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Is India Creating Adequate Jobs Post 2000: Treading Through Employment Elasticity

This paper looks into diverse databases to gauge if economic growth in India creates adequate volume of jobs since the year 2000. In our exercise, we use a popular index called employment elasticity....

by G.D Bino Paul | On 26 Jun 2020

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

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

by Roy Bahl | On 07 Mar 2019

Explaining the contractualisation of India’s workforce

The employment structure of India’s organised manufacturing sector has undergone substantial changes over the last decade with a steep rise in the use of contract workers in place of directly hired wo...

by Radhicka Kapoor | On 03 Feb 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

Assessing Opportunities for Solar Lanterns to Improve Educational Outcomes in Rural Off-Grid Regions: Challenges and Lessons from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Solar lanterns are promoted across rural sub-Saharan Africa to improve both lighting in homes and educational outcomes. It undertakes a randomized controlled trial in Zimba District, Zambia, to evalua...

by Ognen Stojanovski | On 03 Jan 2019

Skewed Credit and Growth Dynamics after the Global Financial Crisis

A large empirical literature finds that financial development is beneficial for economic growth, although some recent evidence suggests otherwise. The paper contributes to the finance–growth literatur...

by Gemma Estrada | On 19 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

Women’s Land Title Ownership and Empowerment: Evidence from India

This paper examines how women’s participation in family decision-making is affected by land rights in rural areas in India. The 2005 Hindu Succession Act was legislated to protect women’s rights to an...

by Harold Glenn A. Valera | On 26 Sep 2018

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

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

by Jose Ramon G. Albert | On 27 Aug 2018

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

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

by Megan Counahan | On 24 Aug 2018

Evaluating India's Exchange Rate Regime Under Global Shocks

The paper assesses the performance of India's managed float with respect to maintaining a real competitive exchange rate, its effect on trade, on stability of currency and financial markets, and on in...

by Ashima Goyal | 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

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

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

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 05 Jul 2018

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

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

by Mark Richardson | On 28 Jun 2018

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

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

by Jon Munch-Petersen | On 27 Jun 2018

Guidance for Investing in Digital Health

Digital technologies are increasingly underpinning almost all aspects of daily life, including health care. But there is not yet sufficient awareness of the issues to be considered when investing in d...

by Peter Drury | On 29 May 2018

Shadow Price of CO 2 Emissions in Indian Thermal Power Sector

This paper estimates production efficiency and shadow prices of CO2 emissions for thermal power plants in India. It employs a unique sample of 56 power plants for 2000-2013 acquired primarily...

by | On 29 May 2018

Vertical Integration, Market Structure and Competition Policy: Experiences of Indian Manufacturing Sector during the Post - Reform Period

In the context of declining degrees of vertical integration in major industries of Indian manufacturing sector during the post - reform period, the present paper is an att...

by Pulak Mishra | On 15 May 2018

Gender and Intersecting Inequalities in Local Government in South Asia

This paper is an evidence review of how intersecting forms of inequalities influence women’s political participation and representation at the local level in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The r...

by | On 11 May 2018

Book Review: Towards the Making of a ‘New Woman’

Review of Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self Defense Movement By Wendy L Rouse Sage Vistaar, 2018;

by | On 10 May 2018

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

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

by Sanjana Joshi | On 28 Mar 2018

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

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

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

The Water Gap – The State of the World’s Water 2018

In a startling reminder that our world’s most precious resource is becoming increasingly scarce for too much of the population, reminding us of the need for better and fairer management of Earth’s...

by Water Aid NGO | On 22 Mar 2018

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

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

by Rashida Haq | On 21 Mar 2018

Would UDAY Brighten Up Rajasthan Finances?

Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) required number of State governments to take over debt of power distribution companies in their books of accounts. Though this one time intervention made both debt...

by Pinaki Chakraborty | On 19 Mar 2018

India: the next superpower ?: The Untold Story of India's Economy

As India looks towards further liberalisation, it must fi rst prepare its economic institutions by re-orienting them from managing the economy to regulating the economy. Without an enhancement of re...

by | On 16 Mar 2018

Women in the Economy: An Untapped Resource for Growth in the Asia-Africa Region

Ensuring Women’s their participation in the economy requires access to skills, technology and finance. India and Japan have supported such initiatives in Asia and Africa in the past, but a joint effor...

by Renana Jhabvala | On 15 Mar 2018

State of Child Workers in India: Mapping Trends

The present report begins with a background on child labour, with a discussion on different terms associated with ‘child labour’, followed by child labour policies and legislation implemented by the g...

by Ellina Samantroy | On 12 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

India: A Fab-less Wonder: Case of SMDP

From IPod to I Pad, millions of electronics goods have rolled out of China, the global manufacturing hub. India’s share of global electronic product market is less than 3%. Taiwan had $72 billion of...

by A S Rao | On 07 Mar 2018

Microfinance and Women EmpowermentEmpirical Evidence from the Indian States

Microcredit is essentially utilised as the source of empowerment among the poor women in both rural and urban areas of the Indian states. Based on a panel of the Indian states for the period 2007 to...

by | On 27 Feb 2018

Micro Finance and Poverty Alleviation:The Case of Kerala's Kudumbashree

This paper says that micro finance is an emerging reality in contemporary development discourse and has come to occupy a significant place in financial intermediation in India.

by M.A. Oommen | On 27 Feb 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

Militarisation and Armed Conflict

India's claim that all human rights violations are redressed stands sharply refuted by the report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which in its report to UPR2 stated that AFSPA remains i...

by Working Group on Human Rights (WGHR) | On 21 Feb 2018

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: A Cross-National Comparison of Circumstances Related to State Forces’ Use of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts

This study aims to explore and identify circumstances related to the use of sexual violence by armed groups, and by state forces in particular. The overall purpose is to contribute to an understandi...

by Matilda Carlsson | On 20 Feb 2018

Deepening Decentralised Governance in Rural India: Lessons from the People’s Plan Initiative of Kerala

This paper is a critique of this experiment to draw lessons for the other Indian states (which still lag way behind Kerala) and for Kerala State itself to put decentralization and democratic practices...

by M.A. Oommen | On 16 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

Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in North East India

The report says that the ISI has been equally thorough and ruthless in repressing political opponents to the military regimes that have ruled over Pakistan for more than half of its fiftyseven years o...

by Harinder Sekhon | On 12 Feb 2018

Biological Weapon, Infectious Disease and India’s Security Imperatives

The report says that the fact that transnational spread of disease does pose a threat to national security, is well entrenched now.

by Animesh Roul | On 09 Feb 2018

Does Gender Diversity Improve Firm Performance?: Evidence from India

This report explores how fostering gender diversity at the firm level can be good for business.

by Ruchika Joshi | On 08 Feb 2018

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

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

by Bent Jörgensen | On 07 Feb 2018

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

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

by Leena Avonius | On 07 Feb 2018

Empowerment of Dalits and Adivasis: Role of Education in the Emerging Economy

Well friends, let me begin by narrating a short story. In the Indian epic Mahabharata, dated around one thousand B.C., there is a celebrated fable about Ekalavya, an Adivasi boy; some of you will cer...

by | On 06 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 8: Industry and Infrastructure

Several key measures and achievements in the industry and infrastructure sector have been discussed in this Chapter. There has been considerable progress in Roads, Railways, Metro Rail, Shipping, Ci...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Conflict and Education in Manipur: A Comparative Analysis

Conflict, violence and social upheaval have been the greatest threats to mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Poorest communities, children and education sector are among the most severely affect...

by Komol Singha | On 24 Jan 2018

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

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

by Chanchal Kumar Sharma | On 22 Jan 2018

Nuclear Weapon: Issues, Threat and Consequence Management

The brief says that invention of nuclear weapons, the ultimate among the three weapons of mass destruction, has given rise to completely novel conditions that have fundamentally affected the concept o...

by Animesh Roul | On 22 Jan 2018

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

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

by Julia Strasheim | On 17 Jan 2018

Northeast India: The Emerging Scenarios

The paper narrates that in today’s age of globalization and trans-border connectivity, the Northeast is fast emerging as the potential gateway for India to Southeast and East Asia through Myanmar.

by Namrata Goswami | On 17 Jan 2018

Two Decades of OPCW

This issue brief takes a broad overview of the journey of CWC and OPCW during the last two decades.

by Ajey Lele | On 17 Jan 2018

Cross-Border Spillover Effects of the G20 Financial Regulatory Reforms

The paper also emphasize the need for regulatory consistency within and between jurisdictions to ensure a level playing field.

by Clive Briault | On 15 Jan 2018

Strategic Roadmap for Implementation of UDAY Scheme

This study analyses the concerns/challenges in executing the operational targets set under the UDAY scheme for two DISCOMs in Karnataka, namely, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (MESCOM)...

by Rishu Garg | On 11 Jan 2018

Property Rights, Intersectionality, and Women’s Empowerment in Nepal

Property is widely recognized as an important resource for empowering women. Many development policies worldwide therefore call for strengthening women’s rights to property, especially to physical a...

by Rajendra Pradhan | On 11 Jan 2018

Military Courts in Pakistan: Will they return? What are the implications?

This paper narrates that during the first week of January 2017, many in Pakistan were surprised, when the government allowed the earlier Parliamentary legislation on the military courts to elapse.

by D. Chandran | On 09 Jan 2018

WTO Negotiating Strategy on Environmental Goods and Services for Asian Developing Countries

The paper advocates carefully tailoring EGS liberalisation so that it can deliver meaningful trade and development benefits while responding to environmental priorities in Asian developing countries.

by Vicente Yu III | On 01 Jan 2018

How Regulation and Standards Can Support Social and Environmental Dynamics in Global Value Chains

This paper explores the policy measures that will best lead to the most positive outcomes as standards diffuse through global value chains.

by Raphael Kaplinsky | On 26 Dec 2017

Willingness to Pay for Good Quality, Uninterrupted Power Supply in Madhya Pradesh, India

This study undertakes a contingent valuation survey using a stratified random sample of 2083 households in rural Madhya Pradesh, India, with the objective of estimating the benefits of an improved ele...

by | On 21 Dec 2017

India China: Rethinking Borders and Security

Fifty-five years after China and India fought a war over an ill-defined “colonial” border in 1962, war clouds have gathered again during this monsoon season on the contested Himalayan ridges and valle...

by Anirudh Deshpande | On 14 Dec 2017

What is Global History?

As young historians promptly discover on their own, the term "world history," as is its counterpart, "global history," is the most current trend in the study of history.

by Orel Beilinson | On 14 Dec 2017

Ethnic fragmentation and School Provision in India

In this paper, we study the impact of ethnic fragmentation on the provision of private and public schools, separately. The distinction is made because the two types of schools have different objective...

by Bharti Nandwani | On 13 Dec 2017

‘My Work Never Ends’: Women’s Experiences of Balancing Unpaid Care Work and Paid Work through WEE Programming in India

This paper seeks to lay bare the contours and consequences of the relationship between paid work and unpaid care work for women in low-income households, in order to better understand the relationship...

by | On 12 Dec 2017

Vertical Integration, Market Structure and Competition Policy: Experiences of Indian Manufacturing Sector during the Post-Reform Period

In the context of declining degrees of vertical integration in major industries of Indian manufacturing sector during the post-reform period, the present paper is an attempt to examine how such ‘verti...

by Pulak Mishra | On 11 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

Livelihoods and access to services: An analysis of peri-urban areas of Lahore, Pakistan

This study examines the emerging peri-urbanization in the Punjab (Pakistan) in the context of Lahore.

by Qasim Shah | On 30 Nov 2017

Gender Mainstreaming Case Study : India - Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

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

by | On 22 Nov 2017

Going In Circles

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

by Dr. Abid Suleri | On 21 Nov 2017

Skilling India's Workforce

The report says that current capacity of 4 million workers per annum is grossly inadequate.

by Shri Ranganath | On 03 Nov 2017

India Power Supply Position 2010

The generation is insufficient to meet the demand, resulting in a shortfall of both peak capacity as well as energy overall (officially 12.6% and 9.9%, respectively).

by Rahul Tongia | On 02 Nov 2017

‘My Work Never Ends’: Women Balancing Paid Work and Unpaid Care Work in India

The ‘Balancing unpaid care work and paid work: successes, challenges and lessons for women’s economic empowerment programmes and policies’ research project within the Growth and Equal Opportunities...

by Mubashira Zaidi | On 31 Oct 2017

Selecting Appropriate Methodological Framework for Time Series Data Analysis

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

by Dr. Min Shrestha | On 09 Oct 2017

East Asian Financial and Economic Development

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

by Randall Morck | On 25 Sep 2017

Watching India's Insolvency Reforms: A New Dataset of Insolvency Cases

This paper introduces a new dataset of orders passed by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in the insolvency cases under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code or IBC. It builds this dataset to atte...

by Sreyan Chatterjee | On 18 Sep 2017

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

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

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 06 Sep 2017

Chronic Food Poverty in the Philippines

This paper finds that deviation of rainfall from its normal values and other key variables such as education, employment, assets, and armed conflict affect chronic food poverty.

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 05 Sep 2017

Preventing chilhood stunting: Why and how?

This Policy Note analyzes the factors contributing to child stunting in the country and finds that mothers' nutrition and health status during pregnancy remain crucial aspects that can influence birth...

by Alejandro Herrin | On 04 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

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

Current Challenges for the Economy and Priorities of the New Government

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

by S Jagadeesan | On 25 Aug 2017

Getting Punjab Agriculture Back on High Growth Path: Sources, Drivers and Policy Lessons

The study finds that among the many steps taken by the state, three interventions played the most important role in the state’s impressive performance in agriculture. They are irrigation facilities, a...

by Ashok Gulati | On 23 Aug 2017

Making Rapid Strides Agriculture in Madhya Pradesh: Sources, Drivers, and Policy Lessons

This paper study the composition, sources and drivers of agricultural growth in Madhya Pradesh to identify the factors that have contributed to robust agricultural growth in the state and discuss the...

by Ashok Gulati | On 11 Aug 2017

Devolution, Democracy and Development in Kenya

The report says that the practice of local democracy has so far mirrored the problems at the national level, with vote-buying, compromised primaries and allegations of vote-rigging in many gubernatori...

by Agnes Cornell | On 10 Aug 2017

A Political Economy Analysis of the Southeast Asian Haze and Some Solutions

This paper studies the political economy of the Southeast Asian haze and discusses the obstacles that, unless overcome, could prevent a permanent and effective solution to this transboundary pollution...

by Parkash Chander | On 08 Aug 2017

Measuring Women’s Self-Help Group Performance in India

Women’s SHGs increasingly facilitate the decentralized delivery of agriculture and nutrition interventions around the world. Since their origins in the microfinance revolution of the 1980s, SHGs i...

by | On 04 Aug 2017

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

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

by | On 04 Aug 2017

Inequality of Opportunities Among Ethnic Groups in the Philippines

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

by Celia M. Reyes | On 02 Aug 2017

Tracking Change Islamabad in Livelihoods, Service Delivery and Governance: Evidence from a 2012-2015 Panel Survey in Pakistan

The subject of this study is the relationship between the delivery of services, social protection and livelihoods assistance, and state legitimacy (measured here using perceptions of government perfor...

by Babar Shahbaz | On 01 Aug 2017

2017 G20 Women’s Economic Empowerment Recommendations

For the 2017 G20, the German government has prioritized commitments to reducing the male and female employment gap by 25 percent by 2025, and increasing the quality of women’s employment. Investing in...

by John Ruthrauff | On 31 Jul 2017

Jati, Local Public Goods and Village Governance: Private Actions and Public Outcomes

This paper purports to understand whether voting along narrow parochial lines in socially and ethnically fragmented societies has measurable gains. Using data from rural India, we establish that ident...

by Raghbendra Jha | On 31 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

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

Gender Matters in Economic Empowerment Interventions: A Research Review

The article reviews the recent evaluation evidence on financial services and training interventions designed to increase the productivity and income of the poor; it includes the subset of evaluation...

by Mayra Buvinic | On 28 Jul 2017

Land Live: Land ownership in Rural India and Intra Household Exchanges

The incidence of parent-child co-residence in India is among the highest in the world. This paper examines the role of intra-household exchanges and potential bequests in creating incentives for adult...

by Sonalde Desai | 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

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

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

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) implemented a Fuel Tax Reform in 2009 that made significant changes to the way the country funds and delivers its ‘ordinary road’ program.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 17 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

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

Balancing the Burden? Desk Review of Women’s Time Poverty and Infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific

This desk review explores the links between infrastructure development and women’s time poverty in Asia and the Pacific by drawing on time-use data and reviewing existing research and evidence from im...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 22 Jun 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2016

The report says that the global economic environment also affects the region’s bond yields, emphasizing the importance of domestic macroeconomic stability and bond market resilience in the face of glo...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jun 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jun 2017

Innovative Strategies in Higher Education for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia: Sri Lanka

This report presents current arrangements and initiatives in the country’s skills development strategies. These are complemented by critical analyses to determine key issues, challenges, and opportuni...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jun 2017

Sanitation and Sustainable Development in Japan

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 May 2017

Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Outlook

The Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Outlook report aims to develop a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges confronting the region. This report provides a goalby-goal sn...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

Compliance in Letter and Compliance in Spirit? - Evidence from Board and Audit Committee Meetings in India

This paper analyzes two notions of compliance, 'compliance in letter' and 'compliance in spirit', using data on Board and Audit Committee meetings from India under its Clause 49 corporate governance ...

by Subrata Sarkar | On 03 May 2017

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

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

by | On 21 Feb 2017

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

Study of Environment can lead to Human Development

Reveiw of ‘Population, Health and Environment’ Edited by Sayeed Unisa, T.V. Sekher, Chander Shekhar, Abhishek Singh, L.K.Dwivedi and M.R. Pradhan by Rawat Pubslishers.

by Manisha Karne | On 30 Jan 2017

Jammu and Kashmir Budget Analysis 2017-18

The Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Haseeb A. Drabu, presented the Budget for Jammu and Kashmir for financial year 2017-18 on January 11, 2017.

by Arvind Gayam | On 17 Jan 2017

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

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

by | On 23 Dec 2016

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

The State of India's Pulses Sector

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

by | On 15 Dec 2016

Women Workforce Participation in India- A Study

India has experienced rapid economic growth, a decline in fertility rate, introduction of employment generation programs and policy shifts towards women empowerment in recent years. Yet, a striking fe...

by | On 19 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

Growth and Distribution: Understanding Developmental Regimes in Indian States

Economic and political processes differ widely across states in India. Some states have seen rapid economic growth and development while others are facing economic stagnation. The differences in outco...

by | On 07 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

Equity and Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction: Building Resilience for all

This paper attempts to address some of these shortcomings and to move the debate beyond the simplistic focus of including vulnerable groups within disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy-making. By promo...

by | On 26 Sep 2016

Role of Institutions and Policies in Diffusion of Micro-irrigation in Gujarat, Western India

the role of institutional innovations and subsidy policy interventions in the diffusion of micro-irrigation across the state in the recent years. While the first part makes a comprehensive review o...

by Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati | On 26 Sep 2016

A Vision for the Least Developed Countries Fund in a Post-Paris Climate Regime

The 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are the only country grouping to have a dedicated article in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Article 4.9 commits all parties to the conv...

by | On 22 Sep 2016

Water and Identity: An Analysis of the Cauvery River Water Dispute

This paper focuses on the dispute over river Cauvery in Southern India. Among the causes of river water disputes are contested property rights, difficulty in enforcing such rights, conflict of uses an...

by | On 20 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

Climate Change and Health Preparedness in India

Current efforts to address global warming largely focus on mitigating climate change. However, in light of predictions of increased temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing disease patterns in In...

by | On 14 Sep 2016

Chronic and Transient Poverty: Measurement and Estimation, with Evidence from China

The paper contributes to the measurement of poverty and vulnerability in three ways. First, we propose a new approach to separating poverty into chronic and transient components. Second, we provide co...

by | On 23 Aug 2016

Migration and Refugee Issue Between India and Bangladesh

In the era of globalisation, where opening of borders is being advocated all over the world, there is one issue over which no nation-state is ready to compromise with its territorial borders. The issu...

by | On 22 Aug 2016

Combating Haze: Holding One’s Breath A Year On

Indonesia’s efforts to combat forest fires have thus far shown some signs of progress. Doubts over Indonesia’s commitment and the effectiveness of its measures however seem to remain.

by | On 19 Aug 2016

Opening the Black Box of the Matching Function: The Power of Words.

How do employers attract the right workers? How important are posted wages vs. other job characteristics? Using data from the leading job board CareerBuilder.com, this paper shows that most vacancies...

by Ioana Marinescu | On 17 Aug 2016

Optimal Domestic (And External) Sovereign Default

Infrequent but turbulent episodes of outright sovereign default on domestic creditors are considered a “forgotten history” in Macroeconomics. This paper proposes a heterogeneous-agents model in which...

by Pablo D'Erasmo | On 17 Aug 2016

Trade Liberalization and Regional Dynamics

We study the evolution of trade liberalization’s effects on local labor markets, following Brazil’s early 1990s trade liberalization. Regions that initially specialized in industries facing larger t...

by Rafael Dix-Carneiro | On 16 Aug 2016

Migration Patterns and Challenges for Indians Seeking Work Abroad: A Special Focus on South India

This research concentrates mainly on out-migration in an analysis of primary and secondary sources available with government agencies such as the Emigration Division, the Ministry of Labour (Union Gov...

by | On 12 Aug 2016

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

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

by Somali Cerise | On 12 Aug 2016

Inequality, Poverty, and Antipoverty Transfers

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

by Armando Barrientos | On 10 Aug 2016

Can “Make In India” Make Jobs? The Challenges of Manufacturing Growth and High–Quality Job Creation in India

A new “Make in India” campaign to “transform India into a global manufacturing hub” aims to use manufacturing as a vehicle for job growth. Is this strategy realistic? This paper helps answer the quest...

by | On 10 Aug 2016

Gender in Medical Education: Perceptions of Medical Educators

Over the last few decades, systematic critiques of medicine and public health curricula in India have highlighted many lapses in the inclusion of social determinants of health in medical education. ...

by Priya John | 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

First Discussion Paper on Goods and Services Tax in India

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

by Government of India | On 05 Aug 2016

Gender and Migration

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

by | On 25 Jul 2016

Female Migrants: Bridging the Gaps Throughout the Life Cycle

Female migrants face different challenges and opportunities than men as they integrate into their host communities and become development agents for both their countries of destination and origin. And...

by | On 25 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

Health on the Move: The Impact of Migration on Health

This briefing presents an overview of how international migration can have an impact on the sustainable development goal for health and wellbeing. It describes the health needs and health service deli...

by Claire Melamed | On 25 Jul 2016

Women on the Move Migration, Gender Equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This brief presents an overview and analysis of the opportunities, risks and vulnerabilities for women migrants and refugees. It describes the realities of women migrating around the world, and specif...

by | On 19 Jul 2016

Women’s Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Growth: Labour Markets and Enterprise Development

This paper view to locating the growing concern with women’s economic empowerment within its growth research programmes. Inclusive growth, as defined by IDRC, is growth which ensures opportunities fo...

by Naila Kabeer | On 13 Jul 2016

Keeping the South China Sea in Perspective

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

by | On 13 Jul 2016

Economic Dynamics and Technology Diffusion in Indian Power Sector

There is a growing concern among policy makers about how electricity is generated and consumed in the context of energy security and global climate change. In such a scenario, renewable energy sources...

by B. Sudhakara Reddy | 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

The Case for Cyber and Cyber-Physical Weapons: India’s Grand Strategy and Diplomatic Goals

This briefing document articulates a grand strategy for India to pursue the development of cyber and cyber-physical weapons, with a view to manage conflicts and the future balance of power in Asia.Ind...

by | On 07 Jul 2016

A Study on Community Engagement with Schools in Five States: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh

The study sought to gauge the extent of decentralisation and devolution of power to community-based bodies in relation to schools, and see if there is any disconnect between what is envisaged and what...

by Jyotsna Jha | On 01 Jul 2016

Residential Schooling Strategies: Impact on Girls’ Education and Empowerment

Several residential schooling strategies exist for girls in the publicly funded school system in India. However, there is no definite policy on residential schooling in general or for girls in particu...

by Jyotsna Jha | On 28 Jun 2016

The Challenges for India’s Education System

India’s education system turns out millions of graduates each year, many skilled in IT and engineering. This manpower advantage underpins India’s recent economic advances, but masks deepseated problem...

by | On 22 Jun 2016

India and Afghanistan: A Development Partnership

India’s expanding partnership with Afghanistan has grown into multi-sectoral activities in all parts of Afghanistan. India’s reconstruction and developmental programmes in Afghanistan follow prioritie...

by Ministry of External Affairs, GoI MEA | On 21 Jun 2016

The Economics of Copyright and the Internet: Moving to an Empirical Assessment Relevant in the Digital Age

Technology and the Internet have triggered important changes to how creative works are created, accessed and how creators and copyright-based industries generate their revenues. In this chapter, the e...

by Sacha Wunsch-Vincent | On 08 Jun 2016

Education Through the Lens of Sustainable Human Development

If human development is defined as a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process aiming to improve the well-being of populations and individuals, then the one element that can serve...

by Gianna Alessandra Sanchez Moretti | On 06 Jun 2016

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

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

by | On 02 Jun 2016

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

Compendium of Good Practices in Training for Gender Equality

The Compendium of Good Practices in Training for Gender Equality aims to make both an empirical and an analytical contribution to the field of training for gender equality. The Compendium offers in-de...

by | On 31 May 2016

Seeking Judicial Power: With a Special Focus on Burma's Judiciary

This paper discusses the underlying common concept of the rule of law as it bolsters courts, giving them their institutional status and enabling them to move toward a redesigned judiciary from diverse...

by Aung Htoo | On 31 May 2016

IT Vision @ UP 2012

The aim of the IT policy is: 1.To position Uttar Pradesh as the preferred IT/ITES investment destination in India 2. To leverage IT as an engine of growth for UP 3.To transform physical communit...

by Uttar Pradesh Government UP | On 27 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

Elephants in the Room: Challenges for India as an Emerging Development Partner

Emerging powers are re-shaping the norms and practices of international development. As the Indian economy continues to grow and the country bids for a seat at the great power table, the ambitions of...

by Tanoubi Ngangom | On 26 May 2016

Integrated Approaches to SDG Implementation and Indicators: Focus on Forests

Despite their universal and holistic ambition, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets are shaping up to be too compartmentalised to deliver the integrated approach required. In thi...

by | On 25 May 2016

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

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

by | On 23 May 2016

Performing Poriborton

Congress, stormed to power in West Bengal under the simple slogan poriborton (change). In this piece, Bhanu Joshi, Ashish Ranjan, and Neelanjan explore how Mamata went about demonstrating this change...

by Neelanjan Sircar | On 20 May 2016

Kerala: Analysis of Asset Comparison of Re-contesting MLAs in Kerala Assembly Elections, 2016

This report provides an analysis of the assets of the re contesting candidates in the Kerala Assembly Elections

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | 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

Does Size Matter? The Productivity of Government Expenditures and the Size of States: Evidence from India

Some politicians argue for the splitting and combining of states to increase government productivity, but there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the optimal size of a state. Using data from Indian...

by Cornelis Haasnoot | On 18 May 2016

Improving Air Quality in Delhi: Moving Beyond Status Quo

What are the management interventions that can be done to reduce the air pollution in Delhi?

by Prashant Gargava | On 11 May 2016

Understanding the Election in Assam (Part 1)

The mainstream narrative on Assam is defined by an excessive focus on linguistic, ethnic, and religious strife, but many of the voters speak of development and economic growth, not social conflict, as...

by | On 05 May 2016

Monetary Transmission in Developing Countries: Evidence from India

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

by | On 02 May 2016

Reserve Currencies: Can Multiplicity Work?

The paper analyzes the potential rise of new reserve currencies in the context of the economic and political determinants of an international currency. Two models analyze the role of soft political p...

by | On 02 May 2016

Trade Liberalisation and Women's Employment Intensity: Analysis of India's Manufacturing Industries

This paper analyses the role of various trade and technology related factors in determining female employment intensity (FEI), in a panel of India's manufacturing industries for the perio...

by | On 02 May 2016

Is there a Case for Exchange Rate Coordination in South Asia?

This paper evaluates the case for greater exchange rate coordination in South Asia. With inter-regional integration in South Asia progressing at a faster pace than the region's integration with the wo...

by Rajeswari Sengupta | On 02 May 2016

Intellectual Property Rights: Indian Scenario

Global competitiveness has redefined business strategies worldwide and the focus has certainly shifted to examining how our knowledge resources can reposition our stand in the world market. It means t...

by Sachin Mangal | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Economic Review

This report has been prepared by the West Bengal Chamber of Commerce. It includes data on various sectors including but not limited to: Employment, Industry, Agriculture, Power and Trade.

by Chamber of Commerce | On 27 Apr 2016

Reducing Child Marriage in India: A Model to Scale Up Results, New Delhi, 2016

This paper presents a model for contextual strategizing and scaling up of interventions to accelerate the pace of reduction of child marriage, with particular reference to India, and within India with...

by Jyotsna Jha | On 18 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

Dynamics of Emigration and Remittances in Kerala: Results from the Kerala Migration Survey 2014

Kerala Migration Survey (KMS) 2014 is the sixth in the series of studies on international and internal migration from Kerala undertaken by the Centre for Development Studies as an ongoing project si...

by K.C. Zachariah | On 28 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Haryana: 2016-17

Budget Speech of Finance Minister of Haryana.

by Capt. Abhimanyu | On 22 Mar 2016

Impact of the People’s Republic of China’s Growth Slowdown on Emerging Asia: A General Equilibrium Analysis

As an important global and regional economic power, the PRC’s growth slowdown may cause large spillover effects to its neighboring economies. Using a multi-sectoral global computable general equilibri...

by Fan Zhai | On 22 Mar 2016

Labor Supply Models: Unobserved Heterogeneity, Nonparticipation and Dynamics

This chapter is concerned with the identification and estimation of models of labor supply. The focus is on the key issues that arise from unobserved heterogeneity, nonparticipation and dynamics. We e...

by Richard Blundell | On 21 Mar 2016

Impact of JNNURM and UIDSSMT/ IHSDP Programmes on Infrastructure and Governance Outcomes in Cities/ Towns in India

The paper is based on a review of the available official data and the existing literature on the Missions. It is divided into three broad sections. The first analyzes data available from the official...

by Lalitha Kamath | On 21 Mar 2016

Contested Idea of Nation Madhesi Upsurge in Nepal

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

by Kalpana Jha | On 21 Mar 2016

R & D Sector Outsourcing, Human Capital Formation and Growth in the Context of Developed versus Developing Economies

This paper theoretically examines the impact of R & D outsourcing from an economy which is in the innovation-only regime to an economy which is in the imitation-innovation regime. It shows that depend...

by Sujata Basu | On 15 Mar 2016

After the Death of Kim Jong Il: Everything and Nothing has Changed

The death of Kim Jong Il has sent shivers down the spine of many leaders in Asia and the world. In South Korea, the armed forces have been put on alert and Seoul has asked the U.S. to increase surveil...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

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 pla...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Japan’s ODA Still Going Strong

In the 1990s, Japan was the world’s top donor. This position was lost in 2001, after a prolonged economic slump, a deteriorating fiscal situation, and increasingly critical public view of ODA made the...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

North Korean Economic Reform: New Changes or Old, Empty Promises?

In June, North Korean authorities announced agricultural reforms called the “6.28 policy,” which promises to recalculate the ratio of distributed planned products (70 percent to the country, 30 percen...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

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

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

by Panchanan Das | On 14 Mar 2016

North Korea: Nukes, Nationalism & Negotiations

As South Korea this month takes up the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program grow. Pyongyang’s recent rocket tests, its anticipated th...

by Sangsoo Lee | On 12 Mar 2016

Invisible Ink: Looking for the Lost Trade between China, Russia, and Central Asia

China, Russia, and the Central Asian States have consistently engaged in economic relations. However, the bilateral trade statistics that are publicly available show a history of inconsistent and unre...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Careful Stewardship: Managing Myanmar's Bumpy Road Ahead

Myanmar’s transition process has proceeded apace with significant results already achieved. However, bumps are to be expected on the road ahead which may temporarily throw Myanmar off track. Thus ther...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Desecuritizing the Kurdish Question and Emerging Regional Dynamics

Desecuritizing the Kurdish question has become a priority for Turkey’s AKP government as it seeks to enter into a domestic “solution process” with the PKK. However, emerging dynamics in Iraq and Syria...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Missiles and Reunions: Thaw or Freeze on the Korean Peninsula?

Family reunions between North and South Korea may be an encouraging sign of a thaw in tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which could lead to further trust-building activities and economic cooperation....

by | On 12 Mar 2016

China's Stakes in the Ukraine Crisis

The crisis in the Ukraine and Russia’s intervention in the Crimea throws an important spotlight on China’s position and stakes regarding the issue. While it has refrained from openly critcizing Russia...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Tensions in Cyberspace: Toward a Code of Conduct

The row between the United States and China, caused by the indictment of five Chinese military officers on account of cyberespionage against private companies in the U.S., illustrates the importance o...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Vietnam's Proactive Foreign Relations

In the post-Cold War era, Vietnam has been successful in expanding relations both regionally and globally. And whereas China remains a strategic challenge for Vietnam in the South China Sea, Hanoi has...

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

Empowering Tamil Women: Recovery in Post-conflict Sri Lanka

More than five years after the Sri Lankan government’s victory over the LTTE insurgency, billions of dollars have been invested in infrastructure development projects in war-ravaged northern Sri Lanka...

by | On 11 Mar 2016

Myanmar’s Fragile Ceasefire

Resolving Myanmar’s protracted civil war is the country’s defining challenge. With declarations of support signed for a National Ceasefire Agreement, there is much optimism that Myanmar is finally on...

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Mitigating Militancy in Northwest Pakistan

Nearly three months on from the launch of Operation Zarb e Azb by Pakistan’s armed forces, this policy brief explores the problem of militancy in North Waziristan in northwest Pakistan. The author arg...

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Hydropower and Social Conflict in Vietnam: Lessons for Myanmar

Harnessing Myanmar’s hydropower, while essential for the country’s development, has significant potential to stir social unrest in ethnic states. Trang Do and Elliot Brennan argue that Vietnam’s exper...

by | 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

The Social Order of Markets

This article develops a proposal for the theoretical vantage point of the sociology of markets, focusing on the problem of the social order of markets. The initial premise is that markets are highly d...

by Jens Beckert | On 09 Mar 2016

Institutions in History: Bringing Capitalism Back In

The paper explores possible frontiers of historical-institutionalist analysis. It argues three points: that progress will require a return from a static to a dynamic perspective in which change is no...

by Wolfgang Streeck | On 09 Mar 2016

Collective Market-Making Efforts at an Engineering Conference

This paper advances research on institutional work in market constitution processes. I show how purposive, coordinated action is organized under conditions of uncertainty through practices of renderin...

by | On 09 Mar 2016

The Transcending Power of Goods: Imaginative Value in the Economy

What do we value? For markets to operate and for economies to grow, producers must attract purchasers to the products they offer. In advanced capitalist economies, market saturation and decline of dem...

by Jens Beckert | On 09 Mar 2016

Neoliberal Restructuring in Turkey: From State to Oligarchic Capitalism

How have neoliberal reform policies changed Turkey’s political economy? The aim of this paper is to counter claims of convergence towards a liberal capitalist order. Given the historical dynamics of t...

by | On 09 Mar 2016

Economic Crises, High Public Pension Spending and Blame-avoidance Strategies: Pension Policy Retrenchments in 14 Social-insurance Countries, 1981–2005

This paper examines the determinants of the timing of public pension policy retrenchments in 14 affluent democracies. Available research does not satisfactorily capture the multidimensionality of thes...

by | On 09 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

Imagined Futures:Fictionality in Economic Action

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

by Jens Beckert | On 09 Mar 2016

Bringing Power Back In: A Review of the Literature on the Role of Business in Welfare State Politics

What is the impact of business interest groups on the formulation of public social policies? This paper reviews the literature in political science, history, and sociology on this question. It identif...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

Questioning Three Fundamental Assumptions in Financial Inclusion

Financial inclusion has rapidly ascended global development policy agendas. Between 2 billion and 2.5 billion adults worldwide do not use formal financial services, which a multifaceted coalition of a...

by Philip Mader | On 08 Mar 2016

Mitigating the Financial Crisis in Asia

While there had been agreements that the current global financial crisis which originated from the United States (US) would not be akin to the Asian Financial Crisis back in 1997- 1998, the resultant...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 Mar 2016

The Responsibility to Protect in Southeast Asia: Issues and Challenges

The doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect is a controversial and contentious one in Southeast Asia. It has been largely accepted in principle by most ASEAN states, which are generally supportive o...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 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

Landmark Verdict by The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

On 26 July 2010, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) delivered its first verdict against a former official of the Khmer Rouge regime, KaingGuekEav (also known as ‘Duch’). The E...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

Measuring Women’s Disempowerment in Agriculture in Pakistan

This paper calculates a Women’s Disempowerment Index to examine women’s control over production, resources, income, household decisions, and time burden. The index is based on a slightly modified me...

by Nuzhat Ahmad | 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

Climate Change and Migration: What Are the Connections?

The Jakarta Post recently reported experts as saying that ‘[e]xtreme weather caused by climate change has given people another reason to migrate’. The comment was made in reference to a soon-to-be rel...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 03 Mar 2016

Myanmar’s National Reconciliation Process: A Positive for the Region?

Since taking office in March 2011, Myanmar’s new government has implemented a host of reforms. These include the release of some political prisoners,a lifting of restrictions on media freedoms, the...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | 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

Design of Economic Instruments and Participatory Institutions for Environmental Management in India

This paper examines the possibilities of using economic instruments, especially pollution taxes and bargaining approaches resulting in people’s participation for environmental management in India. It...

by M.N. Murty | 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

Liberalization, Globalization And The Dynamics Of Democracy In India

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

by D M NACHANE | On 01 Mar 2016

ESPA Stakeholder Mapping, Research Gaps and Prioritized Actions in Bangladesh

The study followed a participatory and interactive approach to critically analyze the situation (state of knowledge demands and supply), stakeholder‘s alignment, consequences, conflicts and areas of c...

by | On 29 Feb 2016

On the Skill of Balancing While Riding a Bicycle

Humans have ridden bicycles for over 200 years, yet there are no continuous measures of how skill differs between novice and expert. To address this knowledge gap, the dynamics of human bicycle riding...

by | 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

Traditional Security as a Source of Non¬traditional Insecurities – The Case of Okinawa

Tensions over the US military bases in Okinawa are rooted in the conception of the state as the only referent of security, with national security being defined in military terms. Under this tradition...

by Lina Gong | On 27 Feb 2016

Post¬Arab Spring: Political transitions in retreat?

A recent cover of the Economist magazine asked: ‘Has the Arab Spring failed?’ More questions along this line will certainly come as the international community follows closely the political developm...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 27 Feb 2016

Can Indonesia advance the peace process in Mindanao?

In light of the recent violence that shook Zamboanga city in Mindanao in the southern Philippines, Indonesia’s offer to act as a peace broker between Manila and the Misuari¬led Moro National Liberat...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | 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

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

The OIC’s Journey to Enlightenment

Reflecting on the speeches made at the 34th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) held in Islamabad recently, one could suggest that nothing new was mentione...

by Sofiah Jamil | 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

The Myanmar Nargis Aftermath: A Disaster in Governance

Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, which made headline news across the globe, triggered denunciations of the military regime in delaying the international humanitarian relief efforts. The cyclone-struck count...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Whither Civil Society in Thailand?

Civil activism is looming over the Samak government. Although the Royal Thai army has remained in the barracks since the 2007 elections, they may become restive again. What is the position of civil so...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Economic Survey 2015-16-Volume II

India’s growth story has largely remained positive on the strength of domestic absorption, and the country has registered a robust and steady pace of economic growth in 2015-16 as it did in 2014-15....

by Arun Jaitley | On 26 Feb 2016

Protest Culture in Thailand

As the current anti-government demonstrations in Thailand enter a critical stage, the trend in Thai protests against the establishment, set since 1932, has been reinforced. The protesters are seeking...

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

Bangladesh Apparels Export to the US Market: An Examination of Her Competitiveness vis-à-vis China

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promote an ongoing dialogue between the principal partners in the decision-making and implementing process....

by Mustafizur Rahman | On 24 Feb 2016

The US and China: Dangers of Premature Extrapolation

Many commentators assume that China will become the next world superpower. This may be a premature assessment. As Judo players know, size can be a weakness rather than a strength. It is the spirit of...

by | On 24 Feb 2016

Grid – Connect Electricity Supply in India

This paper describes the methodology, data and key assumptions used for the power sector supply-side module of the India Low Carbon Growth study and presents preliminary results. The module is used to...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Review of Green House Gas Emissions from the Creation of Hydro Power Reservoirs in India

This is a preliminary report for the World Bank regarding emissions of greenhouse gases from hydropower reservoirs in India. The objective of the work, according to the terms-of reference, is, inter a...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Clean Coal Power Generation Technology Review: World Wide Experience and Implications for India

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the clean coal technologies (CCT) used in power generation worldwide and draw preliminary recommendations regarding the utilization of CCT optio...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

CO2 Mitigation Potential of Grid-Supplied Thermal, Power Generation Expansion in IndiaCO2 Mitigation Potential of Grid-Supplied Thermal, Power Generation Expansion in India

This paper looks at the short and long term development of electricity generation that is needed to support this high economic growth rate together with increasing rural electrification, and identifie...

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Towards Transparency and Good Governance

Transparency has been put in processes, changed many rules for protection of environment and we have started taking decisions that are based on policies. The cases that fall within the policy framewor...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests | On 24 Feb 2016

The Puzzle of Small Farming in Japan

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

by Yoshihisa Godo | On 24 Feb 2016

Global Analysis of an Expectations Augmented Evolutionary Dynamics

We consider a deterministic evolutionary model where players form expectations about future play. Players are not fully rational and have expectations that change over time in response to current payo...

by Massimiliano Landi | On 24 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

Indonesia’s National Defence Forces: Recent Strategic Changes and Implications

Following President SusiloBambangYudhoyono’s re-election in November 2009, the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) have been undergoing several significant structural changes. What are the implic...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Pulp Friction: Southern Environment or Western Agendas?

Campaigns against big pulp and palm oil producers in Indonesia appear to be driven by local activists on the ground. In reality, they are facilitated by huge budgets and shaped by agendas emanating fr...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Indian Innovation Systems and Emergence of Biopharmaceutical Sector: Issues and Prospects

The prospective entry of generic dominated Indian pharmaceutical sector in the ambit of new technologies is likely to give filip to emergence of strong biopharmaceutical sector.It is pertinent in this...

by Sachin Chaturvedi | On 23 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

Recent Monetary Policy Statement of   Bangladesh Bank (July 2009)

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promote an ongoing dialogue between the principal partners in the decision-making and implementing process....

by Debapriya Bhattacharya | On 22 Feb 2016

Differentiated Policies: Indonesia’s International Leadership and Internal Challenges

Indonesia’s position as a regional champion of democracy and human rights has become prominent in international forums since the resignation of President Suharto in 1998 and the subsequent period of i...

by Alistair D.B. Cook | On 22 Feb 2016

Cross-Border Electricity Cooperation in South Asia

South Asian countries, facing challenges in efficiently meeting growing electricity demand, can benefit from increased cross-border electricity cooperation and trade by harnessing complementarities in...

by Anoop Singh | On 21 Feb 2016

How Much Could South Asia Benefit from Regional Electricity Cooperation and Trade?

The South Asia region is lagging behind many regions in the world in regional electricity cooperation and trading, despite the huge anticipated benefits. This study uses an electricity planning model...

by Govinda Timilsina | 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

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

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

The US and Myanmar: Need for Rapprochement

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s ground-breaking visit to Myanmar signals a shift in US attitude towards that country. Quicker rapprochement could benefit both countries as well as Southeast Asia.

by | On 20 Feb 2016

The Rio+20 Summit and ASEAN: Towards a Green Economy

Rio de Janeiro will host the third Earth Summit, or “Rio+20”, in June this year – 20 years after the first Earth Summit in 1992. At Rio+20 all governments will be asked to re-dedicate themselves to th...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Roadmap for the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) in Asia: Personalities, Institutions and Processes

It is over six years since the 2005 UN World Summit endorsed the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP), thus recognising an individual state’s responsibility to protect its citizens from four mass atrociti...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Euthanasia Regime: A Comparative Analysis of Dutch and Indian Positions

Euthanasia has always been in limelight as a subject matter of debate in the field of medicine and law. The euthanasia debate, being a value debate, seems to have no concrete solution, at least in the...

by Sandeepa Bhat B | On 20 Feb 2016

Quick Rental Power Plants in Bangladesh: An Economic Appraisal

One important aspect of recent developments is that a significant portion of the additional electricity generation has come from liquid fuel based power plants which has raised the total contribution...

by Mustafa K. Mujeri | On 20 Feb 2016

Plight of the Rohingya: ASEAN Credibility Again at Stake

The suffering of the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state is putting pressure on ASEAN to intervene. Coming just before their 21st Summit, the wisdom and stewardship of ASEAN leaders will be tested onc...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Pro-Poor Solid Waste Management

MarijkHuysman bases her lecture on the importance of accessible and effective urban waste collection services for public health, environmental conditions, productivity and aesthetics of cities. Yet ev...

by | 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

China’s Sovereign Investment Funds In International Perspective: The Exceptionalism Of Cic And Safe

China is the only country in the world with two sovereign investment vehicles dedicated to managing excess foreign reserves for return, not just safety and liquidity. As the investment profile and beh...

by Angela Cummine | On 19 Feb 2016

A Strategic Analysis of The Australian Foreign Investment Regime and The Prospect of Reform

This paper uses a strategic framework developed by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to assess whether Australia’s foreign investment regime is sufficiently delivering on its four main objectives...

by Alan Fels | On 19 Feb 2016

Where Have China’s State Monopolies Gone?

If China’s economy is an example of ‘state-capitalism’, then its large, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) could be expected to monopolise key sectors. But previous estimates of industrial concentration u...

by Paul Hubbard | On 19 Feb 2016

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Multilateralism On The Silk Road

China’s first attempt to establish a multilateral financial institution was met with some suspicion and caution in the west. According to one interpretation, China is frustrated with the United States...

by Mike Callaghan | On 19 Feb 2016

Enhancing Forage Integration And Access For Smallholder Livestock Production

In the upland areas of Southeast Asia, most smallholder farmers keep animals. Buffalo provide a traditional source of draught power for land preparation or transport, and animal manure is often used t...

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

Networked Resilience: Moving the Asia-Pacific Forward

As the United Nations moves towards cementing a Post-2015 agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals, how can Asia-Pacific states best achieve these? It is time to recognise our resources from acro...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia: Public Engagement before Policies

Three years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster several Southeast Asian governments have revived their nuclear plans, with Vietnam leading the way for six nuclear plants. The moves have been galvanis...

by | 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

Indonesia’s Foreign Domestic Workers: Dilemma of Not Working Overseas

While the United Nations takes stock of how far women have come in getting women’s rights acknowledged as human rights, Indonesia wants to stop sending women out of the country as foreign domestic wor...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Nepal Earthquake: Enhancing International Humanitarian Cooperation

The powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015 is the worst since 1934 and is once again a painful reminder of how vulnerable communities are to the destructive force of nature....

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Climate Change and Food Supply: Reinforcing the North-South Divide

Climate change is set to shift food production centres and change the power dynamics of food supply and demand. Notwithstanding the general foreboding of doom and gloom from climate change, are there...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Denuclearisation Talks with North Korea: Time for China and Russia to Act?

Recent diplomatic engagements between North Korea and Russia have raised the prospect of resuming denuclearisation talks between Pyongyang and the international community. What is the prospect of Nort...

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

Effectiveness of Regulatory Structure in the Power Sector of Pakistan

This paper is an attempt to study the regulatory environment in the electricity sector of Pakistan. NEPRA, a regulatory authority was formed in 1997 to protect consumer interests in the area of electr...

by Afia Malik | On 16 Feb 2016

The Emerging “Post-Doha” Agenda and the New Regionalism in the Asia-Pacific

This paper considers emerging commercial policy challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region in light of the impasse reached at the Eighth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in December 2...

by Michael Plummer | On 16 Feb 2016

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Looking Ahead to the Next Steps

Pressure has been building for the conclusion of the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Getting the deal done is important, but the TPP is not just another free trade agreement (...

by Deborah Elms | On 16 Feb 2016

What Determines Private Investment? The Case of Pakistan

This study is an attempt to analyse the determinants of private investment in Pakistan over the period 1972-2005. The ARDL co-integration approach is employed to check the existence of a long-run rela...

by Farooq Pasha | On 15 Feb 2016

Future Prospects of Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garments Industry and the Supportive Policy Regime

Emergence of the global market has heightened the role of trade in world economy and made industrialization as an integral system of global trade and production. Bangladesh economy at present is more...

by Md. Nehal Ahmed | On 15 Feb 2016

Bribe Payers Index 2008

Corruption and bribery are complex transactions that involve both someone who offers a benefit, often a bribe, and someone who accepts, as well as a variety of specialists or intermediaries to facilit...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Linking the Corruption, Water and Environmental Agendas to Combat Climate Change

Corruption in the water sector compromises the environmental agenda. It contributes to water scarcity, large- scale pollution and the destruction of natural habitats — all factors which make our respo...

by Transparency International TI | 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

Crime-War Battlefields

In her new article, “Crime-War Battlefields,” published in the June-July issue of Survival, Vanda Felbab-Brown discusses the evolution of war since the end of the Cold War and the eventual rise of pol...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | 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

Blood and Hope in Afghanistan : A June 2015 Update

As the United States tries to wind down its military participation in Afghanistan’s counterinsurgency after more than a decade of struggles against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, Afghanistan’s future remai...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Bilateral J-Curves between Pakistan and Her Trading Partners

Earlier studies that investigated the J-Curve phenomenon for Pakistan employed aggregate trade data. These studies suffered from the “aggregation bias” problem. In order to overcome this constraint, t...

by Zehra Aftab | On 14 Feb 2016

On Measuring the Complexity of Urban Living

This paper explores the concept of city ranking as a way to measure the dynamics and complexities of urban life. These rankings have various dimensions and uses. Both the context in which these rankin...

by Lubna Hasan | On 14 Feb 2016

Pharmaceutical policy study in Hong Kong

The objective of this study is to achieve contextual understanding of pharmaceutical policymaking in Hong Kong by describing its processes and explaining how policymaking works. There are two stages i...

by Benjamin Chan | On 13 Feb 2016

Public Policies For Facilitating Medical Tourism Industry In Asia

The paper attempts to analyze the role of public policy adjustments in facilitating the medical tourism sector in Asian countries in response to recent global economic events. While falling incomes ma...

by Vinay Singh | On 13 Feb 2016

Negotiating Marriage: Examining the Gap between Marriage and Cohabitation in India

Two connected observations often loom large in discussions about marriage in India. The first is that marriage for women on the sub-continent often occurs at a relatively early age, and this is cause...

by Lester Andrist | On 13 Feb 2016

Segmented Schooling: Inequalities in Primary Education

This paper utilizes a newly collected nationally representative survey data from over 41,550 households to examine social inequality in children’s educational outcomes. The focus is on 8 to11 year old...

by Sonalde Desai | On 13 Feb 2016

Disempowered by Whom? Gender vs. Generation in Family Decision making

The now-frequent use of decision-making questions in household surveys has greatly enhanced our understanding of intra-household power relations. While much of the research interest in these questions...

by Mitali Sen | On 13 Feb 2016

The Good Governance Challenge: Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine

Accountability, transparency and the fight against corruption have been high on the policy agenda in the Middle East and North Africa. Transparency International, as part of a shared endeavour by civi...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corruption and Gender in Service Delivery: The Unequal Impacts

Corruption in the provision of basic services can have disproportionate and negative consequences for women and girls, compromising their own empowerment as well as the gender equality and development...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Foreign Direct Investment as a Key Driver for Trade, Growth and Prosperity: The Case for a Multilateral Agreement on Investment

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a powerful instrument for growth and development, and is key to enhancing prosperity worldwide and boosting the global economy. Building on its previous work on the...

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

Intellectual Property Rights in the Global Creative Economy

This paper considers how technology trends and a globalized economy are reshaping the way we create, distribute and access content. The results of that study are intended to help everyone with an inte...

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

Unemployment: Rising to the Global Challenge: An agenda for Policy-makers and Social Partners

This Report produced by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Employment analyses the need for the global economy to grow in order to create jobs, and the need for jobs in order to susta...

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

New Perspectives on Ethnic Segregation over Time and Space: A Domains Approach

The term segregation has a strong connotation with residential neighbourhoods, and most studies investigating ethnic segregation focus on the urban mosaic of ethnic concentrations in residential neigh...

by | On 11 Feb 2016

Self-Identification of Occupation in Web Surveys - Requirements for Search Trees and Look-Up Tables

Can self-identification of occupation be applied in web surveys by using a look-up table with coded occupational titles, in contrast to other survey modes where an open format question with office-cod...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

Clashes, Crises and Confusion: Japanese Politics at a Crossroads

The general election in Japan on August 30 resulted in a new coalition government formed by three former opposition parties. Focusing both on the short-term task of compil¬ing the national budget, and...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Challenges of Non-Proliferation in Northeast Asia and Possible Solutions

As the world enters a new millennium, Northeast Asia has been witnessing the rising risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. This paper examines each of the specific risks that Northeast Asia is confron...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Indonesia: Development Scenarios 2020–2030

This report provides a background and analysis of trends of some of the most pressing issues facing Indonesia and outlines scenarios for 2020–2030. In thus doing, the report’s focus is thematically or...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Women and Urban Health Governance: A Study of Empowerment and Entitlement

The ‘theory and practice of change’ that the UHRC has been fortunate to learn from first hand is that organized slum women who are trained, mentored, and supported have a greater capacity to access go...

by Siddharth Agarwal | On 09 Feb 2016

China’s “New Multilateralism” and the Rise of BRIC: A Realist Interpretation of a “Multipolar” World Order

This paper is an attempt to verify the debate whether the association with BRIC is instrumental to China’s global strategy and key to its various global strategic objectives. The main thrust of this p...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

China’s Rising Military Power & Its Implications

China’s rising military power and its implications is of significant concern that has been widely discussed in the international community and among political elites across the globe. This paper explo...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Rivalry and Cooperation: A New "Great Game" in Myanmar

Myanmar since its reform and opening up has become the locus for a new "Great Game" between the world's major powers. This brings with it new challenges for China which has hitherto been the preeminen...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Uncertainty and the Market for Patents

Modern societies regard knowledge as a production factor in its own right. The market is the prevailing governance mode of their economies, and it is supposed to be the most appropriate mode of tradin...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Market Constitution Analysis

This paper outlines an integrative framework for the analysis of market constitution and explores its application to solar power technology markets. These markets are currently still in the making and...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Legitimacy and Compliance in Transnational Governance

Power, rule, and legitimacy have always been core concerns of political science. In the 1970s, when governability appeared to be problematic, legitimacy was discussed both in the context of policy res...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development: Women's Control over Economic Resources and Access to Financial Resources, including Microfinance

The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development is the flagship publication of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women. It is presented to the Second Committee of the General Ass...

by UN Women | 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

Temporary and Permanent Migrant Selection: Theory and Evidence of Ability-Search Cost Dynamics

The migrant selection literature concentrates primarily on spatial patterns. This paper illustrates the implications of migration duration for patterns of selection by integrating two workhorses of th...

by Joyce Chen | On 07 Feb 2016

Transparency In Corporate Reporting: Assessing The World's Largest Companies

This study analyses the transparency of corporate reporting on a range of anticorruption measures among the 105 largest publicly listed multinational companies. Together these companies are worth more...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Real Lives, True Stories

When we talk about corruption in terms of statistics, it’s easy to forget the human cost of abused power. Behind every fact or figure are real people, forced to live without the services, opportunitie...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Working to Improve Price Indices Development in Pakistan

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

by Mahmood Khalid | On 06 Feb 2016

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

Egypt 2014: National Integrity System Assessment

Between 2011 and 2014, Egypt experienced perhaps the most turbulent and uncertain phase in its modern history. The elimination of widespread corruption was one of the key issues galvanising Egyptians...

by Transparency International | On 05 Feb 2016

Tax Systems: A Channel for Corruption – Or A Way To Fight It?

Fighting tax evasion, corruption and opaque money flows should be seen as advancing the same end point: more equitable and better governed countries. When a tax system works right, it can create an ef...

by Transparency International | On 04 Feb 2016

The Power of Technology and the Technologies of Power

This paper will try to address the nature of the WikiLeaks phenomenon, and its implications. It will attempt to throw light on WikiLeaks as idea, institution, practice and imaginary. In doing so, it w...

by | On 04 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

The Tribe and Democracy: The Case of Monarchist Iraq (1921-1958)

This study attempts to examine the perpetual political usage of the tribe, and is concerned with the ways in which the tribe has been politically exploited in the processes of political change in the...

by | On 03 Feb 2016

Choice of Monetary Policy Instrument under Targeting Regimes in a Simple Stochastic Macro Model

This paper analyzes the relative performance of inflation and price-level targeting regimes in an AS-IS-LM framework under alternative policy instruments used by the central bank.

by Haider Ali | On 03 Feb 2016

MDGs to SDGs: Have We Lost the Plot?

In September this year, world leaders will meet in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. Top of the agenda will be the passage of a resolution laying out global development goals for the fi...

by Charles Kenny | On 03 Feb 2016

Management of Strategic Crises and the Structure of the International System

The structure of the international system affects the manner in which its sub-units manage international crises, due to its influence on the tools and outcomes of crisis management. Conversely, the ma...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Syria and Turkey: A Turning Point or a Historical Bet

Syrian-Turkish relations represent a regional and international phenomenon that has attracted a considerable amount of political and media attention; however, research on the dynamics and wagers invol...

by Aqil Mahfoudh | On 02 Feb 2016

Re-reading the Myth of Fayyadism: A Critical Analysis of the Palestinian Authority’s Reform and State-building Agenda, 2008-2011

ayyadism is a term coined by New York Times columnist Tom Friedman that has gained widespread usage in the media and the quasi-academic literature emanating from various high-profile English-language...

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

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

The Armed Syrian Opposition: Common Aim but No Vision

In response to the dearth of academic studies written on the Syrian opposition, this study reviews the various Syrian military organizations that are currently active against the Syrian regime, and di...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

Foreign Labor and Questions of Identity in the Arabian Gulf

Numerous studies have concluded that the large presence of foreign labor in the Gulf could eventually lead to a loss of national identity. Large concentrations of foreigners, composed of numerous ethn...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

Sri Lanka’s North : The Denial of Minority Rights

Deepening militarisation and the lack of accountable governance in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province are preventing a return to normal life and threaten future violence. Scene of the most bitter fighting...

by International Crisis Group | 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

Youth and Development: Towards a More Inclusive Future

The report examines the pivotal role of Sri Lankan youth. You and Development: Towards a More inclusive Future considers the opportunities and challenges youth face as the nation progresses through th...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | On 01 Feb 2016

Global Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Women A Human Rights Perspective

A gender analysis of the human rights situation is therefore necessary in order to understand the impact of the crisis on women and their livelihoods. In South Asia, there is an urgent need for engagi...

by Programme on Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural PWESCR | On 31 Jan 2016

Sri Lanka’s North : The Denial Of Minority Rights

Deepening militarisation and the lack of accountable governance in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province are preventing a return to normal life and threaten future violence. Scene of the most bitter fighting...

by International Crisis Group | On 31 Jan 2016

Promoting Empowerment of People in Achieving Poverty Eradication, Social Integration and Full Employment Integration and Full Employment and Decent Work for All

The responses collected from the online survey on people’s empowerment contained in this report represent a collaborative effort, made possible by the answers received from people across the world on...

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

Sri Lanka and the 13th Amendment: Tamil Disenchantment

In order to understand the policies and programmes of the present Government, it is necessary to highlight the basic transformation that has taken place in the Island Republic. Chandrika Kumaratunga a...

by Suryanarayan V. | On 31 Jan 2016

Deploying Climate-Related Technologies in the Transport Sector: Exploring Trade Links

This paper focuses on liberalizing environmental goods (EGs) in the transport sector. The reduction or removal of trade restrictions affecting transport-related EGs supports the deployment of cl...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Value Chains and Tropical Products in a Changing Global Trade Regime

In the last decade, the commodity issues have re-emerged as central to development initiatives and poverty alleviation strategies. The objective of this Issue Paper by Charles Mather is to contribute...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Improving Transparency in Public Procurement in Bangladesh: Interplay between PPA and RTI Act

This advisory note, while accepting the existing limitations of the transparency regime in public procurement process of the country, argues that the Right to Information (RTI) Act has the potential t...

by . BRAC | 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

National Discourses on Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Continuities and Change

This paper explores how these perceptions and narratives around women’s empowerment have evolved in Bangladesh from 2000 to date. It studies the concepts of women’s empowerment in public discourse and...

by Sohela Nazneen | On 30 Jan 2016

Voice And Accountability In The Health Sector

The study was carried out in the Mbarali District of Tanzania. A qualitative study design was used. In-depth interviews and focus group discussion were conducted among members of the district health t...

by Health & Education Advice & Research Team HEART | On 30 Jan 2016

Geographical Indications at the WTO: An Unfinished Agenda

The aim of this paper is to provide a concise account of the ongoing WTO discussions on Geographical Indication (GI). Given that the issues presently under discussion have their origin in the Uruguay...

by Kasturi Das | On 30 Jan 2016

Hamas: Between Efforts to Politicize the Court and Demands of Justice

For the two contending sides in any conflict, the give-and-take of pain-inducing blows is somewhat a given. Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, has suffered a good many such blows over the course...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Russian Intervention in Syria: Geostrategy is Paramount

Russia’s military intervention in Syria is the only direct military intervention there by a state from outside the region. Iran was there first, but its intervention took different forms. No state, be...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Challenges and Trends in Decentralised Local Governance in Bangladesh

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

by Niaz Khan | On 29 Jan 2016

To Fuse or Not To Fuse? Assessing the Case for Convergent Disciplines on Goods and Services Trade

With the rise of global value chains (GVCs) and the growing prominence of services as both facilitators or very objects of supply chain dynamics, it has become commonplace for goods and services to be...

by | 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

An Integrated Assessment of the Effects of Natural and Human Disturbances on a Wetland Ecosystem: A Retrospective from Phobjikha Conservation Area, Bhutan

Phobjikha Valley, a wetland situated on the western slopes of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, is an important wintering habitat for the vulnerable Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis). One of t...

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

The Costs of Adaptation in Punakha, Bhutan: Loss And Damage Associated With Changing Monsoon Patterns

People in the Himalayan region are confronted with changes due to global warming. Glaciers are melting, leading to changing river flows and an increased risk of floods (Richardson and Reynolds, 2000;...

by Norbu Wangdi | On 28 Jan 2016

Earnings and Education among Ethnic Groups in Rural India

In rural India social and cultural norms are deep rooted in society. Access to productive assets, employment opportunities and consequently incomes are to a large extent influenced by these social fac...

by Jeemol Unni | On 28 Jan 2016

Urban Health: Policy and Polity

This note examines selected issues in urban health from social perspective. In particular, it brings out the key challenges in targeting and planning for the urban poor; their mobilisation and partici...

by Meera Chatterjee | 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

Innovative Financing for Development: A New Model for Development Finance?

This Discussion Paper explores recent experiences with innovative sources of development finance in order to capture lessons learned for the more effective implementation of both current and future in...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | On 27 Jan 2016

Realizing the Future We Want for All

The first report from the UN system on the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Realizing the Future We Want for All – recommends that new goals should build on the strengths of the Millennium Development G...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 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

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

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

by | On 26 Jan 2016

China’s Engagement in International Development Cooperation: The State of the Debate

This research aims to investigate the recent evolution of China’s discourse on development and aid. More precisely, how do China’s policymakers and influential scholars understand and debate China’s r...

by | On 26 Jan 2016

Making Care Visible: Influencing Story on Policy Change on Unpaid Care Work

Unpaid care work is relevant to almost all aspects of gender equality and is directly linked to the economic empowerment of women and girls. This report provides background to the issue, giving contex...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 26 Jan 2016

Where Next for Social Protection?

The rapid ascendancy of social protection up the development policy agenda in the past ten to 15 years raises questions about whether its current prominence will be sustained, or whether it will turn...

by | On 26 Jan 2016

Pro-Nutrition Agriculture in India: Entry Points and Policy Options

India should comprehensively address its challenge of undernutrition. This includes, pursuing agricultural policies to strengthen agriculture-nutrition linkages. This note suggests that agricultural p...

by S. Mahendra Dev | On 26 Jan 2016

Power to Women through Finance: Revisiting the Microfinance Promise

The relationship between women’s access to credit and their empowerment is a theme that seems to have lost much of its sheen and sharpness during the phase of commercialization of microfinance in Indi...

by Tara Nair | On 26 Jan 2016

Contemporary Myanmar: Challenges to Political Process and Reconciliation

This paper outlines the political reforms and reconciliation process presently underway in Myanmar and the challenges posed to it. A detailed analysis of changing power dynamics in Myanmar, and the re...

by | On 25 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

Decentralisation in India: A Review of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Gujarat

This paper examines how the decentralisation process has evolved over time in India from the ancient times through to the British regime to modern era. It focuses specifically on Panchayati Raj Instit...

by Madhusudan Bandi | On 25 Jan 2016

Changing Livelihoods in Delhi’s Periphery, circa 1930–2012

The understanding of livelihoods in an economy dominated by informality can benefit considerably from correlations between macro data on employment and detailed studies of ‘work’ and ‘non work’ in sel...

by Devesh Vijay | On 24 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

Enhancing Disaster Management Capacity in South Asia

As the Himalayan ecosystem is susceptible to natural disasters due to the global climatechange patterns, the earthquake that struck Nepal recently might not be the last or the deadliest. An important...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

India and the BRICS Partnership

India and its partners – Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa – in the BRICS forum have launched the New Development Bank. With the leaders of these countries, who recently met at Ufa in Russia, dis...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Signs of India under Global Re-Focus

A flurry of quick new glances at India from different sections of the international community reflects a surge of interest in a country freshly under Narendra Modi’s leadership of anticipatory asserti...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Sri Lanka’s Transformational Election

Maithripala Sirisena’s unexpected victory against his former boss and the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka’s presidential election held on 8 January 2015 signifies a major political...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Sri Lanka: Towards a ‘National Purpose’

After the heat and dust of the recent parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, the accord between the country’s two main political parties for a ‘national unity government’ seems to offer the best chance...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Building Mutual Understanding for Effective Development

In recent years a number of countries, referred to collectively as the rising powers, have achieved rapid economic growth and increased political influence. In many cases their experience challenges r...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | 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

Understanding The Rising Powers' Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Rising powers such as Brazil, India and China have been criticised for being obstructive in the negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. The start of the United Nations (UN) negotiations saw...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | 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

East Asia in 2015

The future political landscape of Asia-Pacific would largely be decided, arguably, by happenings in the East Asian region. It is so because in East Asia, the interests of three important players of wo...

by Sandip Kumar Mishra | On 23 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

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

Financial Crisis of 2008 and Shifting Economic Power Is there Convergence

This paper analyses shifts in economic power over the last almost five decades. Developing countries and regions have increased their share of incremental world income and incremental world exports ov...

by Manmohan Agarwal | On 21 Jan 2016

Synthetic Biology in India: Issues in Risk, Power and Governance

In this discussion paper, the status of synthetic biology in India and debates in India on synthetic biology are discussed and the discourses on synthetic biology in India are also analysed. The paper...

by Krishna Ravi Srinivas | On 21 Jan 2016

Migration and Social Protection: A Concept Paper

This paper attempts to locate ‘migration’ within a social protection framework both theoretically and empirically. We add to the dominant theoretical discourse around social protection by introducing...

by | On 20 Jan 2016

Whose Needs are Right? Refugees, Oustees and the Challenges of Rights-Based Approaches in Forced Migration

This paper examines the growing literature, in both refugee and oustee studies, that explores the application of rights-based approaches to forced migration. Introducing a rights regime to both oustee...

by | On 20 Jan 2016

Beyond Buzzwords: “Poverty Reduction”, “Participation” and “Empowerment” in Development Policy

This paper takes a critical look at how these three terms have come to be used in international development policy, exploring how different configurations of words frame and justify particular kinds o...

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Gender and Education: A Review of Issues for Social Policy

This paper provides an overview of key issues relating to the achievement of gender equity in education, laying out some of the contradictions and tensions in donor discourse and policy efforts, and p...

by Ramya Subrahmanian | On 19 Jan 2016

Global Capitalism, Deflation and Agrarian Crisis in Developing Countries

The issue of land rights and that of gender equality are strongly affected by the prevalent economic and social policy regimes, at both national and global levels. The dominant policy regimes decide t...

by | On 19 Jan 2016

Evolution of Capital Structure in East Asia: Corporate Inertia or Endeavours?

The present paper examines the capital structure adjustment dynamics of listed non-financial corporations in seven East Asian countries during 1994-2002. Compared to firms in the least affected countr...

by Sarmistha Pal | On 19 Jan 2016

Complaining to the State: Grievance Redress and India’s Social Welfare Programs

Poor implementation of social welfare programs is a chronic challenge in developing countries such as India. Yet, despite the large number of people affected and the serious consequences of implementa...

by Nicholas Robinson | On 18 Jan 2016

Crucial Collaborators or Petty Players? The Globalization of R&D and the Rise of China and India

In recent decades, research and development has become a key new arena of globalization. Whereas multinational corporations once conducted R&D primarily in their home countries, it is now often disper...

by Andrew Kennedy | On 18 Jan 2016

What’s civil about intergroup violence? Five inadequacies of communal and ethnic constructs of urban riots

There are five areas where the categories of ‘communal’ and ‘ethnic’ fall short: in their historical precision, in their scale, in their partial conceptualization of agency, in their ability to engage...

by | On 18 Jan 2016

The Future of Jobs

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which includes developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine-learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3-D printing, and genetics...

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

Gender Sensitivity In Disaster Management

It lies at the intersection of two major challenges: disaster, experienced by many of the rural poor as drought, flood and storms; and the continuing issue of gender imbalances in many aspects of soci...

by Janet Robinson | On 14 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

Gender Dynamics In A Changing Climate: How Gender and Adaptive Capacity Affect Resilience

This learning brief synthesises lessons drawn from CARE’s Adaptation Learning Programme for Africa (ALP), which has been supporting vulnerable communities in sub-Saharan Africa to adapt to the impacts...

by Webb J. | On 13 Jan 2016

Introductory Guide to Gender and Climate Change

For years, civil society organisations and researchers have highlighted that, as weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable and extreme events such as floods, heatwaves or storms become more c...

by A Otzelberger | On 13 Jan 2016

Female Migrants and their Health in India: A Study of Kerala Women Working in Mumbai

In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the general, reproductive, and mental health status of migrant women from Kerala who stay in the working women’s hostels. The present study is bas...

by R. S. Reshmi | On 13 Jan 2016

Challenges for Economic Empowerment of Women In South Asia

This paper examines the changing work profiles of women in the South Asian region, with all elements of contradictions, in terms of doubling their burdens or empowering them. Are the newer avenues for...

by Preet Rustagi | On 13 Jan 2016

Social Policy in Development: Coherence and Cooperation in the Real World

Research and practice related to social policy and poverty alleviation have left a legacy of a very broad agenda of “things that need to be done”, along with important unanswered questions about how t...

by | On 13 Jan 2016

Social Institutions & Gender Index : 2014 Synthesis Report

Discrimination against women and girls carries a high development cost. This third edition of the SIGI captures and measures gender-based discrimination in social institutions- social norms, practices...

by OECD Development Centre | On 13 Jan 2016

Beyond Market Access: Trade-related Measures for the Least Developed Countries. What Strategy?

This paper assesses the effectiveness of non-tariff special and differential treatment (SDT) offered exclusively to the least developed countries by WTO agreements. SDTs are inefficient in at least fo...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

From Aid to Global Development Policy

The international community has advanced in reforming the international aid system. Such reform comes at a time when there is a renewed skepticism about aid effectiveness and when the crisis sheds new...

by José Alonso | On 11 Jan 2016

An Aspirational ‘new wave’ of India-Pakistan Dialogue

The success of the new “comprehensive bilateral dialogue”, between India and Pakistan on terrorist strike at an Indian military installation if launched by mid-January 2016 as anticipated, is not ass...

by P S Suryanarayana | On 09 Jan 2016

Trade and Development Report, 2015

The Trade and Development Report (TDR) 2015: Making the international financial architecture work for development reviews recent trends in the global economy and focuses on ways to reform the internat...

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

Indian Military Diplomacy: Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

The paper focuses on India’s approach to collaboration on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief with major powers and within various regional initiatives. This paper begins with a brief review o...

by C. Raja Mohan | On 09 Jan 2016

The Afghanistan Conflict in its Historical Context

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

by Riaz Hassan | On 09 Jan 2016

A Tortured History : Federalism and Democracy in Pakistan

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

by Aasim Akhtar | On 08 Jan 2016

Street Sweeping as a Livelihood Strategy of Pode Community in KMC: Livelihood Assets and Vulnerabilities

The study of geography of poverty and peoples’ changing livelihood and their relation with globalization are some of the major areas of geographic research in the present context (Subedi, 2005). So, P...

by Basant Adhikari | On 08 Jan 2016

2015 World Public Sector Report on Responsive and Accountable Public Governance

Heads of state and government have adopted a new development agenda to guide sustainable development efforts for the next 15 years. Member States will have the responsibility of turning this collectiv...

by | On 08 Jan 2016

A Tortured History: Federalism and Democracy in Pakistan

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

by | On 07 Jan 2016

Modern Currency Wars: The United States Versus Japan

In 2013, through massive quantitative easing by the Bank of Japan (BOJ), the yen depreciated about 25% against the US dollar, stoking fears of Japan bashing by the US. However, this sharp depreciation...

by Ronald McKinnon | On 07 Jan 2016

Better Hospitals, Better Health Systems: The Urgency of a Hospital Agenda

This paper outlines the nature of the issues surrounding hospitals in emerging markets and makes the case for early action to bridge the abyss of neglected hospital investments and the path needed to...

by | On 06 Jan 2016

2010 Survey of the Sri Lankan People: Findings from a Public Perceptions Survey

In late 2010 The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka commissioned a public perceptions survey that aimed to capture the post-war mood of the nation. The survey sought to gauge public opinion about the overal...

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Local Funds and Political Competition: Evidence from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India

This paper examines how local politics affects public fund allocations. It uses the context of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India which was introduced by the Indian National Congr...

by Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay | On 01 Jan 2016

Service Sector Productivity and Economic Growth in Asia

This paper explores the impacts of more rapid growth in labor productivity in the service sector in Asia based on an empirical general equilibrium model. The model allows for input-output linkages and...

by Jong-Wha Lee | On 30 Dec 2015

International Financial Reforms: Capital Standards, Resolution Regimes and Supervisory Colleges, and their Effect on Emerging Markets

This paper focuses on the relevance to emerging economies of three major financial reforms following the global financial crisis of 2007–2009: the improved capital requirements intended to reduce the...

by Duncan Alford | On 30 Dec 2015

Water and People: A National Perspective Mitti Aur Pani Mein Sona Hai

The failures of water management have been extensively studied and reviewed and the shortcomings are listed.

by Ravi Chopra | On 29 Dec 2015

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

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

Gender Sensitive Police Reform in Post Conflict Societies

This briefing paper reviews UNIFEM and UNDP experiences in building the capacity of police services to respond to women's security needs. The paper distinguishes between internal reforms to facilitate...

by UN Women | On 29 Dec 2015

Monetary Policy Frameworks in Asia: Experience, Lessons, and Issues

This paper reviews the history of East Asian monetary policy frameworks since 1990; describes current monetary policy frameworks, including issue of price versus financial stability for a central bank...

by Peter Morgan | On 29 Dec 2015

The ASEAN Economic Community: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set up in 2003 with the objectives of creating a single market and production base, enhancing equitable economic development as well as facilitating the integrat...

by Siowyue Chia | On 29 Dec 2015

Same Program, Different Outcomes: Understanding Differential Effects from Access to Free, High-Quality Early Care

The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) was designed to promote the development of low-birth weight (up to 2,500 grams) and premature (up to 37 weeks gestational age) infants. There is eviden...

by | On 29 Dec 2015

The Gender Dividend: A Business Case for Gender Equality

This paper presents the case for investments and actions — on an unprecented scale — to broaden the range of real opportunities open to the world's 3.5 billion women and girls. Advocates for equality...

by UN Women | On 28 Dec 2015

Advancing Gender Equality: Promising Practices: Case Studies from the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund

This report presents lessons and results of specific relevance to shaping the post-2015 development framework derived from 20 Joint Programmes supported by the MDGF. These studies contain lessons to e...

by UN Women | On 28 Dec 2015

Gender on the Move: Working on the Migration-Development Nexus from a Gender Perspective

Around the world, a record number of women are now migrating to seek work and better lives. For many, migration yields these benefits; for others, it carries dangerous risks, such as exploitation in d...

by | On 28 Dec 2015

Enabling Women’s Contributions to the Indian Ocean Rim Economies

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) represents one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic regional communities. This report identifies some of the key trends and critical issues for the Indian Oc...

by UN Women | On 28 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2012: A Survey of the Afghan People

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

by Palwasha Kakar | On 26 Dec 2015

Where Next for Aid? The Post-2015 Opportunity

This joint ODI-UNDP paper looks at whether development aid will remain important in the post-2015 era, and asks how the old aid model should change in response to a dramatically new world and new sust...

by GAIL HURLEY | On 24 Dec 2015

On the Road to Sustainable Development: Promoting Gender Equality and Addressing Climate Change

During the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action reflected the importance of the interface between gender equality and sustainable development. It reco...

by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | On 24 Dec 2015

Compensation and Valuation in Resettlement: Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, and India

Development-caused forced displacement and resettlement (DFDR) is frequently characterized by the resulting impoverishment of those displaced. The lack of appropriate valuation of and compensation for...

by | On 23 Dec 2015

People’s Monitoring of the RTI Regime in India (2011-13)

Right to Information Assessment and Advocacy Group (RaaG) came into existence, in 2008 when a group of RTI activists, researchers and academics got together to create a group dedicated to the ongoing...

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

Different Paths to Power: The Rise of Brazil, India and China at the World Trade Organization

New powers, such as China, India and Brazil, are challenging the traditional dominance of the US in the governance of the global economy. It is generally taken for granted that the rise of new powers...

by Kristen Hopewell | On 23 Dec 2015

Lending Rates Behavior in Bangladesh: Some Facts and Determinants

The intention of this study is to analyze lending rate behavior in Bangladesh and also to determine the factors that mostly affect the lending rates. For this purpose, a set of macro and bank specific...

by Shahana Nasrin | On 22 Dec 2015

NBFCs: Medium Term Prospects

World over, there is an awakening, post the great financial crisis of 2008, about the existence, contribution, magnitude, significance and risks of non-banking financial sector. The business model of...

by R Gandhi | On 22 Dec 2015

Cricket and Indian National Consciousness

It is recognized that there are close links between sport and politics, and in particular between sport and national consciousness. The Olympic Games and the football, rugby and cricket World Cups hav...

by | On 22 Dec 2015

Transitions to K-12 Education Systems Experiences from Five Case Countries

Preparing and implementing a K–12 transition absorbs considerable financial and human resources. It follows that the reasons for restructuring must be compelling. It follows that the reasons for restr...

by | On 21 Dec 2015

Doing Business Differently with Subnationals: Recommendations for Global Health Donors in Highly Decentralized Countries

This note builds on lessons learned from the Center for Global Development’s work on intergovernmental fiscal transfers for health and lays out three strategies for donors that fund organizations and...

by Amanda Glassman | On 21 Dec 2015

Parental Education and Infant Mortality in India: Understanding the Regional Differences

This study examines the effect of parental education in the regional variation of infant mortality in India. The results are very robust to different potential confounding factors including socio-econ...

by Pradeep Choudhury | On 18 Dec 2015

Role of Private Sector in Medical Education and Human Resource Development for Health in India

This paper examines the growth, geographic distribution, and quality concerns of medical education in India, particularly in the private sector. It is observed that an important feature of the conside...

by Pradeep Choudhury | On 18 Dec 2015

Import Intensity and Its Impact on Exports, Output and Employment

The present paper examines the trends and patterns of import intensity in the whole economy and manufacturing sector in India during 1990s and beyond. The paper also reviews past studies on import int...

by Mahua Paul | On 18 Dec 2015

Challenge of In-vitro Diagnostics for Resource Poor Settings: An Assessment

This article reviews the diagnostic needs and challenges of resource poor settings and the impact of present institutional and policy regime on the development of ecosystem for innovation making in ca...

by Dinesh Abrol | On 18 Dec 2015

Labour Processes and the Dynamics of Global Value Chain: A Developing Country Perspective

This paper with specific reference to India argues that limited view of verticality of production fails to appreciate the fact that choices of locations, the amount of rent created, the shift of value...

by Satyaki Roy | On 18 Dec 2015

Naxalite Movements of India: A Profile

In order to understand the current phase of Naxalism, there is a need to understand different aspects of organizational transformation that have occurred within the Naxal movement, since the genesis a...

by Rajat Kumar Kujur | On 18 Dec 2015

Citizen Participation and Accountability for Sustainable Development

This report articulates three strategies by which the poorest and most marginalised have attempted to ensure accountability from national and global policymakers to local people.It is a response to de...

by Danny Burns | On 17 Dec 2015

The Effect of Gender Equality Programming on Humanitarian Outcomes

Despite a number of developments in policy and practice aimed at integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment into humanitarian action, what remains missing is a strong evidence base that demon...

by UN Women | On 17 Dec 2015

Pakistan: Politics, Religion & Extremism

The study attempts to investigate whether it is relative deprivation as Ted Gurr suggests or the element of fear that pushed the Muslim majority Pakistan into a cycle of religious violence due to the...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Politics of UNSC Sanctions: The Issue of Nuclear Weapons Development

The paper tries to explain the imposition of sanctions by the UNSC on Iran and North Korea and the absence of UNSC sanctions on India and Pakistan. Although there are aspects in the sanctions on Iran...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Sri Lanka: Rising Sectarian Schism

Sri Lanka, home to a plethora of ethnically diverse communities, saw horrific communal bloodshed in July 1983. Over three decades down the line, history seems to be repeating itself as hordes of Budd...

by Chaarvi Modi | On 17 Dec 2015

Will Changes to the international Tax System Benefit Low- income Countries?

In recent months tax has climbed up the political agenda in ways that would have been unthinkable only a couple of years ago. Creating a fairer international tax system was a central ambition of both...

by Mick Moore | On 16 Dec 2015

Determinants of Unemployment Flows,LabourMarket Institutions and Macroeconomic Policies

The paper makes use of newly developped information on unemployment dynamics. On the basis of a matching model of the labour market the paper analyses the economic, institutional and policy determinan...

by Ekkehard Ernst | On 16 Dec 2015

Exploring the links of multidiscrimination: Considering Britain and India

The concept of multiple discrimination – particularly in the labour market – is fast becoming common parlance among the policy-making circles. Economics and economists, however, have hardly addressed...

by Kanchana Ruwanpura | On 16 Dec 2015

Domestic Work, Wages and Gender Equality: Lessons from Developing Countries

The paper looks at the basic characteristics of female domestic workers, gaps in minimum wage coverage, compliance, and the extent of minimum wage violations. Presenting empirical evidence on labour m...

by | On 16 Dec 2015

Improving the quality of girls’ education in madrasas in Bangladesh

Research around the world has demonstrated the important role that education plays in the empowerment of girls and women. Providing girls with a quality education can help prevent early marriage, prev...

by Musammat Badrunnesha | On 16 Dec 2015

Enabling war and peace: Drugs, logs, gems, and wildlife in Thailand and Burma

In this policy paper, Vanda Felbab-Brown explores the relationship between conflict, peace dynamics, and drugs and other illicit economies in Thailand and Myanmar/Burma since the 1960s through...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 16 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

Empowering the Poor through Human Rights Litigation

The purpose of this manual is to collaborate with grass-roots organizations, in particular with NGOs, in defining the content of economic, social and cultural rights (ESC rights) and to empower the ac...

by Maritza Formisano Prada | On 10 Dec 2015

Human Capital Potential of India's Future Workforce

This paper discusses India’s demographic dynamics and argues that policymakers have the widest window of opportunity with that segment of population which is poised to enter the workforce between 203...

by Ali Mehdi | On 09 Dec 2015

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

Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

The immense social, economic and environmental consequences of climate change and loss of essential ecosystems are becoming clear. Their effects are already being felt in floods, droughts, and devasta...

by | On 07 Dec 2015

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

Vital Stats: Overview of Issues in the Power Sector in India

In the recent past, several initiatives have been taken to address the challenges in the power sector. These include structural changes in the regulatory framework as proposed by the Electricity (Ame...

by Prachee Mishra | On 04 Dec 2015

Book Review: India: The Urban Transition - A Case Study of Development

Review of India: The Urban Transition - A Case Study of Development. Copenhagen Arkitektur B, 2014. Illustrations, graphs. 344 pp. $44.50 (paper), ISBN 978-87-92700-09-4.

by | On 03 Dec 2015

The Global Gender Gap Report 2015

The Global Gender Gap Report quantifies the magnitude of gender based disparities and tracks their progress over time. While no single measure can capture the complete situation, the Global Gender Gap...

by World Economic Forum [WEF] | On 24 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

Going to School in Purdah: Female Schooling, Mobility Norms and Madrasas in Bangladesh

This paper looks at the determinants of secondary school attendance in Bangladesh with a focus on the interaction between community gender norms and relative supply of madrasas (i.e. Islamic schools)....

by Zaki Wahhaj | On 16 Nov 2015

Toward Better Global Poverty Measures

While much progress has been made over the last 25 years in measuring global poverty, there are a number of challenges ahead. The paper discusses three sets of problems: (i) how to allow for social...

by Martin Ravallion | On 16 Nov 2015

Women's Voices: Employment and Entrepreneurship in India

The report maps the workforce participation and aspirations of young women and girls from low income groups in and around four metropolitan cities of India and determines the barriers they face in rea...

by | On 13 Nov 2015

Evaluation of Multipurpose Community Learning Centres of BRAC in Rural Areas of Bangladesh

This study aimed to evaluate the Multipurpose Learning Centres or Gonokendros (GK) operated by BRAC jointly with the local community in rural areas of Bangladesh. Two main goals were process evaluatio...

by | On 09 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

Monitoring Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Opportunities and Challenges

On 2 August 2015, the outcome document of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 was agreed by consensus by Member States. The outcome document will be presented to the Summit for adop...

by UN Women | On 30 Oct 2015

Inequality, Social Cooperation and Local Collective Action

This paper examines the relationship between inequality and collective action, and identifies a range of mechanisms that shape the association between income inequality and local collective action. Th...

by | On 29 Oct 2015

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

Child-Related Financial Transfers and Early Childhood Education and Care

This paper examines policies for the support of families with children, in particular child-related financial transfers and early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. The analysis is mainly f...

by Mary Daly | On 21 Oct 2015

Economic Growth and Social Reproduction: Gender Inequality as Cause and Consequence

This paper examines how growth, social reproduction and gender equality are connected in ways that make care work a key determinant of macroeconomic policy outcomes, growth and development. The paper...

by | On 21 Oct 2015

Gender Equality and Human Rights

The achievement of substantive equality is understood as having four dimensions: redressing disadvantage; countering stigma, prejudice, humiliation and violence; transforming social and institutional...

by | On 20 Oct 2015

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

Gender Equality Results Case Study: Sri Lanka - Improving Connectivity to Support Livelihoods and Gender Equality

This case study documents key gender equality issues as well as key achievements and lessons from a project carried out in post conflict Sri Lanka as part of urgently needed reconstruction. The Improv...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Oct 2015

Female Workforce Participation in North-Eastern Region: An Overview

The female workforce participation means the rate of percentage of female engaged in the total working population of a state or country. Women constitute an important part of the workforce of all over...

by Dr. Ananta Pegu | On 16 Oct 2015

Natural Interest Rate: Assessing the Stance of India’s Monetary Policy under Uncertainty

Using a theoretical framework that combines the essence of Ramsay’s growth model and the New-Keynesian macrodynamics, and applying the Kalman filter estimation technique, this paper finds that Indi...

by Harendra Behera | On 16 Oct 2015

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

Delivering the Post-2015 Development Agenda

This report looks in depth at the factors within each country that will support or impede implementation. A set of Dialogues has been exploring these factors and are still capturing ideas around these...

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

A Voice for the Voiceless: The Role of Community Radio in the Development of the Rural Poor

More than 850 million people in developing countries are excluded from a wide range of information and knowledge, with the rural poor in particular remaining isolated from both traditional media and...

by | On 14 Oct 2015

Book Review: Creating a New Medina: State Power, Islam, and the Quest for Pakistan in Late Colonial North India

Review of Creating a New Medina: State Power, Islam, and the Quest for Pakistan in Late Colonial North India New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015. 554 pp. Rs 940 (Hardcover) ISBN 978-1-107-05212...

by Gail Minault | On 14 Oct 2015

Landscaping Women’s Empowerment through Learning and Education in India

India is the world’s second largest country in terms of total inhabitants. Further, out of a total population exceeding one billion, approximately 120 million are women living in poverty. India is one...

by | On 13 Oct 2015

Inequality: Trends, Harms and New Agendas

The paper focuses on within-country inequalities. It discusses in particular how the consequences of inequality are shaped by specific mechanisms that operate at the national, community and individual...

by | On 13 Oct 2015

A Darwinian Perspective on “Exchange Rate Undervaluation”

This paper studies how status competition for marriage partners can generate surprising effects on the real exchange rate (RER). In theory, a rise in the sex ratio (increasing relative surplus of men)...

by Qingyuan Du | 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

Now for the Reality Play

What the government needs to do, perhaps, is to spell out an action agenda for the next four months, in the run-up to the 2016 Budget.

by T.N. Ninan | On 02 Oct 2015

Rural Poverty Reduction Strategy for South Asia

Roughly 40 percent of the world’s poor live in South Asia, where poverty is basically a rural problem. Therefore, a significant gain in rural poverty reduction in this sub-region will be crucial to re...

by | On 30 Sep 2015

Social Capital’s Dark Side and Patriarchy in India

Social capital is often extolled as a benevolent resource, but resources can be applied to any number of ends. Using new data from the India Human Development Survey (N=41,544), the author examined so...

by Lester Andrist | On 28 Sep 2015

Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. It recognises that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions...

by United Nations UN | On 28 Sep 2015

Report of the Fact Finding Mission to Rampal, Bangladesh

The objective of the mission was to evaluate the impact of the power plant on the livelihoods of the people and ecology of the region, examine the legal framework governing its and assess if the propo...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | 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

Disadvantage and Discrimination in Self-Employment: Caste Gaps in Earnings in Indian Small Businesses

Using the 2004-05 India Human Development Survey data, The paper aims to estimate and decompose the earnings of household businesses owned by historically marginalized social groups known as Scheduled...

by Ashwini Deshpande | On 24 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

‘Working from Home is Better than Going out to the Factories’ (?): Spatial Embeddedness, Agency and Labour-Market Decisions of Women in the City of Delhi

This paper explores the spatiality and temporality of women’s decisions to navigate particular forms of paid work, through means of a comparative analysis of three different sites and forms of work—at...

by Sonal Sharma | On 21 Sep 2015

India in the Missile Technology Control Regime: Prospects and Implications

India formally applied for membership to the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2015 as part of efforts to integrate itself with the global non-proliferation architecture. This paper identifies...

by Arka Biswas | On 18 Sep 2015

Steel's a Steal

Steel is a basic input for the entire engineering industry (cars, household goods, machinery of all kinds), and for the infrastructure sector (roads, railways, power, real estate, etc). Raise the cost...

by T.N. Ninan | On 12 Sep 2015

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

Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal

The report reveal the magnitude of the challenge that the world still faces in the quest for gender equality. This report promotes the cause of inclusion of women by informing research and policy disc...

by World Bank | On 11 Sep 2015

Closing the Gender Gap: The Gender Parity Taskforces

The Global Gender Gap Report 2014 emphasizes persisting gender gap divides across and within regions. Based on the nine years of data available for the 111 countries that have been part of the report...

by | On 11 Sep 2015

Centre-State Relations in India: Time for a New Framework

Three cross-cutting developments, namely the rise of regional political parties, globalisation and liberalisation of the economy and judicialisation of the federal process have deeply influenced the m...

by Niranjan Sahoo | 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

Civil Society Briefs: Myanmar

This brief provides an overview of civil society in Myanmar. With a view to strengthening ADB cooperation with civil society organizations, the NGO and Civil Society Center periodically prepares repor...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Sep 2015

Nursing Shortage in India with special reference to International Migration of Nurses

In any health system, the health worker determines the nature and quality of services provided. Data demonstrate that most health systems across the globe face nursing shortages, varying across region...

by | On 07 Sep 2015

The Great Expectations: Impact of One-Child Policy on Education of Girls

The findings of the paper highlights the role of fertility policies in women’s empowerment of last century. This paper investigates the impact of the birth control policies on teenage girls’ education...

by Wei Huang | On 03 Sep 2015

Specialist Services in the Indian Rural Public Health System for Maternal and Child Healthcare – A Study of Four States

The present study attempts to examine the role of specialist services in rural public health system of India in the areas of maternal and child healthcare. The study uses primary data collected throug...

by Shreekant Iyengar | On 31 Aug 2015

“Denied”: Failures in Accountability for Human Rights Violations by Security Force Personnel in Jammu and Kashmir

Indian security forces have been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for decades, officially tasked with protecting civilians, upholding national security and combatting violence by armed groups. However, i...

by Amnesty International AI, | 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

Wages and Working Conditions on the Formal Labour Market in India

The labour market structure plays a vital role in chalking out the development and growth path of a country. The labour market polices, institutions, and patterns of employment in turn determine the s...

by Biju Varkkey | On 26 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

The New ‘MASVAW Men’: Strategies, Dynamics and Deepening Engagements. A Case Study of a Networked Approach to Challenging Patriarchy Across Institutions in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is ranked second among Indian states in ‘crimes against women’, which includes rape, abduction, dowry-related deaths, mental and physical torture and sexual harassment (Government of Utt...

by Jerker Edström | On 25 Aug 2015

The WTO Agreement on Agriculture and Food Security

This study aims to help identify how a future multilateral agreement on agricultural trade can provide a secure framework within which developing countries can pursue effective policies to ensure thei...

by Stephen Devereux | On 21 Aug 2015

How Migration into Urban Construction Work Impacts on Rural Households in Nepal

The research draws on interviews with rural-urban migrant construction workers in Kathmandu as well as with families of construction workers, other migrant labourers and non-migrants in two contrastin...

by | On 21 Aug 2015

Patriarchal Beliefs, Women’s Empowerment, and General Well-being

This paper highlights that depowerment of women is linked to the belief and practice of patriarchy which subjugates women at various levels – political, economic, social, and cultural. Patriarchy is a...

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

Property Rights of Street Vendors

Street vendors’ rights to carry on their trade in public spaces, has been the subject matter of debate and discussion in India for a very long time. In fact it has taken numerous judgments of the Supr...

by Amit Chandra | 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

The Role of Technical and Vocational Education in the National Development of Bangladesh

Education is a basic human right and considered by many as a key tool for national development. However, this tenet has been challenged by several economists, especially Pritchett (1996). His empirica...

by Gazi Mahabubul Alam | On 03 Aug 2015

Book Review: Starve and Immolate: The Politics of Human Weapons

Review of Starve and Immolate: The Politics of Human Weapons. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014. 512 pp. Rs. 3.775/- (Hardcover), ISBN 978-0-231-16340-8.

by Mark Bray | 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

Women Labor Force Participation and Domestic Violence: Evidence from India

Domestic violence is recognised as a serious violation of women’s basic rights. Conventional economic models of domestic violence suggest that higher participation by women in the labour force leads t...

by Sohini Paul | 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

Witches: Through Changing Contexts Women Remain the Target

This paper deals with the phenomenon of witch-hunting among indigenous peoples in peninsular India. It looks at this phenomenon in a number of different contexts: the struggle over domination in the s...

by Shivani Satija | On 29 Jul 2015

When the Dish Knocked Down the Antenna: How Television Digitization is Impacting Low Income Viewers and Public Broadcasting

A technology switch in television affects different income groups differently. In India the digitization of TV signals is putting an end to the free-to-air telecast regime. This study,the first of its...

by Sevanti Ninan | On 26 Jul 2015

The Defensive Crouch

China and India have approached trade negotiations very differently: the former with confidence, the latter in a defensive crouch.

by T.N. Ninan | On 25 Jul 2015

Race and Equality: A Study of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong’s Education System

This report analyzes the key education-related issues raised in these interviews as well as available studies on the needs of ethnic minority communities, press reports, government reports and educati...

by Kelley Loper | On 24 Jul 2015

Juvenile Justice in India: Policy and Implementation Dilemmas

The article tells us about what are the positive aspects of Juvenile Justice bill what it is lacking.

by Bharti Ali | On 23 Jul 2015

Predicted Increases in Heat related Mortality under Climate Change in Urban India

Mapping mortality impacts of the projected climate in urban areas of developing countries will play a crucial role in instituting planned adaptation measures to protect public health. A comprehensive...

by Hem H Dholakia | On 14 Jul 2015

Inequitable and Ineffective: Exclusion of Mental Health from the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Given that mental health and other non-communicable diseases were conspicuously omitted from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and have only been weakly mentioned in draft Sustainable Developme...

by Alexander C. Tsai | On 09 Jul 2015

Structural Conditions and Agency in Migrant Decision-Making: A Case of Domestic and Construction Workers from Java, Indonesia

This working paper examines the migration drivers into the two low-paid and insecure occupations of domestic work and construction work from rural areas in Indonesia. While the ideas of migration exis...

by Khoo Choon Yen | On 06 Jul 2015

Trends in Centre-State Relations

This paper seeks to understand the trends in Centre-State relations in post-Independence India in their varied manifestations over time, across space, and along the specific context of issues. The dyn...

by | On 06 Jul 2015

Promoting Women's Participation in the APEC Economies: Some Recommendations

Increasing women`s economic participation is not yet universally accepted despite three decades of global advocacy; and women empowerment and gender equality are still a work in progress. A mechanism...

by Lucita Lazo | On 26 Jun 2015

Fifteenth Report on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 was enacted to give effect to the Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of the...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 22 Jun 2015

How Empowered is Microfinance in Empowering Women ? Evidence from India

Drawing upon the data from the recent period, this paper explores the relationship between women’s involvement in microfinance programs and improvement in their empowerment status. The significant d...

by | On 19 Jun 2015

Gender Mainstreaming in Mining: Experiences across Countries

Mining not only has a negative impact on livelihoods, communities, and the socioeconomic and physical environment; it specifically and profoundly affects women. This paper uses the gender analysis fra...

by Prajna Mishra | On 08 Jun 2015

The Political Economy of Capitalism, ‘Development’ and Resistance: The State and Adivasis of India

This report is circumscribed in its aims, limiting itself to a subset of all that could be written about the status and situation of Scheduled Tribes in India today. An introduction in chapter 1 sets...

by | On 08 Jun 2015

The Economics of Peace: A Nepalese Perspective

Understanding the importance of peace has been accorded high priority in many religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. In recent years, many economists have realized the monetary va...

by Hari Bansh Jha | On 05 Jun 2015

Youth, Social Change and Politics in India Today: An Introduction to the Delhi Studies

Events in many parts of the world over the last decade – starting with protests in Greece in December 2008, following the death of a young student at the hands of the police, and continuing through th...

by | On 05 Jun 2015

Nepal's Continuing Quest for Federalism and Peace

Nepal is currently experiencing perhaps one of the most turbulent phases in its contemporary political history. In 2008, the 240-year-old institution of monarchy—for long seen as a symbol of unity, in...

by Akanshya Shah | On 05 Jun 2015

The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: The Promise and Perils of Sino-Indian Relations

India and China, two of the world's oldest civilisations, have had little historically relevant interactions with one other. Separated by the world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas, neither of...

by Himanil Raina | On 04 Jun 2015

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

Socio-Economic Problems of Transgender in Workplace

Transgender is also a part of the society and they have equal right to everything in the world that is available to all other persons. The presence of such transgender is not new, but their presence...

by | On 28 May 2015

Internal Displacement in Myanmar: Stakeholder Report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism

This report draws on IDMC’s report on internal displacement in Myanmar published in July 2014 and also uses information collected since then. It is based on documents published by international organi...

by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre | On 27 May 2015

Draft Report of the Sixty-Seventh World Health Assembly on Global Strategy and Targets for Tuberculosis Prevention, Care and Control after 2015

At the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly the executive board drafted a global strategy targets for tuberculosis prevention, with a aim to accelerate the global expansion of tuberculosis care and contr...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 26 May 2015

Report of the Sixty-Seventh World Health Assembly on Financing of Administrative and Management Costs

An external review, commissioned by the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board, was prepared in May 2013, providing detailed analysis of WHO’s administrative and managem...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 26 May 2015

Report of the Sixty-Seventh World Health Assembly on Strategic Resource Allocation

At the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in May 2013, Member States requested the Director-General to propose, for consideration by the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, in consultation with Member...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 26 May 2015

Report of the Sixty-Seventh World Health Assembly on Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors

At its 134th session, in the provisional agenda the Executive Board have requested the Director-General to develop a framework of engagement with non-State actors and separate policies on the engageme...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 25 May 2015

Report of the Sixty-Seventh World Health Assembly on Improved Decision Making by the Governing Bodies

At its 134th session, in the provisional agenda the Executive Board considered two reports by the Secretariat on options for improved decision-making by the governing bodies, which included four recom...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 25 May 2015

The Role of Banks in Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

The intention of this paper is to examine the role of banks particularly the state owned and specialized banks in promoting women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. Women constitute almost half of the t...

by | On 13 May 2015

Indian Youth: Ignored Constituency Report on the Renewal of Youth Agenda in India

This report look at various youth issues and then suggest changes that can be targeted at redressing the same. There is an opportunity in which hard hitting reforms can be instituted to strengthen you...

by | On 12 May 2015

Punjab Youth Policy 2012

The policy covers all key issues of youth and has provided a framework that promises social, economic and political empowerment of youth. The central theme of the policy is integrated youth developmen...

by | On 12 May 2015

Fifteenth Report of the Social Justice and Empowerment Committee on “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014

The Committee are of the view that the disabled group in our country still remains an invisible group in the mind of policy makers. A vast number of the disabled are excluded from the existing servic...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 11 May 2015

Thailand: The Evolving Conflict in the South

After a decade of separatist violence in Thailand’s Malay/Muslim-majority southern provinces, insurgent capabilities are outpacing state counter-measures that are mired in complacency and political co...

by International Crisis Group | On 30 Apr 2015

Book Review: Civil Wars in South Asia: State, Sovereignty, Development

Review of Civil Wars in South Asia: State, Sovereignty, Development ed. Aparna Sundar and Nandini Sundar. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2014. pp. 273. Rs. 850/-, ISBN: 9789351500407.

by Pramod K. Nayar | On 28 Apr 2015

MGNREGA and Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas by Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women (2011-12), Fourteenth Report

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 28 Apr 2015

Why Democracy Struggles: Thailand’s Elite Coup Culture

Since the revolution of 1932 that ended absolute monarchy, Thailand has experienced sporadic military interventions, with 19 coups and coup attempts over those decades. This article explains these mil...

by | On 27 Apr 2015

Power, Voices and Rights

The report focuses on the critical question of advancing gender equality, as seen through the prism of women’s unequal power, voice, and rights. Despite the region’s many economic gains, the Report ch...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 24 Apr 2015

A Land Acquisition Bill With Many Faultlines

This paper discusses the problems with the much revised and much delayed Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, and how they may be addressed. A democratization of the land acquisitio...

by Prasenjit Bose | On 24 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 Continual Breakdown of Democracy in Thailand: A Case Study on the Role of Elite Competition, Modernization and Political Institutions in the Democratization Process of Thailand

The paper provides an in-depth empirical analysis of Thai political history in an attempt to understand why democracy has failed to consolidate since the 1932 revolution that ended the absolute monarc...

by | On 08 Apr 2015

Developing the Financial Sector and Expanding Market Instruments to Support a Post-2015 Development Agenda in Asia and the Pacific

The study discusses complementary initiatives in terms of legal and regulatory reforms necessary to sustainably support market-oriented financing options. Given market orientation, the paper is comple...

by | On 24 Mar 2015

World Social Science Report 2013 - Changing Global Environments

The World Social Science Report captures a world undergoing deep change, rocked by multiple crises, including in the environment. This World Social Science Report examines the social dynamics of the...

by UNESCO Publishing | On 18 Mar 2015

Bhutan: Making Progress on the Path to Prosperity

his country brief highlights how ADB operations have helped support Bhutan’s efforts in advancing socioeconomic development. Since Bhutan became a member in 1982, ADB has provided $486.29 million i...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 17 Mar 2015

Finance Commission of India’s Assessments: A Political Economy Contention between Expectations and Outcomes

The objective of this study is to examine the structural basis on which Finance Commissions make their awards rather than examining the predictability of the forecasts. The story of Finance Commission...

by | On 12 Mar 2015

Women’s Rights in India: Problems and Prospects

United Nation in its Millennium Summit in 2000 declared ‘Gender Equality and Women Empowerment’ as one among the eight ‘Millennium Development Goal’ to be achieved by the year 2015. However these goa...

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

Investing to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases

This report repositions a group of 17 neglected tropical diseases on the global development agenda at a time of profound transitions in the economies of endemic countries and in thinking about the ove...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 09 Mar 2015

Hunger, Undernutrition and Food Security in India

In spite of an increase in the number of government schemes to address the problem of undernutrition, the situation has improved only marginally. A number of factors such as spaces, ethnicities, incom...

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 25 Feb 2015

Medico Friend Circle Bulletin 363-364 (Jan/Feb 2015)

This special issue on mental health was put together for the Annual Meet of the Medico Friend Circle at Pune. Contents - Power to Label: the Social Construction of Madness by Prateeksha Sharma (1); T...

by Medico Friend Circle | On 18 Feb 2015

The Paradox of Gender Responsive Budgeting

Despite the steps towards gender responsive budgeting, the budgetary allocations for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment show a decline. Not only has the magnitude of the gender budget a...

by | On 17 Feb 2015

The Impacts of Infrastructure in Development: A Selective Survey

Development economists have considered physical infrastructure to be a precondition for industrialization and economic development. Yet, two issues remain to be addressed in the literature. First, whi...

by Yasuyuki Sawada | On 16 Feb 2015

Enhancing Water-Use Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants in India: Need for Mandatory Water Audits

In view of the very high share of water consumption in thermal power plants, this policy brief highlights the water-use scenario in this sector and emphasizes the need for third party/mandatory and re...

by R K Batra | On 05 Feb 2015

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

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Risks and Opportunities

This briefing discusses Sri Lanka’s presidential election promises. It promises more competition than was initially anticipated but with that comes a great risk of violence. Long-term stability and po...

by Crisis Group | On 02 Feb 2015

The Mechanism of Long-Term Growth in India

This paper aim to provide an account of growth in India based on its internal dynamics. This helps to place the relative roles of policy, shocks, and internal dynamics. The paper leads us to conclude...

by Pulapre Balakrishnan | On 21 Jan 2015

A Post-2015 World Fit for Children

This issue brief outlines a roadmap for human progress over the next 15 years. Known as the Sustainable Development Goals, these new global targets will drive investment and action in virtually every...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 20 Jan 2015

Malnutrition in South-Asia: Poverty, Diet or Lack of Female Empowerment?

Despite economic growth, and a reduction in poverty, malnutrition is still rampant in South-Asia. This indicates that non-economic factors are important, and it used a nation-wide survey from Nepal to...

by | On 13 Jan 2015

Urban Governance in Bangladesh: The Post-Independence Scenario

Urbanization worldwide has been found to be an effective engine of economic growth and socio-cultural development. In pure economic terms, urbanization contributes significantly to the national econ...

by | On 17 Dec 2014

Empowerment of Women through Participation in Local Government: A case of Maharashtra

There is reservation for women in Maharashtra in the local governments. But their number is less. A case study is given.

by Ruby Ojha | On 12 Dec 2014

Does Gender Inequity Increase the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence among Women? Evidence from Bangladesh Sample Survey

Evidence from developing countries regarding the association between gender inequity and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in women has been suggestive but inconclusive. Using nationally r...

by Mosiur Rahman | On 05 Dec 2014

Working Towards Female Empowerment in Maharashtra, India

Girls Gaining Ground (GGG) is a catalyst for empowerment, encouraging program participants to realize the “freedom of choice and action to shape one’s life, including the control over resources, decis...

by Amber Baker | On 11 Nov 2014

Issues and Concerns of Deserted Women in Maharashtra

Two studies done at different times in two different parts of Maharashtra on women who have been forced out of the marital home or chose to walk out due to violence, show that women’s expectatio...

by Seema Kulkarni | On 11 Nov 2014

Analysis of Criminal and Financial Details of Candidates and MLAs from Jharkhand: Based on 2009 Assembly Elections

Jharkhand Assembly elections 2009 were held in five phases from November 16, 2009 to December 13, 2009. This report includes the analysis of voting trends, criminalization, money power, gender etc in...

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 05 Nov 2014

From Poverty to Empowerment: India’s Imperative for Jobs, Growth, and Effective Basic Services

More than two decades have passed since India embarked on major economic reforms—and although official poverty rates have declined sharply since then, millions of Indians continue to face significant...

by Rajat Gupta | On 28 Oct 2014

A “Greenprint” for International Cooperation on Climate Change

International negotiations on climate change have been dogged by mutual accusations between industrialized and developing countries, shrinking global carbon budget and change in power relations as a r...

by Aaditya Mattoo | On 20 Oct 2014

Mapping the World of Women's Work: Regional Patterns and Perspectives

The impact on the Indian labour market of the slowing down of global economy is a complex issue. It is evident that women have become 'shock absorbers' in the overall functioning of labour market dyna...

by Michael Levien | On 14 Oct 2014

Estimating Workers' Bargaining Power and Firms' Markup in India: Implications of Reforms and Labour Regulations

Implications of industrial deregulations, trade liberalisation and labour regulations on workers' bargaining power and firms' markup in Indian manufacturing industries is examined, using state-wise th...

by Rupayan Pal | On 29 Sep 2014

Asia-Pacific Aspirations: Perspectives for a Post 2015 Development Agenda

This report is the sixth in the series of Asia-Pacific MDG reports produced since 2004 by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific/Asian Development Bank/United Nations Development...

by United Nations Development Programme UNDP | On 19 Sep 2014

Making Education a Priority in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Report of the Global Thematic Consultation on Education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

‘Making Education a Priority in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Report of the Global Thematic Consultation on Education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda’ offers a summary of the main themes...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 18 Sep 2014

Hearts & Minds: Women of India Speak

UN Women’s report, “Hearts and Minds: Women of India Speak” acknowledges the “lived experiences” of women and girls in India at the grassroots level and ensures that the voices of those who remain soc...

by UN Women | On 15 Sep 2014

The Effects of Mortality on Fertility: Population Dynamics after a Natural Disaster

Understanding how mortality and fertility are linked is essential to the study of population dynamics. The fertility response to an unanticipated mortality shock is investigated that resulted from the...

by Jenna Nobles | On 02 Sep 2014

Women’s Empowerment at the Frontline of Adaptation: Emerging Issues, Adaptive Practices and Priorities in Nepal

In the Hindu Kush Himalayas, climate change is threatening the livelihoods of those directly dependent on agriculture and the natural resource base. Rural women are disproportionately vulnerable to th...

by Suman Bisht | On 28 Aug 2014

How Smart is a Smart City?

Smart is as smart does. The NDA government’s proposal to build 100 “smart” cities will work only if it can reinvent the very idea of urban growth in a country like India. Smart thinking will require t...

by Sunita Narain | On 21 Aug 2014

UN World Youth Report 2011 - Youth Employment: Youth Perspectives on the Pursuit of Decent Work in Changing Times

The World Youth Report 2011 explores the transition of young people from schools and training institutions into the labour market, a phase marking a critical period in the life cycle. The current empl...

by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNDESA | On 12 Aug 2014

The Memories of a Spark: Reconstructing the 1965 riots in Madurai against the imposition of Hindi

The paper aims to capture the synthesis and popular reconstruction of one of independent India’s earliest instances of large-scale violence over the emotive issue of language, i.e. the January 1965 Ma...

by Sriram Mohan | On 24 Jul 2014

Union Budget 2014: New Government, Same Ol'Budget

If the Union Budget 2014 is anything to go by , the fiscal policy of the new government shows no change. In fact, there is an amazing continuity with the previous few Budgets. Significantly however,...

by Ravi Duggal | On 23 Jul 2014

Gender Equality Must Become A Lived Reality: Gender Budgeting, Our First Step Towards It

The term gender budgeting has become a catch phrase to describe various government initiatives that seek to address gender issues in the domain of public expenditure and policy. In India, the strategi...

by Rituparna Dutta | On 14 Jul 2014

Contractual Solutions for Migrant Labourers: The Case of Domestic Workers in the Middle East

This article discusses domestic and international responses to the issue of abuse of female domestic workers in the Middle East, and concludes that a standard working contract, such as that in use in...

by Gwenann S. Manseau | On 26 May 2014

Higher Education in Asia: Expanding Out, Expanding Up

This report presents data and analysis to better understand the factors driving the expansion in undergraduate and graduate education across Asia. By looking at the system as a whole, the authors eval...

by David W. Chapman | 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

Columbo Declaration On Youth ‘Mainstreaming Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda’

This declaration is intended to be a framework for the outcome of the World Conference on Youth to be held in Sri Lanka in 2014. It is based on agreed principles from previous outcomes and is intend...

by World Conference on Youth 2014 | On 13 May 2014

The Real Wealth of Nations:Pathways to Human Development

This Report surveys critical aspects of human development, from political freedoms and empowerment to sustainability and human security, and outlines a broader agenda for research and policies to resp...

by Jeni Klugman | On 06 May 2014

Does Women’s Empowerment Reduce Prevalence of Stunted and Underweight Children in Rural India?

This study investigates whether mother’s empowerment as measured by her bargaining power relative to father’s affects children’s nutritional status by using three rounds of NFHS data in India. First,...

by Katsushi S Imai | On 17 Apr 2014

Politics and Public Policies: Politics of Human Development in Uttar Pradesh, India

In India, public policies for human development are politically contested for many reasons like diverse political interests, commitment to specific social bases by political regimes etc. They have r...

by Shyam Singh | On 10 Apr 2014

Land Reforms in India: Unfinished Task

In India, over 70% of the population resides in rural areas with majority depending on land based activities for their livelihood. Studies have shown that owners of productive plots of land tend to be...

by Sita Devi | On 31 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

Environmental Goods and Services: Issues for Negotiations for India

Liberalisation of trade in environmental goods and services (EGS) has become a key issue at the complex and rapidly developing trade and environment interface. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) at it...

by Vijaya Katti | On 12 Mar 2014

CAO Audit of IFC Investment in Coastal Gujarat Power Limited , India

CAO received a complaint regarding IFC’s investment in CGPL from Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), the Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights , representing fisher people li...

by O ffice of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman CAO | On 26 Feb 2014

Public Opposition Halts Violation of Environmental Norms: Case of APSEZ, Gujarat

All too often blinded by the dazzle of development people and planners do not see the trail of destruction that accompanies new initiatives. It need not be that way. As the case of Adani Ports and SEZ...

by Yogi Aggarwal | On 26 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

How Do Intrahousehold Dynamics Change When Assets are Transferred to Women? Evidence from BRAC’s Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction—Targeting the Ultra Poor Program in Bangladesh

BRAC’s Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction—Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR-TUP) program in Bangladesh are studied, which targets asset transfer (primarily livestock) and training to rural wo...

by Narayan Das | On 05 Feb 2014

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Operational Plan, 2013–2020

Gender equity is one of the five drivers of change in the Asian Development Bank(ADB) Strategy 2020. ADB recognizes that without harnessing the talents, human capital and economics potential of women,...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jan 2014

Development through Empowerment: Delivering Effective Public Services

This paper reviews the channels through which empowerment may improve the efficiency and quality of public service delivery, particularly in developing Asia. Departing from a macro perspective, we foc...

by Guo Xu | On 20 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

Political Stability and Economic Growth in Asia

This paper has investigated the effects of various factors of political instability on economic growth in selected ten Asian economies during 1990-2005. The empirical findings show a close relationshi...

by Muhammad Younis | On 28 Nov 2013

Justice and State-Building in Afghanistan: State vs. Society vs. Taliban: Reflections on a Survey of the Afghan People

In Afghanistan, the process of creating a state judiciary has developed slowly, first through the gradual assertion of state control over sharia courts starting from the reign of Abdur Rahman (1880-19...

by Antonio Giustozzi | On 22 Nov 2013

When  Ideas Trump Interests :  Preferences, World Views, and Policy  Innovations

The contemporary approach to political economy is built around vested interests -- elites,  lobbies, and rent-seeking groups which get their way at the expense of the general public. The  role of id...

by Dani Rodrik | On 06 Nov 2013

Identity Politics and Statehood Movements in India

The paper has explored into the reasons behind political mobilization of minority ethnic groups in support of smaller states. In accordance with the above hypothesis, the paper has tried to arrive at...

by Rajat Ganguly | On 11 Oct 2013

Decentralized Provisioning of Supplementary Nutrition for the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in Mumbai

This study is an attempt to examine the decentralized production of supplementary nutrition which has been instituted for the Integrated Child Development Services in urban Maharashtra, specifically,...

by Natasha S. K. | On 04 Oct 2013

A Study on Fiscal Space

In the study states’ finances is analysed to see whether all states have been able to create a fiscal space and whether their fiscal capacities have increased over time. Then the states’ spending is l...

by Kim Robin | On 23 Sep 2013

Cycling to School: Increasing Secondary School Enrollment for Girls in India

An innovative program in the Indian state of Bihar was introduced that aimed to reduce the gender gap in secondary school enrollment by providing girls who continued to secondary school with a bicycle...

by Karthik Muralidharan | On 19 Sep 2013

Crystallizing Fault-lines: Turkey’s Democratic Durability at Risk

In the aftermath of the anti-governmental Gezi demonstrations of May-June and the conclusion of the Ergenekon trial earlier this month, clear fault-lines are crystallizing in the Turkish political lan...

by Ozan Serdaroglu | On 05 Sep 2013

Malaysia: Recent Developments in Agricultural Research

Main issues of concern looking to the future include ongoing maintenance of capacity and infrastructure given government funding cuts, and the training and mentoring of junior staff needed to replace...

by Kathleen Flaherty | On 04 Sep 2013

Anti-Superstition Legislation

After a long and gruelling campaign by ANS for the past eight years to enact a Law against Superstition which harm the citizens, the Maharashtra State Government under the leadership of the new Chie...

by Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmoolan Samiti MANS | On 22 Aug 2013

On Calling a Revolution, a Revolution and a Coup, a Coup

It is a sad thing for an academic to have to explain the difference between a revolution and a coup d'état to other academics, especially those who have described the Egyptian military coup against it...

by Amr Othman | On 18 Aug 2013

The Effects of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

When American troops arrived in Nagasaki and stumbled upon one of the cameramen, from the legendary film company Nippon Eiga Sha, shooting amidst the rubble, they promptly arrested him and confiscated...

by Motherboard TV MotherboardTV | On 10 Aug 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

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

Malnutrition in India & Steps Taken To Reduce It

According to Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012” report, there is a reduction of 34.9 percent in prevalence of undernourishment from 1990-1992 to 2010-...

by Anonymous | On 27 May 2013

Promoting Democracy in Myanmar: Political Party Capacity Building

The importance of the political parties in Myanmar and their role as the creators of the future of the country. The course of the present developments relies on the ability of the political parties....

by Aung Aung (IR) | On 09 Apr 2013

The 2013 Empowerment Budget: Philippines

The national budget is truly a potent tool for the economy to journey towards inclusive growth that would empower Filipinos through deliverance from backbreaking poverty. [Senate of the Philippines]....

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 08 Apr 2013

Economic Survey 2012-13: A Comedy of Errors?

There is lack of clarity and concepts in the Economic Survey. The Survey has not covered many topics which it was expected to cover.

by Suryanarayana M H | On 02 Mar 2013

The New Great Walls: A New Guide to China's Overseas Dam Industry, Second Edition

Chinese hydropower companies and banks are now the largest dam builders in the world. Chinese banks have stepped in to fill the gap left by traditional dam funders such as the World Bank. The Chines...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 15 Jan 2013

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

Learning and Capability Acquisition: A Case Study of the Indian Automobile Industry

This study analyzes the impact of government policy regime on the learning and capability acquisition of firms over time. Through a case study analysis of the Indian automotive industry, the study d...

by Madhuri Saripalle | On 19 Nov 2012

It’s a Boy! Women and Non-Monetary Benefits from a Son in India

Son preference is widespread in a number of developing countries. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women may contribute to the persistence of this phenomenon because they derive substantial long-run...

by Laura Zimmermann | On 19 Nov 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

The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development Bill, 2011

To declare the institution known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, to be an institution of National importance and to provide for its incorporation and for matters connected...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 05 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

Property Rights and Intra-Household Bargaining

This paper examines whether an individual-level transfer of property rights increases the individual's bargaining power within the household. The question is analyzed in the context of a housing ref...

by Shing-Yi Wang | On 18 Sep 2012

Maharashtra State Youth Policy Declaration

This is an inclusive policy, which recognizes diversity in gender, caste, class, religion, language and reiterates the commitment of the State to this vibrant and significant population group and look...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 12 Sep 2012

NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY 2003

The earlier National Youth Policy was formulated in 1988. The socio-economic conditions in the country have since undergone a significant change and have been shaped by wide-ranging technological adva...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 12 Sep 2012

Pilot Intervention of Improved Cook Stoves in Rural Areas: Assessment of Effects on Fuel Use, Smoke Emission and Health

This study aims to explore the impact of improved cook stoves (ICS) on fuel expenditure (consumption), smoke emission, and health of women (cook) in rural households of Bangladesh. In the follow-up...

by Nepal C. Dey | On 06 Aug 2012

Agricultural Credit - Accomplishments and Challenges

Agriculture’s share in GDP is less than 15 per cent but it still remains the direct domain of over half of the population whose economic prospects are linked to the performance of agriculture. There a...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 03 Aug 2012

Suicide and Property Rights in India

Is there an impact of female property rights on male and female suicide rates in India. Using state level variation in legal changes to women's property rights, it is shown that better property righ...

by Siwan Anderson | On 02 Aug 2012

Raining problems

Recent history tells us that the growth rate of the economy does not automatically go up and down with good and bad monsoons. [BS Weekend Ruminations]. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news...

by T.N. Ninan | On 18 Jul 2012

The New Age of Food Marketing: How Companies are Targeting and Luring our Kids — and What Advocates can do About it

Why should health advocates be concerned about the new marketing paradigm? Because young people's choices about what to eat and when are largely shaped by food and beverage marketing -- and these indu...

by Berkeley Media Studies Group BMSG | On 13 Jul 2012

Three Gorges Dam: A Model of the Past

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is the world’s largest and most controversial hydropower project. The 600 kilometer-long reservoir has displaced 1.3 million people and is wreaking havoc wi...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 12 Jul 2012

Recommendations on the Proposed Disability Rights Legislation

Estimates of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in India vary greatly depending on the source. The 2001 census found 21.91 million disabled persons (2.13 % of the population), but there are serious cons...

by National Advisory Council NAC | On 11 Jul 2012

Political Strongholds and Budget Allocation for Developmental Expenditure: Evidence from Indian States, 1971-2005

This paper examines the effects of political factors on allocation of revenue budget for developmental expenditure by the sub-national governments, using data from 15 major states in India during the...

by Arun Kaushik | On 10 Jul 2012

Nagaland's Demographic Somersault

This study examines the reliability of the Census of Nagaland between 1981 and 2011 by testing the internal consistency of Census population estimates. It also tries to validate the Census estimates...

by Ankush Agrawal | On 06 Jul 2012

Cultural Proximity and Loan Outcomes

Evidence is presented to show that shared codes, religious beliefs, ethnicity - cultural proximity - between lenders and borrowers improves the efficiency of credit allocation. In-group preferential t...

by Raymond Fisman | On 05 Jul 2012

Vital Stats: Some Data on Power Supply

The deficit in the supply of electricity relative to demand at peak hours in 2011-12 was 11 per cent. While generation capacity has increased, the fuel supply situation has deteriorated. Here, some f...

by Karan Malik | On 04 Jul 2012

The Military along the Security Development Frontrier: Implications for Non-Traditional Security in the Philippines and Thailand

This paper focuses on development missions carried out by the armed forces of the Philippines and Thailand in and out of conflict zones, and provides an analysis of the causes behind the re-emergence...

by Aries A Arugay | On 20 Jun 2012

Philippine Productivity Dynamics in the Last Five Decades and Determinants of Total Factor Productivity

The paper reviews the economic growth and productivity dynamics of Philippine economy in the past fifty years. The paper also provides an estimation of determinants of total factor productivity and la...

by Gilberto M Llanto | On 29 May 2012

Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Bangladesh

Shallow groundwater with high arsenic concentrations from naturally occurring sources is the primary source of drinking water for millions of people in Bangladesh. It has resulted in a major public...

by Imran Matin | On 28 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

Myths and Realities of Long-run Development: A Look at Deeper Determinants

This paper reviews the debate surrounding the “deeper determinants” of economic performance. It reviews the work of Institutional School and Geography School and their interpretation of the long-r...

by Lubna Hasan | On 24 May 2012

Black Money

The objective of this paper is to place in the public domain various facets and dimensions of black money and its complex relationship with the policy and administrative regime in the country. The pa...

by Ministry of Finance | On 22 May 2012

Inter-Party Competition and Electoral Campaigning in Rural Malaysia: The Pendang and Anak Bukit By-Elections of 2002

The Pendang parliamentary and Anak Bukit by-elections for the Kedah state legislative assembly were among the most contentious of by-elections in recent Malaysian politics. Held simultaneously on 18...

by K Ramanathan | On 10 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

Trans-boundary River Basins in South Asia: Options for Conflict Resolution

India's trans-boundary riparian policies affect four countries - Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh - on three river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra-Mehgna. China's riparian pol...

by Gopal Siwakoti Chintan | On 25 Apr 2012

Research Study on Women’s Empowerment, Good-governance and Decentralisation : Assuring Women’s Participation in Panchayats of Two Backward Districts of Northern Part of West Bengal

The study focused on the factors and forces behind the participation of women in Panchayat Structure specially after the seventy third Constitution Amendment Act. The role performance, role awarenes...

by Dilip Kumar Sarkar | On 20 Apr 2012

Brides for Sale: Cross-Border Marriages and Female Immigration

Every year, a large number of women immigrate as brides from developing countries to developed countries in East Asia. This phenomenon virtually did not exist in the early 1990s, but foreign brides...

by Daiji Kawaguchi | On 16 Apr 2012

The view, outside in

What India has to do to overcome the dents that India has suffered in its international image? India will have to play a delicate game of exercising autonomy in its pursuit of national objectives with...

by T.N. Ninan | On 10 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

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

Annual Report (2011-12) on The Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments

Major shifts in the policy initiated in the electricity sector are well documented, only then the effect of the policy change can be analyzed, especially from the point of view of laying down future p...

by Planning Commission | On 19 Mar 2012

Theft and Loss of Electricity in an Indian State

Utilizing data from the power corporation of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, the politics of electricity theft over a ten year period (2000–09) is studied. It is seen that electricity the...

by Miriam Golden | On 06 Mar 2012

Penance time

The time has come for the governmant to make up for its sins of the past three years. The Budget must be judged on whether it shows that the govt is in the mood to recognize its follies, and in a posi...

by T.N. Ninan | On 05 Mar 2012

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

Annual Report 2011-12 On the Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments

Major shifts in the policy initiated in the electricity sector are well documented so that the effect of this policy change can be analyzed especially from the point of view of laying down future poli...

by Planning Commission | On 28 Feb 2012

Can Institutions be Reformed from Within? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment with the Rajasthan Police

Institutions in developing countries, particularly those inherited from the colonial period, are often thought to be subject to strong inertia. This study presents the results of a unique randomized t...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 27 Feb 2012

Study on Impact of Micro Finance in Reduction of Domestic Violence Against Women

The main objective of the study is to investigate whether there is any evidence to support the view that the disbursement of micro finance to women reduces the incidence of domestic violence, and if...

by Institute of Social Studies Trust ISST | On 23 Feb 2012

Drawn into Violence: Evidence on 'What Makes a Criminal' from the Vietnam Draft Lotteries

Draft lottery number assignment during the Vietnam Era provides a natural experiment to examine the effects of military service on crime. Using exact dates of birth for inmates in state and federal pr...

by Jason Lindo | On 19 Feb 2012

Whither Human Capital? The Woeful Tale of Transition to Tertiary Education in India

In this paper the issue of high dropout rates in India is examined which has adverse implications for human capital formation, and hence for the country’s long term growth potential. Using the 2004-0...

by Manisha Chakrabarty | On 14 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

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

The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians

Much of the socioeconomic mobility achieved by U.S. immigrant families takes place across rather than within generations. When assessing the long-term integration of immigrants, it is therefore impo...

by Brian Duncan | On 31 Jan 2012

Third Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2011-12

This policy review is set in the context of a highly uncertain global environment and a delicately poised domestic balance between growth and inflation. It should be read and understood together...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 25 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

Contested Relationships: Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment, Insights from the Transfer of Material Assets in Bangladesh

This article examines the relationship between women’s economic and social empowerment in the context of extreme poverty. It is based on the findings of primary fieldwork on the char islands of nort...

by Lucy Scott | On 11 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

The Five-Phases of Economic Development and Institutional Evolution in China and Japan

Based on the variable rate of gross domestic product per capita growth and its sources, this paper first identifies five phases of economic development that are common to China, Japan, and Korea: M...

by Masahiko Aoki | On 04 Jan 2012

Turning the Tide: Improving Water Resource Management in the Philippines

Water is arguably the most important natural resource and because it is scarce, its optimal usage and proper management must be ensured. Water governance in the Philippines, however, has becom...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 03 Jan 2012

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

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

Will Neoliberal Policies Resolve Water Sector Dilemmas? Learnings from Maharashtra and Gujarat

This paper examines how the neoliberal policies have influenced the water sector reform policies and interventions in India, particularly, in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. In doing so, the...

by Viswanathan P K | 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

How Awareness Changes the Relative Weights of Evidence During Human Decision-Making

Human decisions are based on accumulating evidence over time for different options. Here a simple question is asked: How is the accumulation of evidence affected by the level of awareness of the infor...

by Floris P de Lange | 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

High Level Expert Group Report on Universal Health Coverage for India

The recommendations that follow take cognizance of the extraordinary opportunities that India offers – and the possibility for India to take a lead in introducing a well-designed UHC system that i...

by Planning Commission | On 15 Dec 2011

A China Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations

Until recently, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been an effective framework for cooperation because it has continually adapted to changing economic realities. The current Doha Agenda is an ab...

by Aaditya Mattoo | On 13 Dec 2011

Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the Presence of Informal Labour Markets

How does informality in emerging economies affect the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy? To answer this question two-sector, formal-informal new Keynesian closed-economy is constructed. The inf...

by Nicoletta Batini | On 02 Dec 2011

Studying Soft Power

In an era of globalised communication technologies, research is focussing on the potential of media as a means of ‘soft power’, to persuade people and wield influence. The issue of credibility also co...

by Maya Ranganathan | On 22 Nov 2011

Feminist Economics of Trade: Reflections on the Indian Manufacturing Sector

This paper examines the socio-economic condition of women in India. The paper begins by delving into different forms of violence faced by women in India, giving special attention to the work sphere a...

by Susana Barria | On 09 Nov 2011

Coordination Under Uncertain Conditions: An Analysis of the Fukushima Catastrophe

This paper analyzes the impacts of the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, which were amplified by a failure of coordination across the plant, corporate...

by Masahiko Aoki | On 03 Nov 2011

A Case for Case Studies

This essay attempts to look beyond the long-standing qualitative-quantitative tug of war in studying society. It takes as an example one approach, the case study, that often acts as a bridge between...

by Ipsita Sapra | On 19 Oct 2011

Burma’s Transition to “Disciplined Democracy”: Abdication or Institutionalization of Military Rule?

This article formulates an analytical framework for the detachment of militaries from politics and identifies positive and negative factors for a withdrawal. It then applies this framework to the case...

by Marco Bünte | On 17 Oct 2011

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

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

Productivity Dynamics in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry: Evidences from Plant-level Panel Data

This paper investigates the effects of plants' dynamics on productivity growth in the Indian pharmaceutical industry across five regions: north, north-west, west, south and the rest of India, during t...

by Atsuko Kamiike | On 06 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

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

Market Dynamics in Supply Chains: The Impact of Globalisation and Consolidation on Food Companie's Mark-ups

This paper examines whether ownership and increased competitive pressure affect food retailers’ market power, analysing whether all actors involved in the food supply chain deviate from the pricing be...

by Eleni A Kaditi | On 29 Aug 2011

Bond Market Development in Asia: An Empirical Analysis of Major Determinants

This study attempts to identity the major determinants of bond market development in Asian economies, through examining its relationship with selected key financial and economic factors, and to provid...

by Biswa Nath Bhattacharyay | On 10 Aug 2011

Enhancing Women Empowerment through Information and Communication Technology: A Report

Information and Communication Technology (ICT’s) bring lot of opportunities to women in the work situations and small business. Teleporting, flexi time and work from home arrangements are some of t...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 29 Jul 2011

Consultation Paper on Mobile Value Added Services

TRAI has initiated this consultation paper suo-motu focusing on future looking regulatory framework for provisioning of Mobile Value Added Services. URL:[http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/trai/uplo...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) | On 26 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

Lives and Livelihoods on the Streets of Dhaka City: Findings from a Population-based Exploratory Survey

BRAC has long been working to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. In recent years, BRAC has extended its activities to include the urba...

by Syed Masud Ahmed | On 11 Jul 2011

Spatial Inequality in Rural India: Do Initial Conditions Matter?

Disparities in income and living standards across countries and between regions within countries (spatial inequality) have been the subject of much debate and research in recent years. Spatial inequal...

by Hari Nagarajan | On 01 Jul 2011

Poverty and Natural Resources: Understanding the Dynamics in the Content of Dryland Regions in Western India

The interface between environment and poverty is a complex phenomenon. Poverty reduction needs will be enabled if the poor are allowed access to natural capital, such as land, water, forest and minera...

by Amita Shah | On 23 Jun 2011

Loss of Load Probability of a Power System: Kerala February 2010

By virtue of the vital nature of electric power, both to our economic and personal well being, a power system is expected to supply electrical energy as economically as possible, and with a high deg...

by N. Vijayamohanan Pillai | On 22 Jun 2011

The Clash of the Counter-bureaucracy and Development

One of the little understood, but most powerful and disruptive tensions in established aid agencies lies in the clash between the compliance side of aid programs—the counter-bureaucracy—and the tech...

by Andrew Natsios | On 17 Jun 2011

Report of the Working Group on Human Resource Policy for Short-Term Cooperative Credit Structure

For the revival of rural cooperative credit institutions, a Working Group was constituted by NABARD to formulate and suggest comprehensive human resource guidelines for the State Cooperative Bank (...

by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Devt NABARD | On 15 Jun 2011

Access to Education and Employment: Implications for Poverty

The paper explores the linkages between ‘Education’ and ‘Poverty’ and the possibility of poverty reduction through better employment opportunities. The paper proceeds with the understanding that pov...

by Rushidan Islam Rahman | On 13 Jun 2011

The Trappings of Poverty:The Role of Assets and Liabilities in Socio-economic Mobility in Rural Bangladesh

This paper examines the role of assets and liabilities in socio-economic mobility patterns using findings from 293 life-history interviews, conducted by the author and a small team of researchers in r...

by Peter Davis | On 10 Jun 2011

Macroeconomics of Poverty Reduction: India Case Study

India, located in South Asia is a large country that ranks second in the world in terms of population and seventh in terms of geographical area. Its civilization is very old dating back to at least...

by Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research | On 09 Jun 2011

Social Exclusion and Adverse Incorporation in Rural Bangladesh: Evidence from a Mixed-methods Study of Poverty Dynamics

Using findings from a mixed-methods study of poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh, including from 293 life history interviews, the paper explores how the alternative stance of viewing poverty dynamics...

by Peter Davis | On 09 Jun 2011

On Harnessing Natural Resources for Sustainable Development

The mainstream economics has characteristically been myopic in visualizing the relationship between human beings and the ecosphere, the surrounding in which they live, work and prosper. Man though...

by SK Mishra | On 23 May 2011

Club-Convergence and Polarisation of States A Nonparametric Analysis of Post-Reform India

The objective of this paper is to study the dynamics of the distribution of regional per capita income of Indian states in the post reform period, in order to identify trends towards convergence-c...

by Sabyasachi Kar | On 20 May 2011

Trends in Wage Goods Prices and Cost of Living of Casual Workers in Shillong

The present study aims at an investigation into the prices of wage goods and the cost of living of casual wageworkers in Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya, India. Labourers are defined as a...

by S.K. Mishra | On 16 May 2011

Infrastructure in the North Eastern Region of India

Depending upon the criterion of ownership (whether private or public/social), infrastructure may be classified into: (i) social infrastructure or social overhead capital and (ii) private infrastru...

by S.K. Mishra | On 11 May 2011

Agenda for the 2nd session of the First Parliament

This paper presents the agenda of the second session of the first Parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/show_forms.php?var=4]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 09 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

Agenda for the 3rd session of the First Parliament

This paper presents the agenda of the third session of the first Parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/9Final%20Agenda%20for%203rd%20session%20of%20First%20Parliament.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 06 May 2011

Order of Business or The 4th Session of the National Assembly

This paper presents the agenda of the fourth session of the National Assembly of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/104TH%20SESSION%20AGENDA.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 05 May 2011

Projected Order of Business or The 5th Session First Parliament of Bhutan

This paper presents the agenda of the fifth session of the first parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/11Agenda%20for%205th%20session.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 04 May 2011

Order of Business or The 6th Session First Parliament of Bhutan

This paper presents the agenda of the sixth session of the first parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/126TH%20SESSION%20AGENDA.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 03 May 2011

Did the Indian Capital Controls Work as a Tool of Macroeconomic Policy?

In 2010 and 2011, there has been a fresh wave of interest in cap- ital controls. India is one of the few large countries with a complex system of capital controls, and hence others an opportunity to...

by Ila Patnaik | On 21 Apr 2011

National Youth Policy 2010 (NYP 2010)

The NYP 2010 is a step forward from the earlier Policy formulated in 1988 and, later, in 2003. It reaffirms commitment of the nation to the holistic development of the young people of the country....

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 19 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

Race and Equality: A Study of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong’s Education System

This report analyzes the key education-related issues raised in these interviews as well as available studies on the needs of ethnic minority communities, press reports, government reports and edu...

by Kelley Loper | On 01 Apr 2011

State Women Policy

The Government of Chhattisgarh is firmly committed to capitalise on its ‘new State advantage’. The State has taken a conscious decision to do away with past legacies and to adopt a fresh approach to...

by Government of Chhattishgarh | On 30 Mar 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

Banking Laws Amendment Bill

The government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that seeks to align voting rights in private banks with shareholding, enhance the central bank’s regulatory powers over banks and give grea...

by Economic Times ET | On 23 Mar 2011

Cambodia enters the WTO: Lessons learned for Least Developed Countries

The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia applied for accession to the World Trade Organization in October 1994. At its meeting on 21 December 1994, the Preparatory Committee for the WTO establishe...

by Sok Siphana | On 16 Mar 2011

Ethnic Fertility Differentials in Vietnam and their Proximate Determinants

Southeast Asia‘s rapid economic growth and demographic change have brought divergent fertility behaviors, particularly those of socially excluded groups, into sharper focus. In Vietnam, while the ma...

by Sajeda Amin | On 15 Mar 2011

Health and Human Rights in Chin State, Western Burma: A Population-Based Assessment Using Multistaged Household Cluster Sampling

The Chin State of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is an isolated ethnic minority area with poor health outcomes and reports of food insecurity and human rights violations. A report on a population-base...

by Richard Sollom | On 09 Mar 2011

Budget Impact on Various Sectors

Budget reactions from various sectors

by Leena Chandan | On 09 Mar 2011

Methodology for Identifying The Poorest at Local Level

This article argues that the extreme poor warrant specific analytical and policy focus. It attempts to identify the extreme poor in rural Bangladesh by devising sensitive targeting indicators that a...

by Binayak Sen | On 09 Mar 2011

Failed States, Vicious Cycles, and a Proposal

The problems of failed states, including the repeated return to power of former warlords are examined. It is argued that this causes institutions to become weaker and people to get poorer. It is argue...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 04 Mar 2011

India Chronic Poverty: Towards Solutions and New Compacts in a Dynamic Context

This report is a call to policy makers and concerned citizens to use this talisman, to redeem the pledges made by the Constituent Assembly and to recognise the fact that the numbers and proportions o...

by Aasha Kapur Mehta | On 22 Feb 2011

Review of the Economy 2010/11

The Economic Advisory Council in its review of the economy has predicted a continued high growth but has suggested steps to sustain this growth, chief among them:Containing inflation by focusing both...

by C. Rangarajan | On 21 Feb 2011

Budget Expectations

Budget expectations from various sectors are given. URL:[ http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/storyShow.php?fileR=20110217120638043&secID=fromnewsroom&secTitle=From the News Room&dir=2011/02/17].

by IRIS India IRIS | On 21 Feb 2011

Rural Poverty Dynamics 2005/2006: Evidence from 64-Village Census Plus

This report addresses the recent dynamics of poverty in rural Bangladesh with particular focus on two groups of the poorest - the chronically poor and the extreme poor - based on the 64-village census...

by Zulfiqar Ali | On 14 Feb 2011

The Dynamics of Competition: Phasing of Domestic and External Liberalisation in India

The focus of the analysis is on the post-colonial period after India attained independence in 1947. This paper covers the period from 1950-51 onwards for which consistent data series are available....

by Arvind Virmani | On 03 Feb 2011

Singapore's Exchange Rate-Based Monetary Policy: A Critical Evaluation

The exchange rate-based monetary policy followed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is outlined. Possible theoretical frameworks, including a reaction function is outlined. The way the MAS h...

by Partha Sen | On 31 Jan 2011

On the Economics of Regional Powers: Comparing China, India, Brazil, and South Africa

As the conception of and debates on regional powers have been led by political science, this paper aims to contribute to the discussion from an economics perspective. Based on the discussion of differ...

by Robert KAppel | On 28 Jan 2011

Consultation Paper on Encouraging Telecom Equipment Manufacturing in India

How the telecom manufacturing value chain needs to be altered to benefit the Indian telecom industry and the country and what needs to be done to make India a telecom manufacturing powerhouse.

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 27 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

Formation of Village Organizations: The First Three Months

This study looked at the process of forming of Village Organizations (VOs) by BRAC. BRAC organizes the poor by initiating the institution building process through which the formation of VOs takes pl...

by Manzurul Mannan | On 29 Dec 2010

Three Studies on the Effect of BRAC Interventions on the Lives of the Poor Women

This paper addressed two current debates within the female empowerment literature using data from BRAC-ICDDR,B Joint research project at Matlab collected during April-July 1995. The first part explore...

by Hassan Zaman | On 24 Dec 2010

Exploring Changes in the Lives of BRAC Women: A Gender Perspective

In Bangladesh, patriarchal norms, ideology and social institutions shape women's role and status in the society. Within this patriarchal system, some forces like NGOs may affect the relationship bet...

by Amina Mahbub | On 23 Dec 2010

The Economy of Thiruvananthapuram

The major objectives of the paper is to:- * to locate the Thiruvananthapuram district in the economic map of the State; *to document the structural and sectoral transformation of the district; *to...

by Oommen M A | On 22 Dec 2010

Of-Meta Narratives and 'Master' Paradigms: Sexuality and Reification of Women in Early India

The paper analyzes the past and present condition of women in India.

by Uma Chakravarti | On 22 Dec 2010

Integration of the Ultra Poor into Mainstream Development: How Effective is CFPR?

This paper aimed to understand the dynamics of participation of the TUP (Targeting the Ultra Poor) members of CFPR (Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction) phase I in the financial market sin...

by Raniya Shams | On 16 Dec 2010

Global Prospects for Utility-Scale Solar Power: Toward Spatially Explicit Modeling of Renewable Energy Systems

This paper provides high-resolution estimates of the global potential and cost of utility-scale photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies and uses a spatially explicit model to identif...

by Kevin Ummel | On 15 Dec 2010

Preventing Odious Obligations: A New Tool for Protecting Citizens from Illegitimate Regimes

This report sets out a way to prevent an all-too-common form of theft from some of the world’s poorest people. An illegitimate, unelected regime signs a contract with a foreign agent, handing ov...

by Centre for Global Development | On 10 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

Convergence Club Empirics: Some Dynamics and Explanations of Unequal Growth across Indian States

This paper documents the convergence of incomes across Indian states over the period 1965 to 1998. It departs from traditional analyses of convergence by tracking the evolution of the entire income...

by Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay | On 22 Nov 2010

Does Female Empowerment Promote Economic Development?

Empirical evidence suggests that money in the hands of mothers (as opposed to their husbands) benefits children. Does this observation imply that targeting transfers on women is good development polic...

by Matthias Doepke | On 18 Nov 2010

Trade Liberalisation, Market Power abd Scale Efficiency in Indian Industry

Using information on listed firms in each of the industry groups at the two-digit level within Manufacturing this study investigates whether the radical shift in trade policy in India in 1991 result...

by Pulapre Balakrishnan | On 09 Nov 2010

Temptations of power

China is not only on the path to Great Power status, it also means to exercise its newfound muscle. What is difficult to understand is why it wants to behave like a rogue power when the world would wa...

by T.N. Ninan | On 05 Nov 2010

Perception of Muslim Women of Their Rights and Status in the State of Andhra Pradesh

Mail questions addressed in this paper are: What is the cognitive perception of Muslim women on their own status in their community? How do the Muslim women perceive their status when compared to the...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 20 Oct 2010

Mekong Mainstream Dams: Threatening Southeast Asia's Food Security

The Mekong is under threat. The governments of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand are considering plans to build eleven big hydropower dams on the Mekong River’s lower mainstream. If built, these dams wou...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 19 Oct 2010

Stemming Girls’ Chronic Poverty: Catalysing Development Change by Building Just Social Institutions

Childhood, adolescence and early adulthood remain for many girls and young women a period of deprivation, danger and vulnerability, resulting in a signifcant lack of agency and critical developm...

by Nicola Jones | On 12 Oct 2010

Imagining Women's Social Space in Early Modern Keralam

The paper argues that the formation of modern gender identities in late 19th and early 20th Century Keralam was deeply implicated in the project of shaping governable subjects who were, at the one...

by J. Devika | On 07 Oct 2010

Determinants of Firm-level Export Performance: A Case Study of Indian Textile Garments and Apparel Industry

A major reform process in the Indian economic policy regime away from a four- decade-long inward orientation has been under way since July 1991 in response to a serious macro-economic crisis. The n...

by T.A. Bhavani | On 05 Oct 2010

Dynamics of Chronic Poverty: Variations in Factors Influencing Entry and Exit of the Chronic Poor

India experienced high economic growth in the 1990s. Some earlier studies, which attempted to identify the influence of growth on poverty dynamics in the country by including growth variables among th...

by Nidhi Dhamija | On 04 Oct 2010

An Ethnography of Associational Life: Caste and Politics in India

In 1956 Susanne Rudolph and I arrived in India for the first of many research years there. We were among the second batch of Ford Foundation Foreign Area Training Fellows. As area scholars we were com...

by Lloyd I. Rudolf | On 15 Sep 2010

The Transfer Paradox in a One-Sector Overlapping Generations Model

This paper examines the effects of international income transfers on welfare and capital accumulation in a one-sector overlapping generations model. It is shown that a strong form of the transfer para...

by Partha Sen | On 15 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

The Medium Run Effects of Educational Expansion: Evidence from a Large School Construction Program in Indonesia

This paper studies the medium run consequences of an increase in the rate of accumulation of human capital in a developing country. From 1974 to 1978, the Indonesian government built over 61,000 prima...

by Esther Duflo | On 25 Aug 2010

Issues and Constrains in Manpower Supply in Indian Hospitality Industry

The availability of skilled and trained manpower is a crucial element in the successful long-term development and sustainability of a tourist destination. Skilled and trained human resources will ensu...

by P. Srinivas Subbarao | On 20 Aug 2010

What Can Be Learned About the Economies of China and India from Purchasing Power Comparisons?

Comparisons of India and China have been made for over 50 years. This paper focuses on purchasing power estimates in China and India in the 2005 round of the UN International Comparison Programme (I...

by Alan Heston | On 20 Aug 2010

Moving to Goods and Services Tax in India: Impact on India’s Growth and International Trade

The differential multiple tax regime across sectors of production leads to distortions in allocation of resources thus introducing inefficiencies in the sectors of domestic production. With regard t...

by Rajesh Chadha | On 12 Aug 2010

Testing for the Option Value of Migration

Using uncertainty about the future returns to migration, the option value theory of migration can explain low migration rates in spite of huge wage differences. This paper presents the theory in a...

by Lilo Locher | On 12 Aug 2010

Dynamics of Youth Population – Impact of Education Expenditure

Youth constitutes the largest segment of the Indian population and being the primary productive human resources, the socio-economic development of youth directly linked to the development process. Thi...

by Joydeep Goswami | On 03 Aug 2010

Exchange Rate Arrangements For East Asia Post-Crisis: Examining The Case For Open Economy Inflation Targeting

The infeasibility of a monetary union for East Asia in the near future, as well as the limitations of other forms of super fixes, appears to leave a flexible regime as the only viable policy option....

by Tony Cavoli | On 30 Jul 2010

Regional Responses To The Southeast Asian Economic Crisis: A Case Of Self-Help Or No Help?

The currency crises of the 1990s, particularly the one that hit Southeast Asia since the devaluation of the Thai baht on July 2, 1997, are suggestive of the relevance and pervasiveness of contagion...

by Chang Li Lin | On 21 Jul 2010

Vulnerability and poverty in Bangladesh

This study estimates ex ante poverty and vulnerability of households in Bangladesh using Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) data in 2005. Our results show that poverty is not same as vulne...

by Md. Shafiul Azam | On 19 Jul 2010

Casting the net wide and deep: lessons learned in a mixed-methods study of poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh

In this paper we reflect on lessons learned in developing a mixed-methods approach to the study of poverty dynamics in a three phase qual-quant-qual study of poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh. We a...

by Peter Davis | On 19 Jul 2010

Privatisation of Electricity in Delhi

This paper throws light on the issue of privatisation of electricity in Delhi. [Working Paper No. 0032]

by Michael Stamminger | On 16 Jul 2010

Communication and Power: The State of Research

Given the increasingly confusing proliferation of models for communication research, documentation of some of the differences that exists have been done. There are a number of ways to divide the terr...

by Biswajit Das | On 22 Jun 2010

Municipal Finance of Urban Infrastructure: Knowns and Unknowns

Various trends, including an increasing emphasis on fiscal decentralization; political democratization in many areas; globalization and the financial liberalization that often accompanies it; growing...

by James Alm | On 18 Jun 2010

The Exchange Rate Regime in Asia: From Crisis to Crisis

Prior to the Asian financial crisis, most Asian exchange rates were de facto pegged to the US Dollar. In the crisis, many economies experienced a brief period of extreme flexibility. A `fear of float...

by Ila Patnaik | On 18 Jun 2010

Theun-Hinboun: Expanding Failure

The Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project – a dam and diversion project under construction in Central Laos – violates the Equator Principles and Lao law, according to this report. It documents how Lao villa...

by Ikuko Matsumoto | On 17 Jun 2010

Instability at the Gate: India’s Troubled Northeast and its External Connections

This paper intends first to give a brief overview of the rise and growth of some of those separatist groups, with a special focus on the Nagas, the Mizos and the Assam movement. An analysis of the de...

by Renaud Egreteau | On 10 Jun 2010

A Perspective on Fisheries Sector Interventions for Livelihood Promotion

The ultimate goal of this paper is to derive inspiration from Coase Theorem and the Japanese model of Keiretsu to empower the producers and suppliers of fish – namely, the fisher folk and to place the...

by Samar K. Datta | On 09 Jun 2010

Girls in Science and Technology Education: A Study on Access, Participation, and Performance of Girls in Nepal

This paper is a study on Access, Participation, and Performance of Girls in Science and Technology in Nepal. This study was undertaken essentially to achieve four objectives, viz. to review curricular...

by Dr. Vidya Nath Koirala | On 03 Jun 2010

Grassroot Empowerment (1975-1990): A Discussion Paper

The discussion focusses on women in poverty their concentration in rural and urban areas, and the organisational approach for their mobilization and empowerment. Maximum emphasis has been placed on...

by Narayana K Banerjee | On 17 May 2010

Rural Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Development

Empowerment of women has emerged as an important issue in recent times. The economic empowerment of women is being regarded these days as a Sine-quo-non of progress for a country; hence, the issue of...

by Sathiabama K | On 19 Apr 2010

Determinants of the Choice of Migration Destination

This paper examines migrants choice of destination conditional on migration. To this end, an empirical strategy is designed which remedies both migration selection and unobserved heterogeneity probl...

by Marcel Fafchamps | On 18 Mar 2010

State Business Relations and Performance of Manufacturing Sector in Andhra Pradesh

In this paper, an attempt is made to enquire into the politics of the government and business relation and how it affects the industrial development in general and expansion of manufacturing sector...

by Alivelu G | On 02 Mar 2010

Migration of Health Care Professionals from India: A Case Study of Nurses

The study attempts to examine why there is staff shortage of health care professionals especially the nurses in India and the impact of such migration on services like emergency preparedness, quality...

by Ann Issac | On 04 Feb 2010

Negotiating the Terms of A New Social Contract: Private Companies, Civil Society and the State in India

A detailed analysis of the stakes and dynamics at play in the public, civil and self-regulation of companies in India is offered. With the rapid growth and modernization of the country as the backdro...

by Damien Krichewsky | On 02 Feb 2010

Water Democracy: Reclaiming Public Water in Asia

This collection of 19 new essays written by civil society activists, trade unionists and other water practitioners, presents examples of ongoing struggles against water privatization and commercia...

by Focus on the Global South FGS | On 22 Jan 2010

Book Review: Microfinance-Is it a means of Empowering Women?

Multiple Meanings of Money: How Women See Microfinance by Smita Premchander, V. Prameela, M. Chidambaranathan, L. JeyaseelanSage publication, 2009, Pp 264, Rs. 595/-

by Sanchita Das | On 20 Jan 2010

Book Review:The Body in Constructions of Identity

Living the Body: Embodiment, Womenhood and Identity in Contemporary India by Meenakshi Thapan, Sage Publication, Delhi; 2009, pp. 220; Rs. 550.

by Ratnawali Sinha | On 08 Jan 2010

Obstacles to Private Power Investments in India

This paper aims to highlight the critical importance of cost recovery in attracting and sustaining private investment for power development. Based on a brief review of Indian experience, it suggests...

by Vishvanath V. Desai | On 24 Dec 2009

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

Poverty Dynamics in Rural Sindh, Pakistan

This paper focuses on poverty dynamics and their determinants, using panel survey data for rural Sindh, Pakistan. Households interviewed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) d...

by Hari Ram Lohano | On 10 Dec 2009

Democratic Citizenship: From Proportionality to a Continuum Approach to Political Participation

This paper is an attempt to explore the meaning and significance of political participation within (a) the conceptual framework of democratic citizenship and (b) debates surrounding representative d...

by Anupama Roy | On 10 Dec 2009

Flying with the Crane-Recapturing KMVS’s Ten-Year Journey

This document is at the behest of KMVS and is an effort to hold up a mirror to their journey. It is a documentation of their history, context, evolution, and experiences since its emergence in 1989. A...

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 01 Dec 2009

Combining Data, Enhancing Explanation

In this paper the author analyzes the pros and cons of combining data from different sources to revisit some explanatory problems. The problems discussed have risen from a theoretical and analytic g...

by Sarah Irwin | On 18 Nov 2009

Women in Self Help Groups and Panchayti Raj Institutions: Suggesting Synergistic Linkages

Questions about the processes of empowerment generated under each of these interventions and also suggests synergistic linkages between the two are raised.

by Joy Deshmukh Ranadive | On 13 Nov 2009

The Socio-Economic Determinants Behind Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality

A qualitative study was conducted in the six states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana to understand the socio-economic, cultural and demographic features a...

by Indian Trust for Innovation and Social Change ITISC | On 12 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

Political Sociology of Poverty In India: Between Politics of Poverty and Poverty of Politics

This paper on political sociology of poverty in India is based upon the assumption that a) the caste system and economic inequality complement each other in the case of the poorer sections of Indian...

by Anand Kumar | On 10 Nov 2009

Rectifying the Anti-politics of Citizen Participation

Can ‘participatory’ approaches to development constitute a viable strategy for promoting citizenship? This paper addresses this question by scrutinising the equivocal reaction of a peasant community...

by Katsuhiko Masaki | On 13 Oct 2009

New Financiers and the Environment: Ten Perspectives on How Financial Institutions can Protect the Enviornment

This new report discusses the experience with environmental standards and how it can be useful for new financiers. It contains ten papers written by experts from civil society, financial institutions...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 01 Oct 2009

Chronic Poverty and Development Policy in Sri Lanka: Overview Study

The present study attempts to capture chronic poverty in Sri Lanka by examining general information on poverty and drawing conclusions on those who are likely to be among the chronic poor. Certain p...

by Indra Tudawe | On 17 Sep 2009

Assets and Poverty Traps in Rural Bangladesh

This paper applies Carter and Barrett’s theory of assets poverty traps to a unique longitudinal survey from rural Bangladesh. Non-parametric and parametric methods are used to examine the shape of the...

by Agnes Quisumbing | On 06 Aug 2009

Book Review: Are Women Really Empowered?

Book Review Discourse on Women and Empowerment, Vibhuti Patel (Ed), (Empowering Women Worldwide Series: 4), The Women Press, Delhi, 2009.

by Usha Thakkar | On 30 Jun 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

Basic Infrastructure for a Nuclear Power Project

This publication was produced as a direction to increase the capability of Member States to plan and implement nuclear power programmes and to establish and enhance national nuclear infrastructure....

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 19 Jun 2009

Women, Paid Work and Empowerment in India: A Review of Evidence and Issues

The paper is an attempt to review critically the association between women’s paid work and empowerment in India. As a prelude, the author seek to assess the extent of women’s participation in paid wor...

by Sunny Jose | On 15 Jun 2009

Goods and Services Tax for India

The paper contours of a feasible design of VAT in India. It also takes on board the various alternatives proposed. It looks at the issues that need resolution and the options available for resolving t...

by R.Kavita Rao | On 12 Jun 2009

Does the Currency Regime Shape Unhedged Currency Exposure?

This paper examines how unhedged currency exposure of firms varies with changes in currency exibility. A sequence of four time-periods with alternating high and low currency volatility in India prov...

by Ila Patnaik | On 11 Jun 2009

Initiatives of NGOs in Kutch Region

Many NGOs occupy a space between public and private sector organisations, and the papers in this special issue demonstrate that the mechanisms required for effective accountability by these NGOs are u...

by Kalpana C Satija | On 06 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

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

You Can Get There From Here..

This inaugural piece addresses a fundamental problem of communication – how to effectively talk about an issue. It’s not as simple as it seems. Its always known that people did not always “hear” what...

by Joseph Grady | On 05 May 2009

Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Design Safety Reqiurements

The document takes into account the developments relating to the safety of nuclear power plants since the Code on Design was last revised. These developments include the issuing of the Safety Fundame...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 22 Apr 2009

Sri Lanka Budget 2009

2009 Budget speech

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 20 Apr 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

Moving Beyond the Privatisation Debate: Different Approaches to financing Water and Electricity in Developing Countries

In today’s developing world the vast majority of water and electricity services are provided by public utilities. Rather than asking “who should provide the services”, the authors adopt a financing po...

by Daniel Platz | On 09 Feb 2009

Exploring the Relationship Between Military Spending and Human Rights Performance in South Asia

The relationship between military spending and human rights is one of the most prominent issues in political economy. Yet, the linkage between the two is empirically underdeveloped. Seeking to fulfi...

by Krishna Chaitanya Vadlamannati | On 08 Jan 2009

Performance of Indian Cement Industry: The Competitive Landscape

The competitiveness among the firms in Indian cement industry has also been evaluated. For the year 2006-07, out of the sample of seventeen firms (90.21% of the total market share), about 47% have re...

by G Burange | On 19 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

Winners and Losers of State Electricity Boards Reforms : An Organisational Analysis

This article is mainly based on repeated field inquires in Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, at different stages of reform. In these States, the reform, far from precluding to analyse what are class...

by Joel Ruet | On 23 Sep 2008

Adult Education: A Tale of Empowerment Denied

the paper examines the current situation of adult education schemes in India and their impacts on the Indian society.

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 03 Sep 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

Who is Worried about the National Interest?

Given the strategic long run character of the nuclear deal, the decision on it should nor be hurried. Nor is it one that can be taken without seeking wider public consensus than is available to the...

by Arun Kumar | On 21 Jul 2008

Constitutionalising Panchayats: The Response of State Legislatures

This article is an attempt to look at debates in the light of the Assemblies' tryst with panchayats. It should be noted that it is not an evaluation of what transpired in the state Assemblies. In view...

by Girish Kumar | On 03 Jul 2008

Nuclear non-proliferation from Gulf Perspective.

The GCC states ((Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and UAE) have embarked on establishing a civilian nuclear programme solely for peaceful proposes. However, the actual nature of the programm...

by Nicole Stracke | On 04 Jun 2008

West Bengal Budget 2008-09

Budget and Annual Financial Statement for the year 2008-09.

by West Bengal Government | On 25 Mar 2008

ICT and Employment Promotion Among Poor Women: How Can We Make It Happen? Some Reflections On Kerala's Experience

This paper deals with the integration of gender in policies relating to information and communication technology to empower socially excluded poor women as producers of this technology. In this contex...

by Mohanan Pillai P | On 25 Mar 2008

Andhra Pradesh Budget 2008-09

SPEECH OF SRI K. ROSAIAH, HONOURABLE FINANCE MINISTER WHILE PRESENTING THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2008-09 TO THE ANDHRA PRADESH STATE LEGISLATURE.

by Government Andhra Pradesh | On 10 Mar 2008

Women’s Economic Empowerment as the “Magic Potion” of Development?

Boosting women’s relative control of income and other economic resources has so many consequences that positively enhance both gender equality and development that female economic empowerment may be c...

by Rae Lesser Blumberg | On 20 Feb 2008

Environmentally Sound Technologies for Sustainable Development of China and India

The paper compares policy responses of China and India to the global requirements of trade and environment regimes as well as the domestic compulsions are compared.

by Sankar U | On 11 Feb 2008

Gender Planning, Budgeting and Auditing

This manual is intended to help local governments to uphold the human rights of women, by involving them in identifying their needs and with their participation, to find possible solutions and move to...

by Aleyamma Vijayan | On 04 Feb 2008

Financing Arrangements for Nuclear Power Projects in Developing Countries A Reference Book

The IAEA topical seminar on Financing of Nuclear Power Projects in Developing Countries reaffirmed that a major requirement for and constraint on the development of nuclear power projects in developin...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 14 Jan 2008

HIV Treatment Proceeds as Prevention Research Confounds

World AIDS Day, the annual December 1 commemoration, first took place in 1988 under the auspices of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. At that time there was no idea about HIV treatment b...

by PLoS Medicine | On 11 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

Child Marriage: Social and Economic Linkages and Opportunities for Intervention

The presentation shows the consequences of child marriage, how to prevent child marriage. [Power Point Presentation].

by Geeta Rao Gupta | On 19 Dec 2007

Book Review: Foucault's Re-Examination of Disciplinary Power in Psychiatry

Review of Michel Foucault. _Psychiatric Power: Lectures at the College de France, 1973-1974_b. Translated by Graham Burchell. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. $28.95 (cloth).

by Tiffany F. Jones | On 17 Dec 2007

Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women through SHGs Case Study from Orissa

In a remote tribal village of Kandhamal District of Orissa, where there there are visible signs of empowerment of women due to the formation of SHG in the village. The confidence level of women, who...

by Pradeep Baisakh | On 05 Nov 2007

Customer Centricity and the Reserve Bank

The Reserve Bank, as the regulator of the banking sector, has been actively engaged, from the very beginning, in the review, examination and evaluation of customer service in the banks. It has been re...

by Leeladhar V | On 26 Oct 2007

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

Burma: Member States of the UN must Intervene: ACHR Weely Review

Reports have been pouring in that the Burmese soldiers today used baton and tear gas against the Buddhist monks and civilian protesters at Shwedagon pagoda, the holiest Buddhist place in Rangoon. The...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 26 Sep 2007

Defining Human Differences in Biomedicine

An extensive literature reflects millennia of concern over what we humans call ourselves and others. All life sciences are now grappling further with how to categorize and study the nearly infinite po...

by Maggie Brown | On 26 Sep 2007

Potential for Sharing Nuclear Power Infrastructure Between Countries

The introduction or expansion of a nuclear power programme in a country and its successful execution is largely dependent on the network of national infrastructure, covering a wide range of activities...

by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA | On 21 Aug 2007

Discussions Among the Poor: Exploring Poverty Dynamics With Focus Groups in Bangladesh

Findings from 116 focus group discussions are presented, which took place in eleven districts in Bangladesh in mid-2006. It forms the first part of three phases of research in an integrated qualitativ...

by Peter Davis | On 01 Aug 2007

Parochial Politics: Ethnic Preferences and Politician Corruption

Increased voter ethnicization, defined as a greater preference for the party representing one's ethnic group, affects politician quality. If politics is characterized by incomplete policy commitment,...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 19 Jul 2007

The Indian Currency Regime and its Consequences

Since 1993, India’s currency regime is said to be a managed float, a “market determined exchange rate” in the sense that there is a currency market and the exchange rate is not visibly administrativel...

by Ila Patnaik | On 10 Jul 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 06 Jul 2007

Reliability and Rationing Cost in a Power System

An attempt is made to analyse the implications of the relationship between reliability and rationing cost involved in a power supply system in the framework of the standard inventory analysis, instead...

by N. Vijayamohanan Pillai | On 13 Jun 2007

Peri-Urban Dynamics: Case studies in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai

Selected case studies of peri-urban dynamics are detailed, drawing from the experiences of Chennai (Pushpa Arabindoo), Hyderabad (Eric Leclerc and Camille Bourguignon) and Mumbai (Himanshu Burte and M...

by Veronique Dupont | On 16 May 2007

Microfinance And Gender Equality: Are We Getting There?

This paper examines the benefits that accrue to households by financial empowerment of women, but also laments the need for more radical approaches to counter what might seem like inertia to fully eng...

by Irene KB Mutalima | On 17 Apr 2007

State Budget, 2007-08: Kerala: New Development Agenda: Will the State Overcome Obstacles?

The Budget for 2007-08, the year being the first year of the Eleventh Plan, has done reasonable justice to support the Plan and take Kerala on a higher growth path. However, there are external constr...

by K.Ramachandran Nair | On 27 Mar 2007

An Online Magazine for and by Children: A Quasi Experimental Study

The objective of the study was to help children conceptualise and develop an on-line magazine and observe changes in their skills and confidence as communicators due to their experience of developing...

by Kaustubh Nande | On 22 Mar 2007

Ethnic Disparities in Health: The Public’s Role in Working for Equality

The overarching goals should be to increase the quality of life and years of healthy life for all Americans and to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. This has been an ambitious undertaki...

by David Satcher | On 02 Jan 2007

Social Cleavages, Multiculturalism and Emerging Space for State in India under Globalisation Regime

This paper focuses on social cleavages based on class , caste,religion and ethnicity in India. It examines the political salience of caste and class conflicts and addresses the translation of social c...

by Sarojini Mishra | On 29 Dec 2006

Women’s Right To Land, Assets, And Other Productive Resources: Its Impact On Gender Relations And Increased Productivity

It is often assumed that poverty reduction would lead to gender equality. Research however, points to the opposite, namely, that increasing prosperity can have perverse gender effects . It is therefor...

by Nitya Rao | On 26 Dec 2006

Textile and Clothing Trade with European Union: Impact of year-old EU Generalised System of Preferences

Taking into account the latest data of exports of textiles and clothing to the European Union from South Asia and China, a year-end assessment of the impact of the Generalised System of Preferences (...

by C. Satapathy | On 14 Dec 2006

Performance Analysis of Fisherwomen Self-help Groups in Tamil Nadu

The present study attempted to assess the performance of Fisherwomen's self help groups (SHGs) in Tamil Nadu . Primary data required for the study were collected from 725 fisherwomen SHG members repr...

by R. Jayaraman | On 03 Dec 2006

Reform of the Chinese Electric Power Market: Economics and Institutions

To power national development, the government organized electricity production and distribution as a state-owned vertically integrated utility, structured and operated under central planning. Electri...

by Chi Zang | On 25 Oct 2006

SEPHIS e-journal, Volume 2:3, May 2006

Editorial: Samita Sen, Shamil Jeppie, Carlos Degregori Articles: Hlonipha Mokoena: The Making of a Kholwa Intellec- tual: Introducing Magema Magwaza Fuze. Iman Kumar Mitra:The Economics of Sex in...

by SEPHIS | On 23 May 2006

WCD Thematic Review Social Issues I.1: The Social Impact of Large Dams--Equity and Distributional Issues

The ’social impacts’ of dams may be defined as 'impacts on the lives of individual people or groups or categories of people, or forms of social organisation'. Social impacts are distinct from environm...

by William Adams | On 11 May 2006

Integrating poverty reduction in IMF-World Bank Models

This paper outlines the Fund-Bank analytical frameworks and presents a critical appraisal indicating the importance of both demand and supply constraints in the countries undertaking Fund adjustment p...

by Brigitte Granville | On 27 Apr 2006

Democracy and People’s Rights in the Neo-Liberal Era: Role of Judiciary

The recent judgments and orders from various levels of higher judiciary indicate a drastic shift in their outlook and approach. A close look reveals two trends developing within the judiciary. Firstly...

by M.B.Rajesh | On 31 Mar 2006

India’s Pharmaceutical Industry in the WTO Regime: A SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (IPI) in the WTO regime reveals that the much acclaimed IPI’s expertise in process development skills were made possible by the amendments made...

by N. Lalitha | On 28 Mar 2006

International Young Scholars’ Seminar: Rich Nation, Poor People

Critical Perspectives on the Neo-liberal Regime in India 4–5–6 April 2006 Conference Room, Nehru Guest House, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Organized by Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia...

by LeftWord Books | On 25 Mar 2006

Objectivity and Bias in Sociological Studies: A Rejoinder to 'Social Science Knowledge and Its Evaluation'

Does a social scientist need to renounce his ethnicity in order to be objective and unbiased? The issue of how and why scholars choose their subjects and approaches has been debated for almost a centu...

by Darshan Tatla | On 15 Mar 2006

Indo-US Nuclear Deal: Time to be Wary

Now that the nuclear deal has been struck, there is a real danger of India now settling comfortably into a de facto NWS status within a welcoming international non-proliferation architecture. This wil...

by D.Raghunandan | On 14 Mar 2006

Economic Survey 2005-06, Chapter 9

Infrastructure

by Ministry of Finance | On 27 Feb 2006

IEEMA Pre-Budget Memorandum

EEMA is however deeply concerned with regard to a few issues, particularly about the recent FTA’s with neighboring countries like Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh and other countries. EEMA fears that,...

by Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers` IEEMA | On 16 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

Inflation Targeting Arrangements in Asia: Exploring the rate of the Exchange rate

Since the Asian crisis it has been recognized that exchange rate and monetary policy strategies must involve a “fairly high” element of flexibility rather than a single-minded defense of a particular...

by Ramkishen S. Rajan | On 19 Jan 2006

Draft National Pharmaceutical Policy, 2006

In 2002 the government had formulated a new Drug Policy, but the same could not be implemented due to litigation involving it. As a consequence, the policy of 1994 continues to be in force.The pr...

by Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals | On 16 Jan 2006

The Economic Basis of Global Power: VIP2 A Simple Index of National Power Potential

Though Paul Kennedy and other scholars of National Security, Diplomacy and Foreign relations have emphasized the importance of the economy in National Power, not many economists have taken an interes...

by Arvind Virmani | On 24 Dec 2005

Turning Hills into Mountains?Current Commitments under the GATS and Prospects for Change

It has become increasingly clear that the services negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda will not produce significant improvements on current commitments unless major new impetus is provided....

by Rudolf Adhung | On 11 Dec 2005

Dams

The construction of large dams is one of the most costly and controversial forms of public infrastructure investment in developing countries, but little is known about their impact. This paper studies...

by Esther Duflo | On 21 Nov 2005

Spatial Inequality and Development: Overview of UNU-WIDER Project

Spatial inequality is a dimension of overall inequality, but it has added significance when spatial and regional divisions align with political and ethnic tensions to undermine social and political st...

by Ravi Kanbur | On 17 Sep 2005

Realising The Potential Of Panchayati Raj In India

Rural decentralisation and panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) are a profound change in the Indian rural institutional scene. They may ultimately offer a better option for rural development and poverty...

by Naresh C. Saxena | On 10 Sep 2005

Tribal Welfare And Development

The Constitution of India has more than 20 Articles on the redressal and upliftment of the underprivileged following the policy of positive discrimination and affirmative action, particularly with ref...

by D. Swaminadhan | On 10 Sep 2005

The Problem

Introduction to the issue on Revitilising Science, a symposium on the importance of science and technology in our society.

by Anonymous | On 08 Aug 2005

On Urban Infrastructure Development

It is incontrovertible that good infrastructure is central to all economic activity. It facilitates efficiency in key economic services, improves the economy’s competitiveness, and generates high prod...

by Abhay Pethe | On 05 Aug 2005