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Know your Publishing Space: Abstracting and Indexing Databases

This article explains the terms and practices of “indexing" journals and abstracting databases with a brief history of the practice. It points out the problems and issues in this field that researcher...

by Shubhada Nagarkar | On 29 Jun 2021

Economic Survey 2020: Chapter 10-The Bare Necessities

Access to “the bare necessities” such as housing, water, sanitation, electricity and clean cooking fuel are a sine qua non to live a decent life. This chapter examines the progress made in providing a...

by Ministry of Finance | On 30 Jan 2021

Prakriti Karyshala: Case Studies Ecomanagement: Mapping and Securing Commons

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

by Anjali P Iyer | On 20 Nov 2020

Weekend Rumniations: Don't bet just yet on Bangladesh as South Asia's economic champion

Bangladesh might overtake India this year by per capita income in nominal dollars, but it is not yet close to becoming South Asia's economic powerhouse anytime soon.

by T.N. Ninan | On 17 Oct 2020

The COVID-19, Migration and Livelihood in India

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

by R. B. Bhagat | On 08 May 2020

Urban Food Markets and the Lockdown in India

On March 24, 2020, the Government of India announced a 21-day national lockdown that has since been extended to May 3, 2020. The lockdown has left urban food markets in disarray with severe supply b...

by Sudha Narayanan | On 06 May 2020

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

India's Universal Basic Income: Bedeviled by the Details

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

by | On 28 Mar 2019

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

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

by Secretary-General United Nations | On 21 Mar 2019

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

Why is Green Finance Important ?

In 2017, global investment in renewables and energy efficiency declined by 3% and there is a risk that it will slow further; clearly fossil fuels still dominate energy investment. This could threaten...

by Jeffrey D. Sachs | On 28 Jan 2019

Impact of Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers on Gender Equality in India: An Empirical Analysis

Intergovernmental fiscal transfers (IGFT) are, in theory, neither good nor bad for tackling gender inequalities. Fiscal federalism with asymmetry in revenue and expenditure assignments inevitably lead...

by Janet G. Stotsky | On 14 Jan 2019

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

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

by Amandeep Kaur | On 11 Jan 2019

Analyzing the Dynamic Relationship between Physical Infrastructure, Financial Development and Economic Growth in India

The paper investigates dynamic relationship between physical infrastructure, financial development and economic growth in the case of India, using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Toda-Yam...

by Ranjan Kumar Mohanty | On 11 Jan 2019

Services Policies and Manufacturing Exports

This paper uses a structural gravity model to show the effects of services policies on manufacturing exports. Whereas the previous literature has focused on indirect effects of policies—flowing throug...

by Ben Shepherd | On 28 Dec 2018

Transformation of Indian Agriculture? Growth, Inclusiveness and Sustainability

This paper provides 10 conclusions on the policies needed to achieve three goals of agricultural development in India. These are : (1) There is a need for change in the narrative in the new context; (...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 26 Dec 2018

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

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

by Kunmin Kim | On 21 Nov 2018

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

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

Governing the Commons? Water and Power in Pakistan’s Indus Basin

Surface irrigation is a common pool resource characterized by asymmetric appropriation opportunities across upstream and downstream water users. Large canal systems are also predominantly state-manage...

by Hanan G. Jacoby | On 04 Oct 2018

Prospects for trade and cooperation under the Philippines-Taiwan EPA

This Policy Note assesses the extent to which the products of the Philippines and Taiwan compete with or complement each other using the Balassa revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index and other tr...

by Ritchelle J. Alburo | On 03 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

Bribes vs. Taxes: Market Structure and Incentives

Firms in developing countries often avoid paying taxes by making informal payments to tax officials. These bribes may raise the cost of operating a business, and the price charged to consumers. To dec...

by Francesco Amodio | On 17 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

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

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

by Hiroko Uchimura-Shiroshi | On 10 Sep 2018

Strengthening India’s External Intelligence Infrastructure: An Assessment .

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

by Shantanu K. Bansal | On 04 Sep 2018

Green Energy Finance in India: Challenges and Solutions

The paper presents a granular understanding of the associated challenges of mobilizing such finances, drawing from the Indian perspective. It contributes to the present understanding by identifying th...

by Gopal K. Sarangi | On 24 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

Financial Barriers to Development of Renewable and Green Energy Projects in Asia

The expansion of green renewable energy has been very limited in all the Asian countries, despite their various differences. The contributing factors are numerous, but, the financial factor has been t...

by Hooman Peimani | On 16 Aug 2018

Managing Credit Risk and Improving Access to Finance in Green Energy Projects

The cost of finance has a relatively high impact on the returns and viability of clean energy projects compared with fossil fuel-based energy projects, because the operating costs for renewable energy...

by Purkayastha Dhruba | On 13 Aug 2018

Building Food Security in Asia through International Agreements on Rice Reserves

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Aug 2018

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

Fiscal policy Conditions for Government Budget Stability and Economic Recovery: Comparative Analysis of Japan and Greece

This paper first shows that the Domar condition is obtained only from the government budget constraint (namely the supply of government bonds) and does not take into account the demand for government...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 19 Jul 2018

Breathe India: An Action Plan for Combating Air Pollution

A recent WHO database (2018) has identified several of India’s top cities with some of the highest levels of air pollution. Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Varanasi and Patna are the top five most polluted c...

by Niti Aayog GOI | On 16 Jul 2018

Assessment of Implementation Issues and Livelihood Success on the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD

The study aims to assess the sustainable livelihood program (SLP) implementation processes based on recent policy enhancements and indicators of program success. The analysis is based on focus group d...

by Marife M. Ballesteros | On 05 Jul 2018

Urban and Rural Households’ Energy Use: Sets, Shocks, and Strategies in the Philippines

This paper aims to analyze the determinants of household energy portfolio in urban and rural areas and to determine how choices are affected by price shocks and weather variabilities in the Philippine...

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 29 Jun 2018

Process Evaluation of the CHED K to 12 Adjustment Assistance Program

This paper evaluates the implementation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) K to 12 Adjustment Assistance Program, established following the full implementation of the Enhanced Basic Educatio...

by Alex Brillantes | On 29 Jun 2018

Measuring Transboundary Water Cooperation: Learning from the Past to Inform the Sustainable Development Goals

This paper mines relevant past work to generate guidance for monitoring the proposed SDG target related to transboundary water cooperation. Potential measures of water cooperation were identified, fil...

by Davison Saruchera | On 27 Jun 2018

Status of Labour Rights in Pakistan 2016

The PILER 2016 report on the Status of Labour Rights, sixth in the series, based on the secondary research, aims to present an overview of the status of labour and the issues in the year impacting lab...

by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research (PILER) | On 14 Jun 2018

Trade Costs, Time, and Supply Chain Reliability

This paper uses measures of international transport time, in median and standard deviation, based on shipment-level data from the Universal Postal Union, to analyze the effect of time on trade costs....

by Utsav Kumar | On 14 Jun 2018

Market Integration, Demand and the Growth of Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India

In many developing countries, the average firm is small, does not grow and has low productivity. Lack of market integration and limited information on non-local products often leave consumers unaware...

by Robert T. Jensen | On 12 Jun 2018

Empirical Analysis of Factors Influencing Price of Solar Modules

The solar energy market has seen huge growth in recent years with a vast increase in solar cumulative capacity worldwide. One of the key drivers behind this growth is the decline in solar module price...

by Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary | On 11 Jun 2018

Constructing the Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation and Integration Index: A Panel Approach

This paper proposes a panel approach in the construction of the Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation and Integration Index (ARCII) to strengthen the index’s ability to track the progress of economic inte...

by Cyn-Young Park | On 06 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

Energy Productivity And Energy Demand: Experimental Evidence From Indian Manufacturing Plants

This paper studies a field experiment among energy-intensive Indian manufacturing plants that offered energy consulting to raise energy productivity, the amount plants can produce with e...

by Nicholas Ryan | On 30 May 2018

Financial Inclusion: Indian Initiatives in the Global Perspective

This comprehensive paper attempts to critically evaluate the initiatives taken by India through the Reserve Bank of India in achieving financial inclusion and the efforts made...

by | On 28 May 2018

National Policy on Biofuels

Biofuels are derived from renewable bio - mass resources and, therefore, provide a strategic advantage to promote sustainable development and to supplement conventional...

by Government of India GOI | On 17 May 2018

Labour Regulations in India: Improving the Social Security Framework

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

by Anwarul Hoda | On 30 Apr 2018

Solid Waste Management in India An Assessment of Resource Recovery and Environmental Impact

This study analyses the environmental and financial sustainability of solid waste management in Indian cities. It presents an assessment of the rapidly rising volume of municipal solid...

by | On 26 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

Global Food Policy Report 2018

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

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

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

Nepal Human Development Report 2014: Beyond Geography Unlocking Human Potential

The report presents a rigorous statistical analysis across space and time, using the available national data.

by National Planning (NPC) | On 13 Apr 2018

Draft National Forest Policy, 2018

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

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

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

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

by Luigi Minale | On 04 Apr 2018

International Commodity Prices and Domestic Bank Lending in Developing Countries

We study the role of the bank-lending channel in propagating fluctuations in commodity prices to credit aggregates and economic activity in developing countries. We use data on more than 1,600 banks...

by | On 30 Mar 2018

Money, Income, Prices, and Causality in Pakistan: A Trivariate Analysis

The report says that there has been a long debate in economics regarding the role of money in an economy particularly in the determination of income and prices.

by Fazal Hussain | On 27 Mar 2018

Regional Cooperation to Combat Climate Change: The Way Forward

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

by | On 21 Mar 2018

Stories of Empowerment – Case Studies of Empowerment of Rural Workers

With a population nearing 60 million, half of which occupies the two major cities of Karachi and Hyderabad, Sindh is the only province with a rural population in the minority. Research conducted by PI...

by Salman Rashid | On 21 Mar 2018

Status of Labour Rights in Pakistan 2015

The PILER 2015 Report on the Status of Labour Rights, fifth in the series, based on secondary research, aims to present an overview of the status of labour and the issues in the year impacting labour...

by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research (PILER) | On 21 Mar 2018

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

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

by | On 16 Mar 2018

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

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

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

by Ombretta Tempra | On 09 Mar 2018

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

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

by | On 06 Mar 2018

Report Summary Women’s Healthcare: Policy Options

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

by Nivedita Rao | On 06 Mar 2018

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

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

by | On 26 Feb 2018

The Growth Slowdown and the Working of Inflation Targeting in India

The paper presents a variety of indicators to show that demand constrained output during the period of growth slowdown 2011-17. It also draws on research to show the macroeconomic structure of the eco...

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 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

Maritime Terrorism and Piracy: Security Challenges in South East Asia

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

by Vijay Sakhuja | On 09 Feb 2018

Budget 2018: Highlights of the Draft FY2018 Japan Budget

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

by | On 09 Feb 2018

Of Hits and Misses: An Analysis of Union Budget 2018-19

The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the budgetary provisions for important social sectors and the vulnerable sections of the population. It also presents an overview of the fiscal indicat...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability CBGA | On 05 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 5: Sustainable Development, Energy and Climate Change

India continues to undertake and effectively implement a large number of actions relating to energy, environment and climate, in particular, covering renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable...

by Arun Jaitley | On 01 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 4: Prices and Inflation

Inflation in the country continued to moderate during 2017-18. CPI based headline inflation averaged 3.3 per cent during April-December 2017-18, the lowest in the last six financial years. The signi...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Social Infrastructure: Way Forward

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

by Lakshmi Priya | On 31 Jan 2018

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

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

by Arun Jaitley | On 30 Jan 2018

Recent Changes in Measurement of India’s GDP: Overall Issues and Some Focus on Agriculture

This paper discusses (a) changes in measurement in industry and services (b) changes made in agriculture sector and (c) major issues on the measurement of GDP in new series. There are long term or l...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 29 Jan 2018

Regional Analysis of Sanitation Performance in India

Introduction: India bears a disproportionate burden of open defecation in spite of investing more and more funds and ushering in several institutional efforts including Swachh Bharat Mission in the...

by Arijita Dutta | On 23 Jan 2018

China's Arctic Calculus and Iceland

The brief says that China has been proactive in intelligence gathering and has even installed signal and intelligence equipment in other countries.

by Vijay Sakhuja | On 23 Jan 2018

Can We Measure the Power of the Grabbing Hand?: A Comparative Analysis of Different Indicators of Corruption

This paper critically reviews the strengths and weaknesses of various objective and subjective indicators of corruption.

by Alexander Hamilton | On 15 Jan 2018

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

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

by Tanmay Sarkar | On 12 Jan 2018

Global Technology Watch Group Renewable Energy Technologies

The report says that sun radiates energy uniformly in all directions in the form of electromagnetic waves. Solar energy is clean, non-depleting and abundantly available to mankind.

by National Institute of Advanced Studies | On 09 Jan 2018

Prioritizing Agricultural Research and Extension

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

by | On 27 Dec 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reduction and the World Trade Organization

his paper develops the contours of an ambitious approach to fossil fuel subsidy reform using the multilateral trade system.

by Joel Trachtman | On 26 Dec 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform In The WTO: Options For Constraining Dual Pricing In The Multilateral Trading System

This paper discusses the practice of energy dual pricing in the broader context of fossil fuel subsidy reform.

by Anna Marhold | On 20 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

Access To Medicines In The Philippines: Overcoming The Barriers

The study says that the said passage has led to the decline of medicine prices since 2009, primarily through the efforts of the Department of Health (DOH) to implement the law using measures on maximu...

by Ramon Clarete | On 12 Dec 2017

What does the new 2011-12 IIP series tell us about the Indian manufacturing sector?

The paper discusses the changes in the new 2011-12 base year series of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) to ask, whether the new series has improved our under-standing of the growth in the manu...

by Radhika Pandey | On 12 Dec 2017

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

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

by | On 08 Dec 2017

Globalisation, Democratic Decentralisation and Social Secutiy in India

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

by | On 07 Dec 2017

MGNREGA Job Sustainability and Poverty in Sikkim

MGNREGA rural developmental works undertaken since February 2006 in Sikkim have achieved a sustainable characteristic by adopting an environment friendly approach. A range of works on water, soil and...

by Marchang Reimeingam | On 05 Dec 2017

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

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

by Muhammad Iftikhar | On 01 Dec 2017

Fund-Raising For Energy Projects In Pakistan

This paper reviews the investment situation in energy sector of Pakistan. Using secondary data sources, official documents and pledges by development partners.

by Huma Khan | On 30 Nov 2017

Labour Regulations in India: Improving the Social Security Framework

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

by | On 30 Nov 2017

Freedom of Expression in Pakistan: A myth or a reality

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

by Sadaf Liaquat | On 23 Nov 2017

Price Discovery in some Primary Commodity Markets in India

With the onset of wide-ranging economic reforms in India in 1991, agents have been exposed to increased price risk in commodity markets. Futures markets are one important instrument for reducing price...

by Raushan Kumar | On 07 Nov 2017

State-level Policy Analysis for PV Module Manufacturing in India

This analysis has identified three major challenges, which need to be addressed to make module manufacturing competitive in India

by Bhupesh Verma | On 02 Nov 2017

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

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

by M. Gopinath Reddy | On 27 Oct 2017

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

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

by Kea Tijdens | On 23 Oct 2017

Undersea Pipedreams and Indian Energy Security

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

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

Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Irrigation Pumping in Karnataka - Challenges and Prospects

The report says that, Karnataka is the second most arid state in the country.

by Mohd. Ali | On 11 Oct 2017

Picking the Winner : Measuring Urban Sustainability in India

This study provides a snapshot of the sustainability of selected Indian cities by employing 57 indicators in four dimensions to develop an overall city sustainability index. In recent years, its compl...

by | On 06 Oct 2017

The Effects of Energy Price Changes: Heterogeneous Welfare Impacts, Energy Poverty, and CO2 Emissions in Indonesia

The empirical context of our study is Indonesia, a country with a long tradition of regulating consumer energy prices and a recent change in subsidy policies, facilitated by dramatically falling oil p...

by Sebastian Renner | On 29 Sep 2017

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

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

by Johanna Catherine Maclean | On 25 Sep 2017

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

Recent Changes in Measurement of India's GDP: Overall Issues and Some Focus on Agriculture

This paper discusses (a) changes in measurement in industry and services (b) changes made in agriculture sector and (c) major issues on the measurement of GDP in new series. There are long term or leg...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 18 Sep 2017

An Analysis of Revisions in Indian GDP Data

This paper studies the revisions in the annual estimates of India's GDP data. The objective of the analysis is to understand the revision policy adopted by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) a...

by Amey Sapre | 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

Growth Effects of Economic Globalization: A Cross-Country Analysis

This paper analyses the effect of economic globalization indicators on economic growth through the channels of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) by using panel data approach and conducting policy simula...

by Sovna Mohanty | On 13 Sep 2017

Trade Potential of the Fishery Sector: Evidence from India

The contribution of fisheries sector to Indian merchandise trade and to world fishery trade is substantial. The items traded have gained reputation over the years which will help to keep the momentum...

by Veena Renjini K K | On 13 Sep 2017

State Intervention: A Gift or Threat to India’s Sugarcane Sector?

This paper examines the nature, changes and factors responsible for issues and problems faced by the sugarcane growers and sugar mills in India. This paper is based on the latest available secondary d...

by Abnave Vikas B. | On 12 Sep 2017

Tamil Nadu Migration Survey 2015

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state by area and the sixth most populous state in India with 75 million as per the 2011 census. The state was ranked sixth among the states in India according to th...

by S.Irudaya Rajan | On 06 Sep 2017

Assessment of the 2017 Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion

This paper aims to assess the implications of these bills on the distribution of tax burden across income groups, economic incentives in affected sectors, national government revenues, and likely impa...

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 01 Sep 2017

Culture and Food Security

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

by Elena Briones Alonso | On 31 Aug 2017

Incentivising Domestic Manufacturing for a Sustainable Solar Industry

The report says that the global financial meltdown contributed to slowing down of global solar deployment, and allowed Indian developers to squeeze their costs further, demanding preferential rates an...

by Mohd. Ali | On 29 Aug 2017

Indian Defence Budget 2016-17: A Curtain Raiser

The report narrates about, should India’s national defence budget be discussed and deliberated in public domain?

by Deba Mohanty | On 28 Aug 2017

Strengthening India’s External Intelligence Infrastructure: An Assessment

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

by Shantanu Bansal | On 28 Aug 2017

Price Distortions in Indian Agriculture

The study is about estimating the extent to which domestic prices of major Indian agriculture commodities deviate from their corresponding free trade reference prices. The free trade reference prices...

by Shweta Saini | On 23 Aug 2017

Developing India's Offshore Local Currency Bond Market: Lessons from Emerging Countries

This paper takes stock. It assesses the current market state and structure, surveys a cross-section of market participants to identify the relevant issues, and employs two case studies of EME peers, C...

by Renu Kohli | On 23 Aug 2017

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

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

by Shweta Saini | On 21 Aug 2017

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

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

by Jan van Ours | On 17 Aug 2017

A Sustainable Development Framework for India’s Climate Policy: Interim Report

This study’s framework could serve as an alternative development paradigm for India and other developing countries.

by Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy CSTEP | On 14 Aug 2017

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

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

by Jaimini Bhagwati | On 11 Aug 2017

India, Climate Change and Security in South Asia

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

by David Antos | On 09 Aug 2017

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

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

by Calcutta Group | On 04 Aug 2017

A Measure of Finance-Neutral Output Gap for India

In the Indian context, the present literature on estimation of potential output - the level of output that an economy can produce sustainably over the medium term is based on an understanding that sus...

by Deba Prasad Rath | On 04 Aug 2017

Comparison of Consumer and Wholesale Prices Indices in India: An Analysis of Properties and Sources of Divergence

This paper provides a comparative assessment of CPI and WPI in terms of its key characteristics, particularly on the method of compilation, distributional properties and measures of underlying inflat...

by Praggya Das | On 04 Aug 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

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

Concepts and Realities of Family Farming in Asia and the Pacific

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

by Jingzhong Ye | On 30 Jul 2017

Design of Solar Field and Performance Estimation of Solar Tower Plants

The major components in a ST plant are the heliostats, receivers, tower, HTF, working fluid and power block.

by G. Srilakshmi | On 28 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

Rural Renewable Energy Investments and Their Impact on Employment

his series of project publications aims to capture the tools, methods, and processes developed under the EC and ILO joint project entitled “Strengthening the Impact on Employment of Sector and Trade...

by Internaional Labour Organization [ILO] | 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

The Economic Impacts of the Clean Power Plan: How Studies of the Same Regulation can Produce such Different Results

The main objective of the paper is to of add clarity to the debate over the economic effects of regulations like the CPP. It is shown that studies of the same regulation using similar methodologies c...

by Noah Kaufman | On 28 Jul 2017

Fuel Blending in India: Learnings and Way Forward

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

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

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

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

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

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

Renewable Energy Developments and Potential in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Renewable energy is a challenge, but also an opportunity for new industries, employment, and new ways to reduce dependency on fuel imports, provide electricity to poor remote areas, reduce air polluti...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Draft National Energy Policy

The NEP anticipates major transformations on the energy demand and supply sides arising out of fast evolving technology, consumer behaviour and air quality considerations. It provides for a flexible...

by Niti Aayog GOI | On 13 Jul 2017

Quantifying Water and Energy Linkages in Irrigation: Experiences From Viet Nam

This publication summarizes the results of a pilot study to quantify water and energy use in high-effciency irrigation systems in Viet Nam.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Jul 2017

Sustainable Energy for All Status Report: Tracking Progress in Asia and the Pacific - A Summary Report

This report summarizes the initial activities of the Regional Hub, and contextualizes the challenges in Asia and the Pacific with the global efforts to reach the 2030 targets.

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

Knowledge and Power: Lessons from ADB Energy Projects

This publication offers a snapshot of the region’s energy sources and how they are used, and presents recent developments and challenges that emphasize the urgency and necessity of sustainable energy...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 Jul 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Indonesia: Trends, Impacts, and Reforms

This study measures the size of fossil fuel subsidies such as underpricing of petroleum products and electricity, tax exemptions, and subsidized credit; examines the potential economic, energy, and en...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 Jul 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Thailand: Trends, Impacts, and Reforms

This study measures the size of fossil fuel subsidies such as tax breaks for diesel and natural gas, market price support for natural gas for vehicles, and free electricity for low-income consumers as...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 Jul 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2017

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Jun 2017

Fiji: Creating Quality Jobs - Employment Diagnostic Study

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Jun 2017

Statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict

The report says Mother Earth cleanses us from violent pollution and her waters renew us as we recover from violent penetration. The ancestors strengthen us and elders give insights on strategies for...

by Documentation and Information Sustainability (DINIPS) | On 20 Jun 2017

Sri Lanka: Development Effectiveness Brief

The paper says that Sri Lanka has emerged in recent years as one of the most dynamic countries in South Asia. With a rich cultural heritage, an increasingly sophisticated work force, and a strategic l...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 19 Jun 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Asia: Trends, Impacts, and Reforms - Integrative Report

This report measures the size of associated subsidies on these fossil fuels including direct transfers, tax exemptions, subsidized credit, and losses of state enterprises in India, Indonesia, and Thai...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jun 2017

Digital Financial Services in the Pacific: Experiences and Regulatory Issues

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jun 2017

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

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

by Kavita Bhatia | On 14 Jun 2017

2015 Clean Energy Investments: Project Summaries

This report summarizes the investments in clean energy made by ADB in 2015, condensing information from project databases and formal reports in an easy-to-reference format. This report was prepared by...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 08 Jun 2017

Myanmar Transport Sector Policy Note: How to Reduce Transport Costs

This report includes proposed measures for Myanmar’s road sector, rail sector, river transport, and policy measures, summarizing the costs and benefits of each, ranked by their benefit-to-cost-ratio.

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: Rural Roads and Access

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 01 Jun 2017

Climate Change and Variability What are the Risks for Nutrition, Diets, and Food Systems?

The paper uses a food systems approach to analyze the bidirectional relationships between climate change and food and nutrition along the entire food value chain. It then identifies adaptation and mit...

by Jessica Fanzo | On 30 May 2017

Draft Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare

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

by | On 23 May 2017

INDIA Leaps Ahead: Transformative Mobility Solutions For All

The report says India can save 64% of anticipated passenger road-based mobility-related energy demand and 37% of carbon emissions in 2030 by pursuing a shared, electric, and connected mobility future....

by Shikha Juyal | On 17 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

Nature-Based Solutions for Building Resilience in Towns and Cities: Case Studies from the Greater Mekong Subregion

This publication highlights the results of a successful partnership between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM) with cofinancing from the...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 May 2017

Mongolia: Development Effectiveness Brief

The paper mentions that over the 25 years that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with Mongolia, the country continues to be defined to a certain extent by its transition to free market re...

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

Asian Water Development Outlook 2016: Description of Methodology and Data

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 May 2017

Assessment of Microinsurance as Emerging Microfinance for the Poor: The Case of the Philippines

The report says that the Government of the Philippines was engaged in delivery of subsidized credit programs. Since these programs were largely unsuccessful in meeting the objective of providing sus...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 08 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

Economics Of Climate Change Mitigation In Central And West Asia

The ecological complexity of the Central and West Asian region gives way to diverse ecosystems with rich natural resources and hydrocarbon reserves; countries in this region are not only exposed to...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

The Emerging Indonesian Data Center Market And Energy Efficiency Opportunities

This study contributes to a growing body of research demonstrating that adoption of internationally available and well-proven energy efficiency measures can improve the effectiveness, sustainability...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Vision: Powering Asia in the 21st Century

High growth rates during the precrisis period have helped South Asia reduce poverty rates and raise living standards. But despite gains in alleviating poverty, the number of poor people in the region...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

The informational role of algorithmic traders in the option market

This paper investigates the information role of algorithmic traders (AT) in the Nifty index option market. I analyse a unique dataset to test for information-based trading by looking at the effect of...

by Rohini Grover | On 04 May 2017

Picking The Winner: Measuring Urban

This study provides a snapshot of the sustainability of selected Indian cities by employing 57 indicators in four dimensions to develop an overall city sustainability index. In recent years, its comp...

by B.Sudhakara Reddy | On 03 May 2017

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

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

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

Security Cooperation in South Asia

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

by | On 17 Apr 2017

Space India 2.0 Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives

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

by | On 14 Apr 2017

Groundwater Depletion, Adaptation and Migration: Evidence from Gujarat, India

Increasing water scarcity is expected to impact food production and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in semi arid developing countries over the next decades. Multiple studies project that this a...

by | On 22 Mar 2017

State of the World’s Forests 2016

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

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

The Cooperative Pathway of Enhancing Rural Livelihood and Nutrition Security

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

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 14 Mar 2017

Haryana Budget : 2017-18

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

by Haryana Government | On 07 Mar 2017

Kerala Budget 2017-18

Kerala budget presented by Hon.Finance Minister Thomas Issac.

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

The Cyber Command: Upgrading India's National Security Architecture

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

by | On 03 Feb 2017

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

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

by | On 02 Feb 2017

Collective Action on South Asia's 'Wicked Problems'

The problems of water, energy, climate change, and urbanisation, are all intertwined; they are, also, all 'wicked'. There is little consensus on how to effectively navigate these problems, let alone,...

by | On 02 Feb 2017

Debating the World in the Asian Century

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

by | On 02 Feb 2017

Vital Stats: State of the Economy 2016-17

The Union Budget for 2017-18 will be presented on February 1, 2017. In this context, we present data regarding the state of the Indian economy in 2016-17, across indicators such as gross domestic pro...

by Tanvi Deshpande | On 01 Feb 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

Performance on Health Outcomes: A Reference Guide Book

It is anticipated that this health index will assist in State level monitoring of performance, serve as an input for providing performance based incentives and improvement in health outcomes, thereby...

by Niti Aayog GOI | 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

Global Wind Energy Outlook 2016

The Global Wind Energy Council is pleased to present this 6th edition of the Global Wind Energy Outlook, looking at the future of our industry out to 2020, 2030 and ultimately to 2050. What happens in...

by | On 05 Jan 2017

Going Cashless: Is India Ready for Digital?

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

by | On 04 Jan 2017

Solar Energy and Economic Development In India: A Review

Shortage of electricity prompted the countries to give a momentum to renewable energy resources. Renewable energy refers to energy resources that Aries naturally and repeatedly in the environment and...

by | On 04 Jan 2017

Cost of Controlling Water Pollution and its Impact on Industrial Efficiency

This paper estimates the cost of effluent discharge regulations for firms located in the lower Kelani River catchment in Sri Lanka. The river provides water for many economic purposes including drin...

by Asha Gunawardena | On 23 Dec 2016

Living Planet Report 2016: Risk and Resilience in a New Era

This WWF Living Planet Report comes at a critical juncture following the remarkable successes in 2015 of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals fo...

by World Wide Fund | On 23 Dec 2016

The Future of Nuclear Energy in India

India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) outlines its intent to scale up the country's clean-energy capacity. At the same...

by | On 21 Dec 2016

Inflation in Pakistan: Money or Oil Prices

The study attempted to investigate the determinants of inflation in case of Pakistan and to check the validity of monetarist stance that inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon by i...

by Mehak Moazam | On 07 Dec 2016

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

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

by | On 28 Nov 2016

Burden of Diseases due to Air Pollution in Urban India

Air pollution causes some of the most serious long-term impacts on human health. Unlike other health problems, the diseases caused by air-pollution are likely to affect everyone exposed to polluted...

by Amrita Ghatak | On 25 Nov 2016

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

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

by Aashish Khakha | On 03 Nov 2016

Building BRICS in Goa

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

by Al Jazeera . | On 25 Oct 2016

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

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

by | On 24 Oct 2016

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

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

by | On 17 Oct 2016

Trade Shocks and the Provision of Local Public Goods

We analyze the impact of trade-induced income shocks on the size of local government, and the provision of public services. Areas in the US with declining labor demand and incomes due to increasing im...

by | 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

Poor Women in Urban India: Issues and Strategies

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

by | On 05 Oct 2016

Recent Changes in the Fiscal Architecture in India and Implications for Financing Climate Change Interventions

The recent changes in the institutional and fiscal architecture of the country following the constitution of NITI Aayog and release of report of the Fourteenth Finance Commission, have implications...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability CBGA | On 04 Oct 2016

Ambient Air Pollution: A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Disease

This report presents a summary of methods and results of the latest WHO global assessment of ambient air pollution exposure and the resulting burden of disease. Air pollution has become a growing con...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 28 Sep 2016

Empowerment and Rehabilitation of Youth

Engaging is a major concern. Utilising the leisure time of the youth and harnessing their exuberance and raw energy for creative activities is essential. Simultaneously, but more substantially there i...

by United Nations (UN) | 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

The Power of Sport Values

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

by UNESCO UNESCO | On 20 Sep 2016

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

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

Harvesting Solar Power in India!

This is particularly so when the current solar power capacity in the country has just touched 8000 MW by July end, 2016, and no country in the world has such an ambitious target as India has set out...

by Ashok Gulati | On 16 Sep 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by | On 09 Sep 2016

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

Smallholder Agriculture’s Contribution to Better Nutrition

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

by Steve Wiggins | On 06 Sep 2016

The MDG Hunger Target and the Contested Visions of Food Security

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

by | On 06 Sep 2016

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

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

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 05 Sep 2016

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

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

by | On 05 Sep 2016

How Can India Help Prevent Food Price Volatility?

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

by M. S. Swaminathan | On 02 Sep 2016

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

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

by World Bank [WB] | On 01 Sep 2016

Challenges to Food Security in South Asia

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

by Arindam Banerjee | On 31 Aug 2016

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

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

by N.C. Saxena | On 31 Aug 2016

Picking the Winner: Measuring Urban Sustainability in India

This study provides a snapshot of the sustainability of selected Indian cities by employing 57 indicators in four dimensions to develop an overall city sustainability index. In recent years, its comp...

by B.Sudhakara Reddy | On 29 Aug 2016

How does Supply Chain Distortion affect Food Inflation in India?

During the recent episode of persistently high food inflation in India, the role of rent seeking activities of food suppliers emerged as the centre of debate in the country. The rent seeking activitie...

by Rudrani Bhattacharya | On 29 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

Microcredit Program Participation and Household Food Security in Rural Bangladesh

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

by | On 25 Aug 2016

Education for Rural Development: Towards New Policy Responses

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

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

Food Security and Agricultural Development in Times of High Commodity Prices

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

by | On 24 Aug 2016

Trends and Patterns in the Triple Burden of Malnutrition in India

This paper brings together recent evidence on what has come to be referred to as the triple burden of malnutrition—consisting of overnutrition, undernutriton, and micronutrient deficiencies—using va...

by Meenakshi J V | On 19 Aug 2016

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

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

by | On 17 Aug 2016

Estimation of the Food Poverty Line

To monitor changes in absolute poverty across time, it is crucial to ensure that the established poverty line is a fixed standard of living that represents the minimum standard required by an individu...

by Jose Ramon Alber | On 17 Aug 2016

Revisiting RP's Hybrid Rice Program

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

by Philippine Institute for Development Studies | On 16 Aug 2016

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

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

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

An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security

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

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

Public Expenditure, Governance and Human Development: A Case of Madhya Pradesh

This paper examines the link between quality of governance, public expenditure and human development outcomes in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The role of governance is measured in five dimensions: Pol...

by N R Bhanumurthy | On 12 Aug 2016

Productivity of Agricultural Credit in India: Assessing the Recent Role of Institutional Credit to Agriculture in India using State Level Data

the study has been able to highlight the increasing role that agriculture credit is playing in supporting agriculture production in recent times- credit accounted for 16% of the total value of paid...

by Sudha Narayanan | On 10 Aug 2016

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

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

by Craig Hanson | On 10 Aug 2016

Union Army Veterans, All Grown Up

This paper overviews the research opportunities made possible by a NIA-funded program project, Early Indicators, Intergenerational Processes, and Aging. Data collection began almost three decades ago...

by Dora Costa | On 09 Aug 2016

Gender and Food Security

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

by Bridge Cutting Edge Programme | On 09 Aug 2016

Social Development of SIDS, Health and NCDs, Youth and Women

SIDS underscore social development as one of the three dimensions of sustainable development key to ensuring results are achieved for most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Small island developing states...

by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNDESA | On 09 Aug 2016

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

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

by European union | On 09 Aug 2016

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in LDCs

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

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

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

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

by Jarilkasin Ilyasov | On 08 Aug 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility in India: Potential to Contribute Towards Inclusive Social Development

Over the past few years CSR, as a concept, has been the focus of many deliberations and research. It has grown in importance both academically as well as in the business sense. It captures a spectrum...

by Ernst and Young | On 04 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

Competitive Bidding for Wind Sector

CSTEP organised a stakeholder consultation workshop on the wind energy sector at the request of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently. The main objectives of this workshop were to d...

by | On 27 Jul 2016

Bridging the Gap: Do Fast Reacting Fossil Technologies Facilitate Renewable Energy Diffusion?

This paper discusses the role of fossil-based power generation technologies in supporting renewable energy investments. It studies the deployment of technologies conditional on all other drivers in 26...

by Elena Verdolini | On 25 Jul 2016

Business as Usual: Responses within ASEAN to the Food Crisis

The United Nations estimates that the number of people worldwide who suffer from chronic food shortages might now exceed one billion. That skyrocketing prices of food in general, and...

by Randall Arnst | On 22 Jul 2016

Distributional Effects of Means Testing Social Security: Income Versus Wealth

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

by Alan Gustman | On 20 Jul 2016

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

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

by United Nations (UN) | On 20 Jul 2016

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016

The agenda is a road map for people that will build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and ensure sustainable social and economic progress worldwide. It seeks not only to eradicate ex...

by United Nations (UN) | On 20 Jul 2016

A More Sustainable Energy Strategy for India

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

by Montek Ahluwalia | On 19 Jul 2016

Food Security and the Millennium Development Goal on Hunger in Asia

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

by | On 19 Jul 2016

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

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

by Kusum Malik | On 18 Jul 2016

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

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

Labour Law and Governance Reforms in India: A Partial and Misguided View of Employment Relations

Labour regulation in India has engaged the attention of not only policy makers but also social actors, researchers and practioners. Policy measures have started rolling out from the state governments...

by Shyam Sundar | On 11 Jul 2016

Odisha State Agriculture Policy 2013

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

by Government of Odisha | On 11 Jul 2016

Rural Livelihood Diversification and its Measurement Issues: Focus India

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

by Rajiv Mehta | On 11 Jul 2016

Projecting Progress: The SDGs in Asia-Pacific

This paper presents Asia-Pacific’s likely progress across the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, if trends continue on their current trajectories. Some Asian countries have been the world’s top per...

by | On 07 Jul 2016

Energy Security for India: Petroleum Demand Estimations and Projections

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

by Pradeep Agrawal | On 07 Jul 2016

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

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

by | On 04 Jul 2016

Climate Change Risks and Opportunities in Uttarakhand, India

The Climate Knowledge and Development Network supported a Vulnerability and Risk Assessment process in Uttarakhand to provide the Government of Uttarakhand with the evidence base to refine and priorit...

by Climate and Development Knowledge Network CDKN | On 30 Jun 2016

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

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

by Katherine Ross | On 30 Jun 2016

Beautiful Minds: The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics

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

by Saibal Ghosh | On 30 Jun 2016

Global Commodity Prices and Inflation in a Small Open Economy

Global commodity prices surge of 2007-08 sent an inflationary shock across the countries. 2014 global prices descend resulted in significant disinflation in many countries and even deflation in some ...

by Muhammad Nadim Hanif | On 30 Jun 2016

Maternal Anthropometry and Birth Outcome among Bengalis in Kolkata

This study has done a test as to what degree anthropometric measurements are useful and efficient in predicting birth outcome of pregnancy and also to determine the quantitative associations of anthr...

by Samiran Bisai | 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

Water Scarcity and Food Security

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

by | On 24 Jun 2016

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

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

by World Food Programme WFP | On 24 Jun 2016

Right to Food in India: Mitigating amidst Challenges

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

by Aarti Salve | On 24 Jun 2016

Food Security Challenges in Asia

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

by Asian Bank | On 23 Jun 2016

Innovative Water Management Technologies for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation

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

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

Nutrition and Agriculture

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

by Lawrence Haddad | On 17 Jun 2016

Putting Justice First: Legal Strategies to Combat Human Trafficking in India

The comprehensive research found significant impediments preventing victims of trafficking from using the courts: from the lack of specialised legal assistance, to the absence of protection for those...

by The Thomson Reuters Foundation | On 17 Jun 2016

Desertification and Land Degradation: Atlas of India

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

by Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO | On 17 Jun 2016

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

A Report on Elder Abuse and Crime in India

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

by Helpage India | On 15 Jun 2016

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

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

by | On 10 Jun 2016

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

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

by | On 10 Jun 2016

Role of Finance with a Special Focus on Microfinance in Enhancing Clean Energy Access

A number of initiatives have been taken by the government as well as the private sector to address the challenge of energy access in India. In this context, WWF-India conducted a study to measure/asse...

by | On 09 Jun 2016

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

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

by Virgil Fievet | On 09 Jun 2016

‘Lighting up’ the Lives of the Poor

In India, a majority of rural households meet their energy requirements from traditional fuel sources, such as fuel wood, agricultural residues and kerosene. Statistics shows that 21 percent of villag...

by | On 09 Jun 2016

Building the Foundations for Sustainable Nutrient Management

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

by United Nations Environment Programme UNEP | On 07 Jun 2016

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

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

by Aziz Elbehri | On 06 Jun 2016

Global Commodity Prices and Inflation in a Small Open Economy

Global commodity prices surge of 2007-08 sent an inflationary shock across the countries. 2014 global prices descend resulted in significant disinflation in many countries and...

by Muhammad Nadim Hanif | On 06 Jun 2016

Nutrition: The First Two Years are Forever

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

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

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

Solar for Powering Health and Education in India

This study, based on analysis of secondary data, assesses the current state of electricity access in PHCs and rural primary schools. Given the increasing policy support for solar energy in India, it a...

by | On 02 Jun 2016

UNEP Year Book: Emerging Issues in Our Global Environment

The UNEP Year Book 2012 examines emerging environmental issues and policy-relevant developments, while providing an overview of the latest trends based on key environmental indicators. It spotlights...

by United Nations Environment Programme UNEP | On 02 Jun 2016

Re-Assessment of India’s On-shore Wind Power Potential

Wind energy is a very important contributor in the global power sector, today, contributing nearly 4% of overall electricity generation. The main drivers include energy security, climate change and en...

by Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy CSTEP | On 01 Jun 2016

Climate Change in Madhya Pradesh: Indicators, Impacts and Adaptation

Climate variability and climate change pose an enormous pressure on population, infrastructure, livelihood, and socio-economic conditions. Evidences of climate change are already visible on many secto...

by Vimal Mishra | On 30 May 2016

Women and Conflict in Afghanistan

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

by International Crisis Group | On 26 May 2016

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

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

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

by | On 23 May 2016

India State Hunger Index: Comparisons of Hunger across States

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

by Purnima Menon | On 20 May 2016

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

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

by | On 19 May 2016

Climate Refugees: A Sad Reality

Climate refugees are basically poor, helpless people forced to migrate from their homes because of climatic changes. Even as migration stands to be the most time-tested coping mechanism of the people,...

by | On 19 May 2016

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

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

by | On 18 May 2016

Rainwater Harvesting: A Lifeline for Human Well-Being

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

by | On 18 May 2016

More Than a Lightbulb: Five Recommendations to Make Modern Energy Access Meaningful for People and Prosperity

"Modern energy access” is finally on the international agenda, but the current common definition of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per capita per year is far too low. To reflect likely demand and historica...

by Todd Moss | On 18 May 2016

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

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

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

Biodiversity and Sustainable Development

The present publication reinforces the importance of biodiversity, particularly in the context of sustainable development. It attempts to give an overview of the issue, by analysing the main thematic...

by | On 18 May 2016

Biodiversity and Sustainable Development: A Critical Analysis

Solving the problem of environmental threats and a dwindling biodiversity has been on the international agenda for some decades now. The formulation of environmental questions, however, is changing sl...

by | On 18 May 2016

Quality of Social Science Research in India

There is a growing recognition of the importance of academic research in India and is being monitored by public institutions. However the focus in these assessments has remained largely confined to...

by Amit S. Ray | On 16 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

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

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

by World Bank [WB] | On 11 May 2016

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

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

by | On 11 May 2016

Well-being, Happiness, and Public Policy

As a background paper to the International Expert Working Group on a New Development Paradigm, this document seeks to synthesise for busy readers how the IEWG might explain and defend well-being and h...

by | On 11 May 2016

Air Pollution in Delhi: Air Quality Index - Public Awareness Tool

The air pollution in Delhi is shown and how the air quality index is calculated and the health impacts are shown here.

by J.K. Bassin | On 11 May 2016

Evaluation Study of Targeted Public Distribution System in Selected States

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

by Sohini Paul | On 09 May 2016

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

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

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

by Mousumi Das | On 02 May 2016

Educational Attainment of Young Adults in India: Measures, Trends & Determinants

Given the fact that education of young adults plays crucial role from both economic and social point of view, the objective of the study is to analyse the pattern of improvements in their education an...

by Runu Bhakta | On 02 May 2016

Evaluating Reliability of Some Symmetric and Asymmetric Univariate Filters

This paper examines statistical reliability of univariate filters for estimation of trend in leading indicators of cyclical changes.

by Anusha . | On 02 May 2016

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

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

by | On 02 May 2016

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

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

by | On 02 May 2016

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

Kerala: Economic Review 2015

The latest edition of the Economic Review is brought out with the objective of providing valuable and comprehensive information about Kerala’s economic performance in the last year of the 12th Five...

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 29 Apr 2016

Tamil Nadu: Monitorable Indicators and Performance

This study aims to provide a mid term appraisal of the Tamil Nadu of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. For this purpose, it reviews the trends in the following state specific monitorable indicators since...

by | On 27 Apr 2016

Questions and Answers on the European Commission Communication: The Paris Protocol – A Blueprint for Tackling Global Climate Change beyond 2020

The Communication sets out the EU's vision for a transparent and dynamic, legally binding United Nations climate change agreement that sets the world on a pathway to prevent global warming from reachi...

by European union | On 26 Apr 2016

Energy Union: Secure, Sustainable, Competitive, Affordable Energy for every European

Energy is used to heat and to cool buildings and homes, transport goods, and power the economy. But with ageing infrastructure, poorly integrated markets, and uncoordinated policies, our consumers, h...

by European union | On 26 Apr 2016

Elderly in India

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Pasquale Steduto | On 13 Apr 2016

International Food Security Assessment, 2015-2025

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

by Anthony Murray | On 12 Apr 2016

Report of the Commission on Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh

Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh is in an advanced stage of crisis. While this is a generalised rural crisis, the burden has fallen disproportionately on small and marginal farmers, tenant farmers and ru...

by Government Andhra Pradesh | On 12 Apr 2016

Human Security & Food Security

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

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

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

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

by Ankita Goyal | On 05 Apr 2016

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

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

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

Global Food Policy Report 2016

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

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 04 Apr 2016

Budget Speech Delhi: 2016-17

Budget speech by Finance Minister Manish Sisodia.

by Manish Sisodia | On 29 Mar 2016

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

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

by | On 28 Mar 2016

How the Collapse of ‘Chimerica’ Will Affect South Asia

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

by Shahid Javed Burki | On 28 Mar 2016

Towards Drinking Water Security in India: Lessons from the Field

With the help of Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has collected some models of good practices from different parts of the country. Care has been ta...

by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation MDWS | On 22 Mar 2016

Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2016

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

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

Mixed-Design Approach in Impact Evaluation: Principles and Practice

There is no single method in impact evaluation that can always address the different aspects better than others. Importance of mixed design approach in impact evaluation studies arises with the need f...

by Navneet Kaur | On 21 Mar 2016

A Case for China’s Security Role in South Asia

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

by Ramandeep Kaur | On 21 Mar 2016

India-Bangladesh Relations: Moving towards Friendship

India-Bangladesh relations are advancing rapidly in recent times. There are of course some impediments such as non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in trade, and the Teesta water-sharing dispute that need to be...

by Chandrani Sarma | On 21 Mar 2016

Outcome and Impact Level Outcome and Impact Level Indicators Indicators Agriculture and Agriculture and Rural Development

This working paper outlines a set of indicators at the outcome and impact level for the agriculture and rural development sector. It does not focus on implementation (e.g. output level indicators such...

by European union | On 20 Mar 2016

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

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

by Songqing Jin | On 20 Mar 2016

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

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

by Saikat Datta | On 17 Mar 2016

Exchange Market Pressure in India

In this paper, we empirically investigate the episodes of currency market stress/crisis in India during the period 1992 – 2012 with the help of a monthly EMP index for India constructed for this perio...

by Anuradha Guru | On 16 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

Financial Soundness Indicators for Financial Sector Stability - A Tale of Three Asian Countries

The 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial and economic crisis further demonstrated the importance of financial stability. Both crises showed how balance sheets of financial institu...

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

Financial Soundness Indicators for Financial Sector Stability in Bangladesh

This report describes the development of financial soundness indicators for Bangladesh and analyzes how these can help identify key challenges to support financial sector stability in the country.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

The South China Sea: Resetting the Chessboard

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

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Deciphering the Security Community Debate

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

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Porous Borders The Study of Illegal Markets from a Sociological Perspective

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

by Matías Dewey | On 14 Mar 2016

US-WTO Shadow on India’s Solar Power Plans

With last week’s WTO ruling against India on a complaint by the US in early 2013 that India’s Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) for some solar power projects violating WTO prohibitions, it is incumbe...

by D Raghunandan | On 14 Mar 2016

Shale Gas: The Key in the US’ Asia Pivot?

The “shale gas revolution” in the US could provide significant leverage in the US “pivot” to Asia. As China looks to absorb the technological know-how of shale gas extraction from North America, great...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Threats of Nuclear Terrorism: A Case Study of India

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

India's Shale Gas Boom: Dream or Reality?

As India prepares for the release of its long anticipated shale gas policy, pressure continues to mount on New Delhi. An increase in coal imports over the past 12 months has demonstrated the stress on...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

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

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

by Sangsoo Lee | On 12 Mar 2016

Pakistan's Nuclear Security: Separating Fact from Fear

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Rethinking National Security: China's New Security Commission

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

China-Vietnam Drilling Rig Incident: Reflections and Implications

After a period of stability between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea with positive developments in terms of dispute management, China’s dispatch of a drilling rig to areas west of the Paracel...

by | On 11 Mar 2016

Eurasian Union versus Silk Road Economic Belt?

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

by | On 11 Mar 2016

People's or Party's Army in Vietnam?

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

by | On 11 Mar 2016

China's Myanmar Policy: Dilemma or Strategic Ambiguity?

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

by | On 11 Mar 2016

Productivity, Energy Intensity and Output: A Unit Level Analysis of the Indian Manufacturing Sector

This study examines the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth of the preexisting units on a balanced sample for ten years (1998-1999 to 2007- 2008) following the Levinsohn and Petrin (2003) technique...

by Santosh Kumar Sahu | On 11 Mar 2016

Inflation and the Dispersion of Component Price Indices: A Case for Four Percent Solution

Unlike earlier literature that documented positive association between inflation and the dispersion of relative prices over time, the empirical evidence from this study suggests that the relative pric...

by Sartaj Rather | On 10 Mar 2016

Kerosene Consumption in India: Welfare and Environmental Issues

The adverse fiscal effects of fuel subsidies in developing countries like India are well documented. More recently, few studies have highlighted the fiscal, welfare and environmental effects of possib...

by Brinda Viswanathan | On 10 Mar 2016

Nutritional Status in Pakistan

In Pakistan, despite an increase in per capita food availability and resultant rise in per capita calorie and protein intake, the prevalence of malnutrition has not improved over last 20 years [Nation...

by Sarfraz K. Qureshi | On 10 Mar 2016

Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance?

The objective in this study is to examine the issues and constraints faced by the power sector in Pakistan. The paper will try to evaluate the reasons behind the current energy crisis despite present...

by Afia Malik | On 10 Mar 2016

Spatial Differences and Socio-economic Determinants of Health Poverty

This study has three objectives: first, to construct a health poverty index (HPI) for Pakistan using household data from Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey 2012-13; second,...

by Nasir Iqbal | On 10 Mar 2016

Where Do Prices Come From? Sociological Approaches to Price Formation

The article provides an overview of the state of the art of sociological research on price formation. The dominant trait of the sociological approach to prices is to understand price formation not as...

by Jens Beckert | 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

Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Putin, Progress and Problems

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

by Se Hyun Ahn | On 09 Mar 2016

Report of the Committee on High Trade Margins in Sale of Drugs

In order to examine specific cases of high trade margins, the high-level committee lists out recommendations to address the issue. In this regard, the recommendations aim to significantly bring down p...

by Pharmaceuticals Department of | On 09 Mar 2016

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

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

by | On 08 Mar 2016

Nuclear-Public Relations Management In Southeast Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 Mar 2016

The Nuclear Gravy Train: An Update on Southeast Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Water Woes and Food Security

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Putting Food on the International Table

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Maritime Predations in Southeast Asia: Three Case Studies

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Security in Cyberspace: The Return of the State

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

The Final Frontier: Non¬Traditional Approaches to Cyber Security

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Transnational Organised Crime In Southeast Asia: Threat Assessment

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

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

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

by Pau Hangzo | On 04 Mar 2016

Thorium – The Way Forward for Safe, Affordable and Sustainable Nuclear Energy?

The problems caused by Japan’s recent nuclear power plant crisis have revived the debate on the future of nuclear energy. Discussions appear to be centred around the dilemma of whether or not to rely...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 03 Mar 2016

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

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

by J. Ewing | On 03 Mar 2016

Hydroclimate Variations in Central and Monsoonal Asia over the Past 700 Years

Hydroclimate variations since 1300 in central and monsoonal Asia and their interplay on interannual and interdecadal timescales are investigated using the tree-ring based Palmer Drought Severity Index...

by Keyan Fang | On 03 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

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

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

by Holly Haywood | On 02 Mar 2016

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

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

by | On 02 Mar 2016

Peacebuilding Governance – Negotiating the Khmer Rouge Trials

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

by Lina Gong | On 02 Mar 2016

Falling from Grace: Nuclear Energy in Japan Post ¬Fukushima

Prior to the triple disaster of March 2011, Japan was perceived as one of the more well-prepared nations in the world in the area of disaster response. However, the earthquake, tsunami and most partic...

by Sofiah Jamil | On 02 Mar 2016

On The Fast Train to Nuclear Disaster? Bias And Phobia as Challenges to China’s Pursuit of Nuclear Energy

In 2011, China’s nuclear power ambitions were shaken, first by the Fukushima disaster which undermined public trust in nuclear energy worldwide, then by the spectacular crash of China’s flagship trans...

by | On 02 Mar 2016

Enterprise Among Farm Women in India and Understanding their Constraints: An Exploration of NSSOs 55th Round Household Data

Diversification of rural women from traditional crop based agriculture to high valued agricultural, allied and processing activities with emerging prospect merit considerable attention in context of w...

by Nilabja Ghosh | On 02 Mar 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by | On 01 Mar 2016

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

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

by Shunji Cui | On 01 Mar 2016

Comparative Analysis of Indonesian and Korean Governance

This paper overviews governance issues in Indonesia and Korea from a comparative perspective. To do so, the WGI (World Governance Index) developed by the World Bank is employed for a more objective an...

by Prof. Yunwon Hwang | On 01 Mar 2016

Food Security and the Targeted Public Distribution System in India

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

by Ruth Kattumuri | On 01 Mar 2016

Making Agroecology Viable For Small Farmers: Experiences From The Fields

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

by | On 29 Feb 2016

Do Exporting Firms in the People’s Republic of China Innovate?

This paper undertakes econometric analysis of innovation, learning, and exporting in automobiles and electronics firms in the PRC using a large-scale dataset to identify the most appropriate innovatio...

by Ganeshan Wignaraja | On 29 Feb 2016

International Price Dispersion and Market Segmentation in Japan and the United States: Theory and Empirics

This paper focuses on the pricing behavior of Japanese and United States firms selling their identical products in New York City, Chicago, Osaka, and Tokyo. The authors utilize some simple models of i...

by K.C. Fung | 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

GEF India Enabling Transformations

The GoI, in collaboration with Global Environment Facility (GEF), has been addressing critical gaps related to policy, regulation, capacity, technology, management and finance. The completed GEF proje...

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

Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission's Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka

WRI is keen to track its on-ground impact to serve as a feedback mechanism to Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) and as a learning for other state regulators who may be looking for sol...

by Deepak Sriram Krishnan | On 29 Feb 2016

Highlights of the Draft Budget of Japan for FY2016

Highlights of the budget of Japan for the year 2016.

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

Price Discovery and Volatility on NSE Futures Market

This paper studies price discovery and volatility in the context of introduction of Nifty futures at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in June 2000. Cointegration and Generalised Auto Regressive Cond...

by M. T. Raju | On 28 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

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

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

by | On 27 Feb 2016

In conversation with Ibrahim Gambari: The practice of peacemaking

On 18 June 2013, Dr J. Jackson Ewing sat down with Professor Ibrahim Gambari to discuss his views on resolving conflicts and building sustainable peace in the 21st century. Professor Gambari’s famil...

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

Human Security 20 Years On: The evolution of human security

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

2015: A Year for Reflection

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Reinforcing Health Security in ASEAN

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Adapting to Emerging Challenges of Food Insecurity Post-2015

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Water Security in Southeast Asia: Moving beyond Basic Access

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Energy Sustainability in Southeast Asia: Towards the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

In Southeast Asia, primary energy demand is projected to increase from 554.8 Mtoe in 2010 to 1,110.2 Mtoe in 2035. Oil will continue to dominate the energy mix with coal share growing at the fastest a...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Networks of Experts and Non-Traditional Security in Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Rising Milk Price – A Cause for Concern on Food Security

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

by S. Rajeshwaran | On 27 Feb 2016

What is Title Guarantee Worth in Land Markets? Evidence from Bengaluru, India

Land reforms require urgent attention in emerging market economies, and there is a vast body of literature that deals with the economic impact land reforms, especially land titling (Acemoglu et al., 2...

by Madalasa Venkataraman | On 27 Feb 2016

Money, Output and Prices in India

The dynamics of the monetary system is undergoing significant changes in India. The entire concept and flow of money; narrow, broad or base, is being influenced by measures related to financial inclus...

by Charan Singh | On 27 Feb 2016

Social Security Schemes: A Case for Universalisation

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

by Charan Singh | On 27 Feb 2016

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

Securitization of Illegal Migration of Bangladeshis to India

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

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Building a Regional Disaster Response Mechanism for a Secure ASEAN Community

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

by Melly Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

The Rush for Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia: Promises and Pitfalls

THE WORLD’S surging demand for energy, coupled with the urgent need to mitigate the impact of climate change, has pressed many states to explore clean energy alternatives. For many developing countrie...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Is Nuclear Energy a Viable Option for All?

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

by | On 26 Feb 2016

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

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

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Prospects for an ASEAN Nuclear Cooperation: A Common Nuclear Facility?

Nuclear energy has emerged as a viable option to provide base load power for many nations. However, countries in Southeast Asia planning to develop nuclear reactors could face a multitude of problems....

by | On 26 Feb 2016

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

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

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Climate, Food, and the New North-South Divide

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

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Workshop Report on “Energy and Non-Traditional Security”

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

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Measuring HDI – The Old, the New and the Elegant: Implications for multidimensional development and social inclusiveness

The Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated using normalized indicators from three dimensions- health, education, and standard of living (or income). This paper evaluates three aggregation methods...

by Srijit Mishra | On 26 Feb 2016

Energy Security in Singapore: Challenges and Opportunities

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Energy Security: Rethinking Market and Governance

Alleged market failures and the abuse or overuse of governance have shown that energy security could no longer be sufficiently ensured by working with the market or governance alone. Recent global con...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Energy and Non-Traditional Security: A Tripartite Approach

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

by Collin Koh | On 25 Feb 2016

Underground Nuclear Power Plant: Why Not?

With the surge in energy demand in developing Southeast Asia, the propensity of using nuclear energy as an option is growing. Singapore needs to adapt itself and explore the benefits of a ‘nuclearised...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement: Sealed or Leaking?

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Energy Development in ASEAN Countries and Sino-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

East Asia is one of the three main economic blocks in the world. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries – as New Industrial Economies (NIEs) – and China – as an emerging power – are...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Nuclear Energy: Addressing the Not-in-my-Backyard Syndrome

The nuclear power states have not resolved the issue of permanent storage of nuclear spent fuel. Countries with existing nuclear facilities also face challenges to the temporary storage of their spent...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Resolving Internal Conflict in Myanmar: A Human Security Approach

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Responding to Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia

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

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 25 Feb 2016

Health and Human Security: From Establishment to Operationalisation

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India

In India, NCDs have surpassed communicable diseases as the most common causes of morbidity and premature mortality in the country. The indicators and targets are used to track progress of actions desi...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 25 Feb 2016

Options for Supporting Rice Farmers under a Post-QR Regime: Review and Assessment

Under the World Trade Organization, the Philippines has maintained special treatment for rice, which expires on July 2017. Tariffication will involve greater competition from imports and the decline o...

by Roehlano M. Briones | On 25 Feb 2016

Human Security: A Response to the Climate Security Debates

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

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by Zha Daojiong | On 24 Feb 2016

Human Securitising’ the Climate Security Debate

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

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2016

Social Protection in Apec in Pursuit of Inclusive Growth

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

by Janet S. Cuenca | On 24 Feb 2016

Growth and CO2 Emissions: How Does India Compare to Other Countries?

The key question therefore is what India, as a member of the global community which is to collectively address the global challenge of climate change, can be expected to do?and what it has been alread...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Forest – Based Bamboo Trade in Mendha Lekha and Jamguda

This paper documents two different models that can be adopted by tribal villages for forest-based bamboo trade under the ambit of the FRA, 2006.

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 24 Feb 2016

The Determination of Contracts in Agricultural Economies

This paper aims to analyze how contracts are determined and modified given diverse agricultural settings and to examine the implications of these changes with respect to their efficiency, distribution...

by Leonardo Lanzona | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 23 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Food (In)Security in Urban Populations

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Pakistan’s Flood Disaster: An Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Aquino’s Challenge: Energy Security in the Philippines

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Policy Reforms and Institutional Weaknesses: Closing the Gap

The World Bank (2005) reported that from 1985 to 2003, per capita gross domestic product increased only by about 0.7% per year, well below the 3.7% average of neighboring countries (Indonesia, Malaysi...

by Eduardo Gonzalez | 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

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: End for the Nuclear Industry?

The nuclear crisis in Japan has received heightened attention in the wake of the tsunami. Will it result in a catastrophic meltdown, as experienced in Chernobyl more than two decades ago, and trigger...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by Lorraine Elliot | On 22 Feb 2016

Crafting Energy Security Cooperation in East Asia

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

by | On 22 Feb 2016

Security Sector Governance and Conflict Management in Southeast Asia

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

by | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by Lorraine Elliot | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by Ben Shepherd | On 22 Feb 2016

Tamil Nadu Interim Budget Speech 2016-2017

Budget speech by the Hon’ble Minister for Finance and Public Works, Government of Tamil Nadu

by O Panneerselvam | On 22 Feb 2016

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

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

by Atsushi Seike | On 21 Feb 2016

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

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

by Erin Roberts | On 21 Feb 2016

Price of Daily Essentials: A Diagnostic Study of Recent Trends

The present report summarises major results that seeks to trace the supply chains of a group of essential commodities and, in view of their future supply (domestic production and import) prospect, att...

by Centre for Policy Dialogue CPD | On 21 Feb 2016

Green Growth and Equity in the Context of Climate Change: Some Considerations

Green growth entails several different kinds of processes: conversion to low-carbon energy, climate resilience, and response to climate shocks. Equity implies a fair sharing of the costs, within count...

by Jeffrey D. Sachs | On 21 Feb 2016

ASEAN Response to Asian Food Security Concerns

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

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Singapore’s Growing Role in Asian Food Security

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

by | On 20 Feb 2016

China and Its Southern Neighbours: Issues in Power Connectivity

Myanmar’s recent suspension of a China-funded dam project draws attention to cross-border electricity inter- connectivity between China and its southern neighbours Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, apart fr...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Thailand’s Floods: Political and Security Impact

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

by | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Feeding Southeast Asia in the 21st Century

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

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by Lorraine Elliot | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Climate Change, Migration and Human Security in Southeast Asia

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

by | On 19 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 19 Feb 2016

Risk and Resilience: Securing Energy in Insecure Spaces

This issues brief outlines key points brought up at an Energy Security Seminar on ‘Risk and Resilience: Securing Energy in Insecure Spaces’ held on 29-30 October 2012 in Singapore. Energy vulnerabilit...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 19 Feb 2016

Nuclear Energy Development in Southeast Asia: Implications for Singapore

Southeast Asia is witnessing a revival of interest in civil nuclear energy development in the region. Behind this shift are factors such as political transition in Japan, the lure of economic benefits...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Value Capture as a Land Based Tool to Finance Development

Based on the recent publication ‘Implementing Value Capture in Latin America’ the Director of the Latin American Program at Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, MartimSmolka, explains the mechanism of va...

by Martim Smolka | On 19 Feb 2016

Does Conservation Agriculture Deliver Climate Change Mitigation Through Soil Carbon Sequestration in Tropical Agro-Ecosystems?

Conservation agriculture (CA), comprising minimum soil disturbance, retention of crop residues and crop diversification, is widely promoted for reducing soil degradation and improving agricultural sus...

by David Powlson | On 19 Feb 2016

Impact Of Trade Liberalisation On Employment In Bangladesh

The present study has examined the changes in the employment scenario of Bangladesh following the pursuance of the trade liberalisation strategy and the possible effects of further trade liberalisatio...

by Wasel Shadat | On 19 Feb 2016

Addressing Global Land Challenges

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

by | On 19 Feb 2016

China’s Outbound Investment: The US Experience

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

by Mark Feldman | On 19 Feb 2016

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

Wheat Markets and Price Stabilisation in Pakistan: An Analysis of Policy Options

This article provides a quantitative analysis of the effects of Pakistan government domestic wheat procurement, sales, and trade policies on wheat supply, demand, prices, and overall inflation. Analys...

by Paul Dorosh | On 18 Feb 2016

Scaling Up Climate Action through Value Chain Mobilization

The adoption of the Paris Agreement on 12 December by 195 governments is a major turning point in the global fight against climate change. To date, 190 governments have committed to specific actions t...

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

Integrated Farming Systems And Resilient Agricultural Landscapes

Asia’s rapid change across socio-economic and political spheres, amid population growth and rising demand for food, feed and energy supplies, is unprecedented. To strike a balance between economic gro...

by Research Consultative Group on International Agricultural | On 18 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Food Security Post-Calamity: A Chronic Dilemma

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Food Security Robustness: A Driver of Enhanced Regional Cooperation?

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

A Significant Shift in Casual Relations of Money, income, and Prices in Pakistan: The Price Hikes in the Early 1970s

This study extends the analysis of causality by Husain and Rashid (2006) by taking care of the shift in the variables due to the price hikes in the early 1970s. Casual relation between real income and...

by Fazal Husain | 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

Awake the Sleeper Within: Releasing the Energy of Stifled Domestic Commerce

Policy in Pakistan has been fairly path-dependant, placing a higher weight on export promotion and domestic industrialisation development than on domestic commerce. Yet domestic commerce is growing ra...

by Nadeem Ul Haque | On 17 Feb 2016

The Relationship between Corporate Governance Indicators and Firm Value: A Case Study of Karachi Stock Exchange

It is investigated whether differences in quality of firm-level corporate governance can explain the firm-level performance in a cross-section of companies listed at Karachi Stock Exchange. Therefore,...

by Attiya Y. Javid | On 17 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

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

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

by Ruby Policarpio | On 17 Feb 2016

Methods for Identifying Low Emissions Development Options for Agriculture

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

by Sonja Vermeulen | On 17 Feb 2016

A Tale of Cities: Local Champions for Global Climate Action

Despite being the biggest contributors to climate change and home to majority of the world’s population, cities have so far had little say in global climate negotiations. As the frontlines of climate...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

An ASEAN Nuclear Crisis Centre: Preparing for a Technological Disaster in Southeast Asia

As some Southeast Asian countries consider using nuclear energy, the region should now be preparing a regional nuclear emergency response, incorporating technological and nuclear emergencies into its...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

ASEAN’s Haze Shroud: Grave Threat to Human Security

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Strengthening Energy Security: Key to Sustainable Development in Asia

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

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

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

by Michael Sheinkman | On 16 Feb 2016

Thailand’s Economic Integration with Neighboring Countries and Possible Connectivity with South Asia

Thailand’s increasing importance as a regional co-production base and as an intra-regional trade and border trade hub is due mainly to recent changes in its economic structure, namely, the lack of ope...

by Suthiphand Chirathivat | On 16 Feb 2016

Southwest Area Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management Project in Bangladesh

The Southwest Area Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management Project in Bangladesh became the first initiative to successfully incorporate beneficiary participation into all aspects of managi...

by Asian Bank | On 15 Feb 2016

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

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

by Kumar Shailabh | On 15 Feb 2016

Towards a Measure of Core Inflation in Bangladesh: Conceptual Issues

Identifying core inflation has become a very important issue for the Central Banks of the world for last few years. It has also become a practice to monitor the core inflation along side the headline...

by Md. Shahiduzzaman | On 15 Feb 2016

Monetary Policy and Capital Market Development in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Bank (BB) adjusted its monetary policy stance during 2005 in order to contain inflationary pressures and facilitate stability in the foreign exchange market. At the end of 2005, interest ra...

by Shubhasish Barua | On 15 Feb 2016

Corruption and (In)Security

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

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Pension and Social Security Schemes in Pakistan: Some Policy Options

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

by Naushin Mahmood | On 14 Feb 2016

Toward Reconciliation in Afghanistan

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

by Michael O'Hanlon | On 14 Feb 2016

Pakistan Seeks Control of Its Afghanistan Endgame

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

by Bruce Riedel | On 14 Feb 2016

Maximizing Chances for Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan

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

by Bruce Riedel | On 14 Feb 2016

The Afghanistan–Pakistan Challenge: Meeting Humanitarian Needs

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

by Elizabeth Ferris | On 14 Feb 2016

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

A Deadly Triangle: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India

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

by William Dalrymple | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan After ISAF

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

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan’s Deep Challenges and Transition Opportunities

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

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

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

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

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Afghanistan’s Displaced People: 2014 and Beyond

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

by Aidan O'Leary | On 14 Feb 2016

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

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

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

by Mitali Sen | On 14 Feb 2016

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

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

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 13 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2010

The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index draws on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions. It captures information about the administrativ...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

India and Central Asia: Trade Routes and Trade Potential

In an environment of increasing importance of South–South bilateral trade partnerships, we assess the potential for improving bilateral trade between India and five Central Asian countries in this pap...

by Pradeep Agrawal | On 11 Feb 2016

Energy Harnessing: New Solutions for Sustainability and Growing Demand

Global megatrends such as climate change and resource scarcity force a rethinking of this crucial network, especially in the light of a reshuffling of global economic activity and significant demand g...

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

Designing for Action: Principles of Effective Sustainability Measurement

This report from the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Measuring Sustainability calls for more robust and operational approaches to addressing the challenges of climate change. Called D...

by | On 11 Feb 2016

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2014

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

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

New Growth Models: Challenges and Steps to Achieving Patterns of More Equitable, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth

The global economy is growing at an unprecedented pace, bringing large swathe’s of the world’s population out of poverty. But this is not without its challenges. New Growth Models takes a closer look...

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

Climate Adaptation: Seizing the Challenge

The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change’s report, Climate Adaptation: Seizing the Challenge, captures some of the latest thinking in the field of climate adaptation and fina...

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

Intelligent Assets: Unlocking the Circular Economy Potential

The impending digital transformation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution holds the potential to redefine the very basis of our materials-reliant industrial economy. Enabled by the internet of things,...

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

Women’s Frequently Asked Labour Rights Questions

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

by | On 10 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 09 Feb 2016

An Index of Fiscal Democracy

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

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Trade and Sustainable Land Management in Drylands

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

by International Centre and Sustainable Development | On 08 Feb 2016

Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management: a Field Guide

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

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

Progress of the World's Women 2000

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

by UN Women | On 08 Feb 2016

Building Integrity And Countering Corruption In Defence & Security

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

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

A Modi Index?

One way to do a reality check on the official numbers will be to develop a desi version of what came to be called the Li index in China.

by T.N. Ninan | On 06 Feb 2016

Working to Improve Price Indices Development in Pakistan

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

by Mahmood Khalid | On 06 Feb 2016

Capital Inflows, Inflation and Exchange Rate Volatility: An Investigation for Linear and Nonlinear Causal Linkages

In this study, an investigation of the effects of capital inflows on domestic price level, monetary expansion and exchange rate volatility. To proceed with this, linear and nonlinear cointegration and...

by Abdul Rashid | 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

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

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

by Sadia Mariam Malik | On 06 Feb 2016

The Determinants of Food Prices: A Case Study of Pakistan

Controlling prices is one of the major tasks for the macroeconomic policy-makers. The recent oil price hike that shifted the policy towards biofuels and some natural calamities increased food prices a...

by Henna Ahsan | On 06 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

International Trade and Access to Sustainable Energy: Issues and Lessons from Country Experiences

How can trade policy respond to the needs and concerns of more than a billion people in the developing world that lack access to energy for fulfilling their daily needs such as cooking and lighting? A...

by | On 05 Feb 2016

Palestine National Integrity System Assessment 2013

During the period covered by this study, Palestine faced a number of positive and negative developments. The most significant was the continued political divide, resulting in an ongoing disruption to...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 03 Feb 2016

Iraq, From Security to Political Management

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

by | On 03 Feb 2016

Trade Integration and Labour Market Trends in India: an Unresolved Unemployment Problem

This paper focuses on the Indian pre-crisis strategy of liberalization and integration into the world economy and its impact on labour market trends. It then examines the specific ways in which the cr...

by International Centre for Sustainable Trade and Development | On 03 Feb 2016

Wealth as an Indicator of Socio-Economic Welfare: Islamic Views

According to western views, wealth is unambiguously good, and so human welfare is positive when wealth is in excess of needs, and negative if it is less. Islam has a substantially more sophisticated v...

by Asad Zaman | 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

An Analysis of Accrual Anomaly in Case of Karachi Stock Exchange

This study investigates the existence of accrual anomaly by using a sample of 340 non-financial firms listed at Karachi Stock Exchange. The objective of the study is to examine the persistence of th...

by Jawad Mohammad | On 03 Feb 2016

The EU And Asia In The United Nations Security Council

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

by Jan Wouters | On 03 Feb 2016

Central Asia And The EU’S Drive Towards Energy Diversification

In recent years, Central Asia has increasingly come under the focus of the European Union (EU). This development occurred not least due to a series of interruptions in the supply of Russian natural ga...

by Sijbren Jong | On 03 Feb 2016

Patents and Clean Energy: Bridging the Gap between Evidence and Policy

Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time. Addressing it requires an unprecedented mobilisation of human and financial resources to alter our patterns of production, consumption and en...

by International Centre and Sustainable Development | On 02 Feb 2016

The 2014 Arab Opinion Index

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

by Arab Center for Policy Studies | On 02 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2015

Based on expert opinion from around the world, the Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide. Not one of the 168 countries assessed in the 2015 i...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Faith-based NGOs in Multi-Confessional Society: Evidence from Lebanon

This paper combines data from a unique NGO survey in Lebanon with local indicators of religious and income polarization to assess which factors contribute to the emergence of faith-based or confession...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Pushing the Debate on Public Health

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

by Padma Prakash | On 02 Feb 2016

Rural Transport, Safety and Security

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

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

Shale Oil: On the Cusp of an Energy Revolution?

This paper focuses on this new trend in global energy, and examines its influence on oil prices in the international markets, as well as its long-run economic, political, and geostrategic implications...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 01 Feb 2016

Developing Technologies for Sustainable Fisheries in Asia

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

by The WorldFish Center TWC | On 01 Feb 2016

Pensions at a Glance: Asia/ Pacific

This study combines rigorous analysis with clear, easy-to-understand presentation of empirical results. It does not advocate any particular kind of pension system or type of reform. The goal is to inf...

by OECD Development Centre | 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

Off-shoring, Insecurity and the Protectionist Threat

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

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

Forests: the Green and REDD of Climate Change

Forests are crucial for rural development, access to water, agricultural productivity, energy, soil conservation, and flood control. Forests are also home to at least 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiv...

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

Technology Transfer and Climate Change: Beyond TRIPS

The introduction and diffusion of new technologies is crucial in meeting the challenges of climate change and fostering a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy. Such technologies are expected to in...

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

Climate Change and the Energy Challenge

A temperature increase of 2 degree celsius above pre-industrial levels is the maximum target range established by the scientific community for stabilizing carbon concentrations at a level that prevent...

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

Governments Need to Push for More Energy Efficient End-Use Technologies

About 2.7 billion people do not have access to modern energy. Without it, they have little chance of achieving a decent living standard. Much more economic progress is needed to lift the living standa...

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

A Truly Green Agricultural Revolution is Needed

The recent food price spikes have exposed deep structural flaws in the world food system. Although increased financial speculation in commodity futures and options markets seems to have amplified shor...

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

An Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Cities

The multiple challenges that cities face also represent a strategic opportunity to build sustainable cities and reap the benefits of rapid urbanization. Urban development should be understood as a bal...

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

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

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

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

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

The Limited Promise of Agricultural Trade Liberalization

It has become an article of faith in international trade negotiations that farmers in developing countries have much to gain from agricultural trade liberalization. This paper assesses the evidence fo...

by Timothy A. Wise | On 31 Jan 2016

Climate-Smart Agriculture in Sri Lanka

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

by World Bank [WB] | On 30 Jan 2016

Identifying Products with Climate and Development Benefits for an Environmental Goods Agreement

caling-up renewable energy as a means to address climate change will require addressing impediments to the global diffusion of sustainable energy goods and services. Trade policy can contribute in thi...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Constructing a Composite Index of Market Access

Trade barriers are often opaque and difficult to compare. All too often, an exporter faces costs well in excess of a simple tariff when seeking entry to a market. However, to date, there exist few too...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Food Reserves in Developing Countries: Trade Policy Options for Improved Food Security

Agricultural prices, along with the prices of primary commodities in general, have been both high and volatile over 2006-11. These developments impact the poor and other vulnerable non-farm households...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Agricultural Domestic Support and Sustainable Development in China

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Trade and Food Security

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 30 Jan 2016

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is a new survey-based index designed to measure the empowerment, agency, and inclusion of women in the agricultural sector. The WEAI was initially d...

by Sabina Alkire | On 30 Jan 2016

Monetary Paradoxes of Baby-Sitting Cooperatives

Many authors have described and modelled Keynesian effects in a Babysitting Cooperative (BSC), which has the underlying structure of a single good barter economy. A simple model of the BSC economy is...

by Asad Zaman | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 29 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 29 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Food Security and WTO Domestic Support Disciplines Post-Bali

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

by Alan Matthews | On 28 Jan 2016

Vulnerability Indicators for Aid Allocation

Any donor has a model for allocating assistance to developing countries. The model is implicit, most often so for bilateral donors, or explicit, most often so for international institutions. Why this...

by Patrick Guillaumont | On 28 Jan 2016

Climate Change in the Himalayas Current State of Knowledge

This paper reviews the literature on the potential biophysical and economic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas. Existing observations indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate i...

by Kumud Acharya | On 28 Jan 2016

Services Trade Agreement in South Asia Contours and Modalities

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

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

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

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

by Koko Warner | On 28 Jan 2016

Air Pollution Reduction and Control in South Asia

In order to understand the importance of reducing air pollution and its likely trans-boundary effects, it is important to first review the socioeconomic situation of the South Asian member states. Sou...

by Mahmood Khwaja | On 28 Jan 2016

Inequality of Educational Opportunity in India: Changes over Time and across States

This paper documents the extent of inequality of educational opportunity in India spanning the period 1983-2004 using National Sample Survey (NSS) data. We build on recent developments in the literatu...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Oilseeds and Pulses in Indian Agriculture: A Review of Development Policy and Production Performance

The study finds that a high order of technology and yield gap exists and indicates that there is enormous scope to accelerate the pace of growth in the production of both oilseeds as well as pulses....

by B.L. Kumar | On 28 Jan 2016

Management by Participation? Village Institutions and Drinking Water Supply in Gujarat

One of the critical dimensions of rural water supply has been participation by the local community in managing the source and finances. Drawing upon case studies of 20 villages (spread across 17 distr...

by Keshab Das | On 28 Jan 2016

Transcending Sustainability Beyond CBA: Conceptual Insights from Empirical Study on Shifting Cultivation in Orissa

Conventionally, shifting cultivation (also known as Swidden) has been interpreted as inefficient (economically), destructive (ecologically) and an inflexible static form (institutionally) of agricultu...

by Amalendu Jyotishi | On 28 Jan 2016

Infrastructure and Growth in a Regional Context: Indian States since the 1980s

The central focus of this paper is to underscore emerging patterns and issues in the availability of and access to physical infrastructure in major Indian states during the two decades since the 1980s...

by Keshab Das | On 28 Jan 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

Microinsurance Decisions: Gendered Evidence from Rural Bangladesh

This paper draws from a field research experiment to examine the gendered aspects of willingness to pay for index-based insurance in Bangladesh. Participants were presented with risky lotteries and...

by Daniel J. Clarke | On 28 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

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

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

by | On 27 Jan 2016

Social Safety Nets for Food and Nutritional Security in India

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

by | On 27 Jan 2016

The Political Economy of Low-carbon Investments: Insights from the Wind and Solar Power Sectors in India

The primary motivation behind this research is the need to accelerate the supply of renewable energy because of the important role that it plays in mitigating climate change and in fostering sustainab...

by | On 26 Jan 2016

Agricultural Trade And Development: A Value Chain Perspective

The system of global agricultural and food trade is undergoing rapid processes of change, with important implications for economic development. In this paper we document and discuss these changes; inc...

by Johan Swinnen | On 26 Jan 2016

Export Quality in Advanced and Developing Economies: Evidence from a New Dataset

This paper develops new estimates of export quality, far more extensive than previous efforts, covering 178 countries and hundreds of products during the period 1962—2010. It finds that quality upgrad...

by Christian Henn | 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

Nutritional Deprivation Among Indian Pre-school Children: Does Rural-Urban Disparity Matter?

This paper focuses on a particular aspect of such rural-urban difference, namely nutritional status of children. Over the years it is found that under nutrition among children in India; have declining...

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | 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

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

The Future of Electricity in Fast-Growing Economies

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

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

Internet Fragmentation: An Overview

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

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

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

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

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

Estimating Inflation Rates of Import-Concentrated Commodities

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

by M. G. Mortaza | On 23 Jan 2016

Opportunities and Challenges in Rice Seeds Trade Between India and Bangladesh

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

by Neha Jain | On 23 Jan 2016

Climate Change, Food Security and Trade Linkages in South Asia

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

by Ram Jha | On 23 Jan 2016

Technological Upgradation in the Jute Mills of Bangladesh: Challenges and Way Out

The jute manufacturing sector of Bangladesh has recently started to revitalise with the rise in global demand for jute goods, thanks to the environment-friendly nature of jute, and the price hike of p...

by Khondaker Moazzem | 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

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

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

by Anoop Singh | On 23 Jan 2016

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

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

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

Should Bangladesh Monitor Core Inflation for Conducting Monetary Policy?

Over the years, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) has been using changes in consumer price index (CPI) inflation as the operational guide to measuring price stability in Bangladesh. In recent years, it has how...

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

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

Engaging Men for Effective Activism against Sexual and Gender-based Violence

To maximise the potential of working with men to ensure inclusion, and sustainability in the response to SGBV, the global programme on Effective Organised Activism against Gender-based Violence highli...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions

This document outlines one component of India’s INDC submission to the UNFCCC focussing on the renewable energy contribution to its future electricity mix. So far, the Government of India has articula...

by Sudatta Ray | On 22 Jan 2016

Southeast Asia and the Economics of Global Climate Stabilization

New analysis suggests that the impacts of climate change in Southeast Asia may be larger than previously estimated, possibly reaching 11% of gross domestic product by 2100.

by | On 22 Jan 2016

Rising Powers in International Development

The setting up of the New Development Bank was first suggested by India in early 2012 in order to fund its domestic energy and infrastructure needs, namely power transmission, 11 roads and ports. Fina...

by Stephen Spratt | On 22 Jan 2016

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

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

by | On 22 Jan 2016

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

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

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

India's Energy System Transition-Survival Of The Greenest

The transition to a clean and green energy system is an economic and social transformation that is exciting as well as challenging. The world today faces a formidable challenge in transforming its eco...

by A. Ganesh-Kumar | On 22 Jan 2016

The Impacts of Diesel Price Increases on India’s Trucking Industry

In the fiscal year 2011–12, under-recoveries1 incurred by Indian oil-marketing companies for diesel rose to an all-time high of INR81,192 crore (US$15 billion) (Government of India, 2012a). Diesel con...

by Gayatri Khedkar | 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

Emerging Powers in a Changing World

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

by Stamatis Zachariadis | On 21 Jan 2016

China’s Dams & Regional Security Implications An Indian Perspective

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

by Dhanasree Jayaram | On 21 Jan 2016

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

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

by Lisa C. Smith | On 21 Jan 2016

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

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

by Sachin Chaturvedi | On 21 Jan 2016

Disability and the Millennium Development Goals

Over one billion people around the world live with a disability. However, disability issues are not included in any of the Millennium Development Goals, targets or indicators, thereby representing a l...

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

Statistics and Indicators for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

This report highlights the experience from the Millennium Development Goals has shown that well-defined, objectively measurable indicators can help to maintain focus on internationally agreed developm...

by United Nations (UN) | On 20 Jan 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Chris Béné | On 19 Jan 2016

Social Policies and Water Sector Reform

Increasing coverage and maintaining infrastructure are two of the biggest challenges confronting the water supply sector in both industrialized and developing countries. The last two decades have witn...

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Climate Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition

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

by Richard Choularton | On 19 Jan 2016

Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh Literature Review

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

by Stuart Gillespie | On 19 Jan 2016

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

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

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 19 Jan 2016

Illegal Bangladeshi Migration: Evaluating India-Bangladesh Approaches

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

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Carbon Tax Brief

This brief outlines the context, current proposals and concerns around the proposed carbon tax and summarises the recommendations of the Davis Tax Committee on the carbon tax, which were released as p...

by Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies TIPS | On 19 Jan 2016

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

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

by Shivaji Mukherjee | On 19 Jan 2016

Health Service Inequities as Challenge to Health Security

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

by | On 18 Jan 2016

Educational Attainment of Young Adults in India: Measures, Trends and Determinants

Given the fact that education of young adults plays crucial role from both economic and social point of view, the objective of the study is to analyse the pattern of improvements in their education a...

by Runu Bhatka | On 18 Jan 2016

Equity and Health­ Care in the Era of Reforms

Two important policy shifts occurred with the period of economic reforms: one, the sharp reduction in the controlled drug list leading to significant increase in drug prices, and second, the introdu...

by Gita Sen | On 18 Jan 2016

The Global Risks Report 2016

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

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

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

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

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

by Elizabeth Kiewisch | On 14 Jan 2016

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

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

by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr | On 13 Jan 2016

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

Trade and Development Report 2007

The Trade and Development Report 2007, subtitled "Regional cooperation for development", recommends that developing countries should strengthen regional cooperation with other developing countries, bu...

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

Trade and Development Report, 2013

Five years after the onset of the global financial crisis the world economy remains in a state of disarray, with global output growing at around 2 per cent and global trade growth virtually grounding...

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

Trade and Environment Review 2013

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

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

The Afghanistan Conflict in its Historical Context

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

by Riaz Hassan | On 09 Jan 2016

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

Patterns and Politics of Migration in South Asia

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

by Sanjay Barbora | On 08 Jan 2016

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

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

by Tanvir Ali | On 08 Jan 2016

Food Insecurity, Conflict and Livelihood Threats in Nepal

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

by Bishnu Upreti | On 07 Jan 2016

Socio-Economic Uncertainty and Violent Conflicts

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

by Gyöngyvér Demény | On 07 Jan 2016

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

Japan’s Lost Decade: Lessons for Other Economies

Japan has suffered from sluggish economic growth and recession since the 1990s, a phenomenon dubbed “Japan’s Lost Decade.” The People’s Republic of China, many countries in the eurozone, and the Unite...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 06 Jan 2016

Habitat III Issue Papers : 22 – Informal Settlements

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

by | On 05 Jan 2016

Plan vs. Performance: Winter Session 2015

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

by Kusum Malik | On 05 Jan 2016

Malaysia Business Environment Index 2012: Challenges and Opportunities for Accelerating Local Business

The Malaysia Business Environment Index (BEI) Pilot Study 2012 is the first survey that investigates firms' perceptions about the business environment at the district level. Utilizing data collected f...

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Indonesia Local Economic Governance Index, 2007

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

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

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

Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People

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

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

State Building, Political Progress, and Human Security in Afghanistan

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

by | On 02 Jan 2016

Summary of Indonesia's Gender Analysis

Indonesia has made significant progress in promoting gender equality. Gender gaps in the youth literacy rate have been eliminated. Near parity in enrollment rates in elementary up to tertiary levels h...

by Uzma Hoque | On 01 Jan 2016

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

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

by Victor Pontines | On 01 Jan 2016

Financial Literacy for Increasing Sustainable Access to Finance in Nepal

This paper explores how far the expansion of Banks and Financial Institutions including cooperatives assures the access to finance and its sustainability. The study also explores the worth of financia...

by | On 01 Jan 2016

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 01 Jan 2016

Public–Private Partnerships in Information and Communication Technology for Education

A study of how PPPs have been employed by ADB developing member countries in Asia and the Pacific identified seven initiatives that adopted the underlying principles of PPP in developing and deliverin...

by Jouko Sarvi | On 01 Jan 2016

Partial Minimum Wage Compliance

In many developing countries, a significant portion of the wage distribution is found below the legal minimum wage. In order to fully understand the nature of this non-compliance, we need to compare t...

by Delia Furtado | On 01 Jan 2016

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

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

by Tapas Kumar Sarangi | On 30 Dec 2015

Sukha Mukti Abhiyan

Meaningful participatory processes of natural resource management lead to enhanced productivity, equity, sustainability and self-reliance. This is evident from the experiments at Sukhomajri, Ralegan-S...

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 29 Dec 2015

The Asian Currency Unit, Deviation Indicators, and Exchange Rate Coordination in East Asia: A Panel-Based Convergence Approach

Employing the panel convergence method of Phillips and Sul (2007) to the nominal deviation indicators of two recent unofficial constructions of the Asian Currency Unit (ACU) index, this paper examines...

by Kefei You | On 29 Dec 2015

Migration and Development: Toward Sustainable Solutions

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

by | On 29 Dec 2015

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

Public Debt Sustainability in Developing Asia: An Update

The paper updates debt sustainability analysis (DSA) for developing Asia, conducted in 2011. With the benefit of hindsight, the accuracy of the earlier debt ratio forecasts and underlying macroeconomi...

by Benno Ferrarini | On 29 Dec 2015

The Experience of Gross National Happiness as Development Framework

This paper explores Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a framework for socio-economic development in Bhutan by elucidating GNH principles that affect the way Bhutanese society and state interact.The pa...

by Karma Ura | On 29 Dec 2015

Investing In Renewable Energy Generation and Power Transmission In Eastern Indonesia

This paper documents lessons learned during the implementation of two loans: the Renewable Energy Development Sector Project, and the Power Transmission Improvement Sector Project.Electrification in I...

by Bagus Mudiantoro | On 29 Dec 2015

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

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

by Wang Dewen | On 29 Dec 2015

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

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

by Amitav Acharya | On 29 Dec 2015

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

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

by Noman Ahmed | On 29 Dec 2015

UNDP and Climate Change

Released on the eve of the Paris climate change conference (COP21), this report – a mix of infographics and country case examples – outlines UNDP’s decades-long support to partner countries to tackle...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 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

Response of Stock Markets to Monetary Policy: An Asian Stock Market Perspective

We estimate the response of Asian stock market prices to exogenous monetary policy shocks using a vector error correction model. In our paper, monetary policy transmits to stock market price through t...

by Farzana Sehrin | On 29 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2015: A Survey of the Afghan People

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

by Zachary Warren | On 26 Dec 2015

Vital Stats: Functioning of Parliament in Winter Session 2015

This note presents data regarding Parliament’s productivity during Winter Session 2015.

by Kusum Malik | On 26 Dec 2015

Macroeconomic Effects of Oil Price Fluctuations on Emerging and Developed Economies in a Model Incorporating Monetary Variables

The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of crude oil price movements on two macro variables, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate and the consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate, in...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 23 Dec 2015

Land Reform: A Revised Agenda for the 21st Century

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

by | On 23 Dec 2015

Population and Sustainable Development in the Post-2015 Agenda

The Outcome Report of the Global Consultation on Population Dynamics and the Post-2015 Development Agenda not only explains the linkages between today's most pressing development challenges, populatio...

by United Nations Population Fund UNFPA | On 23 Dec 2015

The Political Economy of Transitions: Governance Assessments and Measurements

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

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

Oil and State Capitalism: Government-Firm Coopetition in China and India

This paper examines the domestic sources of the internationalization of national oil companies (NOCs) in China and India. It argues that – counter to notions of state-led internationalization – the go...

by Jonas Mecklinga | On 23 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 22 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 22 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 22 Dec 2015

Technology and Innovation Report 2015

Building productive capacities and promoting sustainable industrialization have an important role to play across the spectrum of the integrated 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda reco...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UN | On 22 Dec 2015

Lull in the Rice Fields: The Asian Experience

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

by Aritra Chakrabarty | On 21 Dec 2015

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

Climate Change: Perspectives from India

This collection of articles captures and disseminates some perspectives on climate change from the Indian context. Starting from an argument on a new climate deal to highlighting the importance of the...

by Sunita Narain | On 17 Dec 2015

Nepal: A Failing State or a State in Transition?

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

by Oliver Housden | On 17 Dec 2015

Strategic Framework 2013–2017 Global Programme Food Security

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

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

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

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

by David Bloom | On 17 Dec 2015

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

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

by Rajith Lakshman | On 16 Dec 2015

MQSUN Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh Literature Review

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

by Ahmed F. | On 16 Dec 2015

China's Fitful Economic Reforms

Back in 2004, when I ran the Chinadesk at the International Monetary Fund, my team some written questions to Beijing ahead of our meetings with Chinese officials. China’s central bank had claimed that...

by Eswar Prasad | On 16 Dec 2015

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

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

by Ellen Ehmke | On 16 Dec 2015

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

Enhancing Early Warning Capabilities and Capacities for Food Safety

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

by | On 15 Dec 2015

Indian's Energy Transition in a Climate-Constrained World

This paper examines the historical attributes of energy transition and finds various critical factors that determine the success of such shift: appropriate IPR regimes; local innovation; economic feas...

by | On 11 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 09 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 09 Dec 2015

National Strategy Day on India: Delivering Growth in the New Context

The World Economic Forum along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) convened the National Strategy Day on India on 3rd and 4th of November to provide a platform to boost economic growth and...

by | On 09 Dec 2015

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

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

by Sheila Bhalla | On 09 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 08 Dec 2015

Sustainable Urbanization in Asia

Rapid urbanization together with climate change is emerging as the most challenging issue of the twenty-first century. As the region with the highest percentage increase in urban population over the l...

by UN-HABITAT UNHABITAT | On 07 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 07 Dec 2015

Statistics Related to Climate Change - India 2015

Climate change has been the part of many discussions and to understand it causal factors behind it data is needed.

by Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation (MOSPI) | On 07 Dec 2015

Identifying a Fair Deal on Climate Change

A fair deal on climate change for developed and developing countries is identified by focusing not on equitable emissions quotas but on fair access to energy services.

by Nancy Birdsall | On 07 Dec 2015

The Sun Gets Bigger

The government should encourage the use of solar energy.

by T.N. Ninan | On 04 Dec 2015

Climate Change, Water and Food Security

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

by | On 04 Dec 2015

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

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

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

by Neha Gupta | On 02 Dec 2015

Socially Sustainable Development and Participatory Governance: Legal and Political Aspects

This paper explores the notion of “sustainable development” which has progressively evolved over the recent years from the environmental field in which it originated, to the social sphere and has been...

by | On 02 Dec 2015

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

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

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

Access to Clean Energy

The development and utilization of renewable energy sources has been accorded high priority by the Government of India. The policies and programmes implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Ene...

by | On 27 Nov 2015

Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries

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

by | On 26 Nov 2015

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

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

by Aparna Ravi | On 25 Nov 2015

Sustainable Nutrition Security: Restoring the Bridge Between Agriculture and Health

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

by Graeme Thomas | On 24 Nov 2015

Safe Havens: The Emerging Terror Hubs in South Asia

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

by Reshmi Kazi | On 23 Nov 2015

Terrorism and Security in Asia: Redefining Regional Order?

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

by Amitav Acharya | On 22 Nov 2015

Regional Trade Openness Index, Income Disparity and Poverty - An Experiment with Indian Data

This study aims to examine how ‘open’ Indian states are with respect to international trade and uses the index of regional openness thus constructed to reflect on several aspects that affect the level...

by | On 19 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

Convergence of Social Security Schemes for Elimination of Child Labour

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

by Helen Sekar | On 10 Nov 2015

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Nov 2015

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

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

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

by | On 06 Nov 2015

The Sector Reforms Process in Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation: A Review of the Role of WASMO in Gujarat

This paper provides an assessment of the interventions in reforming the drinking water and sanitation sector in Gujarat as through the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) from a sup...

by Keshab Das | On 06 Nov 2015

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

Given the importance of securing women’s rights to land as India grows and develops and recognizing the dearth of available data to guide the design of gender-sensitive interventions, this study provi...

by | On 04 Nov 2015

Highlights of Recent IFPRI Food Policy Research in India: Reducing Poverty and Hunger through Food Policy Research

IFPRI and India’s partnership played a particularly important role following the Green Revolution when that partnership analyzed the necessary policies to both promote domestic food production and to...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 03 Nov 2015

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

Migration for Hard Work: A Reluctant Livelihood Strategy for Poor Households in West Bengal, India

This paper reports some initial findings of a study of how migrants in India and Bangladesh and the household members that stay behind reduce the insecurities they face (including hunger, debt, ill-he...

by | On 02 Nov 2015

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

Costs of Providing Sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Rural and Peri-Urban India

Water, sanitation and hygiene services are central to addressing poverty, livelihoods and health. They are also critical in addressing the needs of poor communities and in achieving the Millennium Dev...

by M.V. Ramachandrudu | 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

Ending Malnutrition: From Commitment to Action

Ending Malnutrition offers key insights from the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) to catalyze follow-up actions across the world. It reviews current evidence on the prevalence of ma...

by Vikas Rawal | On 23 Oct 2015

Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights

This Report focuses on the economic and social dimensions of gender equality, including the right of all women to a good job, with fair pay and safe working conditions, to an adequate pension in older...

by UN Women | On 23 Oct 2015

State Food Provisioning as Social Protection: Debating India’s National Food Security Law

This report provides an overview on the main issues debated during the development and passage of the India’s National Food Security Act (2013), which legally binds national and state governments to e...

by Harsh Mander | On 20 Oct 2015

The Gender Dimensions of Pension Systems: Policies and Constraints for the Protection of Older Women

This paper documents the pervasiveness of women’s lack of income security in old age across a large number of countries, but also points to a number of important policy measures that can be taken to a...

by | On 20 Oct 2015

Policy Tradeoffs in an Open Economy and the Role of G-20 in Global Macroeconomic Policy Coordination

In this paper the aim is to investigate the different nuances of India's capital account management through empirical analyses as well as descriptive discussions. In particular the study the evolution...

by Rajeswari Sengupta | On 19 Oct 2015

Military Build-up in the Indian Ocean: Implications for Regional Stability

As the Indian Ocean region increasingly becomes a more important geopolitical space, global powers and smaller states are laying down their stakes. This paper examines the military build-up of major I...

by | On 15 Oct 2015

Social Protection for Children: Key Policy Trends and Statistics

This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of child and family benefits in 183 countries; (ii) presents the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures...

by | On 15 Oct 2015

India’s Food Grain Policies and the Public Distribution System: The Case of Rice. Who Wins, Who Loses, and by How Much?

Indian governments follow highly interventionist policies on food grains, especially rice and wheat. These policies include import and export controls which insulate the domestic market from world mar...

by Garry Pursell | On 14 Oct 2015

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

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

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

Urban Poverty in Asia

This paper on Urban Poverty in Asia looks at the different dimensions of poverty in Asia, both income and nonincome, its two main regions, including a brief account of who and what class of people are...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Oct 2015

Development in Bihar: Predicaments and Prospects of Health Indices

The article aims at understanding the developmental process in Bihar and compares is the same with the national average. After a general comparison of developmental discourse, the focus in on health c...

by Aditya Raj | 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

The State of Food Insecurity in the World Meeting the 2015 International Hunger Targets: Taking Stock of Uneven Progress

This year’s annual State of Food Insecurity in the World report takes stock of progress made towards achieving the internationally established hunger targets and reflects on what needs to be done, as...

by Food and Agriculture Organization | On 07 Oct 2015

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2014) - Measuring the Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Developing Countries

This report presents the Hunger And Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) 2014. It seeks to: 1. Rank governments on their political commitment to tackling hunger and undernutrition; 2. Measure what gover...

by | On 01 Oct 2015

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2014): Measuring the Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Developing Countries

This report presents the Hunger And Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) 2014. It seeks to: Rank governments on their political commitment to tackling hunger and undernutrition; Measure what governments...

by Rajith Lakshman | On 30 Sep 2015

Maternal Mortality in India: A Review of Trends and Patterns

This paper discusses the trends and patterns in reduction in maternal mortality in India, and focuses on highlighting inter- and intra-state disparities. We find that the trends in the maternal mortal...

by William Joe | On 29 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

Poverty and Social Protection in Urban India

This paper, highlights the need for provisioning adequate social protection coverage to the vulnerable sections of population in urban India, assesses the role of the TPDS in reaching out to the depri...

by R. Radhakrishna | On 28 Sep 2015

Role and Effectiveness of Public Distribution System in Assuring Food Security in India: An Appraisal

This paper tries to identify food insecure population of the country, analyse the availability, storage, procurement of food grain , assess the effectiveness of PDS, identify the discrepancies in the...

by Ishita Aditya Ray | On 28 Sep 2015

Surviving in Bihar

Can election change the condition of Bihar? At least improving the transport facilities....

by T.N. Ninan | On 26 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

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility: Global Report on Human Settlements 2013

Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose 'transportation' and 'mobility' is to gain...

by UN-HABITAT | On 25 Sep 2015

Towards Universal Access to Health Care in India

In this concept note authors aim to put forth a broad canvas of the various issues that need to be considered and positions that need to be formulated, in order to argue that it is possible to make Un...

by Dr. Abhay Shukla | On 23 Sep 2015

Food Security vs Nutritional Security: Need for Multi-Sectoral Convergence

The paper attempts to address the problem of undernutrition in India and its adverse effects on children and adults. Today, food security concerns include not only the problems of physical availabili...

by | On 22 Sep 2015

Production, Market Structure and the Role of Public Policy: Foodgrains in the New Economy

Although India’s plans for market reforms and opening up agriculture with earnest optimism and anticipation, every step on the way was laced with caution and deliberation and every action was weighed...

by Nilabja Ghosh | On 21 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

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

The Bali Agreement: An Assessment from the Perspective of Developing Countries

This paper discusses the different agreements and decisions reached in the Bali Ministerial Conference and the potential implications for the post-Bali work program. The results of the Bali Minister...

by Eugenio Díaz Bonilla | On 16 Sep 2015

Rights-based Legal Guarantee as Development Policy: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

This paper analyses the legal framework and policy innovations undertaken towards achieving the stated objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This paper seeks to cri...

by | On 15 Sep 2015

Strengthening Existing Systems for Prevention of Child Marriage: Investing in a Model with Potential to Affect Reduction in Child Marriage

Child marriage can be prevented and children protected by activating the mandated government structures. A two-pronged approach – working with specific community groups, as well as with representativ...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 14 Sep 2015

Overcoming the Curse of Malnutrition in India: A Leadership Agenda for Action

The leadership agenda for action released by Coalition for Sustainable Nutrition Security in India to promote policy, programme and budgetary focus on overcoming the curse of malnutrition. The Coaliti...

by Coalition for Food & Nutrition Security India | On 11 Sep 2015

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

Report of Working Group on Nutrition for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17)

This report details the vision for 12th Five Year Plan on Nutrition which is to move towards Nutrition Security- especially the more vulnerable infants and young children, adolescent, girls and women,...

by Planning Commission | On 10 Sep 2015

Social Security for International Labour Migrants: Issues and Policy Options

Cross-border population movement, an indispensible feature of the current phase of globalisation, has led to significant changes in the migration landscape. Factors like temporisation of labour flows,...

by | On 09 Sep 2015

Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition: A Survival and Development Priority

This report contains nutrition profiles for 24 countries. This report shows that an estimated 195 million children under age 5 in developing countries suffer from stunting, a consequence of chronic nu...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 08 Sep 2015

Drones and India: Exploring Policy and Regulatory Challenges Posed by Civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

India currently operates close to 50 drones in various military, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering configurations, a number more than that of France, Germany and Italy combined. Yet the Direct...

by R. Swaminathan | On 07 Sep 2015

Gender Gaps and Women’s Empowerment in India – Issues and Strategies

- Gender equality is considered a critical element in achieving social and institutional change that leads to sustainable development with equity and growth. Inequalities between men and women manifes...

by | On 07 Sep 2015

A Review of Data on Nutrition in India: Preliminary Findings

This paper summarizes the preliminary findings of Global Nutrition Report (GNR), which we shared at the GNR stakeholder roundtable in New Delhi. The primary recommendations suggested are a set of core...

by | On 04 Sep 2015

Change in Efficiency Level in Achieving Human Development: Inter-Temporal Comparison of Indian States

In India, research on human development has received considerable importance from both the academic and policy point of view. However, all the previous studies on human development mainly focused on t...

by Swati Dutta | On 04 Sep 2015

Kerala Perspective Plan 2030

The Kerala Perspective Plan 2030 (KPP) is a Government of Kerala initiative that will serve as the basis for implementation of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable and inclusive grow...

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 04 Sep 2015

Poverty Eradication in India by 2015

This paper highlights a strategic framework to eradicate rural poverty by 2015 with the rural household as the central unit. It is based on the premise that the livelihoods of rural households depend...

by Ministry of Rural Development Government of India | On 31 Aug 2015

Quality of Life for All: A Sustainable Development Framework for India’s Climate Policy

The study builds on the India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 tool developed by NITI Aayog by adding a ‘quality of life’ dimension to the energy and emissions pathways. The study aims to evaluat...

by | On 28 Aug 2015

Efficacy of New Monetary Framework and Determining Inflation in India: An Empirical Analysis of Financially Deregulated Regime

Against the backdrop of the new monetary policy framework, this paper analyses the determinants of inflation in the deregulated financial regime. The paper upfront has been kept free from adherence to...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 25 Aug 2015

Has Indian Plantation Sector Weathered the Crisis? A Critical Assessment of Tea Plantation Industry in the Post-reforms Context

the paper provides an overview of the growth and status of Indian tea plantation sector delineating the trends in economic performance in the global context in a historic perspective. It then examine...

by Viswanathan P K | On 25 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

Safety First

Global market is in a turmoil. How can India have a stable economy? There are no easy solutions but to play safe.

by T.N. Ninan | On 21 Aug 2015

Analysis of Fish Consumption and Poverty in Bangladesh

Aquaculture has grown in leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades in Bangladesh. This is welcomed by most as increasing fish production is expected to contribute to enhancing food security in a...

by Kazi Ali Toufique | On 21 Aug 2015

The WTO Agreement on Agriculture and Food Security

This study aims to help identify how a future multilateral agreement on agricultural trade can provide a secure framework within which developing countries can pursue effective policies to ensure thei...

by Stephen Devereux | On 21 Aug 2015

Introduction to "Governing Marriage Migrations: Perspectives from Mainland China and Taiwan"

Cross-border migration for the purpose of marriage is on the rise, and at present it constitutes one of the most common forms of long-term international mobility in East Asia. The articles included he...

by | On 20 Aug 2015

Addressing Long-term Challenges to Food Security and Rural Livelihoods in South Asia

Notwithstanding its impressive economic growth, food insecurity in South Asia continues to be a stark reality for a large number of households. Despite several successful policy interventions by Gover...

by K. S. Kavi Kumar | On 19 Aug 2015

The changing nature of jobs - World Employment and Social Outlook 2015

The International Labour Organization reports on the increasingly insecure nature of job tenures worldwide. The World Employment and Social Outlook 2015 finds that, among countries with available data...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: A Catalyst for Rural Transformation

This report examines changes in the lives of rural households and in the rural economy against the backdrop of changes brought about by the programme. This research report addresses such challenging q...

by Sonalde Desai | On 13 Aug 2015

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 India 2011: Evidence

India’s urban transition has the potential to shift the country’s social, environmental, political and economic trajectory. Urbanisation will interact with the country’s ongoing demographic evolution...

by Indian Institute for Human Settlements | On 12 Aug 2015

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

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

Land Marked by Policy Distortions

Of all the markets in which politicians interfere with prices, the land market is probably the last that will be reformed.

by T.N. Ninan | On 08 Aug 2015

Impacts of the IPR Rules on Sustainable Development

This project aims to assess the impact of IPR rules on economic growth (including investment), environmental protection (including biodiversity) and social goals (including rural development). There w...

by IPDEV . | On 06 Aug 2015

Energy Sources of Indian Households for Cooking and Lighting

This report is by the National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India is part of the series on household consumer expenditure on utilisation of...

by National Sample Survey Office NSSO | On 31 Jul 2015

Rationalisation of Agriculture in Kerala: Implications for Natural Environment, Agro-Ecosystems and Livelihoods

This paper takes on an older debate that the agriculture transformation in the regional economy of Kerala has been mainly driven by ‘peasant rationality’. It argues that the agrarian transformation...

by Viswanathan P K | On 31 Jul 2015

Resolving the Food Crisis – Assessing Global Policy Reforms Since 2007

The report looks beyond the proclamations and communiqués to assess what has really changed since the crisis erupted. While not exhaustive, the report looks at: Overseas Development Assistance, both i...

by | On 30 Jul 2015

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

This Policy note on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is central to the attainment of the overarching goal of enabling poor rural women and men to improve their food security and nutrition, rais...

by International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD | On 29 Jul 2015

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

World Social Protection Report 2014/15

Social protection policies play a critical role in realizing the human right to social security for all, reducing poverty and inequality, and supporting inclusive growth – by boosting human capital an...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 17 Jul 2015

Inflation Targeting in India: Select Issues

The adoption of inflation targeting in India has been a much debated topic which also becomes a challenge for the emerging economy. Though inflation targeting has already been adopted in many emerging...

by Charan Singh | On 17 Jul 2015

The Role of Subsidy Uncertainty in Mission Drift of Microfinance Institutions of Asia

This study sheds light on the mission drift arguments for 149 MFIs working in continent Asia over the period 2003 to 2013. The mission drift is captured by average loan size, total number of borrower...

by | On 08 Jul 2015

Managing Rice Value Chain for Improved Food Security in Bangladesh

This Policy Brief utilizes the concept of value chain management as the basis of improving the competitive advantage of the rice sector for promoting food security in Bangladesh. For analyzing the is...

by | On 02 Jul 2015

Inflation Targeting India: Select Issues

The adoption of inflation targeting in India has been a much debated topic which also becomes a challenge for the emerging economy. Though inflation targeting has already been adopted in many emerging...

by Charan Singh | On 18 Jun 2015

Building a Sustainable Agricultural Trade Security System for Kerala

The present Report offers suggestions for the consideration of the Government of India, based on the UN Millennium Goals for Poverty Eradication, as well as on the principle that trade should strength...

by | On 17 Jun 2015

Gender and Food Security: Towards Gender-Just Food and Nutrition Security

This BRIDGE Cutting Edge Overview Report makes the case for a new, gender-aware understanding of food security, arguing that partial, apolitical and gender-blind diagnoses of the problem of food and n...

by Bridge Cutting Edge Programme | On 16 Jun 2015

Inter-State Disparities in Economic Growth in India: Some Policy Implications for Laggard States

Faster economic growth of some of the backward states like Bihar, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh in the post 2004-05 compels us to think if it is any indicative of convergence among states of India. How...

by Anjali Masarguppi | On 10 Jun 2015

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015: Meeting the 2015 International Hunger Targets Taking Stock of Uneven Progress.

This report discusses the need to eradicate hunger and achieve food security across all its dimensions. The report also identifies key factors that have determined success to date in reaching the MDG ...

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 10 Jun 2015

Water for Food Security and Nutrition

This report is a report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. Water is key to food security and nutrition. However there are many c...

by Food and Nutrition Division FAO | On 10 Jun 2015

Universal Food Security Program and Nutritional Intake: Evidence from the Hunger Prone KBK Districts in Odisha

This article provides evidence on the role of consumer food subsidies in improving nutritional intake and diet quality by evaluating the expansion of the government food assistance program coverage i...

by Andaleeb Rahman | On 05 Jun 2015

Renewable Energy: Market and Policy Environment in India

India's significant economic growth over the last decade has led to an inexorable rise in energy demand. Currently, India faces a challenging energy shortage. To grow at 9 per cent over the next 20 ye...

by Vivan Sharan | On 05 Jun 2015

Analysis of Trends in India’s Agricultural Growth

The present study discusses the trends and patterns in agricultural growth at the national and sub-national levels in India. Data on important variables like area, production, input use and value of o...

by Elumalai Kannan | On 04 Jun 2015

Second Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2015-16

On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation the statement suggest that the global recovery is still slow and getting increasingly differentiated across regions.

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 03 Jun 2015

A Value Chain Approach to Measuring Distortions to Incentives and Food Policy Effects (with application to Pakistan’s grain policy)

An extended Nominal Rate of Assistance (NRA) methodology is used to disentangle the welfare impacts of policies for various interest groups along the value chain (to disaggregate effects within the “p...

by Elena Briones Alonso | On 02 Jun 2015

Fourteenth Report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas

The primary objective of the Act is augmenting wage employment. In this regard, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the...

by Committee on Empowerment of Women GOI | On 01 Jun 2015

Report of Planning Commission Working Group on Horticulture and Plantation Crops for Twelfth Plan

This Report of  the Working Group  on Horticulture &  Plantation  Crops will give  renewed  impetus  to  measures  for  sustained  growth  of  India's  Horticulture  &  Plantation  Sector  along with ...

by Planning Commission | On 25 May 2015

Women’s Social Security and Protection in India

This report points out the existence of a number of Government-sponsored schemes for promoting the social welfare of women and for achieving other goals such as poverty amelioration, reduction in maln...

by | On 25 May 2015

Crop Husbandry, Agricultural Inputs, Demand and Supply Projections and Agricultural Statistics for the Twelfth Five Year Plan

Eleventh Five Year Plan has focused on a model that encompass 4 per cent growth in agriculture. This was considered vital not only for improving food and nutrient security, but also for inclusive grow...

by Planning Commission | On 22 May 2015

Report of the Working Group on Social Security for Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17)

The Working Group, in its meeting held to discuss the terms of reference to review the existing social security measures for organized workers. It is a basic human right, and its fulfillment will con...

by Ministry of Labour and Employment MoL&E | On 22 May 2015

Key Indicators of Situation of Agricultural Households in India

This document brings out the key results of Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households of NSS 70th round within a year of completion of the field work for the use in decision support, poli...

by Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation (MOSPI) | On 18 May 2015

National Vaccine Policy

The National Vaccine Policy document has been developed following the recommendation of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI). This policy document addresses broad issues of streng...

by National Rural Health Mission | On 13 May 2015

Adolescent Health and Development – A Profile for Orissa

The Orissa Adolescent Profile is a maiden effort to carry this process forward at the state level and contribute to the knowledge and information base on the issue. The profile is primarily based on s...

by Dr. Bhagbanprakash . | On 12 May 2015

Annual Report: 2010-2011

This report of government details on challenges in agriculture sector. There is a need to address these issues as India faces a greater challenge, since with only 2.3% share in world’s total land area...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 07 May 2015

Report on the State of Food Insecurity in Rural India

This Report is an update of the Rural Food Insecurity Atlas of 2001 released by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Since then, numerous new programmes...

by V B Athreya | On 06 May 2015

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

Reassessing Internal Displacement in South Asia

Displacement is by no means a new phenomenon in South Asia. As they emerged as independent states, at least half of the South Asian countries experienced mass displacement. In Bangladesh it is esti...

by | On 28 Apr 2015

India Human Development Report 2011: Towards Social Inclusion

This Report examines: human development index and profile for India and its states; economic attainment of the population, especially in terms of the two major sources of income-employment and assets;...

by | On 27 Apr 2015

India in Figures 2013

This reports reflects development in the fields of population, Human development index, labour and houses, employment, prices, agriculture, industry.

by Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute | On 24 Apr 2015

Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012–2017) Economic Sectors

This Five Year Plan document focuses on Economic Sectors which provides plans for Agriculture, Industry, Energy, Transport, Communication, Rural Development, Urban Development and Other Priority Secto...

by Planning Commission | On 23 Apr 2015

Is Long-Term Food Insecurity Inevitable in Asia

This article questions two widely accepted claims on long-term food insecurity in Asia, the world's (heterogeneous) region with the largest number of undernourished individuals. The first claim is tha...

by | On 23 Apr 2015

Compendium of State Policies from the Perspective of Climate Change Mitigation

The report documents compendium of state policies from perspective of climate change mitigation with findings such as many states endowed with rich natural resources are naturally very environment fri...

by | On 21 Apr 2015

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 -Challenges, Buffer Stocking and the Way

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 combines and expands the scope of some existing food-based welfare schemes. It will be distributing raw rations, meal(s) and/or cash. Approximately 81.35 cro...

by Shweta Saini | On 20 Apr 2015

Towards a Water and Food Secure Future

The aim of this paper is to provide policy-makers with a helpful overview of the technical and economic aspects of water use in agriculture, with particular emphasis on crop and livestock production....

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 15 Apr 2015

Realizing Sustainable Food Security in the Post-2015 Development Era: South Asia’s Progress, Challenges and Opportunities

This paper reviews South Asia’s progress, challenges and opportunities for realizing sustainable food security in the post-2015 development agenda. The review finds that South Asia’s average dietary e...

by | On 14 Apr 2015

The State of Food Insecurity in the World Economic Growth is Necessary but not Sufcient to Accelerate Reduction of Hunger and Malnutrition

This report provides evidence that poor, hungry and malnourished people use some of their additional income either to produce or purchase more food, aiming to increase their dietary energy intake and...

by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN UN | On 09 Apr 2015

Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2014-15

Maharashra Government, State Economy, Population, State income, Prices & Public Distribution System, Public Finance, Institutional Finance & Capital Market, Agriculture & Allied Activities, infrastru...

by Government of Maharashtra | On 09 Apr 2015

How Power Can Be Cleaned

Coal is an environmentalist’s bugbear. The use of coal to generate energy is the key reason the world is looking at a catastrophic future because of climate change. Recognising this, global civil soci...

by Sunita Narain | On 08 Apr 2015

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 - Challenges, Buffer Stocking and the Way Forward

The paper empirically maps the annual distribution commitment (61.43 MMTs) of the government with the procurement pattern of rice and wheat, for each quarter, to estimate the quarterly operational sto...

by Shweta Saini | On 01 Apr 2015

Japan and ASEAN: Their Changing Security Relations

Southeast Asia has been one of the key components of Japan's foreign policy in the post-Cold War period. It is one region where Japan's diplomacy has accomplished considerable success in coming to ter...

by | On 24 Mar 2015

Towards A Pareto Efficient Indian Agricultural Market - with specific focus on rice and wheat markets

The paper examines the policies of the central as well as state governments with respect to the agricultural market, specifically in rice and wheat markets, analyses their shortcomings and argues for...

by Dr Anandi Subramanian | On 23 Mar 2015

India and the MDGs: Towards a Sustainable Future for All

India has made notable progress in achieving poverty reduction and other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since their adoption at the turn of the century but this progress has been uneven and milli...

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) | On 19 Mar 2015

India: Development Effectiveness Brief

The publication captures the core of ADB's operations in India and showcases select ADB interventions that are helping the government achieve its development goals. ADB supports the Government of I...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 17 Mar 2015

The World Water Development Report 2014: Water and Energy

The World Water Development Report is produced by the World Water Assessment Programme, a programme of UN-Water hosted by UNESCO, and is the result of the joint efforts of the UN agencies and entities...

by Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute | On 13 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

Food Security in India: Issues and Suggestions for Effectiveness

Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than a-third of its population is estimated to be absolutely poor, and as many as one half of its children have suffered fr...

by | On 11 Mar 2015

Gender Equality and Food Security: Women’s Empowerment as a Tool against Hunger

This report explores how gender equality can contribute to food security. Its focus is on Asia and the Pacific, though developments in other regions are also referenced. The report describes the relat...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Mar 2015

India’s Progress in Combating Climate Change

This Briefing Paper attempts to present a range of initiatives highlighting policy designs and their implementation in various sectors with states and non-state to set up cooperation on climate chan...

by | On 05 Mar 2015

Straw in the Wind

What does the decision to save groundwater in Punjab or Haryana have to do with air pollution in Delhi? Plenty. We need to know this because many actions have unintended and deadly consequences.

by Sunita Narain | On 26 Feb 2015

Budget 'Asks' for Food and Nutrition Security

With the budget round the corner what are the asks from the standpoint of food sovereignty? A Convention on Budget 2015-16 by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability looks at these.

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 26 Feb 2015

Cleanliness and Sanitation: Underlying Constraints in India

Open defecation and improper garbage disposal are a reality of public spaces in India, not just due to poverty or a lack of initiative on the government, but social acceptance of attitudes which disr...

by Poorva Awasthi | On 24 Feb 2015

Public Spending Towards Harnessing Renewable Energy in India

The energy sector unquestionably constitutes one of the major driving forces of Indian economy. Ever since the 12th Plan has projected the growth rate of 8-9 per cent per annum for the economy for the...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 20 Feb 2015

Leakages from Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Way Forward

The public distribution system (PDS) has been one of the main policy instruments of the Government of India (GoI) to provide food security to the people of this country, especially the vulnerable ones...

by Ashok Gulati | On 17 Feb 2015

Addressing Inequality in South Asia

An outcome report of IMF-World Bank meetings held in October 2014, this report highlights the stark inequalities in human development in South Asia. Based on parameters such as monetary indicators, he...

by Martin Rama | On 17 Feb 2015

Asymmetric Price Adjustment - Evidence for India

The study tries to examine whether there exists asymmetry in the price adjustment of firms while using the commodity wise whole sale price indices belonging to three different sectors - primary, manuf...

by Sartaj Rather | On 12 Feb 2015

The Effect of Women’s Decision-Making Power on Reproductive Health Services Uptake - Evidence from Pakistan

A large body of research has attempted to explore the links between women's autonomy and their uptake of reproductive health services in the South Asia region, but the evidence so far is inconclusive...

by Xiaohui Hou | On 04 Feb 2015

Water Scarcity & Climate Change: Growing Risks for Businesses & Investors

This report outlines the wide-ranging risks investors and companies face from water scarcity and how global climate change will heighten those risks in many parts of the world. The report makes clear...

by | On 04 Feb 2015

Research and Development and Extension Services in Agriculture and Food Security

This paper makes a case for sustained investments in research and extension to address the numerous challenges along the pathway from agriculture production and distribution to consumption and utiliza...

by | On 30 Jan 2015

Surge in Solar-Powered Homes: Experience in Off-Grid Rural Bangladesh

The studies broad aim is to access the welfare impact of solar home systems (SHS) on households and to evaluate the present institutional structure and financing mechanisms. Also it accesses the direc...

by Shahidur R. Khandker | On 27 Jan 2015

Approaches to Food Security in Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Nigeria: Lessons for Developing Countries

This paper provides a review of the national experiences of six emerging and developing economies, two from Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), three from Asia (China, India, and Malaysia), and one fro...

by Pooja Sharma | On 23 Jan 2015

So That We Can Breathe Easy

The easiest way to clear air pollution is to not know how bad it is. This is what India practices—in most parts of the country. There is virtually no equipment to monitor the air we breathe and no sys...

by Sunita Narain | On 22 Jan 2015

Promoting Agricultural Research and Development to Strengthen Food Security in South Asia

This study aims to highlight the status of agricultural R&D in South Asia and contends that creating an effective agricultural research and innovation systems is a vital element to ensure food securit...

by | On 22 Jan 2015

Cyber Crime and Security

The purpose of this paper is Understanding Cyber crime and its phenomena, challenges and legal response to assist everyone in understanding the legal aspects of cyber security and to help harmonize le...

by Shilpa Yadav | On 13 Jan 2015

Living through Crises : How the Food, Fuel, and Financial Shocks Affect the Poor

The food, fuel, and financial crises that started in 2008 reverberated throughout the global economy, causing job losses; poverty; and economic, financial, and political upheaval in countries all...

by | On 13 Jan 2015

Trade Liberalization, Poverty and Food Security in India

This paper attempts to assess the impact of trade liberalization on growth, poverty, and food security in India with the help of a national level computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. It shows t...

by | On 29 Dec 2014

Food Security and Nutritional scenario of India- An overview

The purpose of this paper is to assess the availability of food to poor and nutritional situation of national households. The growth of production of food grains is 2.12 per cent in 2000-01 to 2010-1...

by | On 26 Dec 2014

Social Safety Net—Emergency Assistance for Food Security in Bangladesh

In 2007, Bangladesh was adversely affected by severe flooding and a devastating cyclone which triggered a 1.2 million-ton shortfall in the country’s rice production. This situation resu...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Dec 2014

Support to Rural Pension Reform and Administration in the People’s Republic of China

The lack of social protection for the elderly in rural areas of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has, since the 1990s, been seen by the government as a critical issue. The central government intro...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 Dec 2014

Food and Nutrition Security Status in India: Opportunities for Investment Partnerships

Ensuring food and nutrition security is a challenge for India, given its huge population and high levels of poverty and malnutrition. India is a net agricultural exporter, particularly of milk, fruit...

by T. Nanda Kumar | On 18 Dec 2014

A Nutrition Secure India: Role of Agriculture

India continues to suffer from under-nutrition among large sections of its population. The country is unlikely to realise the first millennium development goal by 2015. How can agriculture be us...

by Suneetha Kadiyala | On 18 Dec 2014

Price Movements for Rice and Wheat: A Structuralist Policy Perspective

This paper examines the price movements in rice and wheat, following structuralist principles emphasizing the necessity of long term solutions in combination with short and medium term management. How...

by K U Gopakumar | On 17 Dec 2014

Food Price Subsidies and Nutrition: Evidence from State Reforms to India’s Public Distribution System

It investigate whether food price subsidies affect household nutrition using a dramatic expansion of the availability of subsidized rice in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh in the early 2000’s. Hous...

by Prasad Krishnamurthy | On 28 Nov 2014

Poverty-Hunger Divergence in India

The usual explanations for the divergence between calorie intake and consumption expenditure in India ignore the enormous squeeze on food budgets arising from dispossession (leading to loss of a...

by Deepankar Basu | On 28 Nov 2014

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

Will Indian Farmers Respond to the Call for Increased Biofuel Production-Evidence from Northeastern India

In India, biofuel has gained in popularity in recent years because of its potential as a clean energy source and a means to stimulate rural development. Yet, growth in Jatropha, a key bio-fuel crop,...

by Kishor Goswami | On 27 Nov 2014

Food Security in India-Some Issues and Challenges

Food security has emerged as a fundamental issue at global level since the global food crisis of 2008. Now, investment in agriculture, food, and nutritional security is a prime concern for every natio...

by Palwinder Kaur | On 27 Nov 2014

Agricultural Transformation and Food Security in India: Lessons for Southeast Asia

This article seeks firstly to look at the three aspects of food security in India, viz., food availability, accessibility, and absorption. Secondly, an attempt has been made to study food security in...

by Reshmi Banerjee | On 27 Nov 2014

Enhancing the Nutrition-Sensitivity of Agricultural Development Interventions in the Eastern Gangetic Plains: Challenges and Options

This background paper aims first is to outline the rationale and merits for enhancing the nutrition-sensitivity of agricultural interventions in general, highlighting recognised pathways which lin...

by Toni Darbas | On 20 Nov 2014

Safeguarding Security and Sovereignty

K.G.KANNABIRAN MEMORIAL LECTURE.

by Justice C.V. WIGNESWARAN | On 20 Nov 2014

What Explains the Productivity Decline in Manufacturing in the Nineties in India?

This paper uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) based Malmquist productivity index to estimate total factor productivity growth (TFPG), technical change, and efficiency change for a panel of firms...

by Saon Ray | On 18 Nov 2014

Global Nutrition Report 2014

This Global Nutrition Report is the first in an annual series. It tracks worldwide progress in improving nutrition status, identifies bottlenecks to change, highlights opportunities for action, and co...

by Independent Expert Group (IEG) | On 17 Nov 2014

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

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

by Mousumi Das | On 14 Nov 2014

Prioritizing Demand-Driven Agricultural Research for Development in India

India has shown an impressive economic growth of about 8 percent per year in the last decade. But the coexistence of impressive growth with widespread poverty and hunger is a real worry and a seri...

by Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions | On 12 Nov 2014

A Report on Health Inequities in Maharashtra

This study project was undertaken by SATHI and CEHAT to make a small contribution in this emerging field of study of health inequities in India, and with the objective of strengthening advocacy on hea...

by Srijit Mishra | On 11 Nov 2014

Making Sense of Green Building Rating

It is time to go beyond just lip service to push green reforms in building standards. On analysing reports from the Indian Green Building Council, researchers at the Centre for Science and Environment...

by Sunita Narain | On 11 Nov 2014

Social Exclusion and (RSBY) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana in Maharashtra

Out-of-pocket payments make up a large proportion of total health expenditure leading to inequity amongst the poorer sections. Recently government of India has instigated various demand side financing...

by Harshad Thakur | On 11 Nov 2014

Towards a Food Secure India and South Asia: Making Hunger History

The paper begins with a detailed analysis of the various elements of food security, then it describes the various policy and programme restructurings and interventions to meet the challenges and const...

by R.B. Singh | On 29 Oct 2014

Governance Issues and Challenges in Implementation Of National Food Security Act 2013

India is a developing country having 2nd highest population in the world. Even after 66 years of its independence, County is facing a serious issue of poverty and malnutrition. The Government of I...

by Hitesh S. Gujarati | On 29 Oct 2014

Corporate Sustainability a Panacea for Growth: Values, Convictions and Acrions

Can corporate sustainability aid growth, create value and actions on environmental protection? The answer can be positive. But at the same time, level of development of the country, poverty etc. also...

by G Padmanabhan | On 27 Oct 2014

The Soya Project: Farm Evangelists

In 2008, two earnest young men set out to boost soya bean yields in the semi-arid region of Bundi in Rajasthan. Rainfall there is meagre and the soil lacks nutrients. But there are ready buyers for so...

by Civil Society | On 20 Oct 2014

Fighting Child Malnutrition

India has the dubious distinction of having the highest burden of malnutrition in the world – higher than Sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 50 per cent of our children are underweight and stunted and 70...

by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India | On 16 Oct 2014

Report on the State Of Food Insecurity in Urban India

This report maps food insecurity in urban India. It captures the changes in the urban scenario from updated statistics like NFHS, NSSO etc. and highlight the parameters that would lead to improved foo...

by World Food Programme | On 16 Oct 2014

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

The Myth of Green Building

There is no question that India and other parts of the still-under-construction world must build green. The building sector is a major contributor to climate change and local environmental destruction...

by Sunita Narain | 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

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

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

by Sheila Bhalla | On 01 Oct 2014

Evolution and Critique of Buffer Stocking Policy of India

An evaluation of the country’s buffer stock policy reveals gaps and inefficiencies. Large quantities of food grains have accumulated in the godowns of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and its nom...

by Shweta Saini | On 26 Sep 2014

Causes of Indian Rupee Depreciation and its Impact on Bangladesh Economy

The intention of this paper is to examine the impact of Indian Rupee depreciation on Bangladesh Economy. The empirical results obtained from OLS for the sample period from 2007:10 to 2013:10 show tha...

by Sayera Younus | On 25 Sep 2014

Training Module on Gender and Social Security for Unorganised Sector

The benefits of social protection do not, often, percolate down to the eligible beneficiaries. The main case of this deficiency is the lack of awareness of the main stakeholders, like the workers or...

by Shashi Bala | On 19 Sep 2014

Creative Productivity Index: Analysing Creativity and Innovation in Asia

This report presents the results and analysis of the Creative Productivity Index (CPI) for a select number of Asian economies. The CPI was built by The Economist Intelligence Unit. The Asian Developme...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 19 Sep 2014

Food Security and Nutrition: Vision 2020

The concept of food security has undergone considerable changes in recent years. Food availability and stability were considered good measures of food security till the seventies and the achievement o...

by K. Venkata Reddy | On 18 Sep 2014

Furthering Climate Change Adaptation in India

In developing countries, a large part of the livelihood derives services of natural resources and ecosystem and these are critical for sustainable livelihoods. It has been universally acknowledged tha...

by Dharmendra Chandurkar | On 17 Sep 2014

SEWA: Supporting Village-Level Organizations to Improve Rural Livelihoods

In spite of the rapid growth of the Indian economy, the fraction of the rural population living in poverty has declined only modestly. Increasing indebtedness, rises in input prices, and rapid commerc...

by Raj M. Desai | On 17 Sep 2014

Scaling up Agricultural Supply Chains in the Private Sector

This brief is one of series on scaling up in agriculture, rural development, and nutrition. PepsiCo is a global business operating in more than 200 countries and territories and rooted in creating and...

by Beth Sauerhaft | On 17 Sep 2014

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

Production, Procurement and Inflation: A Market Model for Food Grains

Rapid rise in the price of food grains and their continued upsurge is a matter of concern for not only the government and policy makers but also for all concerned with social welfare. This is particul...

by Gopakumar K.U. | On 15 Sep 2014

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

The global economic crises that started in 2008 have exposed commodity markets to increasing price volatility and raised concerns for higher inflation, food security and poverty reduction. This seri...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 12 Sep 2014

Background Paper on Issues related to Land Economics - Urbanisation, Development and Housing Requirements in the National Capital Region (NCR)

The mechanism adopted to keep the rise in property prices under check until 2000 was the active participation of the public sector in keeping supply ahead of demand. This seems to have worked well in...

by Jatinder S. Bedi | On 08 Sep 2014

Food Stamps: A Model for India

About 4.5 lakh fair price shops in India sell 10-20 lakh tons of rice and wheat at the subsidized rate per month. Majority of the ration shops are in urban areas, they are hardly ever open and only a...

by Parth Shah | On 27 Aug 2014

World Economic and Social Survey 2013: Sustainable Development Challenges

New strategies are needed to address the impacts of rapid urbanisation around the world, including increasing demands for energy, water, sanitation, public services, education and health, according to...

by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNDESA | On 21 Aug 2014

Public Debt Management: Reflections on Strategy and Structure

The strategy and structure of public debt management in India is shown here. [ Keynote address delivered at 9th Annual International Conference on “Public Policy & Management: Debt Management” at Ind...

by Harun R Khan | On 13 Aug 2014

Three Blind Men and an Elephant: The Case of Energy Indices to Measure Energy Security and Sustainability

An 'Energy Index', which is aggregated from energy indicators is a rich source of information and is helpful in providing an assessment of a country's performance. This has, however, resulted in mus...

by Kapil Narula | On 24 Jul 2014

Salient Features of Measuring, Interpreting and Addressing Indian Inflation

The paper reviews the calculation of Indian wholesale and consumer price indices and suggests improvements in the light of past experience and international best practices. It confirms that food infla...

by Kirti Gupta | On 22 Jul 2014

Bhutan - National Youth Policy 2011

This National Youth Policy seeks to respond to the needs of the country’s youth by providing a broad framework within which all stakeholders can contribute comprehensively and in a coordinated manner...

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 21 Jul 2014

The Flash Statistics - Elementary Education in India – Progress towards UEE

The present publication is an outcome of the second year of unified school based data for elementary and secondary schools. UDISE has become a regular source of information on all aspects of elementar...

by Ministry of Human Resource Development, GOI | On 02 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

Jobs and Livelihoods Mapping the Landscape

The Indian labour market is characterised by abysmally low participation of women in the labour market, enormity of low wage informal employment, and scarcity of decent regular wage employment. The c...

by IRIS Knowledge Foundation IKF | On 17 Jun 2014

World Social Protection Report 2014/15 - Building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice

This ILO flagship report: (i) provides a global overview of the organisation of social protection systems, their coverage and benefits, as well as public expenditures on social security; (ii) followin...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 17 Jun 2014

PRS Legislative Research: Annual Policy Review-April 2013 – March 2014

The PRS Annual Policy Review aims to capture the key legislative and policy developments in India during the fiscal year 2013-14. The objective of this document is to summarise all the major devel...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 05 Jun 2014

Price, Markups and Trade Reforms

This paper examines how prices, markups and marginal costs respond to trade liberalization. Multi-product firms are used in the study. [BREAD WP No. 418].

by Jan De Loecker | On 02 Jun 2014

Labour Market Information System - An Indian Perspective

The concept paper is conceptualization of a well-structured LMIS to assist planning and delivery of training for NSDC. The report is structured into key sections which unfold the blueprint for buildin...

by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) | On 23 May 2014

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

World Youth Report 2007 Young People’s Transition to Adulthood: Progress and Challenges

The Report highlights the unique aspects of youth development in various regions but emphasizes that young people the world over are ultimately constrained in their efforts to contribute to their own...

by United Nations UN | On 16 May 2014

The Employment Imperative: Report on the World Social Situation 2007

The report closely examines four areas of increasing concern that of particular importance when addressing the issue of employment: jobless growth, global informalisation of the labour market, economi...

by United Nations UN | On 16 May 2014

Water Security in South Asia: Issues and Policy Recommendations

It is estimated that by 2030, only 60 per cent of the world's population will have access to fresh water supplies. This would mean that about 3 billion people would be living without reliable source...

by Wilson John | On 15 May 2014

The Unique ID Project in India: An Exploratory Study

The issues of concern around the UID scheme, are largely based on the issues of principles and practicalities. The issues of principles, are basically the rationale to carry out an identification sche...

by Prakash Chandra Sao | On 13 May 2014

Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change: 1st Assessment

This document represents the first action plan on climate change adopted by Government of Karnataka. Assessments and conclusions presented are based on published research and data. The present knowled...

by Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute | 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

Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All

The Human Development Report 2011 explores the integral links between environmental sustainability and equity and shows that these are critical to expanding human freedoms for people today and in gene...

by Jeni Klugman | On 06 May 2014

The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World

The 2013 Human Development Report, The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World looks at the evolving geopolitics of our times, examining emerging issues and trends and also the new actors...

by Khalid Malik | On 06 May 2014

Soil Degradation : A Threat to Developing-Country Food Security by 2020?

This comprehensive paper explains why and when soil degradation should be of particular concern to policymakers interested in assuring food security. The inferences in this paper are based on research...

by Sara J. Scherr | On 05 May 2014

Achieving Urban Food and Nutrition Security in the Developing World

Growth in urban poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition and a shift in their concentration from rural to urban areas will acompany urbanisation. This is a series of briefs covering various aspects...

by James L. Garrett | On 02 May 2014

India’s Agricultural Trade Policy and Sustainable Development

During the last six decades or so Indian agriculture has made remarkable progress with food grain production growing five fold from about 50 MMT in 1950 to more than 250 MMT in 2012. Despite the incre...

by Anwarul Hoda | On 29 Apr 2014

The Food Security Policy Context in South Africa

The analysis in this report leads to an overall conclusion that the IFSS is an excellent strategy on paper and a relevant framework for different stakeholders, but in reality it lacks implementing pow...

by Josee Koch | On 29 Apr 2014

The Impact of Education Across Sectors: Food Security

This policy brief explores ways in which the education sector contributes to the creation of food security, as well as how a more food secure population can have better educational outcomes, promoting...

by Michele McNabb | On 29 Apr 2014

Food and Nutrition Security Status in India

Ensuring food and nutrition security is a challenge for India, given its huge population and high levels of poverty and malnutrition. India is a net agricultural exporter, particularly of milk, fruits...

by Pravesh Sharma | On 28 Apr 2014

Features of Urban Food and Nutrition Security and Considerations for Successful Urban Programming

This paper discusses the wide disparities that exist in childhood malnutrition, food insecurity and livelihoods within urban areas which, when combined with the mobility of urban residents,add to the...

by Marie T. Ruel | On 22 Apr 2014

Addressing the Global Food Crisis: Key trade, investment and commodity policies in ensuring sustainable food security and alleviating poverty

The recent global food crisis can be seen as a wake-up call which can be turned into an opportunity by developing countries and the international community to revitalize global agriculture producti...

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development | On 22 Apr 2014

Access to Food

This series of eSSays is an attempt to fill that gap and make social and economic research impacting policy available to enhance public debate in this time of change. We also hope that this will const...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 21 Apr 2014

How to win an Afghan Election

Afghanistan is currently in its second round of presidential and provincial council elections since 2001. In these elections most attention by international observers and analysts is being paid to que...

by Martine Bijlert | On 21 Apr 2014

National Refugee Law in India: Benefits and Roadblocks

India’s status as a preferred refugee haven is confirmed by the steady flow of refugees from many of its subcontinental neighbours as also from elsewhere. India continues to receive them despite its o...

by Arjun Nair | On 17 Apr 2014

Improving Child Nutrition: The achievable imperative for global progress

The World Health Assembly has set the goal of achieving a 40 per cent reduction in the number of stunted children under 5 years old by 2025, or around 70 million children saved from the misery o...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 11 Apr 2014

The Economic Cost of General Strikes in Nepal

This paper reviews the key aspects of general strikes and analyses the economic cost of such strikes in Nepal. Data analysis shows that average direct cost of general strikes stood at NRs. 1.8 billi...

by Min Bahadur Shrestha | On 11 Apr 2014

Food Security and Poverty Key Challenges and Policy Issues

Food insecurity, or the inability to access food of sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy minimum dietary needs, is the most basic form of human deprivation. Before people can provide for their e...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Apr 2014

The State of Food Insecurity in the World : Addressing food insecurity in protracted crises

The number and proportion of hungry people in the world are declining as the global economy recovers and food prices remain below their peak levels, but hunger remains higher than before the foo...

by World Food Programme WFP | On 04 Apr 2014

Report on the State of Food Insecurity In Urban India

The concept of food insecurity is multidimensional in nature and is determined by a whole range of issues such as domestic production of food, import and export of food, purchasing power of people to...

by V. B. Athreya | On 03 Apr 2014

Food Prices and Child Nutrition in Andhra Pradesh

This paper makes an attempt to assess the impact of food price rise on the nutritional status of children of five year old. Young lives panel data provides the nutritional status of the children whe...

by S. Galab | On 27 Mar 2014

Price Transmission and Market Power in Modern Agricultural Value Chains

Price transmission is theoretically examined and how exogenous consumer price shocks (triggered for instance by income changes, global shocks, or by changes in consumer preferences) are transmitted to...

by Johan F.M. Swinnen | On 20 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

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

MGNREGA, which is the largest work guarantee programme in the world, was enacted in 2005 with the primary objective of guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households. It aims at...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 05 Mar 2014

National Food Security Mission: Operational Guidelines

The National Development Council (NDC)in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 03 Mar 2014

Poverty and the state of nutrition in India

This paper analysis the development paradox of India, relatively high economic growth rates in the past few years, but lower progress in areas of life expectancy, education and standard of living. Pov...

by Kiruba S Varadharajan | On 03 Mar 2014

Food Security in India: Performance, Challenges and Policies

This paper examines performance, challenges, and policies in food security in terms of availability, access, and absorption or nutrition. Speci? cally, the paper addresses the following questions: ...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 28 Feb 2014

Human Development, Poverty, Health & Nutrition Situation in India

This study was undertaken to assess the trends in HDI, human poverty index (HPI) and incidence of poverty among Indian states, the socio-economic, health, and diet and nutritional indicators which det...

by G.M. Antony | On 28 Feb 2014

What Census 2011 Reveals about Our Growers and Their Land

To gain a better understanding of the changes in the numbers of cultivators and Agricultural labor (marginal or main), it is useful to read them with the change in the number of agricultural holdings...

by Rahul Goswami | On 28 Feb 2014

Can Government-Allocated Land Contribute to Food Security? Intrahousehold Analysis of West Bengal’s Microplot Allocation Program

Secure land rights are a critical, but often overlooked, factor in achieving household food security and improved nutritional status in rural areas of developing countries. This study evaluates the im...

by Florence Santos | On 17 Feb 2014

Combating Youth Unemployment in India

This study discusses in depth the youth unemployment "problem" in India and the reasons behind it. Despite its demographic dividend and increased literacy levels, India faces youth unemployment as a...

by Pravin Sinha | On 08 Feb 2014

Are Women’s Issues Synonymous with Gender in India? Looking Across Geographic Space

This paper attempts to shift the focus from ‘women’ to the significance of the gender equation by assessing the intensity of gender disparity across geographic space, and enquiring into the reasons...

by Nira Ramachandran | On 04 Feb 2014

National Food Security Bill Challenges and Options

Despite ensuring ample availability of food, existence of food insecurity at the micro-level in the country has remained a formidable challenge for India. The recently introduced National Food Securit...

by Ashok Gulati | On 23 Jan 2014

Structural Reforms and Agriculture: Issues and Policies

The performance of Agriculture in India is important as the sector not only contributes to overall growth of the economy but also provides employment and food security to majority of the population...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 23 Jan 2014

Youth and Politics in India-II

This paper aims to uncover the features that make India’s youth politics so distinct from other forms of politics within the country, the kinds of politics young people participate in, and the kinds o...

by Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury | On 22 Jan 2014

India’s Regional Security Cooperation: The Nehru Raj Legacy

The paper explores the logic of continuity in independent India’s security policy from where the British Raj had left off. Much like the Raj, Nehru’s India sought to provide security to its smaller ne...

by prashant kumar | On 21 Jan 2014

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

Bilateral Trade and Food Security

We analyze the relationship between food security and trade, focusing on food importers’ exposure to sudden market failures from relying on a narrow range of international suppliers. We compute a bil...

by Douglas H. Brooks | On 20 Jan 2014

Energy Access and Energy Security in Asia and the Pacific

Lack of access to electricity and modern cooking fuels constitutes energy poverty. Access to modern energy requires improved technologies and financing instruments and sources. The pro-poor public–pr...

by Benjamin Sovacool | On 20 Jan 2014

Growth and Redistribution: Is there 'Trickle Down' Effect in the Philippines?

The aim of this research is to explore the determinants of household income and expenditure growth, and assess whether the poor are benefitting from economic development. Using regression analysis,...

by Danileen Kristel C Parel | 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

Security and the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment: Findings from a Thematic Synthesis of the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment Research

While security and women’s empowerment are both prominent development concerns, there has to date been little sustained analysis of the relationship between the two. An unexamined assumption appears t...

by Naomi Hossain | On 15 Jan 2014

Functioning of the Public Distribution System: An Analytical Report

During September 2013, Parliament passed the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. The NFSA seeks to make the right to food a legal entitlement by providing subsidised food grains to nearly two-th...

by Sakshi Balani | On 07 Jan 2014

Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia: A Comparative Analysis of the South China Sea and the East China Sea

This article systematically compares maritime territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas. It draws on the bargaining model of war and hegemonic stability theory to track the record of confl...

by Andy Yee | On 02 Jan 2014

Providing Income Security for the Elderly

Despite high and long-lasting economic growth, inequalities are widening in most countries in Asia and the Pacific. Currently over 1.6 billion people in the region live on less than $2 per day, of whi...

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) | On 23 Dec 2013

In the Balance: The National Food Security Act vis-Ã -vis the WTO Agreement on Agriculture

This piece analyzes the implications of the National Food Security Act for India's commitments under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) in the context of widespread concern that they might be mu...

by Sudha Narayanan | On 10 Dec 2013

The World Trade Organization and the Post-Global Food Crisis Agenda

This policy note offers a preliminary assessment of the compatibility between the WTO and efforts to protect the human right to adequate food as part of the post-crisis food security agenda. Existing...

by Olivier Schutter | On 02 Dec 2013

Subnational-level Fiscal Health: Stability and Sustainability Implications for Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal

The Government of India has recently announced that Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal are fiscally unsound at the level of general category states. The study reviews this projection and assesses their...

by Nimai Das | On 26 Nov 2013

Special Report: Building National Resilience to Global Risks

Global risks would meet with global responses in an ideal world, but the reality is that countries and their communities are on the frontline when it comes to systemic shocks and catastrophic events....

by World Economic Forum WEF | On 22 Nov 2013

The Dark Side of Migration

Qatar’s population is growing at a truly staggering rate. Between August 2012 and August 2013 it grew by 10.5 per cent. This growth is driven primarily by the recruitment of low-paid migrant workers...

by Amnesty International AI, | On 19 Nov 2013

Southeast Asia’s Food Security Challenge: More than ‘Stock’ Solution Needed

Countries in Southeast Asia face a fresh challenge to their food security as food consumption patterns change, and reliance on imports increases to meet such shifts. Consequently, they may be left wit...

by Belinda Chng | On 01 Nov 2013

Democratic Politics and Legal Rights: Employment Guarantee and Food Security in India

This paper focusses on two Indian laws that seek to guarantee socioeconomic rights: the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), an important example of India’s recent history of legislation...

by Reetika Khera | On 25 Oct 2013

Delivering Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth: The Case of China

China has achieved miraculous economic growth over the past 30 years to become the world’s second largest single-country economy. The economic boom is attributed to China’s market-oriented reforms, wh...

by Dr. Junjie Zhang | On 23 Oct 2013

Asymmetric Information and Middleman Margins: An Experiment with West Bengal Potato Farmers

A study middleman margins, trading mechanisms and the role of asymmetric information about prices between potato farmers and local trade intermediaries, in West Bengal, India is conducted. Farmers in...

by Sandip Mitra | On 23 Oct 2013

Global Slavery Index

Modern slavery includes slavery, slavery-like practices (such as debt bondage, forced marriage, and sale or exploitation of children), human trafficking and forced labour. This is the first year of...

by Walk Free Foundation | 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

Hunger in India

The first step toward change is awareness. Do take out some time to know what's happening in the country we live in. This video has been designed to spread awareness about food insecurity in India,...

by The Hunger Project Project | On 11 Oct 2013

Weather Sensitivity of Rice Yield: Evidence from India

This study estimates the weather sensitivity of rice yield in India, using disaggregated (district) level information on rice and high resolution daily weather data over the period 1969-2007. Compare...

by Anubhab Pattanayak | On 11 Oct 2013

Transforming State-Citizen Relations in Food Security Schemes: The Computerized Ration Card Management System in Kerala

In this paper the application of ICTs to the improvement of state-citizen relations in a developing country context. To maximise the responsiveness of the government, ICTs need to target the structura...

by Silvia Masiero | On 07 Oct 2013

Envisioned Scope and Challenges of National Food Security Bill

National Food Security Bill (NFSB) aims to make food easily accessible at affordable prices to people. But there are operational and financial difficulties in implementing this.

by Sweety Thomas | On 07 Oct 2013

The Human Capital Report

The Human Capital Index explores the contributors and inhibitors to the development and deployment of a healthy, educated and productive labour force, and has generated the information contained in...

by World Economic Forum WEF | On 04 Oct 2013

The National Food Security Act, 2013

Our public distribution system has been severely criticized for its gaping lacunae. To fill in these gaps, a new Act was originally conceived by the National Advisory Council headed by Congress Presid...

by Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs GOI | On 17 Sep 2013

Vital Stats: Parliament in the Monsoon Session 2013

The Monsoon Session ended with the passage of Bills on food security, land acquisition, companies, and pension. During the session, significant time was lost due to frequent disruptions over issues su...

by Kusum Malik | On 12 Sep 2013

Climate Variability and Internal Migration: A Test on Indian Inter-State Migration

Migration data is matched from the Indian census with climate data to test the hypothesis of climate variability as a push factor for internal migration. The main contribution of the analysis is to...

by Ingrid Dallmann | On 06 Sep 2013

Do Open Sewers Lead to a Reduction in Housing Prices? Evidence from Rawalpindi, Pakistan

The Hedonic property value method is used to estimate how a dismenity, bad odor from an open sewer system, affects housing prices in the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan. An estimate of the benefits of...

by Mohammad Irfan | On 05 Sep 2013

Food Prices, Wages, and Welfare in Rural India

This paper considers the welfare and distributional consequences of higher relative food prices in rural India through the lens of a specific-factors, general equilibrium, trade model applied at the...

by Hanan G Jacoby | On 22 Aug 2013

Draft National Land Reforms Policy

This policy outlines a very clear strategy of creating a large pool of land so that every family's right to land is fully honoured. The policy proceeds to suggest a just and equitable method of allott...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 06 Aug 2013

National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy-2012 (NDSAP-2012)

The National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP) is designed so as to apply to all sharable non-sensitive data available either in digital or analog forms but generated using public funds by...

by Ministry of Science and Technology GOI | On 30 Jul 2013

Report of the Expert Group to Recommend the Detailed Methodology for Identification of Families Living Below Poverty Line in Urban Areas

The report deals with the estimation of poverty and identification of poor – differences in approach. It also describes the characteristics and trends of urban poverty. The vulnerability of urban poor...

by Planning Commission, India | On 29 Jul 2013

Cyberwarfare: Logged and Loaded, but Wither Asia?

Cyber operations could have as devastating an impact on populations as conventional military weapons. With militaries already in the process of developing cyberwarfare as a means of battle, there is a...

by Elina Noor | On 26 Jul 2013

Fuel Price Hike and Indonesia’s Energy Insecurity

Fuel price hikes have always been unpopular in Indonesia, largely because of their wide-ranging impact on the population. Yet, it is undeniable that the current high subsidies are unsustainable. To mo...

by Margareth Sembiring | On 26 Jul 2013

Analysis of the President's Budget for 2013

This paper evaluates the President’s Budget (PB) or the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2013. The assessment is composed of four parts: (i) an evaluation of the overall fiscal picture as proj...

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 25 Jul 2013

Breaking New Ground: Enacting a National Land Use Policy

With only a total land area of 30 million hectares and a population of 92.3 million growing at an average rate of 2.12 percent, how should the Philippines allocate a very scarce and important resource...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 24 Jul 2013

Mumbaikars’ last supper

The National Food Security Bill is all set to become an Act/ordinance and give legal entitlement to the citizens of the country to food. However the Bill does not define what food security is; but sim...

by Mousumi Das | On 19 Jul 2013

Rainfed agriculture: for an inclusive, sustainable and food secure India

India is increasingly focusing on its rainfed areas due to demand for food and nutrition security, and escalating farmer distress. But agricultural policy paralysis has meant that the familiar, extern...

by Srijit Mishra | On 16 Jul 2013

GNH, EI and the Well-Being of Nations: Lessons for Public Policy Makers, with Specific Reference to the Happiness Dividend of Tourism

This paper has two objectives: firstly, to conceptually explore the theoretical underpinnings of GNH and how it relates to societal EI and, secondly, to evaluate within this theoretical context the ha...

by Shaun Vorster | On 16 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

Food Security Bill: Time To Act

The basic objective of the Congress led- United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s proposed Food Security Bill is to address the acute problems of hunger and malnutrition in India. Despite of hav...

by Niranjan Chichuan | On 28 Jun 2013

Child malnutrition in India: Why does it persist?

An estimated forty per cent of the world’s severely malnourished children under five live in India. This is a shameful stain on a country that, with China, will be one of the great economic powerhouse...

by Sam Mendelson | On 28 Jun 2013

Four Years of Progress: Bangladesh Marches On-Budget Speech 2013-14

Supplementary Budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 and the Budget Estimates for the fiscal year 2013-14. [http://www.mof.gov.bd/en/budget/13_14/budget_speech/speech_en.pdf].

by Abul Maal Abdul Muhith | On 07 Jun 2013

Does Political Competition Influence Human Development? Evidence from the Indian States

Recently, it has been argued that political competition may have similar effects on economic performance as market competition. This study empirically examines this proposition by linking political co...

by Bharatee Bhushan Dash | On 05 Jun 2013

Amended National Food Security Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas introduced the amended National Food Security Bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2011, to addre...

by Anonymous | On 27 May 2013

Addressing Long - term Challenges to Food Security and Rural Livelihoods in South Asia

Notwithstanding its impressive economic growth, food insecurity in South Asia continues to be a stark reality for a large number of households. Despite several successful policy interventions by Gover...

by K.S. Kavi Kumar | On 23 May 2013

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

The farmers, predominantly the small and tribal, particularly in regions of rich agro-biodiversity immensely contribute to the on-farm conservation and enrichment of this diversity, often at personal...

by Prabhakaran Raghu | On 22 May 2013

Submission of 1392 National Budget, Afghanistan

H.E Finance Minister’s Speech for Mishrano Jirga. [Ministry of Finance, Afghanistan]. URL:[http://mof.gov.af/Content/files/HE%20Minister%20Speech%20to%20Mishranow%20Jirga-%20English%20after%20review....

by Ministry of Finance Afghanistan | On 10 Apr 2013

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

Nine years later…

Is the Finance Minister going to do a salvage operation? [BS week end ruminations].

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Feb 2013

Target the Beneficiaries in the 2013-14 Budget

In spite of several programmes in the country to reduce undernutrition, India continues to have a large number malnourished women and children. In the coming Budget the government has to make some eff...

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 26 Feb 2013

Address by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to Parliament

Reviving economic growth is the priority of the government. [http://presidentofindia.nic.in/sp210213.html].

by Pranab Mukherjee | On 22 Feb 2013

Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution

The proposed legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security – from the current welfare approach to a right based approach. About two thirds of the population will be ent...

by MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DIST GOI | On 15 Feb 2013

Performance of PDS: Better in Richer States?

How well has the PDS been functioning across the country? Do the poorer states do better or worse than the richer states? Interpreting data on PDS can be misleading unless they are read against seve...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 14 Feb 2013

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

Positive and Normative Aspects of Food Policy and the Market in Indian Agriculture-An Empirical Analysis of Government Policy Interventions in Food Management

There are discussions about food management and food policy issues in India in the backdrop of largely unchanging dynamics of slow growth of the farm sector in India. First we deal with the manner in...

by Munish Alagh | On 30 Jan 2013

Land Acquisition for Industrialization and Compensation of Displaced Farmers

This paper addresses the question of how farmers displaced by acquisition of agricultural land for the purpose of industrialization ought to be compensated. Prior to acquisition, the farmers are leasi...

by Maitreesh Ghatak | On 22 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

Building a Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India: Report on the Status of Elderly in Select States of India, 2011

To understand the ageing in India, a primary survey was carried out in seven states – Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – having a higher percentage of...

by United Nations Population Fund UNFPA | On 08 Jan 2013

PUDR's Submission of Suggestions to Verma Commission for Changes in Law and Procedure Regarding Violence Against Women

Legal mechanisms to achieve justice should factor in the challenges and roadblocks of its implementation, structural or otherwise, right from the stage of planning and framing the law. Law can be expe...

by D Manjit | On 08 Jan 2013

How to Tackle Food Insecurity in Asia

Review of the book Food Security in Asia, by Amitava Mukherjee Sage Publications India 2011 pp. xix+392, Rs 895/-.

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 04 Jan 2013

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

Corruption Perceptions Index 2012

The Corruption Perceptions Index is constructed by the Transparency International. The Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in countries worldwide. Ba...

by Transparency International TI | On 07 Dec 2012

Provide Human Security through Human Development

Review of the book 'Peace is Everybody's Business: Strategy for Conflict Prevention' by Arjun Ray. Number of pages: 264, Price Rs. 495/-.

by Irfan Engineer | On 03 Dec 2012

Analyzing Intersectoral Convergence to Improve Child Undernutrition in India: Development and Application of a Framework to Examine Policies in Agriculture, Health, and Nutrition

To reduce child under nutrition in India, convergence from various sectors are required. The framework notes that issues related to convergence must be resolved in relation to three major steps in the...

by Rajani Ved | On 16 Nov 2012

Review of Input and Output Policies for Cereals Production in Pakistan

This report reviews the input and output policies for cereals implemented in Pakistan during the period 1996–2010. Pakistan has a long and varied history of intervening in farm input and output market...

by Abdul Salam | On 16 Nov 2012

Foreign Investment in Farmland No Low-hanging Fruit

A key driver of foreign investment in land, food security is a challenge mankind has been confronted with in various times and places. Wherever human societies have developed, growing needs have led t...

by Claire Schaffnit Chatterjee | On 15 Nov 2012

Co-movement of Skill Premium and Stock Prices

We examine the empirical phenomenon of co-movement of skill premium and share prices by appealing to the techniques of cointegration. The US data (1984--2010) reveals that stock prices and skill premi...

by Kausik Gangopadhyay | On 05 Nov 2012

WEATHER SHOCKS, SPOT AND FUTURES AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY PRICES: AN ANALYSIS FOR INDIA

We analyze the impact of climate shocks on price formation in spot and futures market for food in India where until the recent introduction of commodity futures markets in 2005, the transmission of th...

by N R Bhanumurthy | On 05 Nov 2012

The Buoyant Billions: How “Middle Class” Are the New Middle Classes in Developing Countries? (And Why Does It Matter?)

Middle-income countries (MICs) are now home to most of the world’s extreme poor—the billion people living on less than $1.25 a day and a further billion people living on between $1.25 and $2. At the s...

by Andy Sumner | On 05 Nov 2012

Security Sector Governance (SSG) and Conflict Management in Indonesia: The Aceh Case

This paper examines the evolution of security sector governance (SSG) in Indonesia, focusing in particular on the effects of security sector reform (SSR) on the management of the secessionist conflict...

by Rizal Sukma | On 26 Oct 2012

Tackling Urban and Rural Food Wastage in Southeast Asia: Issues and Interventions

Food wastage is prevalent in Southeast Asia and has significant implications for the region’s food, environmental and economic security. It is likely that the region wastes approximately 33 per cent o...

by Paul S Teng | On 08 Oct 2012

The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011

A bill to establish an Authority and such other regulatory bodies for regulation of radiation safety or nuclear safety and achieving highest standards of such safety based on scientific approach, op...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 01 Oct 2012

Legislative Brief: The National Food Security Bill, 2011

The National Food Security Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution on December 22, 2011. The Bill was referred to the Stand...

by Sakshi Balani | On 28 Sep 2012

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

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

Gender Impact of Trade Reforms in Indian Plantation Sector: An Exploratory Ananlysis

This paper examines the potential gender impacts of the trade reforms in plantation agriculture in the emerging context of the two prominent FTAs, viz. the Indo-ASEAN and the proposed EU-India FTA....

by Viswanathan P K | On 14 Sep 2012

Contribution of the Unorganized Sector to GDP Report of the Sub Committee of a NCEUS Task Force

The task of the Sub-committee was to review the existing methodologies for estimating the contribution of unorganized/informal sector to GDP and suggest measures to facilitate direct estimation. The G...

by NCEUS NCEUS | On 06 Sep 2012

Report on Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganised Sector

This Report is focused on the informal or the unorganized economy which accounts for an overwhelming proportion of the poor and vulnerable population in an otherwise shining India. It concentrates on...

by NCEUS NCEUS | On 05 Sep 2012

Recent Developments in Kerala State Finances

This paper covers recent trends in a series of broad indicators of the financial health of the Government of Kerala with its developmental policy as the backdrop. It examines fiscal balances in Kerala...

by Tapas K. Sen | On 30 Aug 2012

Revisiting the Devolution of ENR Functions

The devolution of environment and natural resource functions to local government units was a bold move in the history of environmental Management in the Philippines. However, the implementation of the...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Aug 2012

Japan’s Post-Triple-Disaster Growth Strategy

This paper discusses the scope of the many challenges and sets out a long-term strategy for overcoming them and putting the Japanese economy on a stable growth path. [Working Paper No. 376]. URL:[http...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 24 Aug 2012

Integrating Mental Health and Development: A Case Study of the BasicNeeds Model in Nepal

The BasicNeeds model of Mental Health and Development (MHD), Nepal emphasizes user empowerment, community development, strengthening of health systems, and policy influencing. The Nepal program was...

by Shoba Raja | On 24 Aug 2012

Food Security: Cities As Part of the Solution and Not the Problem

As the world becomes increasingly urban, food demand will come mainly from people living in cities while there will be fewer rural farmers producing food on less land with less water. Cities can play...

by Paul S Teng | On 16 Aug 2012

Mango Travellers Stealing Rural Jobs

Mangoes from Andhra Pradesh reach everywhere in India. This has caused the conversion of large tracts of paddy fields into mango farms in Andhra. It affects the rural employment. Use of chemicals to r...

by Alex George | On 14 Aug 2012

Environmental Changes and Ripples for Water Security in Southern States

Environmental change is regarded by many geopolitical experts as one of the biggest threats to international security in the coming years. In Southern Asia, its impact on rivers, and thus water secur...

by Dhanasree Jayaram | On 07 Aug 2012

Western Myanmar Unrest: Partisan Portrayals Risk Extremist Implications

The violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State appears to have died down. However, partisan portrayals of the violence risks jeopardising the security of locals and Myanmar’s reform process with extr...

by Kyaw San Wai | On 31 Jul 2012

Vital Stats: Pricing of Petroleum Products

Government owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) raised the price of petrol on 23rd May 2012. After the inclusion of local taxes, this amounted to a hike of Rs 7.54 per litre in Delhi. A snapshot of t...

by Karan Malik | On 24 Jul 2012

Obituary: Mrinal Gore (1928-2012)

Obituary: Mrinal Gore (1928-2012)

by Vibhuti Patel | On 23 Jul 2012

Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security in a Green Economy

What are the implications of a green economy for the poor and hungry? How can the poor benefit from and thrive under a green economy? What role can agriculture play? What are the possible trade-off...

by Shenggen Fan | On 17 Jul 2012

Child Malnutrition in Pakistan: Trends and Determinants

The major objective of this paper to examine the determinants of child malnutrition, based on the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS-2010). The study has focused on individual (child), household an...

by G M Arif | On 16 Jul 2012

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

Intrinsic Inflation Persistence in a Developing Country

This study estimates degree of intrinsic inflation persistence in Pakistan using aggregate price index, group level price indices, and individual commodity prices. Monthly data from 1959 to 2011 is us...

by Muhammad Nadim Hanif | 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

Troubled Encounter: Japan–DPRK Non-Relations

This paper explores the interplay between two neighbors that have been victims of history, Japan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea). [ISDP Asia Paper]. U...

by Bert Edström | On 05 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

Inclusive National Accounts: Introduction

An outline of what would be ideally needed for a comprehensive set of national accounts is given. National governments and international agencies ought ideally to go even beyond green national accoun...

by Partha Dasgupta | On 22 Jun 2012

The Military along the Security Development Frontrier: Implications for Non-Traditional Security in the Philippines and Thailand

This paper focuses on development missions carried out by the armed forces of the Philippines and Thailand in and out of conflict zones, and provides an analysis of the causes behind the re-emergence...

by Aries A Arugay | On 20 Jun 2012

Price Support, Domestic Procurement Programme and Public Stock Management

This Policy Brief discusses the policy options for improving effectiveness of price support, domestic procurement programme and public stock management in Bangladesh. It has been funded by th...

by Quazi Shahabuddin | On 01 Jun 2012

Asset Price Bubble and Banks: The Case of Japan

This paper analyses the behaviour of the Japanese banks at the outset of the asset price bubble in the late 1980s. The paper argues that with the advent of financial deregulations, the declining trend...

by Hossain Monzur | On 29 May 2012

Cambodia’s Hydropower Development and China’s Involvement

The research was undertaken to better understand the current policy and plans of the Cambodian government for the electricity sector; map the decision-making process; develop a greater understanding...

by Carl Middleton | On 25 May 2012

The End of Japan's Nuclear Renaissance? Not Just Yet

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that severally damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant have been described as ending the ‘nuclear renaissance’ in Japan. The government is in a hard pl...

by Elliot Brennan | On 25 May 2012

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security

This paper takes a broader view and explores the multiple effects that global warming and climate change could have on food production and food security. Dealing with climate change would require stre...

by S. Richa | On 24 May 2012

The Cost of Unserved Energy: Evidence from Selected Industrial Cities of Pakistan

This study is an attempt to explore the cost of unserved energy due to power outages in Pakistan that started in 2007. The study is based on a survey conducted for four major industrial cities of Pu...

by Rehana Siddiqui | On 24 May 2012

Financing the WASH Sector in India Cost of Provision and Budget Allocations

This paper attempts to estimate the fund requirements for the provision of water and sanitation services in rural and urban areas at the all India level as well as in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Th...

by V Ratna Reddy | On 22 May 2012

Group Norms and the BRAC Village Organization – Enhancing Social Capital Baseline

This study used social capital as an organizing framework to capture VO members’ group behaviour, and their current status along programme activities. The study compared the status of intervention...

by Nayma Qayum | On 22 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

The Domestic Workers Convention 2011: Implications for Migrant Domestic Workers in Southeast Asia

The recent International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Domestic Workers Convention 2011) offers an opportunity to finally address the longstanding...

by Pau Khan Khup Hangzo | On 09 May 2012

Environmental Migrants: A Myth?

This brief reviews recent evidence, examines main research challenges in identifying migration–climate links and discusses the policy options for formalizing migration as an adaptation mechanism to cl...

by Jean-François Maystadt | On 09 May 2012

China’s Rising Military Power and Its Implications

The aim of this paper is to examine the driving forces behind China’s military modernization efforts followed by an assessment of the goals and foci of China’s military modernization at present and...

by Jiao Liang | On 08 May 2012

Developing Asia’s Pension Systems and Old-Age Income Support

A broad overview of the current state of pension systems in the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam is provided. An anal...

by Donghyun Park | On 30 Apr 2012

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

Measuring the Contribution of Bt Cotton Adoption to India’s Cotton Yields Leap

This study examines the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to long- term average cotton yields in India using a panel data analysis of production variables in nine Indian cotton-producing states from...

by Guillaume P Gruere | On 25 Apr 2012

Regional Implications of National Reconciliation in Myanmar

The paper examines the implications of Myanmar's reforms for its neighbours- China, India, Thailand and Bangladesh. Issues of major concern to the four countries include energy, humanitarian consequen...

by Lina Gong | On 20 Apr 2012

Journalism in Democracies During Times of War: Examining the Role of Indian and US Media

This paper examines the larger issue of how a ‘free’ media performs during times of war with particular reference to US and India using case studies. It focuses on ‘national security’ becoming a maj...

by Aradhana Sharma | On 20 Apr 2012

Modeling Optimal Time-Differential Pricing of Electricity Under Uncertainty: Revisiting the Welfare Foundations

Modeling of the seasonal time-of-day pricing is done of electricity for two types of power systems – pure hydro and hydro-thermal under four structural welfare assumptions – first-best, second-best,...

by N. Vijayamohanan Pillai | 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

Development Trajectory, Emission Profile, and Policy Actions: Thailand

Thailand has made significant progresses toward green and low-carbon development; however, there is a need to further address the issue. The country has to focus on the implementation of no-regret pol...

by Qwanruedee Chotichanathawewong | On 16 Apr 2012

Construction and Seasonal Patterns of Islamic Hijri Calendar Monthly Time Series: An Application to Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Pakistan

Time series data are compiled and analysed in accordance with Gregorian calendar, given its world-wise use. This paper presents a simple method of constructing time series in accordance with Hijri Cal...

by Riaz Riazuddin | On 13 Apr 2012

What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?

The main objective of this paper is to explore the potential role of social pensions and other noncontributory schemes in Asia, informed by insights from theory and international experience. The paper...

by Armando Barrientos | On 13 Apr 2012

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

Comparative Rating Index for Sovereigns (CRIS): A Report Based on “The Relativity of Sovereigns: A New Index of Sovereign Credit Ratings and an Analysis of How Nations Fared over the Last Six Years”

Major credit rating agencies give out the sovereign credit rating of each nation as an absolute grade. How other nations fare over the period under consideration does not matter in a particular nation...

by Kaushik Basu | On 02 Apr 2012

Approaches to the Development of Renewable and Clean Energy in Brazil, China, Egypt, India and South Africa: Lessons of Emerging Countries

The populous, fast growing emerging economies of Brazil, China, Egypt, India and South Africa face daunting challenges on the energy, environment and climate change fronts. These five countries accoun...

by Kirit Parikh | On 02 Apr 2012

Patterns of Labour Market Insecurity in Rural India: A Multidimensional and Multivariate Analysis

Labour market insecurity, recognised as pervasive in rural India, is multi-faceted. This study attempts to fill a gap in the research on key dimensions of labour market insecurity by using the Natio...

by Padmini Desikachar | On 02 Apr 2012

Price and Income Elasticity of Imports: The Case of Pakistan

The paper estimates the elasticity of Imports with respect to relative prices and income for Pakistan from 1971 to 2009. What distinguishes this paper from the earlier studies is the use of robust est...

by Khurram Ashfaq Baluch | On 30 Mar 2012

A Review of Input and Output Policies for Cereals Production in India

This paper reviews the key policies with regard to agriculture inputs such as seed, fertilizer, water, agricultural equipment, research, extension, and agricultural credit. It also provides an overvie...

by Ganga Shreedhar | On 29 Mar 2012

Highlights of the Budget for FY2012: Japan

1) Allocating budget to the measure for the real revitalization of Japan to recover Japan’s economy and society 2) Reviewing the existing budget based on the result of evaluation by the Policy Propos...

by Ministry of Finance, Japan MOF, Japan | On 28 Mar 2012

Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Statistics is used in our day to day life. Examples are there to show that statistics is misused in many. This can happen when people are information illiterate. [Address at DST-CIMS, BHU on Mar 20, 2...

by Chakrabarty K C | 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

Myanmar’s Ethnic Insurgents: UWSA, KNU and KIO

Since the elections of 2010, Myanmar’s political landscape has changed significantly; the old military junta has officially been dissolved and a new civilian government, led by President Thein Sein,...

by Christopher O’Hara | On 27 Mar 2012

Maharashtra Budget Speech 2012-13: Part I

Budget for the year 2012-13. [Government of Maharashtra]. URL:[http://maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/english_speech_part_I.pdf].

by Maharashtra Government | On 27 Mar 2012

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

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

by Sally Trethewie | On 22 Mar 2012

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

The Second Fundamental Theorem of Positive Economics

Welfare Economics is fortunate that there are two Fundamental Theorems of Welfare Economics. Positive Economics on the other hand is seemingly endowed with none. One of the fundamental results of Posi...

by Anjan Mukherji | On 15 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

Towards Building A Happy, Prosperous and Caring Bangladesh: Budget Speech 2011-12

Budget speech 2011-12 by Finance minister. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.bd/en/budget/11_12/budget_speech/speech_en.pdf].

by Abul Maal Abdul Muhith | On 14 Mar 2012

Federal Budget of Pakistan-2011-12

BUDGET SPEECH 2011-2012 by DR. ABDUL HAFEEZ SHAIKH, Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning & Development.

by Minister of Finance Pakistan | On 12 Mar 2012

Final Report-Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Strategies

The main objectives of this seminar has been to contribute to the understanding of the development processes and problems related to water security and climate change; to focus on studies relating t...

by Gursharan Singh Kainth | On 12 Mar 2012

Budget of Nepal 2011-12

Budget speech by Nepal Finance Minister. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.np/publication/speech/2011/pdf/budgetspeech_english.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 06 Mar 2012

What is the (New) Deal with Fragile States?

Poor governance and lack of state capabilities in around 45 countries pose a threat to global security and development. The involvement of the international community is required to help these st...

by Wim Naudé | On 02 Mar 2012

Failed Mechanism: How the CDM is Subsidizing Hydro Developers and Harming the Kyoto Protocol

Five years age, International Rivers started monitoring the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), concerned that funds marked for climate change mitigation would be used to encourage c...

by Barbara Haya | On 01 Mar 2012

Subsidizing the National Food Authority: Is It a Good Policy?

National Food Authority's (NFA) twin mandate of price stabilization and food security has cost the government billions of pesos in losses over the past few decades. As such, there is a need to ...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Feb 2012

Review of Macroeconomic Methods and Microeconomic Valuation Methods Applied in the Natural Resources and Environment Sector

The general objective of the paper is to review the different macroeconomic models and microeconomic valuation methods applied in the analysis of the natural resource and enviromnent sector which ar...

by Danilo C Israel | On 27 Feb 2012

More Money or More Development: What Have the MDGs Achieved?

What have the MDGs achieved? And what might their achievements mean for any second generation of MDGs or MDGs 2.0? We argue that the MDGs may have played a role in increasing aid and that developmen...

by Charles Kenny | On 24 Feb 2012

The Public Procurement Bill, 2012

A bill to regulate public procurement with the objectives of ensuring transparency, fair and equitable treatment of bidders, promoting competition, enhancing efficiency and economy and safeguarding...

by Ministry of Finance | On 24 Feb 2012

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

The paper aims at understanding the reasons which influence migration and mobility choices, ways by which vulnerabilities can be managed and the role that local, national and regional policy responses...

by Lorraine Elliot | On 24 Feb 2012

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

Saving Mumbai

What Mumbai needs as a starting point is a city administration that is accountable to the city's residents, and a directly elected mayor, as in all great cities of the world. [BS Weekend Ruminations]....

by T.N. Ninan | On 22 Feb 2012

In Remembrance: Girish Sant, Energy Expert, Activist

Girish Sant, co-founder of Prayas Energy Group, a pro-people's thin tank on energy issues, an inspiration to many, suffered a fatal heart attack on February3, 2012. A short note on his life and work.

by Anonymous | On 20 Feb 2012

Girish Sant on India's Energy Challenges

This interview with Girish Sant, head of Prayas Energy Group and one of India's foremost energy experts, was made during COP17 in Durban. Girish died on February 2, 2012. This interview was published...

by Marian M | On 20 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

Estimating Standard Error of Inflation in Pakistan: A Stochastic Approach

Standard errors (S.Es.) of month on month and year on year inflation in Pakistan are estimated based on data for the period of July 2001 to June 2010 using stochastic approach as well as extended s...

by Javed Iqbal | On 15 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

Agriculture-Nutrition Linkages and Policies in India

This paper looks at some key entry points for agriculture to influence nutrition and suggests policies for nutrition-sensitive agricultural development, within the current policy framework. In additi...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 07 Feb 2012

Estimating the Middle Class in Pakistan

Using the Pakistan Social and Living Measurement Survey (PSLM), conducted in 2007-08, the paper measures the magnitude of the middle class (definition given by Thurow (1987); Birdsall, Graham and Pe...

by Durr-e- Nayab | On 06 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

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

Malaysia-Singapore Energy Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges

Singapore and Malaysia are considering sharing electricity. Will this pave the way for an ASEAN-wide electricity grid, or even cooperation in the supply of nuclear energy? [RSIS No. 007/2012]. URL:[ht...

by Alvin Chew | On 01 Feb 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

Findings From the Rapid Survey of Severely Malnourished Children in 11 Districts of Karnataka

A rapid survey was undertaken in Karnataka to understand access of severely malnourished children to health and child care services, understand these families’ experience of seeking care in PHC and an...

by Republic of Hunger RoH | On 30 Jan 2012

India’s Food Security Bill: A Waste or Win for the Hungry?

Home to over 25 per cent of the world’s hungry poor, India faces major food security challenges and the situation has barely improved in two decades. Will the National Food Security Bill that the Indi...

by Sally Trethewie | On 27 Jan 2012

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

Building World Class Businesses for the Long Term

This report identifies some of the factors complicating the debate on role of the company in society. It focuses particularly on the changing models of ownership and differing time horizons and on how...

by Gillian Lee | On 23 Jan 2012

Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Stakeholder Management: The Coca-Cola Company in Turkey and Water Management

The future of almost any business depends on the sustainability of water resources. One of the global corporations using high amount of water during its production process and also a bottled water man...

by Inci Cinarli | On 22 Jan 2012

Input Prices, Subsidies and Farmers' Incentives

The paper studies the subsidy policy in Bangladesh. It analyses implications of subsidy policies; both pros and cons and also suggests some possible solutions.

by M Asaduzzaman | On 20 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

Banks, Policy and Risks

This paper assesses the sources of risk for Indian banks in the context of their history, structure, level of development, and policy environment and draws out implications for global and domestic pol...

by Ashima Goyal | On 18 Jan 2012

The HUNGaMA Survey Report – 2011

The HUNGaMA (Hunger and M alnutrition) S urvey conducted across 112 rural districts of India in 2011 provides r eliable estimates of c hild n utrition covering nearly 20% of Indian children. The H...

by HUNGaMa for Change HUNGaMa | On 12 Jan 2012

Power, Profits and Inflation: A Study of Inflation and Influence in Pakistan

The analysis seeks to look at inflation as a political economic phenomenon, based on a framework devised by Jonathan Nitzan and christened differential accumulation. The theory of differential accumul...

by Syed Ozair Ali | On 05 Jan 2012

Time for elections

Even though it would be considered politically premature by both the Congress and the BJP – it may be best to think in terms of fresh elections. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ni...

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 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

Right to Food Security Bill: Challenges and Opportunities

The financial implications of the food security bill can be questioned. But the Bill proposes to protect the citizens from hunger and improve the nutritional intake of women and children.

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 30 Dec 2011

The National Food Security Bill, 2011-as introduced in Lok Sabha

A bill to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity...

by Lok Sabha | On 30 Dec 2011

Economic Dynamics and Forest Clearing: A Spatial Econometric Analysis for Indonesia

This paper uses a large panel database to investigate the determinants of forest clearing in Indonesian kabupatens since 2005. The study incorporates short-run changes in prices and demand for palm...

by David Wheeler | On 28 Dec 2011

Twenty Years of CRC: A Balance Sheet- Volume 1

The report is a rich source with qualitative and quantitative data on the status of children in India from authentic and established sources. [HAQCRC report]. URL:[http://www.haqcrc.org/sites/default/...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 28 Dec 2011

The Evolving Dynamics of Global Economic Power in the Post-crisis World: Revelations from a New Index of Government Economic Power

This paper develops an index for measuring the economic power of governments viewed as entities in themselves. The basic idea is to encapsulate the economic representative power of a nation’s governme...

by Kaushik Basu | On 27 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

Root Problem: Labour Laws

Delivering the third Business Standard lecture on Thursday night, Raghuram Rajan provided an interesting insight into the reason for high inflation in India. The professor of finance at Chicago, who i...

by T.N. Ninan | On 23 Dec 2011

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

This paper proposes to redefine food security in terms of protecting vulnerable populations from the structural violence of involuntary hunger. [NTS-Asia Research Paper No.6]. URL:[http://www.rsis.edu...

by Ben Shepherd | On 23 Dec 2011

Poverty Dynamics of Female-headed Households in Pakistan: Evidence from PIHS 2000-01 and PSLM 2004-05

The paper attempts to empirically test a naïve version of what is rather stylistically termed as “feminisation of poverty”, using the sub-sample of female -headed households (FHHs) from two househol...

by Umer Khalid | On 21 Dec 2011

Comparative Analysis of Inflation in Nepal and India

Inflation data for the past few years (August 2007 to October 2011 of Nepal and August 2007 to July 2011 of India for the analysis of monthly annual variation) have been taken into consideration for...

by Nepal Rastra Bank Research Department NRB | On 12 Dec 2011

Turning the Tide

If the story earlier was that the number of Maoist-affected districts was increasing, that no longer seems to be true. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-turningtide/456691/].

by T.N. Ninan | On 02 Dec 2011

Legislative Brief: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for Finance on March 24, 2011. The Bill was referred to the St...

by M. R. Madhavan | On 01 Dec 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 5

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson o...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 4

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson o...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Social Security and Labor Migration in ASEAN

This policy brief takes a preliminary look at portability of social security in ASEAN, particularly old-age, retirement, and survivor benefits. The next section discusses the growth of intra-ASEAN...

by Gloria O. Pasadilla | On 28 Nov 2011

The Politics of Water Discourse in Pakistan

The policy brief explores the evolving discourse on water issues in Pakistan where the process of political articulation, securitization and mobilization which often links water to Kashmir is studied....

by Medha Bisht | On 24 Nov 2011

Wrong Climate for Big Dams: Destroying Rivers will Worsen Climate Change

P roponents of large dams, hoping to capitalize on concern for climate change, are promoting a major expansion of large dams in developing countries. Yet large dams are highly vulnerable to climate ch...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 24 Nov 2011

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011

A bill to provide for the establishment of an Authority to promote old age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds, to protect the interests of subscribers to sche...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 17 Nov 2011

Equity in the Time of Recession: Mumbai Youth Struggle to Bridge Yawning Opportunity Gap

Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, a large highly industrialised, progressive state that until a decade ago, reported remarkable progress on social and economic indices. Today, it is still a leadi...

by eSocialSciences eSS | On 11 Nov 2011

Energy Intensity and Firm Performance: Do Energy Clusters Matter?

In analyzing this phenomenon for Indian manufacturing industries, this study tries to find out the determinants of profitability of firms based on three energy clusters (natural gas, petroleum, coal)...

by Santosh Kumar Sahu | On 10 Nov 2011

Financing Infrastructure for Connectivity: Policy Implications for Asia

This paper discusses Asia’s infrastructure needs and its corresponding financing needs and challenges. It proposes ways to address financing gaps by identifying potential financing sources and instr...

by Biswa Nath Bhattacharyay | On 09 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

Economic and Financial Developments in Goa

Goa is celebrating the Golden Jubilee Year of its Liberation. The recent economic achievements of the state are highlighted. The economic and financial structure of the state as well as the various fi...

by Deepak Mohanty | 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

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

The Pricing Problem of Public Transport in Kerala

The mainstay of the public transport system in Kerala is the private stage carriages (PSC), the economics of operation of which is the subject of this paper. The long run sustainability of the secto...

by Narayana D | On 28 Oct 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

Production and Marketing of Coconut in India

The production and marketing scenario of coconut in the country has witnessed a phenomenal development, particularly in the field of production such as development of improved high yielding dwarf va...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 21 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

An Empirical Analysis of Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interaction in India

This study analyses the behaviour of monetary and fiscal policies interaction in India using quarterly data for 2000Q2 to 2010Q1. It finds that, even after the elimination of automatic monetisation...

by Janak Raj | On 11 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

Urban Transport Sustainability Indicators – Application of Multi-view Black-box (MVBB) Framework

In a recent work Nathan and Reddy (2011a) have proposed a Multi-view Black-box (MVBB) framework for development of sustainable development indicators (SDIs) for an urban setup. The framework is flex...

by Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan | On 10 Oct 2011

Draft Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2011

A bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to the scientific development and regulation of mines and minerals under the control of the Union. URL:[http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2011/sep/d2...

by Ministry of Mines GOI | On 03 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

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

Monetary Policy Dilemmas: Some RBI Perspectives

Over the last decade, the profile of central banks has gone up. First, we had the Great Moderation - a period of extraordinary benign macroeconomic environment globally, characterized by steady growth...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 27 Sep 2011

Civil Service and Military Pensions in India

The New Pension System in India and the progress that has been made since its introduction in 2004 is described. It then identifies the challenges ahead. It also documents the state of military pens...

by Renuka Sane | 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

The National Food Security Bill, 2011

A Bill to provide for food and nutritional security, in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices, for people to live a life with dign...

by Department of Food and Public Distribution Fcamin | On 14 Sep 2011

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

Agricultural Productivity and Credit- Issues and Way Forward

Certain trends in agricultural productivity, agricultural finance are outlined. Recommendations for improving agricultural productivity are given here. [Address at The National Seminar on Productivity...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 12 Sep 2011

Slower Growth in China: How Much of a Drag on the Global Economy?

China’s expected growth slowdown - from 10.3 per cent yoy in 2010 to 8.9 per cent this year and 8.3 per cent in 2012 - will impact the global economy. An in-depth look at how important China really is...

by Steffen Dyck | On 09 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

Why Big Dams are the Wrong Response to Climate Change

International Rivers strongly supports policy measures that can promote a rapid expansion of renewable energy sources. But these measures need to be based on a holistic understanding of sustainabili...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 07 Sep 2011

Agricultural Economy of India and Macro-Economic Effects: Some Empirical Results and a Research Agenda based on the Literature

This paper focuses on macroeconomic linkages with agriculture. From an extensive literature review the question that emerges is: is there a structural constraint in Indian agriculture or does Indian...

by Munish Alagh | On 02 Sep 2011

Agricultural Practice and its Relation to Poverty and Food Security in Selected River Basins in Bangladesh: A Situation Analysis

Poverty and food security in the context of Bangladesh has become a major concern over time. While efforts have been intensified to increase crop yield through increased land use, using inorganic fe...

by Shyamal C Ghosh | On 30 Aug 2011

Evolution of Property Rights Regimes in the Groundwater Economy of India-Constraints on Moving Towards a Common Property Regime

The paper paper reviews the 'model' central and state government bills, pertaining to groundwater, through a conceptual framework and discusses the Andhra Pradesh experience in the developing governme...

by G.Ananda Vadivelu | On 30 Aug 2011

Policy Dilemmas in India: The Impact of Changes in Agricultural Prices on Rural and Urban Poverty

Trade policy reforms which lead to changes in world prices of agricultural commodities or domestic policies aimed at affecting agricultural prices are often seen as causing a policy dilemma: a fall...

by Sandra Polaski | On 26 Aug 2011

Trans-border Identities: (A Study on the Impact of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migration to India)

This paper deals with migration into India from adjoining neighbours and its impact on security and other issues of national interest. Unlike other studies on migration, it focuses on the ethnic ident...

by Subhakanta Behera | On 26 Aug 2011

Consultation Paper on IMT – Advanced Mobile Wireless Broadband Services

In order to facilitate introduction of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) Advanced mobile broadband services, the Authority has decided to deliberate on various related issues including sui...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 24 Aug 2011

The Costs of Achieving the Millennium Development Goals through Adopting Organic Agriculture

This paper provides estimates of the costs of organic agriculture (OA) programs, and sets them in the context of the costs of attaining the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It anal...

by Anil Markandya | 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

Predicting Recessions and Slowdowns: A Robust Approach

This paper defines business and growth rate cycles and describes the importance of key coincident indicators and reference chronologies, following reflections on the definition of a recession. The rob...

by Pami Dua | On 18 Aug 2011

Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture (focus on Food Security) in Asia-Pacific Region

The objective of this paper is to identify climate change related threats and vulnerabilities associated with agriculture as a sector and agriculture as people’s livelihoods (exposure, sensitivity, a...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 17 Aug 2011

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

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

Distress Situation in Dryland Areas Impacts on Livelihood Pattern and the Coping Strategies: A Review

This paper is a review of the different coping mechanisms adopted by the households in different dryland area of India. The primary focus of the present paper is to understand the coping mechanisms...

by Nikhil Govind | On 05 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

Financial Inclusion in India: A case-study of West Bengal

The study seeks to examine the extent of financial inclusion in West Bengal. It is observed from the study that although there has been an improvement in outreach activity in the banking sector, the...

by Sadhan Kumar Chattopadhyay | On 03 Aug 2011

Parliament Session Alert: Monsoon Session: August 01 – September 08, 2011

Parliament meets for the Monsoon Session between August 01 and September 08, 2011. There will be a total of 26 sittings. The agenda for government Bills includes 35 pending Bills for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 01 Aug 2011

India’s Low Carbon Inclusive Growth Strategy

This paper reviews India.s low-carbon high growth inclusive policy initiatives, comments on their financial sustainability and environmental sustainability and suggests desirable changes. The focus...

by U. Sankar | On 29 Jul 2011

Health Care Systems and Conflict: A Fragile State of Affairs

Health care systems are necessary in all countries, the importance of strong health care systems to fragile nations, and the damage done to these systems during conflict, receive less attention t...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 29 Jul 2011

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

EGoM cleared the Draft National Food Security Bill

The empowered group of ministers on food on Monday approved the draft National Food Security Bill, bringing the ambitious social security programme that guarantees highly subsidized food grains to abo...

by Economic Times ET | On 12 Jul 2011

Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Tall and not so Tall Women of India

New studies are increasingly appearing based on historical data across the world that better socio-economic status is associated with taller men and women. This study based on a recent Indian data ana...

by Brinda Viswanathan | On 08 Jul 2011

The Don Sahong Dam: Potential Impacts on Regional Fish Migrations, Livelihoods and Human Health

This paper focuses on the Don Sahong Dam (DSD’s) potential impacts on fish and fisheries, and particularly the project’s regional implications in relation to fisheries, including its possible impact...

by Ian Bird | On 08 Jul 2011

Detection and Forecasting of Islamic Calendar Effects in Time Series Data: Revisited

This paper is an attempt to revisit the pioneering work of Riazuddin and Khan (2002). A complete business cycle has been elapsed (2002-2010) since their study, so there is need to review the results ...

by Syed Kalim Hyder Bukhari | On 05 Jul 2011

Human Trafficking: The Shameful Face of Migration

A new framework for understanding migration as a series of phases, defining categories of people affected by migration and suggesting estimates of the likely size and importance of each group is g...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 04 Jul 2011

Fisher’s Equation: Some Methodological Doubts

The Fisher's equation has become a foundation stone of modern macroeconomic, monetary and financial theories. Here it is shown that despite the estabilished status of Fisher's equation, it stands on...

by Rajas Parchure | On 04 Jul 2011

The Electric Energy-Water Nexus: Managing the Seasonal Linkages of Fresh Water Use in Energy Sector for Sustainable Future

The fast growing demand for fresh water-coupled with the need to protect the environment has made many areas of India and the rest of the World vulnerable to water shortages for various uses of the ...

by Perini Praveena Sri | On 29 Jun 2011

Finding the Meaning of the Word ‘Livelihood’

Livelihood has many meanings. To many it is that which gives you a source of income. Yet it is only when livelihoods come to mean sustainable ways of living that we will move towards an alternative...

by Collin Furtado | On 13 Jun 2011

Non-financial Reporting – What, Why and How - Indian Perspective

The importance of non-financial reporting in the overall assessment of a company's performance, its risk-return trade off is steadily gaining ground, both globally and in India. [Address by Dr K. C...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 10 Jun 2011

Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators: An Update

This paper provides an update of the changes that Bangladesh has undergone in terms of its poverty and social indicators over the last one and a half decades. Several key social and human developmen...

by Zulfiqar Ali | On 07 Jun 2011

Social Assistance and the ‘Dependency Syndrome'

This policy brief discusses the fact that social assistance is critical to counter the insecurity and vulnerability experienced by chronically poor people. Evidence shows that as well as preventing pe...

by Andrew Shepherd | On 30 May 2011

Right to Food in India

The objective of this paper is to examine right to food in the Indian context. The right to food is analysed in terms of availability, accessibility, adequacy and sustainability. These are examined...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 27 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

India at 75: Towards Inclusive Growth through Labour Market Reforms

The policy of free hiring and firing, leading to a high labour turnover is in nobody’s interest: employers lose industrially accumulated useful skills while workers lose jobs and incomes. Yet job secu...

by Snehal Barai | On 09 May 2011

How to Measure inflation in India?

What is the best inflation measure in India? What inflation measure is most relevant for monetary policy making in India? Questions of timeliness, weights in the price index, accuracy of food price m...

by Ila Patnaik | On 06 May 2011

A Note on Human Development Indices with Income Equalities

In this study the DAPCHDI with the data given by Sarker et al. in their paper is re-computed to compare the composite index with theirs. The HDR-2005 or the HDR-2006 adds little to the HDR-2004 da...

by S.K. Mishra | On 06 May 2011

Analysis of Gender Disparity in Meghalaya by Various Types of Composite Indices

In this paper the author analyses the gender disparities in Meghalaya by various types of Composite Indices. URL: [http://www.freewebs.com/nehu_economics-a/meghalaya-gender.pdf]

by S.K. Mishra | On 04 May 2011

Monetary Policy Statement 2011-12

This Statement sets out the Reserve Bank’s assessment of the current macroeconomic situation and projections. URL:[http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/notification/PDFs/APS030511F.pdf].

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 03 May 2011

Measuring Energy Use Efficiency in Presence of Undesirable Output: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to Indian Cement Industry

In most cases, energy use in the production of a given desirable output results in the generation of undesirable output also as a by-product. Thus, the aim of this paper is to estimate energy use...

by Sabuj Kumar Mandal | On 02 May 2011

Encounters

The Tarkunde Committee confirmed that the police and the government of Andhra Pradesh were involved in the cruel practice of committing planned murders and covering it up as encounter. It recommende...

by People's Union for Democratic Rights PUDR | On 28 Apr 2011

Issues for Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan

GDP growth likely to average 8.2 per cent over 11th Plan: short of the 9% target, but remarkable given the global crisis and drought. Basic objective : Faster, More Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth ...

by Planning Commission | On 25 Apr 2011

Statement by Governor, RBI

There have been significant developments in the global economy since we met in the fall of 2010. The IMF too has moved on several fronts under its mandate which has strengthened its position in a chan...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 20 Apr 2011

Ramadan Effect on Price Movements: Evidence from Pakistan

This paper attempts to verify the widespread perception that general price level tends to rise due to the month of Ramadan in Pakistan. For this purpose, the ARIMA methodology (simple and extended f...

by Muhammad Akmal | On 19 Apr 2011

Liquidity Considerations in Estimating Implied Volatility

Some option series in the market are far less liquid than others. Market illiquidity can reduce the informativeness of option prices. In this paper, an alternative schemes are proposed to estimate im...

by Rohini Grover | On 09 Apr 2011

Report on the Activities of the Energy Department

The Department of Energy was created on 24th April 1990 consequent upon bifurcation of the then Irrigation & Power Department. Energy as in Electricity is one of the prime inputs for both the economic...

by Government of Orissa | On 05 Apr 2011

Hong Kong's Anti-Terrorism Measures Under Fire

Following behind other jurisdictions, Hong Kong tabled its post September 11th anti-terrorism legislation for first reading on April 17, 2002. The United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Bill (herein...

by Simon N.M. Young | On 05 Apr 2011

Foretelling the Mekong: Key Findings of the MRC’s Strategic Environmental Assessment on Mekong Mainstream Dams

With 11 large hydropower dams proposed to block the Lower Mekong River’s mainstream, the future of the river lies at a crossroads. To inform decision-making, in October 2010, the Mekong River Commiss...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 29 Mar 2011

Globalization and the Women’s Movement in India

From the early 1990s, the principal economic, social and political problems experienced by the mass of Indian women have, in one way or another, become inextricably linked with the processes and pol...

by Centre for Women's Development Studies | On 28 Mar 2011

IAEA Annual Report for 2009

The International Atomic Energy Agency addresses global issues related to nuclear technology, in accordance with its Statute. In carrying out this mandate, the agency has sought to provide independent...

by International Atomic Energy Agency | On 25 Mar 2011

Out of World Crisis through Innovations

The paper examines the situation of financial crisis prevailing in the world economy and its impact on urbanization and development. URL: [http://www.fgks.in/event/Pardos.pdf]

by Françoise Pardos | On 24 Mar 2011

Protecting Rivers and Rights: The World Commission on Dams Recommendations in Action

The briefing kit highlights key examples of policies, regulations and laws that reflect these WCD recommendations and references specific projects that demonstrate them in action. [IRN brief]. URL:...

by International Rivers Network IRN | 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

A Green Venture Fund to Finance Clean Technology for Developing Countries

A structure for the green venture fund (GVF) and explain the design rationale, operating principles and key parameters for two funds of funds for technology innovation and deployment is proposed. Some...

by Darius Nassiry | On 16 Mar 2011

Can We Eradicate Hunger?

World hunger is prevalent yet receives relatively less attention compared to poverty. The MDGs have taken a step to address this with the resolution of halving the number of starving people in the wor...

by Basudeb Guha Khasnobis | On 16 Mar 2011

Health and Human Rights in Chin State, Western Burma: A Population-Based Assessment Using Multistaged Household Cluster Sampling

The Chin State of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is an isolated ethnic minority area with poor health outcomes and reports of food insecurity and human rights violations. A report on a population-base...

by Richard Sollom | On 09 Mar 2011

Draft Food Security Bill, 2010

While the Government of India has several schemes for augmenting agricultural production and ensuring adequate availability of food for different segments, a Bill to provide a statutory framework to e...

by Government of India GOI | On 04 Mar 2011

Feedback received until 28th February, 2011 on the Framework note on NFSB

Based on the recommendations the National Advisory Council had already communicated to the Government, as a first step towards preparing the draft National Food Security Bill, a detailed Framework Not...

by National Advisory Council NAC | On 04 Mar 2011

Draft National Food Security Bill: Explanatory Note

This Explanatory Note highlights the rationale and major considerations that form the basis of the NAC proposals on food security. It supplements (i) the NAC recommendations on food security relea...

by National Advisory Council NAC | On 04 Mar 2011

Note on the Draft National Food Security Bill

As agreed by the NAC at its meeting on July 14th, 2010, a Working Group of Members of the NAC was constituted on the National Food Security Bill. After due deliberations and wide ranging consultations...

by Harsh Mander | On 04 Mar 2011

Economic Survey, 2010-11, Chapter 1

State of the Economy and prospects. URL:[http://www.indiabudget.nic.in/es2010-11/echap-01.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance | On 28 Feb 2011

Will it be Different this Time?

All proposals and policy measures in the forthcoming Budget may best be summed up as efforts to improve the sustainability of growth. Specific objectives are likely to be lowering inflation and defici...

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Feb 2011

Macroeconomic Forecasting using Dynamic Factor Models

This study attempts to develop a dynamic factor model (DFM) to forecast industrial production and price level in India. For this purpose, domestic as well as external economic indicators, that appea...

by Sanjib Bordoloi | 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

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

Kerala Budget 2011-12

The Minister for Finance, Dr. T. M. Thomas Issac presented the Budget for the financial year 2011-2012.

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 14 Feb 2011

Resolutions of the Sixth Session of the First Parliament of Bhutan

The following bills were resolved to be passed with corrections: The Child Care and Protection Bill; Penal Code Amendment Bill; Anti Corruption Act 2010; and others

by Jigme Tshultim | On 08 Feb 2011

Asymmetric Shocks and Co-movement of Price Indices

This paper is an attempt to gauge the relationship between the long run paths of consumer price index and wholesale price index of Pakistan. For the empirical analysis the Johansen cointegration tec...

by Nasir Hamid Rao | On 07 Feb 2011

Russia’s Quasi-Sovereign Debt: A Sizeable Contingent Liability

An overview of corporate and quasi-sovereign debt in Russia is provided. Fiscal sustainability in Russia in a broader framework analysed. Scenarios for public debt developments until 2020, also taking...

by Maria Arakelyan | On 31 Jan 2011

Rising Food Crisis and Financial Crisis in India:Impact on Women and Children and Ways of Tackling the Problem

The objective of the study is to examine the impact of rising food prices and financial crisis on the impact of women and children in India. It identifies the pathways for dealing with the effects of...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 31 Jan 2011

Rethinking Agricultural Production Collectivities: The Case for a Group Approach to Energize Agriculture and Empower Poor Farmers

In the face of persistent rural poverty, an incomplete agrarian transition, the predominance of small and marginal farms and an emerging feminization of agriculture, this paper argues for a new in...

by Bina Agarwal | On 28 Jan 2011

India's Low Carbon Inclusive Growth Strategy

India’s low carbon inclusive growth strategy is framed in the context of  multiple goals and its national circumstances. In many cases, co­benefits  such as energy security, universal access to cl...

by U. Sankar | On 28 Jan 2011

Conceptualising Social Security And Income Redistribution

This paper offers a conceptualisation of social security and income redistribution schemes which highlights the strong overlaps between the two. Indeed, it is virtually impossible to disentangle the t...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 27 Jan 2011

Rethinking the Policy Objectives of Development Aid: From Economic Growth to Conflict Prevention

The current consensus objective of development aid in the international community is to reduce poverty in general and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in particular. In addition,...

by Sakiko Fukuda- Parr | On 21 Jan 2011

A Framework for Incorporating Environmental Indicators to the Measurement of Human Well-Being

This study, relying on an economic-theoretical approach to index numbers, proposes a framework for incorporating environmental indicators to the measurement of human well-being. Furthermore this...

by Osman Zaim | On 19 Jan 2011

Beacon of Hope: An Impact Assessment Study of BRAC’s Rural Development Programme

The impact assessment methodology was constructed on the basis of a set of hypotheses, and incorporated a set of key indicators of impact. The IAS hypothised that various non-RDP factors are likely to...

by Shams Mustafa | On 19 Jan 2011

Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment: The Second Impact Assessment Study of BRAC’s Rural Development Programme

BRAC has been working since early 1990’s to evolve an impact assessment system (IAS) for its rural development programme (RDP). The first impact assessment study was conducted in 1993-94. Assessing th...

by (Ed.) A. M. Muazzam Husain | On 19 Jan 2011

Income-based Measures of Average Well-being

International comparisons of average national incomes omit important information about leisure, home production, health, etc. They are also bedevilled by index number problems. This paper suggests...

by Steve Dowrick | On 17 Jan 2011

Rethinking Food Security Strategy: Self-sufficiency or Self-reliance

This Policy Brief discusses whether Bangladesh should continue to pursue a national food security strategy based on self-reliance or return to its earlier policy of food self-sufficiency through ...

by Uttam Kumar Deb | On 17 Jan 2011

Shared Goals: Measuring Overall Development in Pakistan

Five possible indicators are suggested that illustrate the type of measurable targets that could help the United States and Pakistan meet shared goals for effective and transparent development. [CGD...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 17 Jan 2011

The French Nuclear Energy Experience: Lessons for India

This study seeks to derive lessons from the French nuclear energy experience that can be used to guide the Indian programme as it steps on the pedal to fast track nuclear expansion. [Occasional Paper...

by Manpreet Sethi | On 13 Jan 2011

Ethnic Minority Poverty in Vietnam

The paper examines various aspects of development of minority in Vietnam.

by Bob Baulch | On 07 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

Does Women’s Status Matter for Food Security? Evidence from Bangladesh

Using data from a survey of Bangladeshi households, this paper investigates the link between female status and food security. Employing three different indicators of female status – husband’s an...

by Mohammad A. Razzaque | On 29 Dec 2010

Measuring the Quality of Life across Countries: A Sensitivity Analysis of Well-being Indices

This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of interrelationships among the determinants of the quality of life (QOL). They show that various measures of well-being are highly sensitiv...

by Tauhidur Rahman | On 28 Dec 2010

Size Matters: The Impact of Aid on Institutions

This paper proposes that aid flowing to smaller (less populous) countries has a negative impact on the quality of institutions in terms of performance and policy as opposed to that flowing to larg...

by Chakriya Bowman | On 20 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

Revisiting Group Dynamic and Legal Rights

BRAC Human Rights and Legal Services Programme (HRLS) has initiated to form ward-based Legal Rights Implementation Committee (LRIC) comprised of 19 members to ensure justice for the vulnerable women...

by Debasish Kumar Kundu | On 14 Dec 2010

Venture Capital and Micro-finance Instituted Business Plan for a School Edupreneur

The report is a study of possibilities for the institutionally disabled entrepreneurs to raise capital from private players like venture capitalists and micro-finance institutions.

by Mallika Chawla | On 13 Dec 2010

Solar Industry –Entering new Dimensions: Comparison of Technologies, Markets and Industries

Over the past two years the solar industry has shown itself to be incredibly resilient to the general economic crisis. Supported by cost-cutting and efficiency improvements, the photovoltaics (PV) in...

by Bank Sarasin | On 10 Dec 2010

Composite Indices of Human Well-being: Past, Present, and Future

This paper surveys the various composite well-being indices that have been inter-country assessments over the last 40 or soy ears, including the well known Human Development Index (HDI). A number of...

by Mark McGillivray | On 03 Dec 2010

When index dissemination goes wrong: How fast can traders add and multiply?

This paper studies an episode of dissemination of wrong stock index values in real time due to a software bug in the Indian Nifty index futures market on the morning of January 18, 2006. The episod...

by Jayanth R Varma | 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

Commitment to Development Index 2010

The Commitment to Development Index (CDI) ranks 22 of the world’s richest countries on their dedication to policies that benefit the five billion people living in poorer nations. Moving beyond standar...

by David Roodman | On 29 Nov 2010

Economic Agendas in Civil Wars: What We Know, What We Need to Know

The political economy of civil wars has acquired unprecedented scholarly and policy attention. Among others, the International Peace Academy’s programme on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (EACW) ha...

by David M Malone | On 26 Nov 2010

Security in the Transport of Radioactive Material: Implementing Guide

This publication addresses the vulnerability of radioactive material during transport. Given the international concern over acts of nuclear terrorism, it is imperative to have a well defined plan for...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 23 Nov 2010

Does the HIPC Initiative Achieve its Goal of Debt Sustainability?

This paper examines the question if the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative provides a good basis for the HIPCs to exit from repeated debt rescheduling. Building on other reviews of the...

by Bernhard G. Gunter | On 23 Nov 2010

Financing Asia’s Infrastructure: Modes of Development and Integration of Asian Financial Markets

Asia faces very large infrastructure funding demands, estimated at around US$750 billion per year for energy, transport, telecommunications, water, and sanitation during 2010–2020 (ADB/ADBI 2009). Asi...

by Biswa Nath Bhattacharyay | On 03 Nov 2010

Asset Market Structures and Monetary Policy in a Small Open Economy

This paper sets up a canonical new Keynesian small open economy model with nominal price rigidities to explore the impact of habit persistence and exchange rate pass-through on the welfare ranking of...

by Yongseung Jung | On 01 Nov 2010

Labour and Energy Intensity: A Study of Pulp & Paper Industries in India

This paper is an attempt to understand the relationship between the labour and energy intensity for firms drawn from pulp and paper industries in Indian manufacturing. Pulp and paper industry account...

by K. Narayanan | On 29 Oct 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

Revisiting the Global Food Architecture: Lessons from the 2008 Food Crisis

The 2008 episode of food price explosion, political turmoil, and human suffering revealed important flaws in the current global food architecture. This paper argues that to safeguard the strengths...

by Luc Christiaensen | On 27 Oct 2010

Estimation of Tax Leakage and its Impact on Fiscal Health in Kerala

This paper is an attempt to analyse the tax leakage in the broader context of fiscal crisis in Kerala, highlighting the relationship between the two. Tax leakage by causing a revenue drain may adver...

by Rakhe PB | On 27 Oct 2010

Demographic Changes and Pension Reform in the Republic of Korea

This paper conducted a quantitative assessment based on a simulation analysis of what impact the reformed Korean National Pension Act on July 2007 could bring on its sustainability, equity, and adeq...

by Hyungpyo Moon | On 27 Oct 2010

The Welfare Fund Model of Social Security for Informal Sector Workers: The Kerala Experience

This paper examines the evolution of the institution of ‘Welfare Funds’ for informal sector workers in the State of Kerala in India. The Kerala experience, which is now thirty years old, reflects wh...

by K. P. Kannan | On 25 Oct 2010

Inflation and Economic Growth in Bangladesh: 1981-2005

This paper empirically explores the present relationship between inflation and economic growth in the context of Bangladesh. Using annual data set on real GDP and CPI for the period of 1980 to 2005, a...

by Shamim Ahmed | On 14 Oct 2010

Supply Chain Dynamics in Asia

Supply chain management in Asia is a relatively new topic but is a key challenge for all Asia based manufacturers and traders trying to integrate into the “global market.” The purpose of this paper...

by Ruth Banomyong | On 14 Oct 2010

Decent Work and the Informal Economy

The ILO was founded for social justice, a mandate expressed today in terms of decent work as a global goal, for all who work, whether in formal or informal contexts. In June 2002, the delegates to...

by Anne Trebilcock | On 08 Oct 2010

Peace, Prosperity, and Pro-Growth Entrepreneurship

Support for entrepreneurship is widely seen as a mechanism to facilitate prosperity and peace in a growing number of post-conflict states. In this paper they critically evaluate this view. They ar...

by Wim Naudé | On 08 Oct 2010

Towards an Economic Approach to Sustainable Forest Development

The present paper looks at the various dimensions of contributions by forests in the context of the Indian economy. Based on a detailed review of literature on importance and valuation of forests, s...

by Archana S Mathur | On 08 Oct 2010

Asian Property Markets: No Significant Bubbles-Yet!

After house price bubbles burst in many OECD countries, investors are keeping a very watchful eye for price developments on asset markets that signal a bubble.

by Steffen Dyck | On 08 Oct 2010

Impact of Global Recession on Sustainable Development and Poverty Linkages

The global financial crisis and the resulting economic slowdown may be assumed to have at least the benefit of also reducing environmental degradation in the individual countries. This paper discu...

by Venkatachalam Anbumozhi | On 07 Oct 2010

Commodity Taxation and Social Welfare : The Generalised Ramsey Rule

Commodity taxes have three distinct roles: (1) revenue collection, (2) interpersonal redistribution, and (3) resource allocation. The paper presents an integrated treatment of these three concerns...

by David Coady | On 01 Oct 2010

Beyond Population: Everyone Counts in Development

This essay reviews important demographic trends expected to occur between 2010 and 2050, indicates some of their implications for economic and global development, and suggests some possible policies t...

by Joel E. Cohen | On 29 Sep 2010

Fiscal Policy Issues for India after the Global Financial Crisis (2008–2010)

The need for fiscal consolidation and sustainability is one of the key macroeconomic issues confronting Indian economy. This paper attempts to understand India’s current fiscal situation, its likely f...

by Rajiv Kumar | 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

Implications of Global Crisis: Integrate Sustainability with Organizational Culture

Sustainability is an issue of escalating importance as a result of structural changes of organizations which are consolidating, downsizing, merging and outsourcing as well as due to the increasing c...

by Indu Rao | On 23 Sep 2010

Working Group on Development of Children for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012): (Volume One)

Nineteen per cent of world’s children live in India. India is home to more than one billion people, of which 42 per cent are children, defined as persons under 18 years of age. In international co...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 17 Sep 2010

Feeding Southeast Asia: Mekong River Fisheries and Regional Food Security

This paper reviews the available literature that links regional food security to the Mekong River’s wild capture fisheries, and argues for recognition of the existing contribution that the fisheries...

by Brooke Peterson | On 08 Sep 2010

Measurement of Inflation in India: Issues and Associated Challenges for the Conduct of Monetary Policy

In India, there is a large divergence between CPI and WPI inflation trends in the past, wide dispersion in inflation across commodity groups within WPI, and significant volatility in headline WPI in...

by Nadhanael G V | On 08 Sep 2010

Concentrating Solar Power in China and India: A Spatial Analysis of Technical Potential and the Cost of Deployment

This study provides an in-depth assessment of Concentrating solar power (CSP) potential in China and India using high-resolution spatial data for site selection and modeling of plant performance, ass...

by Kevin Ummel | On 03 Sep 2010

CRISP Framework for Post-Project Evaluation

Development projects do not continue for infinite duration. Funding and implementing agencies withdraw from the program area after a certain point of time. Phasing out of programs is a critical phas...

by Bikram Gupta | On 02 Sep 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

The Evolution of Singapore Business: A Case Study Approach

This paper is the result of a pilot study conducted to track, explore and analyse various aspects of the evolution of Singapore business within a holistic framework using case study methodology. Fol...

by Anisha Sabhlok | On 30 Jul 2010

Social Protection Package for the Retrenched Workers of State-owned Enterprises: A quick Assessment

BRAC designed and implemented a project namely Kallyan project aiming to improve the quality of life of the retrenched workers of state-owned enterprises of Bangladesh. This study aimed to map the p...

by Narayan Chandra Das | On 28 Jul 2010

The State of the Indian Economy 2009-10

Despite signs of recovery from the global financial crisis, the GDP growth rate for the Indian economy is likely to be between 5.8 to 6.1 per cent in 2009-10, below the 6.7 per cent recorded in fisc...

by Mathew Joseph | On 14 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

Why is Dead DEDA Still Alive?

The paper discuses and analyzes the present state of affairs of the Delhi Energy Development Agency (DEDA).

by Arjun Bhattacharya | On 30 Jun 2010

Farming First’s Guide to Food Security Initiatives

Food security is an immediate and future priority for all countries worldwide. Since the food crisis erupted in 2008, a large number of global and regional food security initiatives have been launch...

by Farming First | On 21 Jun 2010

Customized Development Interventions for the Ultra Poor: Preliminary Change Assessments of Health and Health-seeking Behaviour (CFPR/TUP 2002 to 2004)

A mid-term survey of the CFPR/TUP programme participants (at the end of 1st cycle of 18 months intervention) on health and related issues was done during July-September 2004. The survey involved re-in...

by Syed Masud Ahmed | On 16 Jun 2010

Impact Assessment of CFPR/TUP: A Descriptive Analysis Based on 2002-2005 Panel Data

This paper looks at the overall performance of the CFPR/TUP programme using the 2002 baseline survey and 2005 repeat survey. All the topics covered in this study could be analysed more deeply, but tha...

by Mehnaz Rabbani | On 15 Jun 2010

Gender Development Indicators: Issues, Debates and Ranking of Districts

The present study emphasizes on independent variable analysis in assessing gender development at the disaggregated district level to account for problems such as the major contradiction facing this c...

by Preet Rustagi | On 03 Jun 2010

The EU-India FTA in Services and Possible Gender Impact in India: Concern Areas

This paper studies the impact of services trade liberalization under the currently negotiated EU-India FTA on women’s lives in India and tries to delineate the concern areas. Relevant sectors of int...

by Ranja Sengupta | On 25 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

Energy Intensity of Indian Manufacturing Firms: Effect of Energy Prices, Technology and Firm Characteristics

The paper examines the factors that influence energy intensity in Indian industries. It has two parts. In the first part, trends in energy intensity are analysis and cross-industry panel data (taken...

by Bishwanath Goldar | On 13 May 2010

Factor Employment, Sources and Sustainability of Output Growth: Analysis of Indian Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in India is crucial for two main reasons: It has significant potential to provide modern employment to a growing labour force, especially that of less skilled type and second...

by Arvind Virmani | On 09 Feb 2010

Health and Healthcare in Assam-A Status Report

This report is a comprehensive and analytical compilation of health care development of Assam bringing together all available information and data on health and health care.

by Indranee Dutta | On 09 Feb 2010

Competitiveness of Firms in Indian Automobile Industry

The competitiveness among the firms in Indian automobile industry has been assessed by understanding the factors that determine its competitive advantage. The efforts have been made to construct a com...

by G Burange | On 05 Feb 2010

Revisiting the Need of Improved Stoves: Estimating Health, Time and Carbon Benefits

This study generates some evidence on the costs and benefits of a particular indoor air pollution control initiative. The study is based on a survey of 400 households in Rasuwa district, Nepal,

by Min Bikram Malla Thakuri | On 02 Feb 2010

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

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

Cuba: A Country Profile on Sustainable Energy Development

A concise overview of the energy related aspects of sustainable development programmes and declarations, followed by a short summary of events and documents explicitly devoted to energy matters are gi...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 25 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

Who Owns Children and Does It Matter?

In this paper a particular market failure that may lead to inefficiently low equilibrium fertility and therefore to a need for government intervention are analysed. The friction which is investigated...

by Alice Schoonbroodt | On 18 Jan 2010

Bihar’s Miraculous Economic Performance: Myth or Reality?

The Indian media has wrongly compared Bihar's (that is, 11.03per cent) average annual growth during the period 2004-05 to 2008-09 with that of Gujarat (that is, 11.05per cent). While the media has quo...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 14 Jan 2010

Social Security Nets for Marine Fisheries

This paper attempts to explain the provision of social security in the fisheries sector of Kerala State in south India. It enumerates the salient achievements and the problems faced by the state in pr...

by John Kurien | On 14 Jan 2010

Harvesting Rainwater: Catch Water Where it Falls!

The paper is a analysis of the rainwater harvesting system in context of Delhi which is suffering from acute water problems.

by Arjun Bhattacharya | On 22 Dec 2009

Key Copenhagen Messages

Climate change is one of the most important issues of the next decades and has the potential to severely impact societies, economies and human wellbeing.

by Caio Koch-Weser | On 16 Dec 2009

Mobile Commerce, Mobile Banking - The Emerging Paradigm

What is m-banking, Basic characteristics of m-commerce/e-commerce, Evolution of electronic financial services (e-banking/e-commerce/m-banking/m-commerce), Role of non-banks in Indian Payment Scenario....

by Chakrabarty K C | On 14 Dec 2009

Rethinking Food Security Policies: IDSAsr Declaration

Declaration made at the end of two days national seminar on Food security and Sustainability in India held on November 7-8, 2009 organized by GAD Institute of Development Studies, PO Naushera, Amritsa...

by Gursharan Singh Kainth | On 14 Dec 2009

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

Gender, Poverty And Development: Gender Sensitive Budgeting And Other 'Best Practices'

The dominance of the mainstream paradigm of growth is being increasingly superseded by the Sustainable Human Development approach. No Concept of development, however, can be complete unless and until...

by Ritu Dewan | On 20 Nov 2009

Track Record of Financial Institutions in Assisting the Poor in Asia

A variety of institutional forms of microfinance are being introduced in Asia including by the ADB-and financial institutions pursue different objectives, so it is difficult to assess how well micro...

by Richard L Meyer | On 13 Nov 2009

Gendering Human Development Indices: Recasting the Gender Development Index and Gender Empowerment Measure of India

Gender-related Development Index (GDI) and Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) developed by UNDP need to be recast to realistically capture the gender gaps in development and empowerment in the Third Wo...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 10 Nov 2009

Environmental Sector China: From Major Building Site to Growth Market

China’s economy is booming at the expense of its environment. The country’s resource efficiency is nowhere near the level of western nations. Per unit of gross domestic product China consumes more tha...

by Eric Heymann | On 22 Oct 2009

Coping with Rising Food Prices: Policy Dilemmas in the Developing World

Rising food prices cause considerable policy dilemmas for developing country governments. Letting domestic prices adjust to reflect the full change in international prices generates inflationary pres...

by Nora Lustig | On 09 Oct 2009

Kerala Fights Clock in ASEAN Free-Trade Deal

The paper discusses the impacts of free-trade policy on the agricultural exports of Kerala.

by Ranjit Devraj | On 08 Oct 2009

Doha Declaration and Compulsory License for Access to Medicines

The Doha Declaration provides for access to medicines particularly by simplifying the compulsory licensing (CL) clause. This paper tries to provide a comprehensive review of the working of CL in the d...

by Lalitha N | On 21 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

Food Security in South Asia: Issues and Opportunities

The study aims to identify issues relating to food security, the policy initiatives taken to tackle these issues, evaluate these policies and suggest measures to overcome identified constraints in ord...

by Surabhi Mittal | On 11 Sep 2009

End of the Recession

The best economic news of the past two years can be that the worst recession in 80 years may be over.

by T.N. Ninan | On 31 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

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

Policies and Strategies for Radioactive Waste Management

The spent fuel and radioactive waste management strategy sets out the means for achieving the goals and requirements set out in the national policy. It is normally established by the relevant waste...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 04 Aug 2009

The Sraffa System for Continuous Industrial Production

This paper articulates a model of industrial production in which technologies are of continuous-input continuous output-type. It is shown that the model nevertheless has all the essential properties...

by Rajas Parchure | On 31 Jul 2009

Determinants of Fuelwood Use in Rural Orissa: Implications for Energy Transition

This study examines household behaviour related to fuelwood collection and use. The focus is on identifying the behavioral transition of fuelwood-using households from collection to purchase. The st...

by ARABINDA MISHRA | On 29 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

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

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

Groundwater Irrigation in India: Gains, Costs and Risks

Groundwater has rapidly emerged to occupy a dominant place in India’s agriculture and food security in the recent years. It has become the main source of growth in irrigated area over the past 3 decad...

by Vasant P Gandhi | On 23 Jun 2009

Transmission of International Commodity Prices to Domestic Prices in Bangladesh

In recent years, Bangladesh has experienced persistent price increases, especially of food items, in the domestic market in the backdrop of global increase in food prices. Such price developments in t...

by M. Golam Mortaza | On 22 Jun 2009

Drug Regulation in the Philippines

Access to essential drugs is vital for the promotion of better health for the entire population. High prices of drugs are being used as an argument for greater government role in the drugs sector thro...

by Allan Grand A. Sobrepeña | On 16 Jun 2009

An Alternative Approach to Measure HDI

The popularly known Human Development Index (HDI) is obtained through linear averaging (LA) of indices in three dimensions- health, education and standard of living. This paper questions the appropria...

by Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan | On 16 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

Role of Science & Technology, Higher Education and Research in Regional Socio-Economic Development

This paper is an attempt to focus on the role of Science and Technology (S&T) on regional development of India by considering 21 Indian states. The Index approach using the Principal Component techniq...

by Rajesh Shukla | On 12 Jun 2009

Technical Note on Employment for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007 – 2012)

This 'Technical Note on Employment for the Eleventh Five Year Plan' presents the quantitative basis for determining the targets and projections on employment, and the related variables given in the El...

by Planning Commission Labour, Employment & Manpower Division | On 06 Jun 2009

Health Economics for Developing Countries: A Survival Kit

Health economics is increasingly recognized as a discipline that has much to offer developing countries in addressing these problems, but how can it help? What economic concepts and tools can be appli...

by Anne Mills | On 04 Jun 2009

Risk Management Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis

During the global financial turmoil of 2007 and 2008, no major derivative clearing house in the world encountered distress while many banks were pushed to the brink and beyond. An important reason for...

by Jayanth R Varma | On 26 May 2009

Insecurities of the Old and Marginalized: Inflation, Oil Shocks, Financial Crisis and Social Security

The paper examines the impact of recent inflation and financial shocks on the vulnerable, and explores policy design to reduce both future shocks and vulnerability to shocks. Inflation affects the typ...

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 May 2009

Straddling Faultlines : India's Foreign Policy Toward The Great Middle East

India’s foreign policy has had an anomalous quality since the time Jawaharlal Nehru resolutely attempted to steer clear of Cold War alliances. This continues to be so given India’s unique situation of...

by Sushil J Aaron | On 21 May 2009

Himalayan Journal of Development and Democracy Vol 3:1, 2008

Papers and Proceedings of The Third Annual Himalayan Policy Research ConferenceSession Chairs and Discussants Session 1A: Conflict Resolution and Democratic Transitions Chair: Christopher Can...

by Vijaya R. Sharma | On 19 May 2009

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

Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2008: Addresing Triple Threats to Development

In 2008, three global crises converged to threaten development in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing to the fore particularly testing challenges for policymakers – a Great Recession in developed coun...

by Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific ESCAP | On 16 May 2009

No Through Road: The Limitations of Food Miles

The focus of this paper is on food miles issues associated with the import of products from developing countries. As the concept of food miles has been an issue in organic agriculture since before the...

by Els Wynen | On 14 May 2009

Can Ethical Trade Certification Contribute to the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals? A Review of Organic and Fair-trade Certification

The growth of ethical consumerism in developed countries has led to increased imports of environmentally and socially certified products produced by the poor in developing countries, which could poten...

by Sununtar Setboonsarng | On 13 May 2009

Social Protection for Informal Workers: Insecurities, Instruments and Institutional Mechanisms

This paper presents a broad definition of social protection to include basic securities, such as income, food, health and shelter, and economic securities including having income generating productive...

by Jeemol Unni | On 01 May 2009

Global Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences and India’s Prospects

Presentation shows the global financial crisis, the difference between US, Europe and India, RBI’s policy response and impact, lessons from the crisis, medium-term issues and challenges. [Speech deliv...

by Rakesh Mohan | On 29 Apr 2009

AIDAN Policy Brief: Drug Prices and Affordability

India has a booming drug industry and has contributed to making generics at low prices worldwide. But medicines within India are overpriced and unaffordable. Price regulation of medicines is a key pub...

by All India Drug Action Forum AIDAN | On 25 Apr 2009

Essential Drugs in Government Healthcare: Emerging Model of Procurement and Supply

This paper details the procedures adopted by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation in procuring and supplying essential drugs to the government health care which is a positive measure in ensurin...

by Lalitha N | On 22 Apr 2009

The Indian Security State: Agendas of Concern

The indecent haste shown by Political Executive and Parliament on December16-17, 2008 while dealing with security related issues substantiates the argument that security and defence agenda of the Indi...

by C. P. Bhambhri | On 16 Apr 2009

Commit to Reduction in Prices of Medicines

Press Release at press conference on April 10, 2009 at New Delhi. AIDAN appeals to Political Parties Contesting Elections arguing that it is the one thing that will contribute to the lowering of...

by All India Drug Action Forum AIDAN | On 13 Apr 2009

Where Are The Empty Thalis In Uttarakhand? : District Level Food Insecurity Analysis of Uttarakhand.

The primary focus of this paper is a remote sense mapping excercise to identify the food insecure parts in Uttarakhand, using official, secondary data. To mitigate the intrinsic weakness of such an ef...

by Ravi Chopra | On 05 Mar 2009

Trade in Energy Services: GATS and India

India’s opportunities and constraints to trade in energy services within the GATS framework are examined. The study found that India has the capability of exporting high-skilled manpower at competit...

by Arpita Mukherjee | On 25 Feb 2009

An Evaluation Study of NSS in India 2008-09

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, has initiated this study to review the National Service Scheme at the National level. The study reviewed four aspects of the scheme: na...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 12 Feb 2009

Global and Regional Shocks: Challenges to Asian

Two major economic problems are currently shadowing Asian economies. On the one hand, the slowdown in the US economy, ignited by the subprime mortgage crisis, may not be confined to the US region...

by Kwanho Shin | On 05 Dec 2008

Heterogeneity, Commons and Privatization: Agrarian Institutional Change in Goa

A case study in Goa is used to examine whether tenure security and asset re-distribution can lead to environmentally sustainable outcomes.

by Pranab Mukhopadhyay | On 28 Nov 2008

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

Ensuring ‘Collective Action’ in ‘Participatory’ Forest Management

This paper is based on a qualitative analysis of three case studies, each belonging to one of three types of institutional structures: Self-initiated, NGO-promoted, and Government-sponsored JFM. The b...

by Rucha Ghate | On 14 Nov 2008

Agflation and the PDS: Some Issues

In the context of the current public policy focus on rising food prices and their implications for food security, this paper examines two major issues raised: (i) Universalization of the public distri...

by Suryanarayana M H | On 04 Nov 2008

Renewable Energy Strategies for Indian Power Sector

Specific policy issues linked to renewable energy development with recommendations for future strategies and measures have been discussed in the article. [CSH WP no. 3]

by Debyani Ghosh | On 07 Oct 2008

Reconciliation and Development

Reconciliation has become an important part of postconflict peacebuilding rhetoric and practice in recent years. As nearly all conflicts today are intrastate, former enemies, perpetrators and victims,...

by Karen Brounéus | On 01 Oct 2008

Early Warnings of Inflation in India

In India, year-on-year percentage changes of price indexes are widely used as the measure of inflation. In terms of monthly data, each observation of a one-year change in inflation is the sum of twelv...

by Rudrani Bhattacharya | 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

The Action Plan on Climate Change, G8 Declaration and the Accra Climate Change Meet: Points to Ponder

India, the largest economy of South Asia, has recently announced its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). This is of special significance given the mounting pressure on fast growing economi...

by Centre for Trade and Development CENTAD | On 22 Sep 2008

Withdrawal of the Maoists’ unilateral cease-fire:Where does Nepal go?

The government of Nepal took an illegal measure to try the cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Ordinance. Under the amendments, all anti-terrorist cases will be heard in-c...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 27 Aug 2008

Another Look at Renewables on India’s Sagar Island

Much existing literature champions renewables implementation on India’s Sagar Island as an unqualified rural electrification success story. Photovoltaic (PV) and wind systems put in place by the West...

by Sam Shrank | On 25 Aug 2008

The Naxals get lethal: Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the conflict

Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the Naxalite conflict as a direct consequence of the counter-insurgency Salwa Judum campaign. There have been credible reports of serious human rights vio...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 18 Aug 2008

The Indian Banking Industry – A Retrospect of Select Aspects

A broad overview of the achievements and progress made by the Indian banking sector in the last two decades and the emerging frontiers of the Indian banking system, in the post-reform era. [Address d...

by Leeladhar V | On 11 Aug 2008

Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007–2012) Volume II Social Sector

Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-12

by Planning Commission, India | On 06 Aug 2008

Distress Debt and Suicides among Agrarian Households: Findings from Three Villages in Kerala

The factors and process underlying agrarian distress in Kerala by undertaking the case studies of three villages situated in Wayanad and Idukki districts namely, Cherumad, Kappikkunnu and Upputhara. T...

by K.N. Nair | On 31 Jul 2008

Index of Financial Inclusion

The promotion of an inclusive financial system is considered a policy priority in many countries. While the importance of financial inclusion is widely recognized, the literature lacks a comprehensive...

by Mandira Sarma | On 25 Jul 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

The Chinese Chequer: Split Wide Open in Nepal

Although unilateral ceasefire declared by the Maoists on 3 September 2005 brought down the level of violence, the security forces sought to provoke the Maoists. The security forces and the Maoists hav...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 21 Jul 2008

The Naxal Conflict: Killings Decreases, Conflict Intensifies

The paper analyses the conflicts in Naxal affected areas and how the respected authorities deal with the Naxalism. Asian Centre for Human Rights consistently reiterated that there has been no dearth o...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 25 Jun 2008

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

Food Failures and Futures

The paper is an analysis of food aid, rising food prices and its implications.

by Laurrie Garrett | On 31 May 2008

Inflation: Sign and Symptom of Mismanagement

Inflation impacts on the social and political life and it is the poor who bear the consequences most. There can be no room for tardiness in taking measures to control inflation. [See synopses of par...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 21 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

Report on SAHR Fact Finding Mission to the North and East of Sri Lanka to Assess the State of Displaced Persons

This report on the state of displaced persons in the North and East of Sri Lanka analyses the security condition and concerns of those who live in makeshifts and camps in conflict affected areas. It p...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 11 Apr 2008

Maharashtra Budget 2008-09 Part I

Budget presented by the finance minister for the year 2008-09.

by Maharashtra Government | On 20 Mar 2008

Madhya Pradesh Budget Highlights 2008-09

The Finance Minister Shri Raghavji presented the budget for the year 2008-09, with a budgetary deficit of Rs 91.43 crore.

by Madhya Pradesh Government | On 13 Mar 2008

A Sugar Policy for India Comment on D R Gadgil

D.R. Gadgil, wrote at length about the need for a long-term sugar policy and its efficient implementation is needed in India. What is the current relevance of his ideas?

by Aparna Mitheel Jaikar | On 13 Mar 2008

Kerala Budget Speech 2008-09

Budget speech 2008-09 by Finance Minister Dr. Thomas Issac

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 07 Mar 2008

Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The work of the IPCC has helped the world to learn more on all aspects of climate change, and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has acknowledged this fact. [Speech delivered in Oslo]

by Pachauri R K | On 04 Feb 2008

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

Intergrated Energy Policy

The report of the Expert Committee provides a broad overarching framework for guiding the policies governing the production and use of different forms of energy from various sources. It makes specific...

by Planning Commission, India | On 10 Jan 2008

Outline of a Joint Lecture on Action Agenda for Transition to a Just, Equitable, Regenerative and Prosperous Society

The outline of an action agenda to address issues regarding barriers to creating an equitable society that we urgently need to take up. [at XXXI ISSC at SNDT women's University].

by Datye K R | On 28 Dec 2007

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

Determinants of Choosing an Airline by a Traveller -An Analysis from New Zealand Perspective

The important determinants that have influence on travellers to choosing a particular airline are analysed. Data from primary and secondary sources have been used for this paper. A field survey was co...

by Ershad Ali | On 12 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

HDI in Context

The United Nations Development Programme has just put out its latest Human Development Report, containing the human development index (HDI) for 177 countries, with the data being for 2005. India ranks...

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 Dec 2007

Vaccine Policy in India

The success of an immunisation programme in any country depends more upon local realities and national policies. This is particularly true for a huge and diverse developing country such as India, with...

by Yennapu Madhavi | On 12 Nov 2007

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

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Oct 2007

Damned Rivers, Damned Lies What the Water Establishment Doesn't Want You to Know

The social, environmental and economic impacts of dams are summarised and outlines better options for water management and energy supply. [IRN Brief].

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 18 Oct 2007

A Hostage in Office

What is the position of the Prime Minister among his Cabinet colleagues after signing the nuclear deal with the US?

by T.N. Ninan | On 15 Oct 2007

Unorganised Sector Worker's Social Security Bill 2007

A bill to provide for the social security and welfare of unorganised sector workers and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

by Minister of State for Labour and Employment | On 15 Oct 2007

Recent Financial Market Developments and Implications for Monetary Policy

The nature of the financial turbulence that happened recently in US and Europe, why it happened, where it happened, and the implications for central banks. Some of the forces that led up to and charac...

by Rakesh Mohan | On 12 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

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

Volatality of Agricultural Prices – An Analysis of Major International and Domestic Markets

The price volatility of agricultural commodities assumes critical importance in the context of the ongoing debate regarding agricultural trade liberalisation in India. The arguments against agricultur...

by C S C Sekhar | On 12 Sep 2007

Price Incentives, Nonprice factors, and Crop Supply Response: The Indian Cash Crops

Agriculture as a source of growth was sorely neglected in the early development strategies of the currently developing countries. Realisation of this shortcoming prompted public policy in these countr...

by Sunil Kanwar | On 06 Sep 2007

Predicting Indian Business Cycles: Leading Indices for External and Domestic Sectors

This paper evaluates the real-time performance of the growth rate of the DSE-ECRI Indian leading index for exports for predicting cyclical downturns and upturns in the growth rate of Indian exports. T...

by Pami Dua | On 14 Aug 2007

FEER: The June 2007 issue

Satisfuy China's Demand for Money by Hugo Restall Monetary Policy: China’s Last Option: Let the Yuan Soar by Michael Pettis Stop the Specter of a Rising Rupee by Vivek Moorthy Hong Kong’s Arreste...

by FEER | On 04 Aug 2007

Women and Food Security in South Asia: Current Issues and Emerging Concerns

The educated and socially empowered Asian Woman is the key to improving the nutrition and mental acuity of young children and that improvement sets in motion lifelong prospects for heightened learning...

by Nira Ramachandran | On 24 Jul 2007

An Ex-post Evaluation Study on Rural Non-farm Sector Investments in Bhilwara Districts of Rajsthan

The present study was undertaken to examine the health and sustainability of RNFS units and the remedial measures required for the same. A sample of 47 borrowers included manufacturing (power looms, b...

by V Ramakrishna Rao | On 18 Jul 2007

Evaluate Anti-Naxal Policies of the Chhatisgarh Government: Naxal Conflict Monitor April 11, 2007

The State has the responsibility to ensure right to life of the citizens. Involving civilians directly in armed conflicts only increases the risks to their lives and prolongs the conflicts. Common cit...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 13 Jul 2007

Climate Change and Sectors: Some Like it Hot!

Despite the major uncertainties mentioned at the beginning that afflict both dimensions of climate change, this analysis has demonstrated a clear trend: the regulatory-market economy dimension of clim...

by Eric Heymann | On 13 Jul 2007

Women, Work and Insecurities in India

The poor women in developing countries are burdened with the dual responsibility of taking care of housework and the need to supplement household income to meet the subsistence needs. The on-going fle...

by Uma Rani | On 05 Jul 2007

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

Labour Quality in Indian Manufacturing A State Level Analysis

The paper provides the educational composition of the manufacturing workers in the eighteen selected states of India during the last four NSSO rounds on Employment and Unemployment in India covering...

by Suresh Chand Aggarwal | On 13 Jun 2007

Time to Mainstream Micro-Pensions in India

The paper has argued that to expand coverage of micro-pensions, social entrepreneurship (along with social responsibility) will be needed by the financial sector, including the MFIs, insurance compani...

by Mukul Asher | On 08 May 2007

Can Singapore Sustain its Current Globalisation Strategy? Singapore's 2007 Budget

Singapore’s 2007 budget reaffirms government’s determination to continue with the current globalization strategy of high growth, high net in-migration and minimal social risk pooling in financing old...

by Mukul Asher | On 05 Mar 2007

Women's Health

The double burden carried by women explains their chronic state of malnutrition, overwork and fatigue. Added to these are the stresses and strains of modern life, environmental degradation and increa...

by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan | On 28 Feb 2007

Union budget 2007-08: What May We Expect?

It is unrealistic to expect all problems to be solved in one budget. But it is possible for one budget to do a great deal of damage

by Vinod Vyasulu | On 27 Feb 2007

Recent Social Security Reforms in Asia

This presentation reviews recent social security reforms in Asia-Pacific, with emphasis on countries with major reliance on social insurance schemes. Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, Vietnam, and Tha...

by Mukul Asher | On 12 Jan 2007

Identifying Asset Price Bubbles in the Housing Market in India - Preliminary Evidence

Devoted to the analysis of housing market in India, the paper employs a special decomposition scheme for the structural VAR proposed by Blanchard and Quah to study the impact of permanent shocks to...

by Himanshu Joshi | On 10 Jan 2007

Food Retailing, Supermarkets and Food Security: Highlights from Latin America

The importance of supermarkets in the world food economy has increased radically since the early 1990s. They are now major sellers and buyers of food items not only in developed but also in developin...

by Mehmet Arda | On 27 Dec 2006

An Index of Uncertainty for Business Cycle Leading Indicators

Leading indicators based on correlations with reference cycles are regularly used to monitor the economy. It would be useful if we could have a quantitative measure of the risk associated with leadi...

by Minakshy Iyer | On 20 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

Revisiting Primary Health Care in the 21st Century

Although ‘Primary Health Care’, as outlined in the famous Alma Ata Declaration has been a central concept and strategy in the field of health care in the late 20th century, it has not found mention in...

by Anant Phadke | On 11 Dec 2006

Availability and Price Management of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

The Committee’s present examination of ‘Availability and Price Management of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals’ is with the objective of making available quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses....

by Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Government | On 21 Nov 2006

Journal of Social and Economic Change

Articles Pareto’s Revenge — Ravi Kanbur 1 Socio-Economic Dimensions of Old Age Security in India: With Special Reference to Karnataka — T V Sekher Gender, Poverty and Employment in India — V Gaya...

by | On 12 Aug 2006

Ethics in Social Science Research: Reflections from a Student of Economics

If poverty and nutrition are issues also of social justice and the commitment that a democratic state makes to its citizens (namely, ridding the country of hunger and malnutrition and also of ensuring...

by Padmini Swaminathan | On 19 Jul 2006

The Role and Nature of Non-Contributory Social Security in the Design of Social Protection Strategies for Older People in DCs

Non-contributory social security is increasingly attracting the attention of developing country policymakers and observers, not least as a mechanism to help address the perceived failure of contributo...

by Roddy McKinnon | On 23 May 2006

Dams and Development

The dams debate is simple because behind the array of facts and figures, of economic statistics and engineering calculations, lie a number of basic and easily understood principles. If adhered to and...

by World Commission on Dams WCD | On 24 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

Why is Exchange Rate Pass-through So Low?

Policy makers are particularly concerned about the extent and speed of exchange rate pass-through into domestic prices. However, in recent times there seems to be a growing degree of disconnect betw...

by Amit Ghosh | On 14 Mar 2006

Indo-US Nuclear Deal: Dead or Alive?

India has much to gain from the Nuclear Deal. But if India places its breeder programme under international safeguards, then its research will come under public scrutiny, exposing all of India’s advan...

by D.Raghunandan | On 28 Feb 2006

Economic Survey 2005-06, Chapter 10

Social Sectors

by Ministry of Finance | On 27 Feb 2006

Economic Survey 2005-06, Chapter 5

Prices and Food Management

by Ministry of Finance | On 27 Feb 2006

Will Russia win the ‘Gas War’?

Russia’s Gazprom, the world’s largest gas company, has precipitated serious tensions among the post-Soviet countries by sharply hiking gas prices this winter. Gazprom has been supplying gas to these c...

by R.G. Gidadhubli | On 07 Feb 2006

Social Security Policy in an Era of Globalization and Competition: Challenges for Southeast Asia

There are several themes which emerge from the comparative analysis of social security systems in Southeast Asia. Each country will need to address the limitations of their respective system in relati...

by Mukul Asher | On 06 Feb 2006

Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Issues and the IAEA - Final Report from 18 Countries

A new 18-country opinion survey sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found that "while majorities of citizens generally support the continued use of existing nuclear reactors, mo...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 02 Feb 2006

Port Security is Still a Houe of Cards

Warns that weak links in the global shipping network expose the world’s ports to acts of terrorism.

by Stephen E. Flynn | On 27 Jan 2006

Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments: Third Quarter Review 2005-06

Contents I. The Real Economy -- 1 Agricultural Situation Industrial Performance Business Expectations Surveys Services Sector II. Fiscal Situation 14 Combined Government Fi...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 25 Jan 2006

AT Times When Limbs May Fail: Social Security for Unorganised Workers in Karnataka

Policy makers, therefore, often encounter the following questions while formulating the social security schemes. What are the priority social security needs of unorganized workers? What existing mecha...

by D. Rajasekhar | On 13 Jan 2006

Karnataka Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme: Towards Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage in Karnataka?

This is a case study of the Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme for rural farmers and peasants in Karnataka. The scheme, now in its second year of operation, covers 2.2 million farmers and peasants w...

by Sarosh Kuruvilla | On 13 Jan 2006

Regional and Gender Disparity in Agricultural Wages

This study on agricultural wages shows that states like West Bengal and Gujarat have performed well in providing gender equal wages to men and women. Kerala’s performance in maintaining gender equal w...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 11 Jan 2006

The Quest of Economic community in East Asia: Thailand's Perspective

To make the Customs Union in East Asia happen, what is needed the most now are political will and concerted efforts. FTAs should not be the end of economic cooperation in Asia. Instead, the onsolidati...

by Nipon Poapongsakorn | On 22 Nov 2005

Underground Gun Markets

This paper provides an economic analysis of underground gun markets drawing on interviews with gang members, gun dealers, professional thieves, prostitutes, police, public school security guards and t...

by Philip J. Cook | On 11 Nov 2005

Rebuilding China’s Social Safety Net: Why Governance Matters

China has adopted a wide-ranging program of pension reform since the late 1990s. The new pension system has replaced the pre-existing enterprise-based system. This paper analyzes the background of t...

by Minxin Pei | On 08 Nov 2005

Globalisation, Demographic Transition and Reform of Social Safety Nets in India

This paper accepts Rodrik’s premise that globalization and associated changes have increased the urgency of developing social safety nets to: Cushion transition; Help maintain legitimacy of reform, a...

by Mukul Asher | On 08 Nov 2005

Recent Social Security Reforms In Selected Asian Countries

There are considerable variations in the philosophy, coverage, investment policies and performance, design of schemes, governance structures, degree of professionalism and adequacy of benefits among A...

by Mukul Asher | On 11 Oct 2005

Dialogues: The Monarchy And Demovracy In Nepal

THE project on the State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) is a 30 month study undertaken to evaluate the democratic enterprise in five South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sr...

by Peter Ronald deSouza | On 30 Aug 2005

Medico Friend Circle Bulletin 310, April-May 2005

Medico Friend Circle, April-May 2005, featuring Background papers for annual Theme Meet on Quality and Cost of Health Care

by Anonymous | On 24 Aug 2005

Drug Pricing: Rajya Sabha August 17, 2005

Rising drug prices and misuse of drugs: Calling Attention

by Anonymous | On 19 Aug 2005

SAARC Regional Convention On Suppression O Terrorism

An Additional Protocol to the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, has been prepared recognizing the importance of updating the Convention, in order to meet the obligations devolving...

by Anonymous | On 13 Aug 2005

SAARC and India: Policy Issues hinge on Security and Democracy

The entire project of SAARC is dependent on India’s capacity to bind the neighbouring states in multiple networks of ties to promote regional cooperation. India not only shares frontiers with all the...

by Rajen Harshe | On 13 Aug 2005

The State Of Physics

Where do we stand physics research vis a vis interanational developments? As mentioned above, our input in terms of funding of physics research continues to be subcritical. Thus, while we have been ab...

by Sushanta Dattagupta | On 08 Aug 2005

Role Of Pension Regulator

In developed financial and capital markets all financial intermediaries such as banks, insurance companies, and pension funds are well regulated. India is the first country in Asia to establish an ind...

by Mukul Asher | On 06 Aug 2005