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Challenges and Trends in Decentralised Local Governance in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a rich legacy of establishing and promoting local government institutions, but the actual roles and contributions of these institutions to augment citizens’ participation and consolidat...

by Niaz Khan | On 29 Jan 2016

Effect of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on Malnutrition of Infants in Rajasthan, India: A Mixed Methods Study

The paper tries to analyse the effect of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a wage-for-employment policy of the Indian Government, on infant malnutrition and delinea...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Spatial Dimensions of Muslim Well-Being in India: A Comparative Study of Indian Districts

The Sachar Commission Report of 2006 on Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India generated widespread awareness of the socioeconomic disparity and exclusion of religiou...

by Riaz Hassan | On 29 Jan 2016

Elite Politics and Dissent in Sri Lanka

The year 2015 has been dramatic for politics in Sri Lanka. A Presidential, as well as a General, Election within the first eight months of the year saw the country having a new President and a new gov...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Food Security and WTO Domestic Support Disciplines Post-Bali

Trade ministers in Bali agreed an interim solution to the problem of food security and WTO domestic support disciplines, but also committed to begin discussions on a "permanent solution" once the mini...

by Alan Matthews | On 28 Jan 2016

Survey of ICTs for Education in India and South Asia, Extended Summary

The Survey on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Education in India and South Asia was commissioned by infoDev to be undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers, India. The Survey is a third...

by The Survey on Information and Communication Techno ICT | On 28 Jan 2016

Services Trade Agreement in South Asia Contours and Modalities

Available literature on regional trade integration in South Asia points to a variety of economic and non-economic factors that have slowed the integration process. The major non-economic factors inclu...

by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment SAWTEE | On 28 Jan 2016

Evidence from the Frontlines of Climate Change: Loss and Damage to Communities Despite Coping and Adaptation

New thinking and practical approaches are needed to address the threats to human security that climate change combined with social vulnerability pose for current and future patterns of loss and damage...

by Koko Warner | On 28 Jan 2016

Mainstreaming Community-Based Conservation in a Transboundary Mountain Landscape Lessons from Kangchenjunga

This paper draws recommendations for transboundary and participatory biodiversity conservation from ICIMOD’s pioneering Kangchenjunga Conservation Landscape Initiative. The Kangchenjunga landscape, sh...

by Karma Phuntsho | On 28 Jan 2016

Scientific Framework for ICIMOD’s Regional Programme on Adaptation to Change

This document elaborates the scientific framework of the Adaptation to Change Programme in an attempt to improve the connections between science, policy, practice, and stakeholders and to tackle chall...

by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Devel ICIMOD | On 28 Jan 2016

Switched On: Youth at the Heart of Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific

Asia and the Pacific is home to 60 per cent of the global population aged 15 to 24 years. Across this geographically, politically, socially, culturally and economically expansive region, youth are a v...

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific | On 28 Jan 2016

Can Mandated Political Representation Increase Policy Influence for Disadvantaged Minorities? Theory and Evidence from India

A basic premise of representative democracy is that all those subject to policy should have a voice in its making. However, policies enacted by electorally accountable governments often fail to refle...

by Rohini Pande | On 28 Jan 2016

Report of the National Consultation on "Children and Governance: In the Context of Federalism and Devolution"

Economists and experts have been batting for bringing the fiscal federalism, the activist fora has been criticizing the newly brought in fiscal arrangements between Centre and States. This contradict...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 28 Jan 2016

Agriculture and Food Security: New Challenges and Options for International Policy

New challenges are facing the global food and agriculture trading system in the 21st century. The present paper identifies options for how policies and international trade rules can respond to this ne...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Migration, Health and Dignity in South Asia: Lessons from the EMPHASIS Project on Migration, Women’s Empowerment and HIV in Bangladesh, India and Nepal

The EMPHASIS project (Enhancing Mobile Populations’ Access to HIV and AIDS Services, Information and Support) has provided a diverse range of services to crossborder migrants in India, Nepal and Bang...

by Prabodh Devkota | On 27 Jan 2016

Social Safety Nets for Food and Nutritional Security in India

This paper brings together existing literature on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRGEA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, offering a narrative review of...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Livelihood, Exclusion and Opportunity: Socioeconomic Welfare among Gender and Sexuality Non-normative People in India

This case study explores the socioeconomic experiences of gender and sexuality minority peoples in India, especially in respect of ways in which sexual and gender ‘difference’ may be correlated to eco...

by | On 26 Jan 2016

Overcoming the Challenges of Urban Food and Nutrition Security

Despite the high contribution of urban areas to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), urban poverty and nutrition security in India remains a challenge. Poor infrastructure, high unemployment, poor state...

by M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation | On 26 Jan 2016

The Future of Electricity in Fast-Growing Economies

Electricity markets in fast-growing economies face different challenges than those in more mature markets. Mature markets with stable demand for electricity are transitioning to a more sustainable mix...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 25 Jan 2016

Internet Fragmentation: An Overview

A thriving and open Internet provides the foundation for the fourth industrial revolution. There has been growing concern that the Internet may be in danger of splintering into a series of bordered cy...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 25 Jan 2016

Gender Justice And Social Norms – Processes Of Change For Adolescent Girls

This note proposes an analytical framework for the current phase of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) programme of research on discriminatory social norms affecting adolescent girls. The curren...

by Caroline Harper | On 24 Jan 2016

Estimating Inflation Rates of Import-Concentrated Commodities

This note provides estimates of inflation rate of import-concentrated commodities and their contribution to overall inflation in Bangladesh. The results suggest that the Bangladesh economy has been ex...

by M. G. Mortaza | On 23 Jan 2016

Opportunities and Challenges in Rice Seeds Trade Between India and Bangladesh

Rice, a major staple crop for India and Bangladesh is important not only for ensuring food security, but also the livelihood security of large number of small and marginal farmers engaged in rice cult...

by Neha Jain | On 23 Jan 2016

Climate Change, Food Security and Trade Linkages in South Asia

This Briefing Paper examines the linkages between climate change, food security and trade in South Asia. Studies suggest that in Asia the heat stress due to climate change will reduce crop yields in t...

by Ram Jha | On 23 Jan 2016

Prospects for Regional Cooperation on Cross-Border Electricity Trade in South Asia

Energy remains one of the key inputs to socio-economic progress in developing societies. South Asian nations, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lank...

by Anoop Singh | On 23 Jan 2016

Impact of Climate Change on Least Developed Countries: Are The SDGs Possible?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will define the priorities of the UN’s development agendabeyond 2015. But the reality of climate change impacts will render these aspirational goals almost imp...

by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC | On 23 Jan 2016

Advancing Sustainable Innovations for a Food Secure Future in India: Major Impacts of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia

The paper focuses to reduce hunger and increase food and income security of resource poor farm families in South Asia through the development and inclusive adoption of new cereal varieties, sustainabl...

by | On 22 Jan 2016

The E15 Initiative: Strengthening the Global Trade and Investment System in the 21st Century

World trade has experienced a significant slowdown since the 2008 financial crisis. Over this period, the global ratio of trade expansion to income growth has halved. An effective global trade and inv...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 22 Jan 2016

Emerging Powers in a Changing World

This is the second collective effort from the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies to address global issues that are largely unfamiliar to the Greek international affairs community. Last year we dealt wit...

by Stamatis Zachariadis | On 21 Jan 2016

China’s Dams & Regional Security Implications An Indian Perspective

This brief provides a historical-cum-ongoing account as well as an assessment of the future of China’s dam-building exercise, its rationale and consequences at all levels – geographically, environment...

by Dhanasree Jayaram | On 21 Jan 2016

Assessment of the Reliability and Relevance of the Food Data Collected in National Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys

Food consumption data are collected in most countries through a variety of household surveys. The primary objective of these surveys is usually to measure poverty, to derive consumption patterns neede...

by Lisa C. Smith | On 21 Jan 2016

Balancing State and Community Participation in Development Partnership Projects: Emerging Evidence from Indian SDPs in Nepal

This paper evaluates the impact and potential of development programmes known as Small Development Projects (SDPs), introduced by India as part of its development cooperation portfolio in Nepal. Throu...

by Sachin Chaturvedi | On 21 Jan 2016

Debates on Food Technologies in India: R&D Priorities, Production Trends and Growing Expectations

This discussion paper examines the use of three different technological options in the Indian agriculture. It shows that support to organic farming is increasing but at this stage innovation related i...

by Sachin Chaturvedi | On 21 Jan 2016

People Matter Civic Engagement in Public Governance

The World Public Sector Report 2008, People Matter, Civic Engagement in Public Governance presents a picture of the evolution of current governance challenges, especially from the point of view of the...

by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNDESA | On 20 Jan 2016

Climate Change and Food Systems: Global Assessments and Implications for Food Security and Trade

This book collects the findings of a group of scientists and economists who have taken stock of climate change impacts on food and agriculture at global and regional levels over the past two decades....

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 20 Jan 2016

Impact of Climate Related Shocks and Stresses on Nutrition and Food Security in Selected Areas of Rural Bangladesh

This study attempts to break down ‘climate change’ into ‘climate related shocks and stresses in the course of time’ and conceptualizes the food security and nutrition outcomes as combination of the ad...

by Chris Béné | On 19 Jan 2016

Climate Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition

Among the most significant impacts of climate change is the potential increase of food insecurity and malnutrition. The aim of this primer is to summarise the current state of knowledge on the impacts...

by Richard Choularton | On 19 Jan 2016

Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh Literature Review

This literature review identifies and summarises existing evidence on the determinants of undernutrition in children under the age of two years in Bangladesh. The review gathers evidence on the immedi...

by Stuart Gillespie | On 19 Jan 2016

“If we eat well, we can study” Dietary Diversity in the Everyday Lives of Children in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

This paper investigates young people’s and their caregivers’ experiences of food insecurity, diet and eating practices in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also provides original child-focused evidence...

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 19 Jan 2016

Myanmar 2014: Civic Knowledge and Values in a Changing Society

This is an Asia Foundation survey to document public knowledge and awareness of new government institutions and processes, and to gauge the political, social, and economic values held by people from d...

by The Asia Foundation | On 19 Jan 2016

Illegal Bangladeshi Migration: Evaluating India-Bangladesh Approaches

The issue of Bangladeshi migration in India has become a major concern for policy makers in recent years. Indeed, India’s eastern border is facing major illegal activities viz. the influx of illegal...

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Nepal: Finding a Way Forward

Nepal is no stranger to Constitution drafting, having gone through six such rounds since 1948, with the seventh culminating in September 2015. This recent exercise, however, was unique as it was condu...

by Rakesh Sood | On 19 Jan 2016

Colonial Origins of Maoist Insurgency in India: Long Term Effects of Indirect Rule

This dissertation tries to answer the puzzle of why the Maoist insurgency in India, which is considered to be the most important internal security threat to the world’s largest democracy, occurs in ce...

by Shivaji Mukherjee | On 19 Jan 2016

Health Service Inequities as Challenge to Health Security

The paper provides an overview of the inequities in health outcomes and their variation across regional, social, and economic groups. It seeks to explain these variations by focusing on health service...

by | On 18 Jan 2016

The Global Risks Report 2016

The Global Risks Report 2016 features perspectives from nearly 750 experts on the perceived impact and likelihood of 29 prevalent global risks over a 10-year timeframe. The risks are divided into five...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 18 Jan 2016

Dominant Development and Peoples' Alternatives: Play and Interplay in Chhattisgarh

This text of Ilina Sen’s presentation, the Second Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences, is a lucid account of the contradictions sett...

by Ilina Sen | On 18 Jan 2016

Looking Within The Household: A Study On Gender, Food Security, And Resilience In Cocoa-Growing Communities

This study, relying primarily on qualitative data from Côte d’Ivoire, examines how income allocation and intra-household dynamics affect household resilience during the lean season. Its findings indic...

by Elizabeth Kiewisch | On 14 Jan 2016

Should Global Goal Setting Continue, and how, in the Post-2015 Era?

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were introduced to monitor implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration which set out a vision for inclusive and sustainable globalization based...

by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr | On 13 Jan 2016

Malaise in Maldives: A Pristine Paradise or a Painful Purgatory?

The implications of recent events in Maldives go far beyond the pristine shores of that enchanting archipelago. The paper discusses the larger geopolitical implications of the suspension of democracy,...

by Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury | On 09 Jan 2016

Trade and Environment Review 2013

Developing and developed countries alike need a paradigm shift in agricultural development: from a "green revolution" to a "truly ecological intensification" approach. This implies a rapid and signifi...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD | On 09 Jan 2016

The Afghanistan Conflict in its Historical Context

Afghanistan has long been used as a battleground for strategic wars by larger external powers. This is in part due to its geographic position between the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. Acco...

by Riaz Hassan | On 09 Jan 2016

A Tortured History : Federalism and Democracy in Pakistan

The Pakistan Army’s ideological hegemony, especially in the country’s Punjabi-speaking heartland, the continuing focus on the state’s narrative of a religion-based unitary identity which is under a co...

by Aasim Akhtar | On 08 Jan 2016

Patterns and Politics of Migration in South Asia

Migration is an important social and historical reality in South Asia. In the past decade, migration from one country to another and internal migration (i.e. migration within a particular country) hav...

by Sanjay Barbora | On 08 Jan 2016

Impact of Participatory Forest Management on Financial Assets of Rural Communities in Northwest Pakistan

The system of participatory (or joint) forest management was commenced in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan in 1996 through Asian Development Bank's funded project. These forest refo...

by Tanvir Ali | On 08 Jan 2016

Food Insecurity, Conflict and Livelihood Threats in Nepal

This chapter examines the food security situation in Nepal and the impact of the recent armed conflict on the food security situation. It argues that food security is understood in different ways and...

by Bishnu Upreti | On 07 Jan 2016

Socio-Economic Uncertainty and Violent Conflicts

This paper, with reference to the literature on research on violent conflicts, discusses socio-economic uncertainty and characteristics of coping with it in the context of violent mass conflicts. Rese...

by Gyöngyvér Demény | On 07 Jan 2016

Innovative Strategies in Higher Education for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia Nepal

The report herein provide in-depth analysis of the state of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education in Nepal.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Jan 2016

A Tortured History: Federalism and Democracy in Pakistan

This paper looks at the Pakistan Army’s ideological hegemony, especially in the country’s Punjabi-speaking heartland, the continuing focus on the state’s narrative of a religion-based unitary identity...

by | On 07 Jan 2016

Development Trajectories, Emission Profile, and Policy Actions:Singapore

Singapore is the most industrialized and urbanized country in Southeast Asia and is totally dependent on oil and natural gas imports to satisfy its energy needs. Its national energy policy framework s...

by Tilak Doshi | On 07 Jan 2016

Habitat III Issue Papers : 22 – Informal Settlements

Although some governments acknowledge the existence of slums and informal settlements, many do not. This lack of recognition and subsequent response directly undermines city-wide sustainable developme...

by | On 05 Jan 2016

Plan vs. Performance: Winter Session 2015

This note compares the legislative business planned by Parliament and compares it with the actual performance, during the Winter Session 2015.

by Kusum Malik | On 05 Jan 2016

Indonesia Local Economic Governance Index, 2007

This year's Indonesia Local Economic Governance Survey provides a fascinating look into the dynamics of local governance and business development in Indonesia nearly a decade after regional autonomy....

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People

The findings from The Asia Foundation's fifth public opinion poll in Afghanistan, Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People, which covers all 34 of Afghanistan's provinces.

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

State Building, Political Progress, and Human Security in Afghanistan

Based on the Asia Foundation’s , "Afghanistan in 2006: A Survey of the Afghan People." , the papers in this volume analyze survey data on the opinions and perceptions of Afghans towards government, pu...

by | On 02 Jan 2016

Summary of Indonesia's Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment Sector Assessment

Indonesia is a net importer of grains, horticulture and livestock produce. The instability of food prices since 2008 has led to a renewed emphasis on food security. Despite increasing food crop produc...

by Victor Pontines | On 01 Jan 2016

Social Protection Brief: Social Security Reform and Economic Modeling Capacity Building in Indonesia

While official poverty in Indonesia is relatively low at 12%, an additional 27% of the population live just above the poverty line and small shocks can drive them back into poverty. Poor and vulnerabl...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 01 Jan 2016

Working of Forest Rights Act 2006 and Its Impact on Livelihoods: A Comparative Study of Odisha and Jharkhand

Clearly, the monograph addresses a set of critical issues related to the forest rights and livelihood and makes a sincere effort to draw attention to the plight of forest dependent communities. Policy...

by Tapas Kumar Sarangi | On 30 Dec 2015

Civil Society Meets the State: A Model of Associational Democracy

This paper takes issue with simplistic views of inefficient state and efficient civil society as well as undifferentiated accounts of civil society that do not distinguish among particular association...

by | On 29 Dec 2015

Migration and Development: Toward Sustainable Solutions

This paper reviews the two-way relationship between migration and development. The author emphasizes that migration can be a tool for development and that development can affect migration patterns. He...

by | On 29 Dec 2015

Can Social Security Boost Domestic Consumption in the People’s Republic of China?

This paper reviews the development of the social security system and trends in the urban labor market in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite its remarkable economic achievement, the PRC face...

by Wang Dewen | On 29 Dec 2015

ASEAN 2030: Challenges of Building a Mature Political and Security Community

The paper examines ASEAN’s political and security challenges and prospects in the coming two decades. The challenges facing ASEAN could be classified into six broad categories: (1) the shifting balanc...

by Amitav Acharya | On 29 Dec 2015

Public and Private Control and Contestation of Public Space amid Violent Conflict in Karachi

Few cities in South Asia have been affected by violence more than Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic centre. This working paper examines the impacts of the city’s declining security situati...

by Noman Ahmed | On 29 Dec 2015

A Connectivity-Driven Development Strategy for Nepal: From a Landlocked to a Land-Linked State

Nepal's lackluster economic performance during the post-conflict period (that is, after November 2006) has been driven by remittances from the export of labor services and the improved performance of...

by Pradumna Rana | On 29 Dec 2015

Aid and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Nepal: Synthesis Report in the wake of the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake

The Independent Impacts and Recovery Monitoring Nepal (IRM) assesses longitudinally five issues – aid delivery and effectiveness; politics and leadership; social relations and conflict; protection and...

by ASIA FOUNDATION | On 26 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2015: A Survey of the Afghan People

The Asia Foundation's Survey of the Afghan People is Afghanistan’s broadest and longest-running public opinion poll. After the first full year of Afghanistan’s National Unity Government, 9,586 Afghans...

by Zachary Warren | On 26 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2012: A Survey of the Afghan People

Findings from The Asia Foundation's eighth survey in Afghanistan - the broadest public opinion poll in the country of 6,290 Afghan citizens across all 34 provinces.

by Palwasha Kakar | On 26 Dec 2015

Partnership without Alliance? The Contained Volatility of Indo-US Relations, and a Prognosis

India and the United States – the world’s ‘two largest democracies’ – share many structural similarities like multi-party democracy, federalism, constitutionally-guaranteed basic rights and the pre-em...

by Rahul Mukherji | On 23 Dec 2015

Land Reform: A Revised Agenda for the 21st Century

This report explores how best to implement effective land reform, based on past experience in less-developed and transitional economies. The authors discuss the potential benefits of land reform, fact...

by | On 23 Dec 2015

The Political Economy of Transitions: Governance Assessments and Measurements

This discussion paper examines existing methods for measuring aspects of political transitions. The paper canvasses and examines existing measurement tools that focus on some, but not all, relevant di...

by United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] | On 23 Dec 2015

How does Women’s Time in Reproductive Work and Agriculture Affect Maternal and Child Nutrition? Evidence from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Nepal

This paper examines whether an increase in women’s time in agriculture adversely affects maternal and child nutrition, and whether the lack of women’s time in reproductive work leads to poorer nutriti...

by SOPHIE THEIS | On 22 Dec 2015

Indo-French Defence Cooperation - Friends in Need or Friends Indeed?

This paper aims at understanding the reasons behind the institutionalization of Indo-French defence cooperation after 1998, and at assessing the future prospects for this collaboration. By retracing i...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

The Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline - The Intersection of Energy Politics

This paper seeks to identify the strategic and economic variables involved in India’s decision about whether or not to pursue a proposed natural gas pipeline from Iran. There is a lot of misinformatio...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

The Sikh Diaspora and the Quest for Khalistan: A Search for Statehood or for Self-preservation?

This paper will reexamine the role of the Sikh Diaspora in the Sikh separatist movement, commencing in the 1980s, that loomed over the political, security, social, and humanitarian makeup of the Indi...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

Lull in the Rice Fields: The Asian Experience

The strengthening of El Niño weather phenomenon has led to lower than average rainfall for India’s monsoon season, thereby raising concerns for paddy crops production.

by Aritra Chakrabarty | On 21 Dec 2015

How Does ADB Engage Civil Society Organizations in Its Operations? Findings of an Exploratory Inquiry in South Asia

The focus is on South Asia and the starting point of inquiry is on 33 projects that illustrate the roles and forms of NGO and CBO engagement in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The rep...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Dec 2015

Household-level Effects of Electricity on Income

This paper studies the effect of electricity on income, using the Nepal Living Standards Survey-III (NLSSIII), carried out in the years 2010-11. To account for endogeneity issues, we use Three Stage L...

by Matias Fontenla | On 18 Dec 2015

The Value of Sustainable Protocol to Address Uterine Prolapse in Nepal: Health Camp, Awareness Education, and Employment Strategy

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a global women’s health concern; uterine prolapse (UP), one of the five types of POP, has significant prevalence in Nepal. Studies indicate that over 600,000 women in Ne...

by Sherrie Palm | On 18 Dec 2015

Can Improved Cooking Stoves Work? The Nepal Chulo Experience

What motivates rural households to switch from older cooking methods to newer, more improved, ones? Improved cooking stoves (ICS) technology has demonstrated capacity to reduce health hazards from smo...

by Dipika Gawande | On 18 Dec 2015

Farm Household Typologies and Mechanization Patterns in Nepal Terai

Although Nepal formulated an agricultural mechanization promotion policy in 2014, there is still much to learn about tailoring mechanization policies to different types of farm households. The Terai b...

by | On 18 Dec 2015

Nepal: A Failing State or a State in Transition?

The modest intention of this paper is to question the above assertion that Nepal is a failing state. To this end, it shall firstly outline the broad definition of failing states. Secondly, it will off...

by Oliver Housden | On 17 Dec 2015

In a Weak State: Status and Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) in Nepal

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on 21 November 2006, made an unprecedented commitment to those children who had been involved in Nepal’s decade long civil war. It stipulated that those ...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding in Post-Conflict Environments: A Critical Analysis of the UN Approach in Timor-Leste, Liberia and Nepal

This paper looks at possible alternatives to UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions with a view to establishing if there are organizations or other interested parties, which may be more effective...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Democracy in Bhutan: An Analysis of Constitutional Change in a Buddhist Monarchy

The report attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the constitutional developments in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Starting from the premonarchy era and looking closely at the different phases of m...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

The Brics Development Bank

This policy brief recommends that these include commitments to: ending extreme poverty and inequality, with a special focus on gender equity and women’s rights; aligning with environmental and social...

by Oxfam International | On 17 Dec 2015

Strategic Framework 2013–2017 Global Programme Food Security

Food security and nutrition is a major global challenge. SDC’s Global Programme Food Security(GPFS) represents an innovative initiative of Switzerland in addressing food security and nutrition challen...

by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC | On 17 Dec 2015

The Design and Implementation of Public Pension Systems in Developing Countries: Issues and Options

Developing countries are increasingly aware of the need to design and implement improvements in public systems for providing pensions to the elderly. Such systems may aim to smooth consumption and thu...

by David Bloom | On 17 Dec 2015

Equate and Conflate: Political Commitment to Hunger and Undernutrition Reduction in Five High-Burden Countries

As political commitment is an essential ingredient for elevating food and nutrition security onto policy agendas, commitment metrics have proliferated. Many conflate government commitment to fight hun...

by Rajith Lakshman | On 16 Dec 2015

MQSUN Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh Literature Review

The DFID Programme to Accelerate Improved Nutrition for the Extreme Poor in Bangladesh aims to improve nutrition outcomes for children, mothers and adolescent girls by integrating the delivery of a nu...

by Ahmed F. | On 16 Dec 2015

National Experiences in Building Social Protection Floors: India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

This study highlights three central themes of the MGNREGA: first, the innovative policy framework of the Act, which brings together rights-based entitlements, demand-driven employment, and citizen-cen...

by Ellen Ehmke | On 16 Dec 2015

A Proposal for an Open University of Nepal for Providing Higher Education to the Rural and Marginalized People

The disadvantaged and marginalized groups in Nepal, and particularly women and Dalits, face grave hurdles to acquire post secondary education. Lack of educational access has deprived the rural and m...

by Pramod Dhakal | On 15 Dec 2015

A Community Based Micro Hydro: A Promising Technology for Rural Development in Nepal

The study finds that micro hydro (MH) has significant impact on reduction in fuel wood consumption. Communities are more inclined to harvest fuel wood from government forest. These led to the promotio...

by Bishwa Koirala | On 15 Dec 2015

Enhancing Early Warning Capabilities and Capacities for Food Safety

Worldwide, food safety incidents can have a significant impact on public health, economies, agrifood trade, food security, and public confidence in the food supply. The prevention, mitigation, and man...

by | On 15 Dec 2015

Human Rights and Asian Values

The thesis that Asian values are less supportive of freedom and more concerned with order than discipline than are Western values and that the claims of human rights in the areas of political and civi...

by Amartya Sen | On 10 Dec 2015

Understanding the Drought Impact of El Niño on the Global Agricultural Areas

During El Niño episodes the normal patterns of tropical precipitation and atmospheric circulation become disrupted triggering extreme climate events around the globe: droughts, floods and affecting th...

by | On 09 Dec 2015

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Smallholder Adoption and Implications for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

There are a wide range of agriculture-based practices and technologies that have the potential to increase food production and the adaptive capacity of the food production system, as well as reduce em...

by | On 09 Dec 2015

Notes on Land, Long Run Food Security and the Agrarian Crisis in India

These Notes are mainly about three interconnected themes; the international and Indian ‘take’ on control over land (and water); the distinction between an agricultural crisis and an agrarian crisis;...

by Sheila Bhalla | On 09 Dec 2015

Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

The objective of this discussion paper was to provide background for discussions of the UNESCO-IHP Side-Event on "Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals" during th...

by | On 08 Dec 2015

Progress of the World’s Women 2008/2009: Who Answers to Women?

The “Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009: Who Answers to Women?” demonstrates that one of the most powerful constraints on realizing women's rights and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (...

by | On 07 Dec 2015

Climate Change, Water and Food Security

This report summarizes current knowledge of the anticipated impacts of climate change on water availability for agriculture. The implications for local and national food security are examined; and the...

by | On 04 Dec 2015

Government Intervention in Grain Markets in India: Rethinking the Procurement Policy

This paper reviews the rice procurement operations of the Government of India from the standpoints of cost of procurement as well as effectiveness in supporting farmers’ incomes. The two channels used...

by Neha Gupta | On 02 Dec 2015

The Socio-Economic Impact of HIV at the Household Level in Asia: A Regional Analysis of the Impact on Women and Girls

An important element of the socio-economic impact of HIV is how it disproportionately affects women and girls, in terms of their vulnerability to infection, constrained access to services and the a...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | On 01 Dec 2015

Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries

In Arab countries, a widespread lack of human security undermines human development, according to the Arab Human Development Report 2009: Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries. This repor...

by | On 26 Nov 2015

The Indian Insolvency Regime in Practice – An Analysis of Insolvency and Debt

This paper analyses 45 cases of insolvency and bankruptcy resolution in order to measure the efficiency and problems of the present laws for firm bankruptcy in India. These cases have been selected t...

by Aparna Ravi | On 25 Nov 2015

Sustainable Nutrition Security: Restoring the Bridge Between Agriculture and Health

Malnutrition remains the world’s most serious health problem and the single biggest contributor to child deaths. It is time to restore the bridge between agriculture and health. FAO’s Member Countries...

by Graeme Thomas | On 24 Nov 2015

Safe Havens: The Emerging Terror Hubs in South Asia

This issue brief reflects on the prevalence of terror networks in South Asia as Al Qaeda is attempting to expand into new territories in South Asia, “suitable” for safe housing themselves and their il...

by Reshmi Kazi | On 23 Nov 2015

Terrorism and Security in Asia: Redefining Regional Order?

While a good deal has been written and said about the threat posed by terrorism in Southeast Asia, there has been little work analyzing the impact of terrorism and the war on terror on Asian regional...

by Amitav Acharya | On 22 Nov 2015

Convergence of Social Security Schemes for Elimination of Child Labour

Child labour is a complex problem rooted in poverty, illiteracy and social inequality. The National Child Labour Policy has identified ‘focusing of general development programmes for benefiting child...

by Helen Sekar | On 10 Nov 2015

The Operational Plan for Agriculture and Natural Resources: Promoting Sustainable Food Security in Asia and the Pacific in 2015–2020

Agriculture and food security should be viewed in the context of the broader economic transformation in Asia and the Pacific. In particular, the adoption of food security policies that address both im...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Nov 2015

Assessing Farmer's Willingness to Participate in the On-farm Conservation of Minor Millet using Direct Compensation Payment

This study attempts to examine the role of farmer incentive mechanisms to conserve minor millets in Kolli Hills. The millet varieties were classified either as most preferred varieties (MPVs) or leas...

by | On 06 Nov 2015

Gender and Land Tenure Security: Challenges and Barriers to Women’s Entitlement to Land in India

Given the importance of securing women’s rights to land as India grows and develops and recognizing the dearth of available data to guide the design of gender-sensitive interventions, this study provi...

by | On 04 Nov 2015

Highlights of Recent IFPRI Food Policy Research in India: Reducing Poverty and Hunger through Food Policy Research

IFPRI and India’s partnership played a particularly important role following the Green Revolution when that partnership analyzed the necessary policies to both promote domestic food production and to...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 03 Nov 2015

Migration for Hard Work: A Reluctant Livelihood Strategy for Poor Households in West Bengal, India

This paper reports some initial findings of a study of how migrants in India and Bangladesh and the household members that stay behind reduce the insecurities they face (including hunger, debt, ill-he...

by | On 02 Nov 2015

Ending Malnutrition: From Commitment to Action

Ending Malnutrition offers key insights from the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) to catalyze follow-up actions across the world. It reviews current evidence on the prevalence of ma...

by Vikas Rawal | On 23 Oct 2015

Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights

This Report focuses on the economic and social dimensions of gender equality, including the right of all women to a good job, with fair pay and safe working conditions, to an adequate pension in older...

by UN Women | On 23 Oct 2015

The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture: A Case Study from Nepal

In Nepal, as in many developing countries, concerns are increasing about the negative impact of climate change on agricultural yields and food security. The Nepalese have already seen changes in their...

by | On 22 Oct 2015

Cultural Resistance Need of the Hour: Teesta Setalvad

This interview with Teesta Setalvad on the series of awards being returned by various writers post lynching of a person in Dadri and PMs silence. Teesta explained that, this government functions on th...

by Teesta Setalvad | On 20 Oct 2015

Cultural Resistance Need of the Hour: Teesta Setalvad

This interview with Teesta Setalvad on the series of awards being returned by various writers post lynching of a person in Dadri and PMs silence. Teesta explained that, this government functions on th...

by Teesta Setalvad | On 20 Oct 2015

State Food Provisioning as Social Protection: Debating India’s National Food Security Law

This report provides an overview on the main issues debated during the development and passage of the India’s National Food Security Act (2013), which legally binds national and state governments to e...

by Harsh Mander | On 20 Oct 2015

The Gender Dimensions of Pension Systems: Policies and Constraints for the Protection of Older Women

This paper documents the pervasiveness of women’s lack of income security in old age across a large number of countries, but also points to a number of important policy measures that can be taken to a...

by | On 20 Oct 2015

Social Protection for Children: Key Policy Trends and Statistics

This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of child and family benefits in 183 countries; (ii) presents the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures...

by | On 15 Oct 2015

India’s Food Grain Policies and the Public Distribution System: The Case of Rice. Who Wins, Who Loses, and by How Much?

Indian governments follow highly interventionist policies on food grains, especially rice and wheat. These policies include import and export controls which insulate the domestic market from world mar...

by Garry Pursell | On 14 Oct 2015

Urban Poverty in Asia

This paper on Urban Poverty in Asia looks at the different dimensions of poverty in Asia, both income and nonincome, its two main regions, including a brief account of who and what class of people are...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Oct 2015

The State of Food Insecurity in the World Meeting the 2015 International Hunger Targets: Taking Stock of Uneven Progress

This year’s annual State of Food Insecurity in the World report takes stock of progress made towards achieving the internationally established hunger targets and reflects on what needs to be done, as...

by Food and Agriculture Organization | On 07 Oct 2015

Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations of Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific

Why does gender equality in the media matter? Because of the many influences that shape the way we see men and women, media are among the most powerful. Media shape our daily lives, infusing their mes...

by UNESCO UNESCO | On 07 Oct 2015

Food Security, Productivity, and Gender Inequality

This paper examines the relationship between gender inequality and food security, with a particular focus on women as food producers, consumers, and family food managers. The discussion is set against...

by Bina Agarwal | On 29 Sep 2015

Poverty and Social Protection in Urban India

This paper, highlights the need for provisioning adequate social protection coverage to the vulnerable sections of population in urban India, assesses the role of the TPDS in reaching out to the depri...

by R. Radhakrishna | On 28 Sep 2015

Role and Effectiveness of Public Distribution System in Assuring Food Security in India: An Appraisal

This paper tries to identify food insecure population of the country, analyse the availability, storage, procurement of food grain , assess the effectiveness of PDS, identify the discrepancies in the...

by Ishita Aditya Ray | On 28 Sep 2015

REDD+ Impacts: Evidence from Nepal

This paper discusses the findings from one of the first rigorous quasi-experimental studies using a ‘before-after-control intervention’ design that encompass all major aspects of REDD+: forest carbon...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 25 Sep 2015

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility: Global Report on Human Settlements 2013

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose 'transportation' and 'mobility' is to gain...

by UN-HABITAT | On 25 Sep 2015

Towards Universal Access to Health Care in India

In this concept note authors aim to put forth a broad canvas of the various issues that need to be considered and positions that need to be formulated, in order to argue that it is possible to make Un...

by Dr. Abhay Shukla | On 23 Sep 2015

The Troubled Democracy of Bangladesh: ‘Muddling Through’ or ‘a Political Settlement’?

Is democracy in Bangladesh on a reverse course? Is there a culture of intolerance being engendered by deliberate design? Will creeping extremisms create an inevitable schism within the nation? The pap...

by | On 23 Sep 2015

Food Security vs Nutritional Security: Need for Multi-Sectoral Convergence

The paper attempts to address the problem of undernutrition in India and its adverse effects on children and adults. Today, food security concerns include not only the problems of physical availabili...

by | On 22 Sep 2015

Report of the Working Group on Public Distribution System and Food Security for the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007)

This planning commission report on Food Security deals with the changing consumption pattern for food in India and reviews some studies on demand and supply projections for cereals in India. It also e...

by Planning Commission | On 21 Sep 2015

Does Democracy promote Social Capital? Evidence from Bhutan

Bhutan is one of the youngest democratic countries in the world. The constitution of Bhutan was formally signed on July 18, 2008 by the fifth King of Bhutan, elected members of Parliament, and the Chi...

by | On 21 Sep 2015

The Elephant in the Dark: Finding Ways to End India’s Hunger and Malnutrition

This paper tries to map some of the major debates exploring the 'elephant‘ of India‘s failure to end hunger and malnutrition. The authors identify five main hurdles towards addressing the issue of hun...

by | On 17 Sep 2015

Comparative Notes on Indian Experiences of Social Democracy: Kerala and West Bengal

This paper compares, in historical perspective, the conditions for democracy, economic development and well-being in India and Scandinavia. Within India, it compares the states of Kerala and West Beng...

by | On 16 Sep 2015

The Bali Agreement: An Assessment from the Perspective of Developing Countries

This paper discusses the different agreements and decisions reached in the Bali Ministerial Conference and the potential implications for the post-Bali work program. The results of the Bali Minister...

by Eugenio Díaz Bonilla | On 16 Sep 2015

Rights-based Legal Guarantee as Development Policy: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

This paper analyses the legal framework and policy innovations undertaken towards achieving the stated objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This paper seeks to cri...

by | On 15 Sep 2015

Decentralized Local Governance and Citizen Participation in South Asia

This paper encompasses two major themes - local governance and citizens' participation in five neighbouring countries in South Asia, their trials, achievements and failures. Whether their experiences...

by | On 14 Sep 2015

Overcoming the Curse of Malnutrition in India: A Leadership Agenda for Action

The leadership agenda for action released by Coalition for Sustainable Nutrition Security in India to promote policy, programme and budgetary focus on overcoming the curse of malnutrition. The Coaliti...

by Coalition for Food & Nutrition Security India | On 11 Sep 2015

Developing Regional Value Chains in South Asian Leather Clusters: Issues, Options and an Indian Case

The possibility of developing regional production networks in specific sectors between nations of South Asia has been explored in this paper. The case of the leather and leather goods cluster in T...

by Keshab Das | On 11 Sep 2015

Report of Working Group on Nutrition for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17)

This report details the vision for 12th Five Year Plan on Nutrition which is to move towards Nutrition Security- especially the more vulnerable infants and young children, adolescent, girls and women,...

by Planning Commission | On 10 Sep 2015

Dalit Women and Social Exclusion in Nepal: A Concern for Social Justice

Nepali society is highly stratified with many glaring inequalities among different socioeconomic groups. The worst positioned among them are Dalits. The caste system segregates Dalits from the rest to...

by | On 10 Sep 2015

Social Security for International Labour Migrants: Issues and Policy Options

Cross-border population movement, an indispensible feature of the current phase of globalisation, has led to significant changes in the migration landscape. Factors like temporisation of labour flows,...

by | On 09 Sep 2015

Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition: A Survival and Development Priority

This report contains nutrition profiles for 24 countries. This report shows that an estimated 195 million children under age 5 in developing countries suffer from stunting, a consequence of chronic nu...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 08 Sep 2015

Drones and India: Exploring Policy and Regulatory Challenges Posed by Civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

India currently operates close to 50 drones in various military, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering configurations, a number more than that of France, Germany and Italy combined. Yet the Direct...

by R. Swaminathan | On 07 Sep 2015

Driving Across the South Asian Borders: The Motor Vehicle Agreement Between Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal

The benefits of strengthening physical connectivity in a geographically contiguous region are increasingly being recognised. These links are expected to increase economic activity and people-to-people...

by Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury | On 07 Sep 2015

Indonesia: Concerted Efforts Needed to Find Solutions for Protracted IDPs

IDMC estimates that as of July 2015 at least 31,400 people are internally displaced as a result of conflict and violence in Indonesia. Nearly all are protracted internally displaced persons (IDPs) who...

by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre | On 03 Sep 2015

Public Views Of Health System Issues In Four Asian Countries

To elicit the public’s views on health system issues, the study conducted an opinion poll survey in Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The study focused on health inequalities. The results sh...

by Bhatia Mrigesh | On 01 Sep 2015

Poverty Eradication in India by 2015

This paper highlights a strategic framework to eradicate rural poverty by 2015 with the rural household as the central unit. It is based on the premise that the livelihoods of rural households depend...

by Ministry of Rural Development Government of India | On 31 Aug 2015

On Reckoning Level Differentials in the Measurement of Progress: An Illustration in the Context of Deliveries Assisted by Skilled Health Personnel

The paper highlights that performance assessments should account for non-linear dynamics of progress, whereby an improvement at a higher level represents greater achievement than an equal improvement...

by William Joe | On 21 Aug 2015

Analysis of Fish Consumption and Poverty in Bangladesh

Aquaculture has grown in leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades in Bangladesh. This is welcomed by most as increasing fish production is expected to contribute to enhancing food security in a...

by Kazi Ali Toufique | On 21 Aug 2015

The WTO Agreement on Agriculture and Food Security

This study aims to help identify how a future multilateral agreement on agricultural trade can provide a secure framework within which developing countries can pursue effective policies to ensure thei...

by Stephen Devereux | On 21 Aug 2015

How Migration into Urban Construction Work Impacts on Rural Households in Nepal

The research draws on interviews with rural-urban migrant construction workers in Kathmandu as well as with families of construction workers, other migrant labourers and non-migrants in two contrastin...

by | On 21 Aug 2015

Are Community Forestry Institutions Appropriate for Implementing REDD+? Lessons from Nepal

This paper examines the role of national and sub-national institutions in managing carbon sequestration and trade in Nepal. It first asks whether it is feasible and advantageous to implement REDD+ in...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 20 Aug 2015

Demand for Watershed Services: Understanding Local Preferences through a Choice Experiment in the Koshi Basin of Nepal

This study undertakes a choice experiment in order to identify differences in local demand for watershed services in the Koshi basin of Nepal. The paper first examines the possibility of using a non-m...

by Rajesh Kumar Rai | On 20 Aug 2015

Introduction to "Governing Marriage Migrations: Perspectives from Mainland China and Taiwan"

Cross-border migration for the purpose of marriage is on the rise, and at present it constitutes one of the most common forms of long-term international mobility in East Asia. The articles included he...

by | On 20 Aug 2015

Addressing Long-term Challenges to Food Security and Rural Livelihoods in South Asia

Notwithstanding its impressive economic growth, food insecurity in South Asia continues to be a stark reality for a large number of households. Despite several successful policy interventions by Gover...

by K. S. Kavi Kumar | On 19 Aug 2015

WTO and Nepal

This publication attempts to study major concepts of WTO and present some perspectives on Nepal’s membership in this rule based global trading organization. The chapters presents an introduction with...

by Nepal Rastra Bank NRB | On 17 Aug 2015

Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Growth in Nepal

The concern of climate change have emphasized in the field of economics too owing to the challenge of adapting to global warming for sustainable development and growth. This challenge becomes central...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Impact of Bank Credit on Economic Growth in Nepal

This study examines the impact of commercial bank credit to the private sector on the economic growth in Nepal from supply side perspectives. The study has applied Johansen co-integration approach and...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Structural Changes in a Small and Open Economy: Evidences from Nepal

This paper reviews existing structural transformation models and prominent literatures and then empirically examines Nepalese economic structure. The research findings reveal that industrial sector is...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

The changing nature of jobs - World Employment and Social Outlook 2015

The International Labour Organization reports on the increasingly insecure nature of job tenures worldwide. The World Employment and Social Outlook 2015 finds that, among countries with available data...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: A Catalyst for Rural Transformation

This report examines changes in the lives of rural households and in the rural economy against the backdrop of changes brought about by the programme. This research report addresses such challenging q...

by Sonalde Desai | On 13 Aug 2015

Urban India 2011: Evidence

India’s urban transition has the potential to shift the country’s social, environmental, political and economic trajectory. Urbanisation will interact with the country’s ongoing demographic evolution...

by Indian Institute for Human Settlements | On 12 Aug 2015

The Politics of Sustaining Inclusive Growth and Social Inclusion

This working paper records the findings of the project and discusses the key principles that underpin the Danish and Finnish welfare states. The paper reflects on the critical issues that must be cons...

by Valerie Koh | On 11 Aug 2015

Pathways of Transnational Activism: A Conceptual Framework

This paper presents a novel analytical framework to study transnational activism in the context of today’s international governance architecture. While there is a considerable amount of literature on...

by Sabrina Zajak | On 07 Aug 2015

Reaching Every Child for Primary Immunization: An Experience from Parsa District, Nepal

This document describes the activities and achievements of an effective approach used in Nepal to involve community leaders and local health workers, volunteers, and organizations in tracking children...

by Hari Krishna Shah | On 06 Aug 2015

Rationalisation of Agriculture in Kerala: Implications for Natural Environment, Agro-Ecosystems and Livelihoods

This paper takes on an older debate that the agriculture transformation in the regional economy of Kerala has been mainly driven by ‘peasant rationality’. It argues that the agrarian transformation...

by Viswanathan P K | On 31 Jul 2015

Resolving the Food Crisis – Assessing Global Policy Reforms Since 2007

The report looks beyond the proclamations and communiqués to assess what has really changed since the crisis erupted. While not exhaustive, the report looks at: Overseas Development Assistance, both i...

by | On 30 Jul 2015

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

This Policy note on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is central to the attainment of the overarching goal of enabling poor rural women and men to improve their food security and nutrition, rais...

by International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD | On 29 Jul 2015

Future and New Thoughts on Co-operative Banks

The co-operative movement in India is more than a century old; regulation thereof is also more than a century old with the first major impetus provided by the passage of the Co-operative Society Act i...

by R. Gandhi | On 29 Jul 2015

Freedom to Marry: The Constitutional Choice and KHAP Panchayats

This paper talks about the right to marry as an essential freedom of all human beings as it relates to their right to self-expression and their right to associate with a person of their choice. The au...

by | On 27 Jul 2015

Endangered Lives on the Border: Women in the Northeast

This volume contains three research papers, entitled “Heat of the Barbed Wire: Engendered lives along the borderlands of West Garo Hills” by Anjuman ara Begum; “Sanitized Societies and Dangerous Inter...

by Anjuman Ara Begum | On 24 Jul 2015

World Social Protection Report 2014/15

Social protection policies play a critical role in realizing the human right to social security for all, reducing poverty and inequality, and supporting inclusive growth – by boosting human capital an...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 17 Jul 2015

Inflation Targeting in India: Select Issues

The adoption of inflation targeting in India has been a much debated topic which also becomes a challenge for the emerging economy. Though inflation targeting has already been adopted in many emerging...

by Charan Singh | On 17 Jul 2015

Safeguard Implementation: How Can We Make It More Meaningful?

The report presents the (i) safeguard systems of Bhutan, India and Nepal; (ii) differences in national safeguard laws and institutional processes with the Asian Development Bank’s safeguards policy; (...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 13 Jul 2015

Nepal Earthquake 2015: Post Disaster Needs Assessment - Executive Summary

The Government of Nepal officially launched a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to determine the impacts of the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015 and a series of aftershocks since, includin...

by National planning commission Government of Nepal | On 07 Jul 2015

Engaging Civil Society to Promote Democratic Local Governance: Emerging Trends and Policy Implications in Asia

This paper discusses a wide range of issues in engaging civil society to deepen and sustain decentralization and local democracy. It examines the concepts of democratic local governance and decentrali...

by | On 07 Jul 2015

Managing Rice Value Chain for Improved Food Security in Bangladesh

This Policy Brief utilizes the concept of value chain management as the basis of improving the competitive advantage of the rice sector for promoting food security in Bangladesh. For analyzing the is...

by | On 02 Jul 2015

Agricultural Credit and its Impact on Farm Productivity: A Case Study of Kailali District

This study was carried out by Banking Development and Research Unit of Nepal Rastra Bank, Dhangadhi Office. The study aims at exploring the problems related to the procurement and use of agricultural...

by Nepal Rastra Bank NRB | On 26 Jun 2015

The Risk of Disaster-Induced Displacement in South Asia

This technical paper provides evidence-based estimates of the likelihood of disaster-induced displacement in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It att...

by Justin Ginnetti | On 24 Jun 2015

Inflation Targeting India: Select Issues

The adoption of inflation targeting in India has been a much debated topic which also becomes a challenge for the emerging economy. Though inflation targeting has already been adopted in many emerging...

by Charan Singh | On 18 Jun 2015

Building a Sustainable Agricultural Trade Security System for Kerala

The present Report offers suggestions for the consideration of the Government of India, based on the UN Millennium Goals for Poverty Eradication, as well as on the principle that trade should strength...

by | On 17 Jun 2015

Gender and Food Security: Towards Gender-Just Food and Nutrition Security

This BRIDGE Cutting Edge Overview Report makes the case for a new, gender-aware understanding of food security, arguing that partial, apolitical and gender-blind diagnoses of the problem of food and n...

by Bridge Cutting Edge Programme | On 16 Jun 2015

Minorities and Inclusive Electoral Processes in South Asia

This overview brings together major findings and crosscutting issues in the “country situation reports” from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively, which were commissioned b...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 15 Jun 2015

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015: Meeting the 2015 International Hunger Targets Taking Stock of Uneven Progress.

This report discusses the need to eradicate hunger and achieve food security across all its dimensions. The report also identifies key factors that have determined success to date in reaching the MDG ...

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 10 Jun 2015

Water for Food Security and Nutrition

This report is a report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. Water is key to food security and nutrition. However there are many c...

by Food and Nutrition Division FAO | On 10 Jun 2015

The Economics of Peace: A Nepalese Perspective

Understanding the importance of peace has been accorded high priority in many religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. In recent years, many economists have realized the monetary va...

by Hari Bansh Jha | On 05 Jun 2015

Universal Food Security Program and Nutritional Intake: Evidence from the Hunger Prone KBK Districts in Odisha

This article provides evidence on the role of consumer food subsidies in improving nutritional intake and diet quality by evaluating the expansion of the government food assistance program coverage i...

by Andaleeb Rahman | On 05 Jun 2015

Nepal's Continuing Quest for Federalism and Peace

Nepal is currently experiencing perhaps one of the most turbulent phases in its contemporary political history. In 2008, the 240-year-old institution of monarchy—for long seen as a symbol of unity, in...

by Akanshya Shah | On 05 Jun 2015

Analysis of Trends in India’s Agricultural Growth

The present study discusses the trends and patterns in agricultural growth at the national and sub-national levels in India. Data on important variables like area, production, input use and value of o...

by Elumalai Kannan | On 04 Jun 2015

Fourteenth Report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas

The primary objective of the Act is augmenting wage employment. In this regard, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the...

by Committee on Empowerment of Women GOI | On 01 Jun 2015

Report of Planning Commission Working Group on Horticulture and Plantation Crops for Twelfth Plan

This Report of  the Working Group  on Horticulture &  Plantation  Crops will give  renewed  impetus  to  measures  for  sustained  growth  of  India's  Horticulture  &  Plantation  Sector  along with ...

by Planning Commission | On 25 May 2015

Women’s Social Security and Protection in India

This report points out the existence of a number of Government-sponsored schemes for promoting the social welfare of women and for achieving other goals such as poverty amelioration, reduction in maln...

by | On 25 May 2015

Crop Husbandry, Agricultural Inputs, Demand and Supply Projections and Agricultural Statistics for the Twelfth Five Year Plan

Eleventh Five Year Plan has focused on a model that encompass 4 per cent growth in agriculture. This was considered vital not only for improving food and nutrient security, but also for inclusive grow...

by Planning Commission | On 22 May 2015

Report of the Working Group on Social Security for Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17)

The Working Group, in its meeting held to discuss the terms of reference to review the existing social security measures for organized workers. It is a basic human right, and its fulfillment will con...

by Ministry of Labour and Employment MoL&E | On 22 May 2015

National Vaccine Policy

The National Vaccine Policy document has been developed following the recommendation of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI). This policy document addresses broad issues of streng...

by National Rural Health Mission | On 13 May 2015

Annual Report: 2010-2011

This report of government details on challenges in agriculture sector. There is a need to address these issues as India faces a greater challenge, since with only 2.3% share in world’s total land area...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 07 May 2015

Report on the State of Food Insecurity in Rural India

This Report is an update of the Rural Food Insecurity Atlas of 2001 released by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Since then, numerous new programmes...

by V B Athreya | On 06 May 2015

The Umbrella Revolution and the Future of China-Hong Kong Relations

This article, written during the 2014 civil disobedience 'Umbrella Revolution' in Hong Kong, suggests that this protest became a turning point in China Hong Kong relations. Suggesting that the protest...

by Willy Lam | On 29 Apr 2015

Book Review: Civil Wars in South Asia: State, Sovereignty, Development

Review of Civil Wars in South Asia: State, Sovereignty, Development ed. Aparna Sundar and Nandini Sundar. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2014. pp. 273. Rs. 850/-, ISBN: 9789351500407.

by Pramod K. Nayar | On 28 Apr 2015

Reassessing Internal Displacement in South Asia

Displacement is by no means a new phenomenon in South Asia. As they emerged as independent states, at least half of the South Asian countries experienced mass displacement. In Bangladesh it is esti...

by | On 28 Apr 2015

Why Democracy Struggles: Thailand’s Elite Coup Culture

Since the revolution of 1932 that ended absolute monarchy, Thailand has experienced sporadic military interventions, with 19 coups and coup attempts over those decades. This article explains these mil...

by | On 27 Apr 2015

Is Long-Term Food Insecurity Inevitable in Asia

This article questions two widely accepted claims on long-term food insecurity in Asia, the world's (heterogeneous) region with the largest number of undernourished individuals. The first claim is tha...

by | On 23 Apr 2015

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 -Challenges, Buffer Stocking and the Way

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 combines and expands the scope of some existing food-based welfare schemes. It will be distributing raw rations, meal(s) and/or cash. Approximately 81.35 cro...

by Shweta Saini | On 20 Apr 2015

The Internet and State Intervention in Asia: A Comparative Study of Selected Countries

In context of contemporary debates about censorship, net neutrality and the role of the state in today’s globalising world, it becomes vital to examine the stand taken by various Asian governments tow...

by Nandini Bhattacharya | On 17 Apr 2015

Deliberating Public Spheres: How does Net Neutrality Enable Democracy?

This study reviews and re-conceptualizes the ideas of democracy and the public sphere through the receptive medium of the Internet. Through exploring the transformational concept of the public sphere...

by Jonathan Cunha | On 15 Apr 2015

Towards a Water and Food Secure Future

The aim of this paper is to provide policy-makers with a helpful overview of the technical and economic aspects of water use in agriculture, with particular emphasis on crop and livestock production....

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 15 Apr 2015

Realizing Sustainable Food Security in the Post-2015 Development Era: South Asia’s Progress, Challenges and Opportunities

This paper reviews South Asia’s progress, challenges and opportunities for realizing sustainable food security in the post-2015 development agenda. The review finds that South Asia’s average dietary e...

by | On 14 Apr 2015

The State of Food Insecurity in the World Economic Growth is Necessary but not Sufcient to Accelerate Reduction of Hunger and Malnutrition

This report provides evidence that poor, hungry and malnourished people use some of their additional income either to produce or purchase more food, aiming to increase their dietary energy intake and...

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 09 Apr 2015

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 - Challenges, Buffer Stocking and the Way Forward

The paper empirically maps the annual distribution commitment (61.43 MMTs) of the government with the procurement pattern of rice and wheat, for each quarter, to estimate the quarterly operational sto...

by Shweta Saini | On 01 Apr 2015

Fiscal Federalism: Opportunities and Challenges for Nepal

There has been a furious debate by political parties and intellectuals alike in Nepal on making the transition to federal system of governance. The attempt to evolve a federal constitution has stumble...

by | On 26 Mar 2015

Mapping Bangladesh’s Political Crisis

On 5 January, the first anniversary of the deeply contested 2014 elections, the most violent in Bangladesh’s history, clashes between government and opposition groups led to several deaths and scores...

by International Crisis Group | On 24 Mar 2015

Budget (2015-16) Speech of Haryana Finance Minister

Budget speech of Haryana Finance Minister

by Capt. Abhimanyu | On 24 Mar 2015

Japan and ASEAN: Their Changing Security Relations

Southeast Asia has been one of the key components of Japan's foreign policy in the post-Cold War period. It is one region where Japan's diplomacy has accomplished considerable success in coming to ter...

by | On 24 Mar 2015

The Role of Diversity on Freedom of Speech in Democratic Societies

There is no doubt that freedom of speech plays an important role in the process of democratization. Freedom of speech is a guarantee to citizens to participate effectively in the working of democracy....

by | On 24 Mar 2015

India and the MDGs: Towards a Sustainable Future for All

India has made notable progress in achieving poverty reduction and other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since their adoption at the turn of the century but this progress has been uneven and milli...

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) | On 19 Mar 2015

Democracy, Development and the Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka

This paper examines the developmental causes and consequences of the shift from a parliamentary to a semi-presidential system in Sri Lanka in 1978, examining its provenance, rationale, and its unfoldi...

by | On 16 Mar 2015

Food Security in India: Issues and Suggestions for Effectiveness

Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than a-third of its population is estimated to be absolutely poor, and as many as one half of its children have suffered fr...

by | On 11 Mar 2015

Gender Equality and Food Security: Women’s Empowerment as a Tool against Hunger

This report explores how gender equality can contribute to food security. Its focus is on Asia and the Pacific, though developments in other regions are also referenced. The report describes the relat...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Mar 2015

Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia

This report addresses East and South-East Asian youth’s sense of involvement and empowerment as democratic citizens, their assessments of institutions and quality of governance, and how they particip...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 10 Mar 2015

Women in Indian Labour Market - Emerging Options

Expanding women’s access to the labour market and enhancing their employability, apart from all its other impact, contributes to the GDP substantially. It is important to generate creative partnership...

by G.D Bino Paul | On 10 Mar 2015

Contemporary Myanmar Challenges To Political Process and Reconciliation

This paper outlines the political reforms and reconciliation process presently underway in Myanmar and the challenges posed to it. A detailed analysis of changing power dynamics in Myanmar, and the...

by | On 04 Mar 2015

Budget 'Asks' for Food and Nutrition Security

With the budget round the corner what are the asks from the standpoint of food sovereignty? A Convention on Budget 2015-16 by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability looks at these.

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 26 Feb 2015

Democracy, Inclusion, and Prosperity

People want to live in a safe prosperous country where they enjoy freedom of thought and action, and where they can exercise their democratic rights to choose their government. But how do countries en...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 24 Feb 2015

Leakages from Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Way Forward

The public distribution system (PDS) has been one of the main policy instruments of the Government of India (GoI) to provide food security to the people of this country, especially the vulnerable ones...

by Ashok Gulati | On 17 Feb 2015

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Risks and Opportunities

This briefing discusses Sri Lanka’s presidential election promises. It promises more competition than was initially anticipated but with that comes a great risk of violence. Long-term stability and po...

by Crisis Group | On 02 Feb 2015

Research and Development and Extension Services in Agriculture and Food Security

This paper makes a case for sustained investments in research and extension to address the numerous challenges along the pathway from agriculture production and distribution to consumption and utiliza...

by | On 30 Jan 2015

Approaches to Food Security in Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Nigeria: Lessons for Developing Countries

This paper provides a review of the national experiences of six emerging and developing economies, two from Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), three from Asia (China, India, and Malaysia), and one fro...

by Pooja Sharma | On 23 Jan 2015

Promoting Agricultural Research and Development to Strengthen Food Security in South Asia

This study aims to highlight the status of agricultural R&D in South Asia and contends that creating an effective agricultural research and innovation systems is a vital element to ensure food securit...

by | On 22 Jan 2015

Presidential Stakes and Sri Lanka's future

Across the great Eurasian plate these days, one can find leaders dispensing with truly competitive politics. But traverse the Himalayas to South Asia and the climate is different: Democracy is on a w...

by Chandrani Sharma | On 13 Jan 2015

Cyber Crime and Security

The purpose of this paper is Understanding Cyber crime and its phenomena, challenges and legal response to assist everyone in understanding the legal aspects of cyber security and to help harmonize le...

by Shilpa Yadav | On 13 Jan 2015

Trade Liberalization, Poverty and Food Security in India

This paper attempts to assess the impact of trade liberalization on growth, poverty, and food security in India with the help of a national level computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. It shows t...

by | On 29 Dec 2014

Food Security and Nutritional scenario of India- An overview

The purpose of this paper is to assess the availability of food to poor and nutritional situation of national households. The growth of production of food grains is 2.12 per cent in 2000-01 to 2010-1...

by | On 26 Dec 2014

Social Safety Net—Emergency Assistance for Food Security in Bangladesh

In 2007, Bangladesh was adversely affected by severe flooding and a devastating cyclone which triggered a 1.2 million-ton shortfall in the country’s rice production. This situation resu...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Dec 2014

Support to Rural Pension Reform and Administration in the People’s Republic of China

The lack of social protection for the elderly in rural areas of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has, since the 1990s, been seen by the government as a critical issue. The central government intro...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Dec 2014

Food and Nutrition Security Status in India: Opportunities for Investment Partnerships

Ensuring food and nutrition security is a challenge for India, given its huge population and high levels of poverty and malnutrition. India is a net agricultural exporter, particularly of milk, fruit...

by T. Nanda Kumar | On 18 Dec 2014

A Nutrition Secure India: Role of Agriculture

India continues to suffer from under-nutrition among large sections of its population. The country is unlikely to realise the first millennium development goal by 2015. How can agriculture be us...

by Suneetha Kadiyala | On 18 Dec 2014

Parliament as a Law Making Body: Background Note for the Conference on Effective Legislatures

Parliament performs several essential functions including that of making laws, scrutinising and passing the budget, conducting oversight on the activities of the government and representing citizens....

by Prianka Rao | On 06 Dec 2014

Food Price Subsidies and Nutrition: Evidence from State Reforms to India’s Public Distribution System

It investigate whether food price subsidies affect household nutrition using a dramatic expansion of the availability of subsidized rice in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh in the early 2000’s. Hous...

by Prasad Krishnamurthy | On 28 Nov 2014

Poverty-Hunger Divergence in India

The usual explanations for the divergence between calorie intake and consumption expenditure in India ignore the enormous squeeze on food budgets arising from dispossession (leading to loss of a...

by Deepankar Basu | On 28 Nov 2014

Violence against Women in Politics A study conducted in India, Nepal and Pakistan

This study addresses the nature, extent and reasons for women’s political participation within India, Nepal and Pakistan. All three countries have recently elected or are in the process of electing th...

by Ranjana Kumari | On 27 Nov 2014

Food Security in India-Some Issues and Challenges

Food security has emerged as a fundamental issue at global level since the global food crisis of 2008. Now, investment in agriculture, food, and nutritional security is a prime concern for every natio...

by Palwinder Kaur | On 27 Nov 2014

Agricultural Transformation and Food Security in India: Lessons for Southeast Asia

This article seeks firstly to look at the three aspects of food security in India, viz., food availability, accessibility, and absorption. Secondly, an attempt has been made to study food security in...

by Reshmi Banerjee | On 27 Nov 2014

Asia Child Marriage Initiative: Summary of Research in Bangladesh, India and Nepal

Child marriage is one of the most prevalent and serious violations of human rights. The issue needs urgent attention in South Asia, where 46 per cent of children are married formally or in informal u...

by Ravi Verma | On 27 Nov 2014

Enhancing the Nutrition-Sensitivity of Agricultural Development Interventions in the Eastern Gangetic Plains: Challenges and Options

This background paper aims first is to outline the rationale and merits for enhancing the nutrition-sensitivity of agricultural interventions in general, highlighting recognised pathways which lin...

by Toni Darbas | On 20 Nov 2014

Safeguarding Security and Sovereignty

K.G.KANNABIRAN MEMORIAL LECTURE.

by Justice C.V. WIGNESWARAN | On 20 Nov 2014

Global Nutrition Report 2014

This Global Nutrition Report is the first in an annual series. It tracks worldwide progress in improving nutrition status, identifies bottlenecks to change, highlights opportunities for action, and co...

by Independent Expert Group (IEG) | On 17 Nov 2014

Measures, Spatial Profile and Determinants of Dietary Diversity: Evidence from India

Food security policies in developing countries generally focus on calorie intake, which is not sufficient to tackle the triple burden of malnutrition: undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and...

by Mousumi Das | On 14 Nov 2014

Prioritizing Demand-Driven Agricultural Research for Development in India

India has shown an impressive economic growth of about 8 percent per year in the last decade. But the coexistence of impressive growth with widespread poverty and hunger is a real worry and a seri...

by Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions | On 12 Nov 2014

A Report on Health Inequities in Maharashtra

This study project was undertaken by SATHI and CEHAT to make a small contribution in this emerging field of study of health inequities in India, and with the objective of strengthening advocacy on hea...

by Srijit Mishra | On 11 Nov 2014

Social Exclusion and (RSBY) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana in Maharashtra

Out-of-pocket payments make up a large proportion of total health expenditure leading to inequity amongst the poorer sections. Recently government of India has instigated various demand side financing...

by Harshad Thakur | On 11 Nov 2014

Towards a Food Secure India and South Asia: Making Hunger History

The paper begins with a detailed analysis of the various elements of food security, then it describes the various policy and programme restructurings and interventions to meet the challenges and const...

by R.B. Singh | On 29 Oct 2014

Governance Issues and Challenges in Implementation Of National Food Security Act 2013

India is a developing country having 2nd highest population in the world. Even after 66 years of its independence, County is facing a serious issue of poverty and malnutrition. The Government of I...

by Hitesh S. Gujarati | On 29 Oct 2014

The Impact of Climate Change on Rice Prduction in Nepal

This paper examines the sensitivity of rice yield in Nepal to changes in climate variables and the magnitude of potential impacts on rice productivity in the future. The findings draw attention to the...

by Prakash K. Karn | On 22 Oct 2014

The Soya Project: Farm Evangelists

In 2008, two earnest young men set out to boost soya bean yields in the semi-arid region of Bundi in Rajasthan. Rainfall there is meagre and the soil lacks nutrients. But there are ready buyers for so...

by Civil Society | On 20 Oct 2014

Fighting Child Malnutrition

India has the dubious distinction of having the highest burden of malnutrition in the world – higher than Sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 50 per cent of our children are underweight and stunted and 70...

by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India | On 16 Oct 2014

Report on the State Of Food Insecurity in Urban India

This report maps food insecurity in urban India. It captures the changes in the urban scenario from updated statistics like NFHS, NSSO etc. and highlight the parameters that would lead to improved foo...

by World Food Programme | On 16 Oct 2014

Notes on Land, Long-run Food Security and the Agrarian Crisis in India

These Notes are mainly about three interconnected themes; i) the international and Indian ‘take’ on control over land (and water); ii) the distinction between an agricultural crisis and an agrarian...

by Sheila Bhalla | On 01 Oct 2014

Evolution and Critique of Buffer Stocking Policy of India

An evaluation of the country’s buffer stock policy reveals gaps and inefficiencies. Large quantities of food grains have accumulated in the godowns of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and its nom...

by Shweta Saini | On 26 Sep 2014

Internal Migrant Construction Workers in Nepal: Tackling Exploitative Labour Practices to Enhance Migration’s Impact on Poverty Reduction

Research conducted by the Migrating out of Poverty Research Programme Consortium in Nepal on the impact of such migration, demonstrated that migration has a positive role in helping households of migr...

by Jagannath Adhikar | On 24 Sep 2014

Training Module on Gender and Social Security for Unorganised Sector

The benefits of social protection do not, often, percolate down to the eligible beneficiaries. The main case of this deficiency is the lack of awareness of the main stakeholders, like the workers or...

by Shashi Bala | On 19 Sep 2014

Civil Society, Indian Elections and Democracy Today

Civil society in Independent India has perhaps never been as active as it is today, except in the years before and during the emergency. The author explores the role it has played in strengthening and...

by Trilochan Sastry | On 18 Sep 2014

Food Security and Nutrition: Vision 2020

The concept of food security has undergone considerable changes in recent years. Food availability and stability were considered good measures of food security till the seventies and the achievement o...

by K. Venkata Reddy | On 18 Sep 2014

Labour Market Transitions of Young Women and Men in Asia and the Pacific

This report presents the results of the School-to-work transition surveys (SWTS) implemented in five countries in the Asia-Pacific region – Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Samoa and Viet Nam – in 2012 or...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 18 Sep 2014

SEWA: Supporting Village-Level Organizations to Improve Rural Livelihoods

In spite of the rapid growth of the Indian economy, the fraction of the rural population living in poverty has declined only modestly. Increasing indebtedness, rises in input prices, and rapid commerc...

by Raj M. Desai | On 17 Sep 2014

Scaling up Agricultural Supply Chains in the Private Sector

This brief is one of series on scaling up in agriculture, rural development, and nutrition. PepsiCo is a global business operating in more than 200 countries and territories and rooted in creating and...

by Beth Sauerhaft | On 17 Sep 2014

Women’s Empowerment at the Frontline of Adaptation: Emerging Issues, Adaptive Practices and Priorities in Nepal

In the Hindu Kush Himalayas, climate change is threatening the livelihoods of those directly dependent on agriculture and the natural resource base. Rural women are disproportionately vulnerable to th...

by Suman Bisht | On 28 Aug 2014

Food Stamps: A Model for India

About 4.5 lakh fair price shops in India sell 10-20 lakh tons of rice and wheat at the subsidized rate per month. Majority of the ration shops are in urban areas, they are hardly ever open and only a...

by Parth Shah | On 27 Aug 2014

Nepal's story: Understanding Improvements in Maternal Health

Nepal achieved a striking reduction in maternal mortality during the 1990s and early 2000s. According to data from Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys, the country’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) f...

by Jakob Engel | On 21 Aug 2014

Three Blind Men and an Elephant: The Case of Energy Indices to Measure Energy Security and Sustainability

An 'Energy Index', which is aggregated from energy indicators is a rich source of information and is helpful in providing an assessment of a country's performance. This has, however, resulted in mus...

by Kapil Narula | On 24 Jul 2014

Why India Needs the Women’s Reservation Bill

Nine out of ten parliamentarians in India are men. Such dismal figures reveal the lasting grip of unfavourable social norms. Women’s disadvantage on a complex set of social and economic factors effect...

by Lucy Dubochet | On 17 Jun 2014

Jobs and Livelihoods Mapping the Landscape

The Indian labour market is characterised by abysmally low participation of women in the labour market, enormity of low wage informal employment, and scarcity of decent regular wage employment. The c...

by IRIS Knowledge Foundation IKF | On 17 Jun 2014

World Social Protection Report 2014/15 - Building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice

This ILO flagship report: (i) provides a global overview of the organisation of social protection systems, their coverage and benefits, as well as public expenditures on social security; (ii) followin...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 17 Jun 2014

PRS Legislative Research: Annual Policy Review-April 2013 – March 2014

The PRS Annual Policy Review aims to capture the key legislative and policy developments in India during the fiscal year 2013-14. The objective of this document is to summarise all the major devel...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 05 Jun 2014

Monetary Incentives to Reduce Open-Field Rice-Straw Burning in the Plains of Nepal

In southern Nepal, rice straw burning in open fields is common practice. This is problematic because biomass burning contributes to smoke, black carbon and greenhouse gases. While some studies have ex...

by Krishna Prasad Pant | On 02 Jun 2014

Labour Market Information System - An Indian Perspective

The concept paper is conceptualization of a well-structured LMIS to assist planning and delivery of training for NSDC. The report is structured into key sections which unfold the blueprint for buildin...

by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) | On 23 May 2014

World Youth Report 2007 Young People’s Transition to Adulthood: Progress and Challenges

The Report highlights the unique aspects of youth development in various regions but emphasizes that young people the world over are ultimately constrained in their efforts to contribute to their own...

by United Nations UN | On 16 May 2014

The Employment Imperative: Report on the World Social Situation 2007

The report closely examines four areas of increasing concern that of particular importance when addressing the issue of employment: jobless growth, global informalisation of the labour market, economi...

by United Nations UN | On 16 May 2014

Water Security in South Asia: Issues and Policy Recommendations

It is estimated that by 2030, only 60 per cent of the world's population will have access to fresh water supplies. This would mean that about 3 billion people would be living without reliable source...

by Wilson John | On 15 May 2014

The Unique ID Project in India: An Exploratory Study

The issues of concern around the UID scheme, are largely based on the issues of principles and practicalities. The issues of principles, are basically the rationale to carry out an identification sche...

by Prakash Chandra Sao | On 13 May 2014

The Real Wealth of Nations:Pathways to Human Development

This Report surveys critical aspects of human development, from political freedoms and empowerment to sustainability and human security, and outlines a broader agenda for research and policies to resp...

by Jeni Klugman | On 06 May 2014

The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World

The 2013 Human Development Report, The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World looks at the evolving geopolitics of our times, examining emerging issues and trends and also the new actors...

by Khalid Malik | On 06 May 2014

Soil Degradation : A Threat to Developing-Country Food Security by 2020?

This comprehensive paper explains why and when soil degradation should be of particular concern to policymakers interested in assuring food security. The inferences in this paper are based on research...

by Sara J. Scherr | On 05 May 2014

Achieving Urban Food and Nutrition Security in the Developing World

Growth in urban poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition and a shift in their concentration from rural to urban areas will acompany urbanisation. This is a series of briefs covering various aspects...

by James L. Garrett | On 02 May 2014

Unnecessary Burden: Gender discrimination and Uterine prolapse in Nepal

Widespread and systemic gender discrimination in Nepal has led to hundreds of thousands of women suffering from a reproductive health condition that leaves them in great pain, unable to carry out dail...

by Amnesty International AI, | On 30 Apr 2014

India’s Agricultural Trade Policy and Sustainable Development

During the last six decades or so Indian agriculture has made remarkable progress with food grain production growing five fold from about 50 MMT in 1950 to more than 250 MMT in 2012. Despite the incre...

by Anwarul Hoda | On 29 Apr 2014

The Food Security Policy Context in South Africa

The analysis in this report leads to an overall conclusion that the IFSS is an excellent strategy on paper and a relevant framework for different stakeholders, but in reality it lacks implementing pow...

by Josee Koch | On 29 Apr 2014

The Impact of Education Across Sectors: Food Security

This policy brief explores ways in which the education sector contributes to the creation of food security, as well as how a more food secure population can have better educational outcomes, promoting...

by Michele McNabb | On 29 Apr 2014

Developing Democracies in Southeast Asia:Theorizing the Role of Parties and Elections 1 Forthcoming in Southeast Asia and Political Science: Theory, Region, and Method

Political parties and elections lie at the center of modern democratic politics. Elections function as the chief means of holding leaders accountable for their actions in democratic societies. Politic...

by Erik Kuhonta | On 28 Apr 2014

Food and Nutrition Security Status in India

Ensuring food and nutrition security is a challenge for India, given its huge population and high levels of poverty and malnutrition. India is a net agricultural exporter, particularly of milk, fruits...

by Pravesh Sharma | On 28 Apr 2014

Features of Urban Food and Nutrition Security and Considerations for Successful Urban Programming

This paper discusses the wide disparities that exist in childhood malnutrition, food insecurity and livelihoods within urban areas which, when combined with the mobility of urban residents,add to the...

by Marie T. Ruel | On 22 Apr 2014

Addressing the Global Food Crisis: Key trade, investment and commodity policies in ensuring sustainable food security and alleviating poverty

The recent global food crisis can be seen as a wake-up call which can be turned into an opportunity by developing countries and the international community to revitalize global agriculture producti...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development | On 22 Apr 2014

Access to Food

This series of eSSays is an attempt to fill that gap and make social and economic research impacting policy available to enhance public debate in this time of change. We also hope that this will const...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 21 Apr 2014

How to win an Afghan Election

Afghanistan is currently in its second round of presidential and provincial council elections since 2001. In these elections most attention by international observers and analysts is being paid to que...

by Martine Bijlert | On 21 Apr 2014

National Refugee Law in India: Benefits and Roadblocks

India’s status as a preferred refugee haven is confirmed by the steady flow of refugees from many of its subcontinental neighbours as also from elsewhere. India continues to receive them despite its o...

by Arjun Nair | On 17 Apr 2014

Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion in Decentralized Local Governance Institutions in India

This paper proposes to explore “the issues of exclusion and inclusion in decentralized local governance institutions in India”. It also tries to explore how the marginalized groups are excluded in the...

by Dr. Dasarathi Bhuyan | On 14 Apr 2014

Improving Child Nutrition: The achievable imperative for global progress

The World Health Assembly has set the goal of achieving a 40 per cent reduction in the number of stunted children under 5 years old by 2025, or around 70 million children saved from the misery o...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 11 Apr 2014

The Economic Cost of General Strikes in Nepal

This paper reviews the key aspects of general strikes and analyses the economic cost of such strikes in Nepal. Data analysis shows that average direct cost of general strikes stood at NRs. 1.8 billi...

by Min Bahadur Shrestha | On 11 Apr 2014

Food Security and Poverty Key Challenges and Policy Issues

Food insecurity, or the inability to access food of sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy minimum dietary needs, is the most basic form of human deprivation. Before people can provide for their e...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Apr 2014

The State of Food Insecurity in the World : Addressing food insecurity in protracted crises

The number and proportion of hungry people in the world are declining as the global economy recovers and food prices remain below their peak levels, but hunger remains higher than before the foo...

by World Food Programme WFP | On 04 Apr 2014

Report on the State of Food Insecurity In Urban India

The concept of food insecurity is multidimensional in nature and is determined by a whole range of issues such as domestic production of food, import and export of food, purchasing power of people to...

by V. B. Athreya | On 03 Apr 2014

Lok Sabha Elections, 2014: Fascism, Democracy’s Challenges and Role of Citizens

PUCL through this statement, wishes to bring to the attention of the people of India, the serious threat to democracy itself and the human rights challenges posed by the electoral alliances and cal...

by People's Union of Civil Liberties PUCL | On 03 Apr 2014

Debating Poverty

The first of a series of eSSays dossiers on issues of public concern. Guest editor: M.H. Suryanarayana. Contents: Poverty Line: Pursuit of an Elusive Minimum by M.H. Suryanarayana Fixing Poverty...

by eSocialSciences eSS | On 08 Mar 2014

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

MGNREGA, which is the largest work guarantee programme in the world, was enacted in 2005 with the primary objective of guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households. It aims at...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 05 Mar 2014

National Food Security Mission: Operational Guidelines

The National Development Council (NDC)in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 03 Mar 2014

Poverty and the state of nutrition in India

This paper analysis the development paradox of India, relatively high economic growth rates in the past few years, but lower progress in areas of life expectancy, education and standard of living. Pov...

by Kiruba S Varadharajan | On 03 Mar 2014

Food Security in India: Performance, Challenges and Policies

This paper examines performance, challenges, and policies in food security in terms of availability, access, and absorption or nutrition. Speci? cally, the paper addresses the following questions: ...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 28 Feb 2014

What Census 2011 Reveals about Our Growers and Their Land

To gain a better understanding of the changes in the numbers of cultivators and Agricultural labor (marginal or main), it is useful to read them with the change in the number of agricultural holdings...

by Rahul Goswami | On 28 Feb 2014

Can Government-Allocated Land Contribute to Food Security? Intrahousehold Analysis of West Bengal’s Microplot Allocation Program

Secure land rights are a critical, but often overlooked, factor in achieving household food security and improved nutritional status in rural areas of developing countries. This study evaluates the im...

by Florence Santos | On 17 Feb 2014

Combating Youth Unemployment in India

This study discusses in depth the youth unemployment "problem" in India and the reasons behind it. Despite its demographic dividend and increased literacy levels, India faces youth unemployment as a...

by Pravin Sinha | On 08 Feb 2014

National Food Security Bill Challenges and Options

Despite ensuring ample availability of food, existence of food insecurity at the micro-level in the country has remained a formidable challenge for India. The recently introduced National Food Securit...

by Ashok Gulati | On 23 Jan 2014

Structural Reforms and Agriculture: Issues and Policies

The performance of Agriculture in India is important as the sector not only contributes to overall growth of the economy but also provides employment and food security to majority of the population...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 23 Jan 2014

Youth and Politics in India-II

This paper aims to uncover the features that make India’s youth politics so distinct from other forms of politics within the country, the kinds of politics young people participate in, and the kinds o...

by Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury | On 22 Jan 2014

India’s Regional Security Cooperation: The Nehru Raj Legacy

The paper explores the logic of continuity in independent India’s security policy from where the British Raj had left off. Much like the Raj, Nehru’s India sought to provide security to its smaller ne...

by prashant kumar | On 21 Jan 2014

India, Bangladesh and Nepal: Learning Lessons, Facing Challenges.

In many ways, India is kindred with its two neighbors, Bangladesh and Nepal. Whether it is in geography I or demographics, infrastructure or economic issues, or poverty and human development, these th...

by Jayshree Sengupta | On 21 Jan 2014

Bilateral Trade and Food Security

We analyze the relationship between food security and trade, focusing on food importers’ exposure to sudden market failures from relying on a narrow range of international suppliers. We compute a bil...

by Douglas H. Brooks | On 20 Jan 2014

Agriculture and Rural development: Hunger and Malnutrition

This paper focuses on two different types of malnutrition and then looks at the links between poor nutrition and agriculture.Malnutrition is one of the most devastating problems worldwide and its dire...

by Kevin Cleaver | On 16 Jan 2014

Security and the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment: Findings from a Thematic Synthesis of the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment Research

While security and women’s empowerment are both prominent development concerns, there has to date been little sustained analysis of the relationship between the two. An unexamined assumption appears t...

by Naomi Hossain | On 15 Jan 2014

Functioning of the Public Distribution System: An Analytical Report

During September 2013, Parliament passed the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. The NFSA seeks to make the right to food a legal entitlement by providing subsidised food grains to nearly two-th...

by Sakshi Balani | On 07 Jan 2014

Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia: A Comparative Analysis of the South China Sea and the East China Sea

This article systematically compares maritime territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas. It draws on the bargaining model of war and hegemonic stability theory to track the record of confl...

by Andy Yee | On 02 Jan 2014

Providing Income Security for the Elderly

Despite high and long-lasting economic growth, inequalities are widening in most countries in Asia and the Pacific. Currently over 1.6 billion people in the region live on less than $2 per day, of whi...

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) | On 23 Dec 2013

In the Balance: The National Food Security Act vis-Ã -vis the WTO Agreement on Agriculture

This piece analyzes the implications of the National Food Security Act for India's commitments under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) in the context of widespread concern that they might be mu...

by Sudha Narayanan | On 10 Dec 2013

The World Trade Organization and the Post-Global Food Crisis Agenda

This policy note offers a preliminary assessment of the compatibility between the WTO and efforts to protect the human right to adequate food as part of the post-crisis food security agenda. Existing...

by Olivier Schutter | On 02 Dec 2013

The Dark Side of Migration

Qatar’s population is growing at a truly staggering rate. Between August 2012 and August 2013 it grew by 10.5 per cent. This growth is driven primarily by the recruitment of low-paid migrant workers...

by Amnesty International AI, | On 19 Nov 2013

Regional Cooperation on the Ganga Basin: Yet a mirage?

Ganges is one of the important rivers of South Asia. It is a trans-boundary river between India and Bangladesh. Some rivers, originating in the Tibetan Autonomous region of the People's Republic of Ch...

by Dwarika Dhungel | On 15 Nov 2013

Strengthening Democracy in Bangladesh

The paper describes of some of the critical challenges to democratization in Bangladesh. While electoral challenges are included, the paper looks beyond elections and describe other factors that can h...

by ASIA FOUNDATION | On 14 Nov 2013

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly Elections: A Lesson For The Convicted Politicians?

As Nepal prepares to hold the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections on 19th November 2013, there already seems to be one positive lesson: those “convicted of a criminal offence involving moral turpitu...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 11 Nov 2013

Southeast Asia’s Food Security Challenge: More than ‘Stock’ Solution Needed

Countries in Southeast Asia face a fresh challenge to their food security as food consumption patterns change, and reliance on imports increases to meet such shifts. Consequently, they may be left wit...

by Belinda Chng | On 01 Nov 2013

Democratic Politics and Legal Rights: Employment Guarantee and Food Security in India

This paper focusses on two Indian laws that seek to guarantee socioeconomic rights: the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), an important example of India’s recent history of legislation...

by Reetika Khera | On 25 Oct 2013

Hunger in India

The first step toward change is awareness. Do take out some time to know what's happening in the country we live in. This video has been designed to spread awareness about food insecurity in India,...

by The Hunger Project Project | On 11 Oct 2013

Weather Sensitivity of Rice Yield: Evidence from India

This study estimates the weather sensitivity of rice yield in India, using disaggregated (district) level information on rice and high resolution daily weather data over the period 1969-2007. Compare...

by Anubhab Pattanayak | On 11 Oct 2013

Transforming State-Citizen Relations in Food Security Schemes: The Computerized Ration Card Management System in Kerala

In this paper the application of ICTs to the improvement of state-citizen relations in a developing country context. To maximise the responsiveness of the government, ICTs need to target the structura...

by Silvia Masiero | On 07 Oct 2013

Envisioned Scope and Challenges of National Food Security Bill

National Food Security Bill (NFSB) aims to make food easily accessible at affordable prices to people. But there are operational and financial difficulties in implementing this.

by Sweety Thomas | On 07 Oct 2013

The National Food Security Act, 2013

Our public distribution system has been severely criticized for its gaping lacunae. To fill in these gaps, a new Act was originally conceived by the National Advisory Council headed by Congress Presid...

by Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs GOI | On 17 Sep 2013

Vital Stats: Parliament in the Monsoon Session 2013

The Monsoon Session ended with the passage of Bills on food security, land acquisition, companies, and pension. During the session, significant time was lost due to frequent disruptions over issues su...

by Kusum Malik | On 12 Sep 2013

Crystallizing Fault-lines: Turkey’s Democratic Durability at Risk

In the aftermath of the anti-governmental Gezi demonstrations of May-June and the conclusion of the Ergenekon trial earlier this month, clear fault-lines are crystallizing in the Turkish political lan...

by Ozan Serdaroglu | On 05 Sep 2013

Five Years of Leading the Reserve Bank: Looking Ahead by Looking Back

This Tenth Nani A. Palkhivala Memorial lecture lecture centres around the role and responsibility of a central bank in a democratic structure. Central banks make macroeconomic policy that influences t...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 30 Aug 2013

Draft National Land Reforms Policy

This policy outlines a very clear strategy of creating a large pool of land so that every family's right to land is fully honoured. The policy proceeds to suggest a just and equitable method of allott...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 06 Aug 2013

Report of the Expert Group to Recommend the Detailed Methodology for Identification of Families Living Below Poverty Line in Urban Areas

The report deals with the estimation of poverty and identification of poor – differences in approach. It also describes the characteristics and trends of urban poverty. The vulnerability of urban poor...

by Planning Commission, India | On 29 Jul 2013

Cyberwarfare: Logged and Loaded, but Wither Asia?

Cyber operations could have as devastating an impact on populations as conventional military weapons. With militaries already in the process of developing cyberwarfare as a means of battle, there is a...

by Elina Noor | On 26 Jul 2013

Fuel Price Hike and Indonesia’s Energy Insecurity

Fuel price hikes have always been unpopular in Indonesia, largely because of their wide-ranging impact on the population. Yet, it is undeniable that the current high subsidies are unsustainable. To mo...

by Margareth Sembiring | On 26 Jul 2013

Breaking New Ground: Enacting a National Land Use Policy

With only a total land area of 30 million hectares and a population of 92.3 million growing at an average rate of 2.12 percent, how should the Philippines allocate a very scarce and important resource...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 24 Jul 2013

Mumbaikars’ last supper

The National Food Security Bill is all set to become an Act/ordinance and give legal entitlement to the citizens of the country to food. However the Bill does not define what food security is; but sim...

by Mousumi Das | On 19 Jul 2013

Rainfed agriculture: for an inclusive, sustainable and food secure India

India is increasingly focusing on its rainfed areas due to demand for food and nutrition security, and escalating farmer distress. But agricultural policy paralysis has meant that the familiar, extern...

by Srijit Mishra | On 16 Jul 2013

Food Security Bill: Time To Act

The basic objective of the Congress led- United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s proposed Food Security Bill is to address the acute problems of hunger and malnutrition in India. Despite of hav...

by Niranjan Chichuan | On 28 Jun 2013

Child malnutrition in India: Why does it persist?

An estimated forty per cent of the world’s severely malnourished children under five live in India. This is a shameful stain on a country that, with China, will be one of the great economic powerhouse...

by Sam Mendelson | On 28 Jun 2013

Amended National Food Security Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas introduced the amended National Food Security Bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2011, to addre...

by Anonymous | On 27 May 2013

Addressing Long - term Challenges to Food Security and Rural Livelihoods in South Asia

Notwithstanding its impressive economic growth, food insecurity in South Asia continues to be a stark reality for a large number of households. Despite several successful policy interventions by Gover...

by K.S. Kavi Kumar | On 23 May 2013

Assessing Farmer ’s Willingness to Participate in the On - farm Conservation of Minor Millet using Direct Compensation Payment

The farmers, predominantly the small and tribal, particularly in regions of rich agro-biodiversity immensely contribute to the on-farm conservation and enrichment of this diversity, often at personal...

by Prabhakaran Raghu | On 22 May 2013

Submission of 1392 National Budget, Afghanistan

H.E Finance Minister’s Speech for Mishrano Jirga. [Ministry of Finance, Afghanistan]. URL:[http://mof.gov.af/Content/files/HE%20Minister%20Speech%20to%20Mishranow%20Jirga-%20English%20after%20review....

by Ministry of Finance Afghanistan | On 10 Apr 2013

Promoting Democracy in Myanmar: Political Party Capacity Building

The importance of the political parties in Myanmar and their role as the creators of the future of the country. The course of the present developments relies on the ability of the political parties....

by Aung Aung (IR) | On 09 Apr 2013

Gambling on the Private Sector at the Cost of the Working Class: NTUI Statement

The budget offers no programme for job creation or any substantive policy measures to contain inflation that continues to erode the real wage while it commits itself to cash transfers and cuts in subs...

by Gautam Mody | On 01 Mar 2013

Focus on Rural India

The budget has come with schemes for rural India. It has got schemes for women, youth and poor.

by Sunil Duggal | On 28 Feb 2013

Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution

The proposed legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security – from the current welfare approach to a right based approach. About two thirds of the population will be ent...

by MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DIST GOI | On 15 Feb 2013

Performance of PDS: Better in Richer States?

How well has the PDS been functioning across the country? Do the poorer states do better or worse than the richer states? Interpreting data on PDS can be misleading unless they are read against seve...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 14 Feb 2013

New Frontiers, New Struggles: Press Freedom in South Asia 2011-12

Journalism in South Asia is facing many challenges with physical security being a major issue in most of the region. Several countries may have improved relatively due to decisions to reduce the risks...

by International Federation of Journalists IFJ | On 04 Feb 2013

Firewood Collections and Economic Growth in Rural Nepal 1995-2010: Evidence from a Household Panel

A longitudinal household survey from World Bank Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) was used for the study. A relatively small (but representative) sample of households residing in the mountain...

by Jean-Marie Baland | On 28 Jan 2013

Trade in Health Services in South Asia: An Examination of the Need for Regional Cooperation

This study was conducted in three South Asian countries viz: India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The study examines the opinions of patients, hospitals owners and doctors involved in this service trade. A to...

by Arindam Banik | On 22 Jan 2013

Social Fragmentation, Public Goods and Elections: Evidence from China

This study examines how the economic effects of elections in rural China depend on voter heterogeneity, for which religious fractionalization is taken as a proxy. [BREAD Working No. 366]. URL:[http:/...

by Gerard Padro-i- Miquel | On 09 Jan 2013

Building a Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India: Report on the Status of Elderly in Select States of India, 2011

To understand the ageing in India, a primary survey was carried out in seven states – Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – having a higher percentage of...

by United Nations Population Fund UNFPA | On 08 Jan 2013

PUDR's Submission of Suggestions to Verma Commission for Changes in Law and Procedure Regarding Violence Against Women

Legal mechanisms to achieve justice should factor in the challenges and roadblocks of its implementation, structural or otherwise, right from the stage of planning and framing the law. Law can be expe...

by D Manjit | On 08 Jan 2013

How to Tackle Food Insecurity in Asia

Review of the book Food Security in Asia, by Amitava Mukherjee Sage Publications India 2011 pp. xix+392, Rs 895/-.

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 04 Jan 2013

Women Workers from Asia to Gulf: Its Outcomes

Review of the book 'Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf' By Rakkee Thimothy, S.K. Sasikumar, UN Women, 2012

by R. S. Reshmi | On 24 Dec 2012

Vital Stats: Parliament in Winter Session 2012

The first half of the Winter Session of Parliament, 2012 was dominated by disruptions over and discussion on the government's notification to allow 51% FDI in the retail sector. The issue was finally...

by Devika Malik | On 21 Dec 2012

Provide Human Security through Human Development

Review of the book 'Peace is Everybody's Business: Strategy for Conflict Prevention' by Arjun Ray. Number of pages: 264, Price Rs. 495/-.

by Irfan Engineer | On 03 Dec 2012

Analyzing Intersectoral Convergence to Improve Child Undernutrition in India: Development and Application of a Framework to Examine Policies in Agriculture, Health, and Nutrition

To reduce child under nutrition in India, convergence from various sectors are required. The framework notes that issues related to convergence must be resolved in relation to three major steps in the...

by Rajani Ved | On 16 Nov 2012

Review of Input and Output Policies for Cereals Production in Pakistan

This report reviews the input and output policies for cereals implemented in Pakistan during the period 1996–2010. Pakistan has a long and varied history of intervening in farm input and output market...

by Abdul Salam | On 16 Nov 2012

Foreign Investment in Farmland No Low-hanging Fruit

A key driver of foreign investment in land, food security is a challenge mankind has been confronted with in various times and places. Wherever human societies have developed, growing needs have led t...

by Claire Schaffnit Chatterjee | On 15 Nov 2012

The Buoyant Billions: How “Middle Class” Are the New Middle Classes in Developing Countries? (And Why Does It Matter?)

Middle-income countries (MICs) are now home to most of the world’s extreme poor—the billion people living on less than $1.25 a day and a further billion people living on between $1.25 and $2. At the s...

by Andy Sumner | On 05 Nov 2012

Security Sector Governance (SSG) and Conflict Management in Indonesia: The Aceh Case

This paper examines the evolution of security sector governance (SSG) in Indonesia, focusing in particular on the effects of security sector reform (SSR) on the management of the secessionist conflict...

by Rizal Sukma | On 26 Oct 2012

Tackling Urban and Rural Food Wastage in Southeast Asia: Issues and Interventions

Food wastage is prevalent in Southeast Asia and has significant implications for the region’s food, environmental and economic security. It is likely that the region wastes approximately 33 per cent o...

by Paul S Teng | On 08 Oct 2012

Legislative Brief: The National Food Security Bill, 2011

The National Food Security Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution on December 22, 2011. The Bill was referred to the Stand...

by Sakshi Balani | On 28 Sep 2012

Bihar: What went wrong? And what changed?

A historical narrative of Bihar is provided context to much of its current state, Focus is given on its contemporary economy in the past three decades to better understand the moribund state of its ec...

by Arnab Mukherji | On 28 Sep 2012

Maharashtra State Youth Policy Declaration

This is an inclusive policy, which recognizes diversity in gender, caste, class, religion, language and reiterates the commitment of the State to this vibrant and significant population group and look...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 12 Sep 2012

Contribution of the Unorganized Sector to GDP Report of the Sub Committee of a NCEUS Task Force

The task of the Sub-committee was to review the existing methodologies for estimating the contribution of unorganized/informal sector to GDP and suggest measures to facilitate direct estimation. The G...

by NCEUS NCEUS | On 06 Sep 2012

Report on Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganised Sector

This Report is focused on the informal or the unorganized economy which accounts for an overwhelming proportion of the poor and vulnerable population in an otherwise shining India. It concentrates on...

by NCEUS NCEUS | On 05 Sep 2012

Budget 2012-13, Nepal

Statement Delivered by Finance Minister Mr. Barshaman Pun on 15 July 2012. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.np/ajw/uploads/uploaded_image/Main_text.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 28 Aug 2012

Revisiting the Devolution of ENR Functions

The devolution of environment and natural resource functions to local government units was a bold move in the history of environmental Management in the Philippines. However, the implementation of the...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Aug 2012

Japan’s Post-Triple-Disaster Growth Strategy

This paper discusses the scope of the many challenges and sets out a long-term strategy for overcoming them and putting the Japanese economy on a stable growth path. [Working Paper No. 376]. URL:[http...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 24 Aug 2012

Integrating Mental Health and Development: A Case Study of the BasicNeeds Model in Nepal

The BasicNeeds model of Mental Health and Development (MHD), Nepal emphasizes user empowerment, community development, strengthening of health systems, and policy influencing. The Nepal program was...

by Shoba Raja | On 24 Aug 2012

Food Security: Cities As Part of the Solution and Not the Problem

As the world becomes increasingly urban, food demand will come mainly from people living in cities while there will be fewer rural farmers producing food on less land with less water. Cities can play...

by Paul S Teng | On 16 Aug 2012

Environmental Changes and Ripples for Water Security in Southern States

Environmental change is regarded by many geopolitical experts as one of the biggest threats to international security in the coming years. In Southern Asia, its impact on rivers, and thus water secur...

by Dhanasree Jayaram | On 07 Aug 2012

Western Myanmar Unrest: Partisan Portrayals Risk Extremist Implications

The violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State appears to have died down. However, partisan portrayals of the violence risks jeopardising the security of locals and Myanmar’s reform process with extr...

by Kyaw San Wai | On 31 Jul 2012

Are Embankments a Good Flood-­-Control Strategy? A Case Study of the Kosi River

This paper makes a first pass at evaluating embankments. Using two years or more of data from 504 households in 28 villages in the floodplain of the Kosi river in north Bihar, a comparison of the agri...

by E Somanathan | On 25 Jul 2012

Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security in a Green Economy

What are the implications of a green economy for the poor and hungry? How can the poor benefit from and thrive under a green economy? What role can agriculture play? What are the possible trade-off...

by Shenggen Fan | On 17 Jul 2012

Child Malnutrition in Pakistan: Trends and Determinants

The major objective of this paper to examine the determinants of child malnutrition, based on the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS-2010). The study has focused on individual (child), household an...

by G M Arif | On 16 Jul 2012

Small Farmers in India: Challenges and Opportunities

This paper examines the roles and challenges of small holding agriculture in India. It covers trends in agricultural growth, cultivation patterns, participation of small holding agriculture, productiv...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 06 Jul 2012

The Military along the Security Development Frontrier: Implications for Non-Traditional Security in the Philippines and Thailand

This paper focuses on development missions carried out by the armed forces of the Philippines and Thailand in and out of conflict zones, and provides an analysis of the causes behind the re-emergence...

by Aries A Arugay | On 20 Jun 2012

The Effects of Democratization on Public Goods and Redistribution: Evidence from China

This study investigates the effects of introducing elections on public goods and redistribution in rural China. A large and unique survey was collected to document the history of political reforms and...

by Yang Yao | On 05 Jun 2012

Price Support, Domestic Procurement Programme and Public Stock Management

This Policy Brief discusses the policy options for improving effectiveness of price support, domestic procurement programme and public stock management in Bangladesh. It has been funded by th...

by Quazi Shahabuddin | On 01 Jun 2012

Climate Change Vulnerability of Mountain Ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayas

The ecosystem of the Eastern Himalayas are vulnerable to climate change as a result of their ecological fragility and economic marginality. The conservation policies at national and regional levels ar...

by Karma Tse-ring | On 28 May 2012

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security

This paper takes a broader view and explores the multiple effects that global warming and climate change could have on food production and food security. Dealing with climate change would require stre...

by S. Richa | On 24 May 2012

Financing the WASH Sector in India Cost of Provision and Budget Allocations

This paper attempts to estimate the fund requirements for the provision of water and sanitation services in rural and urban areas at the all India level as well as in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Th...

by V Ratna Reddy | On 22 May 2012

The Domestic Workers Convention 2011: Implications for Migrant Domestic Workers in Southeast Asia

The recent International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Domestic Workers Convention 2011) offers an opportunity to finally address the longstanding...

by Pau Khan Khup Hangzo | On 09 May 2012

China’s Rising Military Power and Its Implications

The aim of this paper is to examine the driving forces behind China’s military modernization efforts followed by an assessment of the goals and foci of China’s military modernization at present and...

by Jiao Liang | On 08 May 2012

Developing Asia’s Pension Systems and Old-Age Income Support

A broad overview of the current state of pension systems in the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam is provided. An anal...

by Donghyun Park | On 30 Apr 2012

Trans-boundary River Basins in South Asia: Options for Conflict Resolution

India's trans-boundary riparian policies affect four countries - Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh - on three river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra-Mehgna. China's riparian pol...

by Gopal Siwakoti Chintan | On 25 Apr 2012

Nepal: Elusive Democracy and Uncertain Political System

Persistence and breakdowns of democracy are the dominant features of Nepali politics.Democracy continues to be attractive amidst setbacks and discontinuity. So it remains perennially elusive, desp...

by Lok Raj Baral | On 23 Apr 2012

Regional Implications of National Reconciliation in Myanmar

The paper examines the implications of Myanmar's reforms for its neighbours- China, India, Thailand and Bangladesh. Issues of major concern to the four countries include energy, humanitarian consequen...

by Lina Gong | On 20 Apr 2012

Journalism in Democracies During Times of War: Examining the Role of Indian and US Media

This paper examines the larger issue of how a ‘free’ media performs during times of war with particular reference to US and India using case studies. It focuses on ‘national security’ becoming a maj...

by Aradhana Sharma | On 20 Apr 2012

Labour Migration and Remittances in Uttarakhand

The type, volume, and mode of transfer of remittances in Uttarakhand is analysed. The impact of remittances, in terms of both financial flows and transfer of new skills and the perceptions in relat...

by Anmol Jain | On 18 Apr 2012

Approaches to Food Security in Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico and Nigeria: Lessons for Developing Countries

This paper provides a synthesis of the experiences of six countries (Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Nigeria) in enhancing food security of their population. Approximately 46 per cent of t...

by Pooja Sharma | On 16 Apr 2012

What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?

The main objective of this paper is to explore the potential role of social pensions and other noncontributory schemes in Asia, informed by insights from theory and international experience. The paper...

by Armando Barrientos | On 13 Apr 2012

Patterns of Labour Market Insecurity in Rural India: A Multidimensional and Multivariate Analysis

Labour market insecurity, recognised as pervasive in rural India, is multi-faceted. This study attempts to fill a gap in the research on key dimensions of labour market insecurity by using the Natio...

by Padmini Desikachar | On 02 Apr 2012

A Review of Input and Output Policies for Cereals Production in India

This paper reviews the key policies with regard to agriculture inputs such as seed, fertilizer, water, agricultural equipment, research, extension, and agricultural credit. It also provides an overvie...

by Ganga Shreedhar | On 29 Mar 2012

Highlights of the Budget for FY2012: Japan

1) Allocating budget to the measure for the real revitalization of Japan to recover Japan’s economy and society 2) Reviewing the existing budget based on the result of evaluation by the Policy Propos...

by Ministry of Finance, Japan MOF, Japan | On 28 Mar 2012

In Search of Food Security: Addressing Opacity and Price Volatility in ASEAN's Rice Sector

The availability of rice has long been considered a key indicator of food security in Southeast Asia. However for largely strategic reasons there is paucity of information in the public domain on rice...

by Sally Trethewie | On 22 Mar 2012

Is Community Forest Management Good for the Environment and the Poor? – A Review

Over the last two decades, community-based forest management has graduated from being an experimental strategy to becoming a much more mainstream approach. In developing countries, an estimated 22 p...

by Priya Shyamsundar | On 19 Mar 2012

Health Care Financing Reforms in India

The transfer system in India is discussed and analyses expenditure needs of States to provide essential health infrastructure. It also analyzes the fiscal space for health care in terms of stimulati...

by M Govinda Rao | On 19 Mar 2012

Not the Remembered Country

The food security Bill's focus ignores changes in agriculture and eating habits. [BS editorial]. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-notremembered-country/467874/].

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Mar 2012

Towards Building A Happy, Prosperous and Caring Bangladesh: Budget Speech 2011-12

Budget speech 2011-12 by Finance minister. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.bd/en/budget/11_12/budget_speech/speech_en.pdf].

by Abul Maal Abdul Muhith | On 14 Mar 2012

Federal Budget of Pakistan-2011-12

BUDGET SPEECH 2011-2012 by DR. ABDUL HAFEEZ SHAIKH, Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning & Development.

by Minister of Finance Pakistan | On 12 Mar 2012

Final Report-Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Strategies

The main objectives of this seminar has been to contribute to the understanding of the development processes and problems related to water security and climate change; to focus on studies relating t...

by Gursharan Singh Kainth | On 12 Mar 2012

Budget of Nepal 2011-12

Budget speech by Nepal Finance Minister. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.np/publication/speech/2011/pdf/budgetspeech_english.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 06 Mar 2012

What is the (New) Deal with Fragile States?

Poor governance and lack of state capabilities in around 45 countries pose a threat to global security and development. The involvement of the international community is required to help these st...

by Wim Naudé | On 02 Mar 2012

Subsidizing the National Food Authority: Is It a Good Policy?

National Food Authority's (NFA) twin mandate of price stabilization and food security has cost the government billions of pesos in losses over the past few decades. As such, there is a need to ...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Feb 2012

The Public Procurement Bill, 2012

A bill to regulate public procurement with the objectives of ensuring transparency, fair and equitable treatment of bidders, promoting competition, enhancing efficiency and economy and safeguarding...

by Ministry of Finance | On 24 Feb 2012

Climate Change and Migration in Southeast Asia: Responding to a New Human Security Challenge

The paper aims at understanding the reasons which influence migration and mobility choices, ways by which vulnerabilities can be managed and the role that local, national and regional policy responses...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2012

Foundations of Collective Action in Asia: Theory and Practice of Regional Cooperation

This paper argues that the collective action in Asia by its regional organizations has historically suffered from a “capability–legitimacy gap”: a disjuncture between the capability (in terms of mat...

by Amitav Acharya | On 17 Feb 2012

Inflation in Nepal

A large number of studies in Nepal have been conducted to identify the factors responsible for inflation based on the different theories of inflation. Although these studies provide insight into the...

by Nepal Rastra Bank Research Department NRB | On 02 Feb 2012

More and Better Jobs in South Asia

This report investigates how more and better jobs can be created in South Asia. It does so for two reasons. First, this region will contribute nearly 40 percent of the growth in the world’s workin...

by Reema Nayar | On 30 Jan 2012

Findings From the Rapid Survey of Severely Malnourished Children in 11 Districts of Karnataka

A rapid survey was undertaken in Karnataka to understand access of severely malnourished children to health and child care services, understand these families’ experience of seeking care in PHC and an...

by Republic of Hunger RoH | On 30 Jan 2012

India’s Food Security Bill: A Waste or Win for the Hungry?

Home to over 25 per cent of the world’s hungry poor, India faces major food security challenges and the situation has barely improved in two decades. Will the National Food Security Bill that the Indi...

by Sally Trethewie | On 27 Jan 2012

Engines of Development: How Cohesive?

Review ofEconomy, Democracy and the State: The Indian Experience, By Ramashray Roy, Sage Publications, New Delhi; 2009, Pages: viii + 247, Rs 650.

by Bhanoji Rao | On 22 Jan 2012

Can Lease Hold Forestry in Nepal Benefit People and the Environment?

In Nepal an innovative form of forestry management, known as the Leasehold Forestry (LHF) Programme, is being introduced to protect forest land and help it regenerate. A new SANDEE study analyzes th...

by South Asian Network for Development SANDEE | On 10 Jan 2012

Right to Food Security Bill: Challenges and Opportunities

The financial implications of the food security bill can be questioned. But the Bill proposes to protect the citizens from hunger and improve the nutritional intake of women and children.

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 30 Dec 2011

The National Food Security Bill, 2011-as introduced in Lok Sabha

A bill to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity...

by Lok Sabha | On 30 Dec 2011

Twenty Years of CRC: A Balance Sheet- Volume 1

The report is a rich source with qualitative and quantitative data on the status of children in India from authentic and established sources. [HAQCRC report]. URL:[http://www.haqcrc.org/sites/default/...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 28 Dec 2011

A Conceptual Overview of Structural Equation Modeling

A synthesized version of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and its possible applications in Management problems is presented. The main contribution of the paper is its simple description of a some...

by Tathagata Banerjee | On 27 Dec 2011

Redifining Food Security in the Face of Foreign Land Investors: The Philippine Case

This paper proposes to redefine food security in terms of protecting vulnerable populations from the structural violence of involuntary hunger. [NTS-Asia Research Paper No.6]. URL:[http://www.rsis.edu...

by Ben Shepherd | On 23 Dec 2011

Monetary Neutrality in the Nepalese Economy during 1975-2008

One of the methods of measuring the effectiveness of monetary policies is via inspection of monetary neutrality in the economy. It is a concept from classical economics and it suggests that changes...

by Mukesh Khanal | On 16 Dec 2011

The Welfare Impacts of Leasehold Forestry in Nepal

The study analyzes the role of the leasehold forestry (LHF) program in improving household welfare in Nepal. Both the time saved in biomass collection and the addition to income through increases in b...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 15 Dec 2011

Comparative Analysis of Inflation in Nepal and India

Inflation data for the past few years (August 2007 to October 2011 of Nepal and August 2007 to July 2011 of India for the analysis of monthly annual variation) have been taken into consideration for...

by Nepal Rastra Bank Research Department NRB | On 12 Dec 2011

Turning the Tide

If the story earlier was that the number of Maoist-affected districts was increasing, that no longer seems to be true. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-turningtide/456691/].

by T.N. Ninan | On 02 Dec 2011

Legislative Brief: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for Finance on March 24, 2011. The Bill was referred to the St...

by M. R. Madhavan | On 01 Dec 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 5

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson o...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 4

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson o...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Social Security and Labor Migration in ASEAN

This policy brief takes a preliminary look at portability of social security in ASEAN, particularly old-age, retirement, and survivor benefits. The next section discusses the growth of intra-ASEAN...

by Gloria O. Pasadilla | On 28 Nov 2011

The Politics of Water Discourse in Pakistan

The policy brief explores the evolving discourse on water issues in Pakistan where the process of political articulation, securitization and mobilization which often links water to Kashmir is studied....

by Medha Bisht | On 24 Nov 2011

Wrong Climate for Big Dams: Destroying Rivers will Worsen Climate Change

P roponents of large dams, hoping to capitalize on concern for climate change, are promoting a major expansion of large dams in developing countries. Yet large dams are highly vulnerable to climate ch...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 24 Nov 2011

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011

A bill to provide for the establishment of an Authority to promote old age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds, to protect the interests of subscribers to sche...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 17 Nov 2011

The Public Procurement Bill, 2011

An Act to regulate public procurement with the objective of maximising economy and efficiency, promoting competition among suppliers and contractors while ensuring a fair, transparent and equitable...

by Planning Commission | On 08 Nov 2011

Institutionalising Democracy

Review of Economy, Democracy and the State: The Indian Experience by Ramashray Roy, Sage Publications, New Delhi;2009, pp. viii + 247, Rs 650.

by Bhanoji Rao | On 07 Nov 2011

Agriculture, Food, and Water Nanotechnologies for the Poor: Opportunities and Constraints

This brief presents a review of the potential opportunities and challenges of using nanotech applications for agriculture, food, and water in developing countries. [IFPRI Policy Brief 19]. URL:[http...

by Guillaume Gruère | On 01 Nov 2011

Growth and Election Outcomes in a Developing Country

With the exception Brander and Drazen (2008), who use a comprehensive cross-country database consisting of both developed and developing countries, the hypothesis that rapid growth helps incumbents...

by Poonam Gupta | On 31 Oct 2011

Gender, Governance and Women’s Rights in South Asia

This study focuses on gender equality and democratic governance in the five largest states of the South Asian region, namely, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Beginning with a general...

by Seema Kazi | On 20 Oct 2011

Relation between Population, Gender and Reproductive Health

Review of the book 'Population, Gender and Reproductive Health'. F Ram, Sayeed Unisa and T V Sekher (eds.), Rawat publications, 2011, 416 pp, Rs 925

by K.S. James | On 20 Oct 2011

Transactions Matter but They Hardly Cost: Irrigation Management in the Kathmandu Valley

This study estimates the transaction costs entailed in maintaining Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) in Nepal based on a case study of 60 irrigation systems in the Kathmandu valley. It analyz...

by Ram Chandra Bhattarai | On 18 Oct 2011

History Matters: China and Global Governance

This paper focuses on the two-way relationship between China and the international economic system. China’s embrace of the global institutions and their rules and norms helped guide its spectacular ec...

by Wendy Dobson | On 17 Oct 2011

Burma’s Transition to “Disciplined Democracy”: Abdication or Institutionalization of Military Rule?

This article formulates an analytical framework for the detachment of militaries from politics and identifies positive and negative factors for a withdrawal. It then applies this framework to the case...

by Marco Bünte | On 17 Oct 2011

National Telecom Policy-2011 (NTP-2011)

NTP-2011 has the vision Broadband on Demand and envisages leveraging telecom infrastructure to enable all citizens and businesses, both in rural and urban landscape, to participate in the Internet and...

by Ministry of Communication & Information Technology GOI | On 13 Oct 2011

Populations at Risk: Other End of Youth Bulge

While there is much written on the youth bulge in developing countries, little is being done to address the problems of the elderly. And yet demographically, it is this section that is showing high gr...

by Lakshmi Priya | On 10 Oct 2011

Food, Hunger and Ethics

Management of hunger has to look into issues of availability, accessibility and adequacy. Posing it from an ethical perspective the paper argues out in favour of right to food. But, for this to happe...

by Srijit Mishra | On 30 Sep 2011

Rights, Responsibilities and Resources: Examining Community Forestry in South Asia

This paper seeks to understand whether decentralized management of forests can reduce forest loss in developing countries. [SANDEE Working Paper, No 59 - 11]. URL:[http://www.sandeeonline.org/upload...

by Priya Shyamsundar | On 28 Sep 2011

Mitigating Climate Change Through Agriculture

Among the major challenges currently faced by humanity are food security and climate change. Agriculture plays a significant role in both. Adapting to climate change is expected to be an increasing ...

by Claire Schaffnit Chatterjee | On 26 Sep 2011

The National Food Security Bill, 2011

A Bill to provide for food and nutritional security, in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices, for people to live a life with dign...

by Department of Food and Public Distribution Fcamin | On 14 Sep 2011

Agricultural Productivity and Credit- Issues and Way Forward

Certain trends in agricultural productivity, agricultural finance are outlined. Recommendations for improving agricultural productivity are given here. [Address at The National Seminar on Productivity...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 12 Sep 2011

Agricultural Practice and its Relation to Poverty and Food Security in Selected River Basins in Bangladesh: A Situation Analysis

Poverty and food security in the context of Bangladesh has become a major concern over time. While efforts have been intensified to increase crop yield through increased land use, using inorganic fe...

by Shyamal C Ghosh | On 30 Aug 2011

Trans-border Identities: (A Study on the Impact of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migration to India)

This paper deals with migration into India from adjoining neighbours and its impact on security and other issues of national interest. Unlike other studies on migration, it focuses on the ethnic ident...

by Subhakanta Behera | On 26 Aug 2011

Consultation Paper on IMT – Advanced Mobile Wireless Broadband Services

In order to facilitate introduction of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) Advanced mobile broadband services, the Authority has decided to deliberate on various related issues including sui...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 24 Aug 2011

Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture (focus on Food Security) in Asia-Pacific Region

The objective of this paper is to identify climate change related threats and vulnerabilities associated with agriculture as a sector and agriculture as people’s livelihoods (exposure, sensitivity, a...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 17 Aug 2011

India-Pakistan Trade

On the basis of a survey conducted in three cities viz., Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar the paper examines the characteristics of firms engaged in Indo- Pakistan trade. It also estimates the transaction...

by Nisha Taneja | On 11 Aug 2011

Working and Living Conditions of Women Domestic Workers: Evidences from Mumbai

This paper, exploring primary data collected from 1510 women domestic workers in Mumbai, evidently brings out that domestic work as a feminine occupation in a global city like Mumbai is a epitome of...

by G.D Bino Paul | On 08 Aug 2011

Parliament Session Alert: Monsoon Session: August 01 – September 08, 2011

Parliament meets for the Monsoon Session between August 01 and September 08, 2011. There will be a total of 26 sittings. The agenda for government Bills includes 35 pending Bills for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 01 Aug 2011

Enhancing Women Empowerment through Information and Communication Technology: A Report

Information and Communication Technology (ICT’s) bring lot of opportunities to women in the work situations and small business. Teleporting, flexi time and work from home arrangements are some of t...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 29 Jul 2011

Health Care Systems and Conflict: A Fragile State of Affairs

Health care systems are necessary in all countries, the importance of strong health care systems to fragile nations, and the damage done to these systems during conflict, receive less attention t...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 29 Jul 2011

EGoM cleared the Draft National Food Security Bill

The empowered group of ministers on food on Monday approved the draft National Food Security Bill, bringing the ambitious social security programme that guarantees highly subsidized food grains to abo...

by Economic Times ET | On 12 Jul 2011

The Don Sahong Dam: Potential Impacts on Regional Fish Migrations, Livelihoods and Human Health

This paper focuses on the Don Sahong Dam (DSD’s) potential impacts on fish and fisheries, and particularly the project’s regional implications in relation to fisheries, including its possible impact...

by Ian Bird | On 08 Jul 2011

Human Trafficking: The Shameful Face of Migration

A new framework for understanding migration as a series of phases, defining categories of people affected by migration and suggesting estimates of the likely size and importance of each group is g...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 04 Jul 2011

Community Forestry in Nepal Management Rules and Distribution of Benefits

In the last decade, far reaching policy reforms in Nepal have allowed local communities to regain control over the management of vast tracts of lands. Community forestry is widely believed to be a maj...

by Bhim Adhikari | On 01 Jun 2011

Social Assistance and the ‘Dependency Syndrome'

This policy brief discusses the fact that social assistance is critical to counter the insecurity and vulnerability experienced by chronically poor people. Evidence shows that as well as preventing pe...

by Andrew Shepherd | On 30 May 2011

India at 75: Towards Inclusive Growth through Labour Market Reforms

The policy of free hiring and firing, leading to a high labour turnover is in nobody’s interest: employers lose industrially accumulated useful skills while workers lose jobs and incomes. Yet job secu...

by Snehal Barai | On 09 May 2011

Statement Delivered by Secretary of the Ministry of Finance

This paper presents the Statement Delivered by Mr. Krishna Hari Baskota, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development in the capa...

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 09 May 2011

New media: problems and prospects

The author advocates liberal and secular ideas in a country, Pakistan, too-often torn by religious extremism and strives for the defence and promotion of press freedom under difficult circumstances an...

by Najam Sethi | On 08 May 2011

What do you want from us?

In the past three years, two journalists for El Diario have been killed by drug-cartels and since 2000 more than 64 journalists have been killed throughout the country. The armed conflict between orga...

by Rocio Gallegos | On 08 May 2011

The Potential (and Pitfalls) of Free Expression Technology

Each year, Reporters Without Borders awards a Netizen prize (sponsored by Google) to a blogger, online journalist or cyber-dissident who has helped to promote freedom of expression on the Internet. Th...

by David C. Drummond | On 08 May 2011

Why Tackling Indoor Air Pollution Makes Sense – A Study from Nepal

Indoor air pollution (IAP) is a major environmental health problem in Nepal. Most of the poor in the country cook in poorly ventilated kitchens using inefficient stoves that burn wood and other bio...

by Min Bikram Malla Thakuri | On 06 May 2011

"Free Dawit Isaak"

The author joined the World Press Freedom Day campaign this year, 2011, to highlight the plight of WAN-IFRA's 2011 Golden Pen of Freedom laureate, Dawit Isaak, incarcerated without charge for nearly a...

by Peter Englund | On 04 May 2011

An Irreversible Gain in Freedom of Expression

In this World Press Freedom Day editorial, the authors explore the events taking place in the Middle East and North Africa and the positive outcomes for freedom of expression the peoples' revolutions...

by Martti Ahtisaari Ahtisaari | On 04 May 2011

Nepal and the Pax Indianus

In May 2009, the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) warned of growing threats to sustainable peace in Nepal. Since that time, Nepal’s politics have continued to polarize. Nepal still has two ar...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights | On 04 May 2011

Encounters

The Tarkunde Committee confirmed that the police and the government of Andhra Pradesh were involved in the cruel practice of committing planned murders and covering it up as encounter. It recommende...

by People's Union for Democratic Rights PUDR | On 28 Apr 2011

Do Local Elections in Non-Democracies Increase Accountability? Evidence from Rural China

Unique survey data is used to study whether the introduction of local elections in China made local leaders more accountable towards local constituents. A simple model is developed to predict the e...

by Monica Martinez Bravo | On 18 Apr 2011

Hong Kong's Anti-Terrorism Measures Under Fire

Following behind other jurisdictions, Hong Kong tabled its post September 11th anti-terrorism legislation for first reading on April 17, 2002. The United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Bill (herein...

by Simon N.M. Young | On 05 Apr 2011

Foretelling the Mekong: Key Findings of the MRC’s Strategic Environmental Assessment on Mekong Mainstream Dams

With 11 large hydropower dams proposed to block the Lower Mekong River’s mainstream, the future of the river lies at a crossroads. To inform decision-making, in October 2010, the Mekong River Commiss...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 29 Mar 2011

Globalization and the Women’s Movement in India

From the early 1990s, the principal economic, social and political problems experienced by the mass of Indian women have, in one way or another, become inextricably linked with the processes and pol...

by Centre for Women's Development Studies | On 28 Mar 2011

Constituency Development Funds: Are They Constitutional?

This brief examines one particular criticism of Constituency Development Funds (CDFs): they infringe upon the doctrine of separation of powers. It also discusses whether CDFs adhere to other important...

by Christina Murray | On 18 Mar 2011

Constitution Writing and Conflict Resolution

Over 1975-2003 nearly 200 new constitutions were drawn up in countries at risk of conflict, as part of peace processes and the adoption of multiparty political systems. The process of writing cons...

by Michael Kellerman | On 18 Mar 2011

Can We Eradicate Hunger?

World hunger is prevalent yet receives relatively less attention compared to poverty. The MDGs have taken a step to address this with the resolution of halving the number of starving people in the wor...

by Basudeb Guha Khasnobis | On 16 Mar 2011

Health and Human Rights in Chin State, Western Burma: A Population-Based Assessment Using Multistaged Household Cluster Sampling

The Chin State of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is an isolated ethnic minority area with poor health outcomes and reports of food insecurity and human rights violations. A report on a population-base...

by Richard Sollom | On 09 Mar 2011

Draft Food Security Bill, 2010

While the Government of India has several schemes for augmenting agricultural production and ensuring adequate availability of food for different segments, a Bill to provide a statutory framework to e...

by Government of India GOI | On 04 Mar 2011

Feedback received until 28th February, 2011 on the Framework note on NFSB

Based on the recommendations the National Advisory Council had already communicated to the Government, as a first step towards preparing the draft National Food Security Bill, a detailed Framework Not...

by National Advisory Council NAC | On 04 Mar 2011

Draft National Food Security Bill: Explanatory Note

This Explanatory Note highlights the rationale and major considerations that form the basis of the NAC proposals on food security. It supplements (i) the NAC recommendations on food security relea...

by National Advisory Council NAC | On 04 Mar 2011

Note on the Draft National Food Security Bill

As agreed by the NAC at its meeting on July 14th, 2010, a Working Group of Members of the NAC was constituted on the National Food Security Bill. After due deliberations and wide ranging consultations...

by Harsh Mander | On 04 Mar 2011

Poverty, marriage timing, and transitions to adulthood in Nepal: A longitudinal analysis using the Nepal Living Standards Survey

This study examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation for girls during adolescence in Nepa...

by Ashish Bajracharya | On 14 Feb 2011

Kerala Budget 2011-12

The Minister for Finance, Dr. T. M. Thomas Issac presented the Budget for the financial year 2011-2012.

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 14 Feb 2011

The Nature of Mothers’ Work and Children’s Schooling in Nepal: The Influence of Income and Time Effects

This paper examines the influence of the nature of mothers’ work on Nepali children’s schooling outcomes. Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey...

by Ashish Bajracharya | On 10 Feb 2011

Resolutions of the Sixth Session of the First Parliament of Bhutan

The following bills were resolved to be passed with corrections: The Child Care and Protection Bill; Penal Code Amendment Bill; Anti Corruption Act 2010; and others

by Jigme Tshultim | On 08 Feb 2011

Rising Food Crisis and Financial Crisis in India:Impact on Women and Children and Ways of Tackling the Problem

The objective of the study is to examine the impact of rising food prices and financial crisis on the impact of women and children in India. It identifies the pathways for dealing with the effects of...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 31 Jan 2011

Book Reviews: Common Origins, Divergent Paths

Philip Oldenburg. India, Pakistan, and Democracy: Solving the Puzzle of Divergent Paths. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2010. x + 273 pp. $145.00 (cloth), $39.95 (paper). [H-Net Review]

by Sumit Ganguly | On 30 Jan 2011

Rethinking Agricultural Production Collectivities: The Case for a Group Approach to Energize Agriculture and Empower Poor Farmers

In the face of persistent rural poverty, an incomplete agrarian transition, the predominance of small and marginal farms and an emerging feminization of agriculture, this paper argues for a new in...

by Bina Agarwal | On 28 Jan 2011

India's Low Carbon Inclusive Growth Strategy

India’s low carbon inclusive growth strategy is framed in the context of  multiple goals and its national circumstances. In many cases, co­benefits  such as energy security, universal access to cl...

by U. Sankar | On 28 Jan 2011

Conceptualising Social Security And Income Redistribution

This paper offers a conceptualisation of social security and income redistribution schemes which highlights the strong overlaps between the two. Indeed, it is virtually impossible to disentangle the t...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 27 Jan 2011

Rethinking the Policy Objectives of Development Aid: From Economic Growth to Conflict Prevention

The current consensus objective of development aid in the international community is to reduce poverty in general and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in particular. In addition,...

by Sakiko Fukuda- Parr | On 21 Jan 2011

Rethinking Food Security Strategy: Self-sufficiency or Self-reliance

This Policy Brief discusses whether Bangladesh should continue to pursue a national food security strategy based on self-reliance or return to its earlier policy of food self-sufficiency through ...

by Uttam Kumar Deb | On 17 Jan 2011

Unbelievable but True — Improved Cook-stoves are not Helpful in Reducing Firewood Demand in Nepal

This paper analyzes the effect of different types of cook-stoves on firewood demand at the household level. Nationally representative household data from Nepal is used for the study. [SANDEE Working...

by Mani Nepal | On 05 Jan 2011

Does Women’s Status Matter for Food Security? Evidence from Bangladesh

Using data from a survey of Bangladeshi households, this paper investigates the link between female status and food security. Employing three different indicators of female status – husband’s an...

by Mohammad A. Razzaque | On 29 Dec 2010

The Withdrawal of OHCHR-Nepal: Agreeing an Alibi for Violation?

On 9th June 2010 the mandate of the UN human rights field mission to Nepal, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal), expires. The Prime Minister MK Nepal has said t...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 22 Dec 2010

Women’s Status and Child Labour in Nepal

This paper uses data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey 2 (2003/2004) to find evidence to whether children are less likely to work and more likely to attend school in a household where the mothe...

by Milla Nyyssölä | On 20 Dec 2010

Formal Bureaucracy and the Emergent Forms of the Informal Economy

The following essay has three parts. The first is a story about fluctuations in the balance of the relationship between impersonal and personal principles of social organization. This draws heavi...

by Keith Hart | On 01 Dec 2010

Economic Agendas in Civil Wars: What We Know, What We Need to Know

The political economy of civil wars has acquired unprecedented scholarly and policy attention. Among others, the International Peace Academy’s programme on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (EACW) ha...

by David M Malone | On 26 Nov 2010

Security in the Transport of Radioactive Material: Implementing Guide

This publication addresses the vulnerability of radioactive material during transport. Given the international concern over acts of nuclear terrorism, it is imperative to have a well defined plan for...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 23 Nov 2010

Socioeconomic Impacts of Cross-Border Transport Infrastructure Development in South Asia

Although the overall economic performance of economies in South Asia in recent years has been impressive, there is concern that an aging and increasingly inadequate infrastructure may limit the potent...

by John Gilbert | On 01 Nov 2010

Revisiting the Global Food Architecture: Lessons from the 2008 Food Crisis

The 2008 episode of food price explosion, political turmoil, and human suffering revealed important flaws in the current global food architecture. This paper argues that to safeguard the strengths...

by Luc Christiaensen | On 27 Oct 2010

The Welfare Fund Model of Social Security for Informal Sector Workers: The Kerala Experience

This paper examines the evolution of the institution of ‘Welfare Funds’ for informal sector workers in the State of Kerala in India. The Kerala experience, which is now thirty years old, reflects wh...

by K. P. Kannan | On 25 Oct 2010

Supply Chain Dynamics in Asia

Supply chain management in Asia is a relatively new topic but is a key challenge for all Asia based manufacturers and traders trying to integrate into the “global market.” The purpose of this paper...

by Ruth Banomyong | On 14 Oct 2010

Peace, Prosperity, and Pro-Growth Entrepreneurship

Support for entrepreneurship is widely seen as a mechanism to facilitate prosperity and peace in a growing number of post-conflict states. In this paper they critically evaluate this view. They ar...

by Wim Naudé | On 08 Oct 2010

Facts about Adolescents from the Demographic Survey- Statistical Tables for Program Planning: Nepal 1996

Tables are created to more clearly describe the diversity of the adolescent experience by drawing on the rich Demographic and Health Survey data. [Pop Council].

by Population Council | On 17 Sep 2010

An Ethnography of Associational Life: Caste and Politics in India

In 1956 Susanne Rudolph and I arrived in India for the first of many research years there. We were among the second batch of Ford Foundation Foreign Area Training Fellows. As area scholars we were com...

by Lloyd I. Rudolf | On 15 Sep 2010

Feeding Southeast Asia: Mekong River Fisheries and Regional Food Security

This paper reviews the available literature that links regional food security to the Mekong River’s wild capture fisheries, and argues for recognition of the existing contribution that the fisheries...

by Brooke Peterson | On 08 Sep 2010

Social Protection Package for the Retrenched Workers of State-owned Enterprises: A quick Assessment

BRAC designed and implemented a project namely Kallyan project aiming to improve the quality of life of the retrenched workers of state-owned enterprises of Bangladesh. This study aimed to map the p...

by Narayan Chandra Das | On 28 Jul 2010

Censorship: Free Dump of Expression

For a country to be a democracy, certain things are expected to be in place, such as freedom of expression and little or no censorship. While one person would find it perfectly acceptable to publici...

by Garima Gupta | On 15 Jul 2010

Farming First’s Guide to Food Security Initiatives

Food security is an immediate and future priority for all countries worldwide. Since the food crisis erupted in 2008, a large number of global and regional food security initiatives have been launch...

by Farming First | On 21 Jun 2010

Customized Development Interventions for the Ultra Poor: Preliminary Change Assessments of Health and Health-seeking Behaviour (CFPR/TUP 2002 to 2004)

A mid-term survey of the CFPR/TUP programme participants (at the end of 1st cycle of 18 months intervention) on health and related issues was done during July-September 2004. The survey involved re-in...

by Syed Masud Ahmed | On 16 Jun 2010

Impact Assessment of CFPR/TUP: A Descriptive Analysis Based on 2002-2005 Panel Data

This paper looks at the overall performance of the CFPR/TUP programme using the 2002 baseline survey and 2005 repeat survey. All the topics covered in this study could be analysed more deeply, but tha...

by Mehnaz Rabbani | On 15 Jun 2010

Can Social Security Boost Domestic Consumption in the People’s Republic of China?

This paper reviews the development of the social security system and trends in the urban labor market in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite its remarkable economic achievement, the PRC face...

by Wang Dewen | On 20 May 2010

Which Asia?

Is Asia a cohesive analytical unit in any practical sense?

by T.N. Ninan | On 17 May 2010

Determinants of the Choice of Migration Destination

This paper examines migrants choice of destination conditional on migration. To this end, an empirical strategy is designed which remedies both migration selection and unobserved heterogeneity probl...

by Marcel Fafchamps | On 18 Mar 2010

Pesticides and Productivity – a Study of Vegetable Farming in Nepal

In Nepal, agriculture is commercializing day by day and levels of agro-chemical use are growing. This is beginning to raise concerns about the health and environmental impacts of farm chemicals suc...

by Ratna Kumar Jha | On 09 Feb 2010

Revisiting the Need of Improved Stoves: Estimating Health, Time and Carbon Benefits

This study generates some evidence on the costs and benefits of a particular indoor air pollution control initiative. The study is based on a survey of 400 households in Rasuwa district, Nepal,

by Min Bikram Malla Thakuri | On 02 Feb 2010

Towards A Competitive Economy: VAT and Customs Duty Reform

In this paper the issue of indirect tax reform, with a special focus on customs duty reform is examined. [WP]

by Arvind Virmani | On 28 Jan 2010

Productivity of Pesticides in Vegetable Farming in Nepal

This paper examines the effectiveness of damage control mechanisms to reduce crop losses from agricultural pests. It uses data from a sample of Cole crop (Cauliflower and Cabbage) growing households...

by Ratna Kumar Jha | On 22 Jan 2010

Who Owns Children and Does It Matter?

In this paper a particular market failure that may lead to inefficiently low equilibrium fertility and therefore to a need for government intervention are analysed. The friction which is investigated...

by Alice Schoonbroodt | On 18 Jan 2010

Social Security Nets for Marine Fisheries

This paper attempts to explain the provision of social security in the fisheries sector of Kerala State in south India. It enumerates the salient achievements and the problems faced by the state in pr...

by John Kurien | On 14 Jan 2010

Rethinking Food Security Policies: IDSAsr Declaration

Declaration made at the end of two days national seminar on Food security and Sustainability in India held on November 7-8, 2009 organized by GAD Institute of Development Studies, PO Naushera, Amritsa...

by Gursharan Singh Kainth | On 14 Dec 2009

Democratic Citizenship: From Proportionality to a Continuum Approach to Political Participation

This paper is an attempt to explore the meaning and significance of political participation within (a) the conceptual framework of democratic citizenship and (b) debates surrounding representative d...

by Anupama Roy | On 10 Dec 2009

Rectifying the Anti-politics of Citizen Participation

Can ‘participatory’ approaches to development constitute a viable strategy for promoting citizenship? This paper addresses this question by scrutinising the equivocal reaction of a peasant community...

by Katsuhiko Masaki | On 13 Oct 2009

Kerala Fights Clock in ASEAN Free-Trade Deal

The paper discusses the impacts of free-trade policy on the agricultural exports of Kerala.

by Ranjit Devraj | On 08 Oct 2009

Estimating Health Benefits When Behaviours are Endogenous: A Case of Indoor Pollution in Rural Nepal

The effects of indoor air pollution on respiratory health after adjusting for endogenous health behaviours are estimated. The study includes measurements on indoor air pollution and is based on detail...

by Krishna Prasad Pant | On 17 Sep 2009

Food Security in South Asia: Issues and Opportunities

The study aims to identify issues relating to food security, the policy initiatives taken to tackle these issues, evaluate these policies and suggest measures to overcome identified constraints in ord...

by Surabhi Mittal | On 11 Sep 2009

Reforming Foodgrains Management: Achieving Food Security with Cost-Effectiveness

This paper examines the efficacy of the current system of public foodgrains management and policies in promoting food security in the country. It argues that the system has outlived its usefulness,...

by A. Ganesh Kumar | On 13 Aug 2009

Nepal Budget 2009-10

Budget presented by Finance minister of Nepal.

by Surendra Pandey | On 27 Jul 2009

Groundwater Irrigation in India: Gains, Costs and Risks

Groundwater has rapidly emerged to occupy a dominant place in India’s agriculture and food security in the recent years. It has become the main source of growth in irrigated area over the past 3 decad...

by Vasant P Gandhi | On 23 Jun 2009

Insecurities of the Old and Marginalized: Inflation, Oil Shocks, Financial Crisis and Social Security

The paper examines the impact of recent inflation and financial shocks on the vulnerable, and explores policy design to reduce both future shocks and vulnerability to shocks. Inflation affects the typ...

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 May 2009

Straddling Faultlines : India's Foreign Policy Toward The Great Middle East

India’s foreign policy has had an anomalous quality since the time Jawaharlal Nehru resolutely attempted to steer clear of Cold War alliances. This continues to be so given India’s unique situation of...

by Sushil J Aaron | On 21 May 2009

Himalayan Journal of Development and Democracy Vol 3:1, 2008

Papers and Proceedings of The Third Annual Himalayan Policy Research ConferenceSession Chairs and Discussants Session 1A: Conflict Resolution and Democratic Transitions Chair: Christopher Can...

by Vijaya R. Sharma | On 19 May 2009

No Through Road: The Limitations of Food Miles

The focus of this paper is on food miles issues associated with the import of products from developing countries. As the concept of food miles has been an issue in organic agriculture since before the...

by Els Wynen | On 14 May 2009

Social Protection for Informal Workers: Insecurities, Instruments and Institutional Mechanisms

This paper presents a broad definition of social protection to include basic securities, such as income, food, health and shelter, and economic securities including having income generating productive...

by Jeemol Unni | On 01 May 2009

Economic Growth, Governance and Voting Behaviour: an Application to Indian Elections

The focus of this paper is on the potential economic factors underlying voter behaviour in a democracy. It develops a simplified model based on economic theory (welfare & conditional probabilities)...

by Arvind Virmani | On 28 Apr 2009

Controlling Money and Politics – An Exercise in Damage Control

In many countries political financial regulations have been introduced.

by Marcin Walecki | On 28 Apr 2009

Press Freedom: World Review:June-December 2008

Attacks on journalists throughout the world -- by organised crime groups in Latin America, autocratic regimes in the Middle East, repressive governments in Africa and by combatants in war zones -- pos...

by World Association of Newspapers WAN | On 28 Apr 2009

Making the Politician and the Bureaucrat Deliver: Employment Guarantee in India

The paper examines the division of tasks required between politicians and bureaucrats to run an effective rural employment guarantee scheme (EGS) in India, in the context of Indian history and habits.

by Ashima Goyal | On 21 Apr 2009

Sri Lanka Budget 2009

2009 Budget speech

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 20 Apr 2009

The Indian Security State: Agendas of Concern

The indecent haste shown by Political Executive and Parliament on December16-17, 2008 while dealing with security related issues substantiates the argument that security and defence agenda of the Indi...

by C. P. Bhambhri | On 16 Apr 2009

EC Controversy: What are the Issues? EC Controversy: What Are the Issues

A comprehensive and logically rigorous analysis of the issues raised by the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner N.Gopalaswami for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla, the...

by Ramaswamy R. Iyer | On 03 Apr 2009

Where Are The Empty Thalis In Uttarakhand? : District Level Food Insecurity Analysis of Uttarakhand.

The primary focus of this paper is a remote sense mapping excercise to identify the food insecure parts in Uttarakhand, using official, secondary data. To mitigate the intrinsic weakness of such an ef...

by Ravi Chopra | On 05 Mar 2009

Does Timing of Elections Instigate Riots? A Subnational Study of 16 Indian States, 1958-2004

Whether timing of the elections leads to riots or not within India. In other words, does timing of elections instigate riots? Using time series crosssectional data for 16 major Indian states for the...

by Krishna Chaitanya Vadlamannati | On 09 Jan 2009

Heterogeneity, Commons and Privatization: Agrarian Institutional Change in Goa

A case study in Goa is used to examine whether tenure security and asset re-distribution can lead to environmentally sustainable outcomes.

by Pranab Mukhopadhyay | On 28 Nov 2008

Ensuring ‘Collective Action’ in ‘Participatory’ Forest Management

This paper is based on a qualitative analysis of three case studies, each belonging to one of three types of institutional structures: Self-initiated, NGO-promoted, and Government-sponsored JFM. The b...

by Rucha Ghate | On 14 Nov 2008

World Development Report 2007 Development and the Next Generation

The Report examines five pivotal phases of life that can help unleash the development of young people’s potential with the right government policies: learning, working, staying healthy, forming famili...

by World Bank | On 11 Nov 2008

FEER, November 2008: Contents

Can Asia Consume A Way Out of Crisis? Hugo Restall, editor of the REVIEW, looks at the prospects of Asian governments' efforts to jump start domestic demand through Keynesian stimulus packages. F...

by FEER | On 10 Nov 2008

Agflation and the PDS: Some Issues

In the context of the current public policy focus on rising food prices and their implications for food security, this paper examines two major issues raised: (i) Universalization of the public distri...

by Suryanarayana M H | On 04 Nov 2008

Disaster in Bihar: A Report from the TISS Assessment Team

This report is prepared on the basis of a 5-day visit to the flood affected parts of Bihar, caused by the changing of the course of the river, Kosi, by a four-member team from the Tata Institute of...

by Manish K Jha | On 06 Oct 2008

Reconciliation and Development

Reconciliation has become an important part of postconflict peacebuilding rhetoric and practice in recent years. As nearly all conflicts today are intrastate, former enemies, perpetrators and victims,...

by Karen Brounéus | On 01 Oct 2008

Another Commission is Not Enough:Ram Harri Shrestha and the Corrosive Impact of Impunity on Nepal's Unsteady Peace.

Neplal's maoists initiated the process of crippling the institution of parliamentary dempcracy by giving primacy to military meanse over the political. Mainstream parties, unable to resist petty polit...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 29 Sep 2008

Nepal's Community Forestry Funds:Do They Benifit the Poor?

Funds generated through community forestry offer crucial and significant resources for rural in Nepal. This study examines forestry funds in 100 communities in three districts to assess how large they...

by Ridish K. Pokharel | On 11 Sep 2008

Withdrawal of the Maoists’ unilateral cease-fire:Where does Nepal go?

The government of Nepal took an illegal measure to try the cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Ordinance. Under the amendments, all anti-terrorist cases will be heard in-c...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 27 Aug 2008

The Naxals get lethal: Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the conflict

Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the Naxalite conflict as a direct consequence of the counter-insurgency Salwa Judum campaign. There have been credible reports of serious human rights vio...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 18 Aug 2008

No Gross National Happiness for Bhutanese Refugees

One sixth of the population of Bhutan is displaced in Nepal and India. The prolonged exile of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal and India is a major human rights deficit in the South Asian region, a...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 12 Aug 2008

Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007–2012) Volume II Social Sector

Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-12

by Planning Commission, India | On 06 Aug 2008

The Chinese Chequer: Split Wide Open in Nepal

Although unilateral ceasefire declared by the Maoists on 3 September 2005 brought down the level of violence, the security forces sought to provoke the Maoists. The security forces and the Maoists hav...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 21 Jul 2008

The Naxal Conflict: Killings Decreases, Conflict Intensifies

The paper analyses the conflicts in Naxal affected areas and how the respected authorities deal with the Naxalism. Asian Centre for Human Rights consistently reiterated that there has been no dearth o...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 25 Jun 2008

At a Glance -- Peace Process in Nepal

King Gyanendra of Nepal took over as a king after the royal massacre incidence in 2007. But soon after taking the power people of Nepal were fed up of his authoritarian tendencies and the continuous u...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 24 Jun 2008

The State versus Kataria

The execution of Showkat Ahamad Kataria in 2006 by Jammu-Kashmir army raised serious concerns about the special powers given to army and fake encounters. The case of Kataria’s execution became a symb...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 12 Jun 2008

Book Review: Inside the Indian Family

Review of: Democracy in the Family: Insights from India. Edited by Joy Deshmukh-Randive Sage Publications. New Delhi 2008.

by Tulsi Patel | On 26 May 2008

Liberation, May 2008

New Mineral Policy 2008 Quota Verdict CPI(M) Coimbatore Congress SPECIAL FEATURE Democracy in S Asia: Nepal Mandate Post-Poll Pakistan Bhutan Polls and Other features.

by Liberation | On 24 Apr 2008

Report on SAHR Fact Finding Mission to the North and East of Sri Lanka to Assess the State of Displaced Persons

This report on the state of displaced persons in the North and East of Sri Lanka analyses the security condition and concerns of those who live in makeshifts and camps in conflict affected areas. It p...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 11 Apr 2008

India, Democracy and the Press

The impressive growth of the Indian media is largely taking place outside of the voting classes, ensuring that the media are not playing a significant public service role. Ultimately, the author sugge...

by James Mutti | On 11 Apr 2008

Effect of Introducing an ‘Afternoon Pay Clinic’ on Service Utilization and Cost Recovery

The Chhetrapati Family Welfare Center (CFWC) in Nepal provided comprehensive family planning and maternal and child health (MCH) services during morning hours. Because no services were provided in the...

by Mahendra Pd. Shrestha | On 09 Apr 2008

Kerala Budget Speech 2008-09

Budget speech 2008-09 by Finance Minister Dr. Thomas Issac

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 07 Mar 2008

Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The work of the IPCC has helped the world to learn more on all aspects of climate change, and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has acknowledged this fact. [Speech delivered in Oslo]

by Pachauri R K | On 04 Feb 2008

Outline of a Joint Lecture on Action Agenda for Transition to a Just, Equitable, Regenerative and Prosperous Society

The outline of an action agenda to address issues regarding barriers to creating an equitable society that we urgently need to take up. [at XXXI ISSC at SNDT women's University].

by Datye K R | On 28 Dec 2007

Each day Binayak Sen spends in jail is one day less for democracy in India

That Sen, in May, chose to return and face the law should have been reason enough for any court to grant him bail. Reposted with permission from Tehelka Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 50, December 29, 2007

by Apoorvanand | On 24 Dec 2007

Understanding Gujarat Elections: What Does it Portend for Indian Democracy?

With the re-election of Narendra Modi and the BJP will the current disarray in the party give way to strong optimism to strive for power at the centre?

by Ram Puniyani | On 24 Dec 2007

‘Inclusive Citizenship’ for the Chronically Poor: Exploring the Inclusion-Exclusion Nexus in Collective Struggles

The promotion of ‘inclusive citizenship’, through which the disadvantaged engage in collective struggles for justice and recognition, has been attracting growing attention as a solution to chronic p...

by Katsuhiko Masaki | On 19 Dec 2007

Pakistan’s Last Bid for Democracy

This Essay examines the factors retarding democracy in Pakistan and asserts that now, more than ever, the country’s political forces must work together to fight common foes.

by Colum Murphy | On 27 Nov 2007

Vaccine Policy in India

The success of an immunisation programme in any country depends more upon local realities and national policies. This is particularly true for a huge and diverse developing country such as India, with...

by Yennapu Madhavi | On 12 Nov 2007

Unorganised Sector Worker's Social Security Bill 2007

A bill to provide for the social security and welfare of unorganised sector workers and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

by Minister of State for Labour and Employment | On 15 Oct 2007

The New Mumbai: Defining Systemic Reforms for the Governance of Mumbai City and Mumbai Metropolitan Region

The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India were made with an express objective or purpose of restoring power back to people by legally encouraging “local self-governance”. At the same...

by A.K. Shende | On 08 Oct 2007

Model Nagara Raj Bill

Model bill to amend the laws relating to the Municipalities and to institutionalise citizens’ participation in municipal functions, e.g. setting priorities, budgeting provisions, etc. by setting up of...

by Ministry of Urban Development MoUD | On 08 Oct 2007

Food Consumption and Calorie Intake in Contemporary India

This paper examines how the patterns of India’s food consumption have been changing in recent times as a consequence of its faster economic growth and generally rising affluence levels. The study, als...

by Srikanta Chatterjee | On 30 Sep 2007

Burma: Member States of the UN must Intervene: ACHR Weely Review

Reports have been pouring in that the Burmese soldiers today used baton and tear gas against the Buddhist monks and civilian protesters at Shwedagon pagoda, the holiest Buddhist place in Rangoon. The...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 26 Sep 2007

Corporate Social Responsibility and Children's Rights in South Asia

Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives within the context of children's issues in India, Nepal and Bangladesh are given. The mapping highlights that children's issues often do n...

by Girish Godbole | On 05 Sep 2007

Women and Food Security in South Asia: Current Issues and Emerging Concerns

The educated and socially empowered Asian Woman is the key to improving the nutrition and mental acuity of young children and that improvement sets in motion lifelong prospects for heightened learning...

by Nira Ramachandran | On 24 Jul 2007

Evaluate Anti-Naxal Policies of the Chhatisgarh Government: Naxal Conflict Monitor April 11, 2007

The State has the responsibility to ensure right to life of the citizens. Involving civilians directly in armed conflicts only increases the risks to their lives and prolongs the conflicts. Common cit...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 13 Jul 2007

Women, Work and Insecurities in India

The poor women in developing countries are burdened with the dual responsibility of taking care of housework and the need to supplement household income to meet the subsistence needs. The on-going fle...

by Uma Rani | On 05 Jul 2007

Selection into Worst Forms of Child Labor: Child Domestics, Porters and Ragpickers in Nepal

A large literature considers why children work, but little is known about why children participate in activities that are labeled worst forms of child labor. The principal international convention o...

by Eric Edmonds | On 19 Jun 2007

Time to Mainstream Micro-Pensions in India

The paper has argued that to expand coverage of micro-pensions, social entrepreneurship (along with social responsibility) will be needed by the financial sector, including the MFIs, insurance compani...

by Mukul Asher | On 08 May 2007

Can Singapore Sustain its Current Globalisation Strategy? Singapore's 2007 Budget

Singapore’s 2007 budget reaffirms government’s determination to continue with the current globalization strategy of high growth, high net in-migration and minimal social risk pooling in financing old...

by Mukul Asher | On 05 Mar 2007

Women's Health

The double burden carried by women explains their chronic state of malnutrition, overwork and fatigue. Added to these are the stresses and strains of modern life, environmental degradation and increa...

by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan | On 28 Feb 2007

Property Rights and Natural Resources: Socio-Economic Heterogeneity and Distributional Implications of Common Property Resource Management

Poverty, property rights and distributional implications of community-based resource management have become major topics of discussion and debate in recent years. This study tries to examine the contr...

by Bhim Adhikari | On 17 Feb 2007

Recent Social Security Reforms in Asia

This presentation reviews recent social security reforms in Asia-Pacific, with emphasis on countries with major reliance on social insurance schemes. Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, Vietnam, and Tha...

by Mukul Asher | On 12 Jan 2007

Food Retailing, Supermarkets and Food Security: Highlights from Latin America

The importance of supermarkets in the world food economy has increased radically since the early 1990s. They are now major sellers and buyers of food items not only in developed but also in developin...

by Mehmet Arda | On 27 Dec 2006

Modernity with Democracy?: Gender and Governance in the People's Planning Campaign, Keralam

This paper takes advantage of the possibility of a critical perspective afforded by the feminist perspective in analyzing the interactions between political and civil societies in the shaping of spe...

by J Devika | On 19 Dec 2006

Nuclearisation, Human Rights, and Ethics

Nuclear weapons have security, economic and political implications. In the ultimate analysis, however , the issue of nuclear weapons is an ethical question. It is question or right and wrong, good and...

by Amulya K.N. Reddy | On 14 Dec 2006

Journal of Social and Economic Change

Articles Pareto’s Revenge — Ravi Kanbur 1 Socio-Economic Dimensions of Old Age Security in India: With Special Reference to Karnataka — T V Sekher Gender, Poverty and Employment in India — V Gaya...

by | On 12 Aug 2006

Ethics in Social Science Research: Reflections from a Student of Economics

If poverty and nutrition are issues also of social justice and the commitment that a democratic state makes to its citizens (namely, ridding the country of hunger and malnutrition and also of ensuring...

by Padmini Swaminathan | On 19 Jul 2006

The Role and Nature of Non-Contributory Social Security in the Design of Social Protection Strategies for Older People in DCs

Non-contributory social security is increasingly attracting the attention of developing country policymakers and observers, not least as a mechanism to help address the perceived failure of contributo...

by Roddy McKinnon | On 23 May 2006

Nepal/SouthAsia Beat: From the Underbelly of the Beast

Kanak Dixit was arrested in Kathmandu on Saturday, April 8, with a host of other professionals for defying curfew to press for democratic rights in Nepal. He remains in detention still. This column wa...

by Kanak Mani Dixit | On 14 Apr 2006

Democracy and People’s Rights in the Neo-Liberal Era: Role of Judiciary

The recent judgments and orders from various levels of higher judiciary indicate a drastic shift in their outlook and approach. A close look reveals two trends developing within the judiciary. Firstly...

by M.B.Rajesh | On 31 Mar 2006

Indo-US Nuclear Deal: Dead or Alive?

India has much to gain from the Nuclear Deal. But if India places its breeder programme under international safeguards, then its research will come under public scrutiny, exposing all of India’s advan...

by D.Raghunandan | On 28 Feb 2006

Social Security Policy in an Era of Globalization and Competition: Challenges for Southeast Asia

There are several themes which emerge from the comparative analysis of social security systems in Southeast Asia. Each country will need to address the limitations of their respective system in relati...

by Mukul Asher | On 06 Feb 2006

Port Security is Still a Houe of Cards

Warns that weak links in the global shipping network expose the world’s ports to acts of terrorism.

by Stephen E. Flynn | On 27 Jan 2006

Communication, Democracy and Evasive Silences:A Preliminary Report on the Public Sphere in Karnataka

This paper looks at one of the most important conditions that defines democracy as a system of self-governance. This condition is that all individuals in a society must have the right to communicate f...

by Dattathreya Subbanarasimha | On 13 Jan 2006

AT Times When Limbs May Fail: Social Security for Unorganised Workers in Karnataka

Policy makers, therefore, often encounter the following questions while formulating the social security schemes. What are the priority social security needs of unorganized workers? What existing mecha...

by D. Rajasekhar | On 13 Jan 2006

Karnataka Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme: Towards Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage in Karnataka?

This is a case study of the Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme for rural farmers and peasants in Karnataka. The scheme, now in its second year of operation, covers 2.2 million farmers and peasants w...

by Sarosh Kuruvilla | On 13 Jan 2006

Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka

The objective of this paper is to unpack the dynamics of local governance in Karnataka by studying the interaction between two sets of rural institutions, (a) the formal, elected Gram Panchayats(GPs...

by Kripa Ananthpur | On 09 Jan 2006

Dictatorship, Democracy and Institutions: Macropolicy in China and India

We explore the hypothesis that macroeconomic polices are influenced by political structure, through a systematic comparison of reform period macroeconomic policy choices and outcomes, in China and Ind...

by Ashima Goyal | On 23 Nov 2005

The Quest of Economic community in East Asia: Thailand's Perspective

To make the Customs Union in East Asia happen, what is needed the most now are political will and concerted efforts. FTAs should not be the end of economic cooperation in Asia. Instead, the onsolidati...

by Nipon Poapongsakorn | On 22 Nov 2005

Underground Gun Markets

This paper provides an economic analysis of underground gun markets drawing on interviews with gang members, gun dealers, professional thieves, prostitutes, police, public school security guards and t...

by Philip J. Cook | On 11 Nov 2005

Rebuilding China’s Social Safety Net: Why Governance Matters

China has adopted a wide-ranging program of pension reform since the late 1990s. The new pension system has replaced the pre-existing enterprise-based system. This paper analyzes the background of t...

by Minxin Pei | On 08 Nov 2005

Globalisation, Demographic Transition and Reform of Social Safety Nets in India

This paper accepts Rodrik’s premise that globalization and associated changes have increased the urgency of developing social safety nets to: Cushion transition; Help maintain legitimacy of reform, a...

by Mukul Asher | On 08 Nov 2005

Recent Social Security Reforms In Selected Asian Countries

There are considerable variations in the philosophy, coverage, investment policies and performance, design of schemes, governance structures, degree of professionalism and adequacy of benefits among A...

by Mukul Asher | On 11 Oct 2005

Further Reading

On political and social developments in Nepal

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

The Problem

Trapped for close to a decade in a vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence, the royal proclamation of 1 February 2005 declaring an emergency, suspending the constitution and fundamental rights,...

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

Interview

Pradeep Giri is a central committee member of the Sher Bahadur Deuba led Nepali Congress (Democratic).

by Prashant Jha | On 30 Aug 2005

Dateline Nepal

Choronologically arranged events in Nepal

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

Comment: The Indian Media: Time To Retrospect

The Indian media has reported the major events and developments in Nepal. Editorial stands of some newspapers have consistently urged the parties to be wary of an autocratic monarch, an advice that th...

by Prashant Jha | On 30 Aug 2005

Dialogues: The Monarchy And Demovracy In Nepal

THE project on the State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) is a 30 month study undertaken to evaluate the democratic enterprise in five South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sr...

by Peter Ronald deSouza | On 30 Aug 2005

Comment: When The State Kills

The militarisation of society, already alarming, has visibly increased since 1 February. The king justifies his takeover as a move towards peace. Peace there will be in Nepal, only it will be the chil...

by Bela Malik | On 30 Aug 2005

Neighbourly Concerns

India has repeatedly asserted that there is no military solution to the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. It is time that concrete and relevant initiative is taken by India in the direction of a viable poli...

by S. D. Muni | On 30 Aug 2005

The Working Of Democracy

Despite its many limitations, the processes of mobilization of socially diverse groups representing diverse constituencies and interests itself manifest a democratic practice at the lower level. Metho...

by Mukta Singh Lama | On 29 Aug 2005

Clarity Amidst Extremism

Another solution is needed now. An honest solution, a lasting one. One that might bring with it a republican Nepal. For this, certainly, is the call of the times: the monarchy must retreat to a strict...

by Manjushree Thapa | On 29 Aug 2005

The Future Of Democracy

This paper examines the future of democracy in Nepal against the current debate on political reforms, referred to in popular discourse as ‘restructuring the state'

by Krishna Khanal | On 29 Aug 2005

What The People Feel

This paper attempts to examine how far the king's assertions are in conformity with what the people of Nepal actually feel. It uses available evidence to analyze how the Nepali citizen may react to th...

by Krishna Hachhethu | On 29 Aug 2005

An Unavoidable Force

The ideological antipathy towards Maoism in particular and the left in general, forces international architects of Nepali democracy to conceal the monarchy's record of tyranny and bloodshed that far...

by Hari Roka | On 29 Aug 2005

Royal Regression

There is no doubt that the supine parliamentary democratic system has been snuffed out and autocratic monarchy restored in Nepal. Hence the questions arise: How could the limited bourgeois democratic...

by Baburam Bhattarai | On 29 Aug 2005

Will The Monarchy Survive?

Nepal's democratic order faces a serious setback with King Gyanendra's decision to assume all powers on 1 February 2005 for a period of three years. Now with a despotic monarch at the helm of politica...

by B. C. Upreti | On 29 Aug 2005

The Word And The World

This paper examines two sets of questions related to the meanings of ‘democracy' in Nepal. The first explores the various meanings that different groups of people currently attach to democracy. The se...

by Anil Bhattarai | On 29 Aug 2005

Political Economy And Social Movements

This note attempts to analyse the social and political environment in which the various social movements, including the Maoist struggle, have emerged.

by Arjun Karki | On 29 Aug 2005

No 548 Democracy Derailed :a symposium on the subversion of democracy by the monarch in Nepal

THE PROBLEM A short statement of the issues involved CLARITY AMID EXTREMISM Manjushree Thapa, author and political commentator, Kathmandu WILL THE MONARCH SURVIVE? B.C. Upreti, Senior Facul...

by Anonymous | On 29 Aug 2005

SAARC Regional Convention On Suppression O Terrorism

An Additional Protocol to the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, has been prepared recognizing the importance of updating the Convention, in order to meet the obligations devolving...

by Anonymous | On 13 Aug 2005

SAARC and India: Policy Issues hinge on Security and Democracy

The entire project of SAARC is dependent on India’s capacity to bind the neighbouring states in multiple networks of ties to promote regional cooperation. India not only shares frontiers with all the...

by Rajen Harshe | On 13 Aug 2005

Role Of Pension Regulator

In developed financial and capital markets all financial intermediaries such as banks, insurance companies, and pension funds are well regulated. India is the first country in Asia to establish an ind...

by Mukul Asher | On 06 Aug 2005