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Model Nagar Raj Bill: Taking Democracy to the Grassroots

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

by Kedar Diwan | On 21 Feb 2021

Know Your Publishing Space: Institutional Repositories

Institutional repositories(IRs), if established in various universities, would help bring out the contributions by Indian researchers on the world map, especially in the field of Arts, Humanities, and...

by Shubhada Nagarkar | On 19 Feb 2021

PAISA for Municipalities: A Study of Fund Flows and Public Expenditure in the Geographic Jurisdiction of Tumakuru City Municipal Corporation, Tumakuru District, Karnataka

In 2009, 36 per cent of Karnataka’s population was urban, and 32.7 per cent was poor- higher than the all-India level.This study aims to understand the nature and compute the size of the local public...

by | On 03 Feb 2021

The Sunday Edit: Sports without Spectators: Good for Now, But Hardly the New Normal

Watching the first post-Covid football match in the German League was an experience, but even when all the new technologies that will make the experience real are in play it will not be the same as wa...

by Vidya Subramanian | On 14 Jun 2020

Containment Strategies and Support for Vulnerable Households

Policymakers across the developing world are facing the need to make rapid decisions on their COVID-19 response with little available data or guidance. Policies that help deal with the economic cri...

by Jonathan Leape | On 18 May 2020

Globalization and the Re-Articulations of the Local: A Case Study from Kerala’s Midlands

This paper is a preliminary attempt to understand globalisation and social transformation in the rural Kerala. It addresses the socioeconomic changes in a village in the mid-land region of Kerala name...

by Mijo Luke | On 31 Jan 2019

Data Localisation in India: Questioning the Means and Ends

This paper classifies the arguments around data localisation into three broad categories - the civil liberties perspective; the government functions perspective and the economic perspective. It examin...

by Rishab Bailey | On 12 Jan 2019

Do Local Currency Bond Markets Enhance Financial Stability?

This paper empirically tests conventional wisdom on the stabilizing effect of LCBMs. To do so, it analyses and compare the financial vulnerability of developing countries during two episodes of financ...

by Donghyun Park | On 26 Oct 2018

Misallocation in the Market for Inputs: Enforcement and the Organization of Production

The strength of contract enforcement determines how firms source inputs and organize production. Using microdata on Indian manufacturing plants, it shows that production and sourcing decisions appear...

by Johannes Boehm | On 03 Sep 2018

Obstacles and Enablers of Internationalization of Philippine SMEs Through Participation in Global Value Chains

This paper attempts to determine the challenges and enablers of connecting small and medium businesses to global value chains. It uses data from a survey of SMEs in Metro Manila and a set of key infor...

by Jamil Paolo Francisco | On 30 Aug 2018

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

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

by Sonny N. Domingo | On 05 Jul 2018

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

The Rise of Government-Funded Health Insurance in India

India has experienced a remarkable proliferation of 48 Government Funded Health Insurance Schemes (GFHIS) from 1997 to 2018. The paper places the rise of this policy pathway in historical perspective....

by Ila Patnaik | On 15 Jun 2018

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

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

by Robert T. Jensen | On 12 Jun 2018

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

Migration Monitoring Study, 2008 : Emigration and Remittances in the context Of Surge in Oil Prices

A decade ago, the Centre for Development Studies started migration research based on large-scale field surveys covering the whole of Kerala State as a one-time study. However, it soon develo...

by Zachariah KC | On 12 Apr 2018

MGNREGS: POLITICAL ECONOMY, LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND ASSET CREATION IN SOUTH INDIA

MGNREGS, the premier centrally-sponsored national rural livelihood scheme, is one of the most elaborately designed and implemented public workfare programmes in India. While a large number of studi...

by Vinoj Abraham | On 05 Apr 2018

Community Disaster Resilience Fund (CDRF): Operational Guidelines - Draft

The report says that the goal is to promote community leadership in strengthening capabilities and resource mobilization.

by National Alliance Risk Reduction (NAADRR) | On 05 Apr 2018

The Geography of Patenting in India: Patterns and Determinants

This study examines the regional profiles of patenting activities in India. The number of most dynamic sub-national spaces in patent applications is found to be limited to just two to three regions...

by Jaya Prakash Pradhan | On 29 Mar 2018

An Ethnographic Study of the Mathru Poorna Yojana (One Full Meal) Pilot Project for Pregnant and Lactating Mothers in Two Blocks of Two Districts in Karnataka

The present study was undertaken to review the pilot implementation of the programme and its uptake by beneficiaries, in order to provide data to the DWCD, before scaling up the programme to all distr...

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

Nature-Based Solutions For Water

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are inspired and supported by nature and use, or mimic, natural processes to contribute to the improved management of water.

by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultura UNESCO | On 23 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

Case Study of Madhu - A Tribal from Kerala

In the evening of February 22, 2018, A 30 year old man named Madhu, a tribal from Attappadi, Kerala was severely beaten up by the mob who accused him of stealing food items which included rice. Althou...

by Aarti Salve | On 10 Mar 2018

Urban refugees in Delhi Refugee networks, faith and well-being

This paper explores the faith context of displacement and settlement for the Sikh and Christian Afghan refugees and Muslim Rohingya refugees in Delhi. It examines the foundation of community faith...

by | On 09 Mar 2018

State Level Fiscal Reforms in India: Some Core Issues

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

by K.K. George | On 15 Feb 2018

Governance Dilemmas of Sustainable Cities

This paper aims to scrutinize the dilemmas involved in governing sustainable cities, and it offers a suggestion for how the challenge might be addressed.

by Joakim Öjendal | On 08 Feb 2018

Choice, Recognition and the Democracy Effects of Decentralization

The report says that many democratic decentralization reforms are well-crafted.

by James Manor | On 07 Feb 2018

Financing Small and Medium Towns: An Action Research Study from Bemetara Town in India

This research project studied the emerging challenges of small and medium towns in India to improve their finances and provide good services to their inhabitants.

by Yogesh Kumar | On 02 Feb 2018

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

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

by Jesse Ribot | On 02 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I, Chapter 4: Reconciling Fiscal Federalism and Accountability: Is there a Low Equilibrium Trap?

Long-run institutional development co-evolves with fiscal accountability involving, perhaps requiring, a low and declining dependence on devolved resources and a high and rising share of direct taxe...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 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

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

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

by Tanmay Sarkar | On 12 Jan 2018

One Year Later.... Community Disaster Resilience Fund (CDRF), Learning From the Pilot Initiative in India

The paper says that the Community Disaster Resilience Fund (CDRF) is viewed as a mechanism to direct resources for DRR to at risk and vulnerable communities in the context of local implementation of t...

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

Perspectives on Decentralization

This paper seeks to explain what happens within elected bodies at or near the local level in less developed countries, the interactions of elected representatives and bureaucrats at both local and hig...

by James Manor | On 08 Jan 2018

Mapping Spaces For Democratic Participation In South Aceh Indonesia

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

by Leena Avonius | On 08 Jan 2018

India’s National Policy on Urban Street Vendors

This Briefing Note describes the process by which India’s National Policy on Urban Street Vendors was developed, the content of the policy, and the ongoing story of its implementation.

by Shalini Sinha | On 05 Jan 2018

An Evaluation of Domestic and Trade Policies in Building Environmental Services Capacity in Asia: Balancing Diverse Interests and Priorities

This paper provides an overview of the state of the environmental services sector in Asia, by focusing on the most significant segments of infrastructural services namely, water, sanitation and munici...

by Aparna Sawhney | On 01 Jan 2018

Exploring Components and Elements of Sui Generis Systems for Plant Variety Protection and Traditional Knowledge in Asia

The main objective of this paper is to outline components and elements of sui generis Plant Variety Protection (PVP) systems and measures to protect traditional knowledge (TK) based on recent experien...

by Daniel Robinson | On 27 Dec 2017

Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property Rights

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

by Linsu Kim | On 27 Dec 2017

Can Cheap Oil Hurt Net Importers? Evidence from the Philippines

This paper evaluates the impact of oil price shocks on the Philippines—a developing country and a net oil-importing economy.

by Arlan Brucal | On 15 Dec 2017

PIDS Calls For ‘Intelligent’ Discourse On Federalism

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

by PIDS Information Staff | On 11 Dec 2017

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

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

by World Bank [WB] | On 08 Dec 2017

Scheduled Castes, Legitimacy and Local Governance: Continuing Social Exclusion in Panchayats

People of the Scheduled Castes have a long history of being discriminated against, exploited, and placed at the bottom of caste society. The panchayati raj, after the enactment of the 73rd Constitutio...

by | On 07 Dec 2017

Fund-Raising For Energy Projects In Pakistan

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

by Huma Khan | On 30 Nov 2017

Temperature Effects on Productivity and Factor Reallocation: Evidence from a Half Million Chinese Manufacturing Plants

This paper uses detailed production data from a half million Chinese manufacturing plants over 1998-2007 to estimate the effects of temperature on firm-level total factor productivity (TFP), factor in...

by Peng Zhang | On 28 Nov 2017

Appraisal of Informal Political Associations and Institutions: Implications for Democratic Decentralisation in Punjab

This study by using mixed research strategy disentangled the process by which local governments are formed in Punjab.

by Asad Rehman | On 24 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

Analyzing Adoption of soil Conservation Measures by Farmers in Darjeeling District, India

The study attempts to assess the key determinants of the decision to adopt soil conservation. The study area is Teesta River Watershed, in Darjeeling District in the Eastern Himalayas. In the watershe...

by Chandan Singha | On 07 Nov 2017

DRRM's Design and Implementation Need to Be Beefed Up

This, according to researchers Sonny Domingo and Ma. Divina Olaguera from the state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), is the problem the government needs to address to re...

by Philippine Institute Studies (PIDS) | On 03 Oct 2017

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

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

by Sebastian Renner | On 29 Sep 2017

Drivers of Farmers' Income: The Role of Farm Size and Diversification

The study finds that a U-shaped relationship exists between farm size and farm / farmer's income. The results also show that both on-farm and off-farm diversification have an inverted U-shape relatio...

by Varun Kumar Das | On 18 Sep 2017

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

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

by Manasi S | On 13 Sep 2017

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

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

by Abnave Vikas B. | On 12 Sep 2017

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

Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Look at the APEC 2015 Priority Areas (Volume II)

This paper, mainstreaming SMEs in the regional and global market loosely refers to the internationalization of SMEs.

by Philippine Institute Studies (PIDS) | On 05 Sep 2017

Incentivising Domestic Manufacturing for a Sustainable Solar Industry

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

by Mohd. Ali | On 29 Aug 2017

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

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

by Renu Kohli | On 23 Aug 2017

Local government in South Africa: Can the objectives of the developmental state be achieved through the current model of decentralised governance?

This study examines the notions of decentralisation and developmentalism, and shows how they have become two of the most significant defining features of South African local government.

by Andrew Siddle | On 11 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

A Case for Institutional Demand as Effective Social Protection: Supporting Smallholders Through Procurement and Food Assistance Programmes

This paper focuses on the rationale for state-based market interventions to support smallholder production along with some case studies that follow the evolution and impact of what we call ‘institutio...

by Ryan Nehring | On 28 Jul 2017

Causal Impact of the Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures on Farm Profit, Revenue and Variable Cost in Darjeeling District, India

This study attempts to evaluate the effects of on-farm soil conservation practices on farm profit and its components, revenue, and variable cost. Since farmers self-select themselves as adopters of a...

by Chandan Singha | On 27 Jul 2017

Valuation of Subsoil Minerals: Application of SEEA for Bangladesh

The present paper is an attempt to conduct a valuation of the three most important exhaustible natural resources, viz., natural gas, coal and hard rock, via the System of Environmental-Economic Accou...

by Mahfuz Kabir | On 27 Jul 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2015

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 24 Jul 2017

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

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

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 Jul 2017

Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2015 Supplement: Growth Prospects Soften for Developing Asia

The growth forecast for developing countries in Asia in 2015 is cut to 6.1% from 6.3%, amidst slower-than-expected economic activity in the United States and the People’s Republic of China.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Draft National Energy Policy

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

by Niti Aayog GOI | On 13 Jul 2017

Facilitating Foreign Exchange Risk Management for Bond Investments in ASEAN+3

The report says that the bond investors typically have a long position in local currency bond markets. To manage their foreign exchange risk, they may want to hedge that exposure for a period of time.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 Jul 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - September 2015

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jul 2017

Knowledge and Power: Lessons from ADB Energy Projects

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 Jul 2017

Roadmap for Carbon Capture and Storage Demonstration and Deployment in the People’s Republic of China

This report is an assessment of the potential, the barriers and the challenges in demonstrating and deploying Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the People's Republic of China. It identifies unique l...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 26 Jun 2017

Toward Mainstreaming and Sustaining CDD in Indonesia: Understanding Local Initiatives and the Transition from PNPM-Rural to the Villlage Law

The report summarizes important lessons learned and policy implications from the first year of Village Law implementation.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Jun 2017

Southwest Area Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management Project in Bangladesh: Sharing Knowledge on Community-Driven Development

This report describes how applying community-driven development principles to managing the water resource can both expand livelihood opportunities available to beneficiaries at no additional cost to t...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Jun 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Jun 2017

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

Asia Bond Monitor - September 2016

The report notes that yields for 2-year and 10-year local currency government bonds in emerging East Asia were mostly lower between 1 June and 15 August and stock markets in the region recorded gains...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 May 2017

ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide 2016: Malaysia

According to data published on AsianBondsOnline, total LCY bonds outstanding in Malaysia barely moved in the third quarter of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, standing at MYR1,076 billion at t...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 May 2017

The Emergence of Pacific Urban Villages: Urbanization Trends in the Pacific Islands

The paper narrates that the specific needs of the Pacific in the process of urbanization must be recognized and adequately addressed in the post-2015 development agenda. Key priorities include upgradi...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 May 2017

Mapping Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations in Asia and the Pacific: The ADB Experience

ADB recognizes four types of fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS)—conflict-affected, fragile,transitional, and subnational—and each situation has its own unique set of characteristics, and...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 May 2017

Sanitation and Sustainable Development in Japan

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 May 2017

ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide 2016: Hong Kong, China

The paper narrates that the bond market in Hong Kong, China has for some time been a significant market place for issuers and investors in both domestic and foreign currencies. The range of product of...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Philippines: Public-Private Partnerships by Local Government Units

The paper narrates that as local government units (LGUs) have strived to carry out the responsibilities and activities devolved to them by the 1991 Local Government Code, they have explored and availe...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - November 2016

This issue of the Asia Bond Monitor includes Local currency (LCY) government bond yields in advancedeconomies and emerging East Asia climbed between 31 October and 18 November due to increased concern...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - March 2017

This issue of the Asia Bond Monitor includes three special discussion boxes. Box 1 discusses the risk of Federal Reserve rate hikes to emerging Asia’s financial stability. Box 2 analyzes the risks to...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 May 2017

Goods and Services Tax in India: An Opportunities and Challenges

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

by | On 13 Apr 2017

Odisha Agriculture Budget : 2017-18

The first part is the Agriculture Budget, which not only covers the outlay and programmes relating to Agriculture and allied activities, but also presents the macro-economic outlook as well as the...

by Pradip Kumar Amat | On 01 Mar 2017

Lack of Toilets and Violence against Indian Women: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

It is now well-accepted among policy makers that the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene is a basic human right. Yet, millions of people lack access to basic toilet facilities, which anecdotal...

by | On 15 Feb 2017

Budget Speech 2017-18

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

by Arun Jaitley | On 01 Feb 2017

How have States Designed their School Education Budgets?

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

by Child Rights and You CRY | On 18 Jan 2017

The Move to Cashless Economy May be Modernity But Definitely Death of Social Relations

There is an enormous mismatch between expectation and reality on this issue. Some people seem to assume that India could quickly go cashless during this period of remonetisation of cash. This prematur...

by Shyam Sundar | On 27 Dec 2016

Inflation in Pakistan: Money or Oil Prices

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

by Mehak Moazam | On 07 Dec 2016

Unemployment Among the Migrant Population in Chinese Cities: Case Study of Beijing

The increasing number of migrants moving to cities, especially from rural areas, has posed a new set of issues for the authorities. In the mid-1990s, it was estimated that China had a floating populat...

by | On 22 Nov 2016

Endogenous Leadership in a Federal Transfer Game

Conventional wisdom suggests that, to negate fiscal externalities imposed by provinces which spend too much and raise lower local resources, central authority should always be a first mover in the t...

by Bodhisattva Sengupta | On 14 Nov 2016

Air Pollution and Health

One of the main outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was the agreement by Member States to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (...

by | On 08 Nov 2016

Nonviolent Resistance in 1916-1947

The speech talks about the nationalist struggle against the British rule led by Gandhi, as well as a range of other contemporary protest campaigns. In particular, this movement is examined in the ligh...

by David Hardiman | On 28 Oct 2016

MGNREGS: Political Economy, Local Governance and Asset Creation in South India

MGNREGS, the premier centrally-sponsored national rural livelihood scheme, is one of the most elaborately designed and implemented public workfare programmes in India. While a large number of studi...

by Vinoj Abraham | On 10 Oct 2016

Trade Shocks and the Provision of Local Public Goods

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

by | On 10 Oct 2016

Integrated Model of Computable General Equilibrium and Social Cost Benefit Analysis of an Indian Oil Refinery: Future Projections and Macroeconomic Effects

Social Cost Benefit Analysis has long been used as a useful tool to appraise the value of a range of investment projects. Various aspects of this method have been subject to scrutiny over the decade...

by Shovan Ray | On 30 Sep 2016

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

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

by | On 09 Sep 2016

Substance Abuse Treatment Centers and Local Crime

This paper estimates the effects of expanding access to substance-abuse treatment on local crime. It does so using an identification strategy that leverages variation driven by substance-abuse-treatme...

by Samuel Bondurant | On 07 Sep 2016

Educating the Urban Poor: Case Study of Running Pre-schools in Non-notified Slums of Bengaluru

In the paper, an informal preschool program is described that Akshara Foundation administered over 12 months in a set of non-notified slums in Bengaluru. The intervention is particularly noteworthy be...

by K. Vaijayanti | On 29 Aug 2016

Water Stress Analysis and Recommendations for Water Resources Management in Ningxia

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

by Lijin Zhong | On 29 Aug 2016

Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia

One of the wealthiest countries in the Middle East, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also one of the largest exporters of oil, and as such, one of the most influential in the region. Despite this, more...

by | On 25 Aug 2016

Global Estimates 2015: People Displaced by Disasters

The time is opportune to ensure the causes and consequences of this urgent issue are better addressed. Policy makers are pushing for concerted progress across humanitarian and sustainable development...

by | On 01 Aug 2016

Operational Guidelines: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims at supporting sustainable production in agriculture sector by way of providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of unf...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 28 Jul 2016

Oil Price, Exchange Rate and the Indian Macro Economy

The paper investigates the dynamic relationship between movements in oil prices and exchange rates with macroeconomic variables like price, output, interest rate and money by using structural vector a...

by Taniya Ghosh | On 12 Jul 2016

Livelihood of Local Communities and Forest Degradation in India: Issues for REDD+

The enforcement of The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 enabled the regulation of widespread diversions of forestland for non-forest uses, and hence put a check on deforestation. The changing priorities...

by | On 12 Jul 2016

All India Report on Input Survey 2011-12

The third phase of the Agriculture Census comprises the Input Survey. This survey provides valuable information on the pattern of usage of agricultural inputs such as chemical fertilizers, organic man...

by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation GOI | On 07 Jul 2016

Operational Guidelines: Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme

Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) aims to mitigate the hardship of the insured farmers against the likelihood of financial loss on account of anticipated crop loss resulting from adverse wea...

by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation GOI | On 07 Jul 2016

Water Resource Management and Sustainable Development

All living beings on earth need water for their daily life. As it is becoming scarce and the demand is increasing proper management of water is needed.

by Aakriti Singh | On 30 Jun 2016

Decentralisation and Interventions in Health Sector: A Critical Inquiry into the Experience of Local Self Governments in Kerala

This paper attempts to analyse the transition in the healthcare sector during the last two decades linking it to the interventions of Local Self Governments (LSGs). It was found that decentralisation...

by | On 29 Jun 2016

Is Partisan Alignment Electorally Rewarding? Evidence from Village Council Elections in India

Do ruling parties positively discriminate in favour of their own constituencies in allocating public resources? If they do, do they gain electorally in engaging in such a practice? This paper tests wh...

by Subhasish Dey | On 27 Jun 2016

Peace, Terrorism, or Civil Conflict? Understanding the Decision of an Opposition Group

This paper models an opposition group’s choice between peace, terrorism, and open conflict. Terrorism emerges if executive constraints are intermediate and rents are sizeable. Open conflict is predict...

by Michael Jetter | On 27 Jun 2016

Can War Foster Cooperation?

In the past decade, nearly 20 studies have found a strong, persistent pattern in surveys and behavioral experiments from over 40 countries: individual exposure to war violence tends to increase social...

by Michal Bauer | On 24 Jun 2016

Coerced Labor in the Cotton Sector: How Global Commodity Prices (Don’t) Transmit to the Poor

This paper investigates the economic fortunes of coerced vs. free workers in a global supply chain. To identify the differential treatment of otherwise similar workers we resort to a unique exogenous...

by Alexander M. Danzer | On 22 Jun 2016

Situation of Women in South Asia: Some Dimensions

South Asian women and their status is being assessed here to highlight the similarities in the conditions faced by women despite the diversities stemming from class, religion, culture and locality. Th...

by Preeti Rustagi | On 20 Jun 2016

Inter-Regional Comparisons of Humanitarian Action

Throughout the conference it became clear that there are two emerging trends in humanitarian action across the Asia–Pacific. The first is the increasing activity of selected Asia-Pacific states engage...

by | On 09 Jun 2016

Compendium on Soil Health

Government of India is promoting integrated nutrient management (INM) balanced and judicious use of chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and locally available organic manures like farmyard manure,...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 08 Jun 2016

Global Commodity Prices and Inflation in a Small Open Economy

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

by Muhammad Nadim Hanif | On 06 Jun 2016

Righting the Wrong Strengthening Local Humanitarian Leadership to Save Lives and Strengthen Communities

The international humanitarian system—the vast UN-led network in which Oxfam and other international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and others play key rol...

by Oxfam India | On 02 Jun 2016

Environmental Roles of Agriculture in India

The environmental impacts generated by agricultural activity could be global or regional or national or local. However, they are site-specific and tend to vary with farming systems, technologies used...

by | On 01 Jun 2016

Golden Wheat Becomes More Golden Extending SRI to Wheat

People’s Science Institute carried out the first trials of the System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) during rabi 2006- 07. Starting with systematic research trials on farmers’ fields, SWI practice...

by Ravi Chopra | On 27 May 2016

Innovation (and Upgrading) in the Automobile Industry: The Case of India

This paper focuses on the automobile industry and examines the nature of global value chains in it with reference to the case of India. The aim is to explore the relation between lead firms, particula...

by Saon Ray | On 23 May 2016

National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP)

The NBAP draws from the principle that National Enviroment Policy (NEP) that human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development and they are entitled to a healthy and productive li...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests GOI | On 18 May 2016

Time is Running Out: Does Mumbai have Enough Water?

Mumbai has the potential to become one of the world’s ideal cities in terms of sustainable water management. With abundant natural and perennial water sources around it, the megacity is currently one...

by Dhaval D Desai | On 10 May 2016

Bill for Compulsory Voting

An analysis of electoral data in local elections shows that rural local bodies have had higher turnouts than their urban counterparts in almost all states of India. Data from 2009-13 of city corporati...

by Bhanu Joshi | On 09 May 2016

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

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

by N Rajendran | On 09 May 2016

Social and Economic Impact Analysis of Vadinar Refinery of Essar Oil: The Case of a Mega Refinery

The paper is a case study of Vadinar refinery in Gujarat. It examines the costs and benefits associated with one of the world's mega refinery projects highlighting the welfare impacts on society. The...

by Sumana Chaudhuri | On 02 May 2016

Public Financing of Education in Pakistan: Analysis of Federal, Provincial and District Budgets

Although significant, the share of education in total provincial budgets is declining except for Balochistan. This year, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated the highest share of its p...

by Institute of Social and Policy Sciences I-SAPS | On 29 Apr 2016

Taxes: Price of Civilization or Tribute to Leviathan?

The report considers the question of taxes as price versus tribute for contemporary India and makes three points. First, if the accounting cost of services provided exceeds the economic cost (the min...

by | On 15 Apr 2016

PAISA for Panchayats - Tracking Fiscal Devolution toLocal Goverments: A case study from Kolar district, Karnataka

The PAISA for Panchayats research project extends AI’s PAISA methodology to track fund flows and implementations processes at the Panchayat level. By focusing on understanding the state of fiscal devo...

by | On 13 Apr 2016

State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2015-16

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

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 12 Apr 2016

The 2016 Budget Speech: Malaysia

Budget speech by Finance Minister of Malaysia.

by Minister of Finance Malaysia | On 06 Apr 2016

Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2016

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

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

Elections in Four Indian States: A Test for the BJP and Modi

Elections will be held in four States and one Union Territory in April and May 2016. The polls will be a crucial test for the governing Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre and a gauge of the populari...

by Ronojoy Sen | On 22 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Odisha Part II: 2016-17

Part II of the Budget speech of the finance minister.

by Pradip Kumar Amat | On 21 Mar 2016

Money Matters Local Government Finance in the People's Republic of China

Public finance systems in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have evolved substantially over the last three decades. The evolution is continuing, with wide-ranging reforms in budget and debt managem...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Mar 2016

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

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

by Divya Datt | On 15 Mar 2016

Politics of ‘Good Governance’ in Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Polls

Sri Lanka’s latest parliamentary election, slated for 17 August 2015, is important not only for the political-comeback bid by former President Mahinda Rajapakse but also for the focus on issues of ‘go...

by Ayesha Wijayalath | On 14 Mar 2016

Chief Minister Sayeed’s Death could upset Jammu and Kashmir’s Stability

The death of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has thrown into doubt the stability of the government in this strategically located Indian State. Sayeed’s death has brought into sh...

by Ronojoy Sen | On 14 Mar 2016

Tallying the Hidden Environmental Costs of Drug Production

Drug production is a significant factor in widespread environmental degradation, yet a lack of reliable data makes it difficult to pinpoint the extent of this damage. Future research should be directe...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Reed Bank: Next Flashpoint for China and the Philippines in the South China Sea?

The Philippines is seeking to develop the seabed hydrocarbon resources of Reed Bank in the South China Sea, an area under dispute with China. Should Manila put plan to action, Beijing is likely to dis...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Challenges for Urban Local Governments in India

The findings of this study show that urban local governments in India continue to remain plagued by numerous problems, which affect their performance in the efficient discharge of their duties. These...

by Rumi Aijaz | On 09 Mar 2016

Determinants and Challenges of Sustainable Forest Governance in India: An Analysis in Retrospect and Prospect

This paper looks into the role of community based natural resource management focussing on the Joint Forest Management (JFM) in India. The analysis presented is the result of triangulation of critical...

by Madhusudan Bandi | On 09 Mar 2016

Economic Nationalism, Network-based Coordination, and the Market for Corporate Control Motives for Political Resistance to Foreign Takeovers

Why does political resistance to foreign takeovers vary across countries and over time? Rational choice accounts of economic nationalism fail to provide an answer. The present article proposes an inst...

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

Disaster Preparedness in Southeast Asia

In the final quarter of 2009, Southeast Asia witnessed a number of disaster that affected sevevral countries in the region, attesting to the levels of national preparedness in dealing with disasters....

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

On 20 April 2010, an explosion and a fire took place at the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, 65 kilometres from the Louisiana coast in the United States. The inc...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

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

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

by Keyan Fang | On 03 Mar 2016

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

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

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Effective Carbon Taxes and Public Policy Options: Insights from India and Pakistan

In this paper, we take as given the need for public action on climate change (see Stern, 2007), and that carbon taxation is one of the key instruments for influencing both behaviour of consumers and p...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Railroads of the Raj: Estimating the Impact of Transportation Infrastructure

How large are the benefits of transportation infrastructure projects, and what explains these benefits? To shed new light on these questions, I collect archival data from colonial India and use it to...

by Dave Donaldson | On 29 Feb 2016

Pakistan, the United States and the IMF: Great game or a curious case of Dutch Disease without the oil?

A history of Pakistan’s relations with the IMF (and the Bretton Woods Institutions in general) 2 cannot be told without reference to the complex and changing role played by the United States, es...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 29 Feb 2016

Making Agroecology Viable For Small Farmers: Experiences From The Fields

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

by | On 29 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Financing of Urban Local Bodies in India

The rising level of urbanisation in India draws attention to inadequate infrastructure levels in urban areas. While many factors play a role in infrastructure development, this paper examines the fina...

by Charan Singh | On 27 Feb 2016

Divergence and Convergence of Firm-level Best Practices: the Case of Bajaj and Hero-Honda in India’s Two-wheeler Industry

Literature in economic development shows how countries diverge and converge in economic growth owing to technological change and capital accumulation. This paper examines micro level issues of competi...

by Murali Patibandla | On 27 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

An In-Depth Analysis of Railway Budget 2016-17

An analysis of the railway budget.

by Manoj Singh | On 26 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

Pandemic Preparedness in Asia

It is not known when, or where, the next deadly infectious disease will emerge, or how it will spread around the world. Are Asian countries prepared for a pandemic? How are National Pandemic Preparedn...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by Widjajanti Suharyo | On 24 Feb 2016

Assessing the Potential for Reintroducing the Cheetah in India

In this report 10 sites from seven landscapes are assessed located in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, for their potential to harbour viable reintroduc...

by Wildlife Institute of India | On 24 Feb 2016

Forest – Based Bamboo Trade in Mendha Lekha and Jamguda

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

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 24 Feb 2016

Compensating the Loss of Ecosystem Services Due to Pollution in Noyyal River Basin, Tamil Nadu

The loss of ecosystem services due to industrial pollution in the Noyyal River Basin was estimated through physical research studies of water and soil quality and bio-mapping followed by economic valu...

by Paul Appasamy | 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

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 22 Feb 2016

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

Natural Gas Situation and LNG Supply/Demand Trends in Asia-Pacific and Atlantic Markets

This paper is an excerpt from a FY 2008 survey for the promotion of oil and natural development and utilization as commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Since 2008, the global L...

by Yoshikazu Kobayashi | On 21 Feb 2016

How Does a Decrease in Oil Production Affect the World Economy?

The world's oil consumption has been increasing for more than a century with a few exceptions. This paper examines the impact of the decrease in oil production on major economies using a computable ge...

by Naohiko Yahaba | On 21 Feb 2016

Risk and Resilience: Securing Energy in Insecure Spaces

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 19 Feb 2016

Fostering Resilience Through Community Based Innovation

Based on her work experience in post-Katrina New Orleans and post-Sandy New York City, the Municipal Art Society of New York’s Director of Urban Resilience and Livability, Mary Rowe, discusses the rol...

by Mary Rowe | On 19 Feb 2016

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

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

by David Powlson | On 19 Feb 2016

City Prosperity Initiative

The City Prosperity Initiative” presents UN-Habitat’s new global initiative that aims to reinforce local capacities for cities to improve well being and prosperity through a new monitoring tool (city...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

A Fresh Assessment of the Underground Economy and Tax Evasion in Pakistan: Causes, Consequences, and Linkages with the Formal Economy

Rise in the underground economy creates problems for the policy-makers to formulate economic policies, especially the monetary and fiscal policies. It is found that if there was no tax evasion, budget...

by M. Ali Kemal | On 17 Feb 2016

Agriculture’s Contribution To National Emissions

Agriculture is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions globally, but how do emissions differ among countries? The relative contribution of agriculture to countries’ emissions budgets can infor...

by Meryl Richards | On 17 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

Citizen-Led Accountability and Inclusivity in Pakistan

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Delivering Access to Safe Drinking Water and Adequate Sanitation in Pakistan

Water and Sanitation is the neglected sector in Pakistan. Most of the households in Pakistan do not have access to safe drinking water and lack toilets and adequate sanitation systems. These poor peop...

by Faheem Jehangir Khan | On 16 Feb 2016

Accountability and Transparency in Political Finance

When money corrupts campaigns and candidates, political finance can undermine the same democratic values and good governance that it also supports. To prevent and address the problem, transparency and...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

2008 Report on Revenue Transparency of Oil and Gas Companies

A majority of leading oil and gas companies are far from transparent when it comes to the payments they make to resource-rich countries, leaving the door open to corruption and hampering efforts to fi...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Calibrating Law Enforcement and Its Purpose

In “Calibrating Law Enforcement and Its Purpose,” published by Addiction on November 10, 2014, Vanda Felbab-Brown comments on Harold Pollack and Peter Reuter’s article “Does tougher enforcement make d...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

Corruption and Sport: Building Integrity and Preventing Abuses

Whenever there is money, competition or power involved, corruption is a constant threat. The sporting industry is not immune from this reality. From match-fixing to stadium construction kickbacks, the...

by Transparency International TI | 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

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

The findings of the study reveal that, across Nepal, there has been an increase in rural women’s workload rendering multiple effects on women’s health, income, safety, nutrition, violence against wome...

by Dibya Devi Gurung | On 13 Feb 2016

Youth and Corruption

Integrity, like corruption, is learned. Unfortunately, in many countries corruption has been tolerated for generations. Young people have the potential to transform this present reality and end corrup...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corruption and Public Procurement

Public procurement impacts people’s lives and accounts for a big share government budgets. The large monetary transactions involved make the risk of abuse high and the need for anti-corruption safegua...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

The Role of Informal Cross-border Trade in Myanmar

In a country where there are constraints in formal practices, informal activities normally arise. Informal practices are not necessarily illegal and bad, however some of them tend to occupy a grey are...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Save and Grow in practice: maize, rice, wheat

FAO’s best-selling 2011 publication, Save and Grow, proposed a new paradigm of agriculture, one that is both highly productive and environmentally sustainable. This new book looks at the application o...

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

How Soon Is Now? Evidence of Present Bias from Convex Time Budget Experiments

Empirically observed intertemporal choices about money have long been thought to exhibit present bias, i.e. higher short-term compared to long-term discount rates. Recently, this view has been called...

by Uttara Balakrishnan | On 07 Feb 2016

Can Welfare Conditionality Combat High School Dropout?

Based on administrative data, we analyze empirically the effects of stricter conditionality for social assistance receipt on welfare dependency and high school completion rates among Norwegian youths....

by Øystein Hernæs | On 07 Feb 2016

Local Labor Market Conditions and Crime: Evidence from the Brazilian Trade Liberalization

This paper estimates the effect of local labor market conditions on crime in a developing country with high crime rates. Contrary to the previous literature, which has focused exclusively on developed...

by Rafael Dix-Carneiro | On 07 Feb 2016

Sustainable Soil Management: Key to Food Security and Nutrition in Africa

This edition of Nature &Faune journal will be a special Issue to mark the International Year of Soils. It is planned to be issued during the Conference of the African Soil Society taking place in Ouag...

by Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] | On 07 Feb 2016

Promoting Revenue Transparency: 2011 Report On Oil And Gas Companies

The Promoting Revenue Transparency: 2011 Report on Oil and Gas Companies, published by Transparency International in partnership with Revenue Watch, rates 44 companies on their levels of transparency....

by Transparency International TI | On 07 Feb 2016

Global Corruption Barometer 2013

The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 draws on a survey of more than 114,000 respondents in 107 countries. It addresses people’s direct experiences with bribery and details their views on corruption in...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Local Governance Integrity: Principles and Standards

The purpose of the Anti-Corruption Principles and Standards for Local Governance Systems is to provide clear guidance as to how to prevent corruption and deal with it when it occurs. Most of them appl...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Iraq, From Security to Political Management

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

by | On 03 Feb 2016

Discrepancies in Public and Private Sector Pay in Jordan, Qatar and the UAE

This study examines the challenges the labor market faces in a number of Arab countries with rentier economies - namely, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. One of the major challenges the lab...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

The Arab Opinion Project: The Arab Opinion Index

The Arab Opinion Index project is currently the largest of its kind. It covers 12 countries, representing 85 percent of the population of the Arab world. The Index compiles the findings of 16,173 face...

by Arab Center for Policy Studies | On 02 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Making it Safer to Cross Waterways in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has about 120,000 engineered rural waterway crossings (such as bridges) and another 250,000 non-engineered crossings built and maintained by communities. Because of a lack of financial and h...

by Granie Jayalath | On 01 Feb 2016

The Story of Primary Health Care : from Alma Ata to the Present Day

The idea of primary health care (PHC) emerged in the 1960s, in recognition of the shortcomings of the health systems inherited by developing countries after independence. The urban, centralised and cu...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 01 Feb 2016

Forests: the Green and REDD of Climate Change

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

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

Till Debt do us Part: the Urgency of a Sovereign Debt Workout Mechanism

The danger to global economic recovery posed by the European debt turmoil throws a spotlight on a key missing international institution critical to global finance a sovereign debt resolution mechanism...

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

Organizational and Institutional Issues in Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management

This report provides some reflections and insights on the level of awareness, practices, and organizational and institutional issues being faced by countries as they adapt to climate change, based on...

by Catherine Ragasa | 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

Factors Behind the Steep Decline in Crude Oil Prices

The price of crude oil has lost 54% of its value since September 2014 and there are no indications that the fall in prices will stop here unless a major production cut by OPEC is declared. The reasons...

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

New WTO Trade Rules for Bits and Bytes?

The major trading nations have been busy with trade agreements—free, preferential, and bilateral—incorporating Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)-plus and World Intellectual...

by | On 28 Jan 2016

Oilseeds and Pulses in Indian Agriculture: A Review of Development Policy and Production Performance

The study finds that a high order of technology and yield gap exists and indicates that there is enormous scope to accelerate the pace of growth in the production of both oilseeds as well as pulses....

by B.L. Kumar | On 28 Jan 2016

The Guiding Visible Hand of Participatory Approaches to Irrigation Management

The paper argues that the difference in the mode of programme implementation between Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat exerts an influence on the function and performance of the local institutions created as...

by R. Parthasarathy | 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

The 2014 US Farm Bill and its Effects on the World Market for Cotton

Under the 2014 US Farm Bill, US cotton producers will receive significant subsidies which will have trade-distorting effects irrespective of future cotton prices. At a futures market cotton price of U...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

The Telangana Turmoil: Apprehensions and Hope

The paper addresses the apprehensions relating to state bifurcation among people of different regions in the state and the country. The paper argues that a new state can not be a threat either to the...

by Madhusudan Bandi | On 26 Jan 2016

Internet Fragmentation: An Overview

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

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

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

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

Ensuring Access for the Climate Vulnerable in Bangladesh

Drawing on secondary literature and interviews and discussions with community members, local government officials, and various experts, the report proposes a mechanism through which LGIs could provide...

by International Centre for Climate Change and Develo ICCCAD | 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

Accelerating Reductions in Undernutrition: What can nutrition governance tell us?

In order to accelerate progress on undernutrition reduction we need to understand how the governance of nutrition programmes leads to successful outcomes. Based on evidence from six countries: Banglad...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 21 Jan 2016

Principles and Good Practice for Preserving Data

This guidance aims to assist official data producers (national statistical offices and line ministries) in defining and meeting their digital preservation requirements and obligations. The recommendat...

by Nancy McGovern | On 21 Jan 2016

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

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

by Sachin Chaturvedi | On 21 Jan 2016

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

The Laboratory and its Double: The Making of the Scientist-Citizen at TIFR

If the utopian ideals of Bhatnagar with which we began our journey saw science as existing without national boundaries, Bhabha’s institute which attempted to mirror that utopian ideal focused on erasi...

by Indira Chowdhury | On 19 Jan 2016

Does Clientelism Work? A Test Of Guessability In India

Research on clientelism broadly assumes that local political agents, or brokers, possess fine-grained information on voters’ political preferences, and often can directly or indirectly monitor their v...

by Mark Schneider | On 18 Jan 2016

Whose Side Are You On? Identifying The Distributive Preferences of Local Politicians in India

The literature on decentralized public programs suggests that errors in the targeting of anti-poverty programs are rooted in the capture of these programs by local elites or local politicians. Consist...

by Mark Schneider | On 18 Jan 2016

Group Violence, Ethnic Diversity, and Citizen Participation: Evidence from Indonesia

This paper addresses the impact of violent conflict on social capital, as measured by citizen participation in community groups defined for four activity types: governance, social service, infrastruct...

by | On 18 Jan 2016

Implementation of Basel III Liquidity Risk Framework in India – Regulatory Perspective

The liquidity framework of Basel III assumes added significance for banks in India and many banks have been approaching us to comprehend the finer points of the liquidity regulations, as also with req...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 18 Jan 2016

Public Infrastructure, Location of Private Schools and Primary School Attainment in an Emerging Economy

The paper argues that access to public infrastructure plays a crucial role on the presence of private schools in a community, as it could not only minimise the cost of production, but also ensure a hi...

by Sarmistha Pal | On 15 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

Inequality and the Tails: The Palma Proposition and Ratio Revisited

This paper revisits the earlier assessments of the Palma Proposition and the ‘Palma Ratio’. The former is a proposition that currently changes in income or consumption inequality are (almost) exclusiv...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Gender, work and development in northwest Pakistan: working environments of Pakistani female development practitioners

The research identifies the development sector as a complex and often contested work environment. Many local residents perceive ‘development’ as an instrument of the ‘West’ for pursuing its interests,...

by Julia Grünenfelder | On 08 Jan 2016

Patterns and Politics of Migration in South Asia

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

by Sanjay Barbora | On 08 Jan 2016

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

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

by Tanvir Ali | On 08 Jan 2016

Activity Based Training of WaterAid India Partners in Water Quality Monitoring & Management

Effective monitoring of access to, quantity of and quality of water is a key consideration for India. Given the large investments and big programmes and schemes including the current thrust of Sector...

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 07 Jan 2016

Food System Strategies for Preventing Micronutrient Malnutrition

Micronutrients are defined as substances in foods that are essential for human health and are required in small amounts. The goal of this paper is to identify deficiencies in the food system that lead...

by Ross M. Welcha | On 07 Jan 2016

Government and Garbage: Local Administration, Public Sanitation and the ‘Clean India’ Campaign

The paper examines a crucial component of public sanitation and waste management – the role of local government. It concludes that improvement of public sanitation in India, which is the goal of the B...

by Robin Jeffrey | On 30 Dec 2015

Do employers Prefer Migrant Workers? Evidence from a Chinese Job Board

We study urban, private sector Chinese employers’ preferences between workers with and without a local permanent residence permit (hukou) using callback information from an Internet job board. We find...

by | On 30 Dec 2015

Macroeconomic Effects of Oil Price Fluctuations on Emerging and Developed Economies in a Model Incorporating Monetary Variables

The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of crude oil price movements on two macro variables, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate and the consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate, in...

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 23 Dec 2015

Fiscal Decentralization And Tax Incentives In The Developing world

Many developing countries use tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment, sacrificing immediate revenue from foreign capital, even though the effects of tax incentives on investment, growth,...

by Quan Li | On 23 Dec 2015

Oil and State Capitalism: Government-Firm Coopetition in China and India

This paper examines the domestic sources of the internationalization of national oil companies (NOCs) in China and India. It argues that – counter to notions of state-led internationalization – the go...

by Jonas Mecklinga | On 23 Dec 2015

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

Global Financial Crisis: A Classic ‘Ponzi’ Affair?

This paper seeks to identify the roots of the financial crisis in US which is now has spread to the rest of the global economy. These include the dominance of uncertainty as a force in financial marke...

by Sunanda Sen | On 18 Dec 2015

Seaports, Dry ports, Development Corridors: Implications for Regional Development in Globalizing India

This paper highlights the emerging significance of newer and non-major ports and the consequent changes in the port system, both hierarchical and regional. The relevance of port focused development co...

by Gloria Kuzur | On 18 Dec 2015

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

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

by Sherrie Palm | On 18 Dec 2015

China and Myanmar: Strategic Interests, Strategies and the Road Ahead

This research paper is divided into two parts to provide a more complete view of how both countries think in term of their ambitions and the methods they deem important to achieve them. This paper arg...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Rethinking India’s Climate Policy and the Global Negotiations

This essay examines India’s position in international negotiations on climate change and domestic mitigation actions, based on scientific evidence and equity. It is argued that India’s stance has larg...

by D Raghunandan | On 17 Dec 2015

Health Assessment of Ganga River at Haridwar During Kumbh 2013

With a view to undertake the exercise the of health assessment of Ganga River River during Kumbh 2013 a water quality monitoring was done during Kumbh 2013. The present report is based on the socio-cu...

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 08 Dec 2015

The Sun Gets Bigger

The government should encourage the use of solar energy.

by T.N. Ninan | On 04 Dec 2015

Sanitation in India: Progress, Differentials, Correlates, and Challenges

Communicable diseases constitute a significant portion of the overall disease burden in India. Improving access to sanitation in India will, similarly, reduce the communicable disease burden and chil...

by Sekhar Bonu | On 18 Nov 2015

Agricultural Outlook and Situation Analysis Reports: Fourth Semi-annual Medium-term Agricultural Outlook Report

This report attempts to compare the latest medium-term projections for wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, vegetable oils and sugar made by four international institutions (OECD/FAO, USDA, FAPRI, an...

by National Council of Applied Economic Research | On 18 Nov 2015

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

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

Impact of Migration on Poverty and Development

This paper reviews the literature on migration in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, East Africa and West Africa in order to highlight the complexity of migration patterns and impacts. It is...

by Tasneem Siddiqui | On 19 Oct 2015

The Influence of Industry Financial Composition on the Exports from Pakistan

the influence of the industry financial composition on the export flow between Pakistan and its trading partners is determined. The importing countries are split according to their OECD membership st...

by Aadil Nakhoda | On 16 Oct 2015

India’s FTA with East Asia: Impact of India-Malaysia CECA on the Edible Oil Value Chain

This paper formulates an analytical framework to assess the impacts of India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on commodity value chains. This paper views such methodology as reductionist, and instead of...

by | On 15 Oct 2015

Rainbow Revolution in Bihar: Problem and Prospect

Green revolution has made the country self-sufficient in food grain production, mainly rice and wheat. We now need to usher in a rainbow revolution which encompasses not only agriculture but the allie...

by R K P Singh | On 13 Oct 2015

Measuring Poverty

The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted in 2000 a set of “Millennium Development Goals” the first of which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, more specifically to “reduce by half,...

by Angus Deaton | On 13 Oct 2015

Inequality: Trends, Harms and New Agendas

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

by | On 13 Oct 2015

The Sunday Edit: History, Politics and Science: Temerity of Archaeology

The echoes of the execution of the Syrian archaeologist, Khaled al-Assad by ISIS for trying to protect the antiquities at Palmyra, and the attempts to brutally erase intellectual inquiry, are to be he...

by Anuradha Kumar | On 11 Oct 2015

The New Dread-word

The new dread-word is deflation. What does this mean for India? This can cause a threat for domestic producers. This is because of the global situation. We can be prepared and by improving efficiency...

by T.N. Ninan | On 09 Oct 2015

Soil Health: Issues and Concerns - A Review

This paper brings out the importance of soil fertility management (SFM) with respect to agricultural production and livelihood contribution to the rural people. It looks into the farmers' own knowledg...

by B. Suresh Reddy | On 08 Oct 2015

The Interaction Between Social Protection and Agriculture - A Review of Evidence

This study explores the interaction between formal social protection and agriculture by proposing a theory of change and conducting an empirical review that identifies how social protection impacts ag...

by Nyasha Tirivayi | On 07 Oct 2015

Safe Cities and Gender Budgeting

Women in the communities make efforts to seek allocation under appropriate budget heads to identify streams of revenue, available revenue and the required expenditure. Town planners, policy makers and...

by Vibhuti Patel | On 28 Sep 2015

What Explains Child Malnutrition of Indigenous People of Northeast India?

Household risk factors affecting child health, particularly malnutrition, are mainly basic amenities like drinking water, toilet facility, housing and fuel used for cooking. This paper considered the...

by Laishram Ladusingh | On 24 Sep 2015

Environmental Regulations and Compliance in the Textile Processing Sector in Pakistan: Empirical Evidence

This paper, seeks to understand why firms in the garment and textile sector choose to comply with or ignore Pakistan’s environmental regulations and effluent standards. Based on survey of 60 firms, it...

by Ghulam Samad | On 23 Sep 2015

The Evolution and Impact of Literacy Campaigns and Programmes 2000–2014

This paper was originally commissioned by the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report as background information to assist in drafting the 2015 report. This report aims to provide an additiona...

by Ulrike Hanemann | On 22 Sep 2015

Seventh, after Seven

Seven years after the financial crisis, countries have done well. India is also doing well but there is a lot of difference in the programmes announced and how they are implemented.

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Sep 2015

Decentralized Local Governance and Citizen Participation in South Asia

This paper encompasses two major themes - local governance and citizens' participation in five neighbouring countries in South Asia, their trials, achievements and failures. Whether their experiences...

by | On 14 Sep 2015

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

Water Resource Planning: Large Dams and Development

Large dams stand out as dramatic symbols of a particular approach to development and a certain relationship between humanity and nature. Starting with the crucial question of the need for such projec...

by Ramaswamy R. Iyer | On 11 Sep 2015

Sanitation in Maharashtra: A Policy Note

More than half of Rural Maharashtra defecates in the open. The main issue to understand is the nexus between the access to water and adoption of sanitation practices. It is also interesting to underst...

by Parliamentarian's Group for Children PGC | On 09 Sep 2015

Sanitation India

Sanitation in India has to be improved. Women and children are the most affected due to the low sanitation. A check list is given to parliamentarians on how to improve sanitation in the country.

by Parliamentarian's Group for Children PGC | On 08 Sep 2015

Why do Migrants do Better Than Non-Migrants at Destination? Migration, Class and Inequality Dynamics in India

This paper explores why migrants at their destination fare better than nonmigrants, across different socio-economic classes in India, while the general perception of migrants is that they are less end...

by Vamsi Vakulabharanam | On 03 Sep 2015

Has Indian Plantation Sector Weathered the Crisis? A Critical Assessment of Tea Plantation Industry in the Post-reforms Context

the paper provides an overview of the growth and status of Indian tea plantation sector delineating the trends in economic performance in the global context in a historic perspective. It then examine...

by Viswanathan P K | On 25 Aug 2015

Safety First

Global market is in a turmoil. How can India have a stable economy? There are no easy solutions but to play safe.

by T.N. Ninan | On 21 Aug 2015

Report of the Steering Committee on Rapid Poverty Reduction and Local Area Development (2007-2012)

This report of the steering committee on rapid poverty reduction and local area development for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012). The first section attempts to examine the data on the poor, the...

by Planning Commission, India | On 14 Aug 2015

Pathways of Transnational Activism: A Conceptual Framework

This paper presents a novel analytical framework to study transnational activism in the context of today’s international governance architecture. While there is a considerable amount of literature on...

by Sabrina Zajak | On 07 Aug 2015

The Sunday Edit: Different Strokes

The processes followed in estimating and adjudicating damage in arriving at the recent settlement in the five-year old BP oil well disaster are an object lesson in what should have happened in the cas...

by Sathinath Sarangi | On 12 Jul 2015

Welfare Comparisons with Multidimensional Well-Being Indicators: An Indian Illustration

This paper attempts a welfare comparison of population where only ordinal information is available at the micro level in terms of multi-dimensional discrete well-being indicators. This does not involv...

by Udaya S. Mishra | On 08 Jul 2015

Water for Food Security and Nutrition

This report is a report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. Water is key to food security and nutrition. However there are many c...

by Food and Nutrition Division FAO | On 10 Jun 2015

Accountability of Local and State Governments in India: An Overview of Recent Research

The paper discusses the notion of accountability, followed by an introduction to the Downsian theory of electoral competition. This serves as a point for classifying different sources of accountabilit...

by Dilip Mookherjee | On 14 May 2015

Nutritional Intake in India (July 2009 - June 2010)

This report presents the information on nutritional intake by the Indian population. Among the different nutrients only three nutrients – viz, calorie, protein and fat – are discussed in this report....

by National Sample Survey Office NSSO | On 05 May 2015

A Dynamic Economic Model of Soil Conservation Involving Genetically Modified Crop

This paper attempts to model the positive role of cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) crop with its soil-anchoring root-characteristic and use of conservation-tillage technology, in saving orga...

by Amrita Chatterjee | On 23 Mar 2015

India Matters: Demanding Toilets

Sanitation is a big challenge in the rural India. Through this you will be taken to to five villages in Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh, to meet families that do not have a toilet at home. Nearly 65 p...

by Sutapa Deb | On 21 Feb 2015

Toilet Torture Trailer

This documentary film lends a voice to those who have shared their experiences in Observer Research Foundation Mumbai's study "Toilet Torture in Mumbai's Slums: When will our political and administrat...

by Observer Research Foundation | On 04 Feb 2015

Local Governments and the Inclusion of the Excluded: Towards a Strategic Methodology with Empirical Illustration

This paper tries to argue that local governments constitutionally mandated to ‘plan for economic development and social justice’ at the local level are eminently qualified to take up the task of wor...

by Oommen M A | 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

Urban Water and Sanitation in Maharashtra

Measuring service levels of urban bodies implies measuring outcomes, and indirectly also reflects on institutional capacity, financial performance and other parameters. In addition, to facilitate comp...

by All India Local Self Government | On 11 Nov 2014

The Soya Project: Farm Evangelists

In 2008, two earnest young men set out to boost soya bean yields in the semi-arid region of Bundi in Rajasthan. Rainfall there is meagre and the soil lacks nutrients. But there are ready buyers for so...

by Civil Society | On 20 Oct 2014

Revealed Preference for Open Defecation: Evidence from a New Survey in Rural North India

Despite economic growth, government latrine construction, and increasing recognition among policymakers that open defecation constitutes a health and human capital crisis, it remains stubbornly widesp...

by Diane Coffey | On 07 Oct 2014

Deforestation in the Himalayas: Myths and Reality

Deforestation in developing and middle income countries is an urgent global problem, affecting climate change, soil erosion, major river basins, and livelihoods of poor households living near the fore...

by Jean Marie Baland | On 24 Sep 2014

Economic and Financial Outlook

A picture about the macroeconomy that is, the world economy and the domestic economy is given. The two recent regulatory measures are given here. [FICCI/IBA Annual Banking Conference].

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 18 Sep 2014

Critical Care or Gross Negligance

The conditions in some of the hospitals in India are very poor. There is utter callousness and disregard for the poor who are forced to seek health services. Basic health care and values of human dign...

by Sunil Nandraj | On 19 Aug 2014

Article 2 and Government Budgets

Governments’ budgets are fundamentally about people’s human rights. Budgets are the central means by which governments can help realize their people’s access to quality education, decent health care s...

by International Budget Partnership IBP | On 10 Jul 2014

Soil Degradation : A Threat to Developing-Country Food Security by 2020?

This comprehensive paper explains why and when soil degradation should be of particular concern to policymakers interested in assuring food security. The inferences in this paper are based on research...

by Sara J. Scherr | On 05 May 2014

Land, Politics, Work and Home-Life at Adimalathura: Towards a Local History

This paper focuses on the fishing hamlet of Adimalathura located on the coast of the Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, which has been identified as an area of extreme developmental disadvantage...

by J. Devika | On 11 Feb 2014

The Impact of Fiscal and Political Decentralization on Local Public Investments in Indonesia

The effects of the Indonesian decentralization and democratization process on budget allocation at the sub-national level is analyzed. Based on panel data for 271 Indonesian districts for the years...

by Krisztina Kis Katos | On 17 Jan 2014

Manual for Integrated District Planning: Report of the Task Force of the Planning Commission

This manual is a step by step guide to district planning which will assist planners at the local, district and State levels. District planning, by taking into account resources locally available, in...

by Planning Commission | On 07 Jan 2014

Social Media and Elections

Social Media and search results can be readily manipulated which has remained unappreciated by the press and the general public. During time of elections, when the stakes are high, electoral candidate...

by Panagiotis Metaxas | On 06 Nov 2013

Trade, Tastes and Nutrition in India

This paper introduces habit formation into an otherwise standard model of international trade. The liberalization of internal agriculture trade in India will generate short-run caloric losses unless...

by David Atkin | On 23 Oct 2013

Asymmetric Information and Middleman Margins: An Experiment with West Bengal Potato Farmers

A study middleman margins, trading mechanisms and the role of asymmetric information about prices between potato farmers and local trade intermediaries, in West Bengal, India is conducted. Farmers in...

by Sandip Mitra | On 23 Oct 2013

Weather Sensitivity of Rice Yield: Evidence from India

This study estimates the weather sensitivity of rice yield in India, using disaggregated (district) level information on rice and high resolution daily weather data over the period 1969-2007. Compare...

by Anubhab Pattanayak | On 11 Oct 2013

Far(M)ore = Farm (grow) + More (income-livelihood)

The project aims to grow fruits and vegetables on roof tops of community houses. This will be income generating for the community. [DRP].

by } Design Research Publication Cell DRP | On 10 Oct 2013

Climate Variability and Internal Migration: A Test on Indian Inter-State Migration

Migration data is matched from the Indian census with climate data to test the hypothesis of climate variability as a push factor for internal migration. The main contribution of the analysis is to...

by Ingrid Dallmann | On 06 Sep 2013

Character Endorsements and Electoral Competition

A model built in which the media endorses the character of office-seeking candidates as a means to promote its own ideological agenda. In equilibrium, political parties completely pander to the elit...

by Archishman Chakraborty | On 12 Aug 2013

Farm Productivity Loss due to Flood-Induced Sand Deposition: A Study in Dhemaji, India

It is widely believed that the decline in agricultural productivity in the Dhemaji district of Assam, India, is due to flood-induced sand depositions in paddy fields. Increased sand content reduces th...

by Kalyan Das | On 27 May 2013

Awareness as an Adaptation Strategy for Reducing Mortality from Heat Waves: Evidence from a Disaster Risk Management Program in India

Since 2002, the Indian state of Odisha has been undertaking a grassroots awareness campaign on “dos and don’ts” during heat wave conditions through the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) program. The sele...

by Saudamini Das | On 24 May 2013

Report of China’s Local and Central Budgets 2013

Following is the full text of report on the implementation of central and local budgets in 2012 and on draft central and local budgets for 2013, which was submitted for review on March 5, 2013 at the...

by Ministry of Finance China | On 21 Mar 2013

Nine years later…

Is the Finance Minister going to do a salvage operation? [BS week end ruminations].

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Feb 2013

Property Tax System in India: Problems and Prospects of Reform

This paper analyses the property tax system in India, examines the reasons for its low revenue productivity, reviews the recent reform initiatives and identifies further reform areas. [NIPFP Working P...

by M. Govinda Rao | On 06 Feb 2013

Indian Antidumping Measures against China: Evidence from Monthly Trade Data

This paper provides a detailed analysis of trade flows between the two emerging economies and investigates on which type of products and in which sectors the Indian government applies antidumping m...

by Hylke Vandenbussche | On 23 Nov 2012

Revisiting the Devolution of ENR Functions

The devolution of environment and natural resource functions to local government units was a bold move in the history of environmental Management in the Philippines. However, the implementation of the...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Aug 2012

Vital Stats: Pricing of Petroleum Products

Government owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) raised the price of petrol on 23rd May 2012. After the inclusion of local taxes, this amounted to a hike of Rs 7.54 per litre in Delhi. A snapshot of t...

by Karan Malik | On 24 Jul 2012

Obituary: Mrinal Gore (1928-2012)

Obituary: Mrinal Gore (1928-2012)

by Vibhuti Patel | On 23 Jul 2012

Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security in a Green Economy

What are the implications of a green economy for the poor and hungry? How can the poor benefit from and thrive under a green economy? What role can agriculture play? What are the possible trade-off...

by Shenggen Fan | On 17 Jul 2012

Eat, Drink and be Healthy: A Paradigm Shift for Linking Food and Beverages Industry with People’s Knowledge and Institutions

The food and beverages industry has not yet established strong and vibrant linkages with the local communities to develop value added products and share the benefits. The paper lists seven models fo...

by Anil K Gupta | On 11 Jul 2012

Vital Stats: Parliament Budget Session 2012

Parliament met for the Budget Session between March 16 and May 22 with a three-week recess in April. Both Houses met for 35 days each. A special sitting was convened on Sunday, May 13 to commemorate 6...

by Rohit Kumar | On 23 May 2012

Role of Communication in Stigma and Discrimination

The objective of the study was to review media coverage (print ) related to HIV/AIDS in three states (Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh) in order to determine the gaps in reporting. [CCMG Working Pa...

by Biswajit Das | On 10 May 2012

The Political Economy of Deforestation in the Tropics

Tropical deforestation accounts for almost one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and threatens the world.s most diverse ecosystems. The prevalence of illegal forest extraction in the tropi...

by Robin Burgess | On 08 May 2012

Labour Migration and Remittances in Uttarakhand

The type, volume, and mode of transfer of remittances in Uttarakhand is analysed. The impact of remittances, in terms of both financial flows and transfer of new skills and the perceptions in relat...

by Anmol Jain | On 18 Apr 2012

What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?

The main objective of this paper is to explore the potential role of social pensions and other noncontributory schemes in Asia, informed by insights from theory and international experience. The paper...

by Armando Barrientos | On 13 Apr 2012

Gujarat Budget 2012-13

Budget Speech by Minister of Finance. [Government of Gujarat]. URL:[http://financedepartment.gujarat.gov.in/budget12_13_pdf/FM_Speech_English_Part_A_Final.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance Government of Gujarat | On 12 Apr 2012

State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2011-12

The budgetary data for 2011-12 indicates the commitment of States to carry forward fiscal correction, as evident from the emergence of revenue surplus after a gap of two years and consequent reductio...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 03 Apr 2012

Historical and Contemporary Factors Govern Global Biodiversity Patterns

Jetz and Fine that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event on this planet and the cause is us. By achieving greater understanding of the underlying causes and correlates of current-...

by Jonathan Chase | On 29 Mar 2012

Political Determinants of the Allocation of Public Expenditures: A Study of the Indian States

This study examines whether the allocation of public expenditures of the Indian states are significantly influenced by government specific political characteristics. Three types of government specif...

by Bharatee Bhusana Dash | On 27 Mar 2012

Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Statistics is used in our day to day life. Examples are there to show that statistics is misused in many. This can happen when people are information illiterate. [Address at DST-CIMS, BHU on Mar 20, 2...

by Chakrabarty K C | On 27 Mar 2012

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

National Budget of Bhutan-2011-12

Budget speech by the Finance Minister of Bhutan. [Budget Speech]. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.bt/downloads/Budgetreport2012.pdf].

by Minister of Finance Bhutan | On 22 Mar 2012

Is a Ban the Best Way to Reduce Plastic Bag Use? A Case Study from Delhi

In many developing countries plastic bags are a significant environmental problem. This is particularly true in the city of Delhi, which faces rapid development with un-matched and inadequate waste...

by South Asian Network for Development SANDEE | On 20 Mar 2012

Not the Remembered Country

The food security Bill's focus ignores changes in agriculture and eating habits. [BS editorial]. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-notremembered-country/467874/].

by T.N. Ninan | On 19 Mar 2012

Budget Speech 2012-2013: India

Speech of Pranab Mukherjee Minister of Finance, India. [Budget Speech]. URL:[http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2012-13/bs/bs.pdf].

by Pranab Mukherjee | On 16 Mar 2012

State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12

The report reviews the status and performance of agriculture, especially during the last two decades, and also presents what could be the way forward, given our objectives of accelerated growth, inc...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 14 Mar 2012

Citizens, Legislators, and Executive Disclosure: The Political Determinants of Fiscal Transparency

Empirical evidence on the beneficial effects of fiscal transparency ranges from improved budgetary outcomes, to lower sovereign borrowing costs and decreased corruption. Despite this, hardly any effor...

by Joachim Wehner | On 19 Feb 2012

Aiding Conflict: The Impact of U.S. Food Aid on Civil War

This paper examines the effect of U.S. food aid on conflict in recipient countries (these include Asian countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka). To establish a causal relationship, time variation in fo...

by Nathan Nunn | On 08 Feb 2012

Technical Productivity Analysis for Cement Industry at Firm Level

This paper analyses the energy use in the manufacture of cement in India during 1992–2005. Cement manufacturing requires large amounts of various energy inputs. The most common types of energy carri...

by Binay Kumar Ray | On 30 Jan 2012

Frozen Food Products Marketing and Distribution Challenges in a Developing Country Case Study: Pakistan

The aim of this case study is to understand the challenges the frozen food industry in a developing country like Pakistan has faced in the past, and is facing currently. The study reveals that inste...

by Shehla Riza Arifeen | On 27 Jan 2012

On the Blowout Preventer Testing Problem: An Approach to Checking for Leakage in BOP Networks

Blowout Preventers (BOPs) and choke manifolds are key pieces of drilling rig equipment to prevent the uncontrolled release of potentially hazardous formation fluids to surface. The blowout prevent...

by Diptesh Ghosh | On 19 Jan 2012

Toxicity and Profitability of Rice Cultivation under Waste- Water Irrigation: The Case of the East Calcutta Wetlands

The paper reports the results of an empirical study on the profitability of rice cultivation in the East Calcutta Wetlands region where untreated sewage water from the city of Calcutta, India, is us...

by Vivekananda Mukherjee | On 13 Dec 2011

How Are Markets Made?

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the making of markets. The paper identifies two ideal-typical processes in which markets are made – organized making and spontaneous making – which are often...

by Patrik Aspers | On 29 Nov 2011

India’s Agricultural Development under the New Economic Regime: Policy Perspective and Strategy for the 12th Five Year Plan

The Eleventh Plan, which had attempted to reverse deceleration of agricultural growth during the Ninth and Tenth Plan, had some success in as foodgrains production has touched a new peak of 241.56 m...

by Vijay Paul Sharma | On 17 Nov 2011

"I did not ask for it". Sexual Harassment: Impressions from Mumbai

Sexual harassment is a global issue. In a recent case in Mumbai, two young men, Keenan Santos (24) and Reuben Fernandez (29) were stabbed on 20 Oct 2011 while confronting some unknown men eve-teasing...

by Indira Gartenberg | On 14 Nov 2011

Production and Marketing of Coconut in India

The production and marketing scenario of coconut in the country has witnessed a phenomenal development, particularly in the field of production such as development of improved high yielding dwarf va...

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 21 Oct 2011

Gender, Governance and Women’s Rights in South Asia

This study focuses on gender equality and democratic governance in the five largest states of the South Asian region, namely, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Beginning with a general...

by Seema Kazi | On 20 Oct 2011

What is driving the Indian middle class towards electoral politics? Evidence from Delhi

Neighborhood Associations have assumed an important role in public policy decision making as the principal voice of the middle class across urban India. In recent years, these associations have sought...

by Poulomi Chakrabarti | On 20 Oct 2011

Does Participatory Development Legitimise Collusion Mechanisms? Evidence from Karnataka Watershed Development Agency

While examining participatory development projects, existing contributions have demonstrated how aid resources are often captured by local elites. This paper hypothesises that another possible source...

by G.Ananda Vadivelu | On 18 Oct 2011

Voice and Accountability: The Role of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Committee

The study aims to explore how the MNCH committee encouraged community participation and how its communication activities empowered the community people to ensure the healthcare needs of the poor and...

by Margaret Leppard | On 17 Oct 2011

Evaluation of Value-Added Agricultural Advisory Services: Case Study of Agriclinics in Southern India

The Indian national program of agriclinics and agribusiness centers, started in 2002, aims to provide farmers with a reliable alternative to the private input dealer by subsidizing technically trained...

by Claire J Glendenning | On 14 Oct 2011

Openness, Economic Growth and Labour Migration in times of Global Downturn: with Special Reference to Asian Examples

This paper starts by examining some of the variables that have been considered important determinants of openness and how views of these have changed over the last twenty years. It then considers th...

by Kenneth E Jackson | On 29 Sep 2011

Monetary Policy Dilemmas: Some RBI Perspectives

Over the last decade, the profile of central banks has gone up. First, we had the Great Moderation - a period of extraordinary benign macroeconomic environment globally, characterized by steady growth...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 27 Sep 2011

Integrated Financial MIS for Local Government Public Expenditure Management - A Case Study of Khajane in Karnataka

Expenditure Management is critical to effective public service delivery, especially at the local government level. Leveraging on information systems to aid in expenditure management is viewed as an ...

by Sandeep M S | On 20 Sep 2011

Iraq’s Last Window: Diffusing the Risks of a Petro-State

This paper, examines the possibility of adopting Oil- to- Cash scheme in Iraq. Here, a new opportunity is identified which aims for direct distribution of Iraqi oil rents in the planned production exp...

by Johnny West | On 19 Sep 2011

Report of the Expert Committee on Licensing New Urban Co-operative Banks

With a view to increasing the coverage of banking services amongst local communities, it was proposed in the Annual Policy Statement for the year 2010-11 to set up a Committee comprising of all stakeh...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 15 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

Achieving Progress for Development Effectiveness in Busan: An Overview of CSO Evidence

The global Reality of Aid Network has been working in preparation for Busan alongside CSO colleagues from women’s rights organizations, trade unions, farmers’ organizations, faith-based organizations...

by Brian Tomlinson | On 30 Aug 2011

Policy Dilemmas in India: The Impact of Changes in Agricultural Prices on Rural and Urban Poverty

Trade policy reforms which lead to changes in world prices of agricultural commodities or domestic policies aimed at affecting agricultural prices are often seen as causing a policy dilemma: a fall...

by Sandra Polaski | On 26 Aug 2011

Primary School Teachers: The Twists and Turns of Everyday Practice

The paper examines the role played by of classroom environment in the development of a teacher. The paper studies the concept of 'teacher development' in India. URL:[http://www.eruindia.org/files/Tea...

by Vimala Ramachandran | On 08 Jul 2011

Book Review:Toilet Reading

Review of: The Culture of Flushing: A Social And Legal History of Sewage Jamie Benidickson. UBC Press,Vancouver, 2007. xxiv + 404 pp. $93.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-7748-1291-7; $32.95 (paper), ISBN 9...

by Katie Schroeder | On 09 Jun 2011

Is it Desirable to Take a World Bank Loan for Strengthening Local Governments in Kerela?

This note analyses the desirability of a loan from the World Bank for strengthening local governments of Kerala under two scenarios. First, is the case where the loan supplements the resources of th...

by Centre for Global Development | On 09 Jun 2011

Inequality, Growth and Poverty in the Era of Liberalization and Globalization

This policy brief reports the main findings of the study on changes in within-country income inequality over the last two decades and on the links between poverty, inequality, and growth. It focuses o...

by Giovanni Andrea Cornia | On 08 Jun 2011

Impact of Trade Liberalization on India’s Oilseed and Edible Oils Sector

The edible oil and oilseeds sector in India faces many challenges in the new environment of liberalized trade. Government intervention is faced with the task of balancing the interests of different st...

by P.V. Srinivasan | On 07 Jun 2011

Nepal and the Pax Indianus

In May 2009, the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) warned of growing threats to sustainable peace in Nepal. Since that time, Nepal’s politics have continued to polarize. Nepal still has two ar...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights | On 04 May 2011

Issues for Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan

GDP growth likely to average 8.2 per cent over 11th Plan: short of the 9% target, but remarkable given the global crisis and drought. Basic objective : Faster, More Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth ...

by Planning Commission | On 25 Apr 2011

Do Local Elections in Non-Democracies Increase Accountability? Evidence from Rural China

Unique survey data is used to study whether the introduction of local elections in China made local leaders more accountable towards local constituents. A simple model is developed to predict the e...

by Monica Martinez Bravo | On 18 Apr 2011

An Alternative to Conventional Public Water Service: "User Group Networks" in a Mumbai Slum

This article is a research on the water services available in north eastern parts of Mumbai. It aims as highlighting the ability of communities to design and run functional systems to overcome the sho...

by Rémi de BERCEGOL | On 08 Apr 2011

Socio-Economic and Ecological Benefits of Mangrove Plantation: A Study of Community Based Mangrove Restoration Activities in Gujarat

A comprehensive assessment of the multiple benefits of mangrove ecosystems and their restoration efforts in Gujarat is made. The study is important and contextual as there are very limited empirical...

by P.K. Viswanathan | On 29 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

A Veteran's Asia Reflections

The report reflects on a wealth of impressions from the emerging continent. Political and economic developments from the Hindukush to Japan are assessed and put into a global context. The issues addre...

by Norbert Walter | On 22 Mar 2011

Women Safety in Delhi

This study focuses on the nature of safety violence in Delhi, the perceptions of safety among women and men, infrastructure to redress their causes and their outcomes. URL: [http://wcd.nic.in/].

by Society for Development Studies | On 08 Mar 2011

Budget Manual

The Budget process of India predates the independence. The Budget was first introduced on 7th April, 1860, two years after the transfer of Indian administration from East-India Company to British Crow...

by Ministry of Finance | On 22 Feb 2011

Open Budget Survey 2010

The Open Budget Survey is the only independent and comparative measure of government budget practices, with its rigorous approach receiving substantial praise from international public finance experts...

by Vivek Ramkumar | On 17 Feb 2011

Kerala Budget 2011-12

The Minister for Finance, Dr. T. M. Thomas Issac presented the Budget for the financial year 2011-2012.

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 14 Feb 2011

Valuing the Environment in Developing Countries: Modeling the Impact of Distrust in Public Authorities’ Ability to Deliver on the Citizens’ Willingness to Pay for Improved Environmental Quality

This paper employs the choice experiment method to estimate local  citizens’ valuation of a public intervention which proposes to improve the  quality of an important environmental resource, namel...

by Ekin Birol | On 09 Feb 2011

Open Budgets. Transform Lives: The Open Budget Survey 2010

Budget transparency has become central to a number of international development discourses, ranging from the financing of climate change mitigation, to country- level actions to meet interna...

by International Budget Partnership IBP | On 30 Jan 2011

Should Shrimp Farmers Pay Paddy Farmers? The Challenges of Examining Salinisation Externalities in South India

There has been growing concern over conversion of coastal rice paddies to shrimp farms. This study estimates the external cost of shrimp-induced salinity on crop production by comparing two villages i...

by L. Umamaheswari | On 13 Jan 2011

Labour and Energy Intensity: A Study of Pulp & Paper Industries in India

This paper is an attempt to understand the relationship between the labour and energy intensity for firms drawn from pulp and paper industries in Indian manufacturing. Pulp and paper industry account...

by K. Narayanan | On 29 Oct 2010

Asset Creation and Local Economy under NREGs: Scope and Challenges

The paper examines the potential impact of wages and assets created under NREGS on local economies and discusses policy implications for ensuring realization of the potential. The specific objectiv...

by Amita Shah | On 18 Oct 2010

Peasant Women Organise For Empowerment: The Bankura Experiment

Organisations are accepted as an instrument to provide collective strength, or greater bargaining power, or to articulate the voice of an interest group. They may also be recognised as a constituenc...

by Vina Mazumdar | On 15 Sep 2010

Hydrogen Energy For Indian Transport Sector: A Well-To-Wheel Techno-Economic and Environmental Feasibility Analysis

With the alarming rate of growth in vehicle population and travel demand, the energy consumption has increased significantly contributing to the rise of GHG emissions. Therefore, the development of a...

by P. Balachandra | On 30 Jul 2010

Exploring Explanatory Model of Malaria in Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: Perspective from Dighinala Upazila

The study shows that the three major communities had different explanatory models of malaria. Though they had many differences and similarities, some beliefs and practices of malarial treatment and pr...

by Shamim Hossain | On 28 Jul 2010

Radio drug advertisement situation and regulation in Thailand

Drug consumption in Thailand is high in comparison with other countries. A key factor influencing this over consumption is advertising. Radio is the media that can easily reach a lot of people, in...

by Tanattha Kittisopee | On 23 Jul 2010

Examining The Case For Reserve Pooling In East Asia: Empirical Analysis

Two features of East Asia’s recovery from the financial turmoil of 1997- 98 appear to be rather paradoxical. First, the regional economies (except Hong Kong, China and Malaysia) have allowed a relat...

by Ramkishen S. Rajan | On 20 Jul 2010

Collective Action in Diverse Sierra Leone Communities

Scholars have pointed to ethnic and other social divisions as a leading cause of economic underdevelopment, due in part to their adverse effects on public good provision and collective action. We inve...

by Rachel Glennerster | On 13 Jul 2010

Residential Location and Youth Unemployment: The Economic Geography of School-To-Work

In response to increased international policy attention to youth unemployment this study investigates post-secondary school transitions of school leavers. Multinomial log it models are estimated for m...

by Regina T. Riphahn | On 09 Jul 2010

Reform of the Fiscal and Subsidy Regime for the Petroleum Sector

Reform of the oil sector is long overdue. The problems in the sector emanate from the structure of central taxes and the system of subsidisation through prices. Solutions to the problems necessa...

by Sebastian Morris | On 08 Jul 2010

Auto Rickshaw Regulation In Vadodara A Reality Check

This paper makes a reality check regulation of auto rickshaw regulation in Vadodara.[Working Paper No.0065].

by Nimisha Srivastava | On 22 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

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

Private Sector Industrialization in China: Evidence from Wenzhou

The purpose of this study to help shed light on the entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs and enterprise growth in Wenzhou. The study is done by relying on a probabilistic firm survey that we carried out i...

by John Strauss | On 08 Apr 2010

Planning for Human Settlements in India-Spatial Perspective

This paper examines the basis upon which rural and urban areas are classified as such. It looks into various criteria for the above all over the world and re-iterates the Indian definition of an ‘urba...

by V.K. Dhar | On 22 Mar 2010

Globalisation Lived Locally: New Forms of Control, Conflict and Response Among Labour in Kerala, Examined Through a Labour Geography Lens

With the support of the labour geography framework, this study tries to analyse how the economic geography of capitalism is shaped by the spatial practices of labour. The model that is taken up is n...

by Neethi P | On 22 Feb 2010

Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2009 (Provisional)

The purpose of the ASER 2009’s rapid assessment survey in rural areas is twofold: (i) to get reliable estimates of the status of children’s schooling and basic learning (reading and arithmetic level)...

by Pratham Pratham | On 21 Jan 2010

Why Bihar is Poor?

Bihar has achieved double-digit economic growth over the past five years is a wonder

by T.N. Ninan | On 21 Jan 2010

Market-Based Approaches to Environmental Management: A Review of Lessons from Payment for Environmental Services in Asia

Market-based approaches to environmental management, such as payment for environmental services (PES), have attracted unprecedented attention during the past decade. PES policies, in particular, hav...

by Bhim Adhikari | On 20 Jan 2010

HIV Prevention in Vulnerable Indian States: Lessons from the Chayan Project

This document highlights the results and associated processes from Chayan’s implementation experience under the RACHNA program. The programmatic framework, designed for low-prevalence contexts in In...

by CARE India | On 20 Nov 2009

Organizing the Un-Organized? The Rise, Recession and Revival of the Indian Diamond Industry

This paper presents summary of findings from research conducted in the Indian diamond industry over a period of last four years. Insights about the remarkable rise, growth and the unique working of t...

by Indu Rao | On 10 Nov 2009

Survival Lessons Water Management Traditions in the Central-Western Himalayas

India is home to fantastic water harvesting traditions that have evolved over millennia. The central western Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are no exceptions to these traditions....

by People's Science Institute PSI | On 21 Sep 2009

UCLG Policy Paper on Local Finance

The Policy Paper seeks to give voice to a local government vision on financing and stems from a shared understanding of the challenges we face. The Policy Paper contains 25 concrete recom- mendations...

by UCLG Committee on Local Finance and Development UCLG | On 12 Sep 2009

Strengthening Decentralization - Augmenting The Consolidated Fund of the States by the Thirteenth Finance Commission: A Normative Approach

The present study examines issues related to fiscal federalism at the third tier in general and grants to local bodies in particular. The study presents a normative framework to estimate the requireme...

by Abhay Pethe | On 14 Aug 2009

Subnational Taxes in Developing Countries: The Way Forward

It is critical to emphasize that intergovernmental fiscal relations must be thought of as a system and that all the pieces in the system must fit together if decentralization is to work properly. Vari...

by Richard.M. Bird | On 16 Jun 2009

Insecurities of the Old and Marginalized: Inflation, Oil Shocks, Financial Crisis and Social Security

The paper examines the impact of recent inflation and financial shocks on the vulnerable, and explores policy design to reduce both future shocks and vulnerability to shocks. Inflation affects the typ...

by Ashima Goyal | On 22 May 2009

Backward Linkages of Foreign Subsidiaries in Guangdong, China: A Country- of –Origin Analysis

Multinational companies exercise their impact on the economic development of the host countries and regions through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). The host countries tap the benefits from these FDI...

by Filip De Beule | On 15 May 2009

No Through Road: The Limitations of Food Miles

The focus of this paper is on food miles issues associated with the import of products from developing countries. As the concept of food miles has been an issue in organic agriculture since before the...

by Els Wynen | On 14 May 2009

Can Ethical Trade Certification Contribute to the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals? A Review of Organic and Fair-trade Certification

The growth of ethical consumerism in developed countries has led to increased imports of environmentally and socially certified products produced by the poor in developing countries, which could poten...

by Sununtar Setboonsarng | On 13 May 2009

Making the Politician and the Bureaucrat Deliver: Employment Guarantee in India

The paper examines the division of tasks required between politicians and bureaucrats to run an effective rural employment guarantee scheme (EGS) in India, in the context of Indian history and habits.

by Ashima Goyal | On 21 Apr 2009

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

Through a Glass Darkly: Deciphering the Impact of Oil Price Shocks

In order to examine if the impact of oil price shocks depends on the structure of an economy, a vertical (VSC) and a horizontal (HSC) long-run supply curve identification are successively imposed on a...

by Ashima Goyal | On 05 Jan 2009

Inda's Pharmaceutical Industry on Course for Globalisation

The pharmaceutical industry is expanding worldwide. For some years now, it has been benefiting from the particular dynamics of the Asian economies as both purchasers and producers. It is not only the...

by Uwe Perlitz | On 12 Dec 2008

Global and Regional Shocks: Challenges to Asian

Two major economic problems are currently shadowing Asian economies. On the one hand, the slowdown in the US economy, ignited by the subprime mortgage crisis, may not be confined to the US region...

by Kwanho Shin | On 05 Dec 2008

National Water Policy

Concerns of the community needs to be taken into account for water resources development and management. The success of the National Water Policy will depend entirely on evolving and maintaining a na...

by Ministry of Water Resources GOI | On 02 Dec 2008

Values and Meanings of Citizenship

What does citizenship mean to poor and socially excluded people? How do their views help us understand and analyse what 'inclusive' citizenship means?

by Naila Kabeer | On 20 Nov 2008

Ensuring ‘Collective Action’ in ‘Participatory’ Forest Management

This paper is based on a qualitative analysis of three case studies, each belonging to one of three types of institutional structures: Self-initiated, NGO-promoted, and Government-sponsored JFM. The b...

by Rucha Ghate | On 14 Nov 2008

Electricity and Rural Development Linkages

This paper discusses the criticality of electricity the vital modern economic infrastucture concerning its role in and nexus with rural development. Introducing broad issues in rural infrastructure an...

by Keshab Das | On 06 Nov 2008

Another Commission is Not Enough:Ram Harri Shrestha and the Corrosive Impact of Impunity on Nepal's Unsteady Peace.

Neplal's maoists initiated the process of crippling the institution of parliamentary dempcracy by giving primacy to military meanse over the political. Mainstream parties, unable to resist petty polit...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 29 Sep 2008

A New Era of World Hunger?- The Global Food Crisis Analyzed

This paper is an account of the main streams discussed in an international conference, held in New York in April 2008, organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Global Policy Forum, which cons...

by James A. Paul | On 24 Sep 2008

From Slash-and-Burn to Sustainability – A Study from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

because their traditional ‘slash and burn’ agriculture is becoming increasingly unsustainable. Farmers in these communities have to farm more intensively and this is causing a whole host of environm...

by M. A. Monayem Miah | On 19 Sep 2008

Does Tourism Contribute to Local Livelihoods? A Case Study of Tourism, Poverty and Conservation in the Indian Sundarbans

This study examines the contribution of tourism towards improving the livelihoods of local people in a remote island village of the Indian Sundarbans.

by Indrila Guha | On 18 Aug 2008

Impact of Proposed Commodity Transaction Tax

The relationship between trading activity, volatility and transaction cost using a three-equation structural model for five top selected commodities namely Gold, Copper, Petroleum Crude, Soya Oil and...

by Pravakar Sahoo | On 07 Aug 2008

Shifting Cultivation and its Alternatives in Bangladesh: Productivity, Risk and Discount Rates

This study evaluates the economic feasibility of replacing shifting cultivation (Jhum) with settled agriculture and new soil conservation technology based on an assessment of the farmers’ risk and cor...

by M. A. Monayem Miah | On 29 Jul 2008

Book Review: Tales of the Displaced in India’s North-East

Review of: Internal Displacement in South Asia: The Relevance of the UN’s Guiding Principles Edited by Paula Banerjee, Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, Samir Kumar Das, Sage Publicatons, New Delhi;...

by Ratna Bharali Talukdar | On 22 Jun 2008

Earthquake Rocks China's Civil Society

The earthquake has certainly revealed that NGOs can play a positive role, but the question of “deviation” is of greater concern to the ruling party and where the challenge will lie for these young org...

by Amy Gadsden | On 18 Jun 2008

Children’s Perception of Sarkar: A Critique of Civics Textbooks

Where do we locate the value of political education in our country, which has largely been imparted under the category of civics? Since textbooks are on possible site for finding answers, this study...

by Alex M. George | On 29 May 2008

Improving the Economic Condition of Farmers

The Official Group would like to recommend a set of policy initiatives for the consideration of the Government of Karnataka. The recommendations of the Official Group are grouped under the following h...

by Government of Karnataka GoK | On 04 May 2008

A Sugar Policy for India Comment on D R Gadgil

D.R. Gadgil, wrote at length about the need for a long-term sugar policy and its efficient implementation is needed in India. What is the current relevance of his ideas?

by Aparna Mitheel Jaikar | On 13 Mar 2008

Playing in Invisible Markets: Toilet Innovations and Empowerment

Sanitation is at the heart of not only environmental security but also food security and health. About 42,000 people die every week due to drinking water polluted with faecal matter. The problem is m...

by Shyama V. Ramani | On 03 Mar 2008

Alinging Development, Air Quality and Climate Policies for Muliple Dividends

This paper focuses on the policy direction required to achieve socio-economic growth in developing countries while addressing air pollution concerns at both local and global levels. While greenhouse g...

by Deepa Menon Choudhary | On 25 Feb 2008

Competitiveness of India's Manufacturing Sector: An Assessment of Related Issues

An analysis of the various parameters of manufacturing competitiveness of the Indian economy is provided. The paper notes that India is one of the leading producers and exporters of a number of commod...

by Lakshmanan L | On 19 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

Municipal Finance in India:An Assessment

This study, entitled “Municipal Finance in India – An Assessment”, undertaken for the Development Research Group (DRG), Reserve Bank of India examines the performance of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in I...

by P K Mohanty | On 29 Jan 2008

Agrarian Distress and Rural Livelihoods A Study in Upputhara Panchayat Idukki District, Kerala

This study examines the impact of agrarian distress on the different socio-economic groups, the strategies of livelihood adopted by households and the local institution in shaping these strategies. Th...

by K.N. Nair | On 02 Jan 2008

National Human Development Report 2001

The process of development, in any society, should ideally be viewed and assessed in terms of what it does for an average individual.For any approach or development framework to be meaningful and effe...

by Planning Commission, India | On 28 Nov 2007

Tracking Functional Devolution by States to Panchayats

The Eleventh Schedule added to the Constitution by the Seventy-third Amendment lists twenty-nine functions devolvable by States to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). States were free to set the sp...

by Indira Rajaraman | On 28 Sep 2007

Can Horticulture be a Success Story for India?

In spite of being one of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in the world, the export competitiveness among the Indian producers remains low. But with new marketing initiatives, the post-ha...

by Surabhi Mittal | On 24 Aug 2007

On the Relevance of the Median Voter to Resource Allocation amongst Jurisdictions

Allocation of local public good over three jurisdictions with individuals with heterogeneous tastes, in a model with democratic institutions and majority rule. The nature of electoral uncertainty, the...

by Santhanu Gupta | On 16 Aug 2007

Cities, Gender Budgeting and Civic Governance

The Budget is an important tool in the hands of the state for affirmative action for improvement of gender relations through reduction of gender gap in the development process. It can help to reduce e...

by Vibhuti Patel | On 03 Aug 2007

Impact of Special Economic Zones on Employment, Poverty and Human Development

There are three channels through which SEZs address these issues: employment generation, skill formation (human capital development), and technology and knowledge upgradation. It examines how the imp...

by Aradhna Aggarwal | On 02 Aug 2007

Challenges Facing Fair Trade: Which Way Now?

Approaching maturity, Fair Trade faces challenges at both ends of the supply chain, reflecting the dual roles of Fair Trade as a business and development instrument. Who should supply the Fair Trade...

by Anne Tallontire | On 12 Mar 2007

Assessing the Applicability of Geographical Indications as a Means to Improve Environmental Quality in Affected Ecosystems and the Competitiveness of Agricultural Products

the objective of this report is to analyse the existing and potential links that can be established between current Geographical Indications (GIs) and regional sustainable development. A case study a...

by Mariano Riccheri, | On 24 Feb 2007

Women Politicians, Gender Bias, and Policy-making in Rural India

Despite the importance of this issue for the design of institutions around the world, little is known about the relative performance of women as policy makers, about their impact on child development...

by Lori Beaman | On 16 Feb 2007

Food Retailing, Supermarkets and Food Security: Highlights from Latin America

The importance of supermarkets in the world food economy has increased radically since the early 1990s. They are now major sellers and buyers of food items not only in developed but also in developin...

by Mehmet Arda | On 27 Dec 2006

Impact of Reservations of Panchayat Pradhans on Targeting in West Bengal

The effect of randomized reservations of Pradhan (chief executive) positions in West Bengal local governments (panchayats) for women and members of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) following t...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

Pro-Poor Targeting and Accountability of Local Governments in West Bengal

A commonly alleged pitfall of decentralization is that poverty, socio-economic inequality and lack of political competition allow local elites to capture local governments. This hypothesis is empirica...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

Fiscal Decentralisation and Local Level Gender Responsive Budgeting in Morocco: Some Observations

During the last few years there has been a significant attempt to change the status of women in Morocco. Considerable efforts have been made to incorporate mainstream gender in socio-economic policies...

by M.Govinda Rao | On 27 Dec 2006

Fiscal Decentralisation and Local Level Gender Responsive Budgeting In The Philippines: An Empirical Analysis

With the strengthening of the fiscal decentralisation process in the Philippines, local government units (LGUs) were provided with more opportunities in terms of local level gender responsive budge...

by Lekha S. Chakraborty | On 27 Dec 2006

Reforming the Local, Constructing China: Place Identity in a North China Province

Reform in the People's Republic of China has seen a dramatic change in the discourse of localism, which has now moved from being a political crime to being a technique for encouraging entrepreneuriali...

by David S. G. Goodman | On 21 Nov 2006

Fiscal Decentralisation and Gender Responsive Budgeting in Mexico: Some Observations

This paper analyses the scope and limitations of gender responsive budgeting in Mexico within the overall framework of fiscal decentralisation. However, decentralised gender responsive budgeting can b...

by Lekha S. Chakraborty | On 31 Oct 2006

Estimating the Value of Agricultural Cropland and Pasteurland in India

The main aim of this study is to develop an accounting framework that reflects the real contribution of agricultural land and pastureland to society. The more specific objectives are to: 1 estimate...

by Haripriya Gundimeda | On 23 May 2006

Gender Critiques of Budgets: How Useful?

While critical perspectives on the budget are certainly necessary and are useful, they are not sufficient to produce the change necessary. For that we need to encourage civil society initiatives on en...

by Maithreyi Krishnaraj | On 07 Apr 2006

Mirrors of Value? Advertising and Political Theatre in the Hegemonic Construction of Women in India

'Fair and Lovely’ fairness cream (FAL) advertisements and plays by Jana Natya Manch (Janam) are cultural representations that make particular claims about Indian women’s value and what they value. For...

by Dia Mohan | On 01 Apr 2006

Union Budget : Financing Social Sector Budgets

There has been a perception that since the introduction of what have derisively been called “neo-liberal” reforms, the social sectors i.e. those dealing with education and health, have suffered. Is...

by Ajit Karnik | On 07 Mar 2006

Reproductive Health Services and Role of Panchayats in Karnataka

The paper presents an analysis of the reproductive health care services available to women in rural areas in Karnataka, and the various factors influencing them. Based on survey data on the status o...

by Poornima Vyasulu | On 19 Jan 2006

Corruption and Local Governance: Evidence from Karnataka

The paper examines corruption in the institutions of local government in Karnataka, using a Logit model. One of the arguments in favour of decentralisation in developing countries is that it provide...

by V. Vijayalakshmi | On 09 Jan 2006

Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka

The objective of this paper is to unpack the dynamics of local governance in Karnataka by studying the interaction between two sets of rural institutions, (a) the formal, elected Gram Panchayats(GPs...

by Kripa Ananthpur | On 09 Jan 2006

Environmental Quality Provision and Eco-labelling: Some Issues

This paper is a literature survey of some relevant issues arising from environmental quality provision and eco-labelling schemes. First of all it is shown how the two topics are strictly related. Firm...

by Laura Valentini | On 11 Dec 2005

Developing A Quantitiative Framework For Determining Devolution Of Funds From The State Government To Local Bodies

This paper is concerned with devising an approach to intergovernmental transfers, from State Governments to Urban Local Bodies. Our approach will comprise of five cardinal principles abbreviated as P...

by Ajit Karnik | On 05 Aug 2005

Voice Lessons:Local Government Organizations, Social Organizations, and the Quality of Local Governance

As part the Local Level Institutions study of local life in villages in rural Indonesia information was gathered on sampled household’s participation in social activities. We classified the reported a...

by Lant Pritchett | On 31 Mar 2005