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Indebtedness among the Rural Poor in Kerala

This study intends to understand the magnitude and nature of indebtedness among rural poor households in Kerala. The study d analyses the role played by various sources in meeting the credit requir...

by Aswathi Rebecca Asok | On 08 Mar 2021

Impact of Covid-19 on the Indian Economy: An Analysis of Fiscal Scenarios

Amidst the economic slowdown triggered by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in India there have been many demands for the government to announce a large fiscal stimulus to support the economy. E...

by Ila Patnaik | On 08 Oct 2020

Introduction: Political Journeys in Health - Essays by and for Amit Sengupta

Understanding science is the only way to understand the microbe—SARS-CoV-2—and what it does to our bodies. Fighting a pandemic requires a well-functioning public health system. The crisis created by...

by | On 20 Jul 2020

Weekend Ruminations: Advice for shoot-from-the-hip nationalists: Take aim before firing

It's all good to be tactical - keep China out of strategic markets; hit back in the same coin if it looks to keep India's key sectors out - but don't shoot yourself in the foot.

by T.N. Ninan | On 21 Jun 2020

Inequality in a Global Perspective

The basic story of global inequality in the last three decades has been an overall decline, but one which is composed of quite intricate patterns. There has been a decline in between country inequalit...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 08 Jun 2020

COVID-19: Global Diagnosis and Future Policy Perspective

The macroeconomic policy responses to COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on economic growth, and the level of consumption are analysed. The COVID-19 crisis is a dual crisis - public hea...

by Divy Rangan | On 06 May 2020

Emerging Markets Perspectives on G-20 led Financial Reforms

The chapter examines progress as well as continuing concerns in G-20 led financial reforms, with particular emphasis on emerging markets (EMs). Although risks remain they are of a lower order of magni...

by Ashima Goyal | On 25 Apr 2019

Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers in the Presence of Revenue Uncertainty: The Case of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India

A comprehensive multistage Value Added Tax (VAT) system, viz., Goods and Services Tax (GST), is introduced in India since 1 July 2017. GST encompasses various taxes from Union and State indirect tax b...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 02 Apr 2019

The Political Economy of Gender Budgeting: Empirical Evidence from India

Gender budgeting is a public policy innovation to transform the gender commitments into budgetary commitments. The political economy process of gender budgeting in India has encompassed four distinct...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 02 Apr 2019

Gender and Corporate Success: An Empirical Analysis of Gender-Based Corporate Performance on a Sample of Asian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The paper will provide policy suggestions, such as establishment of credit guarantee funds for easing the female-owned SMEs’ access to finance in Asia. Implementation of supportive policies for female...

by Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary | On 01 Apr 2019

Exchange Rate Movements and Fundamentals: Impact of Oil Prices and the People’s Republic of China’s Growth

This paper identifies five factors that can capture 95% of the variance across 39 US dollar exchange rates based on the principal component method. A time-varying parameter factor-augmented vector aut...

by Hongyi Chen | On 01 Apr 2019

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

Price Discovery in Indian Government Securities Market, Monetary Management and the Cost of Government Borrowing

Over 2017-18 there was a sharp rise in Indian government securities (G-Secs) interest rates unrelated to fundamentals. Examining each of the standard explanatory variables shows them to be inadequate...

by Ashima Goyal | On 29 Mar 2019

Economics and the Ecosystem

The essays collected here grapple with different aspects of what, if natural scientists are to be believed, is the most profound set of issues humanity has ever faced. The United Nations Framework Con...

by World Economics Association | On 29 Mar 2019

Services and Manufacturing in Global Value Chains: Is the Dstinction Obsolete?

This paper introduces a taxonomy of service activities in GVCs and describes the main statistical challenges in assessing the contribution of manufacturing and services to output, value added, or trad...

by Sébastien Miroudot | On 07 Mar 2019

Rebalancing the Economy and Reforming the Fiscal System of the People’s Republic of China

The goal of the note is to lay out and discuss a package of reforms that could be consistent with the objectives of the government. The fiscal instruments that we consider here include the division of...

by Roy Bahl | On 07 Mar 2019

Improving Subnational Government Development Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies: Towards a Strategic Approach

This paper reviews the rationale and potential for improving subnational development finance, outlines the overall landscape of institutional arrangements available for this purpose, and considers bro...

by Paul Smoke | On 18 Feb 2019

The Growing Importance of Consumer Finance for Financial Inclusion in India

This paper examines the role of consumer finance, a high growth segment of the Indian financial sector in promoting financial inclusion. Consumer finance involves granting credit to consumers to enabl...

by Saon Ray | On 03 Feb 2019

The Anomaly of Women’s Work and Education in India

This paper utilizes a large cross-section of data sets such as the ILOSTAT, NSSO Quinquennial Employment and Unemployment Survey, Labour Bureau Annual Employment and Unemployment Survey, National Fami...

by Surbhi Ghai | On 03 Feb 2019

Changing Structure of Employment in Indian States

The study attempts a comparative assessment of the changing employment situation in major Indian states, measured in terms of worker-population ratios and the distribution of workers into status group...

by A.V. Jose | On 01 Feb 2019

Outward FDI and Crossborder M&As by Indian Firms: A Host Country-Level Analysis

This paper tries to understand the trends and the pattern of Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) by Indian firms and the factors that determine OFDI from India through Cross-Border Mergers and Ac...

by P.L. Beena | On 31 Jan 2019

Wage Inequalities in India

This paper examines the dimension of inequality since our earlier work on poverty and deprivation suggest that social inequality seems to overwhelm all other inequalities in a whole range of indicator...

by K.P. Kannan | On 31 Jan 2019

Multi- Product Firms, Tariff Liberalization and Product Churning in Vietnamese Manufacturing

This study documents the frequency and characteristics of multi-product firms in Vietnamese manufacturing. The major findings are as follows. First, multi-product firms are larger, more capital-intens...

by Ha Thi Thanh Doan | On 29 Jan 2019

How Does Public Debt Affect the Indian Macroeconomy? A Structural VAR Approach

This study investigates the macroeconomic effects of public debt in India using a Structural Vector Auto regression (SVAR) framework for the period from 1980 to 2017. The objective of this study is to...

by Ranjan Kumar Mohanty | On 23 Jan 2019

Industrialization of Developing Countries in a Multicountry, Multisector Capital Accumulation Model

This paper shows that industrialization of developing countries, defined as start of production of investment goods, happens when their share in global production exceeds the global demand for consump...

by Tadateru Hayashi | On 02 Jan 2019

The Impact of Trade Conflict on Developing Asia

This paper analyzes the effects of the current trade conflict on developing Asia using the Asian Development Bank’s Multiregional Input–Output Table (MRIOT), allowing us to calculate the impact on ind...

by Abdul Abiad | On 21 Dec 2018

Social Funding of Green Financing: An Application of Distributed Ledger Technologies

This paper contributes to the literature in two ways: First, it delineates a concrete application of DLTs in the field of green financing, which offers the potential to increase social welfare. Second...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 20 Nov 2018

Translating Women’s Voices into Action in Mongolia: Addressing Gender-Based Violence through Investments in Infrastructure

The aim of the paper is to contribute to the discussion on the role of multilateral financing in directly addressing gender-based violence; specifically, the ways in which infrastructure investments c...

by Tsolmon Begzsuren | On 29 Oct 2018

Does Regional Integration Matter for Inclusive Growth? Evidence from the Multidimensional Regional Integration Index

This paper employs a multidimensional approach to gauge the degree of regional integration and analyze impact on growth, inequality, and poverty. It constructs a multidimensional regional integration...

by Cyn-Young Park | On 26 Oct 2018

Role of Bank Lending in Financing Green Projects: A Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Approach

This paper develops an environmental dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (E-DSGE) model with heterogeneous production sectors. In particular, the model comprises some low-carbon emission firms that...

by Maria Teresa Punzi | On 19 Oct 2018

Debt Traps? Market Vendors and Moneylender Debt in India and the Philippines

A debt trap occurs when someone takes on a high-interest rate loan and is barely able to pay back the interest, and thus perpetually finds themselves in debt (often by re-financing). Studying such pra...

by Dean Karlan | On 04 Oct 2018

Money and Business Cycle: Evidence From India

This paper takes a New Keynesian model with non-separable money in utility to Indian data using maximum likelihood. The identification problem in isolating the effect of money on output and inflation...

by Ashima Goyal | On 21 Sep 2018

Duration of Export Relationships of Philippine MSMEs

The study examines the survivability of Philippines MSMEs' exports to select countries. The analysis is based on the survival analysis model of Besedeš and Prusa (2006a; 2006b) and Besedeš and Prusa (...

by Mark Edison Bautista | On 20 Sep 2018

Risk Management in Maldives: Sharing Practical Experience and Lessons Learned

Risk management is a systematic approach to determine which goods and passengers need to be examined in detail when entering a country. It involves (i) collecting, storing, and analyzing data to und...

by Asian Development Bank | On 19 Sep 2018

Rationale and Institution for Public – Private Partnerships

Private–public partnership (PPP) methods are considered to be an effective way to narrow the gap between demand and supply of social infrastructure. If successfully pursued, PPP can deliver benefits t...

by Jungwook Kim | On 19 Sep 2018

Bride Price and Female Education

The paper examines how the effects of school construction on girls’ education vary with a widely-practiced marriage custom called bride price, which is a payment made by the husband and/or his family...

by Nava Ashraf | On 17 Sep 2018

Financial Market Integration and Income Inequality

This paper uncovers novel empirical evidence that financial market integration and financial market development interact to change income inequality. When other things are controlled, the effect of fi...

by Jae wook Jung | On 11 Sep 2018

Vietnam’s Low National Competitiveness, Causes, Implications and Suggestions for Improvement

This study provides an in-depth analysis of main causes of Vietnam’s low competitiveness from the country’s perspective. These are structural problems due to its factor-based growth model, expansionar...

by LE Quoc Phuong | On 11 Sep 2018

Is Employment Globalizing?

The paper investigates the claim that national labor markets have become more globally interconnected in recent decades. It is done so by deriving estimates over time of three different notions of int...

by Liming Chen | On 10 Sep 2018

What Drives Filipino Firms to Innovate

Innovation is recognized as an important driver of productivity, sustained economic growth, and development. It is also a key to finding enduring solutions to socioeconomic and environmental challenge...

by Jose Ramon G. Albert | On 04 Sep 2018

Vulnerability to Poverty in the Philippines: An Examination of Trends from 2003 to 2015

The reduction of poverty is at the heart of the development agenda both nationally and globally. This is reflected in the Philippine Development Plan, and the worldwide commitment toward the Sustainab...

by Jose Ramon G. Albert | On 27 Aug 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

The Impact of Nationally Determined Contributions on the Energy Sector: Implications for ADB and Its Developing Member Countries

This report assesses the impact of NDCs on the energy sectors of ADB’s DMCs in terms of projected changes to the power mix, anticipated investment in energy technologies, as well the resulting emissio...

by Yongping Zhai | On 16 Aug 2018

Financing Solar Photovoltaic Transition: From Utility to Residential Market Adoption in Emerging Economies

This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of different financial schemes for introducing PV facilities in terms of the suitability of funding vehicles and investment mechanisms. Given the p...

by Ranaporn Tantiwechwuttikul | On 13 Aug 2018

Deriving Macroeconomic Benefits from Public–Private Partnerships in Developing Asia

This paper develops a framework identifying channels through which economic gains can be derived from PPP arrangement. The framework helps derive an empirically tractable specification that examines h...

by Minsoo Lee | On 11 Aug 2018

Determinants of Public–Private Partnerships in Infrastructure in Asia: Implications for Capital Market Development

This study attempts to understand the role of greater access to finance, i.e., stocks, bonds, and bank loans, in public–private partnership (PPP) investment in developing countries. Most developing co...

by Suk Hyun | On 10 Aug 2018

Hazard Analysis on Public–Private Partnership Projects in Developing Asia

. This paper applies survival time hazard analysis to estimate how project-related, macroeconomic, and institutional factors affect the hazard rate of the projects. Empirical results show that governm...

by Minsoo Lee | On 25 Jul 2018

Alternate Instruments to Manage the Capital Flow Conundrum: A Study of Selected Asian Economies

The paper analyses a nationally representative data set from India for the year 2013 in order to provide evidence on how short term migration is affected by household's ownership of land, and particip...

by Rajeswari Sengupta | On 25 Jul 2018

Portfolio Composition and Valuation Effects in Emerging Market Economies

Gross capital inflows and outflows to and from emerging market economies (EMEs) have witnessed a significant increase since early 2000s. This rapid increase in these flows accompanied by sharp rise in...

by Ashima Goyal | On 25 Jul 2018

Financial Inclusion, Financial Regulation, Financial Literacy, and Financial education in the Kyrgyz Republic

This paper discusses recent developments in financial inclusion and financial literacy in Kyrgyz Republic. While financial inclusion is considered one of the key drivers of today’s development, it is...

by Savia Hasanova | On 19 Jul 2018

Welfare Issues in Price Control on Occasions of Calamities, Emergencies, and Like Occurrences

This study focuses on the implications of RA7581 during disaster events, and answer issues on the effects of price control on consumer protection and local economic recovery as well as provides discou...

by Sonny N. Domingo | On 05 Jul 2018

Lessons on Providing Cash Transfers to Disaster Victims: A Case Study of UNICEF’s Unconditional Cash Transfer Program for super typhoon Yolanda Victims

This paper describes and assesses the design of the UCT program. It evaluates the UCT based on data collected from three survey rounds from a sample of UCT household beneficiaries, as well as other pr...

by Celia M. Reyes | On 29 Jun 2018

Results of the Assessment of the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge Utilization in the Philippines

This paper finds that transparency and efficiency in collection should be improved through automation and accurate recording. Project identification and investment programming must also adhere to the...

by Sheilah G. Napalang | On 29 Jun 2018

Activist to Entrepreneur – The Role of Social Enterprise in Supporting Women’s Empowerment in Pakistan

This report sets out to establish how well social enterprise really does address gender inequality and women's empowerment in Pakistan. It is part of a series of reports commissioned by the British Co...

by Mark Richardson | On 28 Jun 2018

Maternal Education, Parental Investment and Non-Cognitive Characteristics in Rural China

This paper evaluates the parental response to non-cognitive variation across siblings in rural Gansu province, China, employing a household fixed effects specification; the non-cognitive measures of i...

by Jessica Leight | On 26 Jun 2018

Economic Policy for Artificial Intelligence

Recent progress in artificial intelligence (AI) – a general purpose technology affecting many industries - has been focused on advances in machine learning, which recast as a quality adjusted drop in...

by Ajay K. Agrawal | On 12 Jun 2018

The Impact of Monetary and Tax Policy on Income Inequality in Japan

This paper assesses the effects of the most recent monetary policy behavior of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) (in particular, zero interest rate policy and negative interest rate policy) and Japanese tax pol...

by Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary | On 09 Jun 2018

Cross- Border Portfolio Investment and Financial Integration in Asia and the Pacific Region

This paper examines the developments of cross-border portfolio assets and liabilities in the Asia and Pacific region over the periods of 2001–2017. Rapid increases in both portfolio foreign assets and...

by Sayuri Shirai | On 07 Jun 2018

Financial Inclusion, Regulation, Financial Literacy and Financial Education in Armenia

Financial inclusion has significantly advanced in Armenia during the last decade. Rural and urban areas, however, have benefited unevenly. The high cost of providing financial services, the lack of ph...

by Armen Nurbekyan | On 07 Jun 2018

Estimating Elasticity of Transport Fuel Demand in Pakistan

This study investigates the fuel demand elasticities separately for petrol, diesel, and CNG using data from July 2004 to June 2015 for Pakistan. The results show that fuel demands are generally (own...

by Muhammad Omer | On 06 Jun 2018

Do Information and Communication Technologies Empower Female Workers? Firm-Level Evidence from Viet Nam

This paper studies the effects of firms’ investments in information and communication technologies (ICT) on their demand for female and skilled workers. Using the gradual liberalization of the broadba...

by Natalie Chun | On 31 May 2018

Income Inequality and Depression: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association and a Scoping Review of Mechanisms

Most countries have witnessed a dramatic increase of income inequality in the past three decades. This paper addresses the question of whether income inequality is associated with the population prev...

by | On 31 May 2018

Economic Policy for Artificial Intelligence

Recent progress in artificial intelligence (AI) – a general purpose technology affecting many industries - has been focused on advances in machine learning, which we recast...

by | On 30 May 2018

Accessing Opportunities: Policy Decisions for Enhancing Urban Mobility

This paper first considers the challenges of urban mobility faced by developing cities, before exploring the role for policy in improving connectivity. In Section 2, this paper looks at options for...

by Paul Collier | On 30 May 2018

Global Inequality When Unequal Countries Create Unequal People

Current global inequality measures assume that national-mean income does not matter to economic welfare at given household income, as measured in surveys. The paper questions...

by Martin Ravallion | On 16 May 2018

R&D Spillovers and R&D Intensity: A Study of Electronic Goods Sector in India

This paper attempts to analyze the determinants of inter - firm differences in R&D intensity at the five digit level of industries belonging to the Electronics Goods Sector in In dia. Empirica...

by Narayanan K | On 14 May 2018

Technological Progress and Future of Kuznets Curve

This study considers the fluctuation in the degree of income inequality after the Kuznets curve completes a single inverted U-shaped curve. It ascertains that new-born technological inventions incre...

by Inyong Shin | On 14 May 2018

World Economic Outlook, April 2018: Cyclical Upswing, Structural Change

The global economic upswing that began around mid-2016 has become broader and stronger. This new World Economic Outlook report projects that advanced economies as a group will continue to expand above...

by International Monetary Fund [IMF] | On 08 May 2018

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

India introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 1 July 2017 after a decade of preparation. Ideally, GST should reduce tax driving the market by enabling businesses to invest, reflecting...

by Parthasarathi Shome | On 07 May 2018

Crowding-Out or Crowding-In? Public and Private Investment in India

This paper contributes to the debate on the relationship between public and private investment in India along the following dimensions. First, acknowledging major structural changes that the Indian ec...

by Girish Bahal | On 07 May 2018

Cold Chain Development for Fruits & Vegetables in India

This supply chain allows us to analyze the time- and distance-related aspects of cold-chain investment.

by Man Mohan Sodhi | On 27 Apr 2018

Forward Guidance

The paper assesses the power of forward guidance—promises about future interest rates—as a monetary tool in a liquidity trap using a quantitative incomplete-markets model. The results suggest the effe...

by Marcus Hagedorn | On 24 Apr 2018

The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution

The Global Findex database is the world’s most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Launched with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the da...

by World Bank [WB] | On 21 Apr 2018

Revisiting Rates of Return to Agricultural R&D Investment

This study proposes the use of partial least squares to determine the key parameters of the perpetual inventory method model of capital stock as a new approach to calculate research and development (R...

by Alejandro Nin Pratt | On 13 Apr 2018

Chronic Poverty in India: Overview Study

This paper tries to summarise the current state of knowledge about chronic poverty in India and identify the agenda for further research. An ove rview of the trends in incidence of...

by | On 12 Apr 2018

Social Interactions and Stigmatized Behavior: “Donating” Blood Plasma in Rural China

Despite the resultant disutility, some people, in particular, the poor, are engaged in behaviors that carry social stigma. Empirical studies on stigmatized behavior are rare, largely due to the form...

by Xi Chen | On 12 Apr 2018

Special Economic Zones for Myanmar

This report examines the current state of Myanmar’s industrial sector, draws comparisons to its neighboring countries, and discusses the potential impacts of SEZ policy on the economy. A key finding...

by Amit K. Khandelwal | On 12 Apr 2018

ICT investment and economic growth in India: An industry perspective

The role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in driving economic growth has been well established in the literature. By reducing communication and transaction costs, and improving the...

by K L Krishna | On 04 Apr 2018

Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Development: An Analysis for the Past Trends and Future Options

The paper says that average saving rate over 1990-91 to 1995-96 has been only 14.7 percent of GDP.

by Sarfraz Qureshi | On 30 Mar 2018

Human Capital and Income Equality

This study investigates empirically how human capital, measured by educational attainment, is related to income distribution. The regressions, using a panel data set covering a broad range of countr...

by | On 30 Mar 2018

Understanding Gendered Empowerment Through a Government-run Microfinance Programme: The case of Stree Shakti in Karnataka

The report indicated a widespread stagnation of women’s work participation in poorer districts, a narrowing of their work, income, prospects and opportunities, growing wage differentials between men a...

by Centre for Budget and Policy Studies CBPS | On 23 Mar 2018

Drinking Water and Well Being in India: Data Envelopment Analysis

The study examines the use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for the estimation of the well being from drinking water using ‘commodities and capabilities’ approach. DEA uses the general purpose li...

by | On 22 Mar 2018

Towards a Green Public Bank in the Public Interest

Four decades of neoliberal market fundamentalism and its relentless assault on the public sector and our understandings of publicness have generated a profound crisis of social reproduction and envi...

by | On 21 Mar 2018

Estimating Poverty in Pakistan: The Non-food Consumption Share Approach

The paper says that poverty alleviation is the most persistent challenge facing Pakistan since its inception.

by Rashida Haq | On 21 Mar 2018

Modelling Gender Dimensions of the Impact of Economic Reforms on Time Allocation among Market Work, Household Work, and Leisure

The paper says that the gender has been largely ignored at the theoretical, empirical and policy design levels, thereby perpetuating gender biases in the actual working of economies, promoting gender...

by Rizwana Siddiqui | On 20 Mar 2018

Financial Inclusion: New Measurement and Cross-Country Impact Assessment

This paper introduces a new index of financial inclusion for 151 economies using principal component analysis to compute weights for aggregating nine indicators of access, availability, and usage. It...

by Rogelio V. Mercado, Jr. | On 20 Mar 2018

Trade, Technology, and Prosperity An Account of Evidence from a Labor-market Perspective

This report assesses the state of economic research into those areas, with a particular focus on empirical methodologies and their adequacy for an assessment of general-equilibrium outcomes. While di...

by Marc-Andreas Muendler | On 20 Mar 2018

Continuing Caste inequalities in Rural Uttar Pradesh

A continuous mixed opinion on the relevance of caste based reservations and caste as a factor of socioeconomic disparity in the recent period demands update of evidence on socioeconomic inequalities...

by Srinivas Goli | On 16 Mar 2018

It’s all in the Stars: The Chinese Zodiac and the Effects of Parental Investments on Offspring’s Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Development

The importance of (early) parental investments in children’s cognitive and noncognitive outcomes is a question of deep policy significance. However, because parental investments are arguably endogeno...

by Chih Ming Tan | On 16 Mar 2018

Fiscal Policy Effectiveness and Inequality: Efficacy of Gender Budgeting in Asia Pacific

Gender budgeting is a fiscal approach that seeks to use a country’s national and/or local budget(s) to reduce inequality and promote economic growth and equitable development. While literature has exp...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 16 Mar 2018

The Contribution of Workers’ Remittances to Economic Growth in Pakistan

The paper says that the role of workers’ remittances in economic development of recipient countries is considered to be an important area of research.

by Zafar Iqbal | On 15 Mar 2018

Investment Choice with Managerial Incentive Schemes

In this paper we show that firms might get an additional strategic benefit from using marginal-cost-reducing investments in conjunction with a managerial incentive scheme. While both these instrumen...

by | On 12 Mar 2018

Measuring the Equilibrium Impacts of Credit: Evidence from the Indian Microfinance Crisis

In October 2010, the state government of Andhra Pradesh, India issued an emergency ordinance, bringing microfinance activities in the state to a complete halt and causing a nation-wide shock to the li...

by Emily Breza | On 10 Mar 2018

The Multilateral Legal Instrument: A Developing Country Perspective

This paper makes an attempt to assess whether this instrument has succeeded in bringing about the desired changes. A unique database is constructed on the basis of these country positions. Using this...

by Suranjali Tandon | On 03 Mar 2018

Business Cycle Measurement in India

This paper presents the business cycle chronology for the Indian economy. Two distinct phases are analysed. The pre-1991 period when the cycles were mainly driven by monsoon shocks. The post 1991 phas...

by Radhika Pandey | On 03 Mar 2018

Internationalisation of the Rupee

This paper evaluates the current status of the Indian Rupee as an international currency using the Chinn and Frankel (2008) framework, and explores the possibility of future Indian Rupee international...

by Shekhar Hari Kumar | On 27 Feb 2018

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

The paper says that the Government of India (GoI) recently announced plans for transition to all electric transportation by 2030.

by Tanmay Sarkar | On 26 Feb 2018

Social Rewards and the Design of Voluntary Incentive Mechanism for Biodiversity Protection on Farmland

The paper examines how endogenous social preferences could affect economic incentive design to encourage biodiversity protection on private land. A 'green' farmer may enjoy esteem from leading by exam...

by Rupayan Pal | On 22 Feb 2018

Focus: Women, Gender and Armed Conflict

The end of the Cold War in 1989 did not, as had been expected, bring about a reduction in armed conflicts. More than two thirds of the poorest countries in the world are in conflict regions. The natur...

by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) | On 21 Feb 2018

War on the Female Body: Rape and Sexual Violence during Conflict

This article focuses on rape as a weapon of war, the sociological impacts of which can be widespread and long-lasting. This is especially due to the ensuing terror and disruption to livelihoods, relat...

by AMSA Global Health | On 21 Feb 2018

India and the Artificial Intelligence Revolution

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have stimulated fervent interest from both the private sector and governments across the globe, as the possibility of mass-produced consumer product m...

by | On 21 Feb 2018

Sexual Violence in the “People’s War” – The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls in Nepal

The report described the level and cases of gender based sexual violence during the armed conflict and proved that both the warring parties were involved in such heinous acts. It also showed the letha...

by Institute of Human Rights Communication, Nepal (IHRICON | On 21 Feb 2018

Fiscal Management in Kerala: Constraints and Policy Options

The paper says that this pattern of financing fiscal deficit is reflected in the changing composition of Kerala’s public debt.

by K.K. George | On 15 Feb 2018

State Level Fiscal Reforms in India: Some Core Issues

This paper has introduced instability in the budgets and has added to the burden of public debt.

by K.K. George | On 15 Feb 2018

Karnataka Electricity Demand Forecasting FY17-22

A study was conducted to forecast the electricity consumption and demand for Karnataka (as seen by the utilities) for 2017-2022.

by Arijit Chanda | On 13 Feb 2018

Factors Affecting the Academic Achievement: A Study of Elementary School Students of NCR Delhi, India

The foremost aim of the study was to investigate and analyze the relationship of General Mental Ability, Interest and home environmentwith Academic Achievement.Methods:The participants were 110 stude...

by | On 12 Feb 2018

The 2018 Budget Speech: Malaysia

Budget speech by Finance Minister of Malaysia.

by Minister of Finance Malaysia | On 09 Feb 2018

In the Long Run We are Dead, says Keynes Amen, says the Government!

This is a dreamy and populist Budget talking high numbers while missing out on empirical realities. The irony is that, looked at closely, it has neither pleased the free market theorists nor has it do...

by K.R. Shyam Sundar | On 09 Feb 2018

Decentralizing for Development: The Developmental Potential of Local Autonomy and the Limits of Politics Driven Decentralization Reforms

This paper points at the missing link between decentralization and local development in so many countries whose decentralization reforms are driven by political rather than developmental goals.

by Leena Avonius | On 07 Feb 2018

Assessing Poverty Alleviation Strategies for Their Impact on Poor Women: Study with Special Reference to India

This paper is concerned with the way macro-economic strategies can affect the incidence of poverty, especially among women, and also with the effectiveness of various forms of government interventio...

by Jayati Ghosh | On 05 Feb 2018

Budget Speech West Bengal: 2018

Finance Minister, Dr. Amit Mitra presented the West Bengal budget on 31st January, 2018.

by Amit Mitra FM, WB | On 05 Feb 2018

Kerala Budget 2018-19

Budget speech of Finance Minister of Kerala.

by T.M. Thomas Issac | On 05 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 10: Social Infrastructure, Employment and Human Development

The report says that investment in human capital is a prerequisite for a healthy and productive population for nation building.

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 9: Services Sector

The report says that as per the UN National Accounts Statistics data, India’s ranking improved from 14th position in 2006 to 7th position in 2016, among the world’s 15 largest economies in terms of ov...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II: Chapter 6: External Sector

India’s external sector continued to be resilient and strong in 2017-18 so far, with the Balance of Payments situation continuing to be comfortable with the Current Account Deficit at 1.8 percent of ...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 2: Review of Fiscal Developments

Sound public financial management has been one of the pillars of India’s macro-economic stability in the last three years. Based on this firm footing, the Government, in partnership with the States,...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I: Chapter 9: Ease of Doing Business’ Next Frontier: Timely Justice

The government’s efforts to make business and commerce easy have been widely acknowledged. The next frontier on the ease of doing business is addressing pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellat...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I, Chapter 5: Is there a “Late Converger Stall” in Economic Development? Can India Escape it?

The first order fact about the developing world today is that this is an era of unprecedented prosperity. And that is true about India too which has been one of the most dynamic economic performers...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I, Chapter 3: Investment and Saving Slowdowns and Recoveries: Cross-Country Insights for India

This chapter draws on cross-country experience to study the pattern of investment and saving slowdowns as well as recoveries in order to obtain policy lessons for India. One finding is that investme...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Trade in Intermediate Goods: Implications for Productivity and Welfare in Korea

The paper find technical changes and the degree of inefficiency are related with the magnitude of multipliers, but we leave a fundamental identification problem to future research.

by Kim Gui | On 30 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

Determinants and Consequences of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from the Revision of the Company Act in India

The paper also indicate that the revision is effective to increase the eligible firms' profits by 3.5 percent, compared to the ineligible firms.

by Lee Woong | On 30 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I, Chapter 1: State of the Economy: An Analytical Overview and Outlook for Policy

The GST Council offers a model “technology” of cooperative federalism to apply to many other policy reforms. Over the medium term, three areas of policy focus stand out: Employment: finding good job...

by Arun Jaitley | On 29 Jan 2018

Investment Puzzle: Deeper Roots

The paper talks about the main estimation results show that they have affected negatively the business investment over the period 1980-2014.

by Kim Sujin | On 29 Jan 2018

Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition

UNICEF, WHO, World Bank global and regional child malnutrition estimates from 1990 to 2017 reveal that we are still far from a world without malnutrition. The joint estimates, published in May 2017,...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 25 Jan 2018

Gender Inequality and Early Childhood Development

Plan International’s commitment to tackle discrimination and exclusion and advance children’s rights and equality for girls lies at the heart of our new Organisational Purpose. Our ambition to tackle...

by | On 22 Jan 2018

Federalism and Foreign Direct Investment: How Political Affiliation Determines the Spatial Distribution of FDI – Evidence from India

This paper links the foreign economic engagement of India’s states with the literature on federalism, thereby contributing to an understanding of the political economy of FDI in- flows in a parliame...

by Chanchal Kumar Sharma | On 22 Jan 2018

Forward and Backward Linkages of Migrants to Slums in Delhi

Linkages with the native place as well as integration within the city constitute backward and forward linkages of slum dwellers. Remittances are important part of these linkages. The paper explores t...

by | On 18 Jan 2018

Technological Change, Automation and Employment: A Short Review of Theory and Evidence

A selective survey of recent papers in the area of technological change, automation and employment is presented. The objective is to convey analytical ideas and the empirical evidence that have inform...

by K. V. Ramaswamy | On 16 Jan 2018

Inequality, Employment and Public Policy

This paper examines dimensions of inequality including labour market inequalities and discusses public policies needed for reduction in inequalities. It discusses both inequality of outcomes and inequ...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 16 Jan 2018

Selection, Firm Turnover, and Productivity Growth: Do Emerging Cities Speed up the Process?

This paper identifies and estimates the impact of firm entry and exit on plant-level productivity in Ethiopia as part of a selection mechanism that might be driving aggregate productivity growth in ci...

by Patricia Jones | On 16 Jan 2018

Health Financing and Delivery in India: An Overview of Selected Schemes

The paper shows that a range of institutional innovations are possible in terms of bridging the health equity divide.

by Kalpana Jain | On 04 Jan 2018

Cities, Rural Migrants and the Urban Poor

This paper tries to lay bare the intertwined histories of rehabilitation of the refugees from East Pakistan and the development of the city of Calcutta in the initial decades after the partition of Br...

by | On 02 Jan 2018

Social Protection, Citizenship and the Employment Relationship

This paper addresses the issues of social protection, citizenship and the employment relationship, through the lens of South Africa.

by Francie Lund | On 02 Jan 2018

Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Patterns

This paper explores trends in urban employment in India, with a focus on urban informal employment (defined as informal wage employment and self-employment in informal enterprises, as well as informal...

by Martha Alter Chen | On 02 Jan 2018

Exploring the Relationship Between Geographical Indications and Traditional Knowledge

The case studies undertaken mainly from India revealed that a large number of local and village communities and also from backward communities are involved in the production of the GIs products.

by N. Gopalakrishnan | On 28 Dec 2017

Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property Rights

This article summarises a case study conducted by the author based on a long period of research on the behaviour of firms in technology transfer and local capacity building in that country.

by Linsu Kim | On 27 Dec 2017

International Trade Governance and Sustainable Transport: The Expansion of Electric Vehicles

This paper has been conceived as an exploratory scoping exercise intended to identify and better understand trade-related issues and knowledge gaps, including how various types of trade measures and p...

by International Centre for Development (ICTSD) | On 22 Dec 2017

Financial Literacy in Japan: Determinants and Impacts

Financial literacy is gaining increasing importance as a policy objective in many countries. However, internationally comparable information on financial literacy is still scarce. Recently, the Bank o...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 21 Dec 2017

Consumption- and Productivity-Adjusted Dependency Ratio with Household Structure Heterogeneity

This study constructs a new dependency ratio measure by taking into account the consumption needs of the young and elderly people, and the productivity of middle-aged people. Different from the way th...

by Xuehui Han | On 21 Dec 2017

Aging and Inequality : The Perspective of Labor Income Share

Despite a growing literature on population aging, empirical studies exploring mechanisms between aging and income inequality are scarce. This paper estimates the impact of aging on inequality via the...

by | On 18 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

India’s Bond Market— Developments and Challenges Ahead

While India boasts a world-class equity market and increasingly important bank assets, its bond market has not kept up. The government bond market remains illiquid. The corporate bond market, in addit...

by | On 14 Dec 2017

PIDS Calls For ‘Intelligent’ Discourse On Federalism

The study says that the policymakers should see merit in examining whether federalism can indeed address the sociopolitical and economic problems that hamper the country’s growth.

by PIDS Information Staff | On 11 Dec 2017

Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2017/2018 : Foreign Investor Perspectives and Policy Implications

This inaugural issue of the World Bank Group’s Global Investment Competitiveness Report presents novel analytical insights and empirical evidence on foreign direct investment’s (FDI) drivers and contr...

by World Bank [WB] | On 08 Dec 2017

Inclusive Urban Planning for the Working Poor: Planning Education Trends and Potential Shifts

The report outlines and critically assesses trends in urban planning education across the globe, specifically in countries of the global South, and the extent to which curricula address issues of incl...

by Vanessa Watson | On 07 Dec 2017

Informal Workers in Global Horticulture and Commodities Value Chains: A Review of Literature

This paper presents and analyzes the key findings from a comprehensive review of value chain-related studies on the commodities and horticulture sectors, focusing on what this literature reveals about...

by Man-Kwun Chan | On 06 Dec 2017

Technology, Jobs and Inequality Evidence from India’s Manufacturing Sector

Faced with easier access to foreign technology and imported capital goods, firms in India's organised manufacturing sector adopted advanced techniques of production leading to increasing automation an...

by Radhicka Kapoor | On 01 Dec 2017

India-Pakistan Trade: An Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Sector

The study says that the pharmaceutical sector is crucial to health issues in developing economies and would be an ideal segment to focus on in improving trade relations between the two countries.

by Manoj Pant | On 29 Nov 2017

Effects Of Temperature Shocks on Economic Growth and Welfare in Asia

Using the Burke, Hsiang, and Miguel (2015) framework, we examine the nonlinear response effect of economic growth to historic temperature and precipitation fluctuations. We confirm that aside from the...

by | On 23 Nov 2017

Gender Mainstreaming Case Study : India - Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) aimed to increase agricultural productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and reduce poverty by improving irrigation delivery, enhancing agricult...

by | On 22 Nov 2017

Going In Circles

The study says that there are certain misconceptions about the power sector’s circular debt, which has generated controversy in the country.

by Dr. Abid Suleri | On 21 Nov 2017

Pakistan’s Highly Taxed Telecom Market: Fall out and Impact

The study aims to create awareness among both the public and private sectors about the importance of exploiting useful information resources.

by Brig (Retd) Yasin | On 21 Nov 2017

Inequality, Good Governance and Endemic Corruption

Can a society suffering contests between rich and poor achieve good governance in the face of endemic corruption? The paper examines a stylized poor state with weak institutions in which a “culture of...

by Gil S. Epstein | On 21 Nov 2017

Urban Consumption Inequality in China, 1995–2013

The paper uses 1995, 2002 and 2013 CHIP data to investigate the urban household consumption expenditure inequality. The overall inequality of urban household consumption expenditure measured by Gini c...

by Qingjie Xia | On 20 Nov 2017

The Effect of Public Sector Development Expenditures and Investment on Economic Growth: Evidence from Pakistan

The study will use data from 1980-81 to 2015-16 in this regard and employ Johansen cointegration to investigate the long run relationship.

by Syed Ahmed | On 20 Nov 2017

Targetting of Social Transfers: Are India's Elderly Poor Left Behind ?

Whether social transfers should be targeted or universal is an unsolved debate that is particularly relevant for the implementation of social protection schemes in developing countries. While the limi...

by | On 15 Nov 2017

Effects of Trade and Services Liberalization on Wage Inequality in India

We examine the effects of trade and services liberalization on wage inequality in India. We find that labor reallocations and wage shifts attributable to liberalization account for at most 29% of the...

by | On 14 Nov 2017

Inequality and Expectations in a Model of Technology Adoption and Growth

This paper highlights the role of initial wealth inequality in determining the technology adoption decision of firms, which in turn impacts upon the overall productivity in an economy. Wealth inequali...

by Surbhi Badhwar | On 08 Nov 2017

Educational Achievement Through the Lens of Social Inequality : A Study in a Tribal Belt of Madhya Pradesh

The connection between social inequality and the actual level of learning is not as well understood in India as the patterns of inequality in enrolment. A study was conducted of 23 neighbouring and si...

by | On 02 Nov 2017

Daily Stock Market Movements: From the Lens of News and Events

This study analyzes the effect of daily movements in KSE-100 Index due to different policies announced as well as incidents/events happened in the country.

by Shahid Raza | On 31 Oct 2017

Remittances for Growth: Initiatives for Remitters and Remittances

This paper argues that by some monetary and fiscal reforms, the investable part of remittances could be diverted to labour intensive and development projects, creating hundreds of thousands employment...

by Atiq Rehman | On 30 Oct 2017

New Issues Puzzle: Experience from Karachi Stock Exchange

Study finds that both groups of IPOs outperforms on first trading day, as average initial market adjusted returns of SOE and non-SOE IPOs are 27.65 percent and 22.53 percent respectively.

by Henna Malik | On 30 Oct 2017

Educational Status of De-notified Tribes A Study of Telangana

This paper deals with educational status of De-notified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT-NT) of Telangana vis-à-vis their socioeconomic conditions. The present study is based on primary data collected from Mah...

by Vijay Korra | On 27 Oct 2017

Socio-economic and Environmental Factors Affecting Health in District Bhimber (AJK)

This study evaluates the impact of various socio economic and environmental variables on the incidence of diseases in district Bhimber of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

by Salma Kousar | On 27 Oct 2017

Sustainable Development Goals: Assessing Commitments towards Financing and Inequality

In September 2015, heads of States and representatives of 193 countries assembled at the United Nations General Assembly to give shape to the Post- 2015 Development Agenda: ‘Transforming Our World: Th...

by | On 25 Oct 2017

Trade Misinvoicing: What can we measure?

The existing studies on trade misinvoicing have focussed on the discrepancy in reported trade statistics between developing and developed countries. The estimates based on such methods rely on the ass...

by Suranjali Tandon | On 10 Oct 2017

Techno-Economic Feasibility Of Grid-tied Solar Mini-Grids

The report narrates the lack of clarity on interconnection with the grid is a major issue.

by Vaishalee Dash | On 10 Oct 2017

The Macroeconomic Benefits of Tax Enforcement in Pakistan

The benefits of improved tax enforcement in Pakistan through simulations of a model of the Pakistani economy is studied. We begin by documenting that the effective tax rate facing firms is increasin...

by Ethan Ilzetzki | On 04 Oct 2017

Bolder Disinvestment or Better Performance Contracts? Which Way Forward for India’s State-Owned Enterprises

This paper analyses the performance of India’s Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) using measures of labour and overall efficiency and productivity indicators as opposed to financial returns. Using meth...

by Ajay Chhibber | On 03 Oct 2017

Secondary Towns and Poverty Reduction: Refocusing the Urbanization Agenda

This review is framed around the exploration of a central hypothesis: A shift in public investment towards secondary towns from big cities will improve poverty reduction performance.

by Luc Christiaensen | On 27 Sep 2017

Structural Transformation and Income Distribution: Kuznets and Beyond

This paper explores the question of structural transformation and income distribution through the eyes of the pioneer in such analysis, Simon Kuznets.

by Ravi Kanbur | On 27 Sep 2017

East Asian Financial and Economic Development

Japan, an isolated, backward country in the 1860s, industrialized rapidly to become a major industrial power by the 1930s. South Korea, among the world’s poorest countries in the 1960s,joined the rank...

by Randall Morck | On 25 Sep 2017

The Plutocratic Bias in the Indian CPI

The Laspeyres-type consumer price index (CPI) is traditionally used to measure the changes in cost-of-living over time. Studies indicate this CPI suffers from a plutocratic bias, attaching greater wei...

by Dilip M. Nachane | On 18 Sep 2017

Estimating the Relationship between the Current Account, the Capital Account and Investment for India

Causality from the capital account (KA) to the current account (CA) of the balance of payments indicates disruption from capital flows while the reverse can indicate smooth financing of the CA that al...

by Ashima Goyal | On 15 Sep 2017

Monetary Transmission in India: Working of Price and Quantum Channels

The paper examines the strength and efficacy of transmission from the policy rate and liquidity provision to market rates in India, using event window regression analysis. The paper finds the interest...

by Ashima Goyal | On 15 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

Health Experience of Women: A Gender Perspective

This review paper examines the ill-health experience of women, and whether it has been adequately explored in a socio-cultural context from a gender perspective. A deeper understanding of the wide ran...

by Annapuranam Karuppannan | On 14 Sep 2017

Toilet Access among the Urban Poor – Challenges and Concerns in Bengaluru City Slums

Urban expansion in India over the last few decades has placed cities in a challenging situation with limited infrastructure facilities affecting the quality of life of people who live in low income se...

by Manasi S | On 13 Sep 2017

Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth in Karnataka

The paper aims to study the trend and pattern of electricity consumption in Karnataka, to investigate the direction of causality between electricity consumption and economic growth, and to forecast th...

by Laxmi Rajkumari | On 11 Sep 2017

Analyzing housework through family and gender perspectives

This Policy Note analyzes the role of wage and attitudes toward gender roles within the family in determining the time allocated to housework.

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 08 Sep 2017

Estimating Filipinos' Vulnerability to Poverty

Natural disasters, together with other shocks, have contributed to the vulnerability of both poor and nonpoor Filipino households to poverty.

by Christian D. Mina | On 07 Sep 2017

Economic Globalization and Income Inequality: Cross-country Empirical Evidence

This paper analyses the effect of economic globalization on income inequality in both cross-country and country-specific framework using panel data techniques and policy simulations. The sample compri...

by Sovna Mohanty | On 07 Sep 2017

The Operation of the Gold Standard in the Core and the Periphery Before the First World War

This paper examines the operation of the gold standard (GS) during the period 1870-1914, its heyday. It discusses the theory of balance of payments adjustment under the GS. Theory postulates automatic...

by Manmohan Agarwal | On 06 Sep 2017

Chronic and Transient Poverty and Weather Variability in the Philippines: Evidence Using Components Approach

The paper narrates that the weather is an integral part of our life and weather shocks can have severe implications on income and on household consumption.

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 06 Sep 2017

Evaluation of Fiscal Incentives in the Philippines

This paper (1) assesses how the Philippines fares in attracting investments compared with its neighboring countries, and (2) evaluates pending incentive reforms in the country.

by Danileen Kristel C Parel | On 04 Sep 2017

India’s Phytonutrient Report - A Snapshot of Fruits and Vegetables Consumption, Availability and Implications for Phytonutrient Intake

The objective of the study is to understand the ‘actual’ consumption patterns of fruits and vegetables in India and compare this to the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘recommended’ quantity for an ad...

by Arpita Mukherjee | On 31 Aug 2017

Onion Supply Chain Analysis: Constraints and Way Forward

The report says that the prices sometimes fall below cost of production making it uneconomical for the farmers.

by Dr Sohan Premi | On 31 Aug 2017

Development of Backward Areas- Outcome of the interventions so far

This paper by Centad looks at the initiatives and their outcome through the construction of an Improvement Index and suggests a relook.

by S Jagadeesan | On 25 Aug 2017

Current Challenges for the Economy and Priorities of the New Government

As this paper has observed that the macro fundamentals were indeed pointing to this slowdown, notwithstanding the smart recovery in two years of 2009-2011, immediately after the global economic meltdo...

by S Jagadeesan | On 25 Aug 2017

Manufacturing Centric Fiscal Policy

The report says that the manufacturing sector has significant fiscal policy implications.

by M. Singhi | On 24 Aug 2017

Developments in Iran’s Agriculture Sector and Prospects for U.S. Trade

With one of the Middle East’s largest economies, a growing population, and rising incomes, Iran contributes significantly to the region’s agricultural commodity consumption. Iran’s rising food demand...

by Mesbah Motamed | On 18 Aug 2017

Promoting Organic Food Products and Exports - Status, Issues and Way Forward

This paper, based on a primary survey of companies engaged in organic food business in India and the United Kingdom (UK), examines how organic food can attract more investment (domestic and foreign) a...

by Arpita Mukherjee | On 08 Aug 2017

Scarcity at the End of the Month: First Results from a Field Experiment in Bangladesh

This paper reports results of a ?eld experiment designed to test how the timing of wage payments a?ects consumption and ?nancial behaviors. Salaried employees in a large manufacturing ?rm were paid a...

by Emily Breza | On 07 Aug 2017

Report of the Working Group on Development of Corporate Bond Market in India

It has been well recognized that a well-developed corporate bond market complements a sound banking system in providing an alternative source of finance to the real sector for its long-term investme...

by Securities Board of India | 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

Balance of Payments Manual for India

The report says that the BoP, thus, includes all transactions showing: (a) transactions in goods, services and income between an economy and the rest of the world, (b) changes of ownership and other c...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 03 Aug 2017

Inequality of Opportunities Among Ethnic Groups in the Philippines

This paper contributes to the scant body of literature on inequalities among and within ethnic groups in the Philippines by examining both the vertical and horizontal measures in terms of opportunitie...

by Celia M. Reyes | On 02 Aug 2017

Mapping the cotton value chain in Pakistan: A preliminary assessment for identification of climate vulnerabilities & pathways to adaptation

This approach was chosen to understand the consequences of climate risks as well as the adaptation measures needed to cope with adverse impacts in order to ensure the resilience of all actors involved...

by Samavia Batool | On 01 Aug 2017

Does Government Borrowing Crowd out Private Sector Credit in Pakistan

An analysis of the impact of government borrowing from the scheduled banks on the credit to private sector in Pakistan, using monthly data from 1998:M6 to 2015:M12. We find that a one percentage poi...

by Sajjad Zaheer | On 31 Jul 2017

The NCAER State Investment Potential Index (N-SIPI 2017)

The NCAER State Investment Potential Index 2017 (N-SIPI 2017) is the second edition in the annual series of rankings of states on their growth and investment potential. It is a systematic and evidence...

by Research National Council of Applied Economic | On 31 Jul 2017

Cooking Contests for Healthier Recipes: Impacts on Nutrition Knowledge and Behaviors in Bangladesh

Many poverty alleviation programs aiming to enhance nutrition include behavior change communication (BCC). This study uses a field experiment in Bangladesh to assess the impacts of BCC, focusing on...

by Berber Kramer | On 31 Jul 2017

24x7 Power for All: Strategies for Karnataka

The report concludes with the strategies that Karnataka should focus on in order to achieve the objectives of 24x7 Power for All.

by Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy CSTEP | On 31 Jul 2017

Energy, Poverty and Development: A Primer for the Sustainable Development Goals

The seventh goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is dedicated to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. While energy was implicit in the Mi...

by Hannah Goozee | On 28 Jul 2017

Handbook on Assessment of Labour Provisons in Trade and Investment Arrangements

Labour provisions have become more commonplace in trade agreements and increasingly comprehensive in their scope. The Handbook provides practical information in a format geared towards non-specialist...

by International Organisation | On 28 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

Electric Buses in India: Technology, Policy and Benefits

The current policy climate in India is rightly addressing the challenges of electric buses, providing an environment to accelerate their adoption and implementation.

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

Village Transportation Infrastructure and Women’s Non-agricultural Employment in India: The Conditioning Role of Community Gender Context

Previous studies have examined how demographic characteristics, education, culture, and labor policy suppress Indian women’s labor supply. However, not enough attention has been paid to the role of po...

by Lei Lei | On 27 Jul 2017

2014 Clean Energy Investments: Project Summaries

This report summarizes the investments in clean energy made by the operations departments of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2014.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 26 Jul 2017

Can Leaders Promote Better Health Behavior? Learning from a Sanitation and Hygiene Communication Experiment in Rural Bangladesh

This study looks at the roles that local women leaders can play in addressing the important environmental health issue of sanitation and hand hygiene by improving access to quality sanitation and hygi...

by Atonu Rabbani | On 25 Jul 2017

Gender Equality Results Case Study: Bangladesh - Second Urban Primary Health Care Project

The project provided preventative and curative services, including access to immunization, reproductive health services, limited curative care, nutrition-related services, community outreach on health...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 25 Jul 2017

Sustainable Energy Access Planning: A Framework

This report presents a framework for sustainable energy access planning that planners and policy makers can use to design cost-effective clean energy supply systems that both poor and nonpoor can sust...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 24 Jul 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2015

The report narrates that the local currency bond market in emerging East Asia continued to expand in 1Q15 to reach US$8.3 trillion at end-March.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 24 Jul 2017

The Effect of Oil Shocks and Cyclicality in Hiding Indian Twin Deficits

The paper estimates the relationship between the current account and fiscal deficit, and the real exchange rate, in a structural vector auto regression, with Indian data for the managed float period 1...

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 Jul 2017

Making Money Work: Financing a Sustainable Future in Asia and the Pacific

This report explores some of the ways forward. It highlights not just the need to inject more money into investments that contribute to sustainable development, but also to attract funds toward them—t...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Jul 2017

Business Models to Realize the Potential of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The report provides outlines of business models relevant to pursuing the renewable energy and energy efficiency targets adopted by the five Greater Mekong Subregion countries: Cambodia, the Lao People...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jul 2017

Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2017 Supplement: Cautious Optimism for Asia's Outlook

With export demand stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2017, the region’s GDP is forecast to expand somewhat faster than forecast in April in Asian Development Outlook 2017.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jul 2017

Energy Efficiency Developments and Potential Energy Savings in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Greater gains in energy savings are possible from improved energy efficiency and conservation measures, both as a smart business investment, and an imperative for the global community.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Jul 2017

Local Currency Bonds and Infrastructure Finance in ASEAN+3

This study was undertaken under ABMI. It addresses two key questions: (i) Why is local currency bond financing not more widely used for infrastructure projects in ASEAN+3? and (ii) What can be done to...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Jul 2017

A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific

The report discusses the most recent projections pertaining to climate change and climate change impacts in Asia and the Pacific, and the consequences of these changes to human systems, particularly f...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Assessing Financial Protection against Disasters: A Guidance Note on Conducting a Disaster Risk Finance Diagnostic

The purpose of this note is to help development practitioners gather relevant information, conduct analysis, and present both in a standardized diagnostic framework. In addition to the guidance note i...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Maldives: Overcoming the Challenges of a Small Island State

This report provides support to the Maldivian government in formulating its high-priority policies by identifying the critical constraints to achieving inclusive growth. The report also provides polic...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 Jul 2017

Asia Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Finance Monitor 2014

This publication reviews various country aspects of SME finance covering the banking sector, nonbank sector, and capital markets. It is expected to support evidence-based policy making and regulations...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 Jul 2017

Harmonization and Standardization of Bond Market Infrastructures in ASEAN+3: ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum Sub-Forum 2 Phase 3 Report

This report is an outcome of Phase 3 discussions under the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum Sub-Forum 2, which have focused on making bond market infrastructures in the region more inter-operable through the...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 Jul 2017

Implementation of the ASEAN+3 Multi-Currency Bond Issuance Framework: ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum Sub-Forum 1 Phase 3 Report

The report says that the ASEAN+3 Multi-Currency Bond Issuance Framework (AMBIF) is a policy initiative under the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) to help facilitate intraregional transactions thro...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 Jul 2017

Economic Analysis of Climate-Proofing Investment Projects

This report describes the conduct of the cost-benefit analysis of climate proofing investment projects. An important message is that the presence of uncertainty about climate change does not invalidat...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Jul 2017

Financial Soundness Indicators for Financial Sector Stability in Viet Nam

The results of this study can be used to strengthen the institutional and statistical capacities of Viet Nam to routinely collect, compile, analyze, and disseminate internationally comparable FSIs tha...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Jul 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - September 2015

The publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. This issue includes a special section on Sukuk (Islamic bonds)...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 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

GST in India: A Key Tax Reform

GST is one of the most crucial tax reforms in India which has been long pending. It was supposed to be implemented from April 2010, but due to political issues and conflicting interests of various s...

by Monika Sehrawat | On 03 Jul 2017

Trust Funds and Fiscal Risks in the North Pacific: Analysis of Trust Fund Rules and Sustainability in the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia

This report focuses on the relatively complex account structure and drawdown rules of the two funds, which are the same in the CTFs of the RMI and the FSM. Using an investment return simulation model,...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 30 Jun 2017

Cambodia: Addressing the Skills Gap

The report says that Cambodia’s growth in the last 20 years has been remarkable and the lives of its people have improved substantially. But low-cost labor advantages on a narrow economic base have dr...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 30 Jun 2017

Innovative Strategies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia: Sri Lanka

This publication is part of a series of six country reports on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Each report presents cur...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 29 Jun 2017

Fiji: Building Inclusive Institutions for Sustained Growth

This study, using an inclusive growth framework, has identified the critical constraints that Fiji needs to address to strengthen investor sentiment even further and achieve inclusive growth.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 27 Jun 2017

Asian Economic Integration Report 2015: How Can Special Economic Zones Catalyze Economic Development?

The report is an annual review of Asia’s regional economic cooperation and integration. It covers the 48 regional members of the Asian Development Bank. This issue includes Special Chapter: How Can Sp...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Jun 2017

Integrated Information and Communication Technology Strategies for Competitive Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific

The report narrates that early adoption of information and communication technology can allow developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to move from labor-intensive, natural resources-based to know...

by Jouko Sarvi | On 22 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

Thailand: Industrialization and Economic Catch-Up

This report identifies some of Thailand’s critical development constraints and discusses policy measures and economic reforms needed to accelerate economic transformation toward a more modern and serv...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jun 2017

The Asian Bond Markets Initiative: Policy maker achievements and challenges

This paper also provides recommendations for addressing new sources of market volatility and other challenges within and outside the framework of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Jun 2017

Asian Development Outlook 2016: Highlights

The paper narrates that the risks are tilted to the downside as tightening US monetary policy may heighten financial volatility, further moderation in the People’s Republic of China could spill over i...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jun 2017

Enhancing Community-Driven Development through Convergence: A Case Study of Household- and Community-Based Initiatives in Philippine Villages

The study examines the Philippine government’s convergence initiative, and how it relates to community-driven development (CDD) that can impact rural communities in the Philippines.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Jun 2017

How Inclusive is Inclusive Business for Women? Examples from Asia and Latin America

This report assesses the extent to which inclusive business models promote women's economic empowerment. Examples come from the inclusive business portfolios of the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-A...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Jun 2017

Gender Equality Results Case Study: Nepal Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Project

This report presents the case study of that project, whose special features include responsiveness to local contexts and to conditions created by conflict, a well-coordinated system for women collecti...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jun 2017

ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Country Reports and Assessments 2014

In this fourth round of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Corporate Governance initiative of the Asian Development Bank and the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum, over 500 top publicly list...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 Jun 2017

Asian Development Outlook 2016 Supplement: Asia's Growth Prospects Undimmed by Brexit Vote

Growth in Central Asia is weaker than predicted, while expansion in the Pacific is now expected to be a touch higher. Forecasts are unchanged for East, South, and Southeast Asia. While the Brexit vote...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 02 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: Road Safety

Myanmar is at a critical point in terms of road safety. In 2014, road-related deaths reached 4,300, which is twice as many as in 2009. Substantial and decisive action is needed, including early fundin...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 31 May 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

Promoting Inland Waterway Transport in the People's Republic of China

This publication examines the constraints in developing inland waterway transport (IWT) based on a study in the PRC’s Hunan province. Six major challenges threatening the viability of IWT and its inte...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 30 May 2017

Envisioning Tax Policy for Accelerated Development in India

The objective of the paper is to highlight the reforms needed in the tax system to improve the revenue productivity of the tax system to conform to the vision of accelerating economic growth and dev...

by M. Govinda Rao | On 26 May 2017

Changing Tax Capacity and Tax Effort of Indian States in the Era of High Economic Growth, 2001-2014

Growing demand for public expenditures, limitations in expanding fiscal space and limited scope to deviate from common harmonized tax system under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime may...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 25 May 2017

Tajikistan: Promoting Export Diversification and Growth

Tajikistan has sustained high economic growth since its civil war ended in 1997. Real gross domestic product (GDP) during 1997–2015 grew at an average 7.2% a year, driven mainly by agriculture and ser...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 24 May 2017

Bangladesh: Consolidating Export-led Growth - Country Diagnostic Study

This study argues that some of the policies that allowed Bangladesh to prosper in the last few years will become less effective, and the economy will need to “switch gears” to consolidate the growth m...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 May 2017

Financing Asian Irrigation: Choices Before Us

The paper says irrigation schemes in the region are aging and underperforming, and, with land in short supply, there is little scope for creating major new schemes. Persistent inability to attract ade...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 19 May 2017

Evaluation Study on Role of Public Distribution System in Shaping Household and Nutritional Security India

It has been observed that even though the Indian economy has achieved remarkable economic growth along with a decline in poverty over the last two decades, improvements in nutritional status have not...

by Niti Aayog GOI | On 18 May 2017

Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update: Meeting the Low-Carbon Growth Challenge

This Update retains the projections previously published in Asian Development Outlook 2016 (ADO 2016) in March. Gross domestic product (GDP) in the region is expected to grow at 5.7% in 2016 and 2017,...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 May 2017

ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide 2016: Japan

The paper narrates that the Government of Japan raises significant amounts from domestic capital markets to finance government expenditures, mainly through the issuance of Japanese Government Bonds (J...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 May 2017

ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide 2016: Thailand

The paper says that the government has continued to issue bonds since then with the primary objectives being to finance the annual budget deficit, support social and economic development, and restruct...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 May 2017

Monitoring Universal Health Coverage in the Western Pacific: Framework, Indicators, and Dashboard

The report narrates that the SDGs are integrated and indivisible with a clear focus on equity, including equity focused monitoring and evaluation (M&E), to ensure not only that the targets are being m...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 May 2017

Sanitation and Sustainable Development in Japan

The paper outlines that the sanitation has long been “beneath the radar” on the development agendas of governments worldwide. Aside from the massive investment requirements for putting in place sanita...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 May 2017

Toward a National Eco-Compensation Regulation in the People’s Republic of China

The study recognized the need for consideration of numerous issues when developing ecocompensation regulations. These include (i) provision of guidance for determining the ecocompensation rate; (ii) e...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Asian Development Outlook Supplement: Asia's Economies Steady Despite Global Uncertainty

The outlook for developing Asia remains broadly as forecast in Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update. Despite an extraordinary and temporary growth dip affecting one of the region’s largest economies,...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 May 2017

Structural Change and Moderating Growth in the People’s Republic of China: Implications for Developing Asia and Beyond

The paper states that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is currently undergoing a number of important changes, which have wide-ranging implications for activity in the PRC, the rest of developing A...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 May 2017

Accelerating Financial Inclusion in South-East Asia with Digital Finance

The research focuses on financial exclusion in three segments: base of pyramid (BoP); women; and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). From our research, we estimate that addressing this oppor...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 May 2017

Meeting Asia's Infrastructure Needs

This report updates by presenting infrastructure investment needs for all 45 DMCs from 2016 to 2030, the final year of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Two sets of estimates are pre...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 May 2017

Energy Storage in Grids with High Penetration of Variable Generation

The focus of this report is on energy storage for the power grid in support of larger penetration of renewable energy. The emphasis is on energy storage and associated power electronics that are dep...

by Pramod Jain | On 05 May 2017

Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing Asia-Pacific

This report explores three entry points to the theme of poverty and prosperity: (i) managing urbanization for inclusive development, (ii) strengthening responses to rural poverty in the context of t...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

Income Generation and Inequality in India's Agricultural Sector: The Consequences of Land Fragmentation

This paper is a contribution to understanding income generation and inequality in India's agricultural sector. The paper analyses the National Sample Surveys of agriculture in 2003 and 2013 using desc...

by Sanjoy Chakravorty | On 02 May 2017

Household Expenditure on Higher Education in India: What do we know & What do recent data have to say?

The paper analyse data from two recent NSSO surveys to provide estimates of expenditure on higher education and loans availed for higher education. The average share of expenditure on higher educatio...

by S. Chandrasekhar | On 02 May 2017

Global Wage Report 2016/17: Wage Inequality in the Workplace

This new ILO Global Wage Report – the fifth in a series that now spans over a decade – contributes to this agenda by making comparative data and information on recent wage trends available to governme...

by International Labour Organization [ILO] | On 14 Apr 2017

Goods and Services Tax in India: An Opportunities and Challenges

Value added tax was first introduced by Maurice Laure, a French economist, in 1954. The tax was designed such that the burden is borne by the final consumer. Since VAT can be applied on goods as well...

by | On 13 Apr 2017

Opportunities for Women: Challenging Harmful Social Norms and Gender Stereotypes to Unlock Women’s Potential

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, shaped by both public and private sectors and the voices of civil society, was adopted by world leaders two years ago as a blueprint for making our world m...

by | On 16 Mar 2017

Cognitive Skills, Noncognitive Skills, and School-to-Work Transitions in Rural China

Economists have long recognized the important role of formal schooling and cognitive skills on labor market participation and wages. More recently, increasing attention has turned to the role of perso...

by | On 16 Mar 2017

Budget 2017-18: Business as Usual

Budget 2017-18 was presented at the time when the global situation is inhospitable, marked with protectionism and domestic environment is constrained by the twin balance sheet crisis. The investment ...

by M Govinda Rao | On 10 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

Poverty Targeting Through Public Goods

In national accounts, government expenditures are used to measure the value of public spending. These expenditures grossly overestimate the value of services received by Indian households because th...

by Anders Kjelsrud | On 01 Mar 2017

Leave No One Behind : A Call to Action for Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment

The report captures the importance of shaping macro-economic policies so they support inclusive growth, and ensuring that women entrepreneurs have access to technology and finance. It also highlights...

by | On 21 Feb 2017

Is Domestic Violence a Lesser Crime? Countering the Backlash against Section 498A, IPC

The situation today is that domestic violence is treated as a `social crime’ when compared with violence by strangers, even though it is much more severe in nature. Why is wife beating considered as a...

by Shalu Nigam | On 21 Feb 2017

Anger Management: Aggression and Punishment in the Provision of Public Goods

The ability to punish free-riders can increase the provision of public goods. However, sometimes the benefit of increased public good provision is outweighed by the costs of punishments. One reason a...

by | On 21 Feb 2017

Development Planning and 'Urban' Context: Reflections on the Indian Scene

Through a broad portrayal of character of its development, changing urban patterns, nature of urban economic structure and contents of urban development policies, this paper takes a political econom...

by Biswaroop Das | On 17 Feb 2017

Educational Inequality in India: An Analysis of Gender Differences in Reading and Mathematics

This paper analyzes gender differences in reading and mathematics among Indian children ages 8-11 using data from the 2005 India Human Development Survey. Employing descriptive statistics and ordered...

by | On 15 Feb 2017

What Do the Numbers Tell? An Analysis of Union Budget 2017-18

Budget 2017-18 is placed at an important juncture when there has been a thrust by the government for a digitised and a consequent cashless economy with the demonetisation of high value currency note...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability CBGA | 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

Budget Speech 2017-18

Budget speech by Finance Minister of India, Mr.Arun Jaitley.

by Arun Jaitley | On 01 Feb 2017

The Influence of Gender Budgeting in Indian States on Gender Inequality and Fiscal Spending

This study investigates the effect of gender budgeting in India on gender inequality and fiscal spending. Gender budgeting is an approach to budgeting in which governments use fiscal policies and ad...

by Janet G Stotsky | On 23 Jan 2017

The Geography of Poverty, Disasters and Climate Extremes in 2030

This report, The geography of poverty, disasters and climate extremes in 2030, examines the relationship between disasters and poverty. It concludes that, without concerted action, there could be up t...

by | On 23 Jan 2017

Federalism, Fiscal Space and Public Investment Spending: Do Fiscal Rules Impose Hard Budget Constriants?

The core emphasis of rules-based fiscal legislation at the subnational level in India is to achieve debt sustainability through a numerical ceiling on borrowing and the use of borrowed resources for...

by Pinaki Chakraborty | On 23 Jan 2017

Dealing with GST in the Union Budget 2017

Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a harmonized tax regime and it can curb black money through practicing clean "invoices" to redeem input credit. In the Union Budget 2017, central government may announc...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 23 Jan 2017

How have States Designed their School Education Budgets?

After the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) in 2010, states have brought about some improvement in school education in terms of infrastructure, enro...

by Child Rights and You CRY | On 18 Jan 2017

Children 's Protein Consumption in Southeast Asia: Consideration of Quality as Well as Quantity of Children 's Protein Consumption in Southeast Asia

Inadequate dietary intake and prolonged undernourishment can lead to short term and long term consequences, which can deplete financial, physical, and social capital, further exacerbating the cycle of...

by | On 18 Jan 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

Demographic Transformation in South Asia: Implications for Rice Research and Development

The demographic structure of South Asian countries are rapidly transforming, which can greatly influence future rice production and consumption in the region. Literature on the impact of demographic t...

by | On 11 Jan 2017

Vital Stats: Participation of Members of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (2012-2017)

The Election Commission recently announced the poll schedule for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. In this context, data on the composition of the 16th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (2012-...

by Jhalak Kakkar | On 10 Jan 2017

Unequal India in an Unequal World: Causes, Consequences & Policy Options

Disparities in income and wealth have all along been present in almost every society across the world. However, the rate of increase in inequality in the distribution of income and wealth has been ala...

by | On 10 Jan 2017

Going and Coming and Going Again: Second-Generation Migrants in Dubai

The government of the United Arab Emirates requires all foreign migrant workers to reside on temporary visas. This affects transnational mobility patterns among the one class of residents whom we shou...

by | On 09 Jan 2017

Women’s Role in Economic Development: Overcoming the Constraints

This short paper aims to highlight the important role women have and can play in economic development. It addresses three questions: what is the evidence base to support investing in women? What are t...

by | On 04 Jan 2017

Role of Foreign Direct Investment in India: An Analytical Study

International Economic Integration plays a vital role in Economic Development of any country. Foreign Direct Investment is one and only major instrument of attracting International Economic Integratio...

by | On 04 Jan 2017

Household Expenditure on Higher Education in India: What Do we Know and What do Recent Data Have to say?

Data from two recent NSSO surveys are analysed to provide estimates of expenditure on higher education and loans availed for higher education. The average share of expenditure on higher education out...

by S. Chandrasekhar | On 03 Jan 2017

Financial Inclusion in the Digital Age

The policies needed to promote financial inclusion in the digital age were discussed at an international conference held at the Asian Development Bank Institute. The  event took place on 7–8 April 2...

by Shawn Hunter | On 29 Dec 2016

Economic Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in India

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) has launched a multicountry Economics of Sanitation Initiative (ESI) to study the economic impacts of poor sanitation and the costs and benefits of improved sani...

by | On 27 Dec 2016

India’s Sanitation for All: How to Make It Happen

This discussion paper examines the current state of sanitation services in India in relation to two goals—Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which calls on countries to halve, by 2015,...

by Asian Bank | On 27 Dec 2016

Inter-ethnic Fertility Spillovers and the Role of Forward-looking Behavior: Evidence from Peninsular Malaysia

Demographic pressures can create competition for limited private and public resources and exacerbate pre-existing inter-ethnic tensions. At the same time, inter-ethnic competition may influence indivi...

by | On 23 Dec 2016

Migration, Scientific Diasporas and Development: Impact of Skilled Return Migration on Development in India

The contemporary discourse on migration and development is starting to consider the agency role of both diaspora communities and highly skilled returnees on equal terms, and we can observe how several...

by | On 19 Dec 2016

The Problem of Inequality

The paper examines consumption, income, regional, social and gender inequalities in India. Income inequalities are much higher that of consumption. It also looks at inequalities in opportunities like...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 19 Dec 2016

Plan vs. Performance Winter Session – November 16 to December 16, 2016

This note lists the legislative business planned by Parliament and compares it with the actual performance during Winter Session 2016.

by Kusum Malik | On 19 Dec 2016

The State of India's Pulses Sector

Pulses in India have recently become a topic of concern among policymakers. Members of the Opposition, for instance, have pointed to the 'exceptionally high' cost of certain pulses as an indication of...

by | On 15 Dec 2016

Bank Lending and Loan Quality: The Case of India

This paper analyses how non-performing loans (NPLs) of Indian banks behave through the cycle. We find that a one-percentage point increase in loan growth is associated with an increase in NPLs over...

by Pallavi Chavan | On 15 Dec 2016

India and the Global Economy

Drawing attention to a high dropout rate in upper primary schools, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam today said schools are facing the “biggest crisis” in India. Delivering the f...

by Tharman Shanmugaratnam | On 08 Dec 2016

Government’s Role in India’s Ailing Cold Storage Sector

Every year, India wastes about 18 per cent of fruits and vegetables, due to lack of post-harvest storage facilities. The cold storage sector has been one of the most undermined sectors in India, devo...

by Madhu Sivaraman | On 05 Dec 2016

Challenges to the Role of Private Participation in Public Transportation: A Case of Kerala’s Private Buses

The State of Kerala in 2012 through a notification stopped issuing new permits to inter-district buses in Kerala while exempting state run Kerala State Transport Corporation. This was the beginning...

by Madhu Sivaraman | On 28 Nov 2016

Parliament Session Alert Winter Session: November 16 – December 16, 2016

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the Winter Session between November 16 and December 16, 2016. There will be a total of 22 sittings. The agenda for legislation includes ten Bills for consider...

by Kusum Malik | On 14 Nov 2016

Cross-country Econometric Study on the Impact of Fiscal Incentives on FDI

The increasing level of competition for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the ‘90s triggered many countries to offer various fiscal incentives. Specifically, many Asian countries persistently keep...

by Ma. Laarni D. Revilla | On 11 Nov 2016

Female Labour Force Participation Rate

Female Labour Force Participation (FLFR) is a driver of growth and economic development and therefore, participation rates indicate the potential for a country to grow more rapidly. However, women’s e...

by sarabjit kaur | On 11 Nov 2016

State of State Finances

Finances of states have been changing due to (i) increased devolution of central taxes, (ii) rationalisation of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, (iii) the introduction of the UDAY scheme, and (iv) the...

by Arvind Gayam | On 09 Nov 2016

The Yogi and the Commissar

It’s the season for media biographies, as NDTV and TV18 publish their life stories. If NDTV comes across as self-righteous TV18 is open about its sins of commission. Chintamani Rao says the books of...

by | On 07 Nov 2016

Estimates of the Economic Contributions of the Bidi Manufacturing Industry in India

Bidis, the most common smoking tobacco product in India, remain largely untaxed and are subject to very few regulations to discourage their use. A major argument against tax increases is the large pot...

by | On 03 Nov 2016

Costs and Benefits of Urbanization: The Indian Case

Urbanization has both benefits and costs. In a market economy, the trade-off between benefits and costs determines the level, speed, and place of urbanization. This paper summarizes research finding...

by Kala Seetharam Sridhar | On 28 Oct 2016

Ease of Doing Business

When arriving at the ‘Doing Business’ rankings, the World Bank ranks 11 parameters that impact businesses across various stages of their lifecycle – at start-up, getting a location, getting financing,...

by | On 28 Oct 2016

Investment Pattern of Youth in India with Particular Reference to Mumbai

This study examines the savings and investment pattern of select college going students (Age: 17-25 years) in the city of Mumbai who has just begun to earn. The study also looks into the basic financi...

by | On 25 Oct 2016

Rail Revolution-2025

This policy brief proposes reorganisation of current industry structure and proposes a new organizational structure for the railways to meet the needs of the 21st century . [CPPR Policy Brief Series...

by Centre for Public Policy Research CPPR | On 21 Oct 2016

Agriculture 2.0: Towards a Global Revolution for Sustainability

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on zero hunger is a top priority on the international agenda, and eliminating hunger globally is naturally and inevitably tied to farming. Therefore, the SDGs ha...

by | On 19 Oct 2016

Water, Megacities and Global Change

Numerous studies have explored urban growth and the emergence of the megapolitan phenomenon through increasing growth in the number of cities with over 10 million inhabitants. Similarly, the processes...

by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultura [UNESCO] | On 19 Oct 2016

On Measuring Uncertainty: Snakes and Ladders

The Global Crisis demonstrated to the world that Ratings Agencies had misled the public about the stability of financial institutions. The Finance literature had decided that it was impossible to have...

by | On 18 Oct 2016

Will China’s Demographic Transition Exacerbate Its Income Inequality? A CGE Modeling with Top-down Microsimulation

Demographic transition due to population aging is an emerging trend throughout the developing world, and it is especially acute in China, which has undergone demographic transition more rapidly than...

by Xinxin Wang | On 10 Oct 2016

Glimpsing the End of Economic History? Unconditional Convergence and the Missing Middle Income Trap

This paper suggests a reinterpretation of global growth—encompassing notions of unconditional convergence and the middle income trap—in the past 50 years through the lens of growth theory. Two modes o...

by Sutirtha Roy | On 10 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

Regime Shifts in India’s Monetary Policy Response Function

The objectives of monetary policy have always been a topic of intensive debate. This debate has resurfaced during the past few years. In India too monetary policy-making appears to have undergone si...

by Lokendra Kumawat | On 10 Oct 2016

Financial Stability in a Weak Global Environment

Even almost eight years since resorting to the extraordinary monetary and fiscal measures to counter the after-effects of the Global Financial Crisis, authorities are still left wondering about rela...

by S.S. Mundra | On 10 Oct 2016

Comparing Apples to Apples: A New Indicator of Research and Development Investment Intensity in Agriculture

It is conventional wisdom in the economic development literature that there is a significant underinvestment in agricultural R&D in developing countries. Evidence supporting this belief is provided,...

by Alejandro Nin Pratt | On 30 Sep 2016

Evaluating Asian FTAs: What do Gravity Equation Models Tell Us?

This research evaluates the performance of free trade agreements by analyzing the determinants of trade flows of Asian economies for a panel of thirty-one countries during 2007-2014 using a Gravity...

by Sunder Ramaswamy | On 29 Sep 2016

World Social Science Report

Economic inequalities in income and wealth, social inequalities in health, education and access to welfare services, gender and racial inequalities, cultural and religious discrimination, barriers to...

by | On 22 Sep 2016

Two Centuries of Finance and Growth in the United States, 1790-1980

Do efficient financial markets and institutions promote economic growth? Have they done so in the past? This essay, to be included in the Handbook of Finance and Development (edited by Thorsten Beck a...

by Howard Bodenhorn | On 22 Sep 2016

Long-Range Growth: Economic Development in the Global Network of Air Links

This paper studies the impact of international long-distance flights on the global spatial allocation of economic activity. To identify causal effects, it exploits variation due to regulatory and tech...

by Filipe Campante | On 21 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

Group Inequality in Democracies: Lessons from Cross-National Experiences

Group inequality is a prominent feature of many modern democracies. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of what we know about the ways in which major democracies have viewed social groups and a...

by Rohini Somanathan | On 19 Sep 2016

A Study of Energy Efficiency in the Indian Iron and Steel Industry

The report begins with an overview of the Iron and Steel Industry in the context of its importance to Indian economy and introduces the objective of this study. The status of the industry by productio...

by | On 19 Sep 2016

Water for India’s Poor: Who Pays the Price for Broken Promises?

The poor do not consume as much water as the rest of the population, but despite the promises, despite the bland assertions of politicians and policy makers, they can and frequently do pay for what li...

by | On 16 Sep 2016

Making Pulses Affordable Again: Policy Options from the Farm to Retail in India

Rising prices and declining consumption of pulses cause concern in terms of both nutrition and food inflation in India. This paper outlines policy strategies to increase the availability of pulses at...

by P.K. Joshi | On 16 Sep 2016

The Changing Rates of Return to Education in India: Evidence from NSS Data

This paper estimates rates of return to education in India by gender, caste, religion and age cohorts using data for the period 1983 to 2011-12. We estimate standard Mincerian wage equations separatel...

by | On 14 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

ICT Investments and Growth of Small and Medium Firms: A Study of Food Processing Industry in India

The objective of the present study is to examine the effect of ICT investments on the sales growth of SMEs from the food processing industry in India. Secondary data is collected from the Prowess d...

by Navyashree G. R. | On 08 Sep 2016

Who Takes a Call on Price Stability, the Government or the RBI?

The question here is, whether it’s the responsibility of the Government or the Central Bank to ensure price stability in an economy? For instance, what was the role of the RBI when the prices of pulse...

by Deepthi Mary Mathew | On 07 Sep 2016

The Independence of the Central Bank

Central banking does not mean just rates cuts and rate rising. There are many decisions to be taken sometimes unpopular or hard-to-explain ones, to be made under conditions of extreme uncertainty. The...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 06 Sep 2016

Counting Critically: SDG ‘Follow-up and Review’ Needs Interlinked Indicators, Monitoring and Evaluation

Global indicators are important for understanding progress towards each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, they can mask sub-national and thematic variations. They cannot explain ho...

by | On 02 Sep 2016

Should Countries Be More Like Shopping Malls? A Proposal for Service Performance Guarantees

Many developing countries have made progress in political openness and economic management but still struggle to attract private sector investments, at least outside of narrow, resource-based enclaves...

by Alan Gelb | On 01 Sep 2016

Does Development Aid Undermine Political Accountability? Leader and Constituent Responses to a Large-Scale Intervention

Comprehensive program evaluation requires capturing indirect effects of an intervention, such as changes in leaders’ efforts and constituents’ attitudes towards leaders. We study political economy r...

by | On 30 Aug 2016

Gender Bias in Education during Conflict: Evidence from Assam

Using a large-scale novel panel dataset (2005–14) on schools from the Indian state of Assam, we test for the impact of violent conflict on female students’ enrollment rates. We find that a doubling of...

by | On 30 Aug 2016

Water Stress Analysis and Recommendations for Water Resources Management in Ningxia

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (referred to as “Ningxia” below) is one of the most water stressed regions in China. In order to help governments and corporations gain a better understanding of water s...

by Lijin Zhong | On 29 Aug 2016

The Integration of China and India into the World Economy: A Comparison

China and India have successfully integrated into the world economy. Once specialised in textiles, they have developed new export-oriented sectors linked to the information and communication technolog...

by | On 24 Aug 2016

India’s Economic Growth and Market Potential: Benchmarked Against China

This paper addresses some aspects related to these two important research questions, and thus builds on the base of knowledge. The paper is organized as follows. First, we discuss the economic growth...

by | On 24 Aug 2016

Revisiting the Tax Compliance Problem using Prospect Theory

The paper presents a model for tax compliance based on prospect theory wherein an individual makes the decision whether to file, and declare a certain amount of income, or to not file based on a set...

by R.Kavita Rao | On 17 Aug 2016

Vital Stats: Parliament during Monsoon Session 2016

The Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded on August 12, 2016. The session had 20 sittings, during which various Bills were passed, including a Constitutional Amendment Bill enabling the levy of a G...

by Kusum Malik | On 16 Aug 2016

Brain Drain Versus Brain Gain: The Study of Remittances in Southeast Asia and Promoting Knowledge Exchange Through Diasporas

The study attempts to identify the macroeconomic determinants of remittance inflows in South Asian countries. It uses additively separable utility function as theoretical framework and the Arellano-Bo...

by | On 16 Aug 2016

The Dominant Borrower Syndrome: The Case of Pakistan

The pressure fiscal expansion exerts on the economy via credit markets in Pakistan is analysed. Melina and Villa (2014) is extended by allowing government to compete with the private borrowers (firms...

by Sajawal Khan | On 16 Aug 2016

Infrequent but Long-Lived Zero-Bound Episodes and the Optimal Rate of Inflation

Countries rarely hit the zero-lower bound on interest rates, but when they do, these episodes tend to be very long-lived. These two features are difficult to jointly incorporate into macroeconomic mod...

by Marc Carreras | On 16 Aug 2016

The Clinical and Public Health Challenges of Diabetes Prevention: A Search for Sustainable Solutions

The economic cost of dealing with the consequences of diabetes is not only a threat to health systems but is a far broader economic and social problem and thus a threat to future long-term sustainable...

by Nicholas J Wareham | On 16 Aug 2016

How Do Maternity Leave and Discriminatory Social Norms Relate to Women’s Employment in Developing Countries?

Increasing women’s participation in paid employment is a fundamental step towards women’s economic empowerment and improving development outcomes. The benefits of increasing women’s labour force parti...

by Somali Cerise | On 12 Aug 2016

Myanmar Transport Sector Policy Note: Urban Transport

This note presents a review of Myanmar’s urban transport. It focuses on the country’s main cities, Yangon and Mandalay, where issues are most severe, to also help solve similar problems in secondary c...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 Aug 2016

Signing away Sovereignty: How Investment Agreements Threaten Regulation of the Mining Industry in the Philippines

In the last decade, the resource-rich Philippines has bet heavily on the mining industry as a development strategy, an approach that has come under growing scrutiny. With 47 large-scale mines in oper...

by Cecilia Olivet | On 10 Aug 2016

Inequality, Poverty, and Antipoverty Transfers

This report reviews the main trends in global poverty, assesses projections on poverty trends for the medium term, and considers the implications for antipoverty policy. Three main points emerge from...

by Armando Barrientos | On 10 Aug 2016

Make in India – Scheme For Transforming India

Make in India is an international marketing strategy, conceptualized by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on 25 September 2014 to attract investments from businesses around the world and make...

by | On 10 Aug 2016

GST in India: Chasing a Mirage or Reality?

India is moving towards introducing a Goods and Services Tax (GST). The GST would be a multistage comprehensive value added tax (VAT) encompassing both goods and services. Given the federal structur...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 09 Aug 2016

Goods and Services Tax in India Taking Stock and Setting Expectations

The spread of Value Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST) system of Indirect taxes across the globe is showing an increasing trend with more than 160 countries, including 33 of the 34 member...

by | On 05 Aug 2016

GST in India: A Big Leap in the Indirect Taxation System

The replacement of the Central excise duty of the government of India by Central Value Added Tax (CENVAT) and sales tax system of the State governments by the VAT marked a major mile stone in the refo...

by | On 05 Aug 2016

First Discussion Paper on Goods and Services Tax in India

If the Value Added Tax (VAT) is considered to be a major improvement over the pre-existing Central excise duty at the national level and the sales tax system at the State level, then the Goods and Ser...

by Government of India | On 05 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

Benefits of Coastal Shipping: Scope for Sea Change in Domestic Freight Transportation in India

The share of coastal shipping in the modal mix of domestic freight transportation in India is currently very low despite it being more costeffective, fuel-efficient and environment-friendly compared...

by Lavanya Ravikanth Anneboina | On 03 Aug 2016

Policy and Evidence

There has to be evidence in the policy dialogue. Some may believe that all it takes to convince the body politic of the necessity to choose one policy over another is to present the evidence, complete...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 03 Aug 2016

Subsidies to Coal Production in China

A further subsidy in the form of credit support was estimated to be between CNY 3.5 and 35.7 billion (USD 0.57 billion and USD 5.8 billion). The major subsidies included tax relief, investment in asse...

by | On 02 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

Empowering India with Gender Equality

Achieving gender equality has become a development challenge for India. Women are entitled to live with dignity in society and enjoy freedom from humiliation, fear, exploitation and every type of viol...

by Sanghamitra Deobhanj | On 28 Jul 2016

Gender and Migration

The identification of gendered ramifications of migratory processes has meant greater attention has been paid by policymakers and scholars alike than has been done previously. There are a number of re...

by | On 25 Jul 2016

Network Externalities And Process R&D: A Cournot-Bertrand Comparison

This paper examines the implication of the nature of competition in a market with network externalities on strategic investment in process R&D by firms. It shows that network externalities have a posi...

by Mili Naskar | On 25 Jul 2016

Estimating Local Fiscal Multipliers

This paper proposes a new source of cross-sectional variation that may identify causal impacts of Government spending on the economy. It uses the fact that a large number of federal spending programs...

by Juan Serrato | On 20 Jul 2016

Vulnerability to Poverty: Tajikistan During and After the Global Financial Crisis

The paper examines vulnerability to poverty in Tajikistan during the global financial crisis, focusing on the roles played by international migration and remittances, using a formal, practical, and ea...

by Ira N. Gang | On 19 Jul 2016

A Study on Financial Literacy and its Determinants among Gen Y Employees in Coimbatore City

Financial literacy is the mix of one’s knowledge, skill and attitude towards financial matters. It helps to make informed decisions and well-being of an individual. Research has been conducted globall...

by | On 18 Jul 2016

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in India

Gender-based inequalities translate into greater value being placed on the health and survival of males than of females. In India, examples of health and population indicators that are driven by gende...

by | On 15 Jul 2016

Youth Development in India: Does Poverty Matter?

This paper explores the differentials in youth development patterns determined by the economic condition of the household in India. The wealth index is used to glean youth development differentials in...

by Bijaya Kumar Malik | On 15 Jul 2016

Trajectories of China’s Integration with the World Economy through SEZs: A Study on Shenzhen SEZ

By exploring the role of SEZs in China’s integration with the world economy, we also investigate the underlining challenges faced by the economy. The analysis brings forth the indisputable fact that S...

by | On 14 Jul 2016

Keeping the South China Sea in Perspective

The South China Sea disputes involve the interests of the United States, particularly with regard to freedom of navigation, international norms and law, relations with important partners and allies, a...

by | On 13 Jul 2016

Rising Food Prices in South Asia: A Policy Framework to Mitigate Adverse Effects

The recent commodity boom has seriously affected South Asia, particularly due to higher food prices and their impact on the welfare of poor and vulnerable populations. This paper describes the food cr...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 12 Jul 2016

Population Growth: Trends, Projections, Challenges and Opportunities

Human beings evolved under conditions of high mortality due to famines, accidents, illnesses, infections and war and therefore the relatively high fertility rates were essential for species survival....

by Planning Commission, India | On 12 Jul 2016

Does Social Health Insurance Reduce Financial Burden? Panel Data Evidence from India

Indian government launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a national health insurance scheme, in 2008 that provides cashless health services to poor households in India. The scheme is eval...

by Mehtabul Azam | On 11 Jul 2016

Feasibility of Incentive Based Environmental Instruments in State and Central Taxation Regimes

Taxation policies in India have historically not been environmentally oriented. A tax system is needed whic is environmentally more rational. It is argued in this study that India is currently going...

by D K Srivastava | On 01 Jul 2016

The “Engine of Economic Growth”: An Overview of Private Investment Policies, Trends, and Projects in Cambodia

This paper aims to present an overview and analysis of the current investment landscape in Cambodia, as well as its impacts on people and the environment. It is hoped that the information ...

by Mark Grimsditch | On 01 Jul 2016

Parental Unemployment and Child Health in China

This paper studies the causal effect of maternal and paternal unemployment on child health in China, analyzing panel data for the period 1997-2004, when the country underwent economic reforms leading...

by Janneke Pieters | On 30 Jun 2016

Perspectives on the Investigation, Prosecution and Prevention of Art Crime in Asia

Many art crimes exist in Asia, where looting and trafficking of regional artefacts have developed extensively in contemporary times. The sophisticated methods of looters and middlemen, the highly effi...

by Stefan Gruber | On 30 Jun 2016

Cyclicality of Social Sector Expenditures: Evidence from Indian States

This paper attempts to study the cyclical behaviour of social sector spending including that on education and health for the 17 non-special category states covering the period 2000-01 to 2012-13. It f...

by | On 30 Jun 2016

Resolving Stress in the Banking System

The slowdown in credit growth has been largely because of stress in the public sector banking and not because of high interest rates. As such, what is required is a clean-up of the balance sheets of p...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 29 Jun 2016

Best Practices in Regulation of Private Education

Current paper aims to understand how the governments in different parts of the world have leveraged upon the private sector to achieve specific educational goals. The idea here is not to recommend o...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 29 Jun 2016

Eradication of Child Labour- Socio–Legal Challenge and Judicial Activism in India

According to the NSSO (66th round of Survey) on Child Labour in Major Indian States, 2009-10 in the (Age group 5-14) is 49.83 lakh. Poverty and social conditions of the family are main reasons childre...

by | On 27 Jun 2016

How Successful Are Banking Sector Reforms in Emerging Market Economies? Evidence from Impact of Monetary Policy on Levels and Structures of Firm Debt in India

In this paper investigates the success of banking reforms in India where significant banking reforms have been introduced since 1990s. Using the argument that well functioning credit markets would ref...

by Sumon Kumar Bhaumik | On 27 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

The Kalikayatna Approach towards Primary Education: A Study of the Learning Initiative of Prajayatna

This paper attempts to study and evaluate the strengths and limitations of an alternative approach to learning -the Kalikayatna approach -that has been implemented in selected clusters in five distric...

by Jyotsna Jha | On 27 Jun 2016

Benefit Incidence of Public Expenditure in Health: A study of Karnataka

In this study an attempt is made to analyse the distribution of public health spending in Karnataka state, by analysing the Budget and Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) round-III data. The study als...

by Varun Sharma | On 24 Jun 2016

Choosing a Partner for Social Exchange: Charitable Giving as a Signal of Trustworthiness

People benefit from being perceived as trustworthy. Examples include sellers trying to attract buyers, or candidates in elections trying to attract voters. In a laboratory experiment using exchange ga...

by Sebastian Fehrler | 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

Slum Free India: Myths and Realities- A Status Report on Rajiv Awas Yojana

The present report is a result of efforts that were spread over a period of more than a year (2013 – 2014) and included two national level consultations and sharing meetings held in Delhi, visit to m...

by Simpreet . | On 23 Jun 2016

Poverty, Markets and Elementary Education in India

Over the last decade, trans-national and local advocacy networks have been projecting the low-cost unregulated schools market in India as a cost-efficient, high-quality and equitable solution for educ...

by | On 22 Jun 2016

Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) and Financial Sector Regulation in India

The Financial Sector Reforms Commission (FSLRC) which was set up in 2011 by the Ministry of Finance was mandated to study existing legislation and financial sector regulatory practices in India and...

by Jaimini Bhagwati | On 22 Jun 2016

The Fight against Inflation: A Measure of our Institutional Development

There are efforts to control inflation. A new governor and the committee should try to bring low inflation future for India which has got many benefits.

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 21 Jun 2016

Book Review: Depoliticising Social Change and the Celebration of Inequality in Rural India

Review of Inside-Outside: Two Views of Social Change in Rural India. Edited by B. S. Baviskar and D. W. Attwood, Sage Publications, New Delh, 2014.

by | On 20 Jun 2016

Farms, Families, and Markets: New Evidence on the Completeness of Markets in Agricultural Settings

The farm household model has played a central role in improving the understanding of small-scale agricultural households and non-farm enterprises. Under the assumptions that all current and future mar...

by Daniel LaFave | On 17 Jun 2016

Federal Budget of Pakistan 2016

Budget speech of Pakistan 2016-17.

by Mohammad Ishaq Dar | On 17 Jun 2016

Income Mobility among Social Groups in Indian Rural Households: Findings from the Indian Human Development Survey

The paper analyses income mobility across different social groups in India using data from the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS) collected in 2004–05 and 2011–12. Indices signifying different n...

by Thiagu Ranganathan | On 16 Jun 2016

Optimal Unemployment Benefit Policy and the Firm Productivity Distribution

This paper provides a novel justification for a declining time profile of unemployment benefits that does not rely on moral hazard or consumption-smoothing considerations. It considers a simple search...

by Tomer Blumkin | On 15 Jun 2016

Childhood Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases

India is facing the rising burden due to Noncommunicable diseases, and overweight and obesity in childhood is an important forerunner to adulthood chronic diseases. Early life interventions in adop...

by Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR | On 15 Jun 2016

What Future for the Cities Within our Cities?

According to a report from the Mckinsey Global Institute, India is set to witness a leap in urban population by almost 25 crore over the next 20 years. That translates to roughly 35,000 more people in...

by | On 09 Jun 2016

Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future

The role of one consumption-based solution: shifting the diets of populations who consume high amounts of calories, protein, and animal-based foods are analysed. Specifically, we consider three in...

by Janet Ranganathan | On 06 Jun 2016

Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal

While land reforms are typically pursued in order to raise productivity and reduce inequality across households, an unintended consequence may be increased within-household gender inequality. We analy...

by | On 03 Jun 2016

The Contours and Concerns of Drought-Induced Migration

Umi Daniel is currently working as Head Migration Thematic unit at Aide et Action South Asia. His areas of interests are tribal empowerment, people’s right to food, micro level planning, rights and en...

by Umi Daniel | On 03 Jun 2016

The Tradeoffs between GHGs Emissions, Income Inequality and Productivity

Rising emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) and growing economic inequalities have emerged as key challenges for policymakers over the past two decades and the problems are likely to intensify in th...

by Unmesh Patnaik | On 03 Jun 2016

An Economy for The 1%: How Privilege and Power in the Economy Drive Extreme Inequality and How This Can Be Stopped

Credit Suisse recently revealed that the richest 1% have now accumulated more wealth than the rest of the world put together. Meanwhile, the wealth owned by the bottom half of humanity has fallen by a...

by | On 02 Jun 2016

How Forced Displacements Caused by a Violent Conflict Affect Wages in Colombia

In this paper, we analyze how forced displacements caused by violent conflicts affect the wages of displaced workers in Colombia, a country characterized by a long historical prevalence of violent con...

by | On 02 Jun 2016

The Accumulated Effects of Inequality

Discrimination against women from or even before birth guarantees them a marginal role in Indian society, and ensures that they are poorer, less educated, and facing more unemployment and health risks...

by | On 31 May 2016

Fairness for Children: A League Table of Inequality in Child Well-Being in Rich Countries

This Report Card presents an overview of inequalities in child well-being in 41 countries of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It focuses o...

by | On 31 May 2016

Indicators for Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals

The present handbook is designed to provide United Nations country teams and national and international stakeholders with guidance on the definitions, rationale, concepts and sources of the data for t...

by United Nations (UN) | On 27 May 2016

Impact of Social Risks on Indian Businesses

This report has tried identifying the various social risks associated with and caused by businesses and other players, that may have negative social impacts on the stakeholders associated with the fu...

by Oxfam India | On 27 May 2016

Poverty in Cambodia - A New Approach: Redefining the Poverty Line

This report presents the results of the new approach to measuring poverty and standards of living, which the Royal Government of Cambodia initiated and carried out through 2011-2012.

by | On 25 May 2016

Charcoal Supply Chains from Mabalane to Maputo: Who Benefits?

Charcoal is the main cooking energy source for people living in Maputo city. It is also a crucial source of income for rural producers in Mabalane district, a key supplier of Maputo’s charcoal. But Ma...

by Sophia Baumert | On 25 May 2016

Degradation and Loss of Peri-Urban Ecosystems

Rapid degradation of peri-urban ecosystems is resulting in a loss of associated ecosystem services. Water provision, storm- and waste-water regulation, along with protection from natural disasters and...

by Rockeffeller Foundation RF | On 25 May 2016

Sustainable Consolidation: Suggesting the Way Ahead for Kerala

The paper examines the fiscal scene of Kerala, during the last one and a half decades, by looking at the trends in receipts and expenditure. It finds that a revenue led fiscal consolidation is the w...

by T.M. Thomas Issac | On 20 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

Women’s Labour Migration from Asia and the Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges

In an era of unprecedented human mobility, migration from and within the Asia-Pacific region has assumed gendered dimensions, with implications for migration flows, trends and patterns. Gender roles,...

by | On 19 May 2016

National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy

Creativity and innovation have been a constant in growth and development of any knowledge economy. There is an abundance of creative and innovative energies flowing in India. India has a TRIPS compl...

by Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion DIPP | On 19 May 2016

World Employment and Social Outlook 2016 – Transforming Jobs to End Poverty

This edition of the World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) examines the relationship between decent work and poverty reduction. It starts by documenting trends in poverty around the world while pa...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 19 May 2016

Looking Back on Two Decades of Poverty and Well-Being in India

This paper provides an overview of poverty and well-being trends in India since the mid-1990s. Poverty reduction since 2005 has been much faster than the earlier decade, as a result of broad-based gro...

by | On 19 May 2016

The Republic of Korea’s Economic Growth and Catch-Up: Implications for the People’s Republic of China

This study investigates the economic growth and catch-up of the Republic of Korea over the past half-century. The gap of output per worker between the Republic of Korea and United States has decreas...

by Jong-Wha Lee | On 19 May 2016

Priorities for India’s National Health Policy

In this paper we will argue that India’s health policy needs to focus more on delivering those aspects of healthcare which are public or quasi-public goods to correct this balance, and to regulate and...

by Rahul Ahluwalia | On 18 May 2016

Where All the Water Has Gone? An Analysis of Unreliable Water Supply in Bangalore City

The demand for urban water supply service is increasing rapidly as globalisation accelerates economic development and brings improvements in living standards in India with the interactive effects of...

by | On 12 May 2016

Factors Impacting Railway Freight Traffic in India

The Indian Railway (IR) system is one of the four railway systems in the world that transports more than one billion tonnes of traffic annually. As against a growth of 4 per cent to 4.5 per cent in t...

by Saurabh Bandyopadhyay | On 09 May 2016

Agricultural Outlook and Situation Analysis Reports: Rabi Outlook Report January 2016

Accordingly, the agricultural outlook and situation analysis undertaken in this study refers to the main crop based food items: cereals (specifically rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize and overall coars...

by Rajesh Chadha | On 09 May 2016

Incentives and Outcomes: China's Environmetal Policy

Using 2000-2009 data, the report finds that, while spending on environmental infrastructure has visible positive environmental impact, city spending is strongly tilted towards transportation infrastru...

by | On 04 May 2016

Measuring Progress Towards MDGs in Child Health: Should Base Line Sensitivity and Inequity Matter?

Measurement of achievement or progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should be suggestive of the issues involved in intertemporal comparison. Commonly, we observe that the measure...

by Udaya S. Mishra | On 03 May 2016

Monetary Transmission in Developing Countries: Evidence from India

This paper examines what the empirical evidence has to say about the strength of monetary transmission in India, using the structural vector autoregression (SVAR) methods that have been applied broadl...

by | On 02 May 2016

Economic Reforms, Poverty and Inequality

It is going to be 25 years since India embarked on big-bang economic reforms in 1991. What are the achievements in terms of growth and inclusive growth in the post-reform period? What are the issues i...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 02 May 2016

Impact of Trilemma Indicators on Macroeconomic Policy: Does Central Bank Independence Matter?

This paper shows that the institutional changes such as Inflation Targeting (IT) helps lower inflation without depending upon the level of Central Bank Independence (CBI) in a country as is suggested...

by | On 02 May 2016

Inequality, Neighbourhoods and Variation in Prices

In this study we examine the link between of income distribution and wholesale price of wheat using panel data. We have weekly time series data on prices for wheat for 3 districts in Uttar-Pradesh in...

by | On 02 May 2016

A Comparative Study of Living Conditions in Slums of Three Metro Cities in India

A comparative study of representative slums across three largest metro cities in India through primary surveys. It is found that certain characteristics, such as large average household size, poor hou...

by Sugata Bag | On 28 Apr 2016

Eliminating Malaria

This WHO report released on World Malaria Day, 2016 shows that, although an ambitious goal, eliminating malaria from 35 countries by 2030 is achievable. Malaria mortality rates have declined by 60% gl...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 27 Apr 2016

Maritime Failures

India's trade infrastructure is in a bad shape. India's imports are very high than its exports. The government has promised some investments and policies in this sector.

by T.N. Ninan | On 16 Apr 2016

Piracy of Intellectual Property: Past, Present, and Future

The last few decades have seen enormous growth in piracy of copyrighted goods and, in particular, an enormous growth in piracy of creative works that employ a digital format. In this paper we discuss...

by Michael Waldman | On 15 Apr 2016

Water and Agriculture: Facing Water Scarcity and Environmental Challenges

Agricultural water use is the main one among all water uses. Despite this use plays an essential role in food and fiber world supplies, provides for mitigating poverty in many regions, and produces a...

by Luis Santos Pereira | On 13 Apr 2016

State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2015-16

Empirical findings across a swathe of countries, advanced and emerging, confirm that the composition of government expenditure can have perceptible growth implications.

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 12 Apr 2016

Analytical Tools for Measuring Poverty Dynamics: An Application Using Panel Data in the Philippines

This study reviews two methods of measuring poverty dynamics. The components approach uses the longitudinally averaged income to determine whether a household is chronically poor or not. On the othe...

by Arturo Martinez Jr. | On 06 Apr 2016

Education in India: NSS 71st Round

The report gives a detailed account of the education system in India.

by Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation (MOSPI) | On 05 Apr 2016

Employment and Earnings in Rural India: 2004-2012

This paper analyzes the changes in employment and earnings of paid workers in rural India from 2004/05 to 2011/12. While the employment rate of adults remained stable at 51 percent during this perio...

by Shantanu Khanna | 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

Structural Change, Economic Growth and Trade: Case for Regional Reallocation of Investment in India

The economic structure and rates of growth across the states in India are markedly different, with significant disparities in income per capita growth as well as sector-specific performance. The high-...

by Alokesh Barua | On 21 Mar 2016

Linkages between Dispersed Urbanisation and Rural Industrialisation: A Case Study from West Bengal

In some poor parts of the world, rural areas are known as pastoral folk; for their heavily dependence on agricultural activities; and for having poor infrastructure, limited employment opportunities a...

by Subrata Dutta | On 20 Mar 2016

Improving Rice Production and Commercialization in Cambodia - Findings from a Farm Investment Climate Assessment

In 2010, Cambodia outlined a plan aimed at developing its rice sector into a major rice exporting country. The rice sector was chosen due to comparative advantages in land, perceptions of significant...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Mar 2016

More Ghost Savings: Understanding the Fiscal Impact of India’s Direct Transfer Program — Update

Since April 1, 2015, India’s cooking gas subsidies have been distributed by electronic transfer through the Direct Benefit Transfer for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) scheme (known as DBTL, or PAHAL1 )...

by | On 18 Mar 2016

Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2015-16

Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2015-16.

by Maharashtra Government | On 18 Mar 2016

Reforming the Financing System for the Road Sector in the People's Republic of China

This report recommends the creation of a National Roads and Funding Administration and a central road trust fund with dedicated revenues; changes to roles and responsibilities of different levels of g...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 17 Mar 2016

Maldives Overcoming the Challenges of a Small Island State Country Diagnostic Study

This report identifies four critical constraints to inclusive growth in the Maldives: (1) inadequate and poor quality maritime infrastructure that constrains connectivity, limits provision of basic go...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 17 Mar 2016

Market Provision of Quality: Impact of Economic Growth

Over the past three decades, the world has witnessed economic growth accompanied by widening of income inequalities. In the face of rising income inequalities, it becomes imperative to ask what happen...

by Sangeeta Bansal | On 16 Mar 2016

Trade and Wage Inequality: A Specific Factor Model with Intermediate Goods

In this paper we have made an attempt to explain the observed rising inequality between unskilled and skilled wages, or, fall in relative wages of unskilled labour within a general equilibrium framewo...

by Alokesh Barua | On 16 Mar 2016

Impact of Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights Regime on Income Inequality: An Econometric Analysis

This paper examines the impact of strengthening Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) on within-country income inequality for a cross-section of 65 developed and developing countries for the time period...

by Swati Saini | On 16 Mar 2016

Environmental Policy in a Federation with Special Interest Politics and Inter-governmental Grants

The paper explores the potential effect of intergovernmental grants (IGG) on sub-national (local) environmental policy in a federal structure. In the model, a politically-inclined local government rec...

by Divya Datt | On 15 Mar 2016

Cross-Country Analysis of Composition of Human Capital and Total Factor Productivity Growth depending on its Distance to Frontier

This paper empirically examines human capital’s contribution to economy-wide technological progress and also on technical efficiency gain depending on its distance to frontier in a panel of 75 countri...

by Sujata Basu | On 15 Mar 2016

Intergenerational Mobility, Human Capital Composition and Distance to Technological Frontier

The focus of this study is to analyze the relation between intergenerational mobility (upward and downward mobility) and wage inequality (between skilled and unskilled workers) in a dynamic endogenous...

by Sujata Basu | On 15 Mar 2016

On Wage Inequality, Trade and Technology: Theory and Empirics

This paper is intended to contribute in the analysis of the movements of real wages of skilled and unskilled labour in Indian manufacturing over the last two decades and thereby trying to provide plau...

by Alokesh Barua | On 15 Mar 2016

Endogenous Human Capital Formation, Distance to Frontier and Growth

The paper examines human capital’s contribution to economy-wide technological progress through two channels – imitation and innovation – innovation being more skilled-intensive than innovation. It d...

by Sujata Basu | On 15 Mar 2016

Can the Organised and Unorganised Sectors Coexist: A Theoretical Study

In the past debates around protection are usual couched in terms of protection of the manufacturing sector from imports and are centered around the so called “infant industry” argument. This paper has...

by Manoj Pant | On 15 Mar 2016

Financial Soundness Indicators for Financial Sector Stability in Vietnam

This report is the outcome of the regional technical assistance on Strengthening Institutional Capacity to Compile and Analyze Financial Soundness Indicators for Investment Climate Assessment (RETA 77...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Improving Energy Efficiency and Reducing Emissions Through Intelligent railway Station Buildings

This report aims to support the national carbon emission reduction plan in railway station buildings; to learn and make use of the advanced technologies in international building management; and to en...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Investing in Natural Capital for a Sustainable Future in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is poised to continue developing at a significant pace. The subregion is well placed to benefit from the emerging Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Com...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Gender mainstreaming Case Study - North East Coastal Community Development Project and Tsunami Affected Areas Rebuilding Project

This case study covers two related projects funded by the Asian Development Bank: the North East Coastal Community Development Project (NECCDP), which aimed to improve sustainable livelihood and natur...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Implementation of the ASEAN +3 Multi - Currency Bond Issuance Framework

ABMI aims to develop efficient and liquid bond markets in Asia, which would enable better utilization of Asian savings for Asian investments. ABMI can also contribute to the mitigation of currency and...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Economic Analysis of Climate - Proofing Investment Projects

Recent years have witnessed a large number of studies and reports aimed generally at providing estimates of the economic costs of climate change and of the economic costs of adaptation to climate chan...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

The Poverty Paradox – And How to Address It

Poverty alleviation is the cornerstone and mission of the development community. Yet perhaps the community’s focus on low-income countries (LICs) has skewed a healthy and accurate evaluation of the ef...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Implications of MGNREGS on Labour Market, Wages and Consumption Expenditure in Kerala

This paper makes an attempt to evaluate the implications of MGNREGS in labour short economy of Kerala. The analysis of NSSO unit level data revealed inter-state differences in implementation of the sc...

by V. Dhanya | On 14 Mar 2016

Growing Inclusive Businesses in the Philippines: The Role of Government Policies and Programs

Inclusive business (IB) is a private sector approach to providing goods, services, and livelihoods on a commercially viable basis, either at scale or scalable, to people at the base of the pyramid by...

by Roehlano M. Briones | On 14 Mar 2016

Liberalizing Lease Market The Andhra Pradesh Land Licensed Cultivators Act

Tenancy has been on the rise in the post economic liberalization period from the decades of 1990s. It was also viewed that freeing the lease market for land may contribute to equity as well as efficie...

by E Revathi | On 14 Mar 2016

Debt Dynamics, Fiscal Deficit, and Stability in Government Borrowing in India: A Dynamic Panel Analysis

Despite the initiatives of the Finance Commission of India, fiscal performance has been deteriorating and increasingly diverging across Indian states. Given that the state governments are endowed with...

by Panchanan Das | On 14 Mar 2016

Towards Rules of the Monetary Game

There are few areas of robust growth around the world, with the IMF repeatedly reducing its growth forecasts in recent quarters. This period of slow growth is particularly dangerous because both ind...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 14 Mar 2016

Shifting Preferences at the Fed: Evidence from Rolling Dynamic Multipliers and Impulse Response Analysis

The existing empirical literature on Taylor-type interest rate rules has failed to achieve a robust consensus. Indeed, the relatively common finding that the Taylor principle does not hold has fueled...

by Matthew Greenwood Nimmo | On 13 Mar 2016

Deep Seabed Minerals: A New Frontier in the Pacific Region

Minerals, such as rare earth metals, are increasingly becoming an important commodity in a resource-constrained world economy. As a result new frontiers both onshore and offshore, to the depths of the...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Toward Crisis Management in East Asia’s Seas

Maritime disputes in in the East and South China Seas escalated in 2013 and remain locked in a dangerous cycle of action and reaction with the attendant danger of a direct military confrontation betwe...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Rebalancing Act: China’s Fiscal Reform Challenge

This policy brief examines China’s inter-connected economic challenges of structural and fiscal reform, arguing that promotion of domestic consumption away from fixed-asset investment could further ex...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Analyzing the Water Footprint of Indian Dairy Industry

Water footprint is a multidimensional indicator, showing water consumption volumes by source and by type of pollution; all components of a total water footprint are specified geographically and tempor...

by Zareena Begum Irfan | On 11 Mar 2016

The Culmination of the MDG’s: A New Arena of the Sustainable Development

Established in 2000; the Millennium Development Goals had played a major role in bringing back the developmental issues to focus. Nearing the end of the stipulated time when they had to be achieved an...

by Zareena Begum Irfan | On 10 Mar 2016

Impact of Agricultural Related Technology Adoption on Poverty: A Study of Select Households in Rural India

This paper applies a program evaluation technique to assess the causal effect of adoption of agricultural related technologies on consumption expenditure and poverty measured by different indices. The...

by Santosh K. Sahu | On 10 Mar 2016

Determinants of Child Health: An Empirical Analysis

Infant and child mortality rates in India have fallen by almost half from the time of adoption of millennium development goals to 2012 but there has not been a concurrent decrease in morbidity and und...

by Sowmya Dhanaraj | On 10 Mar 2016

Consumer’s Acceptance towards Genetically Modified Crops and Growth of the Economy: A Theoretical Approach

This paper develops a three-sector theoretical growth model to capture the role of consumers’ acceptance towards the second generation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the long run growth process...

by Arpita Ghose | On 10 Mar 2016

Tariff Reduction and Income Distribution: A CGE-based Analysis for Urban and Rural Households in Pakistan

This paper intends to explore functional and households personal income distribution across four different income groups in both the urban and rural areas. Using Social Accounting framework, Siddiqui...

by A. R. Kemal | On 10 Mar 2016

Distributional Impact of Structural Adjustment on Income Inequality in Pakistan: A SAM-based Analysis

This study intends to analyze the impact of fiscal policy relating to subsidies (production and consumption subsidies), government current expenditure and expenditure on health and education on income...

by Zafar Iqbal | On 10 Mar 2016

Climate Change Economics: A Review on Theoretical Understanding and Controversies

The neo-classical economics literature incorporated the notion of environment during the mid 20th century, but climate change has found its place in the economics discourse during the early 1980s. Dur...

by Unmesh Patnaik | On 09 Mar 2016

Imagined Futures:Fictionality in Economic Action

Starting from the assumption that decision situations in economic contexts are characterized by fundamental uncertainty, the paper argues that the decision-making of intentionally rational actors is a...

by Jens Beckert | On 09 Mar 2016

Mass Education or a Minority Well Educated Elite in the Process of Development: the Case of India

This paper analyses whether in developing countries mass education is more growth enhancing than to have a minority well educated elite. Using the Indian census data as a benchmark and enrollment rate...

by Amparo Castelló-Climent | On 09 Mar 2016

On the Allocation of Public Goods to Villages in India

The paper tries to analyse the effect of religious composition on the provision of public services captured mainly by infrastructure index, of four types, (i) basic amenities such as water, housing an...

by Santanu Gupta | On 09 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

Class Gains in Fisheries Management in India: Reflections from Two States

The debate on common property resource centres on issues of a particular strategy for managing it in order to cater to the growing demand for communities that depend on it and the economy at large tha...

by Jharna Pathak | On 09 Mar 2016

The Politics of Public Debt: Neoliberalism, Capitalist Development, and the Restructuring of the State

Rising public debt has been widespread in democratic-capitalist political economies since the 1970s, generally accompanied among other things by weak economic growth, rising unemployment, increasing i...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

Capitalist Dynamics Fictional Expectations and the Openness of the Future

Capitalism is an economic and social order oriented toward the future. In this paper, I describe the unfolding of the temporal order of capitalism and relate it to the restless dynamism of capitalism...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: What Can It Learn From, and Perhaps Teach To, the Multilateral Development Banks?

A striking phenomenon of recent global economic change is the emergence of new development actors, with alternative development experiences and development financing capacity. These actors are now cre...

by Stephany Griffith-Jones | On 08 Mar 2016

Middle Class is among the Better Off, They Need to Pay More

When the state is unable to provide adequately for the bottom half of the population, should it be giving tax benefits to the well-off?

by T.N. Ninan | On 05 Mar 2016

India Budget 2016: Old Economics, New Politics

India’s latest Budget focuses on the rural sector and the economically vulnerable sections and makes large allocations for agriculture and social sector programmes without compromising on fiscal disci...

by Amitendu Palit | On 04 Mar 2016

Bihar Budget Analysis 2016-17

The Finance Minister of Bihar, Mr. Abdul Bari Siddiqui, presented the Budget for Bihar for the financial year 2016-17.

by Arvind Gayam | On 03 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

Impact of China Slowdown on India

After three decades of double-digit growth, China is slowing as it is rebalancing its economy from export-driven to less-volatile domestic consumption driven economy. The paper looks at the impact of...

by Geetima Das Krishna | On 02 Mar 2016

Japanese-Chinese Territorial Disputes in the East China Sea – Between Military Confrontation and Economic Cooperation.

This paper analyses the various legal, political, military and economic circumstances of the two territorial disputes in the ECS, and it evaluates the approaches by both sides to turn the ECS from a `...

by Reinhard Drifte | On 01 Mar 2016

Fiscal Policy Instruments and the Political Economy of Designing Programs to Reach the Poorest

This paper examines the fiscal instruments available to different levels of government and their interactions to enhance the effectiveness of public policies for the poorest and hungry groups. Address...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Madhya Pradesh Budget Analysis 2016-17

The Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister, Mr. Jayant Mallayya, presented the Budget for Madhya Pradesh for the financial year 2016-17 on February 26, 2016.

by Arvind Gayam | On 01 Mar 2016

Access to Nutrition Index: Global Index 2016

ATNI is a global initiative that evaluates the largest food and beverage manufacturers’ policies, practices and disclosure related to all types of poor nutrition. It provides companies with a tool to...

by Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) | On 01 Mar 2016

Inclusion and Growth in India: Some facts, Some conclusions

In the main, this study uses the large sample National Sample Surveys (NSS) for the years 1983, 1993/94, 1999/2000, and 2004/5. There are two surveys that the NSS conducts in each of the large sample...

by Surjit S. Bhalla | On 01 Mar 2016

Labour Force Participation of Women in India: Some facts, Some Queries

The plan of the paper is as follows. Section 2 describes the data and definitions used in this study. Fertility and labour force participation are affected by broadly the same parameters. Section 3 lo...

by Surjit S. Bhalla | On 01 Mar 2016

Political Economy of Natural Resource Revenue Sharing in Indonesia

In this paper, we examine the asymmetric approaches to sharing natural resource revenues in Indonesia. We examine in Section 2, some of the potential theoretical arguments underlying...

by Cut Agustina | On 01 Mar 2016

Vital Stats: Union Budget 2016-17

Trends regarding the central government’s sources of financing including tax revenue, disinvestments, and its revenue and capital expenditure, including subsidies. Estimates are presented in the 2016-...

by Mandira Kala | On 01 Mar 2016

An Enquiry Into Migration and Homelessness - A Developmental Discourse: Evidence From Mumbai City

Existence of structural and social inequality with growing poverty and shrinking livelihoods and other factors forced to people or entire families to migrate towards cities in search of means of survi...

by | On 01 Mar 2016

Change and Continuity: Agriculture in Palanpur

A central theme in all the studies of Palanpur that have been undertaken to date has been the changing nature of agriculture. One of the reasons for selecting Palanpur from amongst the many villages t...

by Himanshu Prof | On 29 Feb 2016

Access to Finance: A Functional Approach to Supply and Demand

This paper provides a comprehensive description of the financial environment for households and small businesses in a defined geographical region. It develops a new, functional approach to financial a...

by Greg Fischer | On 29 Feb 2016

Agricultural investments in Southeast Asia: Legal tools forpublic accountability

In Southeast Asia, the rise in agricultural investments takes place against the backdrop of a fast-evolving regional context. In this ‘Asian Century’, trade and investment flows are flourishing across...

by Shalmali Guttal | On 29 Feb 2016

Understanding Land Grabbing, Land Rights in the 21st Century

Issues or problems associated with land have become more multi-layered in the 21st century. In the Philippines, a number of “pro-poor” land laws were enacted after the Marcos dictatorship. These laws...

by Focus on the Global South FGS | On 29 Feb 2016

Development of Methodology towards Measurement of Poverty

This executive summary attempts to measure developed new techniques of measuring poverty. These techniques will be discussed here. The attempts to measure absolute poverty in India were made to know w...

by Manoranjan Pal | On 29 Feb 2016

Low Carbon Lifestyles

The toolkit contains a list of practical climate friendly initiatives that can be adopted by individuals, educational institutions, and workplaces with detailed calculations of annual CO 2 emissions r...

by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Chang GOI | On 29 Feb 2016

Information for Climate Change Adaptation: Lessons and Needs in South Asia

This paper serves as background for a South Asian regional workshop that will bring together adaptation information users and producers to inform likely new investments in the information base for cli...

by Ayesha Dinshaw | On 29 Feb 2016

Nuclear and safety: Can the Two Ever Meet?

In September, the Japanese government announced that it would phase out nuclear energy by 2040. Just one week later, it stepped back from specifying an explicit timeframe. The about-turn illustrates J...

by Lina Gong | 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

Retesting the estimation of a utility-based asset pricing model using normal mixture GARCH (1, 1)

The main purpose of this paper is to derive the process of estimating dynamic RRA with the maximum likelihood and a Bayesian method having a weakly informative prior density while assuming that the lo...

by Rohit Gupta | On 27 Feb 2016

A Model of Gender Inequality and Economic Growth

This paper introduces a model of gender inequality and economic growth that focuses on the determination of women’s time allocation among market production, home production, child rearing, and child e...

by Jinyoung Kim | On 27 Feb 2016

Diasporas Transforming Homelands: Nuancing ‘Collective Remittance’ Practices in a Western Indian Village

Diasporic communities that advance their ancestral homelands through forging links with it can be best examined in the context of the history of migration of these communities and the culture of devel...

by Sudeep Basu | On 26 Feb 2016

Governance and Institutions: The role of multilevel fiscal institutions in generating sustainable and inclusive growth

Differences in political ideology might lead to different views about the role of the state in the provision of public services across countries, or even in the same country over time.2 At the same ti...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 26 Feb 2016

Location Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Services: Evidence from Chinese Provincial-level data

This article analyzes the location determinants of foreign direct investment in services, both theoretically and empirically. It hypothesizes four sets of factors as the location determinants of FDI i...

by Feng Yin | On 26 Feb 2016

Political Economy of Multilevel Information Generation and Liability Management

The issue of managing sub-national liabilities is not only an issue in the EU, but is also being a major concern in South Asia, China and Brazil as much of the public investment needed for sustainable...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 26 Feb 2016

Involving the Private Sector and PPPs in Financing Public Investments: Some Opportunities and Challenges

Given that public investment requirements far exceed available resources in most developing countries, there is a need to both channel public resources wisely and also best leverage the opportunities...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 26 Feb 2016

India’s GDP Growth: Confusion Amidst Cheers

India’s latest GDP numbers project 7.6% growth for its economy in 2015-16. But there continues to be confusion over the quality of India’s economic performance as the statistically robust GDP estimate...

by Amitendu Palit | On 26 Feb 2016

Budget 2016: Lagging Quality Education; Increase Public Investment to Improve Basic Infrastructure

In the Union Budget 2015-16, there was a reduction in the allocation for school education on account of more untied funds being given to States following the 14th Finance Commission recommendation. Ho...

by Provita Kundu | On 26 Feb 2016

Economic Survey 2015-16-Volume I

This year’s Economic Survey comes at a time of unusual volatility in the international economic environment. Markets have begun to swing on fears that the global recovery may be faltering, while ris...

by Arun Jaitley | On 26 Feb 2016

Are Maternal and Child Care Programs Reaching the Poorest Regions ?

While the national average for maternal and child health services utilization shows improvement, the Philippines is yet to achieve the MDG targets for maternal and child health. This study shows inequ...

by Rouselle F. Lavado | On 25 Feb 2016

A Note on Defining the Dependent Population Based on Age

Dependent population is defined as that part of the population that does not work and relies on others for the goods and services they consume. In practice, specific population age groups have in thei...

by Rachel Racelis | On 25 Feb 2016

Government Debt

The present Status Paper for 2015-16 is fifth in this series and reinforces the Government’s commitment to keep the level of public debt within sustainable limits and follow prudent debt management pr...

by Ministry of Finance GOI | On 25 Feb 2016

Indian Railway Budget Speech 2016-17

Speech of Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu introducing the Railway Budget for 2016-17.

by Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu | On 25 Feb 2016

Exploring Priority Areas for Philippine APEC 2015 Hosting: Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World

This paper is an integration of the studies commissioned under the DFA-PIDS memorandum of agreement to explore the priority areas during the Philippines' APEC hosting in 2015 under the theme: "Buildin...

by Erlinda M. Medalla | On 25 Feb 2016

National Treatment on Internal Taxation: Revisiting GATT Article III:2

The principle of non-discrimination which comprises national treatment and most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment is an important pillar of the multilateral trading system. The World Trade Organization (...

by Sherzod Shadikhodjaev | On 25 Feb 2016

Challenges in Health Services Trade: Philippine Case

There is a growing emphasis on the role of trade in health services (telehealth, health tourism and retirement, investments and deployment of medical professionals) in easing fiscal constraints, gener...

by Maria Cherry Rodolfo | On 25 Feb 2016

Trade Liberalization under New Realities

The last decade has witnessed significant influx of direct foreign investment in developing countries. The increased flow of foreign investment has contributed to the ability of developing countries t...

by Syed Ali | On 25 Feb 2016

Integration and Trade Specialization in East Asia

The 1990s saw East Asia becoming more integrated as trade barriers fell, trade intensity and intra-industry trade increased, and production networks formed. This greater integration has resulted in ch...

by Yose Damuri | On 24 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

Improving the Business Climate in NTT: The Case of Agriculture Trade in West Timor

Efforts to improve the business climate in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province are still facing significant obstacles. Moreover, a healthy business climate is needed to create conditions conducive to ha...

by Widjajanti Suharyo | On 24 Feb 2016

Why Inequality Matters in Poverty Reduction and Why the Middle Class Needs Policy Attention

While the Philippines has had a new economic growth trajectory in recent years, the country has had little progress in reducing poverty and in making growth more inclusive. In this paper, the authors...

by Jose Ramon G. Albert | On 24 Feb 2016

Residential Consumption of Electricity in India – Documentation of Data and Methodology

This paper describes the methodology used for the electricity consumption section of the household module of the India Low Carbon Growth Study and presents preliminary results. The module is used to p...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Urban Nomads: The Masan Jogis Based on the Field Work Experiences in Mumbai

This paper is based on field work experiences with Masan Jogi community living in Mumbai city, which is a De-Notified Tribe. There is lack of awareness and knowledge about these communities.

by . Anjana | On 24 Feb 2016

Facing Food Shortages: Urban Food Security in an Age of Constraints

Seventy per cent of the world’s population are expected to live in urban areas by 2050. Food production to feed this larger, more urban and richer population will have to be done in the face of changi...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

China and East Asian Energy: Prospects and Issues

Adequate supplies of natural resources have always been preconditions for economic growth. The requirements for energy and metallic mineral resources have been larger and more obvious with the modern...

by Dominic Meagher | On 23 Feb 2016

Post-Crisis Investment Performance Of ASEAN Countries: Impact Of FDI

The paper studies the post-Asian crisis investment performance of crisis affected countries in ASEAN. The empirical evidence clearly indicates that the ASEAN and East Asian countries are emerging from...

by Aekapol Chongvilaivan | On 23 Feb 2016

From Crisis to Recovery in Asia: Strategies, Achievements, and Lessons

This paper reviews and highlights lessons from the stabilisation and reform programme that Thailand, Malaysia and Korea implemented in response to the 1997 crisis. The three countries’ rapid recovery...

by Kanit Sangsubhan | On 23 Feb 2016

Dissecting the China Puzzle: Asymmetric Liberalization and Cost Distortion

In this paper we attempt to explain the China Puzzle: coexistence of accelerating economic growth and worsening growth outlook. The root cause lies in China’s unique liberalization approach, i.e., the...

by Huang Yiping | On 22 Feb 2016

Agriculture and Food Security in Asia by 2030

Rapid trade-led economic growth in emerging Asia has been shifting the global economic and industrial centres of gravity away from the north Atlantic, raising the importance of Asia in world trade but...

by Kym Anderson | 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

A Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model for India

Over the last decade, the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) framework has become a workhorse for macroeconomic analysis in both academic and policy circles. Following this emerging trend,...

by Parantap Basu | On 21 Feb 2016

Infrastructure Gap in South Asia Inequality of Access to Infrastructure Services

The South Asia region is home to the largest pool of individuals living under the poverty line, coupled with a fast-growing population. The importance of access to basic infrastructure services on wel...

by Dan Biller | On 21 Feb 2016

The Economic Effects of a Borrower Bailout Evidence from an Emerging Market

This paper studies the credit market implications and real effects of one the largest borrower bailout programs in history, enacted by the government of India against the backdrop of the 2008–2009 fin...

by Xavier Giné | On 21 Feb 2016

Natural Gas Situation and LNG Supply/Demand Trends in Asia-Pacific and Atlantic Markets

This paper is an excerpt from a FY 2008 survey for the promotion of oil and natural development and utilization as commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Since 2008, the global L...

by Yoshikazu Kobayashi | On 21 Feb 2016

How Does a Decrease in Oil Production Affect the World Economy?

The world's oil consumption has been increasing for more than a century with a few exceptions. This paper examines the impact of the decrease in oil production on major economies using a computable ge...

by Naohiko Yahaba | On 21 Feb 2016

Making and Faking

It is true that India is having improvements in the economic fronts. But what are the real numbers? Why does the government say exaggerated numbers?

by T.N. Ninan | On 20 Feb 2016

Savings and Investment Estimates in Bangladesh: Some Issues and Perspectives in the Context of an Open Economy

This paper examines the conceptual issues surrounding the estimation of savings and investment in Bangladesh and explains why there exist perceptible differences between the estimates of savings and i...

by Mustafa K. Mujeri | On 20 Feb 2016

A Comparative Study Of Mergers And Acquisitions By Privately- And State-Owned Enterprises

Governments have become much more welcoming towards foreign investors over the past several decades. The widespread use of screening, performance requirements, and outright restrictions on foreign own...

by Michael Gestrin | On 19 Feb 2016

Destined for Destitution: Intergenerational Poverty Persistence in Indonesia

We estimate intergenerational poverty persistence in Indonesia using a panel dataset. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such study looking at the issue in the Indonesian context. Differe...

by Yus Pakpahan | On 19 Feb 2016

Labor Supply Responses to the 1990s Japanese Tax Reforms

The consumption-leisure choice model implies that an exogenous change in tax rates will induce a change in labor supply. This implication is expected to be important to labor supplied by secondary ear...

by Ken Yamada | On 19 Feb 2016

Transforming Cities with Transit

In rapidly urbanizing and motorizing cities of the world, massive investments are being made in high-capacity transit systems to fend off worsening traffic congestion. Most investments have been guide...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

The Goods & Services Tax Debate in India: Concepts and Issues

The chequered but ongoing political efforts to introduce a uniform Goods & Services Tax (GST) throughout India should actually be seen through a larger economic prism. The current sense of urgency, re...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Impact of Services Trade Liberalization on Employment and People Movement in South Asia

Services have been a key driver of overall economic growth in South Asia since the 1990s. This paper examines how the growth of services output, trade and investment have affected service sector emplo...

by Rupa Chanda | On 19 Feb 2016

Urban Economy in the New Millennium

Michael Cohen in this lecture illustrates data about economic growth that demonstrate how cities act as engines of national economic development. In 2008, for the first time in human history, half the...

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

China’s Sovereign Investment Funds In International Perspective: The Exceptionalism Of Cic And Safe

China is the only country in the world with two sovereign investment vehicles dedicated to managing excess foreign reserves for return, not just safety and liquidity. As the investment profile and beh...

by Angela Cummine | On 19 Feb 2016

A Strategic Analysis of The Australian Foreign Investment Regime and The Prospect of Reform

This paper uses a strategic framework developed by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to assess whether Australia’s foreign investment regime is sufficiently delivering on its four main objectives...

by Alan Fels | On 19 Feb 2016

China’s Rising Outbound Investment: Trends And Issues

This paper aims to facilitate China’s globalisation process and to enable destination countries to benefit from Chinese ODI potential by having a clear understanding of the institutional background ag...

by Mei Wang | On 19 Feb 2016

Bureaucracy and Pro-poor Change

This paper takes a political economy perspective in analysing the nature and causes on the decline in bureaucratic conduct.

by Ali Cheema | On 18 Feb 2016

Income Inequality in ASEAN: Perceptions on Regional Stability from Indonesia and the Philippines

ASEAN’s normative framework is underpinned by the principle of non-interference which generally relates to political and security issues. Another regional norm is that leaders attempt to formulate com...

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

Climate Change Impacts and Mitigation in the Developing World

This paper conducts an integrated assessment of climate change impacts and climate mitigation on agricultural commodity markets and food availability in low- and middle-income countries. The analysis...

by Petr Havlík | On 17 Feb 2016

Implications for Investment in ASEAN Agriculture

Successful implementation of the AEC2015 should have a positive impact on ASEAN’s agri-food sector, leading to improved food availability for the region and increased exports. Sadly, early signs are n...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Awareness and the Demand of Safe Drinking Water Practices

The demand for environmental goods is often low in developing countries. The major causes are awareness regarding the contamination of water and poverty, but less attention has been paid to the former...

by Eatzaz Ahmed | On 16 Feb 2016

Determinants of Interest Spread in Pakistan

This study examines the determinants of interest spread in Pakistan using panel data of 29 banks. The results show that inelasticity of deposit supply is a major determinant of interest spread whereas...

by M. Idrees Khawaja | On 16 Feb 2016

Effectiveness of Regulatory Structure in the Power Sector of Pakistan

This paper is an attempt to study the regulatory environment in the electricity sector of Pakistan. NEPRA, a regulatory authority was formed in 1997 to protect consumer interests in the area of electr...

by Afia Malik | On 16 Feb 2016

From Global Factory to Global Mall: East Asia’s Changing Trade Composition

This paper studies how East Asia’s trade composition and orientation have changed over the past decade and analyzes the implications for the region and beyond. Over the last 2 decades we have witnesse...

by Matthias Helble | On 16 Feb 2016

Effectiveness of the Easing of Monetary Policy in the Japanese Economy, Incorporating Energy Prices

Japan has reached the limits of conventional macroeconomic policy. In order to overcome deflation and achieve sustainable economic growth, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) recently set an inflation target of 2...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 16 Feb 2016

Hometown Investment Trust Funds: An Analysis of Credit Risk

In Asia, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a major share of employment and dominate the economy. Asian economies are often characterized as having bank-dominated financial systems...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 16 Feb 2016

Monetary Policy Objectives in Pakistan: An Empirical Investigation

The Taylor rule (1993) focuses only on two objectives: output and inflation. In practice, the central bank’s loss function (especially in developing countries) contains objectives other than these two...

by Wasim Shahid Malik | On 15 Feb 2016

What Determines Private Investment? The Case of Pakistan

This study is an attempt to analyse the determinants of private investment in Pakistan over the period 1972-2005. The ARDL co-integration approach is employed to check the existence of a long-run rela...

by Farooq Pasha | On 15 Feb 2016

Link between the financial inclusion and Economic Growth: Unconventional Monetary Policy in Bangladesh

Like other developing countries, Bangladesh initiated financial sector reform program during 1990’s. The main objectives of the financial sector reform programs were: i) Gradual B 3 | P a g e eliminat...

by Sayera Younus | On 15 Feb 2016

Interest Rate Spread in Bangladesh: An Analytical Review

Lower spread is a vital indicator of the efficiency and competition in the financial system and conducive to higher economic growth of a country via investment spending. In Bangladesh, the spread in t...

by Shamim Ahmed | On 15 Feb 2016

Foreign Direct Investment: Impact on Sectoral Growth in Bangladesh

This paper focuses on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the sectoral (agriculture, industry and service) growth pattern of Bangladesh economy over the last 11 years, 1995-2005. The rese...

by Iftekhar Ahmed Robin | On 15 Feb 2016

Household Budget Analysis for Pakistan under Varying the Parameter Approach

Using micro-level household data for rural and urban Pakistan, this study estimates Engel equations for 22 commodity groups with quadratic spline specification, in which the number and locations of kn...

by Eatzaz Ahmad | On 14 Feb 2016

China Buys into Afghanistan

This article examines three elements of the popular narrative of China’s involvement in the development of Afghanistan’s vast natural resource wealth. It argues that Chinese companies invested in Afgh...

by Erica Downs | On 14 Feb 2016

Reforming Institutions: Where to Begin?

The theories of institutional evolution put forth by Douglas North, Darron Acemoglu and Dani Rodrik and the historical experiences of different countries in the context of development (or non-developm...

by M. Idrees Khawaja | On 14 Feb 2016

Does Governance Contribute to Pro-poor Growth? Evidence from Pakistan

This paper explores linkages between governance and pro-poor growth in Pakistan for the period 1996 to 2005. The analysis indicates that governance indicators have low scores and rank at the lowest pe...

by Rashida Haq | On 14 Feb 2016

Trends in Inequality, Welfare, and Growth in Pakistan, 1963-64 to 2004-05

The present study investigates the trends in inequality, welfare, and growth based on per capita household income/consumption in Pakistan, both its rural and urban areas, from 1963-64 to 2004-05. It e...

by Nadia Zakir | On 14 Feb 2016

Horizontal and Vertical Inequalities in India

Indian income inequality reflects the high values typical of most low and middle income economies, well above those observed for the high income LIS countries. There is also substantial variation in i...

by Reeve Vanneman | On 14 Feb 2016

The Government Budget : A Critical Appraisal with Reference to Transparency and Accountability

Budget is the major economic policy document of the government for a particular year and perhaps beyond. Therefore, it is imperative to study the processes, institutional mechanisms, and decision-maki...

by Muttukrishna Sarvananthan | On 13 Feb 2016

Segmented Schooling: Inequalities in Primary Education

This paper utilizes a newly collected nationally representative survey data from over 41,550 households to examine social inequality in children’s educational outcomes. The focus is on 8 to11 year old...

by Sonalde Desai | On 13 Feb 2016

Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services in India: Understanding the Regional Differences

There is great regional variation on utilization of maternal health care services across India. While regional differences have long been established, why women in some states are more likely to utili...

by Sonalde Desai | On 12 Feb 2016

Can Conditional Cash Transfers Improve Education and Nutrition Outcomes for Poor Children in Bangladesh?

This paper uses panel data from a pilot project and evaluates the impact of conditional cash transfers on consumption, education, and nutrition outcomes among poor rural families in Bangladesh. Given...

by Céline Ferré | On 12 Feb 2016

Regulating the Revolving Door

The increased interaction between business and government – as result of privatisations, lobbying and public contracting - has meant increased opportunities for corruption. Conflicts of interest, and...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Monitoring Climate Adaptation Financing to Ensure Effectiveness

Financing efforts by countries to adapt to climate change will require enormous amounts of resources and investments, both from the public and private sectors. How climate financing is generated, gove...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Towards the Circular Economy: Accelerating the Scale-Up across Global Supply Chains

In this report, the World Economic Forum and the Foundation, with analytics provided by McKinsey & Company, acting as project adviser, joined forces to reconcile the concept of scaling a circular econ...

by | On 11 Feb 2016

Demystifying the Arctic

To this day, the general public thinks of the Arctic in visions of unspoiled ocean and landscapes, expansive ice, clean water, unique species and aboriginal cultures – essentially it reminds everyone...

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

There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!

The Union Budget falls on February 29- this being a leap year. An online opinion poll on a leading media website reads: “Should Arun Jaitley prefer growth or fiscal deficit?” As India emerges as the...

by Tulsi Jayakumar | On 11 Feb 2016

Towards Fiscal Consolidation and a Simplified Tax Structure?

The forthcoming union budget 2016-17 faces several fiscal challenges and it will be tough task for the government to provide positive signals to revive the private investment while pursuing the fiscal...

by Pratap Jena | On 11 Feb 2016

Future of Healthy How to Realize Returns on Health

After demonstrating in Maximizing Healthy Life Years that health can have a positive return on investment, the 2016 report How to Realize Returns on Healthshows how to tackle the silent NCD pandemic:...

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

Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey

Occupation is key in socioeconomic research. As in other survey modes, most web surveys use an open-ended question for occupation, though the absence of interviewers elicits unidentifiable or aggregat...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

Myanmar Economy A Comparative View

A stated objective of Myanmar is to become a modern developed nation that will stand shoulder to shoulder – proud, dignified and tall – with the countries of the world. How far has Myanmar come in ach...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Urbanization, Inequity and Health in India: a Landscape

In India an official definition of the term urban by Census is: over 5000 population; a population density of over 400 persons per sq km; over 75% of male workforce in non-primary activities. This art...

by Organising Team (MFC) | On 09 Feb 2016

Life and Work in Jeedimetla: A Montage

The workers have to put up with poor housing and living conditions that cramp and disrupt their family lives. There is no government plan to house these workers when industrial areas like in Jeedimetl...

by Mithun Som | On 09 Feb 2016

Ensuring Identity and Entitlements of India’s Urban Poor

Can we create awareness among the urban poor and create documents for them? What are the steps to be followed for that?

by K.R. Antony | On 09 Feb 2016

Rivalry and Cooperation: A New "Great Game" in Myanmar

Myanmar since its reform and opening up has become the locus for a new "Great Game" between the world's major powers. This brings with it new challenges for China which has hitherto been the preeminen...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Addressing Barriers to Digital Trade

This paper addresses the question of whether it is possible to balance the need for a free flow of information across borders with legitimate government concerns related to public order, consumer priv...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Statement 22: Recognition of Budget for Children in India

This paper traces the process of recognition of children’s budget and the introduction of Statement 22- Budget Provisions for Schemes for the Welfare of Children in the Expenditure Budget Volume 1. I...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 08 Feb 2016

Crowding Out in the Labour Market: Do Employers Lend a Hand?

We test the basic assumption underlying the job competition and crowding out a hypothesis: that employers always prefer higher educated to lower educated individuals. To this end, we conduct a randomi...

by Dieter Verhaest | On 07 Feb 2016

Can Welfare Conditionality Combat High School Dropout?

Based on administrative data, we analyze empirically the effects of stricter conditionality for social assistance receipt on welfare dependency and high school completion rates among Norwegian youths....

by Øystein Hernæs | On 07 Feb 2016

Higher Education Expansion and Labor Market Outcomes for Young College Graduates

We examine the causal impact of China's higher education expansion on labor market outcomes for young college graduates using China's 2005 1% Population Sample Survey. Exploiting variation in the expa...

by Dongshu Ou | On 07 Feb 2016

Remittances and Expenditure Patterns of the Left Behinds in Rural China

This paper investigates how private transfers from internal migration in China affect the expenditure behaviour of families left behind in rural areas. Using data from the Rural-Urban Migration in Chi...

by Sylvie Démurger | On 07 Feb 2016

Local Labor Market Conditions and Crime: Evidence from the Brazilian Trade Liberalization

This paper estimates the effect of local labor market conditions on crime in a developing country with high crime rates. Contrary to the previous literature, which has focused exclusively on developed...

by Rafael Dix-Carneiro | On 07 Feb 2016

Analysing the Terms of Trade Effect for Pakistan

The study investigates the impact of changes in terms of trade in Pakistan on its income and consumption potentials, by employing two measures of terms of trade, namely, barter terms of trade and inco...

by Nishat Fatima | On 06 Feb 2016

A Dynamic Macroeconometric Model of Pakistan’s Economy

In this study, an attempt has been made of develop a dynamic macroeconometric model of Pakistan’s economy to examine the behaviour of major macroeconomic variables such as output, consumption, investm...

by Muhammad Arshad Khan | On 06 Feb 2016

The Persistence and Transition of Rural Poverty in Pakistan: 1998-2004

This study has used two rounds of the two panel data sets to examine the poverty dynamics in rural Pakistan (Sindh and Punjab). The Pakistan SocioEconomic Survey (PSES ) covers two periods, 1998 and 2...

by G. M. Arif | On 06 Feb 2016

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Adaptation Fund

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Adaptation Fund is the first in a series of reports by Transparency International aimed at analysing the policies and practices that se...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Climate Investment Funds

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-corruption Assessment of the Climate Investment Funds is the second in a series of reports by Transparency International aimed at analysing the policies and practic...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

WTO in Times of Major Changes

The relationship between these groups needs to be defined in order for the organization to move forward. The need for this is evident from the standoff in the Doha Round negotiations, where China, Bra...

by | On 05 Feb 2016

Implementing Energy Subsidy Reforms: Evidence from Developing Countries

This report aims to provide the emerging lessons from a representative sample of 20 country case studies that could help policy makers to address implementation challenges, including overcoming politi...

by | On 05 Feb 2016

Exporting Corruption, Progress Report 2015: Assessing Enforcement of the OECD Convention on Combatting Foreign Bribery

Transparency International’s 2015 Progress Report is an independent assessment of the enforcement of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) Anti-Bribery Convention. The...

by Transparency International | On 05 Feb 2016

Together Against Corruption: Transparency International Strategy 2020

Together against Corruption provides the strategic framework for Transparency International’s collective ambition and actions for the years 2016-2020. Our movement’s fourth strategy, it builds on the...

by Transparency International | On 03 Feb 2016

Inter-linkage between Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Trade in Pakistan: Are they Complements or Substitute?

This study tries to investigate the inter-linkage between foreign trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in case of Pakistan. Annual data for the period 1985–2010 have been considered for eight maj...

by Unbreen Qayyum | On 03 Feb 2016

Institutional Quality, Conflict and Aid Dependency

This study attempts to explore the impact of foreign aid on the quality of governance and how conflicts, whether internal or external affect the overall situation. Conflicts affect governance directly...

by Unbreen Qayyum | On 03 Feb 2016

Foreign Aid and the Fiscal Behaviour of Government of Pakistan

This study examines the effect of foreign aid on the fiscal behaviour of the Government of Pakistan. It applies the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model to analyse the relationship that prevailed betw...

by Rabia Butt | On 03 Feb 2016

The New Role of the World Bank

The World Bank was founded to correct failures in international capital markets. That role has shifted over the past 70 years. Modern analyses should proceed from the premise that the Bank’s central g...

by Michael Clemens | 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 Relationship between Disaggregate Energy Consumption, Economic Growth and Environment for Asian Developing Economies

This study evaluates the link between disaggregate energy consumption (coal, petroleum, electricity, renewable energy consumption), economic growth and environment for Asian Developing countries. Coin...

by Ali Cheema | On 03 Feb 2016

Evaluation of Gold Investment as an Inflationary Hedge in Case of Pakistan

The present study aims at empirically testing the status of gold as a potential hedge against inflation. The study whirls around analysing the nature of the relationship of expected and actual inflati...

by Nadeem Ul Haque | On 02 Feb 2016

Infrastructure Investment, Private Finance, and Institutional Investors: Asia from a Global Perspective

This study evaluates infrastructure investment and finance in Asia from a global perspective. It provides an overview on infrastructure needs and the various sources of private finance, globally and w...

by Georg Inderst | On 02 Feb 2016

Urbanization and Inequality in Hypertension Diagnosis and Medication in Indonesia

Urbanization has been progressing quickly in Indonesia and the consequences on health and health inequities are still not well understood. In this paper, new empirical evidence is presented on the dif...

by Matthias Helble | On 02 Feb 2016

Pakistan: The Impact of Economic Liberalisation on Poverty

The reform program that Pakistan gradually implemented during the 1980s and the early 1990s dismantled many of the components of the ISI strategy.1 The extent of dependence on quantitative import cont...

by Zafar Mahmood | On 02 Feb 2016

Financial Incentives to Industry

This paper provides details of the decisions made by the Environment Standards Committee (ESC) on Financial Incentives to industry. It also documents the progress made so far in the implementation of...

by Abdul Khan | On 02 Feb 2016

Towards a Framework for Achieving Food Security in the Mountains of Pakistan

The agriculture sector in Pakistan sustains the livelihoods of 45 per cent of the national population. Both the direct and indirect contributions of the agriculture sector to overall growth and wellbe...

by Golam Rasul | On 02 Feb 2016

Disciplining Investment Incentives: A Lost Cause?

Investment incentives rank among the most important policy instruments governments employ to influence the locational decisions of multinational firms. In the wake of the recent increase in locational...

by International Centre for Sustainable Trade and Development | On 02 Feb 2016

Trade Policy and Manufacturing Performance: Exploring the Level of Trade Openness in India’s Organized Manufacturing in the Period 1990-2010

This study presents industry-level evidence regarding the connection between trade policy reforms and manufacturing performance. It contributes to the existing literature in several respects. The stu...

by Deb Kusum Das | On 02 Feb 2016

Economic Inequality and Economic Development: Lessons and Implications of Global Experiences for the Arab World

This paper starts from the premise that economic inequality will be central to Arab policy makers concerns as they devise economic development strategies for the future. In this, the lessons from glob...

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

Research Imperatives for the Indian Banking Sector

In emerging economies like India, banking sector is very important. But banking sector is at 'crossroads'. There are many issues which this sector is facing and research which would generate fresh i...

by S.S. Mundra | On 01 Feb 2016

Towards 2030 UN Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals: Technical Challenges in Measuring Gender Inequality in Asia Pacific

Against the backdrop of UN 2030 Sustainable Development agenda, this paper analyses the measurement issues in gender-based indices constructed by UNDP and suggests alternatives for choice of variables...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

Financing Mitigation and Adaptation by Developing Countries

There is a broad consensus that without the active participation of developing countries, global temperatures cannot be stabilized at a safe level. It is also agreed that even if temperatures are cont...

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

Is Sustainable Recovery Possible for Haiti?

In Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, the earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale in early January 2010 had devastating effects. The Government estimates that more than 200,000 people (o...

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

Global Liquidity for Global Development

Official development assistance declined in real terms in 2011 as a result, in part, of fiscal austerity in many donor countries. Traditional forms of funding have fallen well short of needs to financ...

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

Challenges of Financing Human and Sustainable Development

Accelerating progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will serve to advance human development and also to lay a solid foundation for the pursuance of sustainable development goals a...

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

Achieving Sustainable Development: The Energy Investment Challenge

There is an emerging consensus holding that sustainable development requires a radical transformation of the world’s energy system. This brief suggests that countries will need to manage large and com...

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

Savings Behaviour In South Asia

Savings behaviour is important because of the close relation between savings and growth. Further, the direction of causality between savings and growth is of critical importance for development policy...

by Ranjan Kumar Dash | On 30 Jan 2016

Founding of IWMI In Sri Lanka

The parliamentary general elections in 1977 was a watershed in the political landscape of Sri Lanka. The government that came into power mid-year sought a more liberalized and open economy, and hence...

by Nanda Abeywickrama | 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

Fiscal Consolidation and Economic Growth: A Case Study of Pakistan

Pakistan’s economy has witnessed occasional spurts in economic growth, unfortunately, the economic growth has not been sustainable. One of the culprits often cited for haphazard growth experience of P...

by Ahmed Waqar Qasim | On 30 Jan 2016

Impact of Debt on Aggregate Investment and Productivity in Developing Asian Countries

This study attempts to investigate the empirical relationship between debt and productivity and debt and investment for the Developing Asian Countries over the period of 1984-2007. The study uses two...

by Hasan Shahzad | On 30 Jan 2016

Strengthening Community Engagement of Higher Education Institutions

It was expected that education would address these problems to a large extent. However, inspite of enhanced investment on expenditure, leading to increased enrolment, these issues remain largely unatt...

by (Field Action Project on Homelessness and Destitut Koshish | On 30 Jan 2016

Impact of Gender Inequality on the Republic of Korea's Long Term Economic Growth: An Application of the Theoretical Model of Gender Inequality and Economic Growth

This paper presents a theoretical model that can analyze the impact of gender inequality on long-term economic growth.

by Jinyoung Kim | On 30 Jan 2016

Public Expenditure, Employment and Poverty in Bangladesh An Empirical Analysis

The present paper titled Public Expenditure, Employment and Poverty in Bangladesh An Empirical Analysis has been prepared under the CPD-UNDP collaboration programme on Pro-Poor Macroeconomic Policies...

by Centre for Policy Dialogue CPD | On 29 Jan 2016

Poverty-Environment Nexus An Investigation of Linkage and Policy Implications

The present paper titled Poverty-Environment Nexus: An Investigation of Linkage and Policy Implications has been prepared under the CPD-UNDP collaboration programme on Pro-Poor Macroeconomic Policies...

by Centre for Policy Dialogue CPD | On 29 Jan 2016

Healing Wounds: How the International Centers of the CGIAR Help Rebuild Agriculture in Countries Affected by Conflicts and Natural Disasters

This study first reviews current thinking on the underlying causes of conflicts and disasters, identifying poverty as a major driver of both. Poverty breeds frustration, compelling the poor to turn to...

by Surendra Varma | On 29 Jan 2016

Making Regional Cooperation Work for South Asia’s Poor

South Asia has attracted global attention because it has experienced rapid GDP growth over the last two decades. What is not so well known is that South Asia is the least integrated region in the worl...

by Ejaz Ghani | On 29 Jan 2016

Cyber Attacks: The Electronic Battlefield

The phenomenon of cyberattacks has produced a host of challenges. This analysis attempts to comprehensively describe the “operational” element of cyberattacks and deal with the notion of cyberspace. I...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Investing in Human Capital for Inclusive Growth: Focus on Higher Education

What does the Philippines need to do to transform its economy into a high middle-income economy and ensure that the benefits from such a transformation are within reach of every Filipino? Investment i...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Industrial Policies in Lower-Middle-Income Countries

Lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are heterogeneous countries with various economic experiences. Many underwent different types of structural transformation from agriculture to manufacturing and s...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Investment and Trade Regimes Conjoined: Economic Facts and Regulatory Frameworks

Recent research suggests that trade and investment are closely linked as two-way economic complements. Trade liberalization facilitates investment, but even complete trade openness will not overcome a...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Trade Secrets, Innovation and the WTO

The intersection of trade secrets, innovation, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) forms a topic that is increasingly debated as part of the public discourse on intangible capital and intellectual...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Establishing an International Advisory Centre on Investment Disputes?

In the light of growing globalization and the significant increase in the number of investor-state disputes that has taken place over recent years, this paper proposes that it is time to establish an...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Trade and Investment Frameworks in Extractive Industries: Challenges and Options

At the domestic level, if managed properly, the revenues from extractive industries can have a substantial impact on income and prosperity while respecting community needs and the environment. To achi...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

The Evolving International Investment Law and Policy Regime: Ways Forward

International investment needs are tremendous. This requires that the international investment regime constitutes a framework for increased flows of sustainable foreign direct investment for sustainab...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Inequality and Growth Reconsidered: Lessons from East Asia

East Asian economies have experienced rapid growth over three decades, with relatively low levels of income inequality, and appear to have also achieved reductions in income inequality. We argue that...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

TRIPS and Pharmaceutical Industry: Issues of Strategic Importance

Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) brings in uniformity in the standards of intellectual property rights among the member countries of the WTO irrespective of their developmental statu...

by N. Lalitha | On 28 Jan 2016

Institutional Arrangements in Providing Urban Health Services: Current Context and Possible Way Forward

This note looks beyond the parameters of a three-tier public health care system, to the supportive institutional arrangements necessary for provision of effective and accountable services to improve h...

by Shomikho Raha | On 28 Jan 2016

Healthcare Challenges in Urbanizing India

Rapid urbanisation in India, driven by a globalised economy and its accelerated growth, will increasingly demand attention of policy makers. The objective of this policy note is to throw light on heal...

by Rajeev Ahuja | On 28 Jan 2016

Outward Foreign Direct Investment from India: Recent Trends and Patterns

This paper provides an overview of the changing patterns of O-FDI from India over 1975-2001. It shows that the increasing number of Indian TNCs during 1990s has been accompanied by a number of changes...

by Jaya Prakash Pradhan | On 28 Jan 2016

Potable Water for the Rural Poor in Arid Rajasthan: Traditional Water Harvesting as an Option

This paper enquires into the potential of wells (as TWHS) in the Thar Desert area of Rajasthan. Following a detailed analysis of hydrological and structural aspects of the source and quality of water,...

by Keshab Das | On 28 Jan 2016

Inequality and the Imperative for Inclusive Growth in Asia

Developing Asia’s rapid growth rates that have contributed to a remarkable decline in the incidence of poverty have also been accompanied by rising income and expenditure inequalities and persistenc...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Health, Inequality and Economic Development

This article explores the connection between income inequality and health in both, poor and rich countries. Mechanisms like non-linear income effects, credit restrictions, nutritional traps, public go...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Reducing Child Undernutrition: How far Does Income Growth Take Us?

How rapidly will child undernutrition respond to income growth? This study explores that question using household survey data from 12 countries. In addition, data on the undernutrition rates since the...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

How could Mega-Regional Trade Negotiations Affect Agricultural and Food Trade?

A new generation of 'mega-regional' trade deals have the potential to reshape the landscape of global agricultural trade, by establishing new commitments on market access as well as new regulatory nor...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Enabling the Energy Transition and Scale-up of Clean Energy Technologies: Options for the Global Trade System

With the challenges of access to energy, energy security, and the imperative of climate change becoming more pronounced in recent years, interest in clean energy has surged. Mitigation efforts to limi...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Financial Inclusion and Livelihood Promotion of Rickshaw Pullers in India

The research study highlights the financial inclusion needs of cycle rickshaw pullers in India. These include access to service sectors; improvement of asset base; employment of their women; increase...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

UNDP Annual Report 2014-2015: Time for Global Action

Voices around the world are demanding leadership and action in 2015 on poverty, inequality and climate change. These universal challenges demand global action, and this year presents unprecedented opp...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 27 Jan 2016

Multinationals and Foreign Investment Policies in a Digital World

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the future of the multinational enterprise (MNE) and implications for the international investment regime. The paper begins by summarising current thinking on m...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Global Production With Export Platforms

Most international commerce is carried out by multinational firms, which use their foreign affiliates for the majority of their foreign sales. In this paper, I examine the determinants of multinationa...

by Penn Stat | On 27 Jan 2016

Health Agriculture Labour Migrants (Denied) Access to Health Care in Andhra Pradesh

In most countries international migration has received more attention than internal agriculture labour migration. Even though internal agriculture labour migration has become an important livelihood...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Achieving Bangladesh's Tourism Potential: Linkages to Export Diversification, Employment Generation and the "Green Economy"

The objective of this working paper is to critically test the assertion that pro-poor "green" tourism is one of the best development options for the majority of least developed countries (LDCs) -- a c...

by Shoaib Akhtar | On 27 Jan 2016

The Determinants of Quality Specialization

A growing literature suggests that high-income countries export high-quality goods. Two hypotheses may explain such specialization, with different implications for welfare, inequality, and trade polic...

by Roberta Piermartini | On 26 Jan 2016

Infrastructure Provision , Trade And Development Prospects: Potential Role And Relevance Of The WTO Agreement On Government Procurement (GPA)

The paper, nonetheless, acknowledges that delivering these benefits would involve significant practical and political challenges. It concludes that if the challenges can be overcome and the mutual ben...

by Kodjo Osei-Lah | On 26 Jan 2016

Services And Global Value Chains – Some Evidence On Servicification Of Manufacturing And Services Networks

This paper analyses the role of services in international trade through the lens of global value chains (GVCs). Services account for more than 70% of world GDP but only for around 20% of world trade i...

by Rainer Lanz | On 26 Jan 2016

TRIPS Plus Agreements and Issues in Access to Medicines in Developing Countries

Harmonisation of intellectual property rights among the members of WTO has in the recent years seen informed debates on access to medicines. While the developing countries are lured to such agreements...

by Samira Guennif | On 26 Jan 2016

Government Intervention and Prices of Medicines: Lessons from Tamil Nadu

This paper looks at the approach adopted by the government of Tamil Nadu where drug procurement and supply is done through an autonomous agency. The paper emphasises the need for such goverment interv...

by N. Lalitha | On 26 Jan 2016

Pro-Nutrition Agriculture in India: Entry Points and Policy Options

India should comprehensively address its challenge of undernutrition. This includes, pursuing agricultural policies to strengthen agriculture-nutrition linkages. This note suggests that agricultural p...

by S. Mahendra Dev | 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

Addressing the Unequal Burden of Malnutrition

The poor are not uniformly disadvantaged. For the most health indicators, the status of ‘excluded groups’ such as scheduled caste and scheduled tribes, and Muslims is significantly worse than that of...

by Sukhade Thorat | On 26 Jan 2016

The 1000 Day Window of Opportunity for Improving Child Nutrition in India: Insights from National-level Data

Using Data from National Family Health Surveys (NFHS), this note shows the patterns of child growth in India. It also shows that in India the status of recommended essential interventions in this wind...

by Purnima Menon | On 26 Jan 2016

Overcoming Challenges to Accelerating Linear Growth in Indian Children

Early childhood stunting or linear growth retardation predicts poor human capital. While stunting rates in India are unacceptably high, the decline in stunting over the past decades demonstrates that...

by Harshpal Singh Sachdev | On 26 Jan 2016

A Status Paper on the Pharmaceutical Industry in France

This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive view of the status of the Pharmaceutical industry in France. As a background to the discussion, the paper first elaborates on the demographic features of...

by N. Lalitha | On 26 Jan 2016

Drinking Water and Sanitation in Rural Madhya Pradesh: Recent Initiatives and Issues

This paper presents a brief account, based primarily on available secondary sources, of the current status of drinking water supply and sanitation in rural Madhya Pradesh. With a discussion on the lop...

by Keshab Das | On 26 Jan 2016

Economic Reforms and Expenditure on Health in India

In this paper an attempt has been made to analyse the impact of economic reforms on the public health expenditure of 15 major states and the centre as well as the combined expenditure of both the stat...

by Shiddalingaswami Hanagodimath | On 26 Jan 2016

India’s Sri Lanka Policy: Towards Economic Engagement

India's Sri Lanka policy since 1991 is one example of how India's foreign policy imperatives, redefined by the end of the Cold War and the introduction of liberal economic reforms, have impacted relat...

by | On 25 Jan 2016

Regulating Microfinance through Codes of Conduct: A Critical Review of the Indian Experience

The paper critically reviews the course of events that led to the development of codes of conduct for the microfinance industry in the country and examines their effectiveness in motivating microfinan...

by Tara S Nair | On 25 Jan 2016

External Shocks

After the global financial crisis, India was exposed to many external shocks from commodity prices and foreign capital flows. Although capital flow fluctuations were largely due to global risk-on risk...

by Ashima Goyal | On 24 Jan 2016

Nexus among Output, Inflation and Private Sector Credit in Bangladesh

This study examines the relationship if any among economic growth (output), private sector credit and inflation in Bangladesh. In many developed and developing countries, private sector credit has pla...

by Sayera Younus | On 23 Jan 2016

Near-Term Inflation Outlook and BB’s Policy Stance

This paper uses three alternative forecasting techniques, namely, Box-Jenkins’s Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model, unrestricted Vector Autoregression (UVAR) model and Hsiao’s Fina...

by Md. Habibur Rahman | On 23 Jan 2016

Public Debt Sustainability in Bangladesh

This policy note reviews the trend in debt composition and sources of debt financing and analyzes debt sustainability of Bangladesh. Along with historical data on level of debt and sources of financin...

by Md. Ezazul Islam | On 23 Jan 2016

Interest Rates and the Demand for Money in Bangladesh: An Empirical Investigation with Quarterly Data, 1997Q4-2006Q4

This paper investigates the sensitivity of money demand to interest rates on treasury bills in Bangladesh with quarterly data for the period 1997Q4-2006Q4. A standard demand for money function is spec...

by Akhand Akhtar Hossain | On 23 Jan 2016

Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Bangladesh’s Balance of Payments: Some Policy Implications

This study reports high positive correlation between FDI inflows and Bangladesh’s aggregate exports and imports. The net impact on the current account balance and the balance of payments is positive....

by Muhammad Amir Hossain | On 23 Jan 2016

Volatility of Stock Return in the Dhaka Stock Exchange

This note examines the volatility in stock prices in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) during 2003- 2007. Excessive volatility and fluctuations in stock price fail to provide the correct signal on compan...

by Md. Habibour Rahman | On 23 Jan 2016

Inflation Accounting Across Income Groups: Does Inflation Hurt the Poor More in Bangladesh?

This note provides estimates of the contribution of food prices to inflation in Bangladesh. The results suggest that the current inflation takes a bigger toll on the poor because they spend more of th...

by M. Golam Mortaza | On 23 Jan 2016

Prospects and Challenges of Bond Market Development in Bangladesh

The thin bond market in Bangladesh faces manifold challenges emanating from several sources including excessive reliance on bank credit, government debt instruments dominated by primary auction based...

by Md. Akhtaruzzaman | On 23 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

The SLR as a Monetary Policy Instrument in Bangladesh

The statutory liquidity requirement (SLR), as a monetary policy instrument, has experienced infrequent changes in Bangladesh. Past evidence shows that reduction in SLR produced positive impact on bank...

by Sayera Younus | On 23 Jan 2016

A Quick Analysis of Deposit Interest Rates Offered by Commercial Banks

The main purpose of the survey is to collect data on the extent of the mis-reporting of deposit interest rates, as accurate data is essential for effective financial and monetary policy.

by Md. Ezazul Islam | On 23 Jan 2016

New Trade Links: A Step towards Asian Economic Integration?

This paper states that the sheaf of trade- and investment-agreements that India and Bangladesh have now signed will open up opportunities for New Delhi to look at, and beyond, its near-East neighbour...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Expanding Foreign Investment in the Energy Sector Challenges and Risks For Bangladesh?

A recent project under the CMI-CPD institutional collaboration agreement has looked at the effect of corruption on investment in the energy sector. A distinction is made between the extraction of ener...

by Arne Wiig | On 23 Jan 2016

Impact of Water and Sanitation Interventions on Childhood Diarrhea: Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper analyses the possible relevance of water and sanitation improvements for diarrhoea reduction in the context of Bangladesh. Much of the public policy thinking in the past was guided by publi...

by Binayak Sen | On 23 Jan 2016

An Analysis of Private Commercial Borrowing from Foreign Sources in Bangladesh

The intention of this study is to get an indication of the trends and uses of private sector commercial borrowing from external sources in Bangladesh. In this paper, an overall picture of the private...

by Sayera Younus | On 23 Jan 2016

Rationalizing Interest Rate Spread in the Banking Sector: Some Policy Suggestions

Despite the removal of restrictions and reforms in the banking sector to facilitate the adoption of a market oriented interest rate policy, interest rates are yet to become fully responsive to the mar...

by Bangladesh Bank | On 23 Jan 2016

Rationalizing Food Demand and Supply Estimates: An Exploratory Note

This note examines the current methodology of setting the requirements and availability of food grains used by FPMU and identifies areas where efforts are needed to rationalize demand and supply estim...

by Bangladesh Bank | On 23 Jan 2016

Trend and Characteristics of Recent Inflation in Bangladesh

In the backdrop of recent global developments, this note examines some of the characteristics of inflation in Bangladesh including the contribution of major commodity groups to overall inflation in ru...

by Bangladesh Bank | On 23 Jan 2016

Creating Alliances for Renewable Energy Investment: Lessons from China and India

Alliances’ of public and private actors can play a crucial role in accelerating the transition to sustainable energy systems, and these groupings can be ‘engineered’. Based on research findings from I...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

Learning from India's Development Cooperation

India now needs to strengthen and harmonise its institutional mechanisms for development cooperation through clear policy statements. In addition to national foreign policy and economic interests, acc...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

What Drives Wind and Solar Energy Investment in India and China?

The focus of this research is on the determinants of low-carbon investment in the world’s two largest emerging economies: China and India. While these countries are responsible for the biggest growth...

by Stephen Spratt | On 23 Jan 2016

Do Government Transfers Reduce Conflict?

Social conflicts have been solved through fiscal policy and the provision of public goods and services over the centuries. Data from India, too, show government expenditure on social services has had...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

Modeling Interest Rate Cycles in India

The present study tries to examine the behaviour of various Indian interest rates such as call money rate, and yields on secondary market securities with maturity periods of 15 to 91 days, 1-year, 5-y...

by B B Bhattacharya | On 22 Jan 2016

Do Rich Countries Invest Less in Poor Countries Than the Poor Countries Themselves?

Could a rich-country social planner, capable only of forcing capital flows across borders but not directly into the hands of individual poor-country entrepreneurs, improve the efficiency of the global...

by | On 22 Jan 2016

The Impact of Digital Content: Opportunities and Risks of Creating and Sharing Information Online

The Global Agenda Council on Social Media white paper to be launched at the Forum's Annual Meeting 2016, The Impact of Digital Content: Opportunities and Risks of Creating and Sharing Information Onli...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | 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

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Implications for India

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was signed on 5 October 2015 by the US and 11 countries in the Asia- Pacific. The writers of the TPP expect the agreement to result in the dynamic evoluti...

by Geethanjali Nataraj | On 21 Jan 2016

India and APEC An Appraisal

This Study surveys the progress that APEC has made towards promoting regional economic cooperation and integration. It examines the desirability of India joining APEC and looks at possible benefits an...

by V. S. Seshadri | On 21 Jan 2016

Climate Change and Cities

This paper is a study of climate change discourse in urban India. It suggests that the policies being articulated to deal with climate issues are premised on incremental changes rather than radical re...

by Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay | 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

Productivity in the Era of Trade and Investment Liberalization in India

Very recent years India has witnessed wide-ranging economic reforms in her policies governing international trade and FDI flows. As per the findings of the paper, some of the important determinants of...

by Ram Upendra Das | On 21 Jan 2016

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) has emerged as a major regional initiative for trade and investment liberalisation and towards enhancing competitiveness of the twelve participant countries drawn f...

by V. S. Seshadri | On 21 Jan 2016

The Growth-Employment Relationship Since 2000

This discussion paper is a brief assessment of the employment challenge that become manifest in the Indian economy during the past decade. It analyses various available economic indicators and present...

by Shipra Nigam | On 21 Jan 2016

Rural Sanitation Transformation in Himachal Pradesh

The relationship between poor sanitation, water borne disease, mortality and malnutrition is well documented. Statistics about the number of deaths due to diarrhea as well as stunting caused by malnut...

by Deepak Sanan | On 19 Jan 2016

Report on World Social Situation 2013: Inequality Matters

Published by the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of UN DESA, the report places special focus on policy and disadvantaged social groups, in addition to examining the consequences of h...

by United Nations (UN) | On 19 Jan 2016

Work and Welfare: Revisiting the Linkages from a Gender Perspective

This paper examines the relationship between employment and social policy specifically from a gender perspective. It first lays out, in section 1, the conceptual ground, drawing on a range of heterodo...

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Designing Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Investments

The present document is designed to serve as a tool to guide programme planners who are aiming to apply these recommendations in the design of agricultural investments and programmes. The persistence...

by Anna Lartey | 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

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

Crucial Collaborators or Petty Players? The Globalization of R&D and the Rise of China and India

In recent decades, research and development has become a key new arena of globalization. Whereas multinational corporations once conducted R&D primarily in their home countries, it is now often disper...

by Andrew Kennedy | On 18 Jan 2016

Group Violence, Ethnic Diversity, and Citizen Participation: Evidence from Indonesia

This paper addresses the impact of violent conflict on social capital, as measured by citizen participation in community groups defined for four activity types: governance, social service, infrastruct...

by | On 18 Jan 2016

Marrying Up: The Role of Sex Ratio in Assortative Matching

A novel dataset is used to study the impact of male scarcity on marital assortative matching and other marriage market outcomes using the large shock that WWI caused to the number of French men. Using...

by | On 18 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

Where is India’s Growth Headed?

In this paper, we analyze the sources of output growth in the past three decades and discuss the outlook going forward. Projections are made for the growth of factors of production and the growth of...

by Ila Patnaik | On 18 Jan 2016

Raising Agricultural Productivity and Making Farming Remunerative for Farmers

The paper identifies five important aspects of agriculture that need immediate attention to bring economic advantages to millions of farm families. First, output per hectare, which is a common measu...

by Niti Aayog GOI | On 18 Jan 2016

Does Development Reduce Migration?

The most basic economic theory suggests that rising incomes in developing countries will deter emigration from those countries, an idea that captivates policymakers in international aid and trade dipl...

by | On 15 Jan 2016

The Role of Industrial Policy as a Development Tool: New Evidence from the Globalization of Trade-and-Investment

This paper identifies the ingredients for what it calls “light-handed” industrial policy to address these obstacles. To a certain extent, emerging market hosts can carry out the policy interventions r...

by Theodore H Moran | On 15 Jan 2016

A Survey of the Role of Fiscal Policy in Addressing Income Inequality, Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth

A growing concern on widening income gap between the rich and the poor, the policy mismatch in tackling the relative poverty and income inequality have invited increasing volumes of research focusing...

by | On 15 Jan 2016

Public Infrastructure as a Determinant of Intertemporal and Interregional Productive Performance in China

This paper focuses on the question whether public infrastructure capital matters for labor productivity in China, both over time and across regions. It finds that public infrastructure is a significan...

by | On 15 Jan 2016

Rebalancing Growth in Asia

Rebalancing growth patterns of Asian economies is an important component of the overall rebalancing effort that will be required in the world economy. In this paper, I provide an empirical characteriz...

by Eswar S. Prasad | On 15 Jan 2016

Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2016

Regional integration efforts have intensified at varying levels over the years to implement the regional integration initiatives of ASEAN, ASEAN+3 and ASEAN+6. Current efforts are still not enough to...

by OECD Development Centre | On 13 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

From Aid to Global Development Policy

The international community has advanced in reforming the international aid system. Such reform comes at a time when there is a renewed skepticism about aid effectiveness and when the crisis sheds new...

by José Alonso | On 11 Jan 2016

Recipients and Contributors: Middle income countries and the future of development cooperation

The new role that middle-income countries (MICs) play in the global landscape obliges international community to review the configuration of the development cooperation system. On the one hand, MICs s...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Redistributive Policies for Sustainable Development: Looking at the Role of Assets and Equity

Analyses of redistributive policies often focus on income flows to examine the nexus between redistribution and economic growth. With strengthening signs of growing economic inequality in many countri...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Will Inequality Lead China to the Middle Income Trap?

China has departed from the East Asian model of development by letting inequality to rise to a high level, which is contributing to China’s current problems of macroeconomic imbalance, declining effic...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Inequality and the Tails: The Palma Proposition and Ratio Revisited

This paper revisits the earlier assessments of the Palma Proposition and the ‘Palma Ratio’. The former is a proposition that currently changes in income or consumption inequality are (almost) exclusiv...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

The Contexts of Social Inclusion

In light of the emphasis on “inclusion” in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this paper contends that social exclusion and inclusion are context-dependent concepts in at least three senses. Fi...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Inequality and Environmental Sustainability

This paper synthesizes the evidence of a negative correlation between income inequality and environmental quality. It shows that inequality exerts adverse impact on environmental outcomes through seve...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Transmission of Volatility of Money Market Overnight Repo Rate along the Yield Curve in Pakistan

This paper presents the empirical results of the volatility transmission of money market overnight repo rate along the yield curve in Pakistan. The results indicate that the transmission of volatilit...

by Asif Mahmood | On 11 Jan 2016

Trans-Pacific Partnership and India’s Emerging Challenges

The conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations has major implications for India, which is aspiring for a larger role in the regional architecture of the Asia-Pacific. India will ha...

by Amitendu Palit | On 10 Jan 2016

The Least Developed Countries Report, 2008

Least developed countries are achieving record rates of economic expansion, but growth is failing to trickle down into significantly improved well-being for the majority of their population. The Least...

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

Towards ‘Make in South Asia’ Theoretical Basis and Policy Responses for Evolving Regional Values Chains

The paper presents the theoretical canvass emphasising the need to adopt an integrated approach towards trade in goods, trade in services and investment in a regional framework. In this context, rules...

by Ram Upendra Das | On 09 Jan 2016

Trade and Environment Review 2006

The TER 2006 focuses on environmental and related health requirements and their impact on developing countries´ market access. It examines both the opportunities and challenges presented by these requ...

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

India-Myanmar Ties: New Hope, Old Despair

India’s current trade negotiations have three agreements as top priorities. Two of these the India ASEAN services agreement and the bilateral trade and investment agreement with the European Union (EU...

by Laldinkima Sailo | On 09 Jan 2016

Is India Making Waves in South China Sea?

The South China Sea (SCS) disputes are regarded as one of the most difficult regional conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, in an ‘arena of escalating contention. This paper looks at India’s interests and st...

by Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy | On 09 Jan 2016

The Indian Bond Market

This paper tries to explain the main characteristics of the Indian government and corporate bond markets and what has contributed to the poor development of the latter. It goes on to show that an oppo...

by Chandrani Sarma | On 09 Jan 2016

New Maritime Silk Road: Converging Interests and Regional Responses

This paper discusses revival of the Maritime Silk Road. It begins with a narration of the historical background of MSR, its origin and development, followed by an analysis of latest announcements by t...

by | On 09 Jan 2016

TRIPS and the Balance between Private Rights and Public Welfare: The Case of Pharmaceutical Sector

This paper tries to analyse the effects of TRIPS on public welfare in the context of the pharmaceutical sector. It takes a closer look at the policies of some developing countries and their usage of t...

by Deeparghya Mukherjee | On 09 Jan 2016

Double Bubble Trouble

Sustaining anything in the region of 7% growth should be good enough in a troubled and risk-laden world.

by T.N. Ninan | On 08 Jan 2016

Activity Based Training of WaterAid India Partners in Water Quality Monitoring & Management

Effective monitoring of access to, quantity of and quality of water is a key consideration for India. Given the large investments and big programmes and schemes including the current thrust of Sector...

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 07 Jan 2016

Household Decision-Making Under Threat of Violence: A Micro Level Study in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

The rural household livelihood and children’s educational investment decisions are analyzed in a post-conflict setting located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. The study represents...

by | On 07 Jan 2016

Financing Development Cooperation in Northeast Asia

Infrastructure connectivity in Northeast Asia — comprising the northeastern People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and the Russi...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 07 Jan 2016

How Low-Carbon Green Growth Can Reduce Inequalities

Half of the world’s population — 3 billion people — lives below the poverty line, and Asia has the largest share. In pursuit of sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation, there is great...

by Anbumozhi Venkatachalam | 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

How Important are Exports and Foreign Direct Investment for Economic Growth in the People's Republic of China?

The global financial crisis and the recent growth slowdown in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have led to questions about the sustainability of the PRC’s growth. The commonly used argument is tha...

by Yuqing Xing | On 07 Jan 2016

Multilateralizing Asian Regionalism

Motivated by the proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs) in Asia over the last decade, this paper studies the challenges faced by the Asian “noodle bowl” — overlapping, multiple trade rules, reg...

by Richard Baldwin | On 07 Jan 2016

Globalization, Infrastructure, and Inclusive Growth

This paper covers threes issues: first, defining and measuring inclusive growth; second, the relationship between international trade and inequality; and third, the links between infrastructure and in...

by Juzhong Zhuang | On 07 Jan 2016

Antibiotics on the Farm: Agriculture’s Role in Drug Resistance

The evidence that antibiotic use in agriculture creates a pool of resistant bacteria in farm animals is not in dispute. The key questions relate to the magnitude of the risk to human health, and the p...

by | On 06 Jan 2016

Temporary and Permanent Migrant Selection: Theory and Evidence of Ability–Search Cost Dynamics

In this paper, patterns of selection into temporary and permanent migration are described. The simultaneity of migration, education, and other investment decisions creates a stark trade-off between...

by Joyce J Chen | On 06 Jan 2016

The Single Best Health Policy in the World: Tobacco Taxes

The single most cost-effective way to save lives in developing countries is in the hands of developing countries themselves: raising tobacco taxes.

by | On 06 Jan 2016

ASEAN Economic Integration through Trade and Foreign Direct Investment: Long-Term Challenges

This paper explores the long-term challenges for trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The region has emerged as an important production base...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 06 Jan 2016

Estimates of Urban Infrastructure Financing Requirements in India 2006-2031

The paper describes the estimation exercise, i.e. the Urban Infrastructure Per Capita Investment Cost estimation and projection of urban finance requirements for the period 2006-2031 referred to as th...

by Shubhagato Dasgupta | On 05 Jan 2016

Internal Migration, Poverty and Development in Asia

This article explores the relationship between internal migration and economic growth and development in Asia, concentrating on four countries: China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. Levels of internal...

by | On 05 Jan 2016

The Cost of Moving Goods

Road Transportation, Regulations and Charges in Indonesia. To assess the size and nature of domestic road transportation costs, The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the University of Indonesia's I...

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Foreign Direct Investment and Poverty

It is widely proclaimed that capital account liberalisation would immensely benefit developing economies because once capital controls are lifted capital would flow from the capital abundant rich coun...

by Pragya Atri | On 01 Jan 2016

Summary of Indonesia's Poverty Analysis

Economic growth averaging 5.8% since 2010 has helped to lift 3.3 million Indonesians out of poverty. Yet 28 million were still living below the government’s poverty line in March 2014. Indonesia’s nat...

by Priasto Aji Aji | On 01 Jan 2016

Gender differences in health expenditure of rural cancer patients: Evidence from a public tertiary care facility in India

This paper investigates if there are gender differences in health expenditures and treatment seeking behavior among cancer patients and finds that the results are consistent with gender discriminati...

by Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay | On 01 Jan 2016

Developing Myanmar’s Information and Communication Technology Sector toward Inclusive Growth

Myanmar is expected to grow at least 6.8% per year in the coming years. Accompanying this growth will be an increase in demand for infrastructure services, including ICT-related services, both for co...

by Kee-Yung Nam | On 01 Jan 2016

Managing Capital Flows in Asia: An Overview of Key Issues

Global capital flows into emerging markets, including those in Asia, continue to be volatile, generating both benefits and costs. The latter are associated with episodes of currency and banking crises...

by Ramón López | On 01 Jan 2016

Open Educational Resources: Enhancing Education Provision and Practice

Open educational resources made their appearance in early 2002 as a promising tool for enhancing the quality of and access to education and were perceived to have the potential to reduce costs by reus...

by Jouko Sarvi | On 01 Jan 2016

Service Sector Productivity and Economic Growth in Asia

This paper explores the impacts of more rapid growth in labor productivity in the service sector in Asia based on an empirical general equilibrium model. The model allows for input-output linkages and...

by Jong-Wha Lee | On 30 Dec 2015

The Relationship between Structural Change and Inequality: A Conceptual Overview with Special Reference to Developing Asia

Structural change has a far-reaching impact on inequality. Extensive structural change is both a cause and consequence of the exceptionally rapid economic growth, which enabled developing Asia to rais...

by Donghyun Park | On 30 Dec 2015

Water and People: A National Perspective Mitti Aur Pani Mein Sona Hai

The failures of water management have been extensively studied and reviewed and the shortcomings are listed.

by Ravi Chopra | On 29 Dec 2015

Jal Sanskriti From Consumption to Conservancy

Although endowed with an abundant supply of water, people in the western central Himalayan region, namely Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, suffer from a variety of water problems. The Jal Sanskriti p...

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 29 Dec 2015

Livelihood Transitions in Hilaungad Watershed

The Hilaungad watershed, a sub-catchment of the larger Lastargad basin, lies on the west bank of the Mandakini river which rises from the nearby snow covered peaks of the high Himalayas. For the purpo...

by Ravi Chopra | On 29 Dec 2015

Deepening the Social Dimensions of Regional Integration

The present report presents an overview of some recent trends and future challenges regarding the deepening of the social dimensions of regional integration, in light of the Recommendations of the Rep...

by | On 29 Dec 2015

Labour Standards and Development Finance Institutions: A Review of Current Policies and Activities

Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have the purpose of providing financial resources to economic actors in regions and sectors where access to capital is limited. Rather than competing with priva...

by | On 29 Dec 2015

Strengthening Municipal Governance through Performance-based Budget Allocation in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, pourashavas are an alternative destination to large cities. With the influx of urban residents within the next decades, governments and development partners must lead pourashavas toward...

by Norio Saito | 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

The ASEAN Economic Community: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set up in 2003 with the objectives of creating a single market and production base, enhancing equitable economic development as well as facilitating the integrat...

by Siowyue Chia | On 29 Dec 2015

Connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia: Cross-Border Infrastructure Investments

Most of the trade between South Asia and Southeast Asia is by sea. However, with improved infrastructure and easier border crossing procedures, land traffic could grow to boost trade in goods, service...

by Jean-Francois Gautrin Gautrin | On 29 Dec 2015

The Role of Sri Lanka in Enhancing Connectivity between South Asia and Southeast Asia

Improving physical connectivity between South and Southeast Asia has long been recognized as a key element in promoting greater trade and investment linkages within the region. As an island economy, S...

by Dushni Weerakoon | On 29 Dec 2015

Three Arrows of 'Abenomics' and the Structural Reform of Japan: Inflation Targeting Policy of the Central Bank, Fiscal Consolidation, and Growth Strategy

“Abenomics” refers to the economic policies advocated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who became prime minister of Japan for a second time when his party, the Liberal Democratic Party, won an overwhelmin...

by Farhad Hesary | 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

Income Distributions, Inequality, and Poverty in Asia, 1992–2010

In this paper, income distributions for developing countries in Asia are modeled using beta-2 distributions, which are estimated by a method of moments procedure applied to grouped data. Estimated par...

by Duangkamon Chotikapanich | On 24 Dec 2015

Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia: A Bangladesh Country Study

Economic integration is being inhibited by the poor state of transport connectivity between Bangladesh, and South Asia and Southeast Asia. This study reviews connectivity initiatives of Bangladesh and...

by Mustafizur Rahman | On 23 Dec 2015

An Impact Evaluation of Investment in Infrastructure: The Case of the Railway Connection in Uzbekistan

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and magnitude of the effects of infrastructure provision on regional economic performance. The empirical evidence of our analysis is based on diffe...

by Umid Abidhadjaev | On 23 Dec 2015

Securing Land Rights For Women through Institutional and Policy Reforms

Rural women suffer double discrimination because they are female and poor. Though women are the biggest food producers, they earn only one-tenth of the world’s income and own less than 1% of the world...

by | On 23 Dec 2015

State Capacity for Pro-Poor Delivery: Constructing Ownership, Forging Accountability

Severe chronic poverty persists in India, partly because of the poor capacity of the state in India to provide for its poor. An action research project, underway in five poorest districts in the count...

by Sajjad Hassan | On 23 Dec 2015

Policy Options for India in Afghanistan

This brief explores the potential future policy options for the Indian government and does not touch upon the initiatives already undertaken by New Delhi in Afghanistan. New Delhi must try to optimise...

by Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy | On 23 Dec 2015

Fiscal Decentralization And Tax Incentives In The Developing world

Many developing countries use tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment, sacrificing immediate revenue from foreign capital, even though the effects of tax incentives on investment, growth,...

by Quan Li | On 23 Dec 2015

Endangering the Investment Climate

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require high levels of productive private and public sector investment, which in turn requires a suitable investment climate. This paper provide...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

Thailand’s Investment in India’s Northeast: Strategies, Potentials and Risks

The imperatives for Thailand’s investment in the Northeast have come from two important considerations, reflecting longterm strategic objectives of the Look West Policy of Thailand. First, India’s nor...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

Benchmarking Inclusive Growth and Development

Rising income inequality is often the cause of social and political unrest and is damaging to our future economic well-being. Yet while it is clear that economic growth must also deliver improvements...

by Margareta Drzeniek | On 21 Dec 2015

c-section epidemic

How can we explain the exponential increase of the cesarean section in the U.S. in recent decades? Drawing from 130 in-depth interviews with women, obstetricians, midwives, and labor and delivery nurs...

by theresa morris | On 21 Dec 2015

Adaptation Activities In India

Highlights lessons learned from implementing development schemes and policies, which have incorporated adaptation due to the increasing incidence of extreme weather events.

by | On 21 Dec 2015

Study on Conditions and Needs of Women Workers in Delhi

Study on the needs and conditions of women workers in Delhi must begin its enquiry with the initial problem of poor availability of employment or access to economic activity/work for women in the cap...

by Neetha N | On 21 Dec 2015

Now Corporate Paralysis

Public investment financed by the government's own or borrowed resources do not provide an adequate answer to the problem of relatively low investment.

by T.N. Ninan | On 18 Dec 2015

Basic Entrepreneurship: A Big New Idea in Development

The question of what keeps people mired in poverty is one of great importance to policy-makers and economists alike. The world’s poor typically lack both capital and skills, and each of these two fact...

by Oriana Bandiera | On 18 Dec 2015

Economic History of Tobacco Production in India

India is the world’s second largest producer of tobacco. The paper throws light on a combination of strong prices, domestic consumption, good export demand for tobacco and low prices of other crops he...

by K V K Ranganathan | On 18 Dec 2015

Access to and Financing of Healthcare through Health Insurance Intervention in India

Health insurance is expected to promote equity in access to health, financial protection, reduce escalating healthcare cost, enhance provider networks and enable country to make an optimal use of limi...

by Shailender Hooda | On 18 Dec 2015

Transforming the economic lives of the ultra-poor

This brief describes key findings from a rigorous seven-year evaluation of the first of these livelihood programmes, BRAC’s ‘Targeting the Ultra-Poor’ programme in rural Bangladesh. Targeted household...

by Clare Balboni | On 18 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

India's Sri Lanka Policy: Towards Economic Engagement

India's Sri Lanka policy has built upon economic engagement to cooperate on initiatives of strategic importance. The lesson one can learn from this is the potential of economic linkages to overcome a...

by | On 18 Dec 2015

Channelling Household Savings to Productive uses Through the Capital Markets

Savings provides the means for investments. Typically, investments are primarily funded through domestic savings and the rest through foreign capital inflows. Domestic savings are from three sources -...

by Vardhana Pawaskar | On 17 Dec 2015

Income Inequality and Labour Income Share in G20 Countries: Trends, Impacts and Causes

The paper present concise evidence of recent trends in inequality and labour income shares and to identify possible causes as a basis for developing potential policy responses. This report takes up th...

by Internaional Labour Organization [ILO] | On 17 Dec 2015

Post - Harvest Management of Mushrooms with Special Reference to Himachal Pradesh

The mushrooms of Himachal Pradesh should be established 'As a quality produce of India' in foreign markets to exploit present declining trend of mushroom production in many producing countries. In a...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 17 Dec 2015

Unless We Act Now: The Impact of Climate Change on Children

Today’s children, and their children, are the ones who will live with the consequences of climate change. This report looks at how children, and particularly the most vulnerable, are affected and what...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 17 Dec 2015

The Economic Case for Devoting Public Resources to Health

Major health problems persist, particularly in tropical countries, which are still struggling with infectious diseases while increasingly having to deal with noncommunicable diseases. Several classic...

by David E. Bloom | On 17 Dec 2015

Connecting the Disconnected: Improving Education and Employment Outcomes Among Disadvantaged Youth

In this paper we will briefly review recent trends in employment outcomes for disadvantaged youth, focusing specifically on those who have become "disconnected" from school and the labor market, and w...

by Peter Edelman | On 17 Dec 2015

Why Minimum Wage Increases Are a Poor Way to Help the Working Poor

Minimum wage increases are not a very effective mechanism for reducing poverty. They are not related to decreases in poverty rates. They can cost some low-income workers their jobs. And most minimum w...

by Richard Burkhauser | On 16 Dec 2015

Can Green Growth Really Work and What Are the True (Socio-) Economics of Climate Change?

Many economists and policymakers advocate a fundamental shift towards "green growth" as the new, qualitatively-different growth paradigm, largely based on enhanced material/resource/energy efficiency,...

by Ulrich Hoffmann | On 16 Dec 2015

Is Access to Loan Adequate for Financing Capital Expenditure? A Household-level Analysis on Some Selected States of India

This paper attempts to identify the factors that determine access to credit for financing capital expenditures across selected developed, less developed and middle performing states in India. Using a...

by Meenakshi Rajeev | On 16 Dec 2015

Financial Inclusion, Education, and Regulation in the Philippines

This paper discusses the current status of financial inclusion, education, and regulation in the Philippines and measures to foster financial inclusion. The primary policy challenge faced by the gover...

by Gilberto M. Llanto | On 15 Dec 2015

How Can Food Subsidies Work Better? Answers from India and the Philippines

This study explores the outcomes of food subsidies to the poor in the case of India and the Philippines. Both countries operate in-kind food subsidy programs with similar mandates, commonalities in...

by Shikha Jha | 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

The Exposure, Vulnerability, and Ability to Respond of Poor Households to Recurrent Floods in Mumbai

This paper examines poor households in the city of Mumbai and their exposure, vulnerability, and ability to respond to recurrent floods. The paper discusses policy implications for future adaptive cap...

by | On 14 Dec 2015

Does the Rise of Middle Class Lock in Good Government in the Developing World?

The current size of the income-secure middle class and its likely future growth, suggest that optimism is indeed warranted for many of today’s middle-income countries. But it is not warranted for all...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 14 Dec 2015

Empowering the Poor through Human Rights Litigation

The purpose of this manual is to collaborate with grass-roots organizations, in particular with NGOs, in defining the content of economic, social and cultural rights (ESC rights) and to empower the ac...

by Maritza Formisano Prada | On 10 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

Human Capital Potential of India's Future Workforce

This paper discusses India’s demographic dynamics and argues that policymakers have the widest window of opportunity with that segment of population which is poised to enter the workforce between 203...

by Ali Mehdi | On 09 Dec 2015

Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

The immense social, economic and environmental consequences of climate change and loss of essential ecosystems are becoming clear. Their effects are already being felt in floods, droughts, and devasta...

by | On 07 Dec 2015

Regional Inequality and ‘Inclusive Growth’ in India under Globalization: Identification of Lagging States for Strategic Intervention

This paper analyses the trends and patterns of economic inequality across Indian states since the early 1990s. The inter-state inequality in per capita income and consumption expenditure show a clear...

by | On 04 Dec 2015

‘Leave No One Behind’: Gender, Sexuality and the Sustainable Development Goals

If the global commitment to eradicate inequality for all people is truly unequivocal, as leaders claim it to be, the implementation of these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) needs to take into acc...

by | On 03 Dec 2015

Paris Climate Change Summit: Why it is Bound to Fail

Expectations are high for a good and fair new climate change agreement at the much anticipated on-going climate change summit in Paris. Such expectations are elusive if the negotiations fail to face...

by Raman Letchumanan | On 03 Dec 2015

A Behaviour-based Approach to the Estimation of Poverty in India

Almost a sixth of the world’s population and a large fraction of its poorest people live in India. Until recently, national poverty estimates were widely criticized because they relied on aggregate pr...

by | On 02 Dec 2015

What do Economists have to say about Climate Impacts on South Asia?

South Asia’s changing climate has had many different impacts including changes in ecosystems, more severe storms, rainfall that is more concentrated in a few days per year leading to more floods and m...

by E. Somanathan | On 01 Dec 2015

Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in India

HIV and AIDS are a serious challenge for the developing as well as the developed world. India, with an estimated 5.206 million people living with HIV in 2005, accounts for nearly 69 percent of the HIV...

by | On 01 Dec 2015

Loss Aversion and Willingness to Pay for New Products

This paper reports and models the discrepancy between the full bidding and endow and upgrade findings from a willingness-to-pay (WTP) elicitation Becker-Degroot-Marschak (BDM) experiment for an improv...

by Banerji A | On 30 Nov 2015

Parliament Session Alert-Winter Session Alert: November 26 – December 23, 201 5

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the Winter Session between November 26th and December 23rd, 2015. The legislative agenda includes 19 Bills currently pending in Parliament for consideration an...

by Kusum Malik | On 25 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

Investment and Growth in India under Liberalization: Asymmetries and Instabilities

This paper makes the case that the growth trajectory of the Indian economy in the post-1991 liberalization period is characterised by an inherent source of instability in manufacturing and industrial...

by | On 20 Nov 2015

Indonesia’s Missing Millions: Erasing Discrimination in Birth Certification in Indonesia’s Missing Millions

Indonesia’s rate of birth registration is imprecisely measured but is low, especially among the poorer, rural, population. At the same time, the country has developed a system of population registrati...

by Cate Sumner | On 20 Nov 2015

Requiring Indian Utilities to Report: Harnessing Disclosure Legislation to Improve Water and Sanitation Services

The paper argues for a regular public reporting of key performance indicators by the WatSan utilities in India. It elaborates on how the policy behind these reforms could be operationalized.

by Premila Nazareth Satyanand | On 18 Nov 2015

India Approaches Replacement Fertility

This Population Bulletin updates a previous Bulletin from 2006, India's Population Reality: Reconciling Change and Tradition. India's population (currently at 1.3 billion) will exceed China's before 2...

by O.P. Sharma | On 18 Nov 2015

Agricultural Outlook and Situation Analysis Reports: Fourth Semi-annual Medium-term Agricultural Outlook Report

This report attempts to compare the latest medium-term projections for wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, vegetable oils and sugar made by four international institutions (OECD/FAO, USDA, FAPRI, an...

by National Council of Applied Economic Research | On 18 Nov 2015

Key Indicators of Social Consumption in India: Education

Key Indicators of Social Consumption in India on Education Show Continued Gender Gap and Rural Urban Differences. In rural areas, literacy rate was seen as 71% compared to 86% in urban areas. Also amo...

by National Sample Survey Office NSSO | On 17 Nov 2015

Workfare and Human Capital Investment: Evidence from India

The paper examines the effect of India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), one of the largest workfare programs in the world, on human capital investment. Since NREGS increases labor...

by | On 16 Nov 2015

Toward Better Global Poverty Measures

While much progress has been made over the last 25 years in measuring global poverty, there are a number of challenges ahead. The paper discusses three sets of problems: (i) how to allow for social...

by Martin Ravallion | On 16 Nov 2015

An Impact Evaluation of Investment in Infrastructure : The Case of the Railway Connection in Uzbekistan

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and magnitude of the effects of infrastructure provision on regional economic performance. The empirical evidence of the analysis is based on diffe...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 13 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 Sunday Edit: Deaton, the Development Economist

Angus Deaton’s contributions to economics have been seminal providing development economists with new tools of analysis that have yielded policy-altering insights.

by Suryanarayana M H | On 07 Nov 2015

Now Focus on the Economy

What the government should is to concentrate on economic issues with diversionary issues being put back in the cupboard.

by T.N. Ninan | On 07 Nov 2015

Pragmatic Pathways: Critical Perspectives on Research Uptake in the Global South

One of social science’s core roles is to inform evidence-based policy making and policy interventions that produce pro-poor outcomes. This paper explores prominent debates on research uptake and polic...

by | On 05 Nov 2015

Trends and Patterns in Consumption Expenditure: A Review of Class and Rural-Urban Disparities

This paper primarily aims to capture the changing patterns of consumption expenditure of three broad classes, namely, the ‘upper’ ‘middle’ and ‘bottom’ classes in the rural and urban India. In contras...

by | On 05 Nov 2015

Skyrocketing Prices of Pulses and the Agrarian Crisis: Impact of Neo-liberal Policies

This interview with Vijoo Krishnan, Joint Secretary All India Kisan Sabha, on the agrarian crises leading to farmer suicides and rising prices of food grains traces backs the agrarian crises to the ne...

by Vijoo Krishnan | On 02 Nov 2015

Beyond Drugs: TB Patients in Bangladesh need Urgent Attention for Nutrition Support during Convalescene

This study measures the nutritional status (using Body Mass Index or BMI) of TB patients before, at two months, and after completion of TB treatment (DOTS) to study the changes during treatment and it...

by Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute | On 29 Oct 2015

Contributing Factors for Low Consumption of Animal Food among Children Aged 6-23 Months in Alive and Thrive Intervention Areas of Bangladesh

This study aims to identify the barriers leading to low consumption of animal foods by children aged 6-23 months in A & T intervention areas; and to assesstheir knowledge and practices of dietary int...

by Umme Salma Mukta | On 29 Oct 2015

Meta - Study of Literature on Budget Private Schools in India

Despite lack of infrastructure and facilities, studies over the past decade has shown that learning outcomes in these schools are equal to or better than those of far more resourcefu...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 29 Oct 2015

Inequality, Social Cooperation and Local Collective Action

This paper examines the relationship between inequality and collective action, and identifies a range of mechanisms that shape the association between income inequality and local collective action. Th...

by | On 29 Oct 2015

Global Employment Trends for Youth 2015

The Global Employment Trends for Youth 2015 provides an update on key youth labour market indicators and trends, focusing both on the continuing labour market instability and on structural issues in y...

by | On 28 Oct 2015

Reducing Poverty in India: The Role of Economic Growth

This paper empirically examines the relation between economic growth and poverty alleviation for the case of India. We provide evidence that higher growth rates were associated with faster decline in...

by Pradeep Agrawal | On 26 Oct 2015

Gender Equality and Human Rights

The achievement of substantive equality is understood as having four dimensions: redressing disadvantage; countering stigma, prejudice, humiliation and violence; transforming social and institutional...

by | On 20 Oct 2015

An Exploratory Analysis of Deprivation and Ill-Health led Poverty in Urban India: A Case Study of Delhi

This paper examines the multi-dimensional nature of urban poverty with special emphasis on ill-health led deprivation. As a driver of poverty, ill-health reduces the income earning potential and incre...

by Samik Chowdhury | On 20 Oct 2015

Gender Equality Results Case Study: Sri Lanka - Improving Connectivity to Support Livelihoods and Gender Equality

This case study documents key gender equality issues as well as key achievements and lessons from a project carried out in post conflict Sri Lanka as part of urgently needed reconstruction. The Improv...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Oct 2015

Natural Interest Rate: Assessing the Stance of India’s Monetary Policy under Uncertainty

Using a theoretical framework that combines the essence of Ramsay’s growth model and the New-Keynesian macrodynamics, and applying the Kalman filter estimation technique, this paper finds that Indi...

by Harendra Behera | On 16 Oct 2015

India’s FTA with East Asia: Impact of India-Malaysia CECA on the Edible Oil Value Chain

This paper formulates an analytical framework to assess the impacts of India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on commodity value chains. This paper views such methodology as reductionist, and instead of...

by | On 15 Oct 2015

Utilization of ICDS Services and their Impact on Child Health Outcomes Evidence from Three East Indian States

The study analyses a rural household’s decision to participate in a public pre-school intervention called the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), and evaluates its impact on anthropometric out...

by Meenakshi J V | On 15 Oct 2015

E-Retailing and the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015: Drawing from the European Union Consumer Directives

E-retailing has exponentially grown in the past decade. Alongside, consumer grievances have also started surfacing. The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015 addresses this by giving the right to the consu...

by Akhileshwar Pathak | On 15 Oct 2015

A Voice for the Voiceless: The Role of Community Radio in the Development of the Rural Poor

More than 850 million people in developing countries are excluded from a wide range of information and knowledge, with the rural poor in particular remaining isolated from both traditional media and...

by | On 14 Oct 2015

Investment in Agricultural Marketing and Market Infrastructure – A Case Study of Bihar

Bihar has lowest per capita income amongst the major states of India and high rate of persistent poverty with social structure fragmented based on caste lines. Therefore present study has been underta...

by | On 14 Oct 2015

Investment in Agricultural Marketing and Market Infrastructure: A Case Study of Bihar

Present study has been undertaken to understand that to what extent reforms measures in terms of repeal of the act has affected investment in agricultural marketing infrastructure. The present s...

by Vijay Intodia | On 14 Oct 2015

Measuring Poverty in a Growing World

The extent to which growth reduces global poverty has been disputed for 30 years. A major problem is that consumption measured from household surveys, which is used to measure poverty, grows less rapi...

by Angus Deaton | On 13 Oct 2015

Measuring Poverty

The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted in 2000 a set of “Millennium Development Goals” the first of which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, more specifically to “reduce by half,...

by Angus Deaton | On 13 Oct 2015

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015: (Lack of) Rights of the Consumer to Terminate Sale Contract

Consumer protection law rests on the foundations of contract law and the law of sale of goods. A consumer law has to conceptually express this foundation and the modifications it is bringing about in...

by Akhileshwar Pathak | On 13 Oct 2015

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015

A bill to provide for adequate protection of the interests of consumers and for prevention of unfair trade practices and for the said purposes to make provisions for establishment of the Consumer Prot...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 13 Oct 2015

Inequality: Trends, Harms and New Agendas

The paper focuses on within-country inequalities. It discusses in particular how the consequences of inequality are shaped by specific mechanisms that operate at the national, community and individual...

by | On 13 Oct 2015

Policies for a Better-Fed World

A wide range of interventions, from subsidized grains all the way to conditions on nutrition in conditional cash transfers, have either been tried or put in place in different countries in order to fi...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 12 Oct 2015

Panchayats and Household Vulnerability in Rural India

This paper tries to assess the impact of coping strategies on household welfare. The paper tries to identify the components of vulnerability to better focus policy. India, particularly rural India, h...

by Raghbendra Jha | On 12 Oct 2015

Social and Economic Change in Rural Bihar and the Emerging Policy Framework

This document presents a summary of the initial findings from a research programme on inclusive growth in Bihar, carried out by the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi. The study aims to unde...

by | On 12 Oct 2015

Labour, Globalization and Inequality: Are Trade Unions Still Redistributive?

Based on a newly-developed data set combining information on industrial relations and labour law, various dimensions of globalization, and controls for demand and supply of skilled labour, this paper...

by | On 12 Oct 2015

The New Dread-word

The new dread-word is deflation. What does this mean for India? This can cause a threat for domestic producers. This is because of the global situation. We can be prepared and by improving efficiency...

by T.N. Ninan | On 09 Oct 2015

Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007–2012) Social Sector

The Eleventh Plan places the highest priority on education as a central instrument for achieving rapid and inclusive growth. It presents a comprehensive strategy for strengthening the education secto...

by Planning Commission, India | On 09 Oct 2015

Regional Inequality in Bangladesh in the 2000s: Re-Visiting the East-West Divide Debate

The term “East-West divide” as a way of describing regional disparity in Bangladesh has emerged in the policy discourse only in the 2000s. The administrative divisions belonging to the western part of...

by | On 08 Oct 2015

Attempting the Production of Public Goods through Microfinance: The Case of Water and Sanitation

This paper evaluates the attempt to create public goods via microfinance loans. Microfinance loans in the production of goods with public goods characteristics signify an emergent micro-privatisation....

by Philip Mader | On 06 Oct 2015

Demographic Transition, Savings, and Economic Growth in China and India

This paper examines the impact of changing population age structure on economic growth in China and India. The paper present various theoretical perspectives and supporting evidence to emphasis the si...

by William Joe | On 06 Oct 2015

Now for the Reality Play

What the government needs to do, perhaps, is to spell out an action agenda for the next four months, in the run-up to the 2016 Budget.

by T.N. Ninan | On 02 Oct 2015

Public Good Provision in Indian Rural Areas: The Returns to Collective Action by Microfinance Groups

Self-help groups (SHGs) are the most common form of microfinance in India. The authors provide evidence that SHGs, composed of women only, undertake collective actions for the provision of public good...

by | On 01 Oct 2015

Ground Water and Farm Incomes at Risk from Climate Change in Tamil Nadu, India

Research from South India suggests that climate change will affect ground water availability with serious and negative implications for agriculture. Any increase in temperature above a threshold of ...

by R. Balasubramanian | On 30 Sep 2015

Rural Poverty Reduction Strategy for South Asia

Roughly 40 percent of the world’s poor live in South Asia, where poverty is basically a rural problem. Therefore, a significant gain in rural poverty reduction in this sub-region will be crucial to re...

by | On 30 Sep 2015

The Power of Parity: How Advancing Women's Equality can Add $12 trillion to Global Growth

In this report, MGI explores the economic potential available if the global gender gap were to be closed. The research finds that, in a full-potential scenario in which women play an identical role...

by Jonathan Woetzel | On 30 Sep 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

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

Determinants of Energy and CO2 Emission Intensities: A Study of Manufacturing Firms in India

This paper investigates the determinants of energy and emission intensities of manufacturing firms in India, from 2000 to 2014. Given that Indian manufacturing sector is one of the world’s most pollut...

by Santosh K. Sahu | On 25 Sep 2015

The National Health Profile 2015

The National Health Profile 2015 prepared by the Central Bureau for Health Intelligence (CBHI) has revealed some disturbing facts about India’s healthcare sector. It shows the poor patient to bed rati...

by Central Bureau for Health Intelligence (CBHI) | 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

Institutional Changes Favouring FDI Inflows to India: Gradual Transformation Since 1969

How did India respond to globalization in the realm of inward foreign direct investment (FDI)? This paper presents the economic institutional change favouring FDI inflows at the union level of India b...

by | On 25 Sep 2015

Contesting Consensus. Disputing Inequality: Agonistic Subjectivities in Rural Bihar

This paper discusses the manner in which the rural poor in one of India’s most impoverished regions engage with and in politics by analyzing the way in which a landless Yadav couple tries to forestall...

by Indrajit Roy | On 24 Sep 2015

Present State of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Reform in India

There are several challenges before introduction of GST and these can be classified into two broad heads – a) GST Design and Structure related, and b) GST Administration and Institutional. On design r...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 24 Sep 2015

What is Preventing Women from Inheriting Land? A Study of the Implementation of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005 in Three States in India

The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005, an inheritance law that covers 83.6% of the population of India, corrected some of fundamental inequalities in the law bringing the women in equal status to...

by Sohini Pal | On 23 Sep 2015

The Challenge of Slums - Global Report on Human Settlements 2003

The Challenge of Slums presents the first global assessment of slums, emphasizing their problems and prospects. It presents estimates of the numbers of urban slum dwellers and examines the factors tha...

by United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-Habitat | On 23 Sep 2015

The Nexus between Agriculture and Nutrition: Do Growth Patterns and Conditional Factors Matter?

This paper seeks to provide an overview of the complex and dynamic relationship between nutrition and growth, examine how different growth patterns lead to different nutritional outcomes, and identif...

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

Seventh, after Seven

Seven years after the financial crisis, countries have done well. India is also doing well but there is a lot of difference in the programmes announced and how they are implemented.

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Sep 2015

Do Consumer Price Subsidies Really Improve Nutrition?

In this paper results are analysed from a field experiment exploring the response of poor households in China to food price subsidies. Many developing countries use food price subsidies or price cont...

by | On 18 Sep 2015

The Percolation of Public Expenditure: Food Subsidies and the Poor in India and Philippines

This paper measures the percolation of food subsidy expenditures to the poor. The paper proposes a metric that takes into account the depth and width of income transfer. The metric is applied to food...

by Shikha Jha | On 18 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

Social Protection, Growth and Employment: Evidence from India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico and Tajikistan

The paper addresses the issue of growth and development by looking at evidence from six country case studies to assess how to enhance the employment impact of social protection programmes by improving...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | 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

Addressing the Employment Challenge: India's MGNREGA

This paper examines, in particular, the effects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) programme on employment, wages and incomes of the rural poor. It also considers its effect on...

by | On 14 Sep 2015

Health Shocks and Short-Term Consumption Growth

Health shocks can affect the household economy through a substantial rise in out-of-pocket medical expenditure and/or loss of income. In such a situation, households use a range of coping mechanisms t...

by Sowmya Dhanaraj | On 14 Sep 2015

Foreign Investment in Hospital Sector in India: Trends, Pattern and Issues

This study examines the status of and trends in foreign investment inflow into the Indian hospital sector and highlights the emerging issues from 2000 to 2014, the era of liberalised foreign investmen...

by | On 14 Sep 2015

Steel's a Steal

Steel is a basic input for the entire engineering industry (cars, household goods, machinery of all kinds), and for the infrastructure sector (roads, railways, power, real estate, etc). Raise the cost...

by T.N. Ninan | On 12 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

The Human Capital Report 2015

The Human Capital Index released by the World Economic Forum measures countries’ ability to maximize and leverage their human capital endowment. The index assesses Learning and Employment outcomes ac...

by | On 11 Sep 2015

The Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2015

The World Economic Forum releases the first edition of "The Inclusive Growth and Development Report" in the WEF forum in Dalian. Around the world, no bigger policy challenge preoccupies political lea...

by | On 10 Sep 2015

The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on the Matriculation of Junior High School Students into Rural China’s High Schools

The goal of this study is to examine whether promising a Conditional Cash Transfer (conditional on matriculation) at the start of junior high increases the rate at which disadvantaged students matricu...

by Fan Li | On 09 Sep 2015

The Role of Establishments and the Concentration of Occupations in Wage Inequality

This paper uses the microdata of the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey to assess the contribution of occupational concentration to wage inequality between establishments and its growth o...

by | On 09 Sep 2015

Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Domestic Violence in Urban Slums, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Domestic violence is identified as a public health problem. It is associated with adverse maternal health. This study examined the prevalence and determinants of domestic violence among women in urban...

by C.P. Prakasam | On 09 Sep 2015

Space 2.0: Shaping India's Leap into the Final Frontier

As a long-term investor in space technology and infrastructure, India aspires to be one among the top nations in the world in terms of government space investment. Though space investment has been gro...

by | On 07 Sep 2015

Interrelation Between Growth and Inequality

The paper highlights the importance of “broad-based growth” as a framework to support economic growth and inclusiveness at the same time. Different countries show different dynamics between economic g...

by Jong Woo Kang | On 07 Sep 2015

Why do Migrants do Better Than Non-Migrants at Destination? Migration, Class and Inequality Dynamics in India

This paper explores why migrants at their destination fare better than nonmigrants, across different socio-economic classes in India, while the general perception of migrants is that they are less end...

by Vamsi Vakulabharanam | On 03 Sep 2015

Income Inequality, Poverty and Labor Migration in Thailand

This paper explores the dynamics of economic growth, poverty, inequality and migration in Thailand, and evaluates the relevance of Lewis model to Thailand’s long-term development. Thai economy seems t...

by Somchai Jitsuchon | On 03 Sep 2015

Globalization, Liberalization and Income Inequality: The Case of China

This paper studies the mutual effects of globalization, liberalization and income inequality using a case study of China. Comparing the trends of economic growth and income distribution, it found that...

by Jinjun Xue | On 03 Sep 2015

Institutional Constraints to Innovation: Artisan Clusters in Rural India

The paper offers a ctitical understanding of the policy approaches for rural industrialization by underscoring inadequate understanding of the dynamics understanding of the dynamics or specificities...

by Keshab Das | On 03 Sep 2015

Gender, Poverty, and Inequality: A Brief History of Feminist Contributions in the Field of International Development

This paper provides a brief history of feminist contributions to the analysis of gender, poverty, and inequality in the field of international development. It draws out the continuous threads running...

by Naila Kabeer | On 01 Sep 2015

Addressing Urban Poverty: Relevance of Conditional Cash Transfers

This paper from a two-day conference in New Delhi explores the relevance of CCTs in addressing entrenched issues of urban poverty even as across Asia there remain few social protection measures that p...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 31 Aug 2015

Financial Market Regulation in India-Looking back, Looking Ahead

A broad assessment of the evolution of financial markets and the issues we are grappling with are given here. We can learn right lessons from other countries. There could be different view points and...

by Harun R Khan | On 31 Aug 2015

A Policy Mix for Gender Equality? Lessons from High-Income Countries

Over the past 15 years, important gains have been made in gender equality. Gender gaps in educational attainment have shrunk substantially. In fact, in many high-income countries, young women’s educat...

by Megan Gerecke | On 31 Aug 2015

Global Wage Report 2014/15: Wages and Income Inequality

The Global Wage Report 2014/15 presents both the latest trends in average wages and an analysis of the role of wages in income inequality. The first part of the report shows that global wage growth in...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 26 Aug 2015

Excess Food Stocks, PDS and Procurement Policy

This planning commission paper tries to examine some of the factors that have led to accumulation of excess food grain stocks and make policy prescription on how to deal with the problem of surplus fo...

by Arvind Virmani | On 25 Aug 2015

Employment and Inequality Outcomes in India

The report takes into account present scenario of urban poverty in India. Incidence of urban poverty can be attributed to lack of development as also to the nature and pattern of development. Importa...

by | On 25 Aug 2015

Identity, Interests and Indian Foreign Policy

This paper argues that India’s foreign economic policies were shaped to a substantial extent by developmental ideas within the Indian state and by the international context of the Cold War. Individual...

by | On 25 Aug 2015

The New ‘MASVAW Men’: Strategies, Dynamics and Deepening Engagements. A Case Study of a Networked Approach to Challenging Patriarchy Across Institutions in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is ranked second among Indian states in ‘crimes against women’, which includes rape, abduction, dowry-related deaths, mental and physical torture and sexual harassment (Government of Utt...

by Jerker Edström | On 25 Aug 2015

Globalisation, Growth and Employment in the Organised Sector of the Indian Economy

One of the most important forces that have shaped India’s economy in the last two and a half decades is the process of globalization. This has been a world-wide phenomenon, and India could not have re...

by B.N. Goldar | On 24 Aug 2015

Inequalities and Their Measurement

This paper is a review of the recent advances in the measurement of inequality. Inequality can have several dimensions. Economists are mostly concerned with the income and consumption dimensions of in...

by Almas Heshmati | On 24 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

China: Case study on Human Development Progress towards the Millennium Developmental Goals at the Sub-National Level

This paper analyses an overview of china human development in Time and Space. The paper covers themes like regional inequality in China Since 1952 and Urban-Rural Inequality, 1980-2000. The paper is a...

by | On 21 Aug 2015

Poverty Reduction in China and India: Policy Implications of Recent Trends

This paper compares the experience of poverty reduction in China and India. It finds that more than economic growth per se, what has mattered crucially is the nature of the growth: whether it is assoc...

by Jayati Ghosh | On 21 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

Recent Developments in Myanmar and New Opportunities for Sub-Regional Cooperation: A Bangladesh Perspective

The paper analyses the potential opportunities between Bangladesh and Myanmar stemming from sub-regional cooperation. The paper examines Myanmar’s integration into the regional and global economy toge...

by Debapriya Bhattacharya | On 18 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

The Sunday Edit: Monetary Policy Transmission: Visible Disconnect

Enhancing bank competition, among other measures, could adequately strengthen interest rate transmission; but the danger is in overreaching and losing leverage.

by Ramkishen S. Rajan | On 16 Aug 2015

Report of the Steering Committee on Rapid Poverty Reduction and Local Area Development (2007-2012)

This report of the steering committee on rapid poverty reduction and local area development for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012). The first section attempts to examine the data on the poor, the...

by Planning Commission, India | On 14 Aug 2015

Regulatory Barriers to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Against the post-New Industrial Policy (1991) growth witnessed in large-scale industries, a corresponding boom in the small and mid-sized domestic industry has been conspicuously absent. The paper see...

by Amit Chandra | On 13 Aug 2015

Effectiveness of School Input Norms under the Right to Education Act, 2009

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 ratified education as a fundamental right and seeks to promote equitable access to education for all children up to the age of 14...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 13 Aug 2015

Public Debt Management in India and Related Issues

This study focuses on the marketable domestic public debt of the Government of India (GoI) in terms of size, magnitude, policy and approach followed and also discusses issues and challenges on debt m...

by Lakshmanan L | On 13 Aug 2015

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

The National Policy on Biofuels sets an indicative target of 20per cent blending of biofuels by 2017 to tackle the twin problem of energy security and climate change. Although biofuels seem to be the...

by Gopinath Reddy | On 13 Aug 2015

The Rising Cost of a Healthy Diet – Changing Relative prices of Foods in High- Income and Emerging Economies

In 2014 our previous study ‘Future Diets’ (Keats and Wiggins 2014) described how across the world an increasing share of the population is overweight and obese, with the rate of increase particularly...

by Rafael Moreira Claro | On 12 Aug 2015

Urban Policies and the Right to the City in India: Rights, Responsibilities and Citizenship

This publication highlights the relevance in India and the multiplicity of entry points of the right to the city as a vehicle for social inclusion and sustainable social development for Indian cities....

by Centre de Sciences Humaines CSH | On 12 Aug 2015

Economic Growth, Financial Development and Income Inequality

The central objective of the paper is to empirically examine the relationship between financial development and income inequality. Theoretically, there are grounds for both a positive and negative re...

by Donghyun Park | On 12 Aug 2015

Social Enterprises and Employment: Mainstreaming SMEs and Employment Creation

This paper argues that mainstreaming SMEs and SE into various international treaties will require the assumption of positive externalities which markets cannot fully evaluate. To show this, the possib...

by Leonardo Lanzona | 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

Trade and Transport Facilitation in Bangladesh: An Audit of the State of Play

This working paper embodies the results of trade and transport facilitation audit which was carried out in the Bangladesh context, as part of a South Asian regional study.The study documents the major...

by Naimul Saif | On 11 Aug 2015

Children’s Work Activities in a Peasant Household: Epitome of Neo-Classical Rationality or Else?

This paper reflects upon a simple micro-economic model of a small peasant household economy has been formulated to derive the conditions for optimum labour time allocation among different gainful acti...

by Arup Maharatna | On 10 Aug 2015

IT Governance and IT Strategy: Board's Eye View

Banking in India and globally is undergoing and there are many challenges that are lying ahead. The basic underlying theme that runs through this changing landscape is the ever increasing reliance on...

by Harun R Khan | On 04 Aug 2015

The Role of Technical and Vocational Education in the National Development of Bangladesh

Education is a basic human right and considered by many as a key tool for national development. However, this tenet has been challenged by several economists, especially Pritchett (1996). His empirica...

by Gazi Mahabubul Alam | On 03 Aug 2015

Foreign Investment in Hospital Sector in India: Trends, Pattern and Issues

This study examines the status of and trends in foreign investment inflow into the Indian hospital sector and highlights the emerging issues from 2000 to 2014, the era of liberalised foreign investmen...

by | On 31 Jul 2015

Wealth Inequality: China and India

This paper examines wealth distribution in China and India. As China and India have witnessed significant growth rates between 1980 and 2000s, how this growth has been distributed amongst its citizens...

by | On 30 Jul 2015

Long-Run Trends in the Distribution of Income and Wealth

This paper reviews the long run developments in the distribution of personal income and wealth. It also discusses suggested explanations for the observed patterns. It tries to answer questions such as...

by | On 30 Jul 2015

Globalizing Inequality: ‘Centrifugal’ and ‘Centripetal’ Forces at Work

Th is paper reassesses national income inequalities in this era of globalization. Th e main conclusion is that two opposite forces are at work: one ‘centrifugal’ at the two extremes of the distributio...

by | On 30 Jul 2015

The Cost of Inequality: How Wealth and Income Extremes Hurt Us All

In this Briefing paper the focus has been exclusively on one half of the inequality equation - ending extreme poverty. Inequality and the extreme wealth that contributes to it were seen as either not ...

by Oxfam International | On 30 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

Causes and Consequences of Income Inequality: A Global Perspective

The discussion above suggests that a variety of inter-related factors can impact inequality and have potentially differential effects across countries and income groups. In this section, using a simpl...

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

Liberalizing Trade of Environmental Goods and Services: How to Address the Free-Rider Problem

This paper aims to provide APEC members with evidence-based guidance on the implementation of the APEC mandate. Theoretically, this approach addresses the free-rider problem. Free riders are countries...

by | On 28 Jul 2015

Public Economics and Sustainable Developments Policy

The domain of public economics is increasing as governments‘ policy goal is shifting from economic development to sustainable development. The government has to act as a trustee representing future ge...

by U. Sankar | On 22 Jul 2015

Health Policy, Inequity and Convergence in India

The objective of this study is to put to test the development paradigm that this inequity will converge and adjustment period will be lowered for equitable outcomes in health provided a fine tuning o...

by Brijesh C. Purohit | On 21 Jul 2015

Can GDP-Linked Official Lending to Emerging Economies and Developing Countries Enhance Risk Management and Resilience?

This paper considers whether GDP-linked official external public debt can help address some of the challenges that developing countries face when managing international financial flows. GDP-linked off...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 20 Jul 2015

Caught in the ‘Net’: Fish Consumption Patterns of Coastal Regions in India

Fish is an important source of food and livelihood for people. Owing to their proximity to the sea, coastal communities have long depended on this resource to meet their nutritional needs. Does this,...

by Lavanya Ravikanth Anneboina | On 16 Jul 2015

Indonesia’s Missing Millions: Erasing Discrimination in Birth Certification in Indonesia

Indonesia’s rate of birth registration is imprecisely measured but is low, especially among the poorer, rural, population. At the same time, the country has developed a system of population regist...

by Cate Sumner | On 16 Jul 2015

Key Indicators of Social Consumption in India Health

The surveys on social consumption relating to health, conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), are primary source of basic quantitative information on the health sector like morbidity, h...

by Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation (MOSPI) | On 14 Jul 2015

Action Alert? A Mid-Day Meal for Children: A Story Full of Non-Compliance, Poor Performance and Irregularities, Say the CAG Findings

Is the mid-day meal scheme following the nutritional standards? Are funds properly allocated? HARCRC is showing a clear picture of what is happening to the mid-day meal scheme.

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 08 Jul 2015

The Impact of Temperature on Productivity and Labor Supply: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing

Cross-country studies have found that hotter years are associated with lower output in poor countries. Using high-frequency micro-data from manufacturing firms in India, we show that worker heat stre...

by Anant Sudarsan | On 07 Jul 2015

Mainstreaming SMEs through Social Enterprises

Social enterprises (SEs) are crucial both for the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and labor generation. The goal of SEs is to provide public goods to communities. In the Philippines...

by | On 29 Jun 2015

Relaxing Migration Constraints for Rural Households

There are an estimated 750 million internal migrants in the world, yet the effects of access to internal migration for rural households are not well understood. Internal migrants may provide wealth tr...

by Cynthia Kinnan | On 25 Jun 2015

Does Higher Economic Growth Reduce Poverty and Increase Inequality? Evidence from Urban India

This paper calculates select urban inequality and poverty indices and finds out their policy linkages. In addition, the determinants of urban poverty and inequality are estimated by using data of 52 l...

by | On 22 Jun 2015

Financing for Health Coverage in India: Issues and Concerns

The paper explores the trends, composition, and incidence of out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOPHE) in India, which has been the predominant means of financing its health care needs. Unit-level data...

by Indrani Gupta | On 19 Jun 2015

Assessing Development Assistance for Mental Health in Developing Countries: 2007–2013

Despite an expanding body of evidence suggesting that sustainable mental health care can be effectively integrated into existing health systems at relatively low cost, mental health has not received s...

by Barnabas J Gilbert | On 16 Jun 2015

Mid-Year Review of the Indian Economy 2014-15

This economic outlook by NCAER, analyses expected growth, inflation, balance of payments, fiscal balances, savings and investment trends, and covers the state of important sectors of the economy, inc...

by National Council of Applied Economic Research | On 15 Jun 2015

Monetary Policy and Informal Finance

This article utilises state-level data for 1961–2012 to examine the interlinkage between informal finance and monetary policy. The analysis suggests that in response to a monetary contraction, borrowi...

by Saibal Ghosh | On 15 Jun 2015

Inequality, income Distribution and Growth in Maharashtra in the 2000s

The paper analyses the inter-district inequality of per capita incomes in Maharashtra for the period 2001-2009 and finds that inter-district inequality rose for the period 2001-05 and subsequently dec...

by Neeraj Hatekar | On 10 Jun 2015

Stereotypical Occupational Segregation & Gender Inequality: An Experimental Study

This paper attempts to distinguish ‘trust in cooperation’ from ‘trust in ability’ with respect to gender through an experimental trust game. ‘Trust in ability’ is explored in the context of hands-on m...

by Savita Kulkarni | On 10 Jun 2015

When the Kerala Model of Development is Historicised: A Chronological Perspective

It is proposed in this study that the development experience in Kerala has resulted ultimately in weakening the material basis of public action. On limited evidence it is pointed out that the poor in...

by P.K.Michael Tharakan | 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

The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: The Promise and Perils of Sino-Indian Relations

India and China, two of the world's oldest civilisations, have had little historically relevant interactions with one other. Separated by the world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas, neither of...

by Himanil Raina | On 04 Jun 2015

Women and Work in South Asia: Changes and Challenges

This paper examines a number of questions that have a bearing on women’s employment in South Asia. The characteristic features of the region such as the predominantly rural, agrarian economy; patriarc...

by | On 04 Jun 2015

E-Waste in India

Like hazardous waste, the problem of e-waste has become an immediate and long term concern as its unregulated accumulation and recycling can lead to major environmental problems endangering human heal...

by Rajya Sabha | On 04 Jun 2015

An Advocates' Tool for Monitoring Rights-Based Provision of Contraceptive Information and Services in India

This Advocates’ Guide has been developed based on the ecommendations made in the World Health Organization’s “Ensuring human rights in the provision of contraceptive information and services: Guidance...

by Renu Khanna | On 01 Jun 2015

Digital Technologies and Gender Justice in India

Two decades after the Fourth World Conference on Women and the Beijing Platform for Action, the question of gender justice remains as urgent as ever, to the women's movement. While revisiting the ques...

by | On 29 May 2015

The Data Revolution: Finding the Missing Millions

This report sets out the evidence that, even when people are counted, the counting is frequently not good enough. What is assumed to be an empirical fact – a statistic – is too often the result...

by | On 21 May 2015

A World that Counts: Mobilising the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development

New technologies are leading to an exponential increase in the volume and types of data available, creating unprecedented possibilities for informing and transforming society and protecting the enviro...

by Independent Extpert Advisory Group on a Data Revol (UN-IEAG) | On 21 May 2015

The Constitution (One Hundred and Fifteenth Amendment) Bill, 2011

This Bill is further amendment to the constitution on levy and collection of goods and service tax and trade in India. It provides the parliament with exclusive powers to make laws with respect to goo...

by Ministry of Finance | On 19 May 2015

Born Equal - how Reducing Inequality Could Give Our Children a Better Future

This report looks at how, despite major strides made towards poverty reduction and towards achieving the MDGs, increasing inequality in many countries in the last two decades has hampered greater prog...

by | On 14 May 2015

Odisha State Youth Policy: Framework-2013

The Odisha State Youth Policy 2013 aims to give a strategic direction and make timely interventions to enable the youth to get the best out of the changing scenario in the state and the country due to...

by Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute | On 12 May 2015

Promoting Human Development in India: Costs of Inequality

Policy emphasis in Indian economic development planning has always been on ‘economic growth with income redistribution’. Such a strategy seeks to exploit the potential of development programmes for po...

by Suryanarayana M H | On 11 May 2015

Performance Evaluation of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)

The study finds that about 58 per cent of the subsidized food grains issued from the Central Pool do not reach the BPL families because of identification errors, nontransparent operation and unethical...

by Planning Commission | On 08 May 2015

Understanding Poverty in India

Inclusive growth needs to be achieved to reduce poverty and other disparities and raise economic growth. This book develops a poverty profile for India in view of the ongoing national and global effor...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 08 May 2015

Nutritional Intake in India (July 2009 - June 2010)

This report presents the information on nutritional intake by the Indian population. Among the different nutrients only three nutrients – viz, calorie, protein and fat – are discussed in this report....

by National Sample Survey Office NSSO | On 05 May 2015

Demands for Grants 2015-16 (Demand No. 48) of the Department of Health and Family Welfare

The National Health Policy framed from time to time provides the framework for the implementation of policies and programmes for health care. The Eleventh Five Year Plan had focused on the poor and th...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 28 Apr 2015

Guide on Right to Information Act, 2005

The present guide is an updated and consolidated guide for the use of all stakeholders. This guide contains five parts. Part I of the guide discusses some aspects of the Act which all the stake-holder...

by Government of India GOI | On 27 Apr 2015

Report of the Committee for Evolving a Composite Development Index of States

This report however, also takes a step forward in trying to draw a balance between “needs” and “performance”. Given that poor administration or weak institutions in a recipient state can fritter away...

by Ministry of Finance | On 23 Apr 2015

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

An Act to provide for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the land and mine infrastructure together with mining leases to successful bidders and allottees...

by Ministry of Law and Justice GOI | On 20 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

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

Prospects of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

AIIB is expected to accelerate economic development and integration of Asia through the promotion of investment in the infrastructure sector. AIIB have several priority areas include transport, energy...

by Makmun Syadullah | On 03 Apr 2015

Foreign Trade Policy: 1st April, 2015 – 31st March, 2020

The new five year foreign trade policy, 2015-2020 provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services as well as generation of employment and increasing value addition in the country. Th...

by Ministry of Commerce and Industry GOI | On 02 Apr 2015

Financial Inclusion, Poverty, and Income Inequality in Developing Asia

Understanding the link between financial inclusion, poverty, and income inequality at the country level will help policymakers design and implement programs that will broaden access to financial serv...

by | On 27 Mar 2015

A Dynamic Economic Model of Soil Conservation Involving Genetically Modified Crop

This paper attempts to model the positive role of cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) crop with its soil-anchoring root-characteristic and use of conservation-tillage technology, in saving orga...

by Amrita Chatterjee | On 23 Mar 2015

Capturing the Demographic Dividend in Pakistan

Currently, 28 per cent of Pakistan is between ages 15 and 29. Translating this “youth bulge” into a “demographic dividend” is a principal challenge and the main theme of this volume. A key message is...

by Zeba Sathar | On 19 Mar 2015

Electoral Reforms 2015, India

The law Commission of India has submitted its Report No. 255 on “Electoral Reforms” to the Union Law and Justice Ministry. Informing this to the Media persons here in New Delhi Justice Shri A. P. Shah...

by Law Commission India | On 18 Mar 2015

The India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement and the Proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: A Closer Look

The paper provides the Sri Lankan perspective of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) highlighting both the positive outcomes and the negative aspects. The paper shows that the FTA has worked in favor of Sr...

by Saman Kelegama | On 16 Mar 2015

Make in India: Re-chanting the Mantra with a Difference

The paper attempts to trace the origin and idea of Make in India through time and identifies what needs to be done to turn the Make in India mantra into a reality. Free market is the engine of growth...

by Satish Y Deodhar | On 13 Mar 2015

Financial Access - Measurement and Determinants: A Case Study of Unorganised Manufacturing Enterprises in India

This paper attempts to study financial access of unorganized manufacturing enterprises in India given their importance to the economy and the fact that finance has been the main constraint on their gr...

by T.A. Bhavani | On 12 Mar 2015

Stability and Transitions in Emerging Market Policy Rules

Conditions for stability in an open economy dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model adapted to a dualistic labor market (SOEME) are the same as for a mature economy. But the introduction of mon...

by Ashima Goyal | On 11 Mar 2015

The Fiscal and Welfare Impacts of Reforming Fuel Subsidies in India

This paper evaluates the fiscal and welfare implications of fuel subsidy reform in India. Fuel subsidies are found to be badly targeted, with the richest ten percent of households receiving seven time...

by | On 11 Mar 2015

Budget Speech 2015-16

Budget speech of Finance Minister

by Arun Jaitley | On 28 Feb 2015

Indian Railway Budget Speech 2015-16

Speech of Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu introducing the Railway Budget for 2015-16

by Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu | 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

Financing for Infrastructure Investment in G-20 Countries.

This study looks into various sources of financing infrastructure and the demands for infrastructure investments and highlights the mismatch between demand and supply of funds for infrastructure finan...

by Ramprasad Sengupta | On 11 Feb 2015

Indian Public Finance Statistics 2013-14

Indian Public Finance Statistics' is an annual publication prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. This provides a comprehensive overview of the b...

by Ministry of Finance | On 10 Feb 2015

Financial Access - Measurement and Determinants: A Case Study of Unorganised Manufacturing Enterprises in India

This paper attempts to study financial access of unorganized manufacturing enterprises in India given their importance to the economy and the fact that finance has been the main constraint on their gr...

by T.A. Bhavani | On 09 Feb 2015

Enhancing Water-Use Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants in India: Need for Mandatory Water Audits

In view of the very high share of water consumption in thermal power plants, this policy brief highlights the water-use scenario in this sector and emphasizes the need for third party/mandatory and re...

by R K Batra | On 05 Feb 2015

Addressing Inequality in Southeast Asia through Regional Economic Integration

The paper mainly discusses the issues and policies relating to inequality in Southeast Asia. Policies to reduce inequality include more efficient fiscal policies, improve infrastructure and generating...

by Josef Yap | On 29 Jan 2015

Redistributive Policies for Sustainable Development: Looking at the Role of Assets and Equity

The paper distinguishes between the stock of income generating assets such as human capital and wealth and deriving income flows in order to clarify the differences between growth-equity trade off deb...

by Pierre Kohler | On 28 Jan 2015

Cash Transfers and Temptation Goods

This paper reviews 19 studies with quantitative evidence on the impact of cash transfers on temptation goods. Studies find either no significant impact or a significant negative impact of transfers on...

by David K. Evans | On 22 Jan 2015

World Employment and Social Outlook - Trends 2015

Formerly entitled Global Employment Trends, the World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2015 includes a forecast of global unemployment levels and explains the factors behind this trend, includin...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 22 Jan 2015

A Post-2015 World Fit for Children

This issue brief outlines a roadmap for human progress over the next 15 years. Known as the Sustainable Development Goals, these new global targets will drive investment and action in virtually every...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 20 Jan 2015

Changing Norms about Gender Inequality in Education: Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper examines norms about gender equality of the education of children and adults in Bangladesh using a recent household survey for two cohorts of married women. Education norms are found to dif...

by Niels-Hugo Blunch | 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

Adoption and Use of Improved Stoves and Biogas Plants in Rural India

Household air pollution remains a dominant health risk, particularly in South Asia. Increasing international attention has focused on improved cookstoves (ICS) as a vehicle for reducing household air...

by Somnath Hazra | On 16 Dec 2014

Impact of Public Spending on Health and Education of Children in India: A Panel Data Simultaneous Equation Model

The basic objective of the study is to examine the impact of public expenditure on health and education after incorporating the linkages between health status of children and their educational achiev...

by Runu Bhatka | On 12 Dec 2014

Dietary Intake and Rural-Urban Migration in India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Migration from rural areas of India contributes to urbanisation and lifestyle change, and dietary changes may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. It tests the hypothesis that rural-to-u...

by Shah Ebrahim | On 02 Dec 2014

Multidimensional Poverty and Child Survival in India

Though the concept of multidimensional poverty has been acknowledged cutting across the disciplines (among economists, public health professionals, development thinkers, social scientists, policy make...

by Sanjay K. Mohanty | On 02 Dec 2014

Student Politics: A Game-Theoretic Exploration

The student parties on campus are essentially student wings of larger national parties, which command huge amounts of resources that are used during elections, often instigating conflict and violenc...

by Soumyanetra Munshi | On 01 Dec 2014

Women’s Malnutrition in India: The Role of Economic and Social Status

This study has used India Human Development Survey, 2005 to study the factors influencing the Body Mass Index (BMI) of women between 20 to 40 years of age in India. BMI captures both undernutrition...

by Shikha Dahiya | On 28 Nov 2014

Consequences of Unequal Urbanization on Development

Historically, urbanization has been a great force of economic transformation, modernization and social change in the developed world. On the flip side, migration has been blamed for the woes of modern...

by Ram Bhagat | On 21 Nov 2014

Bonded Labour, Agrarian Changes and Capitalism: Emerging Patterns in South India

Drawing on a number of case studies from Tamil Nadu, this paper shows that bonded labour is not a relic of the past, but surprisingly contemporary. Refuting the tenets of the semi-feudal thesis, we ar...

by Isabelle Guerin | On 21 Nov 2014

Agrarian Poverty, Nutrition and Economic Class – A Study of Gujarat, India

This paper analyses poverty and calorific undernourishment in the Indian state of Gujarat, where high and market-led industrial growth has resulted in rapid economic improvement. The study is carried...

by Mely Caballero Anthony | On 21 Nov 2014

Myth of Chinese Labour Flexibility

India has been a land of myths. Industrial relations are no exception to this trend. The arguments in the name of supporting the chorus for labour law and governance reforms, when reviewed carefully w...

by K.R. Shyam Sundar | On 14 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

What are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka

When households increase their deposits in formal bank savings accounts, what is the source of the money? High-frequency surveys are combined with an experiment in which a Sri Lankan bank used mobil...

by Michael Callen | On 13 Nov 2014

Socio-Economic Status of the Notified Minority Communities

The report provides a detailed quantitative account of the four notified minority communities – Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Parsis using all available information. The study takes into account th...

by Institute Human Development | On 11 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

Issues and Concerns of Deserted Women in Maharashtra

Two studies done at different times in two different parts of Maharashtra on women who have been forced out of the marital home or chose to walk out due to violence, show that women’s expectatio...

by Seema Kulkarni | On 11 Nov 2014

Too Little, Too Late: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana in Maharashtra

While the union government announced its plan to extend the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to the unorganised working class poor. The Government of Maharashtra has decided to scrap RSBY and replace it...

by Sujata Gothoskar | On 11 Nov 2014

Mortality Burden and Socioeconomic Status in India

The dimensions along which mortality is patterned in India remains unclear. We examined the specific contribution of social castes, household income, assets, and monthly per capita consumption to mort...

by Y. T. Po June | On 07 Nov 2014

Criss-Crossing Globalization: Uphill Flows of Skill-Intensive Goods and Foreign Direct Investment

This paper documents an unusual and possibly significant phenomenon: the export of skills, embodied in goods, services or capital from poorer to richer countries. A set of stylized facts is presente...

by Aaditya Mattoo | On 06 Nov 2014

Spillover Effects of Exchange Rates: A Study of the Renminbi

This paper estimates the impact of China’s exchange rate changes on exports of competitor countries in third markets, which is called as the “spillover effect. Recent theory is used to develop an id...

by Aaditya Mattoo | On 29 Oct 2014

The Evolution of Institutions in India and its Relationship with Economic Growth

The tepid-to-torrid transformation in India’s economic growth since the early 1980s is one of the big stories of recent times. Whereas “Midnight’s children” saw their standard of living double ove...

by Arvind Subramanian | On 22 Oct 2014

Four Facts on India’s Growth in the 2000's

This paper marks the first attempt at examining the growth performance across Indian states for the 2000s, a period also marked by the global financial crisis. Four key finding emerge from the paper...

by Arvind Subramanian | On 21 Oct 2014

What Undermines Aid’s Impact on Growth?

Why it is so hard to find a robust effect of aid on the long-term growth of poor countries, even those with good policies. A possible offset to the beneficial effects of aid is examined using a meth...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 20 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

Infrastructure Challenges in India: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships

Inadequate infrastructure was recognized in the Eleventh Plan as a major constraint for rapid growth. The Plan had, therefore, emphasized on the need for massive expansion on investment in infrastruct...

by Geethanjali Nataraj | On 16 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

Analytics of Food Inflation in India

Food inflation in India has remained stubborn in recent years. A number of proximate factors such as increasing demand particularly arising from higher rural wages, rising agricultural cost of produ...

by Thangzason Sonna | On 14 Oct 2014

Global Hunger Index 2014: The Challenge of Hidden Hunger

A staggering 2 billion people get so little essential vitamins and minerals from the foods they eat that they remain undernourished, according to the 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) being released toda...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 14 Oct 2014

Deforestation in the Himalayas: Myths and Reality

Deforestation in developing and middle income countries is an urgent global problem, affecting climate change, soil erosion, major river basins, and livelihoods of poor households living near the fore...

by Jean Marie Baland | On 24 Sep 2014

Political Economy of Transition from Manmohanomics to Modinomics

The inaugural budget of the NDA led government has been a cause of some surprise and disappointment amongst those who were eagerly expecting a new radical dose of neo-liberal reforms. It appeared that...

by Surajit Mazumdar | On 22 Sep 2014

Economic and Financial Outlook

A picture about the macroeconomy that is, the world economy and the domestic economy is given. The two recent regulatory measures are given here. [FICCI/IBA Annual Banking Conference].

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 18 Sep 2014

A Handbook of Statistical Indicators of Indian Women

The Handbook is intended to provide a bird's eye view of the present status of Indian women. The various tables indicate the primary data sources and the key facts are presented in bullet points at th...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 15 Sep 2014

Nutritional Status of Women and Children and Working of ICDS in Flood Prone Districts of Bihar 2005

ICDS is one of the most critical programmes of the Government of India, implemented by Department of Women and Child Development. In course of several fieldwork in North Bihar the investigating team o...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 15 Sep 2014

Protecting the Girl Child: Using the Law to End Child, Early & Forced Marriage & Related Human Rights Violations

Cultural traditions and a lack of legal protections are driving tens of millions of girls around the world into early marriage, subjecting them to violence, poverty and mistreatment. Equality Now, in...

by Equality Now | On 12 Sep 2014

State of Literacy among Adolescents and Youth Population

Gives an overall view about the literacy rates of youth and adolescents in India.

by A.K. Samal | On 06 Sep 2014

Reframing the Climate Debate

There is perhaps only one broad certainty in the contemporary debate on climate change: not only does climate change affect different nations and communities differently, but the responses of individu...

by Vivan Sharan | On 02 Sep 2014

Real Estate and Hosing-A Sensitive Sector or Samvriddhi Sector ?

The speech shows the investment government has done for the housing and real estate sector. There are recommendations on how the sector can be improved.

by R. Gandhi | On 22 Aug 2014

A BRIC Development Bank: A Dream Coming True?

BRICS leaders have approved creating a new development bank which would fund long-term investment in infrastructure and more sustainable development. This paper documents the scale of unmet needs in t...

by Stephany Jones | On 21 Aug 2014

The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries

Is the high degree of gender inequality in developing countries in education, personal autonomy, and more explained by underdevelopment itself? Or do the societies that are poor today hold certain cu...

by Seema Jayachandran | On 11 Aug 2014

The Political Economy of MGNREGS Spending in Andhra Pradesh

Are ostensibly demand-driven public programs less susceptible to political clientelism even when private goods are allocated? This is examined using expenditure data at the local level from India’s N...

by Megan Sheahan | On 01 Aug 2014

Yes to Justice, No to Death

PUDR’s opposition to the penalty of death is three decades old. Like everything else our opposition on capital punishment is evolving and is a ‘work in progress’. Starting with serious objections to t...

by PUDR Peoples Union for Democratic Rights | On 25 Jul 2014

Modified Budget Rajasthan: 2014-15

Budget speech by chief minister Vasundhara Raje

by Vasundhara Raje | On 21 Jul 2014

No Shortage of Money

The new government wants to increase investment in various sectors. The government has funds but the Finance Minister has said about lack of funds in the Budget. Public private partnerships (PPPs) can...

by T.N. Ninan | On 17 Jul 2014

Railway Budget 2014-15: Analysis

The Minister of Railways, D V Sadananda Gowda, presented the Railways Budget 2014 to Parliament on July 8, 2014. In his address, he assessed the performance of Railways in 2013-14 and laid out his...

by Prachee Mishra | On 16 Jul 2014

BCIM Economic Corridor: Prospects and Challenges

Given the commonalities in terms of history, culture, languages and trade complementarity in many cases, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor is a win-win arrangement. The linkages of tr...

by Pravakar Sahoo | On 15 Jul 2014

Union Budget 2014: Budgetary Resources for Public Goods

India’s health policy has focused on primary health centers and hospitals. The numbers of hospital beds, doctors, and nurses per 1000 persons have often been treated less as inputs and more as measure...

by Aarti Salve | On 14 Jul 2014

Gender Equality Must Become A Lived Reality: Gender Budgeting, Our First Step Towards It

The term gender budgeting has become a catch phrase to describe various government initiatives that seek to address gender issues in the domain of public expenditure and policy. In India, the strategi...

by Rituparna Dutta | On 14 Jul 2014

Employment Stagnancy in India: Policy Plus Monetary reform

The Indian economy is witnessing a dichotomous trend- an increasing share of employment in industry with decline in Value Added to output. When compared to other Asian economies, we’re adding workers...

by Aritra Chakrabarty | On 10 Jul 2014

Speech of the Minister for Railways 2014-15

Railway budget 2014-15.

by D.V. Sadananda Gowda | On 09 Jul 2014

Three Decades of Human Development across Indian States: Inclusive Growth or Perpetual Disparity?

The importance of strengthening the human development (HD) achievements in a country to augment its growth potential is well known in development literature. Several initiatives to enhance the HD leve...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 24 Jun 2014

Incidence of Poor and Poverty Risk in India across NSS Regions for Rual and Urban Areas, 2004-05 and 2009-10

This note provides an estimate of incidence of poor and poverty risk in India across NSS regions for 2004-05 and 2009-10 in rural and urban areas. It raises concern on increasing poverty risk and als...

by Srijit Mishra | On 23 Jun 2014

The World’s Youth – Data Sheet 2013

The Population Reference Bureau factsheet presents various facts about young people across the world. Some of the data refers to teenage pregnancy, childbirth, prevalence of child marriage in the worl...

by PRB Population Reference Bureau | On 17 Jun 2014

Connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia: Cross-Border Infrastructure Investments

Most of the trade between South Asia and Southeast Asia is by sea. However, with improved infrastructure and easier border crossing procedures, land traffic could grow to boost trade in goods, service...

by Jean-Francois Gautrin Gautrin | On 02 Jun 2014

Deregulating the Transfer of Agricultural Technology: Lessons from Bangladesh, India, Turkey, and Zimbabwe

Many transition and developing economies have reduced direct public involvement in the production and trade of seed and other agricultural inputs. This trend creates opportunities for farmers to reali...

by David Gisselquist | On 23 May 2014

The Indian Labour Market: An Overview

The present study analyses the labour market situation in India over the last two decades. Given the growth profile, which has been quite robust in recent years, one pertinent question is whether Indi...

by Arup Mitra | On 23 May 2014

Developmental Disability Index for Hill States in India

Tthe first objective of this study is to construct a cost disability index in provision of developmental infrastructure. The second objective is rooted in the poor state of developmental infrastructur...

by Ritu Pandey | On 20 May 2014

Position Paper on Education Post-2015

This position paper identifies that there is a strong need for a new and forward-looking education agenda that completes unfinished business while going beyond the current goals in terms of depth and...

by UNESCO UNESCO | On 16 May 2014

Some notes on negotiations around sexuality and consumption practices among young women of Delhi

This paper examines the construction of female sexual desire in contemporary Indian advertising with a special emphasis on how young women of Delhi negotiate with issues in and around sexuality and co...

by Aakriti Kohli | On 13 May 2014

World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education

Gender equality is one of the six goals of the global Education for All campaign that UNESCO leads. This was launched in 2000, when the countries of the world agreed to “eliminate gender disparities i...

by Edward B. Fiske | On 12 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

Agricultural Research and Productivity Growth in India

This research report, which examines the effects of research and development on productivity in India, finds that India is still benefiting from these investments. The report shows that the public ben...

by Robert E Evenson | On 29 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

Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries

This report demonstrates that inequality in society is an old and fatal phenomenon. If left unchecked, it can undermine the very foundations of development and social and domestic peace. This Report r...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 18 Apr 2014

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013

With the deadline for the MDGs on the horizon, progress can be reported in most areas, despite the impact of the global economic and financial crisis. The analysis in this report, based on a wide rang...

by United Nations UN | On 04 Apr 2014

Aggregate Fertility and Household Savings: A General Equilibrium Analysis using Micro Data

This study uses micro data and an OLG model to show that general equi- librium forces are critical for understanding the relationship between aggregate fertility and household savings. [BREAD WP No....

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 03 Apr 2014

Revival of Rural PDS: Expansion and Outreach

Using the recent rounds of NSS data, this paper evaluates the performance and outreach of India's public distribution system (PDS) in the rural areas. The results suggest a significant improvement in...

by Andaleeb Rahman | On 02 Apr 2014

Short-term Migration and Consumption Expenditure of Households in Rural India

In 2007-08, short-term migrants constituted 4.35 per cent of the rural workforce. A total of 9.25 million households in rural India had short-term migrants.Using a nationally representative data for...

by S. Chandrasekhar | On 27 Mar 2014

Incorporating Public Good Availability into the Measurement of Poverty

This paper makes an attempt to incorporate bene ts from unpaid public services into consumption decisions to arrive at more accurate measures of poverty and inequality. The analysis is based on prim...

by Anders Kjelsrud | On 14 Mar 2014

Does Income Inequality Cause Health And Social Problems?

This report provides an independent review of the evidence about the impact of inequality. The report examines whether or not there is a link between income inequality and health and social problems;...

by Karen Rowlingson | On 14 Mar 2014

Environmental Goods and Services: Issues for Negotiations for India

Liberalisation of trade in environmental goods and services (EGS) has become a key issue at the complex and rapidly developing trade and environment interface. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) at it...

by Vijaya Katti | On 12 Mar 2014

Market Opportunitiesin Environmental Goods And Services, Renewable Energy,Carbon Finance And CATS

The report considers the general market opportunities presented in the selected countries. It is based on desk research that drew on the most readily available and accessible information sourced from...

by UK DEVELOPMENT | On 12 Mar 2014

Global Value Chains And Development

Global trade in goods and services, which today amounts to more than $20 trillion, includes a significant amount of double counting. Raw material extracted in one country may be exported first to a se...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development | On 10 Mar 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

Making it in India: Examining Social Mobility in Three Walks of Life

Inequality is rising in India alongside rapid economic growth, reinforcing the need to investigate social mobility. Are children from less well-off sections also able to rise to higher-paying position...

by Anirudh Krishna | On 04 Mar 2014

Poverty and Under-nutrition among Scheduled Tribes in India: A Disaggregated Analysis

This paper addresses twin issues--- poverty and under-nutrition among the STs in India at disaggregated levels. Following the draft tribal policy, districts in Schedule VI states as well districts und...

by Amaresh Dubey | On 03 Mar 2014

Banks Competition, Managerial Efficiency and the Interest Rate Pass-through in India.

If banks solve an inter-temporal problem under adverse selection and moral hazard, then bank specific factors, regulatory and supervisory features, market structure, and macroeconomic factors affect ...

by Jugnu Ansari | On 21 Feb 2014

The 'Poorest Might Catch up': Convergence vs. Pseudo-convergence

Public welfare policies in developing countries have a Rawlsian perspective; they seek to uplift the poor, the poorest of the poor in particular. Policies to enable the poor to catch up with the rich...

by Suryanarayana M H | On 05 Feb 2014

Overcoming Child Malnutrition in Developing Countries: Past Achievements and Future Choices

"About 167 million children under five years of age —almost one-third of the developing world's children —are malnourished. If they survive childhood, many of these children will suffer from poorer co...

by Lisa C. Smith | On 22 Jan 2014

The Way Forward for Northeast India

This paper seeks to explain the idea of linking Northeast India to Southeast Asia, which gained popular imagination following the release of the North Eastern Region Vision 2020 document in 2008. Howe...

by Laldinkima Sailo | On 22 Jan 2014

Financing Infrastructure in Bangladesh – Some Options

This paper seeks to outline the infrastructure needs of Bangladesh with respect to domestic sources of finance. While infrastructure encompasses energy, transportation, telecommunications, water and...

by Ishraq Ahmed | On 22 Jan 2014

Maximizing Access to Energy

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has supported increased access to energy through the most cost-effective method—by expanding the electricity grid. Yet in this second decade of the 21st century, when...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jan 2014

Asian Development Bank Sustainability Report

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sustainability Report has been issued every 2 years since 2007. The current Sustainability Report contains selected performance highlights of ADB’s operations and corp...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jan 2014

The Impact of Fiscal and Political Decentralization on Local Public Investments in Indonesia

The effects of the Indonesian decentralization and democratization process on budget allocation at the sub-national level is analyzed. Based on panel data for 271 Indonesian districts for the years...

by Krisztina Kis Katos | On 17 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

Women's Migration, Urban Poverty and Child Health in Rajasthan

The paper is concerned with the high levels of infant and child illness and death amongst poor urban slum communities in Rajasthan, a state with one of the highest infant mortality rates in India. Ur...

by Maya Unnithan Kumar | 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

Report of the Expert Group on Estimation of Proportion and Number of Poor

The Planning Commission constituted, in September 1989, an 'Expert Group' to consider methodological and computational aspects of estimation of proportion and number of poor in India. [Planning Comm...

by Planning Commission | On 07 Jan 2014

The Nature of the Beast: What Behavioral Economics is Not

There are many misconceptions on what behavioral economics is. This is essay clearly says what is behavioral economics. [CGD essay].

by Matthew Darling | On 11 Dec 2013

Remoteness and Unbalanced Growth: Understanding Divergence Across Indian Districts

The existing literature on Indian growth finds no evidence of convergence across states. This represents a puzzle given the relatively free flows of capital, labor and commodities across state borde...

by Samarjit Das | On 27 Nov 2013

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership: Reform Challenges and Key Tasks for the Philippines

The paper calls the attention of policymakers to address critical constraints affecting the effective utilization of free trade agreements, growth, trade facilitation and customs administration, servi...

by Gilberto M. Llanto | On 15 Nov 2013

When  Ideas Trump Interests :  Preferences, World Views, and Policy  Innovations

The contemporary approach to political economy is built around vested interests -- elites,  lobbies, and rent-seeking groups which get their way at the expense of the general public. The  role of id...

by Dani Rodrik | On 06 Nov 2013

In Search of Inclusion: Informal Sector Participation in a Voluntary, Defined Contribution Pension System

This paper examines who contributes and who persists in contributing in a national, voluntary, defined contributory pension program, where the government provides the incentive of matching contributi...

by Renuka Sane | On 28 Oct 2013

Taming Food Inflation in India

High food inflation, which has averaged 10% during FY 2008-09 to December 2012, has been a major concern for policy makers in India. This is all the more important as an average household in India sti...

by Ashok Gulati | On 21 Oct 2013

Rural Development in India: State level Experiences

Rural development reflects in the improvements in the economic well being of people living in villages. In someway, it reflects in the increase in the purchasing power of the rural inhabitants. This...

by Ch.Sambasiva Rao | On 18 Oct 2013

Global Hunger Index 2013 - The Challenge of Hunger: Building Resilience to Achieve Food and Nutrition Security

The 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), which reflects data from the period 2008–2012, shows that global hunger has improved since 1990, falling by one-third. Despite the progress made the level of hunger...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 16 Oct 2013

Welfare and Poverty Impacts of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Evidence from Andhra Pradesh

India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is one of the largest public works programs globally. Understanding the impacts of NREGS and the pathway through which its impacts are realiz...

by Songqing Jin | On 14 Oct 2013

Human Development in India: Cost of Inequality

The article shows how it is possible to achieve economic growth and equitable income distribution using human development approach through empirical evidence from the state of Kerala.

by Ankush Agrawal | On 14 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

Performance Lessons from India’s Universal Identification Program

India’s Unique Identification (UID) project offers important lessons for other countries. UID’s performance data show that large countries can implement biometric ID programs with low levels of excl...

by Alan Gelb | On 07 Oct 2013

The State of Food and Agriculture, 2013

Malnutrition in all its forms – under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity – imposes unacceptably high economic and social costs on countries at all income levels. The St...

by Food and Agriculture Organization | On 07 Oct 2013

Preliminary Evidence on Internal Migration, Remittances, and Teen Schooling in India

Migration can serve as an outlet for employment, higher earnings, and reduced income risk for households in developing countries. The 2004–2005 Human Development Profile of India survey is used to exa...

by Valerie Mueller | On 06 Sep 2013

Malaysia: Recent Developments in Agricultural Research

Main issues of concern looking to the future include ongoing maintenance of capacity and infrastructure given government funding cuts, and the training and mentoring of junior staff needed to replace...

by Kathleen Flaherty | On 04 Sep 2013

Migration and Poverty in India: A Multi-Patterned and Complex Reality

The paper reviews the existing evidence on migration-poverty interface in the light of the macro and micro level studies in India. It also discusses the extent, patterns, and correlates of short term...

by Amita Shah | On 03 Sep 2013

Essays on Banking

This thesis comprises three essays on various aspects of the relationship between a firm or a country and its creditor banks. The first essay focuses on a firm's choice between borrowing from banks an...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 19 Aug 2013

Forecasting Profitability

Newly-available Indian panel data is used to estimate how the returns to planting-stage investments vary by rainfall realizations. [BREAD Working Paper No. 392]. URL:[http://ipl.econ.duke.edu/bread/pa...

by Mark Rosenzweig | On 16 Aug 2013

Press Note on Poverty Estimates, 2011-12

A recap of the previous poverty estimates can be found here. [Planning Commission]. URL:[http://planningcommission.nic.in/news/pre_pov2307.pdf].

by Planning Commission | On 05 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

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

Why Is Mobility in India So Low? Social Insurance, Inequality, and Growth

This paper examines the hypothesis that the persistence of low spatial and marital mobility in rural India, despite increased growth rates and rising inequality in recent years, is due to the existenc...

by Kaivan Munshi | On 22 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

An Economic Investigation of Corruption and Electricity Theft

Theft and corruption are common in electricity distribution systems worldwide. Electricity theft is analysed in the framework of an individual’s choice under uncertainty and through a three-layered pr...

by Faisal Jamil | On 10 Jul 2013

Examining Private Participation in Embankment Maintenance in the Indian Sundarbans

This paper analyses the complementarities between land productivity and conservation investments in the context of river embankment maintenance in the Indian Sundarbans.[SANDEE]. URL:[http://www.san...

by Prasenjit Sarkhel | On 06 Jun 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

Water in India: Situation and Prospects

This report attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of the state of water resource development and management in India, based on secondary information. It maps the current challenges and sugg...

by Anjal Prakash | On 30 Apr 2013

What Is Wrong With Kerala’s Education System?

The question that is increasingly being posed is whether Kerala's education can continue to play a major role in the future without keeping up with the vast changes taking place in all disciplines. It...

by K.K. George | On 25 Apr 2013

Circular Migration in India

This brief explores circular migration in India and the policy response, and impact of this policy response, on the welfare of migrants and more broadly, on regional inequality. [ODI Policy Brief No....

by Kate Bird | On 24 Apr 2013

The Political Economy of Food Pricing Policy in China

The overall goal of this paper is to analyse the political economy of food price policies in China during the global food crisis. The results show that given China’s unique economic and political co...

by Jikun Huang | On 18 Apr 2013

Living Rough: Surviving City Streets

This paper records the findings of a small investigation into a fragment of experiences of people living on streets and into the social, economic, nutritional situation of urban homeless men, women, b...

by Harsh Mander | On 10 Apr 2013

Budget Analysis: Kerala Budget 2013-14

The Minister of Finance, K.M Mani , presented the General Budget 2013 to the State Assembly on March 15, 2013. In his address, he commented on the fiscal performance of the State in 2012-13 and laid...

by Vishnu Padmanabhan | On 09 Apr 2013

Federal Budget Pakistan: 2012-13

Budget speech by Minister of Finance. [Ministry of Finance]. URL:[http://www.finance.gov.pk/budget/budget_Speech_12_13.pdf].

by Minister of Finance Pakistan | On 22 Mar 2013

Repayment and Exclusion in a Microfinance Experiment

The experiment is designed to explore the effectiveness of such sanctions in improving repayment incentives. Groups of 10 members are provided with joint-liability loans for a specific investment pr...

by Jean Marie Baland | On 07 Mar 2013

Growth and Deprivation in India: What Does Recent Data Say?

The report investigate the relationship between growth and deprivation in India, an issue of immense interest. Given the continuing controversy in India over poverty lines, they used a framework that...

by Sripad Motiram | On 07 Mar 2013

Empowering the Street Vendors in Changing Indian Cities: A Case Study of Bhubaneswar (Orissa)

The case of Bhubaneswar vending zone perfectly qualifies the theme of making market work for the poor. This is a pioneering lead taken to develop an exclusive market for the vendors which presents a...

by Randhir Kumar | On 01 Mar 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

Budget Speech 2013-2014

Budget Speech by Chidambaram.

by P Chidambaram | On 28 Feb 2013

No Fireworks Railway Budget

Modernization, encouragement to PPP, integration of MGNREGA, has been given importance in the railway budget.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 27 Feb 2013

Railway Budget Speech 2013-14

Speech of Sh. Pawan Kumar Bansal. URL:[http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Budget_2013-14/English_Speech_2013-14.pdf].

by Sh. Pawan Kumar Bansal | On 26 Feb 2013

Historical Sources of Institutional Trajectories in Economic Development: China, Japan, and Korea Compared

This essay provides a game-theoretic, endogenous view of institutions, and then applies the idea to identify the sources of institutional trajectories of economic development in China, Japan, and Kore...

by Masahiko Aoki | On 22 Feb 2013

Metabolism Of Mumbai- Expectations, Impasse and the Need For a New Beginning

As population and human activities expand they exert heavy environmental pressure through the resource requirement, their production and consumption. Hence, it is important to understand the resource...

by B. Sudhakara Reddy | On 12 Feb 2013

The Companies Bill, 2011: FIfty-Seventh Report

According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, most of the recommendations made by the Committee in their earlier Report (21st Report) on the Companies Bill, 2009 have been accepted by the Government...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 12 Feb 2013

Economic Policies and Agricultural Incentives: The Philippine Case

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of economic policies on Philippine agricultural incentives from 1960 up to 1992. Apart from economic policies affecting price incentives, cover publi...

by Cristina C. David | On 24 Jan 2013

The New Great Walls: A New Guide to China's Overseas Dam Industry, Second Edition

Chinese hydropower companies and banks are now the largest dam builders in the world. Chinese banks have stepped in to fill the gap left by traditional dam funders such as the World Bank. The Chines...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 15 Jan 2013

Microfinance in Evolution: An Industry Between Crisis and Advancement

Following the international financial crisis that started in 2007, market growth and MFI performance started to deteriorate. Over the last decade the market has matured and become more efficient. Is...

by Cédric Lützenkirchen | On 14 Jan 2013

Political Clientelism and Capture: Theory and Evidence from West Bengal, India

There are relatively few theoretical models or empirical analyses of clientelism which analyse the sources and consequences of clientelism. Data from household surveys in rural West Bengal are used t...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 14 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

The Real Exchange Rate and Export Growth: Are Services Different?

The determinants of exports of services, distinguishing between modern and traditional services are considered. The growth of export volumes and so-called export surges – periods of rapid sustained...

by Barry Eichengreen | On 02 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

An Assessment of Livelihood and Educational Status of Sanitation Workers in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

This study was conducted in 25 neighborhoods and 5 zones of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). A total of 50 sanitation workers were interviewed and through them the condition of their famil...

by Ashish Mishra | On 05 Dec 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

Why was the Participation of Indian States in the Growth Turnaround so Patchy? Some Evidence Based on Robustness Analysis

In Ghate & Wright Journal of Development Economics, vol. 99 (2012) pp 58–67, it was noted that there was considerable variation in the extent to which different Indian states participated in the Gr...

by Chetan Ghate | On 02 Nov 2012

Renewable Resource Shocks and Conflict in India’s Maoist Belt

A rigorous econometric analysis of a civil conflict is conducted that the Indian Prime Minister has called the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by his country, the so-called Mao...

by Davesh Kapur | On 13 Oct 2012

Mid Term Appraisal of Eleventh Five Year Plan - 2007 - 2012

The Mid-Term Appraisal (MTA) reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed. The chapter presents a broad overview of the...

by Planning Commission | On 05 Oct 2012

Poverty, Human Development and Health Financing in India

This study aims at analyzing the differentials across rich and poor states and across rich and poorer strata and rural urban segments of 19 major Indian states. The study indicates that besides ind...

by Brijesh C Purohit | On 28 Sep 2012

Examining the Effect of Household Wealth and Migration Status on Safe Delivery Care in Urban India, 1992–2006

Although the urban health issue has been of long-standing interest to public health researchers, majority of the studies have looked upon the urban poor and migrants as distinct subgroups. Another co...

by Prashant Kumar Singh | On 24 Sep 2012

Food Subsidy in India: Trends, Causes and Policy Reform Options

This paper analyses the trends in volume of food subsidy in the post-reforms period (1991-92 to 2012-13) and then examines various components of food subsidy, which are under the control of FCI and th...

by Vijay Paul Sharma | On 20 Sep 2012

Property Rights and Intra-Household Bargaining

This paper examines whether an individual-level transfer of property rights increases the individual's bargaining power within the household. The question is analyzed in the context of a housing ref...

by Shing-Yi Wang | On 18 Sep 2012

Energy Savings Potential and Policy for Energy Conservation in Selected Indian Manufacturing Industries

This paper focuses on the assessment of energy savings potential in seven highly energy consuming industries. The paper estimates the energy savings potential for each of these industries using unit l...

by Manish Gupta | On 17 Sep 2012

Costly Posturing: Relative Status, Ceremonies, and Early Child Development in China

A primary census-type panel household survey is show that in 18 villages in rural China, child health status has barely improved in the past decades despite more than double digit of annual per capita...

by Xi Chen | On 07 Sep 2012

The Heterogeneous Welfare Impacts of Participation in Contract Farming Schemes: Evidence from Southern India

The heterogeneity of welfare impacts of contract farming participation is demonstrated by estimating an endogenous switching model using survey data for 474 farmers in four commodity sectors, gherkin...

by Sudha Narayanan | 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

Creating a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in India: Report of the Committee on Angel Investment and Early Stage Venture Capital

Even though the economic and social benefits of thriving entrepreneurship and innovation are evident, it is critical to recognize that these benefits will only accrue if the key gaps in the ecosystem...

by Planning Commission | On 31 Aug 2012

Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh: An Overview of Market Development

The objective of this report is to share a market level overview of the early stage progress of (Mobile Financial Services) MFS in Bangladesh up through the first quarter of 2012. A series of short s...

by Bangladesh Bank BB | On 23 Aug 2012

Network Structure and the Aggregation of Information: Theory and Evidence from Indonesia

A unique data-set from Indonesia is analysed to understand what individuals know about the income distribution in their village to test theories such as Jackson and Rogers (2007) that link informatio...

by Vivi Alatas | On 23 Aug 2012

Coordinating Healthcare and Pension Policies: An Exploratory Study

Rapid ageing of the population globally represents an unprecedented historical trend. As pension and healthcare costs are positively correlated with rising incomes, ageing, urbanization, and a shift f...

by Azad Singh Bali | On 20 Aug 2012

The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010

Commonly known as the Whistleblower's Bill, it seeks to establish a mechanism to register complaints on any allegations of corruption or wilful misuse of power against a public servant. The Bill also...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 17 Aug 2012

Deriving India’s Potential Growth from Theory and Structure

Estimates suggest that Indian aggregate supply is elastic but subject to upward shocks. If supply shocks make a high persistent contribution to inflation, it implies second round pass through is occu...

by Ashima Goyal | On 16 Aug 2012

Averting an Impending Storm: Can We Reengineer Health Systems to Meet the Needs of Aging Populations?

The proportion of elderly in the world population is increasing. Health systems across the globe are ill prepared to meet the needs of aging populations. The needs of the elderly are different from t...

by Arlene S Bierman | On 08 Aug 2012

Suicide and Property Rights in India

Is there an impact of female property rights on male and female suicide rates in India. Using state level variation in legal changes to women's property rights, it is shown that better property righ...

by Siwan Anderson | On 02 Aug 2012

Structuring the Dedicated Freight Corridor Project a Lost Opportunity

This paper explores the evolution of two dedicated freight corridors in India (covering a distance of around 3300 kilometers), and critique them from the perspective of delivering the intended rail...

by Sobhesh Kumar Agarwalla | On 31 Jul 2012

Raining problems

Recent history tells us that the growth rate of the economy does not automatically go up and down with good and bad monsoons. [BS Weekend Ruminations]. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news...

by T.N. Ninan | On 18 Jul 2012

New Thinking on Corporate Bond Market in India

What are major factors behind underdevelopment of corporate bond market in India? One of the major bottlenecks to the development of this market lies in relatively larger costs of financing which diss...

by Sanjay Banerji | 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

Climate Change Mitigation and Green Growth in Developing Asia

Developing Asia is the driver of today's emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflec...

by Stephen Howes | On 16 Jul 2012

Reexamining the Finance–Growth Relationship for a Developing Economy: A Time Series Analysis of Post-reform India

The cross-country empirical literature on the finance-growth relationship has debated three propositions: (i) financial deepening has a strong impact on the growth process; (ii) measures of financia...

by Sabyasachi Kar | On 13 Jul 2012

How Close Does the Apple Fall to the Tree? Some Evidence on Intergenerational Occupational Mobility from India

Using data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2005, intergenerational occupational mobility in India is examined, an issue on which very few systematic and rigorous studies exist. Individ...

by Sripad Motiram | On 12 Jul 2012

India's SEZ Policy

Over the last few decades India has emerged as an economic giant. In 2000 the Special Economic Zone (SEZs) policy became part of a strategy to maintain high growth and promote India’s manufacturing ...

by Ebba Mårtensson | On 11 Jul 2012

School Libraries and Language Skills in Indian Primary Schools: A Randomized Evaluation of the Akshara Library Program

A randomized evaluation of a school library program on children’s language skills is conducted. The program had little impact on students’ scores on a language test administered 16 months after implem...

by Evan Borkum | On 09 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 Limits to Sustainability Science: Ecological Constraints or Endless Innovation?

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) takes place in Rio de Janeiro on 20–22 June 2012. Twenty years after the 1992 Earth Summit that led to the establishment of two m...

by Georgina M Mace | On 02 Jul 2012

Income Related Inequality in Financial Inclusion and Role of Banks: Evidence on Financial Exclusion in India

This paper analyzes income related inequality in financial inclusion in India using a representative household level survey data, linked to State-level factors. This paper also provides estimates of...

by Rama Pal | On 27 Jun 2012

What Should Regulation do in the Field of Micro-finance?

Recent events in India have brought a fresh focus on the appropriate regulatory stance towards micro-finance. In this paper, facts and recent experience about Indian microfinance is reviewed. The puz...

by Renuka Sane | On 19 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

Human Capital, Economic Growth, and Inequality in China

The paper examines the Chinese Economy on the basis of four factors namely, human development, education, growth and inequality. [IZA DP No. 6550] URL: [http://ftp.iza.org/dp6550.pdf]

by James J Heckman | On 01 Jun 2012

The Impact of Indian Job Guarantee Scheme on Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Public works programs, aimed at building a strong social safety net through redistribution of wealth and generation of meaningful employment, are becoming increasingly popular in developing countries....

by Mehtabul Azam | On 29 May 2012

The Impact of 1998 and 2008 Financial Crises on Profitability of Islamic Banks

The paper investigates the profitability of 78 Islamic banks in 25 countries for the period of 1992-2009. The Fixed Effect Model (FEM) used to analyse profitability shows that profit efficiency is pos...

by NOR HAYATI BT AHMAD | On 24 May 2012

One Planet to Share: Sustaining Human Progress in a Changing Climate

In the run-up to Rio+20, this Asia-Pacific Human Development Report takes a bold look at climate change and what can be done about it. Tackling head-on the issue of poverty reduction and human deve...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 21 May 2012

Internal vs. International Migration: Impacts of Remittances on Child Well-Being in Vietnam

This paper focuses on the effects of domestic and international remittances on children’s well-being. Using data from the 1992/93 and 1997/98 Vietnam Living Standards Surveys, an investigation of the...

by Michele Binci | On 11 May 2012

Estimation of Capacity Utilisation in Indian Industries: Issues and Challenges

The estimation of capacity utilisation (CU) derives its significance from the fact that, if properly assessed, it may provide a reliable indication of incipient inflationary pressure in an economy. Me...

by Atri Mukherjee | On 09 May 2012

Up in Smoke: The Influence of Household Behavior on the Long-Run Impact of Improved Cooking Stoves

It is conventional wisdom that it is possible to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, improve health outcomes, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the rural areas of developing countries thro...

by Rema Hanna | On 03 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

The People’s Republic of China’s High-Tech Exports: Myth and Reality

The PRC’s leading position in high-tech exports is a myth created by outdated trade statistics which are inconsistent with trade based on global supply chains. It is argued that a value-added-based ap...

by Yuqing Xing | On 27 Apr 2012

An Assessment of Inflation Modelling in India

This study analyses India’s inflation using the Phillips curve theory. To estimate an open-economy Phillips curve, we need three variables: (1) inflation (2) the output gap and (3) the real effective...

by Karan Singh | On 26 Apr 2012

Liberalisation of Technical Education in Kerala: Has a Significant Increase in Enrolment Translated Into Increase in Supply of Engineers?

Enrolments in engineering in Kerala increased from about 2800 in 1991 to about 28,000 in 2008. The study analyses whether this increase in potential supply of engineers has resulted in actual supply o...

by Sunil Mani | On 25 Apr 2012

NAC Working Group on Gender and the Sex Ratio Draft Recommendations

The NAC Working Group held three national consultations on different aspects of the issue of declining child sex ratio. The Working Group conveners also separately met with Ministry of Women and Child...

by Farah Naqvi | On 25 Apr 2012

Corruption

In this paper, a new framework for analyzing corruption in public bureaucracies is provided. The standard way to model corruption is as an example of moral hazard, which then leads to a focus on bette...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 24 Apr 2012

Behavior of Remittance Inflows and its Determinants in Bangladesh

The paper examines the determinants of remittance inflow by applying ordinary least square method (OLS). The model include the weighted average GDP of the six (Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirat...

by Mst. Nurnaher Begum | On 24 Apr 2012

Draft National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy

The National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy reaffirms the commitment of the Government of India to provide integrated services for holistic development of all children, along the con...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 20 Apr 2012

Audio-visual Services: International Trade and Cultural Policy

The audiovisual sector is a significant component of the economy in terms of wealth creation and employment and audiovisual industries also play an important cultural role. This study reviews the main...

by Gillian Doyle | On 20 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

West Bengal Budget Speech: 2012-13

Speech by Amit Mitra, Minister of Finance. [Government of West Bengal]. URL:[http://www.wbfin.nic.in/writereaddata/Budget_Speech/2012_English.pdf].

by West Bengal Government | On 13 Apr 2012

The Great Depression and the Great Recession: What have we Learned?

The Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 and the Great Recession of 2007-2009 are now in the past. Again there was the debt crisis of 2010-11. During the worst of the recent financial crisis/Great Recession...

by Michael D Bordo | On 13 Apr 2012

Monetary Transmission in Pakistan: The Balance Sheet Channel

Using data of non-financial listed firms over a period of 1999-2010, this paper investigates the effectiveness of balance sheet channel in monetary transmission mechanism in Pakistan. By classifying f...

by Safia Shabbir | On 09 Apr 2012

Highlights of Madhya Pradesh Budget 2012-13

The salient features of the budget estimates of 2012-13 of Madhya Pradesh. [Ministry of Finance Madhya Pradesh]. URL:[http://www.mp.gov.in/finance/index.htm].

by Madhya Pradesh Government | On 04 Apr 2012

A Corporate Governance Index for Large Listed Companies in India

A Corporate Governance Index for 500 large listed Indian firms for the period from 2003 to 2008 is constructed. The index construction uses information on four important corporate governance mechan...

by Jayati Sarkar | On 04 Apr 2012

Assessment of Community-Based Systems Monitoring Household Welfare

The analysis of micro impacts of macroeconomic adjustment policies (MIMAP) is a relatively new discipline. It has spawned out of the concern that adjustment policies aimed to correct macroeconomic imb...

by Celia M Reyes | On 04 Apr 2012

Budget Speech 2012-13: Goa

Budget speech by Ministry of Finance, Goa. [Budget Speech]. URL:[http://www.goa.gov.in/pdf/Speech12-13.pdf].

by Goa Government | On 28 Mar 2012

Political Determinants of the Allocation of Public Expenditures: A Study of the Indian States

This study examines whether the allocation of public expenditures of the Indian states are significantly influenced by government specific political characteristics. Three types of government specif...

by Bharatee Bhusana Dash | On 27 Mar 2012

Odisha Budget Speech 2012-13

Budget Speech by Shri Prafulla Chandra Ghadai. [Government of Odisha]. URL:[http://www.orissa.gov.in/finance/Budgets/2012-13/BUDGET%20SPEECH%20ENGLISH.pdf].

by Government of Orissa | On 27 Mar 2012

Tamil Nadu Budget Speech: 2012-13

Speech of Thiru O. Panneerselvam, Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Government of Tamil Nadu, presenting the Budget for the year 2012-2013 to the Legislative Assembly on 26th March, 2012. [Government...

by Tamil Nadu Government | On 27 Mar 2012

How Can Bill and Melinda Gates Increase Other People’s Donations to Fund Public Goods?

A simple theory is developed which formally describes how charities can resolve the information asymmetry problems faced by small donors by working with large donors to generate quality signals. To t...

by Dean Karlan | On 26 Mar 2012

How Much Does Natural Resource Extraction Really Diminish National Wealth? The Implications of Discovery

The paper considers the process of discovery for subsoil resources, including both hard minerals and hydrocarbons and estimates its magnitude in recent years, as derived from the sum of extraction an...

by Alan Gelb | On 20 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

Budget Speech 2012-2013: India

Speech of Pranab Mukherjee Minister of Finance, India. [Budget Speech]. URL:[http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2012-13/bs/bs.pdf].

by Pranab Mukherjee | On 16 Mar 2012

Railway Budget 2012

The Minister of Railways, Dinesh Trivedi, presented the Railways Budget 2012 to Parliament on 14th March. In his address, he commented on the performance of Railways in 2011-12 and laid out his bud...

by Rohit Kumar | On 16 Mar 2012

Report on China's Central, Local Budgets (2012)

REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CENTRAL AND LOCAL BUDGETS FOR 2011 AND ON DRAFT CENTRAL AND LOCAL BUDGETS FOR 2012. [Ministry of Finance Report]. URL:[http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/news/...

by Ministry of Finance China | On 15 Mar 2012

Railway Budget 2012-2013

Budget 2012-2013

by Dinesh Trivedi | On 14 Mar 2012

Services-led Growth, Employment and Job Quality: A Study of Manufacturing and Service-sector in Urban India

This is a study of employment growth, structure, and job quality outcomes in manufacturing and service-sector in urban India spanning the period 1999-2000 to 2009-10. The context is that of dynamic...

by K.V. Ramaswamy | 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

The Global Race for Excellence and Skilled Labour: A Status Report

In this context, higher education as well as research and development (R&D) have long since ceased to be purely the domain of the developed Western economies. Numerous regions of the world, some in th...

by Ingo Rollwagen | On 09 Mar 2012

Time Poverty, Work Status and Gender: The Case of Pakistan

Time is an important economic resource that can be spent in a variety of ways. Diverse demands on a person’s time may reach a point where the individual may be categorized as time poor. Time poverty...

by Najam us Saqib | On 09 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

Theft and Loss of Electricity in an Indian State

Utilizing data from the power corporation of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, the politics of electricity theft over a ten year period (2000–09) is studied. It is seen that electricity the...

by Miriam Golden | On 06 Mar 2012

Penance time

The time has come for the governmant to make up for its sins of the past three years. The Budget must be judged on whether it shows that the govt is in the mood to recognize its follies, and in a posi...

by T.N. Ninan | On 05 Mar 2012

Socioeconomic Factors and All Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality among Older People in Latin America, India, and China: A Population-Based Cohort Study

The vital status of 12,373 people aged 65 years and over was determined 3–5 years after baseline survey in sites in Latin America, India, and China. Crude and standardised mortality rates are reporte...

by Cleusa P Ferri | On 05 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

On the Road: Access to Transportation Infrastructure and Economic Growth in China

This paper estimates the effect of access to transportation networks on regional economic outcomes in China over a twenty-period of rapid income growth. It addresses the problem of the endogenous pl...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 02 Mar 2012

The State of the World's Children 2012: Children in an Urban World

The experience of childhood is increasingly urban. Over half the world’s people – including more than a billion children – now live in cities and towns. This report adds to the growing body of eviden...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 01 Mar 2012

Annual Report 2011-12 On the Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments

Major shifts in the policy initiated in the electricity sector are well documented so that the effect of this policy change can be analyzed especially from the point of view of laying down future poli...

by Planning Commission | On 28 Feb 2012

Terms of Trade and Its Implications: Bangladesh Perspective

This paper explores the key reasons behind the movements in the terms of trade and the real net gain and loss from trade in the long run. Like some selected Asian countries (Vietnam, China and South...

by Mohammad Masuduzzaman | On 23 Feb 2012

Study on Impact of Micro Finance in Reduction of Domestic Violence Against Women

The main objective of the study is to investigate whether there is any evidence to support the view that the disbursement of micro finance to women reduces the incidence of domestic violence, and if...

by Institute of Social Studies Trust ISST | On 23 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

Myanmar Economy: A Comparative View

A stated objective of Myanmar is to become a modern developed nation that will stand shoulder to shoulder – proud, dignified and tall – with the countries of the world. How far has Myanmar come in a...

by U Myint | On 15 Feb 2012

Are Saving and Investment Cointegrated? A Cross Country Analysis

Saving is an important part of the economic process that gives rise to investment and economic growth. In this paper an attempt is made to explore the relationship between saving and investment in t...

by Sanjib Bordoloi | On 14 Feb 2012

Health Education

There is an uneven geographical distribution of health workers. The shortage of health workers is compounded by the fact that their skills, competencies, clinical experience, and expectations are ofte...

by Nandini Dube | On 14 Feb 2012

Economic Growth, Comparative Advantage, and Gender Differences in Schooling Outcomes: Evidence from the Birthweight Differences of Chinese Twins

Data from two surveys of twins in China are used to contribute to an improved understanding of the role of economic development in affecting gender differences in the trends in, levels of, and retur...

by Mark Rosenzweig | On 13 Feb 2012

The Financial Structure and Performance of Philippine Credit Cooperatives

This study is an attempt to assess the importance and potential impact of any further development of the credit cooperative sector; identify development interventions that will result in a strong Fil...

by Gilberto M Llanto | On 13 Feb 2012

Selling Formal Insurance to the Informally Insured

Unpredictable rainfall is an important risk for agricultural activity, and farmers in developing countries often receive incomplete insurance from informal risk-sharing networks. The demand for, and...

by A. Mushfiq Mobarak | On 10 Feb 2012

Business and Growth Rate Cycles in India

This paper describes business and growth rate cycles with special reference to the Indian economy. It uses the classical NBER approach to determine the timing of recessions and expansions in the India...

by Pami Dua | On 10 Feb 2012

Causal Relationship between Saving, Investment and Economic Growth for India – What does the Relation Imply?

This study investigates the relationship between saving, investment and economic growth for India over the period 1950-51 to 2007-08. The literature on the role of saving in promoting economic growt...

by Ramesh Jangili | On 09 Feb 2012

Bank Lending and Monetary Shocks: Evidence from a Developing Economy

This paper investigates the role of credit market frictions in the transmission of monetary shocks in Pakistan. First, using macro data, it is shown that banking spreads are countercyclical, even it i...

by M. Ali Choudhary | On 08 Feb 2012

The Euro Zone Crisis and its Dimensions and Implications

The sovereign debt problems in the peripheral economies of the euro zone has started to pose a serious threat to the main economies of the Europe and perhaps to the future of the 'euro‘ itself. Such a...

by M R Anand | On 06 Feb 2012

Who is the Identifiable Victim?: Caste Interacts with Sympathy in India

Earlier studies have documented an “identifiable victim effect”: people donate more to help individual people than to groups. Evidence suggests that this is in part due to an emotional reaction to the...

by Ashwini Deshpande | On 03 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

Global Health and the New Bottom Billion: How Funders Should Respond to Shifts in Global Poverty and Disease Burden

After a decade of rapid economic growth, many developing countries have attained middle-income status. But poverty reduction in these countries has not kept pace with economic growth. As a result, mos...

by Amanda Glassman | On 31 Jan 2012

“Reserve Bank of India Post-Policy Conference Call”

RBI Governor D. Subbarao answering to researchers after publishing the monetary policy. [RBI]. URL:[http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Content/PDFs/RBIRA27012012.pdf]

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 30 Jan 2012

Technical Productivity Analysis for Cement Industry at Firm Level

This paper analyses the energy use in the manufacture of cement in India during 1992–2005. Cement manufacturing requires large amounts of various energy inputs. The most common types of energy carri...

by Binay Kumar Ray | On 30 Jan 2012

Child Gender And Parental Investments In India: Are Boys And Girls Treated Differently?

Although previous research has not always found that boys and girls are treated differently in rural India, son-biased stopping rules imply that estimates of the effect of gender on parental investmen...

by Silvia H. Barcellos | 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

Chinese Commodity Imports in Ghana and Senegal: Demystifying Chinese Business Strength in Urban West Africa

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, independent entrepreneurial migrants from China have been increasingly flocking to Africa in search of “greener pastures.” This paper scrutinizes the...

by Laurence Marfaing | On 25 Jan 2012

Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments Third Quarter Review 2011-12

The Growth outlook has weakened as a result of adverse global and domestic factors that have been mentioned above. Business and consumer confidence has been impacted. Professional forecasters now...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 25 Jan 2012

K to 12: The Key to Quality Education?

The continuous deterioration of the quality of education in the Philippines has prompted the DepEd to push for the implementation of the K to 12 program, which entails the institutionalization...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 23 Jan 2012

Energy in the Development Strategy of Indian Households-The Missing Half

The present paper explores the nexus between gender-energy-poverty, highlights areas of gender concern, and suggests actions. It is analyzed how women from rural areas and low income households are...

by B. Sudhakara Reddy | On 19 Jan 2012

Report of the Task Force on Irrigation

The Task Force has identified that there is a need to re-assess the ultimate irrigation potential in the country. The report identifies that there is a need to increase irrigation efficiency and has s...

by Planning Commission | On 06 Jan 2012

Poor Diet in Shift Workers: A New Occupational Health Hazard?

As the world of work becomes increasingly 24 hour, shift work will become more common. Shift work has the potential to accelerate the progression of the global epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Ob...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 06 Jan 2012

Inter-connectedness of Banks and NBFCs in India: Issues and Policy Implications

The recent global financial crisis (2007-09) has clearly highlighted the gravity of high financial inter-connectedness within the financial system. In the Indian context, this brief study attempts to...

by Karunagaran A | On 05 Jan 2012

Moving up the Quality ladder? EU-China Trade Dynamics in Clothing

A simple method is applied to study the relative quality of Chinese versus European products exported in the clothing sector after the end of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement. Based on the model of Foste...

by Hylke Vandenbussche | On 03 Jan 2012

Ethanol Blending Policy in India: Demand and Supply Issues

In the year 2008, the Government of India announced its National Policy on biofuels, mandating a phase-wise implementation of the programme of ethanol blending with petrol in various states. This stud...

by Saon Ray | On 02 Jan 2012

Changes in the Use of Safe Water and Water Safety Measures in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Intervention Areas of Bangladesh: A Midline Assessment

The BRAC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme reached 150 upazilas in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh since 2006. This study assessed the changes in the use of tubewell water and w...

by Nepal C. Dey | On 28 Dec 2011

Leveraging Environment and Climate Change Initiatives for Corporate Excellence

The paper reviews selected initiatives taken by Asian countries to comply with emerging global sustainability standards, reporting, and management systems, and tracks the response of Asian businesses...

by Venkatachalam Anbumozhi | On 26 Dec 2011

Seasonal Migration and Risk Aversion

Pre-harvest lean seasons are widespread in the agrarian areas of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Every year, these seasonal famines force millions of people to succumb to poverty and hunger. An incentive...

by Gharad Bryan | On 20 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

Union Power November 2011

The three year journey of the G-20 Heads of Government Summit from Washington in 2008 to Paris this November is signified by two markers of the depth of the global capitalist crisis. First, that the c...

by Louise Ross | On 14 Dec 2011

Consumption Taxes: Their Ramifications for Income Distribution

The distribution effects or incidence of consumption taxes such as the Value Added Tax (VAT), Goods and Services Tax (GST) remains a contentious issue. Three aspects have to be distinguished. First is...

by Parthasarathi Shome | On 13 Dec 2011

Where Socrates Fears to Tread……

Review of the book 'Social Income and Insecurity: A Study in Gujarat' by Guy Standing, Jeemol Unni, Renana Jhabvala, and Uma Rani Routledge India, 2010 216 pages.

by N. Vijayamohanan Pillai | On 12 Dec 2011

China’s Financial Integration into the World Economy: Scrutinising China‘s International Investment Position

Possible scenarios for China and the world economy until 2015 is looked at. In all of them, China will continue to accumulate FX reserves, so that reserve assets will remain the largest component of...

by Catherine Shu Ling Tan | On 08 Dec 2011

A Regulatory Approach to Financial Product Advice and Distribution

Financial distribution, where the distributor is the agent of both the product provider and the customer, has been found to inherently work against the interests of customers, in the form of high ser...

by M Sahoo | On 08 Dec 2011

Quality of Maternal Health Care: A Call for Papers for a Maternal Health Task Force–PLoS Collection

The MHTF–PLoS Collection in 2011–12 will focus on quality of maternal health care, as it is clear that such a focus is now a global imperative [9]. The quality of maternal health care is highly va...

by Samantha R Lattof | On 02 Dec 2011

Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the Presence of Informal Labour Markets

How does informality in emerging economies affect the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy? To answer this question two-sector, formal-informal new Keynesian closed-economy is constructed. The inf...

by Nicoletta Batini | 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

An Estimated DSGE Model of the Indian Economy

A closed model DSGE model of the Indian economy is developed and it is estimated by Bayesian Maximum Likelihood methods using Dynare. A model is build up in stages to with a number of features impo...

by Vasco Gabriel | On 28 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

How Prudent are Rural Households in Developing Transition Economies: Evidence from Zhejiang, China

Rural households in developing economies frequently use precautionary saving to cope with income risk. Such prudent behavior can be strengthened in transition economies where more risks are typically...

by Ling Jin | On 23 Nov 2011

Do Auction Bids Betray Expectations-Based Reference Dependent Preferences? A Test, Experimental Evidence, and Estimates of Loss Aversion

A novel experimental auction design that exploits an exogenous variation in the probability of winning to test for the presence of expectations-based reference dependent preferences is provided. [Wo...

by Abhijit Banerji | On 22 Nov 2011

Policies for Increasing Non-Farm Employment for Farm Households in India

The present paper adopts a diagnostic approach; problems of non-farm employment in rural sector are identified by studying pattern and process of rural employment using data from the NSS quinquennia...

by Brajesh Jha | On 22 Nov 2011

Geographical Agglomeration of Indian and Chinese Multinationals in Europe: A Comparative Analysis (Preliminary version)

The outward FDI from emerging economies to developed countries is of great interest to international business researchers and policy makers, also with regard to their location and sectoral patterns....

by Haiyan Zhang | On 21 Nov 2011

In Search of Growth

With deep crisis weakening potential output growth, the need for an explicit growth policy is emerging most starkly in Japan, the EU and the US. If properly shaped, this will help to consolidate bud...

by Klaus Deutsch | On 21 Nov 2011

Development and Health in Poor Countries: Role of Interntional Organizations and Switzerland

The study tries to better understand three fields which seems to be essential with respect to the problem of a facilitated access to medicines : 1. the ambiguous position of intellectual property...

by Bastein Briand | On 17 Nov 2011

Where is the Virtue in the Middle Class?

It is widely agreed by economists and political scientists that the middle class is vital to progress because of its many virtues. But it is difficult to define a middle class by income in a manner t...

by Charles Kenny | On 16 Nov 2011

The Impossible Trinity and Capital Flows in East Asia

The Impossible Trinity doctrine still holds a powerful sway over policymakers, advisors (particularly the International Monetary Fund [IMF]) and academia. In East Asia over the past decade, however,...

by Stephen Grenville | On 15 Nov 2011

Consumption and Social Identity: Evidence from India

Spending on consumption items is examined which have signaling value in social interactions across groups with distinctive social identities in India, where social identities are defined by caste an...

by Melanie Khamis | On 10 Nov 2011

Brand India: No Equity for Children

India has embarked upon an economic model driven by the free market incorporating processes of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. Our children today live, in what some describe as “Brand...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 10 Nov 2011

Regulate the Share Markets and Save the Country

The 1% rich and powerful have found the Occupy Wall Street movement unsettling and have also made attempts at curbing its influence and outreach. It is now possible for stock-traders in international...

by Bhalchandra Kango | On 08 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

The Determinants of Export Performance of China's Township-Village Enterprises

The rapid export growth of China's township-village enterprises (TVEs) has not been well understood and explained. Using a simple analytical model and exploring a unique dataset on China's TVEs the...

by Changqi Wu | On 08 Nov 2011

Explorations in Cultural Process

Review of the book 'Locating Cultural Change Theory, Method, Process' Partha Pratim Basu and Ipshita Chanda (eds.) Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2011, 279 pp, Rs.795/.

by Hemali Sanghavi | On 04 Nov 2011

Monetary Operating Procedures: Principles and the Indian process

As markets deepen and interest elasticities increase it is optimal for emerging markets to shift towards an interest rate instrument since continuing monetization of the economy implies money demand...

by Ashima Goyal | On 04 Nov 2011

German Companies Engaging in China: Decision-Making Processes at Home and Management Practices in Chinese Subsidiaries

This paper attempts to explain why internationalization processes to China are growing despite the significant difficulties that foreign direct investments into China encounter. The answer to this q...

by Geny Piotti | On 04 Nov 2011

The Financial Accelerator: An Emerging Market Story

In support of the financial-accelerator theory, evidence is found on countercyclical price-cost banking margins possibly explaining the amplifications of business cycles in Pakistan. [WP 41]. URL:[ht...

by Shah Hussein | On 03 Nov 2011

Draft of Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill, 2011

A Bill to lay down an obligation upon every public authority to publish citizens charter stating therein the time within which specified goods shall be supplied and services be rendered and provide...

by Department of Administrative Reforms Public Grievances | On 03 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

Macro-Economic Policy Outcomes and Agriculture Relation between Fiscal Deficits and Investment in Agriculture

In an earlier paper (Alagh, Munish, 2011) it was shown that macro economics matters in agriculture. The relevance of understanding the impact of macro-economic policy on agriculture was outlined. A...

by Munish Alagh | On 24 Oct 2011

Report of the Expert Group to Review the Methodology for Estimation of Poverty

There has been a growing concern on the official estimates of poverty released by the Planning commission. The official poverty estimates have been severely criticised on various counts. In view of...

by Planning Commission | On 21 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

What is driving the Indian middle class towards electoral politics? Evidence from Delhi

Neighborhood Associations have assumed an important role in public policy decision making as the principal voice of the middle class across urban India. In recent years, these associations have sought...

by Poulomi Chakrabarti | On 20 Oct 2011

Report on Socio Economic Status of the Women Domestic Workers- A Diagnostic Study in Five Major Townships: Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Berhmpur, Ssmbslpur and Rourkela of Orissa

Women workers In India constitute one third of the total workforce. Majority of these women are engaged in the un-organized sectors such as agriculture, construction, domestic services etc. The over...

by Bharat Jyoti BJ | On 18 Oct 2011

Recent Global Crisis and the Demand for Gold by Central Banks: An Analytical Perspective

When India purchased 200 tonnes of gold under the International Monetary Fund's limited gold sales programme, it was interpreted inter alia that it may further inflate the gold price when the price...

by Karunagaran A | On 17 Oct 2011

From Monasteries to Multinationals (and Back): A Historical Review of the Beer Economy

This article reviews beer production, consumption and the industrial organization of breweries throughout history. Monasteries were the centers of the beer economy in the early Middle Ages. Innovation...

by Eline Poelmans | On 14 Oct 2011

Knowledge Flows and Capability Building in the Indian IT Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Cluster and Non-Cluster Locations

In this study, a comparative analysis of the role of knowledge flows in capability formation among firms in the Indian Information Technology sector (IT sector) across cluster and non-cluster location...

by Rakesh Basant | On 13 Oct 2011

Global Economic Crisis: Impact and Restructuring of the Services Sector in India

The Indian economy has shown considerable resilience to the global economic crisis by maintaining one of the highest growth rates in the world. The services sector accounted for around 88 per cent of...

by Abhijit Das | On 13 Oct 2011

Gender Dimensions: Employment Trends in India, 1993-94 to 2009-10

This paper examines some of the explicit as well as not so explicit trends in relation to women’s employment in India from 1993-94 till 2009-10 and argues that they indicate a grave and continuing...

by Indrani Mazumdar | On 10 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

Localization, Globalization and Networks of foreign Subsidiaries

This research is about multinational enterprises (MNEs) and their subsidiaries abroad. The specific focus of the research is on the foreign subsidiaries? local embeddedness, global integration and m...

by Filip De Beule | On 10 Oct 2011

Got Water? Social Divisions and Access to Public Goods in Rural India

Data for 436 rural districts has been used from the 2001 Census of India to examine whether different aspects of social divisions help explain the wide variation in access to tap water across rural In...

by Divya Balasubramaniam | On 07 Oct 2011

Competition for Foreign Capital: Endogenous Objective, Public Investment and Tax

In this paper the objective functions of the regions as well as their decision to provide public investment are endogenized in a model of competition for foreign owned mobile capital. It is demonstra...

by Rupayan Pal | On 04 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

Poverty Redefined

To ensure that the benefits to the poor go to the really poor, then there has to be proper definitions for poverty and poverty line. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-poverty-...

by T.N. Ninan | On 28 Sep 2011

Understanding Inflation and Controlling It

Inflation management is one of the hardest tasks an economic policymaker has to undertake. It appears, at first sight, that one can rely entirely on commonsense to carry out this task. But that will b...

by Kaushik Basu | On 28 Sep 2011

Valuing the Recreational Uses of Pakistan’s Wetlands: An Application of the Travel Cost Method

This study applies a single-site truncated count data travel cost model in order to estimate the value visitors place on recreation in Keenjhar. The recreational use value associated with Keenjhar...

by Ali Dehlavi | On 27 Sep 2011

Estimating Urban and Rural Incomes in Gujarat: 1993-94 to 2004-05

Income originating within geographical boundaries of urban and rural areas of Gujarat is estimated for three benchmark years – 1993-94, 1999-00 and 2004-05 - at current prices following the broad me...

by Ravindra H Dholakia | On 26 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

Gender Inclusion in Climate Change Adaptation

A review of the various issues related to gender and poverty and examine the relationships between gender and various indices, including the human development index (HDI), the gender inequality index...

by Midori Aoyagi | On 22 Sep 2011

Iraq’s Last Window: Diffusing the Risks of a Petro-State

This paper, examines the possibility of adopting Oil- to- Cash scheme in Iraq. Here, a new opportunity is identified which aims for direct distribution of Iraqi oil rents in the planned production exp...

by Johnny West | On 19 Sep 2011

History of Monetary Policy in India since Independence

An SIIO paradigm, based on structure and ideas that become engraved in institutions and affect outcomes, is developed to examine and assesses monetary policy in India after independence. Narrative h...

by Ashima Goyal | On 16 Sep 2011

Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries

How does innovation impact on development? How, and under what conditions, do entrepreneurs in developing countries innovate? And what can be done to support innovation by entrepreneurs in develo...

by Wim Naude | On 16 Sep 2011

Household Level Pollution in India: Patterns and Projections

This study analyses the pollution-income relationship (for both local and global pollution), separately across rural and urban households in India based on unit record data on fuel consumption obta...

by K S Kavi Kumar | On 14 Sep 2011

Agrofuels – A Boost of Energy for the Mekong Region?

This background paper seeks to brief readers on the extent of the development, production and consumption of agrofuels, particularly liquid fuels for transport, in the Mekong region. The area of focu...

by Rebeca Leonard | On 12 Sep 2011

Fertility Regulation in an Economic Crisis

Substantial international aid is spent reducing the cost of contraception in developing countries, as part of a larger effort to reduce global fertility and increase investment per child worldwide....

by Christopher McKelvey | On 09 Sep 2011

Returns to Education in India: Some Recent Evidence

This paper estimates returns to education in India using a nationally representative survey. The standard Mincerian wage equation separately for rural and urban sectors is estimated. To account for th...

by Tushar Agrawal | On 06 Sep 2011

The Seed and Agricultural Biotechnology Industries in India: An Analysis of Industry Structure, Competition, and Policy Options

This paper examines the structure of India’s cereal seed and agbiotech industries, its potential effects on innovation and social welfare, and the policies that may improve both industry performance a...

by David J Spielman | On 31 Aug 2011

Status of Micro Finance 2009-10

The data presented covers information relating to savings of Self Help Groups (SHGs) with banks as on 31 March 2010, loans disbursed by banks to SHGs during the year 2009-10, loans outstanding of th...

by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Devt NABARD | On 29 Aug 2011

Institutional Innovations and Models in the Development of Agro-Food Industries in India: Strengths, Weaknesses and Lessons

Agro-industries are given high priority in India particularly because of their great potential for contributing to development. The emphasis on village-based agro-industries was introduced almost a...

by Vasant P Gandhi | On 29 Aug 2011

The Gender Implications of Large-Scale Land Deals

Whether viewed as “land grabs” or as agricultural investment for development, large-scale land deals by investors in developing countries are generating considerable attention. However, investors,...

by Julia Behrman | On 29 Aug 2011

Agriculture’s Role in the Indian Enigma: Help or Hindrance to the Undernutrition Crisis?

In this paper agriculture’s role in the Indian enigma is reassessed by exploring two key pathways, an income–consumption pathway and an employment–time use pathway, linking agricultural conditions to...

by Derek Headey | On 29 Aug 2011

Indian Social Democracy: The Resource Perspective

This paper examines the strategy for obtaining adequate resources for the Indian State, where the goals of the State comprise the provision of public goods (which, by de nition, bene t everyone) and...

by P.V. Srinivasan | On 24 Aug 2011

Poverty and Food Insecurity in India: A Disaggregated Regional Profile

This study provides a profile of deprivation with respect to consumer expenditure, cereal consumption and energy intake across demographic and agro-climatic regions as defined by the National Sample...

by Suryanarayana M H | On 23 Aug 2011

Reforms in Indian Agro-processing and Agriculture Sectors in the Context of Unilateral and Multilateral Trade Agreements

In this paper, the potential impacts of trade and investment-related policy reforms on India’s agro-processing sector is explored. The direct effects of policy reforms within the processing sector, an...

by A. Ganesh-Kumar | On 22 Aug 2011

From Economic Meltdown to Social Crunch – Impact of the Global Economic Recession on Social Capital Building in Developing Countries and What We still Don't Know!

This paper draws on the experiences of the Far East Economic Crisis in 1998 and argues that: (1) the poor depended heavily on bonding social capital during the Crisis, but the crunch-point beyond wh...

by Sam Wong | On 22 Aug 2011

National Policy for Farmers

There is a need to focus more on the economic well-being of the farmers, rather than just on production. Socio-economic well-being must be a prime consideration of agricultural policy, besides pr...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 19 Aug 2011

Does Land Reform Matter? An Empirical Analysis of Indian States

This article looks into the role of land reform in comparison to concentric ef fort to augment agricultural GDP. Redistribut ive land reform policy aims to improve land endowments of poor, though va...

by Debdatta Pal | On 18 Aug 2011

Poverty Estimates in India: Old and New Methods, 2004-05

This paper provides estimates of poverty and inequality across states as also for different sub-groups of population for 2004-05 by using the old and new methods of the Planning Commission. The new m...

by Durgesh C Pathak | On 17 Aug 2011

Public Investment in Agricultural and GDP Growth: Another Look at the Inter Sectoral Linkages and Policy Implications

The crowding-in phenomenon together with inter-sectoral linkages is used in this paper to examine the effect of higher public investment for agriculture on the stable growth of this sector as well as...

by Harish Mani | On 17 Aug 2011

Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Spillover: An Evaluation Across Different Clusters in India

The paper attempts to explore the technology spillover effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Indian manufacturing industries across different selected clusters in India. To measure the spillov...

by Pami Dua | On 12 Aug 2011

Multidimensional Indices of Achievements and Poverty: What Do We Gain and What and What Do We Lose?

Poverty and well-being are multidimensional. Nobody questions that deprivations and achievements go beyond income. There is, however, sharp disagreement on whether the various dimensions of poverty...

by Nora Lustig | On 11 Aug 2011

Indian Education System – Issues and Challenges

The role played by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the banking system in India in strengthening education system. Realizing the importance of education for the economic development and the overall liv...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 10 Aug 2011

High-Value Agriculture in India: Past Trends and Future Prospects

Given the declining share of traditional agricultural commodities in production, consumption and trade, horticulture and other non-traditional high-value agriculture represent an important area of p...

by Vijay Paul Sharma | On 09 Aug 2011

Determinants of Primary Yield Spreads of States in India: An Econometric Analysis

An attempt is made to identify the determinants of yield spreads between the State and Central government securities in a panel data framework as has been used in several cross-country studies. This...

by Dhritidyuti Bose | On 08 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

Treatment of Valuables as Capital Formation in India: Some Issues and Perspectives

As per UNSNA recommendations, valuables as a separate item had been introduced in the expenditure side of GDP. Since India is one of largest importer and user of gold for various purposes, this trea...

by Rakesh Kumar | On 04 Aug 2011

Food Quality in Domestic Markets of Developing Economies: A Comparative Study of two Countries

Food quality has become an important determinant of success in global food trade and growers for international markets have to continuously adjust to buyers’ requirements. It is however not clear to w...

by Anneleen Vandeplas | On 03 Aug 2011

Draft National Competition Policy for India

National Competition Policy is necessitated, as an overarching Policy framework, in continuation of the 1991-reforms, to infuse greater competition across sectors, and unleash fuller growth potential...

by Ministry of Corporte Affairs GOI | On 01 Aug 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

Demand for Fertiliser in India: Determinants and Outlook for 2020

The paper begins with an overview of fertiliser consumption trends and then identifies important determinants of fertiliser demand and develops projects demand scenarios for fertilisers in India in 20...

by Vijay Paul Sharma | On 29 Jul 2011

Fair Shares: Crediting Poor Countries for Carbon Mitigation

Focusing on the power sector, Wheeler estimates energy growth and incremental costs for six low-carbon energy technologies (biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear) in 174 countries from...

by David Wheeler | On 25 Jul 2011

Provisional Population Totals: Rural Urban Distribution India: Series I

The rural-urban distribution of the population is shown. URL:[http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/india/paper2_1.pdf].

by | On 21 Jul 2011

Bentham from the Crypt Once More: Politicians in Pursuit of Happiness

There is a burgeoning academic literature on happiness polls that has used a range of different measures and approaches across countries rich and poor alike to answer the question, “what makes peopl...

by Charles Kenny | On 21 Jul 2011

Beer Drinking Nations: The Determinants of Global Beer Consumption

In this paper the evolution of beer consumption is analyzed between countries and over time. Historically, there have been major changes in beer consumption in the world. In recent times, per capita...

by Liesbeth Colen | On 18 Jul 2011

Shocks, Economic Growth and the Indian Economy

This paper analyses the impact of domestic and external shocks on the Indian economy. A macro-modelling framework is developed that evaluates the impact of two domestic shocks (rainfall shortfall an...

by B B Bhattacharya | On 15 Jul 2011

Mutual Funds and Market Development in India

A brief description of the role of Mutual Funds in money markets and government securities makets are provided. Some of the regulatory issues that arise are discussed. The role of Mutual Funds in fina...

by Subir Gokarn | On 08 Jul 2011

Decentralized Forest Governance - A Policy Perspective

This paper examines challenges associated with early stages of decentralizing the administration and management of forest resources. It is based on review of literature on forest, decentralization a...

by Aruna Kumar Monditoka | On 07 Jul 2011

A Framework for Developing a Research Agenda for Diseases Disproportionately Affecting the Poor:The Cases of Malaria, Diabetes, Rotavirus

In this paper three diseases- malaria,diabetes and rotavirus- selected because of their contrast. The paper examines the severity of their presence in developing countries and suggests viable solution...

by Alyna C Smith | On 07 Jul 2011

Understanding Foreign Direct Investment in East Asia

The authors recount East Asia's experience with foreign direct investment (FDI). They document that, contrary to the Rybczynski theorem, capital flows in the region cause the host country's labor-inte...

by Willem Thorbecke | On 04 Jul 2011

The Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Trade in East Asia

This paper considers how exchange rates affect East Asian trade. The evidence indicates that exports produced within regional production networks depend on exchange rates throughout the region while l...

by Willem Thorbecke | On 01 Jul 2011

Poverty and Inequality in Uttar Pradesh during 1993-94 to 2004-05: A Decomposition Analysis

This paper attempts a decomposition analysis of Poverty scenario in UP during 1993-94 and 2004-05. It was found that poverty has decreased but inequality has increased between these years. The main ...

by Durgesh Chandra Pathak | On 01 Jul 2011

On Graham’s Theory of Multicountry Multicommodity Trade

Mathematical formulations of Frank D. Graham’s theory of multicountry multicommodity trade have not provided numerical methods for finding the world trade equilibrium. Graham was in possession of su...

by Rajas Parchure | On 27 Jun 2011

Incidence and Performance Effects of Interlocking Directorates in Emerging Market Business Groups: Evidence From India

The phenomenon of interlocking directorates is widespread among corporate across the world. This paper studies the structure and extent of interlocking directorates within Indian business groups and ...

by Bikram De | On 24 Jun 2011

The Arc of the Jubilee

The Jubilee 2000 movement, which called for the cancellation of the foreign debts of the poorest nations, reached its zenith in the late 1990s and 2000—and then, by design, shut down. In the space of...

by David Roodman | On 22 Jun 2011

Evaluation of Food-for-Work (FFW) Component of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) in Selected Districts of Maharashtra

The present study is an evaluation of the food-for-work component of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) in Satara, Aurangabad, Gadchiroli and Akola districts of Maharashtra. SGRY was launched al...

by Manoj Panda | On 21 Jun 2011

The Wide Angle: The End of Population Growth

The the population dynamics of the 21st century is shown here.

by Sanjeev Sanyal | On 21 Jun 2011

Challenges and Opportunities in a Trillion Dollar Economy

The Indian economy reached the trillion US dollar GDP milestone in 2007 and joined other countries of the trillion dollar club, namely, the US, UK, Japan, Germany, China, France, Italy, Spain, Canada,...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 21 Jun 2011

Poverty Reduction in China: Is High Growth Enough?

The slowdown and in some years reversal of poverty reduction in China forcefully demonstrates that growth is not sufficient for combating poverty even if that growth is of unprecedented magnitude. Pol...

by Guanghua Wan | On 16 Jun 2011

Tank Degradation and Poverty Reduction-The Importance of Common Property Resources in Sustaining the Rural Poor

This study reveals the importance of tank irrigation in the lives of poor households and suggests that the poor may bear the bulk of burden from tank deterioration. Tank-based agricultural income make...

by R. Balasubramaniam | On 16 Jun 2011

Rising Spatial Disparities and Development

The UNU-WIDER project on 'Spatial Disparities in Human Development' has collected and analysed evidence on the extent of spatial inequalities within developing countries. The studies find that spatial...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 15 Jun 2011

Frontier Issues on the Global Agenda- Emerging Economy Perspective

The article is a report of RBI Minister Duvvuri Subbarao on issuesing concerning the G-20 countries and also issues effecting all the countries collectively.

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 13 Jun 2011

Polarization, Inequality and Growth: The Indian Experience

Polarization in India is analysed roughly in the past two and half decades using consumption expenditure data. It is seen that polarization has increased sharply since the 1990s, reversing the earlie...

by Sripad Motiram | On 13 Jun 2011

Access to Land and Land Policy Reforms

The objective of this research and policy brief is to analyse different mechanisms of access to land for the rural poor in an era when redistribution through expropriative land reform is largely incon...

by Alain de Janvry | On 10 Jun 2011

Evolution of Land Distribution in West Bengal 1967-2004

This paper uses data from a household survey to estimate changes in land distribution in rural West Bengal between 1967-2004 and decompose these into contributions of different factors. There was a...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 09 Jun 2011

Demand Side Management Options (DSM) for Hotel Industry in Malaysia

Demand Side Management refers to activities designed to change electricity consumption at consumer's end and historically, DSM programmes have been carried out through active intervention by utilities...

by J.P. Painuly | On 06 Jun 2011

Do Child Labourers Come from the Poorest?

This paper explores whether child labourers come from, not only the poor, but also the poorest households in Bangladesh or not. The paper also tries to explain what determines the participation of c...

by Zulfiqar Ali | On 03 Jun 2011

Globalization Crises, Trade, and Development in Vietnam

Vietnam has been among the most successful East Asian economies, especially in weathering the external shocks of recent globalization crises—the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the 2008-09 great...

by Philip Abbott | On 02 Jun 2011

Demand or Supply for Schooling in Rural India?

Is the poor human capital investment by rural Indian families primarily a supply side or a demand side issue? School attendance and total human capital investment time (time in school plus travel ti...

by Sripad Motiram | On 01 Jun 2011

Tank Degradation and Poverty Reduction-The Importance of Common Property Resources in Sustaining the Rural Poor

This study reveals the importance of tank irrigation in the lives of poor households and suggests that the poor may bear the bulk of the burden from tank deterioration. Tank-based agricultural income...

by South Asian Network for Development and Environmen Economics | On 19 May 2011

Moving to Goods and Services Tax in India: Impact on India’s Growth and International Trade

The broad objectives of this study refer to analysing the impact of introducing comprehensive goods and services tax (GST) on economic growth and international trade; changes in rewards to the fac...

by National Council of Applied Economic Research | On 19 May 2011

Causes of Asset Shortages in Emerging Markets

In this paper it has been illustrated that emerging markets (EMs) face a shortage of financial assets, with financial assets not growing as rapidly as domestic savings. Then the asset shortage in EMs...

by Chen Jiaqian | On 17 May 2011

Trends in Wage Goods Prices and Cost of Living of Casual Workers in Shillong

The present study aims at an investigation into the prices of wage goods and the cost of living of casual wageworkers in Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya, India. Labourers are defined as a...

by S.K. Mishra | On 16 May 2011

The Consolidated Medium-Term Income and Expenditure Framework: Prepared by the Finance Department and the Office of Budget and Planning

This paper updates the Fund’s consolidated income and expenditure outlook from the projections in January 2011. The paper incorporates and extends the income and budget projections in the companion...

by International Monetary Fund | On 13 May 2011

What Constrains Business? The Role of the ‘Single Window’ in Gujarat, India

The investment climate of a region reflects the location specific factors that provide opportunities and incentives for firms to invest, create jobs, and expand. A good investment cl...

by Errol D'souza | On 11 May 2011

Youth Employment and Unemployment in India

This paper examines the employment and unemployment situation of the youth in India during the last two-and-half decades namely, 1983 to 2007-08. It analyses the trends in labour force and workforce...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 10 May 2011

Awareness of Urban Poor Customer for Malls

“Sell to the poor if you want to be rich” were the words spoken by the experts in rural marketing. Every marketer loves to reach out to the fat wallets where the selling is obvious, easy and conspicuo...

by Kusum Dharamshi | On 09 May 2011

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Until 1995, there was no law prohibiting sexual harassment in Hong Kong, except where it rose to the level of a criminal offence or a traditional tort. However, the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (whic...

by Carole J. Petersen | On 09 May 2011

Deregulation of Savings Bank Deposit Interest Rate: A Discussion Paper

The paper is an attempt to deal with pros and cons of deregulating savings deposit interest rate and take on board the suggestions of various stakeholders for either maintaining the status quo or dere...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 02 May 2011

The Quality of Medical Care in Low-Income Countries: From Providers to Markets

The excellent systematic review in this week’s PLoS Medicine by Paul Garner and colleagues focuses discussion on this critical issue. Their finding of poor quality in both the public and private s...

by Jishnu Das | On 29 Apr 2011

Find Me the Money: Financing Climate and Other Global Public Goods

In this paper, four categories of existing resource-mobilization options are examined, including (1) transportation levies; (2) currency and financial transaction taxes; (3) capitalization of IMF S...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 21 Apr 2011

Did the Indian Capital Controls Work as a Tool of Macroeconomic Policy?

In 2010 and 2011, there has been a fresh wave of interest in cap- ital controls. India is one of the few large countries with a complex system of capital controls, and hence others an opportunity to...

by Ila Patnaik | On 21 Apr 2011

Characteristics and Patterns of Intergenerational Poverty Traps and Escapes in Rural North India

The paper examines the poverty status of 4,198 households resident in 18 villages of Rajasthan, India, at four points of time between 1977 to 2010 using retrospective methodology known as Stages of Pr...

by Anirudh Krishna | On 20 Apr 2011

Short Duration Migration in India: An Appraisal from Census 2001

This paper tries to focus on the method to assess the magnitude of short/seasonal migration based on its broad characteristics. It attempts to analyse the contrasting characteristics of short durat...

by Vijay Korra | On 18 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

Is Economic Growth Associated with Reduction in Child Undernutrition in India?

Economic growth is widely perceived as a major policy instrument in reducing childhood undernutrition in India. The association between changes in state per capita income and the risk of undernutriti...

by Malavika A Subramanyam | On 13 Apr 2011

Container Shipping: Successful Turnaround

Global container throughput rose by at least 11% last year, after declining for the first time ever in 2009 (-9%). The level of global container throughput was thus higher again than before the cri...

by Eric Heymann | On 12 Apr 2011

Micro-loans, Insecticide-Treated Bednets and Malaria:Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Orissa (India)

Many severe health risks in developing countries could be substantially reduced with access to appropriate preventive measures. However, the associated costs are often high enough to restrict access...

by Alessandro Tarozzi | On 12 Apr 2011

An Alternative to Conventional Public Water Service: "User Group Networks" in a Mumbai Slum

This article is a research on the water services available in north eastern parts of Mumbai. It aims as highlighting the ability of communities to design and run functional systems to overcome the sho...

by Rémi de BERCEGOL | On 08 Apr 2011

Reforming Indirect Taxes in India : Role of Environmental Taxes

Extensive reforms of India's indirect taxes at the central and the state levels has prepared the necessary ground for the implementation of a comprehensive goods and services tax (GST). The Empowere...

by D K Srivastava | On 23 Mar 2011

Locational Determinants of Acquisitions from China and India:The Role of Human Capital

MNEs are increasingly seeking to augment, as well as exploit, their global competitive advantage. Foreign direct investments are being directed to augmenting the competitive ownership specific...

by De Beule Filip | On 23 Mar 2011

Social and Economic Policies to Prevent Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Lessons from Experience

In simple language and with numerous concrete examples, this policy brief analyses the impact - among others - of key ex-ante factors such as acute 'horizontal inequality' between social groups in the...

by Jeni Klugman | On 22 Mar 2011

Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Corporate Liquidity: The Indian Case

Interest in the uncertainties prevailing at the macroeconomic level has always been well known in economic literature. This paper analyses the effect of firm level and macroeconomic uncertainty on t...

by Mrinal Kanti | On 22 Mar 2011

Foreign Direct Investment in East Asia and Latin America: Is there a People’s Republic of China Effect?

In recent years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has emerged as the world’s largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI). Many analysts and government officials in the developing world...

by Busakorn Chantasasawat | On 22 Mar 2011

Trends in Diversion of PDS Grain

This article estimates the proportion of grain "diverted" from the Public Distribution System (PDS) to the open market, using the well-established method of matching state offtake figures published by...

by Reetika Khera | On 21 Mar 2011

The New Bottom Billion: What If Most of the World’s Poor Live in Middle-Income Countries?

Most of the world’s poor no longer live in low-income countries. An estimated 960 million poor people—a new bottom billion—live in middle-income countries, a result of the graduation of several populo...

by Andy Sumner | On 21 Mar 2011

Trade in Services and Human Development: A First Look at the Links.

Some services directly produce outputs that are important for human development, such as basic human services. Many other services are important inputs into the production and distribution of goods th...

by Ben Shepherd | On 21 Mar 2011

Are Emerging Stock Markets Sideshows? Some Stylised Facts from an Emerging Economy, India

The article addresses one of the most important policy questions: what role do emerging stock markets play in influencing real decisions such as corporate private investment? In this article we pres...

by Saumitra N Bhaduri | On 18 Mar 2011

Sri Lanka Budget 2011-12

Budget speech by Finance Minister.

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 17 Mar 2011

Where are Food Prices Heading?

This paper aims to review the main considerations around food price movements. It includes a discussion on the impact of speculation. URL:[https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/DBR_INTERNET_EN-PROD/PROD00...

by Claire Schaffnit Chatterjee | On 16 Mar 2011

Track Record of Microfinance for the Poor

Major investments have been made in developing microfinance in Asia with reducing poverty as one of the frequently stated objectives. A variety of institutional forms of microfinance are being introdu...

by Richard Meyer | On 14 Mar 2011

The Global Impact of the Southern Engines of Growth: China, India, Brazil and South Africa

This Policy Brief focuses on links between the developing countries of Brazil, India, China and South Africa and the global economy, with a special emphasis on the implications of China’s spectacular...

by Amelia U. Santos Paulino | On 11 Mar 2011

Investment and Capital Market Imperfections: Some Evidence from a Developing Economy, India

The paper presents a switching regression model of investment decision, where the probability of a firm facing financial constraint is endogenously determined. The approach, therefore, obviates the...

by Saumitra N Bhaduri | On 11 Mar 2011

The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation

Microcredit has spread extremely rapidly since its beginnings in the late 1970s, but whether and how much it helps the poor is the subject of intense debate.This paper reports on the first randomize...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 10 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

Budget Impact on Various Sectors

Budget reactions from various sectors

by Leena Chandan | On 09 Mar 2011

The (mis)allocation of Capital

Is capital allocated so that its marginal product is equated to the market interest rate? Is the marginal product of capital equalized across its alternative uses. This paper attempts to answer both...

by Abhijit V. Banerjee | On 08 Mar 2011

Round-Tripping Foreign Direct Investment in the People’s Republic of China

There is no doubt that part of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) FDI belongs to the return of Chinese capital that has gone abroad. The World Bank and o...

by Xiao Geng | On 08 Mar 2011

Failed States, Vicious Cycles, and a Proposal

The problems of failed states, including the repeated return to power of former warlords are examined. It is argued that this causes institutions to become weaker and people to get poorer. It is argue...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 04 Mar 2011

India Chronic Poverty: Towards Solutions and New Compacts in a Dynamic Context

This report is a call to policy makers and concerned citizens to use this talisman, to redeem the pledges made by the Constituent Assembly and to recognise the fact that the numbers and proportions o...

by Aasha Kapur Mehta | On 22 Feb 2011

Budget Expectations

Budget expectations from various sectors are given. URL:[ http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/storyShow.php?fileR=20110217120638043&secID=fromnewsroom&secTitle=From the News Room&dir=2011/02/17].

by IRIS India IRIS | On 21 Feb 2011

Central Bank Lessons from the Global Crisis

Nine preliminary lessons from the Great Recession for monetary and financial policies are presented. [3rd P. R. Brahmananda Memorial Lecture].

by Stanley Fischer | On 18 Feb 2011

Measuring Human Well-being: Key Findings and Policy Lessons

This Policy Brief is an outcome of the UNU-WIDER research project 'Social Development Indicators'. The overall aim of the project was to provide insights into how human well-being might be better conc...

by David Clark | On 18 Feb 2011

Some Aspects of Inter District Disparities in Tamil Nadu

The study analyzes the inter-district variations in levels of income and human development in Tamal Nadu in recent years. It also tries to analyze the causes of the relatively low levels of income of...

by R. J. Chelliah | On 15 Feb 2011

Children's Rights to be Heard in Judicial Process in India

This submission to the UNCRC Committee is primarily addressing the right to be heard in judicial processes. It analyses the space available within the legal system that ensures that children are giv...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 07 Feb 2011

The Dynamics of Competition: Phasing of Domestic and External Liberalisation in India

The focus of the analysis is on the post-colonial period after India attained independence in 1947. This paper covers the period from 1950-51 onwards for which consistent data series are available....

by Arvind Virmani | On 03 Feb 2011

Reforming the Indian Financial System

The key features of Indian finance is summarised. With a growing savings rate and a growing share of private corporate capital forma- tion, and with a high growth rate of GDP, Indian finance is rapi...

by Ajay Shah | On 03 Feb 2011

How Effciently is Capital Allocated? Evidence from the Knitted Garment Industry in Tirupur

This paper studies the effect of community identity on investment behavior in the knitted garment industry in the South Indian town of Tirupur. [BREAD Working Paper No. 004] URL: [http://ipl.econ.duk...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 03 Feb 2011

Quantifying Vulnerability to Climate Change: Implications for Adaptation Assistance

The effects of climate change have been and will be worse in poor countries and small-island states, those least able to adapt to the climate-related disasters. In this paper, senior fellow David Whee...

by David Wheeler | On 01 Feb 2011

Report of the Sub-Committee of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India to Study Issues and Concerns in the MFI Sector

While this growth is impressive, a number of studies both in India and abroad have questioned whether growth alone is effective in addressing poverty and what the adverse consequences of a too rapid g...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 30 Jan 2011

On the Economics of Regional Powers: Comparing China, India, Brazil, and South Africa

As the conception of and debates on regional powers have been led by political science, this paper aims to contribute to the discussion from an economics perspective. Based on the discussion of differ...

by Robert KAppel | On 28 Jan 2011

The United Arab Emirates: Some Lessons in Economic Development

Oil was discovered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) just 50 years ago. During that time, UAE has been able to transform itself into a rapidly modernizing country, which is fast becoming a major e...

by Yaw Nyarko | On 27 Jan 2011

Voluntary Contribution in the Field: An Experiment in the Indian Himalayas

In this paper is a study of trend of voluntary contribution for community services in the Indian Himalayan region. The study is done by using an experimental game method of face-to-face communication...

by Sujoy Chakravarty | On 25 Jan 2011

Growth, Inequality, and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries: Recent Global Evidence

The study presents recent global evidence on the transformation of economic growth to poverty reduction in developing countries, with emphasis on the role of income inequality. The focus is on the p...

by Augustin Kwasi Fosu | On 25 Jan 2011

Poverty Measurement and Theories of Beneficence

This note points to certain similarities of orientation and outcome between Derek Parfit’s quest for a theory of beneficence and Amartya Sen’s quest for a suitable real- valued representation of p...

by Subramanian S | On 19 Jan 2011

On the Causal Links between FDI and Growth in Developing Countries

In this paper they analyse the Granger causal relationships between foreign direct investment (FDI) and GDP in a sample of 31 developing countries covering 31 years. Using estimators for heteroge...

by Henrik Hansen | On 18 Jan 2011

Fifty Years of Regional Inequality in China: A Journey through Central Planning, Reform, and Openness

This paper constructs and analyses a long-run time-series for regional inequality in China from the Communist Revolution to the present. There have been three peaks of inequality in the last fifty...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 17 Jan 2011

Globalization and the Urban Poor

The focus of this paper is the effect of contemporary globalization on poverty and inequality in cities of the ‘global south’. Specifically it addresses the impact of globalization on marginalize...

by Janice E. Perlman | On 13 Jan 2011

Globalization and the Human Development Trap

The feeble results of liberalization policies in Latin America are explained in terms of a multiple steady state model including a dynamic human development trap, endogenous technological change, ...

by David Mayer- Foulkes | On 13 Jan 2011

Evolution of India’s Exchange Rate Regime

The paper analyzes the changing INR trends over the reform period, in the context of fundamental determinants of exchange rates. [WP-2010-024].

by Ashima Goyal | On 13 Jan 2011

Firm Location Choice in Cities: Evidence from China, India, and Brazil

In this paper they use large survey data sets of firms provided by the World Bank for China, India, and Brazil—Investment Climate Surveys—to address the important question: what determines the loc...

by Kala Seetharam Sridhar | On 12 Jan 2011

The Disinterested Government: An Interpretation of China’s Economic Success in the Reform Era

In the last 30 years, China has achieved high economic growth and successfully transformed its economy from a planned economy to a market-based system. The country, to a large extent, has attaine...

by Yang Yao | On 10 Jan 2011

Monetary Policy, Capital Flows, and the Exchange Rate

The use of monetary policy in India has been constrained by a loose fiscal policy and capital flows. Capital inflows have the potential to cause a Dutch Disease-type situation. The RBI has carried out...

by Partha Sen | On 06 Jan 2011

Intersociety Literacy Comparisons

Basu and Foster (1998) characterized a sophisticated literacy measure using five axioms. In this paper they argue that if a measure satisfies three of their five axioms, namely, anonymity, monoton...

by Satya R. Chakravarty | On 05 Jan 2011

Income Distribution and Labour Movement in China after WTO Membership: A CGE Analysis

Using a CGE model, PRCGEM, with an updated 2002 I/O table, this paper explores how earnings will be affected in each of 40 separate industries across 31 regions (or 8 regional blocks) of China for...

by Jiao Wang | On 05 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

Dynamics of Urban Mobility: A Comparative Analysis of Megacities of India

This paper aims to analyse urban mobility patterns and consequent impacts on energy and environment in India. We investigate the quantity of energy use in 23 metropolitan regions for the period 1981–...

by B. Sudhakara Reddy | On 03 Jan 2011

Estimating the Level and Distribution of Global Household Wealth

In this paper they provide the first estimate of the level and distribution of global household wealth. Mean assets and debts within countries are measured, partly or wholly, for 38 countries using...

by James B. Davies | On 03 Jan 2011

Profitability of BRAC-financed Projects: A Study of Seven Microenterprises in Matlab

The basic objective of this study was to look at the profit rates made by VO members once they have made investments in projects financed through BRAC loans. BRAC’s twin objectives of employment and ...

by Hassan Zaman | On 28 Dec 2010

Changes in the Distribution of Wealth in China, 1995-2002

This paper investigates some major changes in the wealth distribution in China using the data from two national household surveys conducted in 1995 and 2002. The surveys collected rich informatio...

by Shi Li | On 27 Dec 2010

Poverty and the Welfare Costs of Risk Associated with Globalization

‘Globalization’ implies change, and uncertainty over future change may affect household welfare. They use data on Lorenz curves over the last fifty years for a sample of 53 (mostly developing) cou...

by Ethan Ligon | On 24 Dec 2010

Poverty and BRAC’s Microcredit Programme: Exploring Some Linkages

This paper looks at BRAC’s Rural Development Programmes’ (RDP) interventions and consumption based poverty using household expenditure data collected from 3518 households in fourteen villages in Mat...

by Hassan Zaman | On 24 Dec 2010

Assailing Poverty and Patriarchy: How does Small Money Fare?

This report is based on the findings of the case tracking study of 35 BRAC borrowers from Matlab RDP over a period of one year. Tracking began in July, 1996, and in all cases more than three months...

by Monirul Islam Khan | On 23 Dec 2010

A Technical Paper on “Inflation Indexed Bonds (IIBs)"

This technical paper sets out the benefits and downsides of issuing IIBs along with explaining its structure comprising of indexation (principal or interest), inflation index lag, issuance method, met...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 17 Dec 2010

It Works; It Doesn’t; It Can, But That Depends…: 50 Years of Controversy over the Macroeconomic Impact of Development Aid

This paper surveys 50 years of empirical research on the macroeconomic impact of aid, looking mainly at studies examining the link between aid and growth. It argues that studies dating until the l...

by Mark McGillivray | On 16 Dec 2010

Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: Forgotten Foundations of Health

Health evidence confirms that the burden of disease associated with inadequate Hygience, Sanitation, Water (HSW) is overwhelmingly (although not exclusively) carried by the poor and disadvantaged...

by Jamie Bartram | On 16 Dec 2010

Mid Term Appraisal for Eleventh Plan 2007-2012

The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) reviews the experience in the first three years of the Eleventh Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed. The Planning Commission has deci...

by Planning Commission, India | On 14 Dec 2010

People’s Republic of China and its Neighbors: Partners or Competitors for Trade and Investment?

The very rapid economic growth of the People’s Republic of China (henceforth PRC), its dramatic success in world export markets and its heavy receipts of foreign direct investment (FDI) have generat...

by John Weiss | On 10 Dec 2010

More than Money: Impact Investing for Development

Much of development policy is geared toward increasing investment and creating the conditions that allow private capital flows to take the place of development assistance. The renowned development s...

by John Simon | On 10 Dec 2010

Growth, Income Distribution, and Poverty: A Review

This paper reviews recent research dealing with the relationships between economic growth, income distribution, and poverty. This generally fails to find any systematic pattern of change in income d...

by Arne Bigsten | On 09 Dec 2010

Cost of Providing Sustainable Water,Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services: An initial assessment of LCCA in Andhra Pradesh

Using information in the public domain and data from a pilot study, this paper argues that adoption of life-cycle cost approaches (LCCA) could play a significant role in rectifying this situation by...

by V Ratna Reddy | On 08 Dec 2010

Looking Beyond Averages in the Trade and Poverty Debate

There has been much debate about how much poor people in developing countries gain from trade openness, as one aspect of ‘globalization’. The paper views the issue through both ‘macro’ and ‘micro’...

by Martin Ravallion | On 02 Dec 2010

E-Grantz Revolution

This short commentary is about the introduction of e-grantz, an online scheme of distribution of educational assistance to dalit students in Kerala. At the time of admission to a course, students fil...

by Rajesh Komath | On 02 Dec 2010

Inequality, Corruption, and Competition in the Presence of Market Imperfections

In this paper they analyze the relation between inequality, corruption and competition in a developing economy context where markets are imperfect. They consider an economy where different types o...

by Indranil Dutta | On 02 Dec 2010

Does Inequality lead to Conflict?

This paper presents a simple model to show how distributional concerns can engender social conflict. They have a two period model, where the cost of conflict is endogenous in the sense that partie...

by Indranil Dutta | On 01 Dec 2010

The Relationship between Income Inequality, Poverty, and Globalization

This paper introduces two composite indices of globalization. The first is based on the Kearney/Foreign Policy magazine and the second is obtained from principal component analysis. They indicate...

by Almas Heshmati | On 30 Nov 2010

Globalization, Poverty and Inequality: What Is the Relationship? What Can Be Done?

The paper studies the relation between globalization, inequality and marginalization, within and across nations. It reviews the existing evidence on globalization and global inequality and argues,...

by Kaushik Basu | On 29 Nov 2010

Partnerships with the Private Sector in Health: What the International Community Can Do to Strengthen Health Systems in Developing Countries

The private sector plays a significant role in delivering health care to people in developing countries. By some estimates, more than one-half of all health care—even to the poorest people—is provided...

by (Centre for Global Development) Advisory Faculty | On 26 Nov 2010

Channels and Policy Debate in the Globalization-Inequality-Poverty Nexus

The paper offers a critical literature review of the debate surrounding the globalization- poverty nexus, focusing on channels and linkages through which globalization affects the poor. After intro...

by Machiko Nissanke | On 26 Nov 2010

Thailand’s Commercial Banks’ Role in Financing Dams in Laos and the Case for Sustainable Banking

This paper puts forward the case for Thailand’s commercial banks to move towards more sustainable banking practices that proactively contribute towards socially and environmentally sustainable and j...

by Carl Middleton | On 25 Nov 2010

Mega projects in India Environmental and Land Acquisition Issues in the Road Sector

Mega projects (primarily infrastructure) receive a sizable investment (~10%) of the gross fixed capital formation in India. Environmental clearances and land acquisitions have been the two major rea...

by G. Raghuram | On 25 Nov 2010

The World Distribution of Household Wealth

There has been much recent research on the world distribution of income, but also growing recognition of the importance of other contributions to well-being, including those of household wealth. W...

by James B. Davies | On 25 Nov 2010

FDI Outflows from India: An Examination of the Underlying Economics, Policies and their Impacts

This paper discusses the trends in India's outward FDI over the last decade and then attempts to identify the driving factors for the same. The aim is to provide policy makers with insights regardin...

by Ravi Subramanian | On 24 Nov 2010

Environmental Taxation and Revenue for Development

This paper considers the role of global environmental taxes both as instruments for improving the global environment and as a source of revenue for funding economic development. It reviews the gene...

by Agnar Sandmo | On 22 Nov 2010

Determinants of Trade Misinvoicing

Traditional explanations for trade misinvoicing -- high custom duties and weak domestic economies — are less persuasive in a world of high growth emerging markets who have low trade barriers. A 35- ...

by Ila Patnaik | On 22 Nov 2010

Convergence Club Empirics: Some Dynamics and Explanations of Unequal Growth across Indian States

This paper documents the convergence of incomes across Indian states over the period 1965 to 1998. It departs from traditional analyses of convergence by tracking the evolution of the entire income...

by Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay | On 22 Nov 2010

The Causal Relationship between Information and Communication Technology and Foreign Direct Investment

This paper investigates the simultaneous causal relationship between investments in information and communication technology (ICT) and foreign direct investment (FDI), with reference to its implica...

by Roghieh Gholami | On 22 Nov 2010

Food Balance Sheet of Kerela

This paper is a look at the food balance sheet of Kerela, the extent of undernutrition and malnutrition in Kerela. For ths purpose, 57 items of food normally available in the State were taken into acc...

by P.G.K. Panikar | On 19 Nov 2010

Aid, Public Sector Fiscal Behaviour and Developing Country Debt

This paper looks at public sector debt in developing countries, being concerned specifically with the relationship between aid inflows and the public sector borrowing requirement net of aid loans. A...

by Simon Feeny | On 17 Nov 2010

The Effect of Information Technology on Wage Inequality: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Sector

A persistent widening of skill based wage inequality in the Indian Organised Manufacturing sector has been reported by many researchers. Two main hypotheses had been tested in developed economies to...

by Vinoj Abraham | On 17 Nov 2010

Globalization and Regional Income Inequality: Evidence from within China

China’s recent accession to the WTO is expected to accelerate its integration into the world economy, which aggravates concerns over the impact of globalization on the already rising inter-region in...

by Guanghua Wan | On 16 Nov 2010

Measurement and Explanation of Inequality in Health and Health Care in Low-Income Settings

This paper describes approaches to the measurement and explanation of income-related inequality and inequity in health care financing, health care utilization and health and considers the applicab...

by Eddy van Doorslaer | On 16 Nov 2010

Determinants of Fixed Investment:A Study of Indian Private Corporate Manufacturing Sector

This paper analyses the determinants of fixed investment in the Indian Private Corporate Manufacturing sector for the period 1973-2002, using Annual Survey of Industries Data. It is argued that econ...

by V.R. Prabhakaran Nair | On 16 Nov 2010

Social Responsibility of Indian Microfinance: A Critical Review

This paper discusses the issue of social responsibility of Indian microfinance using two theoretical streams from business social responsibility research – stakeholder theory and social contract the...

by Tara S Nair | On 15 Nov 2010

How Responsive is Poverty to Growth? A Regional Analysis of Poverty, Inequality, and Growth in Indonesia, 1984-99

This paper uses six nationally representative household consumption surveys to develop successive poverty profiles for Indonesia over a fifteen-year period of sustained high growth followed by rapi...

by Jed Friedman | On 11 Nov 2010

The WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin: Implications for South Asia

From neutral trade policy devices employed to identity country of origin of commodities, the rules of origin are emerging as protectionist tools. Nation-states, as they are increasingly denied of co...

by K N Harilal | On 09 Nov 2010

Kerela's Gulf Connection: Emigration, Remittances and their Macroeconomic Impact 1972-2000

This paper attempts to construct a time series estimation of remittances from abroad to the Kerala economy for the period 1972 to 2000. It is now widely acknowledged that foreign remittances in the ...

by K. P. Kannan | On 04 Nov 2010

The Yuan’s Exchange Rates and Pass-through Effects on the Prices of Japanese and US Imports

This paper estimated the pass-through effects of yuan’s exchange rates on prices of the US and Japanese imports from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Empirical results show that, a 1% nominal app...

by Yuqing Xing | On 04 Nov 2010

Skills, Informality and Development

This paper makes an attempt to estimate the index of informal sector employment which can be attributed to the supply-push phenomenon. Factors which explain the inter-state variations include the...

by Dibyendu S. Maiti | On 02 Nov 2010

Solicited and Unsolicited Credit Ratings: A Global Perspective

They conducted a global study of the long-term issuer ratings of nonfinancial firms from Standard and Poor's Ratings Services (S&P) for the period 1998–2003. Specifically, they focused on the solicite...

by Winnie P. H. Poon | On 02 Nov 2010

Going private

Many structural changes have taken place in the economy over the past two decades — a greater share for international trade in GDP, higher savings and investment rates, even increased investment in in...

by T.N. Ninan | On 01 Nov 2010

The Challenges Posed by Globalization for Economic Liberalization inTwo Asian Transitional Countries: Laos and Vietnam

This paper examines the impact of globalization on two transitional economies in Asia. Both countries have undergone a radical economic reform process over the past decade, assisted by increases in...

by Nick. J Freeman | On 01 Nov 2010

Macroeconomic Impacts of Foreign Exchange Reserve Accumulation: Theory and International Evidence

Recently, a dramatic accumulation in foreign exchange reserves has been widely observed in developing countries. This paper explores the possible long-run impacts of this trend on macroeconomic variab...

by Shin-ichi Fukuda | On 01 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

Understanding NREGA: A Simple Theory and Some Facts

A developing economy like India is often characterised by a labour market with demand and supply of labour and a wage that even if competitively determined may not be adequate for the poor household t...

by Diganta Mukherjee | On 29 Oct 2010

Regional Cooperation, Infrastructure, and Trade Costs in Asia

International trade has played an essential role in Asia’s remarkable growth, development, and integration in recent decades. Infrastructure, both hard and soft, has played an integral part in facil...

by Douglas H. Brooks | On 28 Oct 2010

Asia’s Infrastructure Challenges: Issues of Institutional Capacity

The Asian region has experienced substantial growth over the past several decades. Indeed, a quarter of all world exports now come from East Asia. Strong infrastructure underpinnings have often been...

by Susan Stone | On 28 Oct 2010

Global Determinants of Stress and Risk in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Infrastructure

This study analyzes the determinants of stress in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure investment. While project failures seldom occur, there are many stresses that hinder success. O...

by Renato E. Reside, Jr. | On 27 Oct 2010

Strategic Choice of Freight Mode and Investments in Transport Infrastructure within Production Networks

In the context of production linkages in which downstream producers require freight services provided by transport operators, the author show that the strategic choice of using an alternative transp...

by Ying Yi Tsai | On 27 Oct 2010

External Economic Situation In India - Recent Trends and Policy Implications

This paper reviews the status of the external sector of the Indian economy. It is divided into 5 broad sections. Section I gives the trends of imports and exports, as well as the composition and dire...

by Archana S Mathur | On 26 Oct 2010

Fiscal Developments and Outlook in India

The paper identifies those elements in the configuration of fiscal parameters confronting the country that give cause for concern, and examines whether the fiscal reform measures taken address these...

by Indira Rajaraman | On 20 Oct 2010

Going Beyond Gender as Usual: Why and How Global HIV/AIDS Donors Can Do More for Women and Girls

This brief shows how three of the biggest donors to global HIV/AIDS programs can go beyond their stated commitments to address gender inequality and more effectively combat HIV and AIDS.

by Christina Droggitis | On 20 Oct 2010

Accelerating Economic Growth and Reducing Poverty: The Road Ahead

It outlines the broad framework and the strategy for poverty reduction based on four pillars: (a) accelerating economic growth while maintaining the macroeconomic stability; (b) improving the govern...

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, | On 19 Oct 2010

Are Inequality and Trade Liberalization Influences on Growth and Poverty?

There has been a recent resurgence of interest in the relationship between income inequality and growth, manifested in a number of important publications. In parallel with this, concern with the imp...

by Jennifer Mbabazi | On 19 Oct 2010

China, India, Brazil and South Africa in the World Economy: Engines of Growth?

This paper attempts to analyse the economic implications of the rise of China, India, Brazil and South Africa, for developing countries situated in the wider context of the world economy. It exami...

by Deepak Nayyar | On 15 Oct 2010

Outsourcing Versus Foreign Direct Investment: A Welfare Analysis

Foreign direct investment may not necessarily be the most welfare enhancing form of international investment. The host country may avail options like – Joint venture, technology licensing, franchi...

by Arti Grover | On 11 Oct 2010

Social Identity and Inequality: The Impact of China's Hokou System

They conduct an experimental study to investigate the causal impact of social identity on individuals' response to economic incentives. They focus on China‟s decades old household registration...

by Farzana Afridi | On 08 Oct 2010

Long Term Trends in the Growth and Structure of the Net State Domestic Product in Kerala

Kerala has been a model to other states for her achievements in social development. But in terms of economic growth her performance has for long been very poor and a matter of deep concern. In this...

by P. Mohanan Pillai | On 08 Oct 2010

The Concept and Measurement of Group Inequality

The economist’s conceptualisation of inequality in terms of interpersonal distribution of income or wealth, and the tradition of measurement of inequality that follows from this conceptualisation ha...

by Achin Chakraborty | On 05 Oct 2010

Assessing Socioeconomic Impacts of Transport Infrastructure Projects in the Greater Mekong Subregion

This study attempts to quantify the links between infrastructure investment and poverty reduction using a multi-region general equilibrium model, supplemented with household survey data for the Greate...

by Susan Stone | On 05 Oct 2010

Asian Tigers’ Choices: An Overview

This paper considers the choices facing the Asian tiger economies regarding growth strategies that foster trans-Pacific rebalancing. A review of historical data spanning 2000 to 2008 reveals only...

by Hwee Kwan Chow | On 30 Sep 2010

Promoting Learning and Industrial Upgrading in ASEAN Countries

This paper traces the effects of the “East Asian Miracle,” the 1997–1998 Asian Crisis, the recovery, and the 2008–2009 global financial crisis on ASEAN countries. It also considers how ASEAN countries...

by Willem Thorbecke | On 28 Sep 2010

Estimating Demand for Infrastructure in Energy, Transport, Telecommunications, Water and Sanitation in Asia and the Pacific: 2010-2020

This paper estimates the need for infrastructure investment, including energy, transport, telecommunications, water, and sanitation during 2010-2020, in order to meet growing demands for services and...

by Biswa Nath Bhattacharyay | On 27 Sep 2010

Supply Responses in the Livestock Economy of Kerala

The quantitative and qualitative changes taking place in livestock population over the years would be due to the changes in demand for livestock products. The changes in lives...

by K. Narayanan Nair | On 16 Sep 2010

Joining the Fight Against Global Poverty: A Menu for Corporate Engagement

This paper speaks to companies seeking practical ways to alleviate global poverty. The private sector has several inherent competitive advantages to bring to bear in this effort through which they c...

by Staci Warden | On 15 Sep 2010

Policy Reforms and Financing of Elementary Education in India: A Study of the Quality of Service and Outcome

Even as a case can be made out for public spending on elementary education, its link with enrolment rates does not appear strong. However, once efficiency and demand-side factors are accounted for, ...

by Basanta K. Pradhan | On 15 Sep 2010

Evasion at the top

The government gave out some interesting numbers on Monday. The revenue secretary told a news conference that nearly 96 per cent of the 32.5 million who pay income tax reported a taxable income of und...

by T.N. Ninan | On 14 Sep 2010

The Role of Technological Complexity and Absorptive Capacity in Internalization Decision

Technology transfer costs have a profound influence on the firm’s entry mode into a production sharing relationship. To explore this nexus, they associate technological complexity of the off-shored in...

by Arti Grover | On 14 Sep 2010

Looking Beyond Universal Primary Education: Gender Differences in Time Use among Children in Rural Bangladesh

This paper addresses gender equity in parents‘ educational investments in children in a context of rising school attendance in rural Bangladesh. Our premise is that in addition to factors such as sc...

by Sajeda Amin | On 13 Sep 2010

Determinants of Weekly Yields on Government Securities in India

This paper examines the determinants of the Government yields in India using weekly data from April 2001 through March 2009. The analysis covers Treasury Bills with residual maturity of 15-91 day...

by Pami Dua | On 13 Sep 2010

History Institutions and Economic Performance: The Legacy of Colonial Land Tenure Systems in India

This paper analyze the colonial institutions set up by the British to collect land revenue in India, and show that differences in historical property rights institutions lead to sustained differences...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 03 Sep 2010

Structural Shift in Demand for Food: Projections for 2020

Knowledge of demand structure and consumer behaviour is essential for a wide range of development policy questions like improvement in nutritional status, food subsidy, sectoral and macroeconomic poli...

by Surabhi Mittal | On 25 Aug 2010

Earnings Instability and Earnings Inequality in Urban China: 1989–2006

This paper investigates the evolution of earnings inequality in urban China from 1989 to 2006. After decomposing the variance of log of earnings into transitory and permanent two parts, we find that...

by Zhong Zhao | On 23 Aug 2010

Monetary Policy in an Uncertain World: Probability Models and the Design of Robust Monetary Rules

The past forty years or so has seen a remarkable transformation in macro-models used by central banks, policymakers and forecasting bodies.This papers describes this trans formation from reduced-for...

by Paul Levine | On 11 Aug 2010

An Analysis of the Special Safeguard Mechanisms in the Doha Round of Negotiations A Proposed Price-trigger-based Safeguard Mechanism

This paper takes a detailed look at the SSM and analyzes its usefulness for developing countries. It also explores how the concept of a special agricultural safeguard has evolved in the present roun...

by Parthapratim Pal | On 11 Aug 2010

Hydrogen Energy For Indian Transport Sector: A Well-To-Wheel Techno-Economic and Environmental Feasibility Analysis

With the alarming rate of growth in vehicle population and travel demand, the energy consumption has increased significantly contributing to the rise of GHG emissions. Therefore, the development of a...

by P. Balachandra | On 30 Jul 2010

Survey Of State-Society Relations Social Indicators Research Project Executive Summary Report

The executive summary reports on major findings from a survey conducted among a random sample of 1,054 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 18 to 65. Focus is on views of public policies in thr...

by Ooi Giok Ling | On 29 Jul 2010

Radio drug advertisement situation and regulation in Thailand

Drug consumption in Thailand is high in comparison with other countries. A key factor influencing this over consumption is advertising. Radio is the media that can easily reach a lot of people, in...

by Tanattha Kittisopee | On 23 Jul 2010

The Japanese Economy and Economic Policy in Light of the East Asian Financial Crisis

The depth and breadth of the East Asian financial crisis has added a sense of acute urgency for some concrete and credible measures by policy-makers to revitalise the Japanese economy. While steps...

by Ramkishen Rajan | On 23 Jul 2010

State Capacity, Conflict and Development

This paper is a report on an on-going project, which asks a number of questions relevant to the study of state capacity. What are the main economic and political determinants of the state’s capacity...

by Timothy Besley | On 15 Jul 2010

Collective Action in Diverse Sierra Leone Communities

Scholars have pointed to ethnic and other social divisions as a leading cause of economic underdevelopment, due in part to their adverse effects on public good provision and collective action. We inve...

by Rachel Glennerster | On 13 Jul 2010

Insurance and Investment within Family Networks

In this paper family networks affecting informal insurance and investment is being studied. Panel data from the randomized evaluation of PROGRESA in rural Mexico and the information on surnames of hou...

by Manuela Angelucci | On 09 Jul 2010

Book Review: Golden Tickets: Inequality and Children's Consumption

H Net Review of Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture by Allison J. Pugh University of California Press, Berkeley; 2009. 320 pp. $55.00 (cloth)

by Hilary Levey | On 09 Jul 2010

What is Wrong with the Constituency Development Funds?

This brief will argue that Constituency Development Funds (CDFs) have a negative impact on accountability and service delivery that most poor countries can ill afford. The risks associated with CDFs s...

by Albert van Zyl | On 08 Jul 2010

Microfinance Engagements of the ‘Graduated’ TUP Members

This study takes a look at the beneficiaries who were selected at the first round in 2002 to explain various dimensions of their engagement with microfinance. With a lower borrower-member ratio and re...

by Munshi Sulaiman | On 02 Jul 2010

Heroes of the Market: Street Vendors in Vadodara

The paper is a analysis of the street vendors of Vadodara and the Gujarat Government's attitute towards them.

by Nimisha Srivastava | On 29 Jun 2010

A Decomposition of Poverty Tre across Regions: The Role of Variation in the Income and Inequality Elasticities of Poverty

The impact of globalization on global and local inequality is hotly debated in the recent literature. This study considers the separate issue of the impact of globalization on poverty through quan...

by Adriaan Kalwij | On 28 Jun 2010

India-Japan Investment Relations:Trends & Prospects

Though Japan had been one of the top five investors in India for long, its share in India’s total FDI inflows has been dwindling since 2000. Other countries have surpassed Japan in terms of the...

by Geethanjali Nataraj | On 25 Jun 2010

Getting to theTop of Mind: How Reminders Increase Saving

We develop and test a simple model of limited attention in intertemporal choice. The model posits that individuals fully attend to consumption in all periods but fail to attend to some future lumpy...

by Dean Karlan | 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

Understanding Vietnam: A Look Beyond Facts and Figures

Vietnam's (re) discovery in recent years by the international investor community gives the country a second chance to become and Asia tiger. The article looks into the economic, social, political, per...

by Tamara Trinh | On 16 Jun 2010

Parking Space for the Poor: Restrictions Imposed on Marketing and Movement of Agricultural Goods in India

Agricultural markets in India have been regulated since 1928 with the inception of the "Royal Commission of Agriculture." Policy intervention in agriculture was virtually absent till the Bengal Fam...

by Mayank Wadhwa | 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

Street Vendors: Exploitation by the State

Street vendors are those millions of people who come to cities as economic refugees hoping to provide basic necessities for their families.They are the main distribution channels for a large variety...

by Shailly Arora | On 15 Jun 2010

Provoking Thought, Changing Talk: Discussing Inequality

This occasional publication series is part of the Social Equity and Opportunity Forum in the Dean’s Office of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Directed by Janet Hammer, Ph.D., the Forum emph...

by Joseph Grady | On 10 Jun 2010

Exchange Rate Regimes and Macroeconomic Performance in South Asia

Stylized facts for South Asia show the dominance of supply shocks, amplified by macroeconomic policies and procyclical current accounts. Interest and exchange rate volatility rose initially on libera...

by Ashima Goyal | On 09 Jun 2010

Spatial Inequality in Social Progress in Bangladesh

The paper tracks spatial inequality in social progress in Bangladesh as evidenced from the district level data. It uses a multivariate framework to explore the differential pace of social progress at...

by Binayak Sen | On 04 Jun 2010

Trade in Financial Services: India's Opportunities and Constraints

This paper analyzes the prospects for liberalizing financial services under the GATS, in view of India’s interests and concerns in this sector. The paper consists of seven sections. Section 2 discuss...

by Rupa Chanda | On 03 Jun 2010

School Educational Attainment in Kerela: Trends and Differentials

This paper examines the trends and differentials in school educational attainment in Kerala, the State that ranks right on top in terms of human development in India. The trend analysis is based on...

by T.R. Dilip | On 02 Jun 2010

How Sustainable is the Gain in Food Consumption of the CFPR/TUP Beneficiaries?

This paper talks about the programme Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction/ Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR/TUP) that has been initiated to help the most disadvantaged population.

by Farhana Haseen | On 02 Jun 2010

The (Indispensable) Middle Class in Developing Countries; or, The Rich a the Rest, Not the Poor and the Rest

In this paper an argument is made that the concept of inclusive growth should go beyond the traditional emphasis on the poor (and the rest) and take into account changes in the size and economic c...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 31 May 2010

Debt Policy and Economic Growth in a Small Open Economy Model with Productive Government Spending

In this paper, the effects of introducing constraints on government borrowing have been examined by using a continuous-time overlapping generations model of a small open economy. Government placing co...

by Koichi Futagami | On 27 May 2010

External Assistance for Urban Development: A Scoping Study for Further Research

Analysis of developing country cities indicates that neither policy frameworks nor infrastructural investments have kept up with urban growth, that the wrong choices with long-term consequences are be...

by Homi Kharas | On 20 May 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

Grassroot Empowerment (1975-1990): A Discussion Paper

The discussion focusses on women in poverty their concentration in rural and urban areas, and the organisational approach for their mobilization and empowerment. Maximum emphasis has been placed on...

by Narayana K Banerjee | On 17 May 2010

The Shape of Temptation: Implications for the Economic Lives of the Poor

This paper argues that the relation between temptations and the level of consumption plays a key role in explaining the observed behaviors of the poor. Temptation goods are defined to be the set of...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 13 May 2010

Vulnerability and Coping to Disasters: A Study of Household Behaviour in Flood Prone Region of India

This paper attempts to understand the various risks faced by households living in disaster prone regions of rural India and specifically examine the effectiveness of coping mechanisms adopted by ho...

by Unmesh Patnaik | On 12 Apr 2010

Education Impact Study: The Global Recession and the Capacity of Colleges and Universities to Serve Vulnerable Populations in Asia

This paper reviews the capacity of colleges and universities to serve poor and vulnerable populations during past and present economic shocks. The main argument is that the environment of the global r...

by Gerard Postiglione | On 12 Apr 2010

North East: Fallen off the Media Map?

Report from the 11th Media Dialogue ’North East: Fallen off the Media Map? or Why Does the Media Give so Lettle Space to this Vast Region?

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 07 Apr 2010

Household Out-Of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure in India: Levels, Patterns and Policy Concerns

This paper uses the most recent wave of Consumer Expenditure Survey 2004-05 to examine the distribution of Out of Pocket (OOP) healthcare payments in India. [WP 418].

by Udaya S. Mishra | On 08 Mar 2010

Kerala Budget 2010-11

Budget speech by finance minister Dr. Thomas Issac

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 05 Mar 2010

Karnataka Budget 2010-11

Budget speech by finance minister of Karnataka

by Government of Karnataka GoK | On 05 Mar 2010

Now for the Hard Part

Cutting the deficit this year was the easy part; the real fiscal challenge lies ahead

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 Mar 2010

Railway Budget 2010-11

Railway Budget 2010-11.

by Mamata Banerjee | On 25 Feb 2010

Escaping Chronic Poverty Through Economic Growth

The paper discusses the participation of poor participate in growth, and how different forms of growth connect to poverty. Also the paper discusses important policy levers, in relation to agriculture,...

by Chronic Poverty Research Centre CPRC | On 18 Feb 2010

Analysing Catastrophic OOP Health Expenditure in India: Concepts, Determinants and Policy Implications

The present paper attempts to modify definition of catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure by characterising it based on consumption of necessities. Catastrophic health expenditure is defined as...

by Rama Pal | On 11 Feb 2010

Transport Infrastructure and Poverty Infrastructure

The main issues surrounding this concern and provides a range of policy, regulatory, and institutional measures that could help strengthen the impact of transport infrastructure on poverty reduction...

by Sununtar Setboonsarng | On 10 Feb 2010

Understanding Industrial Energy Use: Physical Energy Intensity Changes in Indian Manufacturing Sector

Physical energy intensity indicators for Indian manufacturing sector is developed and analyzed. Energy consumption in five industrial sub-sectors, namely, iron and steel, aluminium, textiles, paper...

by Binay Kumar Ray | 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

Assessing the Fiscal Capacity of Indian Governments

The record of different post reform governments in meeting their targets and improving both delivery and finances is assessed. A variety of indices are constructed, and consistency checks devised to m...

by Ashima Goyal | On 27 Jan 2010

Measures of Inflation in India: Issues and Perspectives

A review of the various primary measures of inflation with a particular reference to the divergence between WPI and CPI. Focus is also given on different secondary (derived) measures of inflation, par...

by Deepak Mohanty | On 21 Jan 2010

Book Review: Microfinance-Is it a means of Empowering Women?

Multiple Meanings of Money: How Women See Microfinance by Smita Premchander, V. Prameela, M. Chidambaranathan, L. JeyaseelanSage publication, 2009, Pp 264, Rs. 595/-

by Sanchita Das | On 20 Jan 2010

Mortality, Human Capital and Persistent Inequality

Available evidence suggests high intergenerational correlation of economic status, and persistent disparities in health status between the rich and the poor. This paper proposes a novel mechanism li...

by Shankha Chakraborty | On 19 Jan 2010

Japan’s Foreign Direct Investment Experiences in India: Lessons Learnt from Firm Level Surveys

The paper first gives a brief history and comparison of Japanese foreign direct investment into India and other Asian countries, highlighting the fact that Japanese investment into India is quite lo...

by Srabani Roy Choudhury | On 19 Jan 2010

Consultation Paper on Foreign Investment in Broadcasting Sector

Department of Industrial Policy and promotion has recently issued revised guidelines for calculation of total foreign investment i.e. direct and indirect foreign investment in Indian companies for bri...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 18 Jan 2010

Pro-Poor Growth: Illusions of Marriage and Divorce?

This note seeks to show that the debate on ‘Pro-Poor Growth’ is sterile and largely academic with few policy insights.

by Suryanarayana M H | On 15 Jan 2010

India-Korea Trade and Investment Relations

The present paper analyses trade and investment relations and explores future areas of potential co-operation between India and Korea. The study also suggests the areas where there is huge scope for i...

by Pravakar Sahoo | On 14 Jan 2010

Obstacles to Private Power Investments in India

This paper aims to highlight the critical importance of cost recovery in attracting and sustaining private investment for power development. Based on a brief review of Indian experience, it suggests...

by Vishvanath V. Desai | On 24 Dec 2009

Many Poverties

Discusses about the different poverty measuements.

by T.N. Ninan | On 22 Dec 2009

Re-Activating Primary Health Centres Through Industrial Partnership in Tamilnadu Is it a Sustainable Model of Partnership?

Kerala’s success in human development demonstrated that efficient functioning of government health care delivery system opens the doors of prosperity for the poor and vulnerable sections of the popu...

by Varatharajan D | On 21 Dec 2009

A Report of Fact Finding Team on Children Rescued from Zari Industry, Delhi and Restored in Their Families in Various Districts in Bihar

A fact-finding mission was undertaken by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights in June 2006 at the request of the Child Welfare Committee, Nirmal Chhaya, Delhi, to follow-up on the children rescued from the Za...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 16 Dec 2009

The Effect of Direct Foreign Investment on Domestic Firms: Evidence from Firm Level Panel Data in Emerging Economies

This paper uses firm level panel data to investigate empirically the effects of direct foreign investment (DFI) on the productivity performance of domestic firms in three emerging economies of Centr...

by Jozef Konings | On 11 Dec 2009

Poverty Dynamics in Rural Sindh, Pakistan

This paper focuses on poverty dynamics and their determinants, using panel survey data for rural Sindh, Pakistan. Households interviewed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) d...

by Hari Ram Lohano | On 10 Dec 2009

Public Private Partnership in Uttar Pradesh Health Care Delivery System- UPHSDP as an Initiative

The objective of the study is to find out the primary reason to encourage public private participation in health care delivery system in Uttar Pradesh and the study also aim to analyse UPHSDP -a Wor...

by Bibi Ishrat Jahan | On 07 Dec 2009

Access and Mobility for the Urban Poor in India: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Needs

Indian cities are characterised by rapid growth in human as well as motor vehicle populations. Although the poor benefit the least from motor vehicle activity, they bear the brunt of its impacts. The...

by Madhav Badami | On 26 Nov 2009

Climate Conference in Copenhagen Success is a Political Must

This conference is one of the most important and most complex in the history of climate policy negotiations. The objective is to form a treaty as a successor for the Kyoto Protocol. To enable a breakt...

by Eric Heymann | On 26 Nov 2009

Statistical Trends in Pharmaceutical Research for Poor Countries

Introducing patent rights in developing country markets might stimulate greater R and D investment targeting their specific health needs – areas long neglected. This paper examines this argument using...

by Jean O Lanjouw | On 26 Nov 2009

Should Banking Be Made Boring? - An Indian Perspective

Ills of the banking system that caused the crisis. An extensive analysis of the causes is given. A brief synopsis to provide a backdrop for the ‘boring banking’ discussion is given. [Speech at the Int...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 25 Nov 2009

The Unequal World of Health Data

Health data, poverty, and inequality exist in a complex global co-dependency, therefore making meaningful comparisons of health across widely different settings challenging. Less data exist on the hea...

by Peter Byass | On 24 Nov 2009

VIllage Economics and the Structure of Extended Family Networks

This paper documents how the structure of extended family networks in rural Mexico relates to the poverty and inequality of the village of residence. Using the Hispanic naming convention, within-villa...

by Manuela Angelucci | On 23 Nov 2009

Post-Conflict Recovery: Does the Global Economy Work for Peace?

This paper mainly addresses the economic dimensions, concentrating on the importance of international trade to state-building and the need for global public goods in a global market economy. The focu...

by Tony Addison | On 23 Nov 2009

From Income to Urban Contest in Global Settings: Chronic Poverty in Bangalore

The paper is a research which studies the government policies and agendas that affect the poor in India. For the research 8 to 10 families, who had been intervened several years ago were re-interviewe...

by Solomon Benjamin | On 16 Nov 2009

Cost and Time Overruns in Infrastructure Projects: Extent, Causes and Remedies

Various issues related to delays and cost overruns in publically funded infrastructure projects are investigated. The study is based on, by far, the largest data-set of 850 projects across seventeen i...

by Ram Singh | On 11 Nov 2009

The Chinese Aid System

Questions about Chinese aid—how large it is and how fast it is growing; how decisions are made on how much aid is provided each year; which countries receive it and how much they get; how the aid is m...

by Carol Lancaster | On 10 Nov 2009

The Deluge of Debt: Understanding the Financial Needs of Poor Households

This paper is about the financial lives of poor households. It examines the different sources of income and expenditure of the poor households residing in a coastal settlement in Kerala. The method...

by B. S. Suran | On 29 Oct 2009

Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2009 -10

The repo rate has been kept unchanged at 4.75%. The reverse repo rate left steady at 3.25%. The bank rate has been retained unchanged at 6.0%. The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks has been...

by D Subbarao | On 27 Oct 2009

The Place of Nature in Economic Development

Review of the most salient issues in ecological economics when the subject is applied to the field of economic development. The aim here has not been to be scholastic but to examine the lives of the...

by Partha Dasgupta | On 06 Oct 2009

Emerging Asia's Middle Class-A Force to be Reckoned With

The emergence of a large and dynamic middle class raises Asia’s profile as an attractive market destination for products ranging from consumer goods to financial services. There are even hopes that th...

by Steffen Dyck | On 06 Oct 2009

New Financiers and the Environment: Ten Perspectives on How Financial Institutions can Protect the Enviornment

This new report discusses the experience with environmental standards and how it can be useful for new financiers. It contains ten papers written by experts from civil society, financial institutions...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 01 Oct 2009

Global Warming and Agriculture: New Country Estimates Show Developing Countries Face Declines in Agricultural Productivity

There is a growing recognition that global warming is a problem, but little attention has been paid to the likely impact at the country level, especially in the developing world. The stakes for worl...

by William R Cline | On 23 Sep 2009

Poverty Vs Inequality

Are economic reforms and the greater role of markets responsible for growth being anti-poor and anti-equality, or is it the failure of governance in poverty-ridden states like Bihar and Jharkhand that...

by T.N. Ninan | On 22 Sep 2009

A Social Cost Approach to Choice at Technology in Building Construction: A Study of Some Alternative Technologies in Kerala

This paper is an attempt to apply the technique of social cost - benefit analysis to the problem of choice of technology in building construction in Kerala. [WP No. 30].

by K P Kannan | On 21 Sep 2009

Chronic Poverty and Development Policy in Sri Lanka: Overview Study

The present study attempts to capture chronic poverty in Sri Lanka by examining general information on poverty and drawing conclusions on those who are likely to be among the chronic poor. Certain p...

by Indra Tudawe | On 17 Sep 2009

Food Consumption and Nutritional Status in India: Emerging Trends and Perspectives

The paper reviews the trends over three decades in the consumption of cereals, calories and micronutrients and nutritional status based on anthropometric measures using the data sets of NSS, NNMB and...

by Radhakrishna R | On 15 Sep 2009

State-Led or Market-Led Green Revolution? Role of Private Irrigation Investment vis-a-vis Local Government Programs in West Bengal’s Farm Productivity Growth

This paper estimates respective roles of private investments in irrigation and local government programs (land reforms, extension services, and infrastructure investments) in the growth of farm prod...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 14 Sep 2009

Monetary Policy, Forex Markets and Feedback Under Uncertainity in an Opening Economy

Options for monetary policy arising from interactions between it and Indian foreign exchange (FX) markets. A brief survey covers recent rapid changes providing a snapshot of current microstructure, ...

by Ashima Goyal | On 14 Sep 2009

Middlemen Margins and Globalization

A theory of trading middlemen or entrepreneurs who finance and market goods produced by workers are developed. A two sector two country model of competitive equilibrium, with endogenous sorting of age...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 02 Sep 2009

Do Remittances Impact the Economy? Some Empirical Evidences from A Developing Economy

The study attempts to examine the impact of remittances on macroeconomic activities (private consumption and investment) and its implications on economic growth in India for the period from 1966-67 to...

by Hrushikesh Mallick | On 01 Sep 2009

Introducing Expenditure Quality in Intergovernmental Transfers: A Triple-E Framework

The present study has sought to introduce, conceptualise and operationalise a scheme for integrating the ‘quality’ dimension of public spending into the devolution scheme of intergovernmental transf...

by Mala Lalvani | On 20 Aug 2009

An Analysis of Household's Tobacco Consumption Decisions: Evidence from India

The consumption patterns, socio-economic distribution and the household choice of a variety of tobacco products across rural and urban India are analyzed. Using a Multinomial Logit Model, the choice...

by Rijo M John | On 19 Aug 2009

Workbook on Life Skills

RGNIYD planned to develop a workbook on Life Skills which would help adolescents to both understand the concepts of the ten core Life Skills and practice them. The workbook has been carefully designed...

by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Developme RGNIYD | On 19 Aug 2009

A Simple Model of the Financial Crisis of 2007-9 with Implications for the Design of a Stimulus Package

The financial crisis of 2007-09 began as a local problem in the mortgage finance market in the United States and Europe but, within months, escalated into a general global financial crisis, resulting...

by Kaushik Basu | On 17 Aug 2009

School Exclusion as Social Exclusion: The Practices And Effects of Conditional Cash Transfer Programme for the Poor in Bangladesh

This paper explores the efforts of government to interrupt the intergenerational transmission of poverty. It focuses on the practices and effects of the Primary Education Stipend Programme, a conditio...

by Naomi Hossain | On 17 Aug 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

Incentives in Elementary Education - do They Make a Difference

This study tried to bring together the experiences of different approaches to incentives followed by six NGOs in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Issues deal...

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 11 Aug 2009

Commodities, Comforts, and Chaos

There is an incessant flow of technical innovations for newer and newer consumer goods and gadgets in our contemporary times. Even though technology has benefitted modern civilization through major sc...

by Arup Maharatna | On 10 Aug 2009

A Model of Market Clearing Exchange Rates

This paper formulates a model of exchange rate determination that describes the market processes by which the foreign exchange markets are cleared and international receipts of countries are brought...

by Rajas Parchure | On 06 Aug 2009

Value Addition by the Marine Fisheries Sector

The article describes the important role played by Marine fishereis in the Indian economy. It elaborates the issues associated with value addition of this sector with special reference to optimum capa...

by Karmakar K G | On 27 Jul 2009

Union Budget-First Cut Analysis 2009-2010

The thrust of this budget on the expenditure side is twofold. Continue with the fiscal stimulus measures and extend these for another six months or one years as the case maybe. Significant among these...

by IRIS India IRIS | On 09 Jul 2009

Budget 2009-2010

Budget 2009-2010 by Pranab Mukherjee

by Pranab Mukherjee | On 09 Jul 2009

Human Development Index for Andhra Pradesh

The method used to measure Human Development are reviewed in order to measure Human Development Index for rural AP by considering indicators such as economic attainment, longevity and education. The e...

by Jatinder S Bedi | On 07 Jul 2009

Report of the Internal Working Group on Debt Management

Establishing a debt management office would consolidate all debt management functions in a single agency, and be the catalyst for wider institutional reform and transparency about public debt. It is i...

by Ministry of Finance | On 04 Jul 2009

Emerging Contours of Financial Regulation: Challenges and Dynamics

The paper attempts to analyse the emerging contours of regulation of financial institutions with an emphasis on the emerging challenges and dynamics. [Paper prepared for Financial Stability Review of...

by Rakesh Mohan | On 29 Jun 2009

Preliminary Note on Financial Crisis and Trade and Investment Treaties

North-South free trade agreements (FTAs), bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments often contain a number of provisions that can increase the likelihood of a...

by Third World Network | On 28 Jun 2009

Racial Inequality and Segregation Measures: Some Evidence from the 2000 Census

This paper examines the extent to which income differences across the racial groups can account for observed residential segregation. The authors adopt an approach to the decomposition of segregation...

by Rajiv Sethi | On 27 Jun 2009

Inflation and the Poor in Bangladesh

This note analyses the major characteristics of the current inflationary episode in the economy along with its probable impact on different population groups in Bangladesh. The note also draws some po...

by Mustafa. K. Mujeri | On 27 Jun 2009

Inflation in Bangladesh: Does the Changing Consumption Pattern Affect its Measurement ?

The paper analyzes the effects of changes in consumption factor on the calculation of inflation calculation in Bangladesh. This is important as there might exist some volatile and non-trend components...

by Md. Habibour Rahman | On 27 Jun 2009

Is the BDP Ultra Poor Approach Working? Survey of Some Key Issues

The objectives of this paper are to assess the knowledge retention on IGA training, and to explore the quality of participation in financial and non-financial services by the BDP ultra poor. We found...

by Proloy Barua | On 25 Jun 2009

Impact of Imported Intermediate and Capital Goods on Economic Growth: A Cross Country Analysis

Knowledge accumulation in the richer countries provides them with comparative advantages in higher productivity products. The countries that import the higher productivity intermediate products and ca...

by C Veermani | On 23 Jun 2009

Sal Seeds, an Untapped Resource in India

Sal seeds could provide effective livelihoods support for poor people when few alternative natural resource based strategies are available

by Sanjoy Patnaik | On 23 Jun 2009

Crime, City and Space: A Case of Mumbai Megapolis

The present study has been an attempt to examine spatial distribution of various forms of crimes in Mumbai city (Municipal Corporation) and find out their correlates. More specifically the attempts ha...

by Abdul Shaban | On 23 Jun 2009

Basic Infrastructure for a Nuclear Power Project

This publication was produced as a direction to increase the capability of Member States to plan and implement nuclear power programmes and to establish and enhance national nuclear infrastructure....

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 19 Jun 2009

Subnational Taxes in Developing Countries: The Way Forward

It is critical to emphasize that intergovernmental fiscal relations must be thought of as a system and that all the pieces in the system must fit together if decentralization is to work properly. Vari...

by Richard.M. Bird | On 16 Jun 2009

Employment Promoting Growth in Bangladesh: Monetary and Financial Sector Issues

Although economic growth has improved in recent years in Bangladesh, the better economic performance has not translated into satisfactory poverty reduction. The type of growth that matters Bangladesh...

by Mustafa. K. Mujeri | On 15 Jun 2009

Financing Long Term Investments in Bangladesh: Capital Market Development Issues

There has been an increase in the demand for infrastructure services and opening up of the infrastructure sector for private investment. As a result, a large number of financial intermediaries and pri...

by Mustafa. K. Mujeri | On 15 Jun 2009

Goods and Services Tax for India

The paper contours of a feasible design of VAT in India. It also takes on board the various alternatives proposed. It looks at the issues that need resolution and the options available for resolving t...

by R.Kavita Rao | On 12 Jun 2009

Construction and Validation of ‘Science Culture Index’ Results from Comparative Analysis of Engagement, Knowledge and Attitudes to Science: India and Europe

Countries world-wide routinely collate statistics on STS performance indicators such as R&D expenditure, science publications, citations and impact, high-tech employment, and penetration of hightech g...

by Rajesh Shukla | On 12 Jun 2009

Does the Currency Regime Shape Unhedged Currency Exposure?

This paper examines how unhedged currency exposure of firms varies with changes in currency exibility. A sequence of four time-periods with alternating high and low currency volatility in India prov...

by Ila Patnaik | On 11 Jun 2009

A Distributional Analysis of Social Group Inequality in Rural India

This paper examines the differences in welfare, as measured by per capita expenditure (PCE), between social groups in rural India across the entire welfare distribution. The paper establishes that the...

by Mehtabul Azam | On 11 Jun 2009

Agriculture, Food Security,and Poverty in China; Past Performance, Future Prospects, and Implications for Agricultural R&D Policy

China’s experience demonstrates the importance of technological development and public investment in improving agricultural productivity, farmer income, and food security in a nation with limited supp...

by Jikun Huang | On 07 Jun 2009

The EU-India FTA Critical Considerations in a Time of Crisis

The paper broadly examines the core trade interests of the EU and India, the content of the negotiations and outlines some key concerns of a potential deal for India in the areas of goods, services an...

by Shefali Sharma | On 05 Jun 2009

Background Paper: Investment Liberalization in the EU-ASEAN FTA

This background paper focuses on the implications of investment liberalization on ASEAN nations. [FGS OP NO 5]

by Ignacio Jose Minambres | On 31 May 2009

Impact of Imported Intermediate and Capital Goods on Economic Growth: A Cross Country Analysis

Knowledge accumulation in the richer countries provides them with comparative advantages in higher productivity products. The countries that import the higher productivity intermed...

by C Veermani | On 21 May 2009

Assessing Policy Choices For Managing SO2 Emisions From Indian Power Sector

The production, transportation and consumption of energy resources, especially of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, generate negative environmental externalities including air pollution....

by Deepa Menon Choudhary | On 18 May 2009

Backward Linkages of Foreign Subsidiaries in Guangdong, China: A Country- of –Origin Analysis

Multinational companies exercise their impact on the economic development of the host countries and regions through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). The host countries tap the benefits from these FDI...

by Filip De Beule | On 15 May 2009

Measurement of Employment And Unemployment in India : Some Issues

This paper offers a review of the concepts and definitions used in the NSS Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS, for short) which have remained virtually unchanged since they were introduced in the NS...

by K. Sundaram | On 15 May 2009

Managing Prolonged Low Fertility: The Case of Singapore

This paper analyzes Singapore’s multi-pronged approach to managing prolonged low fertility which has led to population aging, labor force shortages, increasing elderly dependency ratios, and feminizat...

by Mukul. G Asher | On 15 May 2009

Manager’s Perceptions of the Impact of Foreign Direct Investment Liberalizations: Information Technology Firms in India

Firms differ in the effects that foreign direct investment liberalizations have on their businesses, and in the responses they make to adjust to the liberalized business environment. In this study th...

by Stanley Nollen | On 15 May 2009

Gender and Innovation in South Asia

To understand how gender, women’s rights and citizenship intersect with innovation in SouthAsia, one must begin by considering some of the main features of life for South Asian women, about a half of...

by Sujata Byravan | On 06 May 2009

You Can Get There From Here..

This inaugural piece addresses a fundamental problem of communication – how to effectively talk about an issue. It’s not as simple as it seems. Its always known that people did not always “hear” what...

by Joseph Grady | On 05 May 2009

Sri Lanka Budget 2009

2009 Budget speech

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 20 Apr 2009

Macroeconomic Effects Of Public Invesment In Infrastructure In India

This paper attempts to build an aggregative, structural,macroeconometric model for India. Investment and output in the model are disaggregated into four sectors namely(a) agriculture including forestr...

by K.N Murty | On 02 Mar 2009

Karnataka Budget 2009-10

Budget speech by finance minister of Karnataka

by Government of Karnataka GoK | On 24 Feb 2009

Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on India Collateral Damage and Response

The impact of economic crisis on India has been analysed in the speech. [Speech delivered at the Symposium on 'The Global Economic Crisis and Challenges for the Asian Economy in a Changing World'].

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 24 Feb 2009

Andhra Pradesh Budget Speech 2009-10

Speech of Sri K. Rosaiah

by Government Andhra Pradesh | On 23 Feb 2009

Kerala Budget Speech 2009-10

Budget speech by finance minister Dr. Thomas Issac

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 23 Feb 2009

Key Features of Interim Budget 2009-10

Key features of Budget presented by Shri Pranab Mukherjee

by Ministry of Finance | On 16 Feb 2009

Beyond Industrialization New Approaches to Development Strategy Based on the Service Sector

This paper argues that it is becoming increasingly difficult for most developing countries to achieve rapid growth through industrialization, and especially through export oriented activities. But th...

by Peter Sheehan | On 03 Feb 2009

Planning for Results: The Public Accountability Information System

The paper proposes a Public accountability information system (PAIS), with a web enabled public information system and a smart card recording all the benefits that the poor are entitled to receive thr...

by Arvind Virmani | On 22 Jan 2009

Report on the GLobal Financial Crisis and Kerala Economy: Impact and Mitigation Measures

This preliminary report has been prepared with a view to assist the state government in understanding the implications of the crisis, so that appropriate policies and programmes could be chalked to de...

by Centre for Development Studies CDS | On 02 Jan 2009

Government Spending, Trade Openness and Economic Growth in India: A Time Series Analysis

The study examines the impact of aggregate government expenditure and its two broader components such as revenue expenditure and capital expenditure on the growth rate of output in the Indian contex...

by Hrushikesh Mallick | On 22 Dec 2008

A Case-Control Study to Assess the Relationship Between Poverty and Visual Impairment from Cataract in Kenya, Philippines and Bangladesh

The aim of this study was to examine the association between visual impairment from cataract and poverty in adults in Kenya, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. A population-based case–control study was...

by Hannah Kuper | On 18 Dec 2008

Micro and Small Enterprises During Reforms: Policy and Concerns

This paper addresses some key policy issues relating to the micro and small enterprises in India during the reforms period. A close look into the definitional changes in terms of the criterion of inve...

by Keshab Das | On 16 Dec 2008

Inda's Pharmaceutical Industry on Course for Globalisation

The pharmaceutical industry is expanding worldwide. For some years now, it has been benefiting from the particular dynamics of the Asian economies as both purchasers and producers. It is not only the...

by Uwe Perlitz | On 12 Dec 2008

The Role of Fiscal and Monetary Policies in Sustaining Growth with Stability in India

This paper focuses on the role of fiscal and monetary policies in the evolution of the Indian economy over the years, with particular attention being given to the reforms undertaken in these policies...

by Rakesh Mohan | On 28 Nov 2008

Contemporary International and Domestic Banking Developments and the Emerging Challenges

A broad overview, from the Indian perspective, of the factors underlying the credit market crisis in the west, the implications of the crisis for the financial sector, lessons learnt from it, the var...

by Leeladhar V | On 25 Nov 2008

The Incidence and Performance Effects of Interlocking Directorates in Emerging Market Business Groups: Evidence from India

The structure and extent of interlocking directorates within Indian business groups is studied and analyses the performance effects of such interlocks. It finds that large groups tend to have more int...

by Bikram De | On 21 Nov 2008

Values and Meanings of Citizenship

What does citizenship mean to poor and socially excluded people? How do their views help us understand and analyse what 'inclusive' citizenship means?

by Naila Kabeer | On 20 Nov 2008

Changes in Poverty Profile in China

This study presents a comprehensive picture of poverty chnages in China in the period of 1978-95. Using two micro data sets from Household Income Surverys of 1988 and 1995, the author examines poverty...

by Li Shi | On 18 Nov 2008

Gender-based Indicators in Human Development: Correcting for ‘Missing Women’

Gender Development Index and Gender Empowerment Measure are two gender-based indicators provided by the United Nations Development Program. Population share of the genders enter the formulation of t...

by Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan | On 18 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

Untold Stories: The Human Face of Poverty Dynamics

The policy brief describes the life stories of five people, to show the face of human face of chronic poverty. It also suggests that such life history material can be an important source of data for p...

by Martin Prowse | On 11 Nov 2008

Semi-Feudalism and Perpetual Indebtedness

The implications of removing some of the restrictive assumptions of a model of semi-feudalism formulated by A.Bhaduri are examined. [WP no. 16].

by N. Krishnaji | On 10 Nov 2008

India’s Macroeconomic Performance

The paper reviews India’s macroeconomic performance and policies since 2000. The first section briefly summarizes key macroeconomic developments regarding economic growth, inflation, external bala...

by Shankar Acharya | On 02 Nov 2008

The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Information and Communication Technologies

The paper starts by recapitulating the basic arguments provided by economic theory to explain the existence of the patent system. The paper then concentrates on the three important ICT industries viz....

by C Niranjan Rao | On 30 Oct 2008

India’s Macroeconomic Performance and Policies Since 2000

The paper reviews India’s macroeconomic performance and policies since 2000. The first section briefly summarizes key macroeconomic developments regarding economic growth, inflation, external balance...

by Shankar Acharya | On 29 Oct 2008

Hobbes, Coase and Baliraja: Equity and Equality in Surface Water Distribution

It is attempted to understand the implications of equality in water distribution on social welfare with a simple abstract analysis using Leontief-type fixed production function.

by Sashi Sivramakrishna | On 16 Oct 2008

Right to Drinking Water in India

This paper proceeds with approach that it is the constitutional obligation of the State to provide adequate quantity of drinking water to the citizens and also protect water resources as common good...

by Ramachandraiah C | On 13 Oct 2008

Deconstructing China’s and India’s Growth: The Role of Financial Policies

This paper uses the standard one-sector neoclassical growth model to investigate why China’s consumption has been low and investment high. This paper looks into the role played by the financial sector...

by Jahangir Aziz | On 07 Oct 2008

Issues Before the Thirteenth Finance Commission

The paper argues that irrespective of the wording of the Terms of Reference (ToR), the Commission would do well to focus on its primary task of recommending transfers to serve the objective of equit...

by M.Govinda Rao | On 06 Oct 2008

Technology Sourcing and Internationalisation of IT firms in India

The paper analyzes the determinants of internationalisation, defined in terms of export intensity and overseas investments, of the IT firms in India. In particular, the paper examines the role of tech...

by Narayanan K | On 01 Oct 2008

Tobacco Control in Schools in India (India Global Youth Tobacco Survey & Global School Personnel Survey, 2006)

India Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2006 and Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS) 2006 were undertaken region-wise, namely, North, South, East, West, Central and North East, covering 99.7% of t...

by Dhirendra Narain SInha | On 29 Sep 2008

Can Participatory Watershed Management be sustained? Evidence from Southern India

Watershed development is a very important rural development programme in India. This paper studies 60 community groups in 12 micro-watersheds in South India to understand how villagers cooperate to ma...

by D. Suresh Kumar | On 25 Sep 2008

A New Era of World Hunger?- The Global Food Crisis Analyzed

This paper is an account of the main streams discussed in an international conference, held in New York in April 2008, organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Global Policy Forum, which cons...

by James A. Paul | On 24 Sep 2008

Persistent Inequality: An Explanation Based on Limited Parental Altruism

This paper provides an explanation for the observed persistence in income inequality across households in terms limited parental altruism. It is postulated that the degree of parental altruism is ‘lim...

by Mausumi Das | On 24 Sep 2008

Pakistan Budget in Brief 2008

Budget in Brief is designed to summarize the detailed information into an overview comprising essential information about expenditure and receipt and the resulting budget balance.

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, | On 22 Sep 2008

Rising Inequality With High Growth Isn't This Trend Worrisome? Analysis of Kerala Experience

The relation between growth, inequality and poverty is the central theme of the paper. While the fast economic growth under the neo-liberal policy regime helps reduce poverty, it increases inequality...

by KK Subrahmanian | On 16 Sep 2008

Global Chronic Poverty in 2004-2005

This report is about people living in chronic poverty – people who remain poor for much or all of their lives, many of whom will pass on their poverty to their children, and all too often die easily...

by Chronic Poverty Research Centre CPRC | On 15 Sep 2008

Can Insurance Reduce Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure

It is argued that for households below poverty line any expenditure on health is catastrophic as they are unable to attain the subsistence level of consumption. Thus, zero percent is taken as a thres...

by Rama Joglekar | On 15 Sep 2008

Educational Attainment of Youth and Implications forIndian Labour Market: An Exploration through Data

The link between education and labour market has a profound intellectual lineage, spanning across schools. An integrating view shared by these perspectives is the significance of education as a pivo...

by G.D Bino Paul | On 10 Sep 2008

Girl Child and Education

The formal school is seen as the only means of withdrawing all children from work. Furthermore, in the case of girls, formal school prevents them from getting into child marriage. Schooling is recogn...

by Martine Kruijtbosch | On 04 Sep 2008

Does Tourism Contribute to Local Livelihoods? A Case Study of Tourism, Poverty and Conservation in the Indian Sundarbans

This study examines the contribution of tourism towards improving the livelihoods of local people in a remote island village of the Indian Sundarbans.

by Indrila Guha | On 18 Aug 2008

Factors Influencing Successful Primary School Completion for Chidren in Poverty Context.

The current paper is an attempt to capture the process of child development along the age continuum of 0 to 11, with special reference to children living in diverse poverty situations.

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 08 Aug 2008

Measuring Sustainability with Macroeconomic Data for India

This paper investigates certain macro data on the Indian economy to draw inferences on the sustainability of the economic growth experienced over the last couple of decades. Interpreting sustainabilit...

by Purnamita Dasgupta | On 24 Jul 2008

Between Citizens and Institutions: The Dyamics of the Integration of Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Hyderabad

The purpose of this study is to review the changes that have taken place recently in water supply and sanitation services and examine the role of various stakeholders involved in urban governance in...

by Agnes Huchon | On 15 Jul 2008

Crafting a Graduation Pathway for the Ultra Poor

The ultra poor are caught in a below-subsistence trap from which it is difficult for them to break free using available resources and mechanisms. Time is not an ally for the ultra poor, as things gene...

by Imran Matin | On 01 Jul 2008

CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, CREDIT AND PRODUCTIVE ASSETS KEY TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD [Women's mobilisation in Nellore and Anantapur Districts of Andhra Pradesh]

The paper tell the story of women in Nellore, Anantpur districts of Andhra Pradesh who came together, saved one rupee each day and used it for their production and consumption purposes. They started b...

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 19 Jun 2008

Interest Rate Modeling and Forecasting in India

The interest rate is a key financial variable that affects decision of consumers, businesses, financial institutions, professional investors and policymakers. Timely forecast of interest rates can the...

by Pami Dua | On 13 Jun 2008

Poverty targeting in public programs: A Comparison of Some Nonparametric Tests and their Application to Indian Microfinance

Many popular social programmes have limited coverage among households at the very bottom of the income and wealth distribution. If a programme reaches the poor, but neglects the destitute, the (pre-...

by Isha Dewan | On 12 Jun 2008

India’s Energy Security

The paper examines teh current energy demand of India and the implications of future levels and patterns of energy use in India. [FES Briefing Paper 14 ]

by Leena Srivastava | On 06 Jun 2008

Sins of Omission

The question today is whether all the issues that were neglected when things were going well, will now get due attention when we can see even more clearly what needs to get done.

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Apr 2008

Sins of Omission

The question today is whether all the issues that were neglected when things were going well, will now get due attention when we can see even more clearly what needs to get done.

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Apr 2008

Climate Variability and Climate change: Implications for Chronic Poverty

The principles of the ‘bottom-up’ approach to adaptation are followed. It believes that one of the starting points for adaptation to climate change should be the present. The focus should not just be...

by Lucy Scott | On 13 Apr 2008

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four state update from IRIS India

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 09 Apr 2008

ICT and Employment Promotion Among Poor Women: How Can We Make It Happen? Some Reflections On Kerala's Experience

This paper deals with the integration of gender in policies relating to information and communication technology to empower socially excluded poor women as producers of this technology. In this contex...

by Mohanan Pillai P | On 25 Mar 2008

A Comparative Study on Private Consumption Expenditure Estimates in India

Traditionally private consumption expenditure estimated by the two agencies differed. Factors attributed to the differences include coverage, reference time frames and concepts and methods of estimati...

by Joice John | On 20 Mar 2008

Stagflation Cometh

The good times may be ending. There have been worries for years about the global imbalances caused by America’s huge overseas borrowing. America, in turn, said that the world should be thankful: by li...

by Joseph E. Stiglitz | On 17 Mar 2008

Stagflation Cometh

The good times may be ending. There have been worries for years about the global imbalances caused by America’s huge overseas borrowing. America, in turn, said that the world should be thankful: by li...

by | On 17 Mar 2008

Inclusive Growth - The Role of Banks in Emerging Economies

Speech describes India’s experiences on ‘Inclusive Growth’ - a topic which is both current and close to the hearts of public policymakers and central bankers of emerging economies. [Independence Comme...

by Usha Thorat | On 14 Mar 2008

Information Technology and Productivity: Evidence From India's Manufacturing Sector

An attempt is made at addressing the question about how has India fared in terms of harnessing this technology for enhancing manufacturing productivity. issue by analyzing an unpublished data set on...

by K.J. Joseph | On 10 Mar 2008

Budget at a Glance 2008-09, Rajasthan

A glance at the budget presented by the government of Rajasthan 2008-09.

by Rajasthan Government | On 05 Mar 2008

Budget 2008-09 and Children A First Glance

Budget for Children (BfC) is not a separate budget. It is merely an attempt to disaggregate from the overall budget, the allocations made specifically for programmes that benefit children. From 2000-0...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 04 Mar 2008

Union Budget 2008-09: A Bag of Tricks to Get the Vote

The budget is an election budget. There are lots of sectors which needs more attention. Many questions are raised at the end of the document which the government may fail to answer

by Arun Kumar | On 04 Mar 2008

Women’s Economic Empowerment as the “Magic Potion” of Development?

Boosting women’s relative control of income and other economic resources has so many consequences that positively enhance both gender equality and development that female economic empowerment may be c...

by Rae Lesser Blumberg | On 20 Feb 2008

Environmentally Sound Technologies for Sustainable Development of China and India

The paper compares policy responses of China and India to the global requirements of trade and environment regimes as well as the domestic compulsions are compared.

by Sankar U | On 11 Feb 2008

Speech of the Finance Minister at the Annual Economic Editors’ Conference

Shows how the macro economic variables of Indian Economy are performing.

by P Chidambaram | On 11 Feb 2008

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Arsenic Removal in India: A Case Study from West Bengal

People living in almost fifty percent of the districts in West Bengal are exposed to arsenic contaminated water. The economic costs imposed by arsenic-related health problems are estimated. Data from...

by Joyashree Roy | On 08 Feb 2008

Health and Millennium Development Goal 1: Reducing Out-of-pocket Expenditures to Reduce Income Poverty - Evidence from India

The first of the eight Millennium Development Goals is to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. In India, thirty two and a half million people fall below the national poverty line by making out-of...

by Charu C. Garg | On 07 Feb 2008

Livelihood Risks and Coping Strategies: A Case Study in the Agrarian Village Of Cherumad, Kerala

The various dimensions of livelihood risk as informed by a in-depth case study of an agrarian village namely, Cherumad in Kerala is examined. [WP no. 394].

by K.N. Nair | On 06 Feb 2008

Patents and Biopharmaceuticals in India: Emerging Issues

This paper highlights the status of the Indian biopharmaceutical industry and also makes a comparison with the global scenario. It also discusses the current situation regarding patenting biopharmaceu...

by Lalitha N | On 05 Feb 2008

What is Middle Class About the Middle Classes Around the World?

Household surveys from 13 developing countries are used to describe consumption choices, health and education investments, employment patterns and other features of the of the economic lives of the “m...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 31 Jan 2008

Third Quarter Review of Annual Monetary Policy for the Year 2007-08

Review consists of three sections: I. Assessment of Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments; II. Stance of Monetary Policy; and III. Monetary Measures. An analytical profile of macroeconomic a...

by Y V Reddy | On 30 Jan 2008

Municipal Finance in India:An Assessment

This study, entitled “Municipal Finance in India – An Assessment”, undertaken for the Development Research Group (DRG), Reserve Bank of India examines the performance of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in I...

by P K Mohanty | On 29 Jan 2008

The Changing Pattern of Undernutrition in India: A Comparative Analysis across Regions

This study analyses the changes in prevalence of undernutrition between the 1980s and 1990s at the national and sub-national levels in India and focuses on the rural-urban comparisons. The study explo...

by Meenakshi J V | On 17 Jan 2008

Newsletter on Regional Economy A bi-monthly four-state update from IRIS

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 11 Jan 2008

Girls, Educational Equity and Mother Tongue-based Teaching

One of the principal mechanisms through which inequality is reproduced is language, specifically the language used as the medium of instruction. The learner’s mother tongue holds the key to making sc...

by Carol Benson | On 21 Dec 2007

Does Energy Consumption Fuel Economic Growth In India?

Whether energy use drives economic growth or vice versa in the Indian context during the period 1970-71 to 2004-05 is examined. Utilizing the Granger causality test, the study suggests that it is the...

by Hrushikesh Mallick | On 17 Dec 2007

De-couple from China

Chindia isa word that came up recently. There are comparisons between the two countries about their economic growth. But there are differences between the two countries.

by T.N. Ninan | On 13 Dec 2007

Education for All by 2015 Will We Make It?

The EFA Global Monitoring Report offers an authoritative reference for comparing the experiences of countries, understanding the positive impact of specific policies and recognizing that progress ha...

by UNESCO Publishing | On 05 Dec 2007

National Human Development Report 2001

The process of development, in any society, should ideally be viewed and assessed in terms of what it does for an average individual.For any approach or development framework to be meaningful and effe...

by Planning Commission, India | On 28 Nov 2007

A Success Story

India's economic reforms are evaluated.

by T.N. Ninan | On 26 Nov 2007

Monetary Conditions Index for India

The authors attempt to construct a monetary conditions index (MCI) for India in order to take both interest rate and exchange rate channels simultaneously into consideration while evaluating the stanc...

by Kannan R | On 08 Nov 2007

Thirty Ways to Improve the Health of the World’s Poorest People

Only when (and if) the “haves” develop genuine empathy for the “have-nots,” and come to acknowledge their own long-term interdependence with all other humans, will the global economy be improved to an...

by PLoS Medicine | On 06 Nov 2007

Customer Centricity and the Reserve Bank

The Reserve Bank, as the regulator of the banking sector, has been actively engaged, from the very beginning, in the review, examination and evaluation of customer service in the banks. It has been re...

by Leeladhar V | On 26 Oct 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Oct 2007

Report on National Mineral Policy

Even after five years of after the liberalisation of the investment regime India has failed to attract FDI to come to the mining sector. In the last decade, many developing countries have significantl...

by Planning Commission, India | On 18 Oct 2007

Combining Methodologies for Better Targeting of the Extreme Poor: Lessons from BRAC’s CFPR/TUP Programme

To assess the effectiveness and draw lessons from the targeting strategy used in a new BRAC programme called Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction-Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR/TUP) that aim...

by Imran Matin | On 09 Oct 2007

Inter-firm differences in FII portfolio investment in India

This paper has the objective of analysing the determinants of FII investment in firms in high-tech corporate sectors like automobiles, drugs and pharmaceuticals, IT software and IT hardware for the pe...

by B.L. Pandit | On 08 Oct 2007

What Can Economists Explain by Taking into Account People’s Perceptions of Fairness: Punishing Cheats, Bargaining Impasse, and Self-Perpetuating Inequalities

Evidence abounds that individuals have preferences for being fairly treated and treating others fairly. These preferences do not affect economic outcomes in competitive markets with standardized prod...

by Karla Hoff | On 03 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

The Reserve Bank and the State Governments: Partners in Progress

The States, relative to the Centre, have taken the centre-stage in the reform process since the areas of highest national priority now fall essentially within the purview of the States. The unique and...

by Y V Reddy | On 26 Sep 2007

Conserving Biodiversity Efficiently: What to Do, Where, and When

Conservation priority-setting schemes have not yet combined geographic priorities with a framework that can guide the allocation of funds among alternate conservation actions that address specific thr...

by Kerrie A Wilson | On 21 Sep 2007

Models of Equilibrium Real Exchange Rates Revisited: A Selective Review of the Literature

One of the more important concepts in open macroeconomics is the “equilibrium real exchange rate” (ERER). Real exchange rate misalignments are argued to have been the cause of loss of competitivene...

by Reza Y. Siregar | On 20 Sep 2007

Post-Autistic Economics Review: Issue No.43, September 15, 2007

Growing inequality in the neo-liberal heartland George Irvin ................................................................................. 2 - Science, ideology and development: Is there a ‘Sust...

by PAER Post Autistic Economic Review | On 16 Sep 2007

Educational Policy and the Economics of the Family

The implications of alternative ways to model decisionmaking by families for educational policy are analysed. Many of the policy implications associated with credit constraints cannot be distinguished...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 11 Sep 2007

Monetary Policy Developments in India: An Overview

A review of the recent developments in the Indian Economy. Review of the trends in monetary policy challenges globally and for emerging market economies (EMEs) in particular. The monetary policy frame...

by Y V Reddy | On 10 Sep 2007

What Happens if We Think About Railways as a Kind of Consumption? Towards a New Historiography of Transport and Citizenship in Early-Twentieth-Century Britain

Historians have been rather unconcerned about how the provision and use of transport, both personal and collective, might have influenced consumption in these and related areas up to 1939. In particul...

by Colin Divall | On 05 Sep 2007

Sustainability of Community Aquaculture – a Study of Transaction Costs from Sri Lanka

Over the last decade there has been a major push within policy circles to strengthen community initiatives related to natural resources management. The success or failure of such projects is an import...

by Athula Senaratne | On 29 Aug 2007

Get a Life!

The life of an investment banker in New York who is dealing in the collateralised debt obligation (CDO) market.

by T.N. Ninan | On 28 Aug 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Aug 2007

Institutional Influences on Human Capital Accumulation: Micro Evidence from Children Vulnerable to Bondage

The paper examines child labour, lower schooling attendance and attainment, and significantly elevated fertility in families vulnerable to debt bondage.

by Eric Edmonds | On 02 Aug 2007

Employment and Poverty in India: 2000-2005

This paper is principally focused on the changes in the size and structure of work force and the changes in labour productivity, wages and poverty in India in the first quinquennuim of the 21st centur...

by K. Sundaram | On 30 Jul 2007

Think Productivity

Export growth and rate of increase in bank credit have slowed down, oil prices are very high, becasuse of the interest rate hike, housing demand has reduced. Even though Sensex has crossed 15000, GDP...

by T.N. Ninan | On 10 Jul 2007

Conceptualizing Economic Marginalization

What exactly is 'economic marginalization'? How should one conceptualize it, and what are the implications of such conceptualization? Economic marginalization can be conceptualized as outcome or as p...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 05 Jul 2007

Public Distribution System in Gujarat: A Synoptic Overview

The PDS programme in Gujarat since the formation of the State in 1960 is reviewd and comments are given briefly upon its effectiveness in delivery. The food security issue for the poor is also address...

by Sudarshan Iyengar | On 04 Jul 2007

Impact of U.S. Federal Interest Rate and Movement of MSCI on Indian Capital Markets

The relationship between Indian macro-economic factors and economic growth has been analyzed by a number of empirical studies. This paper re-examines the sources of variability in the Indian economy f...

by Bharat Chadha | On 26 Jun 2007

Rent a Womb: Surrogate Selection, Investment Incentives and Contracting

The paper develops a model of gestational surrogacy, in which a childless couple faces heterogeneous prospective surrogates. High-type surrogates add more value but also have higher outside options....

by Swapnendu Banerjee | On 25 Jun 2007

Role of UNU-IIGH in Capacity Building for Sustainable Global

Globalisation promises positive economic impact through faster growth, increase in foreign direct investment and poverty reduction. However, there are growing evidence showing that the undesirable eff...

by Mohammed Yasin Salleh | On 19 Jun 2007

Health Domain of the Ultra Poor: An Exploration

Relatively small proportion of literature has focused upon health behaviours and types of health services used by the poor in rural Bangladesh, particularly ultra poor households.This study aimed to e...

by Shahaduz Zaman | On 14 Jun 2007

Investment Climate and Total Factor Productivity in Manufacturing: Analysis of Indian States

Liberalisation initiatives have been taken by India with a view to improve the efficiency of manufacturing industries and achieving faster GDP growth. The present paper investigates the influence of...

by C Veermani | On 01 Jun 2007

Infrastructure Development in India An Appraisal

Infrastructure is generally defined as the physical framework of facilities through which goods and services are provided to the public. a strong correlation exists between per capita GDP and availabi...

by P. Nayak | On 29 May 2007

Lesons Government Failure: Public Goods Provision and Quality of Public Investment

This paper focuses on government investment and expenditure policies. Going beyond the growth experience, the author also tries to relate the policy experience to the issues of aggregate poverty, in...

by Arvind Virmani | On 25 Apr 2007

Indo-Sri Lanka Trade In Services: FTA II And Beyond

India and Sri Lanka are in the process of negotiating Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. In this context, the study shows that since there has been an increase in services trade between the...

by Nisha Taneja | On 09 Apr 2007

Primary Education in India Prospects of Meeting the MDG Target

By using two large repeated cross-sections, one for the early 1990s, and one for the late 1990s, the growth in school enrolment is described and completion rates for boys and girls in India, and to ex...

by Sonia Bhalotra | On 22 Mar 2007

Agricultural Development In Maharashtra: Highlights Of Growth Patterns And Policy Implications

The growth performance of agriculture in Maharashtra was highly impressive is the early part of the green revolution period but deteriorated after 1980-81. the severe set back to growth in yield per h...

by Sawant S D | On 22 Mar 2007

Public Investment and Agricultural Productivity: A State-wise Analysis of Foodgrains in India

The main objective of the study is to examine the long-run relationship between public investment and foodgrain productivity across the fifteen major states of India. The analysis is confined to the p...

by Shyjan D | On 19 Mar 2007

Outlays Only, Not Outcomes?

The Budget does not sufficiently recognize the need for re-balancing the role of the state and the market, and of the public and the private sectors for managing increasingly complex economic and stra...

by Mukul Asher | On 07 Mar 2007

Child health inequities in developing countries: differences across urban and rural areas

The urban advantage in health masks enormous disparities between the poor and the non-poor in urban areas of Sub Saharan Africa. Specific policies geared at preferentially improving the health and nu...

by Jean-Christophe Fotso | On 23 Feb 2007

Fiscal Deficit, Capital Formation, and Crowding Out : Evidence from India

Theoretical literature identifies two variants of crowding out in an economy–real and financial. The real (direct) crowding out occurs when the increase in public investment displaces private capital...

by Lekha S. Chakraborty | On 17 Feb 2007

State Finances and Effectiveness of Policy Measures: An Analysis of Indian States

This paper provides a phase-wise analytical review of the fiscal situation of the Indian major States over the previous two and half decades and examines the effectiveness of the policy measures to s...

by Rajmal | On 10 Jan 2007

What Drives Forward Premia in Indian Forex Market?

This paper explores the behaviour of the forward premia for US$ vis-à-vis INR during the five-year period of September 2000 to September 2005. Indian forex market experienced a peculiar phenomenon i...

by Anil Kumar Sharma | On 10 Jan 2007

Global Patterns of Income and Health: Facts, Interpretations, and Policies

People in poor countries live shorter lives than people in rich countries so that, if we scale income by some index of health, there is more inequality in the world than if we consider income alone. S...

by Angus S. Deaton | On 28 Dec 2006

Impact of Reservations of Panchayat Pradhans on Targeting in West Bengal

The effect of randomized reservations of Pradhan (chief executive) positions in West Bengal local governments (panchayats) for women and members of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) following t...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

Pro-Poor Targeting and Accountability of Local Governments in West Bengal

A commonly alleged pitfall of decentralization is that poverty, socio-economic inequality and lack of political competition allow local elites to capture local governments. This hypothesis is empirica...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

Foreign Direct Investment to Developing Countries in the Globalised World

This paper discusses the key issues related to foreign direct investment flows to developing countries in the globalised world. In particular, the paper focuses on the recent trend and direction of fo...

by Sandy Kyaw | On 22 Dec 2006

Chasing the dragon: Accounting for the under-performance of India by comparison with China in attracting foreign direct investment

This paper compares and contrasts the performance of India and China in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Both economies are large emerging markets that had rather similar profiles in 1978....

by John S Henley | On 22 Dec 2006

Change in Food and Nutrient Consumption Among the Ultra Poor: Is the CFPR/TUP Programme Making a Difference?

This study aims to investigate the impact of CFPR/TUP programme on the food and nutrient consumption. The report is presented in two parts- the first part is based on the comparison of food and energy...

by Farhana Haseen | On 19 Dec 2006

System of Rice Intensification in India: Innovation History and Institutional Challenges

This report documents the history of the systems of rice intensification (SRI, for short) in India in the last few years and presents some of the institutional changes and challenges that SRI throws u...

by C. Shambu Prasad | On 06 Dec 2006

Targeting the Poorest in Microfinance: Poverty Outreach of BDP Ultra Poor Programme

Despite the general consensus that microfinance does not reach the poorest; recent evidence suggests that nearly 15% of microfinance clients in Bangladesh are among the poorest. It is from the realiza...

by Proloy Barua | On 25 Oct 2006

Buying spree

It is astonishing, and entirely unpredicted, that India’s outbound investment should begin to rival inbound FDI. The numbers quoted in a full-page report by the Financial Times earlier this week say t...

by T.N. Ninan | On 07 Oct 2006

The Future of Drug Development: the Economics of Pharmacogenomics

This paper models how the evolving field of pharmacogenomics (PG), which is the science of using genomic markers to predict drug response, may impact drug development times, attrition rates, costs,and...

by John A. Vernon | On 17 Aug 2006

The Dynamics of the Age Structure, Dependency, and Consumption

We examine the dynamic interaction of the population age structure, economic dependency, and fertility, paying particular attention to the role of intergenerational transfers. In the short run, a redu...

by Heinrich Hock | On 28 Apr 2006

Integrating poverty reduction in IMF-World Bank Models

This paper outlines the Fund-Bank analytical frameworks and presents a critical appraisal indicating the importance of both demand and supply constraints in the countries undertaking Fund adjustment p...

by Brigitte Granville | On 27 Apr 2006

Population Ageing and Health in India

The number of elderly in the developing countries has been growing at a phenomenal rate; in 1990 the population of 60 years and above in the developing countries exceeded that of the developed countri...

by S. Irudaya Rajan | On 24 Apr 2006

Three Observations on the Challenges of Growth and Poverty Reduction in Asia

While Asia’s success in growth and poverty reduction is to be greatly welcomed, and should be analysed for the lessons it has for other countries, the policy discourse should take on board three key p...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 21 Apr 2006

Land of Opportunity?

While the last 15 years have seen a flowering of enterprise because of the opening up of the Indian economy, today’s more open trading and investment system (which allows the big international players...

by T.N. Ninan | On 16 Apr 2006

India’s Post-Liberalisation Growth Experience: An Analysis by the Demand Components

This paper tries to examine the sustainability aspect of the rate of growth (rog) in recent years, designated as ‘the second phase of liberalisation’. This paper is based on the Keynesian framework wh...

by Anamitra Roychowdhury | On 29 Mar 2006

Trends and Patterns of Technology Acquisition in Indian Organized Manufacturing: An Inter-industry Exploration

With liberalization of foreign technology import policy in the 1990s, India has seen declining R&D intensity at national level. This has generated a general concern on how Indian industries are doin...

by Jaya Prakash Pradhan | On 28 Mar 2006

Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Spillovers:Evidence from the Indian Manufacturing Sector

During the recent period, many countries compete with each other to attract foreign investment. When MNCs invest in a host country, it is assumed that a part of their technology spills to the host cou...

by Subash Sasidharan | On 26 Mar 2006

Regional Diffferences in FDI Inflows: China – India Comparison

An analysis of regional differences in the flow of FDI in China and India is important as in both these countries a few regions account for the bulk of FDI inflows. There are very few studies on regi...

by N.S. Siddharthan | On 23 Mar 2006

Does a Rising Tide Lift All Boats Evenly?Health Investments and Gender Inequality in India

Gender inequality in South Asia is an important policy issue; gender imbalances in mortality have been of particular concern. Policy makers often argue that increasing the level of development and ac...

by Emily Oster | On 21 Mar 2006

A Changed World: A Plea for New Thinking

This paper queries the rightness of the current mainstream thinking on development and technological change; expresses the apprehension that the much-feared climate change seems to have begun, and con...

by Ramaswamy R. Iyer | On 20 Mar 2006

Pakistan: Budget Speech: 2005-06

1. The development budget has been increased by 34.7%, which is the highest increase to date. 2. Current expenditures will increase by 18%. The main reasons for the increase are the relief that gov...

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, | On 14 Mar 2006

The Budget, Outlays, and Inequality

Growth, or more accurately, the quality of growth, is intricately linked to inequality and so the Finance Minister and the government need to do more by addressing problems of governance as well. htt...

by Errol D'souza | On 06 Mar 2006

The Budget, Outlays, and Inequality

Growth, or more accurately, the quality of growth, is intricately linked to inequality and so the Finance Minister and the government need to do more by addressing problems of governance as well.

by Errol D'souza | On 06 Mar 2006

Economic Survey 2005-06, chapter 3

Monetary and Banking Developments

by Ministry of Finance | On 27 Feb 2006

Economic Survey 2005-06,Chapter 2

Public Finance

by Ministry of Finance | On 27 Feb 2006

Attracting Export-Oriented FDI:Can India Win the Race?

Why has India has performed poorly in attracting export oriented foreign direct investment (EFDI) as compared to its peer groups such as China. The empirical literature on the location of EFDI indic...

by Jaya Prakash Pradhan | On 20 Feb 2006

Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments: Third Quarter Review, 2005-06

The robust performance of the Indian economy continued during the second quarter (July-September) of 2005-06. According to the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), the economy recorded a real GDP...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 02 Feb 2006

The Social Cost of Foreign Exchange Reserves

There has been a very rapid rise since the early 1990s in foreign reserves held by developing countries. These reserves have climbed to almost 30 percent of developing countries' GDP and 8 months of i...

by Dani Rodrik | On 27 Jan 2006

Real Sector Shocks and Monetary Policy Responses in a in a financially vulnerable Emerging Economy

When analyzing the appropriate response for monetary policy during a currency crisis it is important to keep in mind two distinct channels: (a) the impact of raising interest rates on exchange rates...

by Ramkishen S. Rajan | On 27 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

Multilateral Solutions to the Erosion of Non-Reciprocal Preferences in NAMA

This paper analyzes the risks of preference erosion arising from MFN trade liberalization in manufactured products. It focuses on developing countries that receive non-reciprocal preferences in the m...

by Patrick Low | On 19 Dec 2005

Dams

The construction of large dams is one of the most costly and controversial forms of public infrastructure investment in developing countries, but little is known about their impact. This paper studies...

by Esther Duflo | On 21 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

Trade Liberalization, Poverty And Inequality: Evidence From Indian Districts

Although it is commonly believed that trade liberalization results in higher GDP, little is known about its effects on poverty and inequality. This paper uses the sharp trade liberalization in India i...

by Petia Topalova | On 29 Sep 2005

Spatial Inequality and Development: Overview of UNU-WIDER Project

Spatial inequality is a dimension of overall inequality, but it has added significance when spatial and regional divisions align with political and ethnic tensions to undermine social and political st...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 17 Sep 2005

Mental Health And Reproductive Health Of Urban Poor Women In Delhi

This study looked at the intersection of reproductive health and mental health of women among the urban poor in Delhi, India. It is part of a larger study that seeks to understand how differences in e...

by Ranendra Das | On 17 Sep 2005

Demographics And Global Savings Glut

There is growing evidence that demographic changes have played an important role in driving Asia’s economic transformation by generating high savings rates.In this report, the author argues that high...

by Sanjeev Sanyal | On 01 Sep 2005

Infant And Under-Five Mortality In India: Levels, Patterns And Correlates

General economic growth (resulting in higher living standards), improved infrastructure, and greater child immunization coverage will be essential in lowering infant and under-five mortality rates in...

by Anil B. Deolikar | On 26 Aug 2005

Price Elasticity Estimates for Tobacco and Other Addictive Goods in India

The tax base of tobacco in India is found to be heavily depended on about fteen per cent of the tobacco users who represent cigarettes smokers. Non-cigarette tobacco products used by the majority of...

by Rijo John | On 22 Aug 2005

Why Do Governments Lack “Political Will”? An Explanation

This paper proposes “lack of political will” as the most important reason why a ruling political party is unable to commit itself to economically efficient choices or policies. The notion of political...

by Ajit Karnik | On 19 Aug 2005

Crop Insurance Scheme: A Case Study Of Banana Farmers In Wayanad Districts

Crop insurance is recognised to be a basic instrument for maintaining stability in farm income, through promoting technology, encouraging investment, and increasing credit flow in the agricultural sec...

by Manoj Kumar K | On 11 Aug 2005

Pharmaceutical Policy, 2002

Pharmaceutical Policy of 2002 covering issues of pricing, ,marketing, size of market, quality, production, investment, regulatory authority, monitoring, ethical issues

by Anonymous | On 10 Aug 2005

Modifications in Drug Policy 1986

Modifications to Drug Policy 1986

by Anonymous | On 10 Aug 2005

Membership-Based Organizations Of The Poor: The South African Experince

The broad question this paper seeks to address is whether the notion of a membershipbased organisation of the poor (“MBOPs”) has practical application in modern day South Africa. There are some obviou...

by Jan Theron | On 31 Mar 2005

Organizations of the Poor: Conditions for success

Based on the undocumented field experiences of FAO staff working with rural institutions in developing countries and project documents produced by UN agencies, this paper provides an overview on some...

by E Crowley | On 30 Mar 2005