eSocialSciences.org

eSS now presents the budget speeches and in some cases the full budget documents of several country government’s in Asia. These are to be found under the heads of each government. Similarly you will also find Indian state budges under the head of respective state governments. All of these are in a fully searchable database.
Proceedings of the legislatures of several Asian countries are also now available regularly on eSS. http://www.esocialsciences.org/News/InParliamentNews.aspx

You may comment on them directly on the web page. We also welcome short commentaries for the Current Affairs columns. Please send them to editor@esocialsciences.org.

eSS now offers web-based journal management systems for small journals. While there is no fee for the standard module, we can also customise it as required at a small cost. For enquiries: editor@esocialsciences.org.

The Economy
How has the Indian Corporate Sector Responded to Two Decades of Economic Reforms in India? An Exploration of Patterns and Trends by Rakesh Basant, Pulak Mishra. This IIMA Working Paper attempts to assess how the firms have responded to policy measures over the last two decades and the resultant changes in the business conditions in a long run perspective.[W.P. No. 2012-02-02]. http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4839

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 reduction in fiscal deficit-GDP ratio. [RBI Report]
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/ShowArticle.aspx?acat=Current+Affairs&aid=4905

Services as a New Engine of Growth for ASEAN, the People’s Republic of China, and India. The purpose of this ADBI report by Ben Shepherd and Gloria Pasadilla is two-fold: First, a compendium of relevant data is presented on the state of the services sector in the ACI (ASEAN, PRC and India) countries. Second, the services policy environment in the ACI countries is examined, focusing on its implications for regional and international integration of services markets.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4845

What is the (New) Deal with Fragile States? Wim Naudé in this UNU-WIDER Policy Brief casts some light on the ‘New Deal on Fragile States’ announced in November 2011 by the G7+ and their international partners designed to address the issue of poor governance and lack of state capabilities in around 45 countries that pose a threat to global security and development.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4827

India Cheapest, Japan Priciest for Pancakes. How much does it cost to make a pancake in India? Asks Sriram Vadlamani in this lively comment on the The Economist’s infographic where it charts the cost of ingredients that are used in making a pancake. http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4824

Fiscal Matters and Political Environment
Political Determinants of the Allocation of Public Expenditures: A Study of the Indian States. This study by Bharatee Bhusana Dash, Angara V Raja examines whether the allocation of public expenditures of the Indian states are significantly influenced by government specific political characteristics. [NIPFP WP]
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4889

Citizens, Legislators, and Executive Disclosure: The Political Determinants of Fiscal Transparency. Authors are Joachim Wehner, Paulo de Renzio. Using a new 85-country dataset, this IBP paper focuses on two important sources of domestic demand for open budgeting: citizens and legislators. The results suggest that free and fair elections have a significant direct effect on budgetary disclosure, and that they dampen the adverse effect on fiscal transparency of dependence on natural resource revenues.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4795

Labour and Skilling
The Global Race for Excellence and Skilled Labour: A Status Report
This Duetsch Bank research report authored by Ingo Rollwagen, Tobias Renkin attempts to determine systematic coordinates that define the development of knowledge, higher education and excellence of these efforts. http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4843

Time Poverty, Work Status and Gender: The Case of Pakistan by Najam us Saqib, G M Arif. This first nationwide time use survey for Pakistan focuses on measurement of time poverty and its incidence among workers using Time Use Survey (TUS) 2007, a PIDE Working Paper.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4841

‘Out to Work?’
Studies in Goan Migration: Dr Stella Mascarenhas Keyes. Prominent researcher in Goan migration, Dr Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes, did some of the first detailed academic research on Goan migration. A video report of her talk to at the Goa University and the St Xavier's College (Mapusa). http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/ShowArticle.aspx?acat=Institutional%20Papers&aid=4731

Health in the Midst of Economic Stress
Health Care Financing Reforms in India. M Govinda Rao, Mita Choudhury discuss the transfer system in India and analyse the expenditure needs of States to provide essential health infrastructure. It also analyzes the fiscal space for health care in terms of stimulation and substitution effects of central transfers for health to states. NIPFP WP. http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4869

Socioeconomic Factors and All Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality among Older People in Latin America, India, and China: A Population-Based Cohort Study
By Cleusa P Ferri, Daisy Acosta.This Plos Medicine article reports on a survey in sites in Latin Americas, India and China that compared the vital status of 12,373 people aged 65 years and over was determined 3–5 years after baseline survey. Among other findings: Compared with the US, mortality was much higher in urban India and rural China, much lower in Peru, Venezuela, and urban Mexico, and similar in other sites.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4828

Chai Chatter: This blog space has been designed for you! With a large and growing readership of social scientists, this is the place for you to post your questions, comments ad thoughts on social sciences, book alerts and book notes, cinema, plays and life in general!

The State of the World's Children 2012: Children in an Urban World. This year’s UNICEF report adds to the growing body of evidence and analysis, from UNICEF and partners, that scarcity and dispossession afflict the poorest and most marginalized children and families disproportionately. This is so in urban centres just as in the remote rural places we commonly associate with deprivation and vulnerability. http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/ShowArticle.aspx?acat=Institutional+Papers&aid=4823

Economic Growth, Comparative Advantage, and Gender Differences in Schooling Outcomes: Evidence from the Birthweight Differences of Chinese Twins. This December 2011 BREAD paper by Mark Rosenzweig, Junsen Zhang analyses data from two surveys of twins in China are to contribute to an improved understanding of the role of economic development in affecting gender differences in the trends in, levels of, and returns to schooling observed in China and in many developing countries in recent decades
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/ShowArticle.aspx?acat=Institutional+Papers&aid=4779

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Elections across Asia
Presidential Election in South Korea and Inter-Korean Relations. Sangsoo Lee, Stina Bergman ‘s ISDP Policy Brief. The post-Kim Jong Il situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense. This year will be a critical year for the peninsula. Will the new North Korean leadership be successfully stabilized or not? http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4799

Communication and Change
Why Radio Matters: Making the Case for Radio as a Medium for Development Mary Myers shows how radio is an invaluable tool for reaching and involving the poor and marginalised in development efforts. A Developing Radio Partners publication.
http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/showArticle.aspx?acat=Recent%20Articles&aid=4793