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Report of the 16th Finance Commission for 2026-31

The Report of the 16th Finance Commission (Chair: Dr. Arvind Panagariya) was tabled in Parliament on February 1, 2026 for the five-year period between 2026-27 and 2030-31 [Report Summary].

by Shrusti Singh | On 27 Feb 2026

Tribute: Ela Bhatt

Tribute to Ela Bhatt, the visionary leader of marginalised women

by Vibhuti Patel | On 10 Nov 2022

World Wetlands Day: View from Loktak Wetland Complex

Fisher unions and farming communities of Manipur, India, commemorated the 2021 World Wetlands Day (2nd February) at Tonoma Chingjin, Mamang Ching, Pumlen Pat - a wetland devastated by the Ithai Barrag...

by | On 05 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

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

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

by Ognen Stojanovski | On 03 Jan 2019

Indian Banks and the Prevention of Corruption Act: Freedom and Discipline

Selfless activists like Mr. Pai teach us the importance of continuously interrogating the functioning of our democracy. The NPA issue has persisted for almost a decade. It has eroded the profitability...

by Ashima Goyal | On 29 Oct 2018

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

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

by Hanan G. Jacoby | On 04 Oct 2018

Traditional Procurement versus Public–Private Partnership: A Comparison of Procurement Modalities Focusing on Bundling Contract Effects

This paper studies the optimal structure of procurement contracts between public and private sectors by mainly comparing two typical procurement types: traditional procurement and public–private partn...

by Hojun Lee | On 27 Sep 2018

Infrastructure Financing in South Asia

This paper discusses public and private sector financing of infrastructure, and examines the factors driving infrastructure investment in this subregion. Using a panel of three large South Asian count...

by Shikha Jha | On 26 Sep 2018

Enabling Smart Urban Redevelopment in India through Floor Area Ratio Incentives

This working paper assesses the potential of incentive FAR approaches in two Indian cities, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, for leveraging the economic value of urban land. A thorough analysis of Mumbai’s clust...

by Apoorva Shenvi | On 25 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

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

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

by Jon Munch-Petersen | On 27 Jun 2018

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

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

by Cyn-Young Park | On 06 Jun 2018

Multidimensional Poverty and Catastrophic Health Spending in the Mountainous Regions of Myanmar, Nepal and India

Economic burden to households due to out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) is large in many Asian countries. Though studies suggest increasing household poverty due to high OOPE in developing countries, s...

by Bidhubhusan Mahapatra | On 29 May 2018

The Role of Plant-Breeding R&D in Tractor Adoption among Smallholders in Asia: Insights from Nepal Terai

Combining agricultural census data from Nepal from 2001 and 2011 with various spatial agroclimatic data, we show that increase in yield potentials due to the introduction of high-yield technologies ...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 27 Apr 2018

A Techie-Turned-Organic Farmer

Venkat Iyer was living a fast-paced life in the IT world in Mumbai when he decided to stop and take a long, hard look at where he was headed. Disheartened by his stressful existence in the city, h...

by | On 25 Apr 2018

An Analysis of Nepal’s Transit through India

Nepal, a landlocked country, relies on transit access from neighbouring countries to participate in international trade. For Nepal, the nearest sea-port is that of Kolkata in India and the transit a...

by Isha Dayal | On 28 Mar 2018

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

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

by Sanjana Joshi | On 28 Mar 2018

Triggers and Barriers for ‘Exclusion’ To ‘Inclusion’ in the Financial Sector: A Country-Wise Scrutiny

There have been very few works focusing on the determinants and barriers of financial inclusion. The objective of this study is two folded. Firstly, to measure a efficient composite multi-dimensiona...

by | On 27 Mar 2018

Policy Brief on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)

In addition good and effective governance is also reflected in the quality of physical infrastructure like roads, electricity availability, ports and transport.

by Forum for Knowledge Sharing | On 27 Mar 2018

Underground Economy and Tax Evasion in Pakistan: A Critical Evaluation

The paper says that the tax evasion refers to all the illegal actions taken to avoid the lawful assessment of taxes.

by M. Ali Kemal | On 21 Mar 2018

National Unity Government in Sri Lanka: An Assessment

At the close of two years, the National Unity Government (NUG) of Sri Lanka has failed to maintain the confidence and trust of the people it enjoyed during the first three months of its tenure. Having...

by | On 16 Feb 2018

The Indian Parliament as an Institution of Accountability

This paper examines the institutional challenges facing the Indian Parliament. It argues that over the years there has been a decline in the effectiveness of Parliament as an institution of accounta...

by Pratap Mehta | On 05 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

Accountability in Education: Meeting our Commitments

There are today 264 million children and youth not going to school – this is a failure that we must tackle together, because education is a shared responsibility and progress can only be sustainable t...

by | On 22 Jan 2018

A Guide to Using Budget Analysis

Budget analysis entails analysis and assessment of budget from the lens of marginalised sections of population with the objective of prioritisation of public expenditures and collection of revenues...

by Happy Pant | On 17 Jan 2018

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

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

by Julia Strasheim | On 17 Jan 2018

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

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

by K. V. Ramaswamy | On 16 Jan 2018

Inequality, Employment and Public Policy

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

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 16 Jan 2018

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

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

by Alexander Hamilton | On 15 Jan 2018

People, Policy and Partnership for Disaster Resilience Development

The paper narrates about the proceedings that were centered on a wide range of community level risk reduction efforts that are effectively reducing vulnerabilities as well as influencing development p...

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

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017

A Bill further to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. Be it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows: This Act may be ca...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 09 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

Effective Public Investments to Improve Food Security

This paper focuses on public investments to improve food security can be placed into five broad categories.

by Livia Bizikova | On 18 Dec 2017

Inequality, Good Governance and Endemic Corruption

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

by Gil S. Epstein | On 21 Nov 2017

Deepening Economic Cooperation between India and Sri Lanka

This study analyzes the India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) over the past decade. It is noted that bilateral trade between the countries has increased steadily and India became the most favored...

by Kavita Iyengar | On 13 Oct 2017

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

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

by Mohd. Ali | On 11 Oct 2017

Trade Misinvoicing: What can we measure?

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

by Suranjali Tandon | On 10 Oct 2017

Remittances and Exchange Rate Linkages: Experiences of Nepal

This paper concentrates on the impact of a few macroeconomic variables—nominal exchange rate, economic activity in host countries and workers' outflow—in determining the remittance inflows to Nepal.

by Bhubanesh Pant | On 09 Oct 2017

Selecting Appropriate Methodological Framework for Time Series Data Analysis

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

by Dr. Min Shrestha | On 09 Oct 2017

Central Bank Communication: The Practice in Nepal Rastra Bank and Impact on Inflation

The paper says that it will contribute to make monetary policy more effective and thus enhance its impact.

by Sarthak Karki | On 06 Oct 2017

The Political Historiography of Modern Gujarat

The focus of this paper is on the political history of modern Gujarat, which has been an intriguing one. The paper identifies and discusses in the broad landscape of Gujarat’s politics three notable d...

by Tannen Neil Lincoln | On 14 Sep 2017

Vital Stats: Parliament functioning in Monsoon Session 2017

The Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded on August 11, 2017. The session had 19 sittings. During the session, a new President of India was elected, as was the Vice-President, who is Chairman of Ra...

by Kusum Malik | On 16 Aug 2017

India, Climate Change and Security in South Asia

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

by David Antos | On 09 Aug 2017

Public Procurement in India: Assessment of Institutional Mechanism, Challenges, and Reforms

The present study assesses the public procurement system and recent reform initiatives in India and outlines the need for changes in the institutional frameworks.

by Bhabesh Hazarika | On 09 Aug 2017

CAG Report Summary Reproductive and Child Health under National Rural Health Mission

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) released an audit report on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on July 21, 2017. The Re...

by PRS Legislative Research | On 07 Aug 2017

CAG Report Summary Electrification Projects in Indian Railways

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India submitted a report on the electrification projects in Indian Railways (between 2013-14 and 2015-16) on July 21, 2017. Trains on Indian Railways are hauled...

by PRS Legislative Research | On 07 Aug 2017

The Importance of Being Siliguri, or the Lack Thereof Border-Effect and the “Untimely” City in North Bengal

Debashis Chakraborty visited Siliguri for the first time in 1952. After the final examinations of Class IV, this was his first trip to Siliguri to visit the part of his family that had relocated to th...

by Atig Ghosh | On 04 Aug 2017

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

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

by Calcutta Group | On 04 Aug 2017

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

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

by | On 04 Aug 2017

Rethinking Electricity Sector Reform in Developing Asia: Balancing Economic and Environmental Objectives

The OECD or ‘standard’ model of electricity sector reforms has been widely adopted in non-OECD Asian countries since the 1990s. However, despite two decades of attempts at reforms, no notable progress...

by Tooraj Jamasb | On 31 Jul 2017

Conservation of Genetic Resources of Crops: Farmer Preferences for Banana Diversity in Sri Lanka

This study investigates farmer preferences for banana diversity in Sri Lanka. First, it investigate farmers' attitudes towards banana cultivation in the country. Secondly, it also estimate diversity s...

by Wasantha Athukorala | On 28 Jul 2017

Are All Shifting Cultivators Poor? Evidence from Sri Lanka’s Dry Zones

Shifting cultivation is one of the main causes of deforestation and forest degradation in Sri Lanka. This study uses household data and satellite images to investigate the determinants of shifting cul...

by Prabath Nishantha Edirisinghe | On 28 Jul 2017

Is Nepal’s Renewable Energy Subsidy Reaching Poor People of Rural Areas? A Study of Biogas and Solar Home Systems

This paper analyse data from the Nepal Living Standard Survey for the year 2010/11 to determine the extent to which these programs have reached the poor. The Government of Nepal has been providing fin...

by Dipendra Bhattarai | On 28 Jul 2017

Overview of the Evolution of Agricultural Mechanization in Nepal: A Focus on Tractors and Combine Harvesters

This study was conducted to understand the evolution of agricultural mechanization in Nepal, specifically its determinants on both the demand and supply sides, as well as impacts on agricultural prod...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 26 Jul 2017

Rethinking the Development of Post-War Sri Lanka Based on the Singapore Model

This study explores three major points, namely, Singapore's development process,Singapore's model of economic development, and the economic challenges of post-war Sri Lanka. This study explores pages...

by Sanika Sulochani Ramanayake | On 25 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 25 Jul 2017

Parliament Session Alert Monsoon Session: July 17 – August 11, 2017

The Monsoon Session of Parliament is to be held between July 17 and August 11, 2017. There will be a total of 19 sittings. The agenda for legislation includes 18 Bills for consideration and passing. 1...

by Kusum Malik | On 17 Jul 2017

India and her Neighbour: Indo-Nepal economic cooperation through Uttar Pradesh.

In the era of globalization where the whole globe plays to be our home, has regionalization lost its importance? At least in the context of South Asian nations the answer can no way be a Yes. Regiona...

by | On 29 Jun 2017

Analysis of Simultaneous Elections : The "What", "Why" and "How"

This paper narrates that elections impact everyone in the entire country – citizens, businesses, administrative machinery, constitutional institutions, political parties, leaders and so on. Eventual i...

by Bibek Debroy | On 18 May 2017

Strengthening Arbitration and its Enforcement in India – Resolve in India

The present paper focuses on the first and internationally the largest mode of dispute resolution, that is, Arbitration. However, prior to looking at how arbitration functions in the country, it would...

by Bibek Debroy | On 17 May 2017

LED Street Lighting Best Practices - Lessons Learned from the Pilot LED Municipal Streetlight and PLN Substation Retrofit Project (Pilot LED Project) in Indonesia

The Pilot LED Project was successful in demonstrating significant savings and in developing new specifications for LED luminaires that focused on luminaire performance, quality of delivered illuminati...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 May 2017

Impact of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on Indian Economy

GST also known as the Goods and Services Tax is defined as the giant indirect tax structure designed to support and enhance the economic growth of a country. More than 150 countries have implemented G...

by | On 13 Apr 2017

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

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

by | On 22 Mar 2017

Macroeconomic Impact of Demonetisation: A Preliminary Assessment

The analysis in this paper suggests that demonetisation has impacted various sectors of the economy in varying degrees; however, in the affected sectors, the adverse impact was transient and felt ma...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 21 Mar 2017

Macroeconomic Impact of Demonetisation-A Preliminary Assessment

Demonetisation announced on November 8, 2016 was aimed at addressing corruption, black money, counterfeit currency and terror financing. Although demonetisation holds huge potential benefits in the me...

by Reserve Bank of India RBI | On 15 Mar 2017

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

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

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability CBGA | On 03 Feb 2017

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

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

by Janet G Stotsky | On 23 Jan 2017

Non-Communicable Diseases and Risk Factors in Migrants from South Asian Countries

The following document contains a review for a research project on migration and chronic or non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It begins with an overview of the geographical scope; the review focuses s...

by | On 11 Jan 2017

The Plough, Gender Roles, and Corruption

Cross-national empirical studies of corruption commonly find that nations in which women play a greater role in economic and public life suffer less corruption. This finding has been controversial in...

by | On 10 Jan 2017

Plastic Bag Ban in Nepal: Enforcement and Effectiveness

The rampant use of plastic bags in Nepal has led to growing concern in recent years regarding the impact of discarded plastic bags on the environment. Though a number of different control measures a...

by Bishal Bharadwaj | On 29 Dec 2016

Cost of Controlling Water Pollution and its Impact on Industrial Efficiency

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

by Asha Gunawardena | On 23 Dec 2016

The Problem of Inequality

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

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 19 Dec 2016

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

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

by Kusum Malik | On 19 Dec 2016

Vital Stats: Parliament functioning in the Winter Session 2016

Winter Session 2016 has been one of the least productive sessions for both Houses in the last 15 years, with repeated disruptions on the issue of demonetisation of currency. While eight Bills were int...

by Kusum Malik | On 19 Dec 2016

Strength of Partisan and Candidate Ties in India

This study estimates the impact of incumbency on re-election prospects of parties and candidates in India, between 1977 and 2014, for Lok Sabha elections. Regression discontinuity design is used to es...

by Aditi Singhal | On 05 Dec 2016

E-governance, Accountability, and Leakage in Public Programs: Experimental Evidence from a Financial Management Reform in India

In collaboration with the Government of Bihar, India, a large-scale experiment is conducted to evaluate whether transparency in fiscal transfer systems can increase accountability and reduce corrupt...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 02 Dec 2016

Strengthening State Legislatures: Background Note for the Conference on Effective Legislatures

State legislatures are responsible for making laws on key subjects like land, police and health. They are also tasked with approving the expenditure of money for their respective states every year. T...

by Prianka Rao | On 30 Nov 2016

Demonetisation: Impact on the Economy

The argument posited in favour of demonetisation is that the cash that would be extinguished would be “black money” and hence, should be rightfully extinguished to set right the perverse incentive s...

by | On 17 Nov 2016

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

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

by Kusum Malik | On 14 Nov 2016

Black Money, Corruption and Demonetisation

The demonetisation of currency after a long period of 38 years was a welcome and bold step taken by the Government of India on November 8, 2016. The last demonetisation was implemented in 1978 by wi...

by Martin Patrick | On 11 Nov 2016

World Population Data Sheet 2016

The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and futu...

by | On 21 Oct 2016

Student Responses to the Changing Content of School Meals in India

Can countries with binding budget constraints increase the benefits of school transfers through better program design? A cost-neutral change is used in the design of India’s school meal program to s...

by Farzana Afridi | On 20 Oct 2016

Mainstreaming an Effective Intervention: Evidence from Randomized Evaluations of “Teaching at the Right Level” in India

Previous randomized studies have shown that addressing children’s current learning gaps, rather than following an over-ambitious uniform curriculum, can lead to significant learning gains. In this stu...

by Esther Duflo | On 18 Oct 2016

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016

To provide for protection of rights of transgender persons and their welfare and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto. [Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment unde...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 13 Oct 2016

Book Review: ‘Native places’ and Journeys Beyond

Review of Almost Home: Finding a Place in the World from Kashmir to New York by Githa Hariharan; Restless Books (Originally published by Fourth Estate, 2014), New York; 2016, 304 pages, $16.99.

by Dhanwanti Nayak | On 07 Oct 2016

Why Musahars Vote ?

The most popular imagery that the 16th Lok Sabha election campaign projected was of good governance and development. What does this mean for communities that lie on the margins of body politics? Are...

by Shilp Shikha Singh | On 05 Oct 2016

Stories of Harassment, Violence and Discrimination: Migrant Experiences between India, Nepal and Bangladesh

This Project Briefing explores the experiences of these people as they migrate, drawing on findings from a baseline study on their vulnerabilities, particularly to HIV and AIDS, as they move between t...

by | On 29 Sep 2016

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

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

by Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati | On 26 Sep 2016

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

Health Spending, Macroeconomics and Fiscal Space in Countries of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region

The paper examines the issues around mobilization of resources for the 11 countries of the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), by analysing their macroeconomic situation, he...

by | On 07 Sep 2016

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

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

by | On 05 Sep 2016

Large-Scale Migration and Remittance in Nepal: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

Almost half of all households have at least one migrant abroad or a returnee. Estimates of the number of Nepali migrants abroad vary widely, but the most frequently cited estimate, including seasonal...

by World Bank [WB] | On 25 Aug 2016

Diversity in Donorship: The Changing Landscape of Official Humanitarian Aid

The lead agency in India’s assistance strategy is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA is directly responsible for assistance to Bhutan, Nepal and Afghanistan, and advises the Department of...

by | On 19 Aug 2016

Vital Stats: Parliament during Monsoon Session 2016

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

by Kusum Malik | On 16 Aug 2016

Gender and Food Security

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

by Bridge Cutting Edge Programme | On 09 Aug 2016

Informality in South Asia: A Review

Labour markets in South Asia have been characterized as dualistic, with a relatively small, well-protected formal sector and a large unprotected informal sector. Indeed, the formal workforce is very s...

by | On 29 Jul 2016

Do Government Audits Reduce Corruption: Estimating the Impacts of Exposing Corrupt Politicians

This paper examines the extent to which government audits of public resources can reduce corruption by enhancing political and judiciary accountability. It does so in the context of Brazil’s anti-corr...

by Eric Avis | On 29 Jul 2016

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

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

by Kusum Malik | On 18 Jul 2016

Reimagining India’s Urban Future: A Framework for Securing High-Growth, Low-Carbon, Climate-Resilient Urban Development in India

This paper reviews the current state of the literature on Indian urbanization to analyze existing urban development trajectories at the state level in order to understand the challenges Indian cities...

by Meenu Tewari | On 15 Jul 2016

Impact of Community-led Total Sanitation on Women’s Health in Urban Slums: A Case Study from Kalyani Municipality

This Evidence Report seeks to understand the health and other impacts of slum women’s access to sanitation through the Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach. It also examines the process thro...

by | On 15 Jul 2016

Impact of Ownership Structure on Agency Cost of Debt in India

The paper attempts to answer the question namely the management-principal or the principal-principal is given more significance by the debt holders in the Indian context. It also examines the relation...

by Sakina Kachwala | On 29 Jun 2016

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

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

by World Food Programme WFP | On 24 Jun 2016

Hurting the Host: The Dynamics of Refugee-Related Violence in South Asia

This paper assesses the proclivity towards refugee-related violence in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, using an original dataset. I show that the host’s attitude towards refugees depend on local fact...

by | On 17 Jun 2016

Ministry of Finance and Planning Annual Report 2010

This paper contains the annual report 2010 of Ministry of Finance and Planning, Government of Sri Lanka.

by Ministry of Finance and Planning, Govt of Sri Lanka | On 15 Jun 2016

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

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

by Virgil Fievet | On 09 Jun 2016

Contracting by Small Farmers in Commodities with Export Potential: Assessing Farm Profits of Lentil Growers in Nepal

This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in a case where new market opportunities are emerging for smallholder farmers in Nepal. CF is...

by Anjani Kumar | On 07 Jun 2016

Nutrition Moves: States Create Promising Change in India

This publication gathers a collection of twenty case studies that illustrate how Indian states are creating promising change to ensure the delivery of essential nutrition information, counselling, sup...

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

The Mixture as Before? Student Responses to the Changing Content of School Meals in India

We study how attendance rates of primary school children respond to cost neutral changes in the design of India’s school meal program. Municipal schools in the capital region of Delhi switched from pa...

by | On 02 Jun 2016

People's Rights and Social Res.Centre and ors Petitioner(s) versus Union of India and Ors.

This writ petition was filed in the year 2006, praying for a direction to the respondents to constitute a high level committee with the participation also of the NGOs to investigate the occurance of t...

by Supreme Court of India | On 30 May 2016

Unified Package Insurance Scheme

The Unified Package Insurance Scheme will be implemented in 45 selected districts on Pilot basis from Kharif 2016 season. A farmer (both Loanee and Non- Loanee) can access to Banks whereas nonloanee f...

by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation GOI | On 30 May 2016

Political Conflict, Extremism and Criminal Justice in Bangladesh

Political repression is reaching new highs in Bangladesh. The government’s abuse of rule of law institutions for political ends has created an atmosphere of injustice that is increasingly exploited by...

by International Crisis Group | On 26 May 2016

Democratising Forest Business: A Compendium of Successful Locally Controlled Forest Business Organisations

This book presents 19 case studies from 14 developing countries that show how local people have been democratising forest business and draws a set of conclusions from analysis of these case studies wh...

by | On 25 May 2016

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

This report provides an analysis of Asset Comparison of Re-contesting MLAs in Puducherry Assembly Elections, 2016

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

Puducherry: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates

This report provides an analysis of the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the Puducherry Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

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

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

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

Kerala: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates

This report provides an analysis of the the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the Kerala Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

Tamil Nadu: Analysis of Asset Comparison of Re-contesting MLAs in Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

This report analyses the assets of the candidates re contesting in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

Tamil Nadu: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates

This report provides an analysis about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 19 May 2016

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

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

by | On 18 May 2016

Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception are Substitutes

There is longstanding debate in population policy about the relationship between modern contraception and abortion. Although theory predicts that they should be substitutes, the existing body of empi...

by Grant Miller | On 18 May 2016

Vital Stats: Parliament Functioning in Budget Session 2016

The Budget Session 2016 was scheduled from February 23 to March 16, and from April 25 to May 13, 2016. However, during the recess period, Parliament was prorogued to allow the government to issue an...

by Kusum Malik | On 17 May 2016

Plan vs. Performance Budget Session – February 23 to May 13, 2016

The Budget Session was originally planned to be held in two parts: from February 23 to March 16 and April 25 to May 13. However, at the end of March, the government decided to convert these into two...

by Kusum Malik | On 17 May 2016

Multiple Impacts of Droughts and Assessment of Drought Policy in Major Drought Prone States in India

This study is a result of initiatives taken by the Planning Commission, Government of India, to investigate the multiple impact of drought in one of the India’s drought-prone states i.e. Gujarat. Drou...

by Anil Kumar Roy | On 11 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

Health Training Programme for Adolescent Girls: Lessons from India's NGO Initiative

The paper examines the impact of the initiative taken by an NGO -SelfEmployed Women’s Association (SEWA)-in Ahmedabad, a city in western India to impart knowledge about sexual and reproductive healt...

by Leela Visaria | On 05 May 2016

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

This report provides analysis of asset comparison of re-contesting MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly Elections

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 04 May 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 6

This report provides information about the criminal, financial and other background of the candidates contesting in phase 6 of the West Bengal Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 04 May 2016

Locating the Processes of Policy Change in the Context of Anti-Rape and Domestic Worker Mobilisations in India

The report argues that state responses to women’s claims making provide a complex and variegated picture of a non-linear, slow, sporadic and contingent process of policy change, with iterations and re...

by Shraddha Chigateri | On 29 Apr 2016

Assam: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 2

This report provides information about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in phase 2 of Assam Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

Assam: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and Other Details of Candidates

This report provides information about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds about the candidates contesting in phase 1 of the Assam Assembly Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 5

This report provides information about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the phase 5 of the West Bengal Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 4

This report provides information about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the phase 4 of the West Bengal Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 3

This report provides information about the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the phase 3 of the West Bengal Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 2

This report contains information regarding the financial, criminal and other background of the candidates contesting in the Phase 2 of the West Bengal Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

West Bengal: Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Candidates in Phase 1B

This report provides information regarding the financial, criminal and other backgrounds of the candidates contesting in the phase 1B of the West Bengal Elections.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

Agriculture-Nutrition Linkages and Child Health in the Presence of Conflict in Nepal

This paper focuses on this agriculture-nutrition link in Nepal in the context of the country’s decade-long civil conflict. Using panel household data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), co...

by Elizabeth Bageant | On 30 Mar 2016

Contested Idea of Nation Madhesi Upsurge in Nepal

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

by Kalpana Jha | On 21 Mar 2016

Rural-Urban Linkages and Socio-Economic Development: A Case Study Of Two Villages In Gujarat

Rural-urban linkages are both a cause and a consequence of socio-economic development. Though there is a vast volume of literature on this subject, there are quite a few gaps in our knowledge about th...

by RS Pundir | On 20 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Gujarat: 2016-17

Budget speech of finance minister of Gujarat, Saurabh Patel.

by Saurabh Patel | On 16 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

Srilanka Building on Success

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

by Asian Bank | On 14 Mar 2016

The Value of Improved Public Services: An Application of the Choice Experiment Method to Estimate the Value of Improved Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure in India

In this paper we employ a stated preference environmental valuation technique, namely the choice experiment method, to estimate local public?s willingness to pay (WTP) for improvements in the capacity...

by Ekin Birol | On 13 Mar 2016

Japan and Illicit Drugs: A Neglected Success Story

While having witnessed three so-called epidemics in its postwar history, the prevalence of drug abuse in Japan is in fact remarkably low compared to most other countries and constitutes a relatively u...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Investigating Household Preferences for Restoring Pallikaranai Marsh

The study examines households’ willingness to pay for the conservation of Pallinkaranai marsh located in the south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A stated preference method, namely, Contingent Valuation m...

by Suganya Balakumar | On 10 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

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

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

by Jharna Pathak | On 09 Mar 2016

Fighting Corruption: A Test Case for Indonesia ... and Southeast Asia

Recent anti-corruption efforts by Indonesia have once again brought attention to the longstanding issue of corruption. Indonesia established the Corruption Eradication Commission or the KomisiPemberan...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Transparency International Releases Its Corruption Perceptions Index 2010

The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index reveals that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index have a score of below five, on a scale of 10 (highly clean) to 0 (highly corrupt). Denmark, N...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 03 Mar 2016

Pro¬- Government Armed Groups: A Source of Peace or Multipliers of Conflict?

Non-state armed groups (NSAGs) are often associated with those that act in opposition to governments – such as insurgents, terrorists and rebels – and are the subject of significant analysis. Less fre...

by Manpavan Kaur | On 03 Mar 2016

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

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

by Keyan Fang | On 03 Mar 2016

Corruption, a Threat to Human Development

Bribery by companies when doing business abroad is a significant form of corruption, and is particularly serious when vital sectors of a nation’s economy and public services are involved. In a recent...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 02 Mar 2016

Comparative Analysis of Indonesian and Korean Governance

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

by Prof. Yunwon Hwang | On 01 Mar 2016

Developments in education in Palanpur, a village in Uttar Pradesh

This paper examines developments in literacy and education in Palanpur. We consider schooling facilities and other related services available in this village and its neighbourhood. Schooling levels ar...

by Ruth Kattumuri | On 01 Mar 2016

Change and Continuity: Agriculture in Palanpur

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

by Himanshu Prof | On 29 Feb 2016

Non-Farm Diversification and Rural Poverty Decline: A Perspective from Indian Sample Survey and Village Study Data

This paper studies the evolution of the rural non-farm sector in India and its contribution to the decline of poverty. It scrutinizes evidence from a series of nationally representative sample surveys...

by Himanshu Prof | On 29 Feb 2016

India and an Indian village: 50 years of economic development in Palanpur

The analysis of the paper begins in the next section by setting out broad economic changes in India as key context for change in Palanpur, with a particular focus on the three drivers set out above; s...

by Himanshu Prof | On 29 Feb 2016

Can the New Intergovernmental Structure Work in Pakistan in the Presence of Governance Challenges? Learning from China

The reform of the tax administration has been recognized as a priority since the early 1980s and the report of the Tax Reforms Commission headed by Qamar-ul Islam, which had called the then Central Bo...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 29 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

Accra Conference on Aid Effectiveness Perspectives from Bangladesh

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 Dialogue Centre for Policy | On 25 Feb 2016

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

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

by Mustafizur Rahman | On 24 Feb 2016

The Hong Kong Declaration and Agriculture: Implications for Bangladesh

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 Uttam Kumar Deb | On 24 Feb 2016

Impact of Management Practices on Employee Effectiveness in South Asia

South Asian organizations in countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are trying to professionalize management practices in recent years. Inspite of such efforts, employees indiscipli...

by Zafar Qureshi | On 24 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

Parliament Session Alert-Budget Session: February 23 – May 13, 2016

The Budget Session of Parliament will be held between February 23, 2016 and May 13, 2016. The session will have a recess from March 17 to April 24, when the Standing Committees will examine the Dema...

by Kusum Malik | On 23 Feb 2016

Tamil Nadu Interim Budget Speech 2016-2017

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

by O Panneerselvam | On 22 Feb 2016

Preferential Trading In South Asia

This paper examines the economic case for the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement signed on January 6 th, 2004 by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. It s...

by Tercan Baysan | On 21 Feb 2016

The Goods & Services Tax Debate in India: Concepts and Issues

The chequered but ongoing political efforts to introduce a uniform Goods & Services Tax (GST) throughout India should actually be seen through a larger economic prism. The current sense of urgency, re...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Is Access to Tractor Service a Binding Constraint for Nepali Terai Farmers?

Using results from the three rounds of Nepal Living Standard Surveys (conducted in 1995, 2003, and 2010), this study empirically assesses whether access to rented tractors or custom hiring services is...

by Hiroyuki Takeshima | On 18 Feb 2016

Effectiveness of Regulatory Structure in the Power Sector of Pakistan

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

by Afia Malik | On 16 Feb 2016

Well-being and Public Attitudes in Afghanistan: Some Insights from the Economics of Happiness

Afghanistan is a context where individuals have to cope with the most adverse of circumstances. In this paper, we use the tools provided by a new approach in economics, which relies on surveys of happ...

by Soumya Chattopadhyay | On 16 Feb 2016

Bribe Payers Index 2008

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

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

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

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

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Corruption and (In)Security

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

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Poverty and Corruption

The year 2007 marked a milestone in the fight against poverty and corruption. It represented the midway point on the road to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious global pledg...

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

Maximizing Chances for Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan

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

by Bruce Riedel | On 14 Feb 2016

The Afghanistan–Pakistan Challenge: Meeting Humanitarian Needs

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

by Elizabeth Ferris | On 14 Feb 2016

Mitigating the Costs of Corruption in Water for the Poor

The water crisis, exacerbated by corruption, is exacting a high human toll on the lives of the poor and vulnerable. Corruption makes water undrinkable, inaccessible and unaffordable. In developing cou...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Standards on Political Funding and Favours

When corruption distorts political party and campaign financing, candidate competition is warped, elections are undermined and the quality of government is compromised. This paper sets forth standards...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

National Integrity System Study Palestine 2009

The National Integrity System encompasses the key institutions, sectors or specific activities (the ‘pillars’) that contribute to integrity, transparency and accountability in a society. When it funct...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Corruption in the MENA Region

The characteristics of the area of the Middle East and North Africa known as the MENA region tend to fuel corruption and result in low levels of transparency. Yet anti-corruption strategies have prima...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Growth Diagnostics in Pakistan

Following the Hausmann, et al. (2005) methodology, an attempt is done to identify the constraints to growth in Pakistan. It is argued that governance failure and institutional shortcomings are the h...

by Abdul Qayyum | 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

The Government Budget : A Critical Appraisal with Reference to Transparency and Accountability

Budget is the major economic policy document of the government for a particular year and perhaps beyond. Therefore, it is imperative to study the processes, institutional mechanisms, and decision-maki...

by Muttukrishna Sarvananthan | On 13 Feb 2016

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

Making Anti-Corruption Regulation Effective for the Private Sector

A comprehensive regulatory framework for the private sector is a prerequisite for a transparent, honest and just society: where regulation is weak, corruption risks grow strong. As the primary rule ma...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corruption and the Private Sector

Supporting and encouraging business to do its part in tackling corruption has been a global priority for Transparency International (TI) since its inception. Our approach is firmly anchored in the bel...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Global Corruption Barometer 2009

Transparency International’s (TI) 2009 Global Corruption Barometer (the Barometer) presents the main findings of a public opinion survey that explores the general public’s views of corruption, as well...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

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

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

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Whistleblowing: An Effective Tool in the Fight Against Corruption

Whistleblowing helps to prevent and detect corruption and other malpractice. But reporting can come at a high price and it is essential to have policy and legal measures in place that provide an alter...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corporate Responsibility and Anti-Corruption: The Missing Link

At their best, corporate responsibility initiatives are an attempt to address the great environmental, social and ethical challenges of our times. As these programmes continue to evolve, the challenge...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Regulating the Revolving Door

The increased interaction between business and government – as result of privatisations, lobbying and public contracting - has meant increased opportunities for corruption. Conflicts of interest, and...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corruption and Gender in Service Delivery: The Unequal Impacts

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

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2010

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

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

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

Corruption and Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is thought to affect more than 12 million victims around the world. Corruption is seen as facilitating this flow of people and feeding the impunity that prevents the prosecution of t...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Ending Corruption to Ensure Basic Education for All

Universal primary education is one of the eight pledges of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are set to be met by 2015. Since the goals have been adopted, corruption and governance deficits...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

2015 and Beyond: The Governance Solution for Development

There are fewer than 1000 days remaining until the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Based on current progress, many will not be achieved. For Transparency Internati...

by Transparency International TI | On 12 Feb 2016

Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey

Occupation is key in socioeconomic research. As in other survey modes, most web surveys use an open-ended question for occupation, though the absence of interviewers elicits unidentifiable or aggregat...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

An Index of Fiscal Democracy

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

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Television, Cognitive Ability, and High School Completion

We exploit supply-driven heterogeneity in the expansion of cable television across Norwegian municipalities to identify developmental effects of commercial television exposure during childhood. We fin...

by Øystein Hernæs | 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

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 Report: Climate Change

The Global Corruption Report is the first comprehensive publication of its kind to explore the corruption risks related to tackling climate change. From international policy-making to national level m...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Corruption In The Land Sector

Unprecedented pressures on land and its governance have been created. As evident around the globe, where land governance is deficient, high levels of corruption often flourish. Under such a system, la...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Making Aid Effective: An Anti-Corruption Agenda

While aid flows topped US$ 128 billion in 2010, they have not always been good at achieving results due to corruption and mismanagement that arise from low levels of transparency, accountability and i...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Guaranteeing Public Participation In Climate Governance

Effective public participation has three interrelated elements: access to information; direct engagement; and oversight. All three factors can play a critical role in reducing corruption risks and the...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2011

The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories according to their perceived levels of public sector corruption. It is an aggregate indicator that combines different sources of inform...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Daily Lives And Corruption: Public Opinion In South Asia

Between 2010 and 2011, more than 7500 people were interviewed in six South Asian countries – Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – on their views of corruption levels in their c...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Tackling Forestry Corruption Risks In Asia Pacific

This report is based on research carried out in five Asia Pacific countries – China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. This document should serve as an instrument to help...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Building Integrity And Countering Corruption In Defence & Security

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

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

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

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

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Real Lives, True Stories

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

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

Whistleblower Protection And The Un convention Against Corruption

This study proposes ways of enhancing whistleblower protection through the review process for the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). It is intended as a contribution to discussions in the UNCAC...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 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

It Belongs To You: Public Information in The Middle East And North Africa

This report is part of a larger, region-wide project, entitled ‘Addressing Corruption Through Information and Organized Networking’ (ACTION). ACTION is a four-country project covering Egypt, Morocco,...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Global Corruption Report: Education

Corruption and poor governance are acknowledged as major impediments to realising the right to education and to reaching global development goals. Corruption not only distorts access to education, but...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Transparency in Corporate Reporting: Assessing Emerging Market Multinationals

Transparency International conducted research into the public reporting practices of 100 emerging markets companies comprising a list of Global Challengers 2011. Based on the methodology of previous T...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2013

The Corruption Perception Index 2013 measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in countries worldwide, scoring them from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Covering 177 countries,...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Adaptation Fund

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Adaptation Fund is the first in a series of reports by Transparency International aimed at analysing the policies and practices that se...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Climate Investment Funds

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-corruption Assessment of the Climate Investment Funds is the second in a series of reports by Transparency International aimed at analysing the policies and practic...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Global Environment Facility's Least Developed Countries Fund & Special Climate Change Fund

Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-corruption Assessment of the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund is the third in a series of reports by Tra...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Pakistan National Integrity System Assessment 2014

The objective of the NIS report is to assess and evaluate the various key institutions of governance in the country. These institutions are responsible for integrity and the elimination of corruption....

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Fighting Corruption in South Asia: Building Accountability

Hardly a speech is delivered in South Asia without mention of the need to fight corruption in the region. Yet despite the lofty promises, corruption is on the rise. This report shows how a serious lac...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Budget Speech by BMC Municipal Commissioner-2016-17

Statement of Municipal Commissioner.

by Ajoy Mehta | On 05 Feb 2016

Corruption and Sport: Building Integrity to Prevent Abuses

Sport is a global phenomenon engaging billions of people and generating annual revenues of more than US$ 145 billion. But corruption and challenges to governance threaten to undermine all the good tha...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Transparency in Corporate Reporting: Assessing the World's Largest Companies (2014)

This Transparency International report, Transparency in Corporate Reporting: Assessing the World’s Largest Companies, evaluates the transparency of corporate reporting by the world’s 124 largest publi...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

BMC Budget at a Glance-2016-17

Budget at a glance as prepared by Municipal Commissioner.

by Municipal Commissioner BMC | On 05 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2014

Based on expert opinion from around the world, the Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide, and it paints an alarming picture. Not one single c...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Preventing Corruption in Humanitarian Operations

Transparency International has long held that the most directly damaging impact of corruption is the diversion of basic resources from poor people. Corruption in humanitarian aid is most egregious for...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 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

Palestine National Integrity System Assessment 2013

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

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Speak Up: Empowering Citizens against Corruption

There are many barriers that prevent individuals from speaking up. Public trust in the ability of institutions to deal with corruption is low and reporting channels are often unclear or unreliable. La...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

ASEAN Integrity Community: A Vision for Transparent and Accountable Integration

Each ASEAN member state has taken some steps to addressing corruption at the national level, such as ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), but much more is urgently neede...

by Transparency International TI | On 05 Feb 2016

Incentivising Integrity in Banks

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, many different cases of malfeasance and corruption at banks have been exposed. To date, settlements worth more than US$ 230 billion have been agreed be...

by Transparency International | On 05 Feb 2016

Exporting Corruption, Progress Report 2015: Assessing Enforcement of the OECD Convention on Combatting Foreign Bribery

Transparency International’s 2015 Progress Report is an independent assessment of the enforcement of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) Anti-Bribery Convention. The...

by Transparency International | On 05 Feb 2016

Just For Show? Reviewing G20 Promises on Beneficial Ownership

Major corruption scandals hitting the news often share key commonalities: the people at the centre of the scandal use a complex web of anonymous companies, trusts and other legal entities situated acr...

by Transparency International | On 04 Feb 2016

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

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

by Transparency International | On 04 Feb 2016

People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015 – Global Corruption Barometer

For the latest African edition of the Global Corruption Barometer, we partnered with the Afrobarometer, which spoke to 43,143 respondents across 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa between March 2014 a...

by Transparency International | On 03 Feb 2016

Civil Society Participation, Public Accountability and The UN Convention Against Corruption: December 2015

UNCAC Article 13 explicitly recognises the role that civil society can play in tackling corruption. That said, since the establishment of the UNCAC Review Mechanism, there has been debate amongst Stat...

by Transparency International | On 03 Feb 2016

Together Against Corruption: Transparency International Strategy 2020

Together against Corruption provides the strategic framework for Transparency International’s collective ambition and actions for the years 2016-2020. Our movement’s fourth strategy, it builds on the...

by Transparency International | On 03 Feb 2016

Assessment of the Bhutan Anti-Corruption Commission 2015

The assessment of Bhutan's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) represents the first time Transparency International has conducted an independent assessment of this sort. The tool will be applied to other...

by Transparency International | On 03 Feb 2016

Rent Seeking Opportunities and Economic Growth in Transitional Economies

This study empirically explores the growth effects of rent seeking activity (RSA) for a group of 52 developing/transitional countries, using a dynamic panel data approach. The modelling framework is a...

by Nasir Iqbal | On 03 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2015

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

by | On 02 Feb 2016

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

Swings and Roundabouts: A narrative on Water Policy Development in Sri Lanka

This paper deals with the ‘swings and roundabouts’ encountered in water policy development in Sri Lanka. In recent decades, policy reforms for water resource management nationally-demanded but designe...

by Rajindra Ariyabandu | On 01 Feb 2016

Sri Lanka’s North : The Denial of Minority Rights

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

by International Crisis Group | On 01 Feb 2016

Youth and Development: Towards a More Inclusive Future

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

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

Sri Lanka’s North : The Denial Of Minority Rights

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

by International Crisis Group | On 31 Jan 2016

Towards an ICT Enabled Farming Community

This paper presents a proposed use of virtual community for farmers in Sri Lanka by reviewing Information and communication technology perspective with reference to past and present political strategi...

by Devaka Punchihewa | On 31 Jan 2016

Sri Lanka Demographic Transition Facing the Challenges of an Aging Population with Few Resources

This report discusses some of the economic implications of demographic transition in Sri Lanka, focusing n employment and productivity related issues on one side; and performance of cash transfer prog...

by World Bank [WB] | On 31 Jan 2016

China and its Peripheries: Beijing and India-Sri Lanka Relations

China has emerged as one of the important factors in India-Sri Lanka relations. It is important to contextualise this intervening variable, before going into various aspects of China’s footprints in S...

by N Manoharan | On 31 Jan 2016

Founding of IWMI In Sri Lanka

The parliamentary general elections in 1977 was a watershed in the political landscape of Sri Lanka. The government that came into power mid-year sought a more liberalized and open economy, and hence...

by Nanda Abeywickrama | On 30 Jan 2016

Global Food Stamps: An Idea Worth Considering?

In this paper, Prof. Tim Josling analyses whether an international scheme for targeted consumer food subsidies could represent a practical contribution to overcoming food insecurity in developing coun...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

Parliamentary Oversight and Social Accountability

Parliamentary oversight is one of the cornerstones of democracy. John Stuart Mill asserted that the most appropriate tasks of a representative body are to : oversee and clarify the government actions,...

by BRAC University | On 30 Jan 2016

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

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

by . BRAC | On 30 Jan 2016

Institutional Approach to Anti-corruption: An Evaluation of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh

Currently, corruption is one of the most discussed topics in the everyday life of Bangladeshi people. They experience it at almost every stage from the top lair of the bureaucracy to the petty grocery...

by Harun Rashid | On 30 Jan 2016

Revision of India-Nepal Treaty of Trade and Its Implications for Strengthening Bilateral Trade and Investment Linkages

The paper highlights the trend in bilateral trade between the two countries. It notes that barring setbacks in certain years, the bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing briskly. It...

by Indra Nath Mukherji | On 30 Jan 2016

Elite Politics and Dissent in Sri Lanka

The year 2015 has been dramatic for politics in Sri Lanka. A Presidential, as well as a General, Election within the first eight months of the year saw the country having a new President and a new gov...

by | On 29 Jan 2016

Survey of ICTs for Education in India and South Asia, Extended Summary

The Survey on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Education in India and South Asia was commissioned by infoDev to be undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers, India. The Survey is a third...

by The Survey on Information and Communication Techno ICT | On 28 Jan 2016

Mainstreaming Community-Based Conservation in a Transboundary Mountain Landscape Lessons from Kangchenjunga

This paper draws recommendations for transboundary and participatory biodiversity conservation from ICIMOD’s pioneering Kangchenjunga Conservation Landscape Initiative. The Kangchenjunga landscape, sh...

by Karma Phuntsho | On 28 Jan 2016

Air Pollution Reduction and Control in South Asia

In order to understand the importance of reducing air pollution and its likely trans-boundary effects, it is important to first review the socioeconomic situation of the South Asian member states. Sou...

by Mahmood Khwaja | On 28 Jan 2016

Scientific Framework for ICIMOD’s Regional Programme on Adaptation to Change

This document elaborates the scientific framework of the Adaptation to Change Programme in an attempt to improve the connections between science, policy, practice, and stakeholders and to tackle chall...

by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Devel ICIMOD | 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

Competition and Response in Small Firm Clusters: Two Cases from Western India

This paper addresses the different firm level strategies adopted to face up to the pressures of competition by two industrial clusters in the highly industrialised state of Gujarat. The overwhelming p...

by Keshab Das | On 28 Jan 2016

Public Health in Urban India: Lessons from Surat

Surat-a city in the western-most Indian state of Gujarat, is an important case study, especially for those municipalities attempting reform of public health services. This note takes Surat as a case s...

by Rajib Dasgupta | On 28 Jan 2016

Primary Health Care in Gujarat: Evidence on Utilization, Mis-Matches and Wastage

In order to provide adequate and quality primary health care, a multi-layered network of public health infrastructure has been created right from the district to the village level. But Health for All...

by B.L. Kumar | On 28 Jan 2016

Schools and Schooling in Tribal Gujarat: The Quality Dimension

In order to provide adequate and quality primary health care, a multi-layered network of public health infrastructure has been created right from the district to the village level. But Health for All...

by B.L. Kumar | On 28 Jan 2016

Migration, Health and Dignity in South Asia: Lessons from the EMPHASIS Project on Migration, Women’s Empowerment and HIV in Bangladesh, India and Nepal

The EMPHASIS project (Enhancing Mobile Populations’ Access to HIV and AIDS Services, Information and Support) has provided a diverse range of services to crossborder migrants in India, Nepal and Bang...

by Prabodh Devkota | On 27 Jan 2016

The Relationship Between Services Trade And Government Procurement Commitments: Insights From Relevant WTO Agreements And Recent RTAS

To date, government procurement has been effectively carved out of the main multilateral rules of the WTO system. This paper examines the systemic and other ramifications of this exclusion, from both...

by Robert Anderson | On 26 Jan 2016

Infrastructure Provision , Trade And Development Prospects: Potential Role And Relevance Of The WTO Agreement On Government Procurement (GPA)

The paper, nonetheless, acknowledges that delivering these benefits would involve significant practical and political challenges. It concludes that if the challenges can be overcome and the mutual ben...

by Kodjo Osei-Lah | On 26 Jan 2016

Agroforestry in Tribal Areas of Gujarat: Move towards Sustainable Agriculture?

This paper examines the agroforestry initiative adopted by the Government of Gujarat with the aim to enhance the incomes of tribal households facing numerous production constraints. The specific objec...

by Jharna Pathak | On 26 Jan 2016

International Migration from Gujarat: An Exploratory Analysis

This paper gives an overview of international migration from the state of Gujarat, the state with a long history of international migration and significantly large migrant population abroad. Even as s...

by Biplab Dhak | On 26 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

Gender Justice And Social Norms – Processes Of Change For Adolescent Girls

This note proposes an analytical framework for the current phase of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) programme of research on discriminatory social norms affecting adolescent girls. The curren...

by Caroline Harper | On 24 Jan 2016

Goodbye Planning, Welcome NITI

From 1 January 2015, the ‘YojanaBhavan’ on the busy Parliament Street (Sansad Marg) in Central Delhi sports a new name: NITI Aayog (Commission). This follows the official notification of the Governmen...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Sri Lanka: Towards a ‘National Purpose’

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

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Economic Growth In South Asia: Role Of Infrastructure

The paper examines the output elasticity of infrastructure for four South Asian countries viz., India,Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka using Pedroni’s panel cointegration technique for the period 19...

by Ranjan Kumar Dash | On 23 Jan 2016

Expanding Foreign Investment in the Energy Sector Challenges and Risks For Bangladesh?

A recent project under the CMI-CPD institutional collaboration agreement has looked at the effect of corruption on investment in the energy sector. A distinction is made between the extraction of ener...

by Arne Wiig | On 23 Jan 2016

Prospects for Regional Cooperation on Cross-Border Electricity Trade in South Asia

Energy remains one of the key inputs to socio-economic progress in developing societies. South Asian nations, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lank...

by Anoop Singh | On 23 Jan 2016

Fostering Synergy between Health and ICDS for Advancing Child Survival and Development

This case study was undertaken to understand and document the experiences of the Valsad district. The researchers spent two weeks in Valsad collecting data. Interviews were conducted with functionarie...

by Climate Modelling Forum CMF | On 22 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

An Evaluation Of Mid -Day Meal Scheme

With the twin objectives of improving health and education of the poor children, India has embarked upon an ambitious scheme of providing mid day meals (MDM) in the government and government-assisted...

by Satish Deodhar | On 19 Jan 2016

Nepal: Finding a Way Forward

Nepal is no stranger to Constitution drafting, having gone through six such rounds since 1948, with the seventh culminating in September 2015. This recent exercise, however, was unique as it was condu...

by Rakesh Sood | On 19 Jan 2016

Power To The States Making Fiscal Transfers Work For Better Health

This report is a result of that endeavor and reflects the unique perspectives and expertise of center and state actors, health and fiscal policymakers, academics, and civil society actors. It is based...

by (Centre for Global Development) Advisory Faculty | On 18 Jan 2016

Measuring Subnational Budget Transparency, Participation, and Accountability: India

India has highly populated states and a highly devolved budget; in fact, over half of all India’s public expenditures are through state budgets, including a large share of development expenditures on...

by International Budget Partnership IBP | 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

The Judicial Appointments Debate in India: The Need for Integrity and Transparency

The latest ruling by the Supreme Court of India against the government’s project of the National Judicial Appointments Commission has further stirred a public discourse on the best means to have the b...

by Vinod Rai | On 09 Jan 2016

Food Insecurity, Conflict and Livelihood Threats in Nepal

This chapter examines the food security situation in Nepal and the impact of the recent armed conflict on the food security situation. It argues that food security is understood in different ways and...

by Bishnu Upreti | On 07 Jan 2016

Innovative Strategies in Higher Education for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia Nepal

The report herein provide in-depth analysis of the state of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education in Nepal.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Jan 2016

Mercury Contamination of the Ground water in Bhopal

Water samples were collected from groundwater sources used by the communities residing in several settlements around the UCIL factory. These sources included handpumps, tubewells and one open well. A...

by | On 06 Jan 2016

Plan vs. Performance: Winter Session 2015

This note compares the legislative business planned by Parliament and compares it with the actual performance, during the Winter Session 2015.

by Kusum Malik | On 05 Jan 2016

The India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement and the Proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: A Closer Look

The India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement has been in operation for more than a decade. The paper provides the Sri Lankan perspective of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) highlighting both the positive ou...

by Saman Kelegama | On 29 Dec 2015

The Role of Sri Lanka in Enhancing Connectivity between South Asia and Southeast Asia

Improving physical connectivity between South and Southeast Asia has long been recognized as a key element in promoting greater trade and investment linkages within the region. As an island economy, S...

by Dushni Weerakoon | On 29 Dec 2015

A Connectivity-Driven Development Strategy for Nepal: From a Landlocked to a Land-Linked State

Nepal's lackluster economic performance during the post-conflict period (that is, after November 2006) has been driven by remittances from the export of labor services and the improved performance of...

by Pradumna Rana | On 29 Dec 2015

Empowering Women Migrant Workers in Asia: A Briefing Kit

A new feature of international migration for work is the increase in the numbers of overseas women migrant workers, which in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka exceed the numbe...

by | On 28 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2015: A Survey of the Afghan People

The Asia Foundation's Survey of the Afghan People is Afghanistan’s broadest and longest-running public opinion poll. After the first full year of Afghanistan’s National Unity Government, 9,586 Afghans...

by Zachary Warren | On 26 Dec 2015

Vital Stats: Functioning of Parliament in Winter Session 2015

This note presents data regarding Parliament’s productivity during Winter Session 2015.

by Kusum Malik | On 26 Dec 2015

Financial Inclusion, Regulation, and Education in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has achieved a high level of financial inclusion compared to other South Asian countries. Its financial sector comprises a wide range of financial institutions providing financial services s...

by Saman Kelegama | On 23 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 23 Dec 2015

How does Women’s Time in Reproductive Work and Agriculture Affect Maternal and Child Nutrition? Evidence from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Nepal

This paper examines whether an increase in women’s time in agriculture adversely affects maternal and child nutrition, and whether the lack of women’s time in reproductive work leads to poorer nutriti...

by SOPHIE THEIS | On 22 Dec 2015

Rights, Accountability and Citizenship: Examining India’s Emerging Welfare State

Public sector service delivery in India is notorious for its low coverage, poor quality and high corruption. This is in striking contrast to the political commitment to inclusive development, and the...

by Yamini Aiyar | On 21 Dec 2015

c-section epidemic

How can we explain the exponential increase of the cesarean section in the U.S. in recent decades? Drawing from 130 in-depth interviews with women, obstetricians, midwives, and labor and delivery nurs...

by theresa morris | On 21 Dec 2015

How Does ADB Engage Civil Society Organizations in Its Operations? Findings of an Exploratory Inquiry in South Asia

The focus is on South Asia and the starting point of inquiry is on 33 projects that illustrate the roles and forms of NGO and CBO engagement in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The rep...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 21 Dec 2015

Challenges to School Edupreneurs in the Existing Policy Environment: Case Study of Delhi and Gujarat

The Indian education ecosystem today consists of the government, private sector, and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) that have helped provide education to millions of children. The enactment of t...

by Meril Antony | On 21 Dec 2015

The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011: Origin, Need, and Analysis

Tabled by V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in Lok Sabha in December 2011, The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redre...

by Amit Chandra | On 21 Dec 2015

Study on Conditions and Needs of Women Workers in Delhi

Study on the needs and conditions of women workers in Delhi must begin its enquiry with the initial problem of poor availability of employment or access to economic activity/work for women in the cap...

by Neetha N | On 21 Dec 2015

Household-level Effects of Electricity on Income

This paper studies the effect of electricity on income, using the Nepal Living Standards Survey-III (NLSSIII), carried out in the years 2010-11. To account for endogeneity issues, we use Three Stage L...

by Matias Fontenla | On 18 Dec 2015

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

Can Improved Cooking Stoves Work? The Nepal Chulo Experience

What motivates rural households to switch from older cooking methods to newer, more improved, ones? Improved cooking stoves (ICS) technology has demonstrated capacity to reduce health hazards from smo...

by Dipika Gawande | On 18 Dec 2015

Farm Household Typologies and Mechanization Patterns in Nepal Terai

Although Nepal formulated an agricultural mechanization promotion policy in 2014, there is still much to learn about tailoring mechanization policies to different types of farm households. The Terai b...

by | On 18 Dec 2015

India's Sri Lanka Policy: Towards Economic Engagement

India's Sri Lanka policy has built upon economic engagement to cooperate on initiatives of strategic importance. The lesson one can learn from this is the potential of economic linkages to overcome a...

by | On 18 Dec 2015

National Legal Framework for IDPs in Sri Lanka: A Critical Analysis

This study places special attention on evaluating constitutional provisions that affect IDPs, on legislation pertaining to displacement, and the National Legal Framework for Relief, Rehabilitation, an...

by | On 18 Dec 2015

Nepal: A Failing State or a State in Transition?

The modest intention of this paper is to question the above assertion that Nepal is a failing state. To this end, it shall firstly outline the broad definition of failing states. Secondly, it will off...

by Oliver Housden | On 17 Dec 2015

In a Weak State: Status and Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) in Nepal

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on 21 November 2006, made an unprecedented commitment to those children who had been involved in Nepal’s decade long civil war. It stipulated that those ...

by | On 17 Dec 2015

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

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

by | On 17 Dec 2015

Sri Lanka: Rising Sectarian Schism

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

by Chaarvi Modi | On 17 Dec 2015

Equate and Conflate: Political Commitment to Hunger and Undernutrition Reduction in Five High-Burden Countries

As political commitment is an essential ingredient for elevating food and nutrition security onto policy agendas, commitment metrics have proliferated. Many conflate government commitment to fight hun...

by Rajith Lakshman | On 16 Dec 2015

A Proposal for an Open University of Nepal for Providing Higher Education to the Rural and Marginalized People

The disadvantaged and marginalized groups in Nepal, and particularly women and Dalits, face grave hurdles to acquire post secondary education. Lack of educational access has deprived the rural and m...

by Pramod Dhakal | On 15 Dec 2015

A Community Based Micro Hydro: A Promising Technology for Rural Development in Nepal

The study finds that micro hydro (MH) has significant impact on reduction in fuel wood consumption. Communities are more inclined to harvest fuel wood from government forest. These led to the promotio...

by Bishwa Koirala | On 15 Dec 2015

The Sunday Edit: Elementals: The Arts of Bhopal, 1984-2015

Bhopal is the world’s most frightening laboratory where all experiments, with chemicals and with truth, have gone wrong.

by Pramod K. Nayar | On 29 Nov 2015

Parliament Session Alert-Winter Session Alert: November 26 – December 23, 201 5

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the Winter Session between November 26th and December 23rd, 2015. The legislative agenda includes 19 Bills currently pending in Parliament for consideration an...

by Kusum Malik | On 25 Nov 2015

Requiring Indian Utilities to Report: Harnessing Disclosure Legislation to Improve Water and Sanitation Services

The paper argues for a regular public reporting of key performance indicators by the WatSan utilities in India. It elaborates on how the policy behind these reforms could be operationalized.

by Premila Nazareth Satyanand | On 18 Nov 2015

The Sector Reforms Process in Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation: A Review of the Role of WASMO in Gujarat

This paper provides an assessment of the interventions in reforming the drinking water and sanitation sector in Gujarat as through the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) from a sup...

by Keshab Das | On 06 Nov 2015

Performance of Targeted Public Distribution System in Kerala

Targeted Public Distribution System was introduced in the country following the failure of the Universal PDS to serve below the poverty line and poorest of the poor households.It is being implemente...

by T Jayan | On 04 Nov 2015

A Conference in Harare

India was to hand over NAM Chairmanship to Zimbabwe, which had gained Independence a few years earlier.

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 Nov 2015

The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture: A Case Study from Nepal

In Nepal, as in many developing countries, concerns are increasing about the negative impact of climate change on agricultural yields and food security. The Nepalese have already seen changes in their...

by | On 22 Oct 2015

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Oct 2015

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

Bihar Ten Years of Election Watch: Comprehensive Reports on Elections, Crime and Money

Ten years of election watch in Bihar.

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 12 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

Migration and Development

This brief highlights a central problem the living and working conditions of migrants in the Gulf States. Finding work is what motivates nine out of every ten migrants worldwide. In the Middle East, 2...

by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC | On 07 Oct 2015

Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations of Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific

Why does gender equality in the media matter? Because of the many influences that shape the way we see men and women, media are among the most powerful. Media shape our daily lives, infusing their mes...

by UNESCO UNESCO | 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

Report of the Fact Finding Mission to Rampal, Bangladesh

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

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 28 Sep 2015

REDD+ Impacts: Evidence from Nepal

This paper discusses the findings from one of the first rigorous quasi-experimental studies using a ‘before-after-control intervention’ design that encompass all major aspects of REDD+: forest carbon...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 25 Sep 2015

Book Review: Gender, Ideology and Conflict

Review of Women in Terrorism: Case of the LTTE by Tamara Herath. Sage Publications 2015. pp. 264. Rs. 533/- ISBN-13: 978-8132106951.

by Ilina Sen | On 21 Sep 2015

Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms

This report – “Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms” is a scorecard to take stock of what reforms have happened, and to identify the way forward for States. The report highlights the...

by World Bank | On 15 Sep 2015

India: Death Without Legal Sanction

This study highlights that India has not been complying with its obligations under the ICCPR and has indeed been imposing death penalty without legal sanction. While the violations of international fa...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 14 Sep 2015

Developing Regional Value Chains in South Asian Leather Clusters: Issues, Options and an Indian Case

The possibility of developing regional production networks in specific sectors between nations of South Asia has been explored in this paper. The case of the leather and leather goods cluster in T...

by Keshab Das | On 11 Sep 2015

Making the Indian Budget: How Open and Participatory?

Open and participatory budget making is imperative for good governance; yet by international standards India fares badly on this count. This article analyses the process of budget preparation and...

by Vinod Bhanu | On 11 Sep 2015

Dalit Women and Social Exclusion in Nepal: A Concern for Social Justice

Nepali society is highly stratified with many glaring inequalities among different socioeconomic groups. The worst positioned among them are Dalits. The caste system segregates Dalits from the rest to...

by | On 10 Sep 2015

Driving Across the South Asian Borders: The Motor Vehicle Agreement Between Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal

The benefits of strengthening physical connectivity in a geographically contiguous region are increasingly being recognised. These links are expected to increase economic activity and people-to-people...

by Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury | On 07 Sep 2015

Civil Society Briefs: Sri Lanka

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Sep 2015

Public Views Of Health System Issues In Four Asian Countries

To elicit the public’s views on health system issues, the study conducted an opinion poll survey in Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The study focused on health inequalities. The results sh...

by Bhatia Mrigesh | On 01 Sep 2015

The Sunday Edit: On Preserving Our Pasts

The emerging interest in our past prompts unsettling questions and issues throwing up controversies. How we handle them will mark our maturity as a civilisation.

by Padma Prakash | On 30 Aug 2015

Ghar Wapsi for Logic

If there is one thing the Census 2011 shows, it's that India will remain overwhelmingly Hindu forever

by T.N. Ninan | On 29 Aug 2015

Excess Food Stocks, PDS and Procurement Policy

This planning commission paper tries to examine some of the factors that have led to accumulation of excess food grain stocks and make policy prescription on how to deal with the problem of surplus fo...

by Arvind Virmani | On 25 Aug 2015

MP Participation in the First Year of the 16th Lok Sabha

Monsoon Session 2015 marks the end of the first year of the 16th Lok Sabha. This note looks at the participation of MPs in both Houses of Parliament over the last year. Participation in debates includ...

by Kusum Malik | On 25 Aug 2015

Parliament Session Wrap Monsoon Session – July 21 to August 13, 2015

Bills Passed by Parliament during the Monsoon Session

by Kusum Malik | On 24 Aug 2015

Vital Stats: Parliament Functioning in Monsoon Session 2015

This note presents data regarding Parliament productivity during Monsoon Session 2015. This session has been one of the least productive sessions in the last 15 years with repeated disruptions in both...

by Kusum Malik | On 24 Aug 2015

On Reckoning Level Differentials in the Measurement of Progress: An Illustration in the Context of Deliveries Assisted by Skilled Health Personnel

The paper highlights that performance assessments should account for non-linear dynamics of progress, whereby an improvement at a higher level represents greater achievement than an equal improvement...

by William Joe | On 21 Aug 2015

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

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

by | On 21 Aug 2015

Are Community Forestry Institutions Appropriate for Implementing REDD+? Lessons from Nepal

This paper examines the role of national and sub-national institutions in managing carbon sequestration and trade in Nepal. It first asks whether it is feasible and advantageous to implement REDD+ in...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 20 Aug 2015

Demand for Watershed Services: Understanding Local Preferences through a Choice Experiment in the Koshi Basin of Nepal

This study undertakes a choice experiment in order to identify differences in local demand for watershed services in the Koshi basin of Nepal. The paper first examines the possibility of using a non-m...

by Rajesh Kumar Rai | On 20 Aug 2015

WTO and Nepal

This publication attempts to study major concepts of WTO and present some perspectives on Nepal’s membership in this rule based global trading organization. The chapters presents an introduction with...

by Nepal Rastra Bank NRB | On 17 Aug 2015

Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Growth in Nepal

The concern of climate change have emphasized in the field of economics too owing to the challenge of adapting to global warming for sustainable development and growth. This challenge becomes central...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Impact of Bank Credit on Economic Growth in Nepal

This study examines the impact of commercial bank credit to the private sector on the economic growth in Nepal from supply side perspectives. The study has applied Johansen co-integration approach and...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Structural Changes in a Small and Open Economy: Evidences from Nepal

This paper reviews existing structural transformation models and prominent literatures and then empirically examines Nepalese economic structure. The research findings reveal that industrial sector is...

by | On 17 Aug 2015

Property Rights of Street Vendors

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

by Amit Chandra | On 13 Aug 2015

Reaching Every Child for Primary Immunization: An Experience from Parsa District, Nepal

This document describes the activities and achievements of an effective approach used in Nepal to involve community leaders and local health workers, volunteers, and organizations in tracking children...

by Hari Krishna Shah | On 06 Aug 2015

Does Introduction of Bureaucratic Competition Reduce Corruption in Public Service Delivery?

The paper theoretically explores the impact of introducing bureaucratic competition on corruption. For this purpose it considers three different measures of corruption such as corruption incidence (CI...

by | On 04 Aug 2015

Careful with Those Surveys

A survey's design determines its findings; understanding the logic behind measurement is key to interpretation.

by T.N. Ninan | On 01 Aug 2015

Cotton’s Forgotten Children: Child Labour and Below Minimum Wages in Hybrid Cottonseed Production in India

Data for 2014-15 shows that children under 14 years still account for nearly 25% of the total workforce in cottonseed farms in India. In 2014-15, a total of around 200,000 children below 14 years were...

by Davuluri Venkateswarlu | On 30 Jul 2015

Parliament Session Alert-Monsoon Session: July 21 – August 13, 2015

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the monsoon session between July 21 and August 13, 2015. The legislative agenda includes 7 legislative Bills currently pending in Parliament for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 21 Jul 2015

Adoption of Voluntary Environmental Practices: Evidence from the Textile and Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

This study examines voluntary adoption of environmental management practices in the textile and apparel sector in Sri Lanka. The textile and apparel industry contributes to 58% of total industrial exp...

by D. W. Kinkini Hemachandra | On 17 Jul 2015

Safeguard Implementation: How Can We Make It More Meaningful?

The report presents the (i) safeguard systems of Bhutan, India and Nepal; (ii) differences in national safeguard laws and institutional processes with the Asian Development Bank’s safeguards policy; (...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 13 Jul 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

Estimating Demand for Turtle Conservation at the Rekawa Sanctuary in Sri Lanka

This study estimates the entrance fee that can be charged to visitors for ‘turtle watching’ to ascertain whether revenues from such fees can be used to compensate fishermen and reduce such illegal...

by R. M. Wasantha Rathnayake | On 10 Jul 2015

Nepal Earthquake 2015: Post Disaster Needs Assessment - Executive Summary

The Government of Nepal officially launched a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to determine the impacts of the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015 and a series of aftershocks since, includin...

by National planning commission Government of Nepal | On 07 Jul 2015

Agricultural Credit and its Impact on Farm Productivity: A Case Study of Kailali District

This study was carried out by Banking Development and Research Unit of Nepal Rastra Bank, Dhangadhi Office. The study aims at exploring the problems related to the procurement and use of agricultural...

by Nepal Rastra Bank NRB | On 26 Jun 2015

Comprehensive Review of the Land Act of Bhutan, 2007 for Revision

The need for revision of the 1979 land legislation was being felt for a long time and hence the then Ministry of Agriculture started the work on it with the formation of a multi-sector committee in 20...

by Dasho Kinzang Dorji | On 26 Jun 2015

The Risk of Disaster-Induced Displacement in South Asia

This technical paper provides evidence-based estimates of the likelihood of disaster-induced displacement in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It att...

by Justin Ginnetti | On 24 Jun 2015

The Frenemy of the People

Politicians have continued taking people for granted and managed to stay above the law.

by T.N. Ninan | On 22 Jun 2015

Minorities and Inclusive Electoral Processes in South Asia

This overview brings together major findings and crosscutting issues in the “country situation reports” from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively, which were commissioned b...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 15 Jun 2015

The Migration of Women Domestic Workers from Sri Lanka: Protecting the Rights of Children Left Behind

Remittances that flow from low-skilled labor migration are critical to many developing countries, yet these economic benefits can come at a high price. Roughly half of all migrant workers are women, m...

by Brian Opeskin | On 12 Jun 2015

Citizens’ Guide to the 1390 National Budget

This guide explains, in simple and easily understood language, the 1390 Budget Statement presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance on 5 February 2011. The guide is designed to help the genera...

by Ministry of Finance Afghanistan | On 11 Jun 2015

Inter-State Disparities in Economic Growth in India: Some Policy Implications for Laggard States

Faster economic growth of some of the backward states like Bihar, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh in the post 2004-05 compels us to think if it is any indicative of convergence among states of India. How...

by Anjali Masarguppi | On 10 Jun 2015

Implementation of Forest Rights Act: Undoing the Historical Injustices?

This paper is based on a critical literature review and looks into the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in India, with particular reference to the two states of Chhattisgarh and Gujarat....

by Madhusudan Bandi | On 09 Jun 2015

Socio-Economic and Ecological Benefits of Mangrove Plantation

In this study an earnest attempt has been made to understand the social and environmental aspects of mangroves in Gujarat state. The study has considered various issues of social, environment and econ...

by | On 08 Jun 2015

Gujarat Ecology Commission Annual Report 2013-14

This report of Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC) provides information and other inputs which are needed to develop policy and provide the right approach for ecological conservation and sustainable deve...

by Gujarat Ecology Commission Government of Gujarat | On 08 Jun 2015

The Economics of Peace: A Nepalese Perspective

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

by Hari Bansh Jha | On 05 Jun 2015

In Search of a Model Land Legislation the New Land Acquisition Bill and its Challenges

The draft Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 7, 2011 is one of the most important legislations waiting for Parliamentary appr...

by Niranjan Sahoo | On 05 Jun 2015

Nepal's Continuing Quest for Federalism and Peace

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

by Akanshya Shah | On 05 Jun 2015

Can Better Houses Help Tackle Indoor Air Pollution - A Case Study of Sri Lankan Tea Pluckers

Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) is a major health hazard in many developing countries. The health impact of this type of pollution is obviously influenced by various facets of house design, such as room si...

by Ajantha Kalyanaratne | On 04 Jun 2015

Tackling Myanmar’s Corruption Challenge

Corruption is widespread in Myanmar, and this has significant negative effects on the country’s economic development. In response, President U Thein Sein has made fighting corruption a priority. Howev...

by Khaing Sape Saw | On 04 Jun 2015

Stateless in Law: Two Assessments

This report comprises two assessments. The first is a theoretical analysis of the prevention and reduction of statelessness under international laws. By acceding to the ICCPR and the ICSCER conventio...

by Charlotte-Anne Malischewski | On 02 Jun 2015

The Coal Mines (Conservation & Development) Amendment Bill, 2012: Standing Committee on Coal and Steel (2012-2013)

Standing Committee on Coal and Steel present this Thirty-Seventh Report (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on "The Coal Mines (Conservation & Development) Amendment Bill, 2012" relating to the Ministry of Coal. Th...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 14 May 2015

Water pollution in India: Eighth report of the (Sixteenth Lok Sabha) Public Accounts Committee (2014-15)

Public Accounts Committee (2014-15) present this Eighth report (Sixteenth Lok Sabha) on water pollution in India based on C&AG Report No. 21 of 2011-12, Union Government for the year ended March 2012...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 11 May 2015

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

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

by Pramod K. Nayar | On 28 Apr 2015

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

The primary objective of the Act is augmenting wage employment. In this regard, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the...

by Committee on Empowerment of Women GOI | On 28 Apr 2015

The Internet and State Intervention in Asia: A Comparative Study of Selected Countries

In context of contemporary debates about censorship, net neutrality and the role of the state in today’s globalising world, it becomes vital to examine the stand taken by various Asian governments tow...

by Nandini Bhattacharya | On 17 Apr 2015

Fiscal Federalism: Opportunities and Challenges for Nepal

There has been a furious debate by political parties and intellectuals alike in Nepal on making the transition to federal system of governance. The attempt to evolve a federal constitution has stumble...

by | On 26 Mar 2015

Budget for Children in India 2008-09 to 2013-14: A Summary

Budget for children is not a separate budget. It is merely an attempt to disaggregate from the overall allocations made, those made specifically for programmes that benefit children. This enables us t...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 24 Mar 2015

An Act to Amend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

This Act may be cited as the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution to be it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

by | On 17 Mar 2015

The India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement and the Proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: A Closer Look

The paper provides the Sri Lankan perspective of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) highlighting both the positive outcomes and the negative aspects. The paper shows that the FTA has worked in favor of Sr...

by Saman Kelegama | On 16 Mar 2015

Democracy, Development and the Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka

This paper examines the developmental causes and consequences of the shift from a parliamentary to a semi-presidential system in Sri Lanka in 1978, examining its provenance, rationale, and its unfoldi...

by | On 16 Mar 2015

Make in India: Re-chanting the Mantra with a Difference

The paper attempts to trace the origin and idea of Make in India through time and identifies what needs to be done to turn the Make in India mantra into a reality. Free market is the engine of growth...

by Satish Y Deodhar | On 13 Mar 2015

Budget Brief 2015-16 Gujarat State

It is the budget brief of Gujarat state for the year 2015-16.

by Saurabh Patel | On 11 Mar 2015

LARR (Amendment) Bill, 2015: Amendments proposed on March 9, 2015

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha on February 24, 2015 to replace an Ordinance. T...

by PRS Legislative Research | On 11 Mar 2015

Parliamentary Procedures

The purpose of this primer is to assist newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs in navigating the Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha. It has been organised in a manner that highlights the opportunities for p...

by | On 10 Mar 2015

Gujarat Budget Speech: 2015-16

Gujarat Budget 2015-16.

by Saurabh Patel | On 26 Feb 2015

Parliament Session Alert-Budget Session: February 23 – May 08, 2015

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet for the Budget Session between 23rd February and 8th May, 2015. There will be a recess between 21st March and 19th April when the Standing Committees will examine D...

by Kusum Malik | On 23 Feb 2015

Removing Boundaries, Losing Connections: Electoral Consequences of Local Government Reform in Japan

This paper examines the role of local politicians in affecting national-level election outcomes by focusing on the drastic municipal mergers in Japan that took place in the early 2000s. Specifically,...

by | On 17 Feb 2015

Caste, Corruption and Political Competition in India

Voters in India are often perceived as being biased in favor of parties that claim to represent their caste. The caste bias is incorporated into voter preferences and examine its in influence on the...

by Avidit Acharya | On 12 Feb 2015

State Racism and Sexism in Post-war Sri Lanka

Institutionalised racism-sexism in post-war Sri Lanka is not only essentialising women and their productive and reproductive labour in different ways but also rendering it increasingly difficult to bu...

by Chulani Kodikara | On 10 Feb 2015

Sri Lankan Presidential Election at a Glance

This brief is review of an electoral analysis of Sri lanka Presidential Elections. Paper discusses the various measures of failure on the part of the Rajapaksa government and strategies for new govern...

by Saman Kelegama | On 09 Feb 2015

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Risks and Opportunities

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

by Crisis Group | On 02 Feb 2015

Parliament’s Role in Financial Oversight

This note presents an analysis of Parliament’s role of financial oversight and examines how to strengthen it. It highlights gaps and solutions to improve the existing structures affecting budgetary an...

by Apoorva Shankar | On 30 Jan 2015

Relations between Corruption and Human Rights in North Korea

North Korea’s public distribution system has been maintained somewhat perfunctorily since its severe economic hardship in the 1990s. However in reality, rationing to the working class has been suspend...

by | On 20 Jan 2015

Presidential Stakes and Sri Lanka's future

Across the great Eurasian plate these days, one can find leaders dispensing with truly competitive politics. But traverse the Himalayas to South Asia and the climate is different: Democracy is on a w...

by Chandrani Sharma | On 13 Jan 2015

Governance in Sri Lanka: Lessons from Post-Tsunami Rebuilding

This article applies complex evolving systems theory to investigating the governance factors affecting rebuilding in the wake of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. It also examines the crucial processes o...

by | On 13 Jan 2015

Parliament Session Wrap Winter Session– November 24 to December 23, 2014

Bills Passed by Parliament during the Winter Session

by Kusum Malik | On 24 Dec 2014

Housing and Labor Productivity of Female Tea Pluckers in Sri Lanka

This study analyzes the link between labor productivity of tea-plantation workers in Sri Lanka and their living conditions. The results indicate a significant negative relationship between Indoor Air...

by Ajantha Kalyanaratne | On 16 Dec 2014

Impact of Public Spending on Health and Education of Children in India: A Panel Data Simultaneous Equation Model

The basic objective of the study is to examine the impact of public expenditure on health and education after incorporating the linkages between health status of children and their educational achiev...

by Runu Bhatka | On 12 Dec 2014

Parliament as a Law Making Body: Background Note for the Conference on Effective Legislatures

Parliament performs several essential functions including that of making laws, scrutinising and passing the budget, conducting oversight on the activities of the government and representing citizens....

by Prianka Rao | On 06 Dec 2014

Violence against Women in Politics A study conducted in India, Nepal and Pakistan

This study addresses the nature, extent and reasons for women’s political participation within India, Nepal and Pakistan. All three countries have recently elected or are in the process of electing th...

by Ranjana Kumari | On 27 Nov 2014

Asia Child Marriage Initiative: Summary of Research in Bangladesh, India and Nepal

Child marriage is one of the most prevalent and serious violations of human rights. The issue needs urgent attention in South Asia, where 46 per cent of children are married formally or in informal u...

by Ravi Verma | On 27 Nov 2014

Efficiency in Healthcare Delivery: Performance of Public Services

This paper focusses on the current health profile of the state of Maharashtra, and its performance as against other growth driven states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Using parameters such as birth rat...

by Manisha Karne | On 21 Nov 2014

Agrarian Poverty, Nutrition and Economic Class – A Study of Gujarat, India

This paper analyses poverty and calorific undernourishment in the Indian state of Gujarat, where high and market-led industrial growth has resulted in rapid economic improvement. The study is carried...

by Mely Caballero Anthony | On 21 Nov 2014

Safeguarding Security and Sovereignty

K.G.KANNABIRAN MEMORIAL LECTURE.

by Justice C.V. WIGNESWARAN | On 20 Nov 2014

What are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka

When households increase their deposits in formal bank savings accounts, what is the source of the money? High-frequency surveys are combined with an experiment in which a Sri Lankan bank used mobil...

by Michael Callen | On 13 Nov 2014

Participation in Decision Making

This is the 5th chapter from the report 'Women and Men in India 2014' by CSO. This is shows the participation of women in India.

by Central Statistical Organization CSO | On 05 Nov 2014

The Impact of Climate Change on Rice Prduction in Nepal

This paper examines the sensitivity of rice yield in Nepal to changes in climate variables and the magnitude of potential impacts on rice productivity in the future. The findings draw attention to the...

by Prakash K. Karn | On 22 Oct 2014

Abolishing Indonesia’s Direct Local Elections: Missing the Forest for the Trees?

The Indonesian House of Representatives is due to pass a bill ending direct elections of local leaders, leaving the selection process to legislators in regional parliaments. Is such a move missing the...

by Jonathan Chen | On 25 Sep 2014

Internal Migrant Construction Workers in Nepal: Tackling Exploitative Labour Practices to Enhance Migration’s Impact on Poverty Reduction

Research conducted by the Migrating out of Poverty Research Programme Consortium in Nepal on the impact of such migration, demonstrated that migration has a positive role in helping households of migr...

by Jagannath Adhikar | On 24 Sep 2014

Green clearance test for NDA

Environmentalists are rightly alarmed that the NDA government is busy dismantling the environmental regulatory system in the country. Over the past two months, the media has reported that clearances f...

by Sunita Narain | On 22 Sep 2014

Labour Market Transitions of Young Women and Men in Asia and the Pacific

This report presents the results of the School-to-work transition surveys (SWTS) implemented in five countries in the Asia-Pacific region – Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Samoa and Viet Nam – in 2012 or...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 18 Sep 2014

Vital Stats: Participation of Lok Sabha MPs in Budget Session 2014

Statistics of participation of MPs in budget session 2014 is shown here.

by Mandira Kala | On 10 Sep 2014

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

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

by Suman Bisht | On 28 Aug 2014

Study of Government Interventions for Employment Generation in the Private Sector

The employment performance of the employment generation programs appears transitory and short term. Although some programs exceeded the employment targets, it is not clear how these numbers are tran...

by Marife M. Ballesteros | On 22 Aug 2014

Nepal's story: Understanding Improvements in Maternal Health

Nepal achieved a striking reduction in maternal mortality during the 1990s and early 2000s. According to data from Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys, the country’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) f...

by Jakob Engel | On 21 Aug 2014

Representation of Dalit Women in Dalit men’s autobiography and in Dalit women’s autobiography

This paper focuses on autobiographies by Kaushalya Baisantri and Surajpal Chauhan to look into the ways in which Dalit life-narratives written by men and women vary in terms of emotions, nature of the...

by Shweta Singh | On 24 Jul 2014

Gujarat Gender Budget Statement 2014-15

As per census 2011, there are 289.48 lakh women and girls in the state of Gujarat, comprising 47.90 per cent of total population. “Gender Budget 2014-15” shows financial allocations for women in vario...

by Ministry of Finance Government of Gujarat | On 03 Jul 2014

Incidence of Poor and Poverty Risk in India across NSS Regions for Rual and Urban Areas, 2004-05 and 2009-10

This note provides an estimate of incidence of poor and poverty risk in India across NSS regions for 2004-05 and 2009-10 in rural and urban areas. It raises concern on increasing poverty risk and als...

by Srijit Mishra | On 23 Jun 2014

Why India Needs the Women’s Reservation Bill

Nine out of ten parliamentarians in India are men. Such dismal figures reveal the lasting grip of unfavourable social norms. Women’s disadvantage on a complex set of social and economic factors effect...

by Lucy Dubochet | On 17 Jun 2014

In the Name of Science and Public Health: Concerns about the Safety of Pentavalent Vaccine

This report provides information on the policy and implementation of immunization in India. A description of the findings of the verbal autopsies gathered from the visits to Srinagar and Haryana, as a...

by PUDR Peoples Union for Democratic Rights | On 10 Jun 2014

Young Leaders in the Parliament - Know your MP

The 2014 General Elections has marked its place in election history- one is the margin of victory witnessed which was the largest in the history of Indian democracy. The second factor unique this time...

by IRIS Knowledge Foundation IKF | On 06 Jun 2014

Monetary Incentives to Reduce Open-Field Rice-Straw Burning in the Plains of Nepal

In southern Nepal, rice straw burning in open fields is common practice. This is problematic because biomass burning contributes to smoke, black carbon and greenhouse gases. While some studies have ex...

by Krishna Prasad Pant | On 02 Jun 2014

Water Security in South Asia: Issues and Policy Recommendations

It is estimated that by 2030, only 60 per cent of the world's population will have access to fresh water supplies. This would mean that about 3 billion people would be living without reliable source...

by Wilson John | On 15 May 2014

Bengalis, but not Men? Bhadralok Masculinities in Adda

Drawing on interviews with 16 men and women in two age groups – fifties and twenties – and participant observation in adda sessions in an undergraduate college in contemporary Kolkata, this paper atte...

by Romit Chowdhury | On 13 May 2014

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

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

by World Conference on Youth 2014 | On 13 May 2014

Unnecessary Burden: Gender discrimination and Uterine prolapse in Nepal

Widespread and systemic gender discrimination in Nepal has led to hundreds of thousands of women suffering from a reproductive health condition that leaves them in great pain, unable to carry out dail...

by Amnesty International AI, | On 30 Apr 2014

The Economic Cost of General Strikes in Nepal

This paper reviews the key aspects of general strikes and analyses the economic cost of such strikes in Nepal. Data analysis shows that average direct cost of general strikes stood at NRs. 1.8 billi...

by Min Bahadur Shrestha | On 11 Apr 2014

Lok Sabha Elections, 2014: Fascism, Democracy’s Challenges and Role of Citizens

PUCL through this statement, wishes to bring to the attention of the people of India, the serious threat to democracy itself and the human rights challenges posed by the electoral alliances and cal...

by People's Union of Civil Liberties PUCL | On 03 Apr 2014

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

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

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

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

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

by Yogi Aggarwal | On 26 Feb 2014

Report of the Committee for Inspection of M/s Adani Port & SEZ Ltd.. Mundra, Gujarat

On September 14, 2012, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) constituted a Committee for inspection of Adani Port and SEZ Ltd., Mundra, Gujarat based on complaints received from Kheti Vikas...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests GOI | On 26 Feb 2014

Vital Stats: Performance of Parliament during the15th Lok Sabha

Over its five year term, the 15th Lok Sabha was disrupted frequently and witnessed a decline in time spent on legislation and oversight of the government. Disruptions over the allocation of 2G spectru...

by Kusum Malik | On 25 Feb 2014

Measuring Urbanization around a Regional Capital: The Case of Bhopal District

The starting point of this study is the observation that many villages in India seem to possess urban characteristics. As compared to definitions of urbanization adopted by other countries, the Indi...

by Anima Gupta | On 21 Feb 2014

Internal Migration for Education and Employment among Youth in India

This paper sheds light on the issue of internal migration for education and employment among the youth. i.e those aged 15-32 years. The paper is a first step towards addressing the issue of whether ...

by Ajay Sharma | On 24 Jan 2014

The Road Ahead for Aam Aadmi Party

This paper seeks insight into the road-map followed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) till date and in the coming future. There were very few who had foreseen the stunning debut of the Aam Aadmi Party (AA...

by Ronojoy Sen | On 22 Jan 2014

India, Bangladesh and Nepal: Learning Lessons, Facing Challenges.

In many ways, India is kindred with its two neighbors, Bangladesh and Nepal. Whether it is in geography I or demographics, infrastructure or economic issues, or poverty and human development, these th...

by Jayshree Sengupta | On 21 Jan 2014

Forty Eighth Report: The Lokpal Bill, 2011

The law has to seek not only to make corruption painful and hurtful after the event, but to make corruption unnecessary, undesirable and difficult to embark upon at the inception. Indeed many of such...

by Rajya Sabha | On 20 Dec 2013

Migrants' Private Giving and Development: Diasporic Influences on Development in Central Gujarat, India

The paper addresses the migration-development debate by developing a framework for understanding who are the migrants, what they are sending back, and how these transfers are being utilised in the lo...

by Puja Guha | On 28 Nov 2013

The Dark Side of Migration

Qatar’s population is growing at a truly staggering rate. Between August 2012 and August 2013 it grew by 10.5 per cent. This growth is driven primarily by the recruitment of low-paid migrant workers...

by Amnesty International AI, | On 19 Nov 2013

Regional Cooperation on the Ganga Basin: Yet a mirage?

Ganges is one of the important rivers of South Asia. It is a trans-boundary river between India and Bangladesh. Some rivers, originating in the Tibetan Autonomous region of the People's Republic of Ch...

by Dwarika Dhungel | On 15 Nov 2013

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly Elections: A Lesson For The Convicted Politicians?

As Nepal prepares to hold the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections on 19th November 2013, there already seems to be one positive lesson: those “convicted of a criminal offence involving moral turpitu...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 11 Nov 2013

Dishonesty and Selection into Public Service

In this paper, it is demonstrated that university students who cheat on a simple task in a laboratory setting are more likely to state a preference for entering public service. Importantly, it is also...

by Rema Hanna | On 11 Nov 2013

Diaspora Philanthropy from a Homeland Perspective: Reciprocity and Contestation over Donations in Central Gujarat, India

This paper deals with the philanthropic between Indian migrants and the local community in Gujarat from a homeland perspective. It is based on research in rural central Gujarat, one of the regions i...

by Natascha Dekkers | On 05 Nov 2013

Child Focussed Questions in Parliament in 2012

One third of the population of India are children below the age of 18 years. They are citizens of this country. Even though they do not vote, they have all rights as equal citizens of the country. How...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 07 Oct 2013

Does Economic Growth Reduce Corruption? Theory and Evidence from Vietnam

Government corruption is more prevalent in poor countries than in rich countries. This paper uses cross-industry heterogeneity in growth rates within Vietnam to test empirically whether growth leads...

by Jie Bai | On 03 Oct 2013

A Critique: HIV/AIDS and the Legal and Policy Framework in Sri Lanka

This paper discusses and comments on the legal and policy dimension and the obstacles it poses to a sustainable and effective response to HIV/AIDS as many do not come forward to obtain medical servic...

by Bhavani Fonseka | On 14 Sep 2013

How will India Facilitate a Credible and Independent Investigation in Sri Lanka?

At the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) 22nd session in Geneva India quietly registered its dismay at the lack of progress made by Sri Lanka since its commitments at the Council in 2009. While urging...

by Raghu Menon | On 14 Sep 2013

Madras Cafe: A Timely Interrogation

The film, MAdras Cafe, offers us an opportunity to revisit memory and ask important questions as to what happened in the early years of the civil war in Sri Lanka. An introspection that is necessary i...

by Aaranya Rajasingam | On 13 Sep 2013

Celebratory Memoirs of the Life of Comrade Sunila Abeysekera

Sri Lanka’s top UN Human Rights award winner Sunila Abeysekara died at a private hospital in Colombo on Monday afternoon after a long battle with cancer. A founder of Sri Lanka’s feminist movement, Ms...

by Lionel Bopage | On 12 Sep 2013

Vital Stats: Parliament in the Monsoon Session 2013

The Monsoon Session ended with the passage of Bills on food security, land acquisition, companies, and pension. During the session, significant time was lost due to frequent disruptions over issues su...

by Kusum Malik | On 12 Sep 2013

India Shadow Report

The gains made since ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are plenty, but the reality of children’s situation is disturbing on many counts calling for urgent and serious att...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 26 Aug 2013

Patterns of Migration, Water Scarcity and Caste in Rural Northern Gujarat

Patterns of rural-urban migration and employment shifts in a region that is facing ongoing depletion of groundwater resources in Northern Gujarat, India is discussed. Given that migration typically d...

by Ram Fishman | On 30 Jul 2013

Press Release: List of Current MLAs and MPs with Self-declared Serious Cases that have been Pending for More than 10 years

List of current MLAs and MPs with self-declared serious cases that have been pending for more than 10 years. [NEW]. URL:[http://adrindia.org/sites/default/files/List%20of%20current%20MLAs-MPs%20with%2...

by National Election Watch NEW | On 30 Jul 2013

Perils of the Drug Trade: Implications and Challenges of Central Asia’s “Northern Route”

The international trade in Afghan drugs is one of the most significant transnational threats emanating from Central Asia. Exacerbated by weak border management, corruption, and lack of income-generat...

by Lars-Erik Lundin | On 26 Jul 2013

A Good Model for Grievance Redressal? Kerala’s Award-Winning Mass Contact Programme

Kerala’s innovative programme for redressing grievances and rooting out corruption has won the chief minister accolades even as it served to connect people to political leaders directly.

by Amrutha Jose Pampackal | On 22 Jul 2013

An Economic Investigation of Corruption and Electricity Theft

Theft and corruption are common in electricity distribution systems worldwide. Electricity theft is analysed in the framework of an individual’s choice under uncertainty and through a three-layered pr...

by Faisal Jamil | On 10 Jul 2013

Land Degradation and Migration in a Dry Land Region in India

Migration literature has always considered environmental constraints as one of the prime movers of populations, especially from dry regions, where water rather than land is the primary limiting factor...

by Amita Shah | On 28 Jun 2013

Recession and Child Labour: A Theoritical Analysis

This paper provides a theoretical model of the impact of recession (income shock) on household's child labor (CL) decision. Parental altruism is endogenized; as their choice of substituting child lab...

by Sahana Roy Chowdhury | On 25 Jun 2013

Refining State Level Comparisons in India

The performance of Indian States are analyzed across three critical sectors – health, education and infrastructure are analyzed. An index is constructed for each using the Principal Component Analys...

by Pranjul Bhandari | On 10 Jun 2013

Interstate Migration

Panelists discuss the issues arising out of interstate migrations and its impact on the overall economy. [youtube].

by NDTV NDTV Profit | On 04 Jun 2013

Vital Stats: Parliament Budget Session 2013

Parliament convened for the Budget Session 2013 for 32 days between February 21 and May 8. Both Houses were adjourned sine die on May 8, two days ahead of the planned schedule. There was a month long...

by Priya Soman | On 03 Jun 2013

Amended National Food Security Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas introduced the amended National Food Security Bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2011, to addre...

by Anonymous | On 27 May 2013

Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 in Rural India

This booklet explains the SECC,2011, as it relates to rural India, and details the entire process in simple language. [Ministry of Rural Development]. URL:[http://rural.nic.in/sites/downloads/general...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 02 May 2013

Media monitoring on Corruption in Indian print Media

To explore how much coverage is given by Leading Indian newspaper to 2G Scam and Common Wealth Games during the period of study. To explore what kind of image of India is famed by all four newspape...

by Daniel Drache | On 25 Apr 2013

Land Acquisition Bill: Past and Present

Land acquisition, which refers to the process of a government forcibly acquiring private property for public purpose, has been the cause of over a third of the legal conflicts in India in the past dec...

by iGovernment. in | On 19 Apr 2013

The Criminal Law (Amendement) Bill, 2013 as passed by Lok Sabha

A bill further to amend the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 [PRS]. URL:[http://www...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 08 Apr 2013

Women Political Leaders, Corruption and Learning: Evidence from a Large Public Program in India

In the paper there is a use of nation-wide policy of randomly allocating village council headships to women to identify the impact of female political leadership on the governance of projects implemen...

by Farzana Afridi | On 07 Mar 2013

Monthly Policy Review: February 2013

Justice Usha Mehra report on Delhi gang rape case, Railway Budget, Union Budget were the important highlights on this months. [PRS]. URL:[http://www.prsindia.org/announcements/monthly-policy-review-26...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 02 Mar 2013

New Frontiers, New Struggles: Press Freedom in South Asia 2011-12

Journalism in South Asia is facing many challenges with physical security being a major issue in most of the region. Several countries may have improved relatively due to decisions to reduce the risks...

by International Federation of Journalists IFJ | On 04 Feb 2013

Firewood Collections and Economic Growth in Rural Nepal 1995-2010: Evidence from a Household Panel

A longitudinal household survey from World Bank Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) was used for the study. A relatively small (but representative) sample of households residing in the mountain...

by Jean-Marie Baland | On 28 Jan 2013

Trade in Health Services in South Asia: An Examination of the Need for Regional Cooperation

This study was conducted in three South Asian countries viz: India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The study examines the opinions of patients, hospitals owners and doctors involved in this service trade. A to...

by Arindam Banik | On 22 Jan 2013

Political Clientelism and Capture: Theory and Evidence from West Bengal, India

There are relatively few theoretical models or empirical analyses of clientelism which analyse the sources and consequences of clientelism. Data from household surveys in rural West Bengal are used t...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 14 Jan 2013

Women Workers from Asia to Gulf: Its Outcomes

Review of the book 'Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf' By Rakkee Thimothy, S.K. Sasikumar, UN Women, 2012

by R. S. Reshmi | On 24 Dec 2012

Vital Stats: Parliament in Winter Session 2012

The first half of the Winter Session of Parliament, 2012 was dominated by disruptions over and discussion on the government's notification to allow 51% FDI in the retail sector. The issue was finally...

by Devika Malik | On 21 Dec 2012

Corruption Perceptions Index 2012

The Corruption Perceptions Index is constructed by the Transparency International. The Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in countries worldwide. Ba...

by Transparency International TI | On 07 Dec 2012

An Assessment of Livelihood and Educational Status of Sanitation Workers in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

This study was conducted in 25 neighborhoods and 5 zones of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). A total of 50 sanitation workers were interviewed and through them the condition of their famil...

by Ashish Mishra | On 05 Dec 2012

How Indian Voters Respond to Candidates with Criminal Charges: Evidence from the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections

What are the response of voters to candidates who have reported that they have criminal charges against them? A analysis within the framework of a simple analytical model which assumes that criminal c...

by Bhaskar Dutta | On 02 Nov 2012

The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011

A bill to establish an Authority and such other regulatory bodies for regulation of radiation safety or nuclear safety and achieving highest standards of such safety based on scientific approach, op...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 01 Oct 2012

The Sexual Harrasment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2012: Commentary

The Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Parliament) has, on 3 September 2012, passed the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2012 (Bill). The Bill now r...

by Trilegal Bulletin | On 01 Oct 2012

Bihar: What went wrong? And what changed?

A historical narrative of Bihar is provided context to much of its current state, Focus is given on its contemporary economy in the past three decades to better understand the moribund state of its ec...

by Arnab Mukherji | On 28 Sep 2012

Vital Stats: Parliament in Monsoon Session 2012

Little business was transacted in the Monsoon Session of Parliament as protests over the CAG audit of coal block allocations regularly disrupted proceedings. Both houses fell significantly short of t...

by Devika Malik | On 12 Sep 2012

Health Policy Processes in Gujarat: A Case Study of the Policy for Independent Nurse Practitioners in Midwifery

The policy processes of the policy on ‘Nurse practitioners in midwifery’ (NPM) are described. The policy aims to educate and create a new cadre of competent midwives in the government hospitals as an...

by Sharma Bharati | On 03 Sep 2012

Budget 2012-13, Nepal

Statement Delivered by Finance Minister Mr. Barshaman Pun on 15 July 2012. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.np/ajw/uploads/uploaded_image/Main_text.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 28 Aug 2012

Integrating Mental Health and Development: A Case Study of the BasicNeeds Model in Nepal

The BasicNeeds model of Mental Health and Development (MHD), Nepal emphasizes user empowerment, community development, strengthening of health systems, and policy influencing. The Nepal program was...

by Shoba Raja | On 24 Aug 2012

The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010

Commonly known as the Whistleblower's Bill, it seeks to establish a mechanism to register complaints on any allegations of corruption or wilful misuse of power against a public servant. The Bill also...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 17 Aug 2012

Constraints Faced by Industry in Punjab, Pakistan

What are the main impediments to investment and industrial productivity in Punjab which have contributed to this unprecedented decline in growth? This is done by analyzing the 2007 Investment Climate...

by Syed Turab Hussain | On 08 Aug 2012

Are Embankments a Good Flood-­-Control Strategy? A Case Study of the Kosi River

This paper makes a first pass at evaluating embankments. Using two years or more of data from 504 households in 28 villages in the floodplain of the Kosi river in north Bihar, a comparison of the agri...

by E Somanathan | On 25 Jul 2012

Conserving, Augmenting and Sharing Water

There is a huge crisis for water all around the world, certainly in India with groundwater table going down and drinking water selling almost at the rate of toned milk. That also shows that country ha...

by Anil K Gupta | On 20 Jul 2012

How Close Does the Apple Fall to the Tree? Some Evidence on Intergenerational Occupational Mobility from India

Using data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2005, intergenerational occupational mobility in India is examined, an issue on which very few systematic and rigorous studies exist. Individ...

by Sripad Motiram | On 12 Jul 2012

Three Gorges Dam: A Model of the Past

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is the world’s largest and most controversial hydropower project. The 600 kilometer-long reservoir has displaced 1.3 million people and is wreaking havoc wi...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 12 Jul 2012

India's SEZ Policy

Over the last few decades India has emerged as an economic giant. In 2000 the Special Economic Zone (SEZs) policy became part of a strategy to maintain high growth and promote India’s manufacturing ...

by Ebba Mårtensson | On 11 Jul 2012

Domestic Violence Prevention Bill 2012: Bhutan

This Act ensures a prompt and just legal remedy for the victims of domestic violence; facilitate access to remedies for immediate and effective assistance, shelter homes and protection to the victims...

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 11 Jul 2012

State Health Insurance and Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditures in Andhra Pradesh, India

In 2007, the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India began rolling out the Aarogyasri health insurance to reduce catastrophic health expenditures in households “below the poverty line.” The program...

by Victoria Fan | On 05 Jul 2012

Climate Change Vulnerability of Mountain Ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayas

The ecosystem of the Eastern Himalayas are vulnerable to climate change as a result of their ecological fragility and economic marginality. The conservation policies at national and regional levels ar...

by Karma Tse-ring | On 28 May 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

Black Money

The objective of this paper is to place in the public domain various facets and dimensions of black money and its complex relationship with the policy and administrative regime in the country. The pa...

by Ministry of Finance | On 22 May 2012

Private Returns to Public Office

The wealth accumulation of Indian parliamentarians using public disclosures required of all candidates since 2003 are studied. Annual asset growth of winners is on average 3 to 6 percentage points hi...

by Raymond Fisman | On 18 May 2012

Vital Stats: 60 Years of Parliament

On May 13, 2012 Parliament completes 60 years since its first sitting. To mark the occasion, a special sitting of both Houses has been organised on the day. Recently, there has been much public scru...

by Rohit Kumar | On 16 May 2012

Inter-Party Competition and Electoral Campaigning in Rural Malaysia: The Pendang and Anak Bukit By-Elections of 2002

The Pendang parliamentary and Anak Bukit by-elections for the Kedah state legislative assembly were among the most contentious of by-elections in recent Malaysian politics. Held simultaneously on 18...

by K Ramanathan | On 10 May 2012

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

Measuring the Contribution of Bt Cotton Adoption to India’s Cotton Yields Leap

This study examines the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to long- term average cotton yields in India using a panel data analysis of production variables in nine Indian cotton-producing states from...

by Guillaume P Gruere | On 25 Apr 2012

Trans-boundary River Basins in South Asia: Options for Conflict Resolution

India's trans-boundary riparian policies affect four countries - Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh - on three river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra-Mehgna. China's riparian pol...

by Gopal Siwakoti Chintan | On 25 Apr 2012

Corruption

In this paper, a new framework for analyzing corruption in public bureaucracies is provided. The standard way to model corruption is as an example of moral hazard, which then leads to a focus on bette...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 24 Apr 2012

Nepal: Elusive Democracy and Uncertain Political System

Persistence and breakdowns of democracy are the dominant features of Nepali politics.Democracy continues to be attractive amidst setbacks and discontinuity. So it remains perennially elusive, desp...

by Lok Raj Baral | On 23 Apr 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

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

The view, outside in

What India has to do to overcome the dents that India has suffered in its international image? India will have to play a delicate game of exercising autonomy in its pursuit of national objectives with...

by T.N. Ninan | On 10 Apr 2012

Parliamentary chutzpah

The poverty line deviates from the reality. The government's redefinition is a good thing, but the danger is it won't go far enough. [BS Weekend ruminations]. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/ind...

by T.N. Ninan | 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

BMC Budget 2012-13

Budget presented to Municipal Commissioner. . [BMC Annual Reports]. URL:[http://www.mcgm.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/documents/MCGM%20Department%20List/Chief%20Accountant%20(Finance)/Budget/Complete%20Engli...

by Municipal Commissioner BMC | On 22 Mar 2012

Is Community Forest Management Good for the Environment and the Poor? – A Review

Over the last two decades, community-based forest management has graduated from being an experimental strategy to becoming a much more mainstream approach. In developing countries, an estimated 22 p...

by Priya Shyamsundar | On 19 Mar 2012

Health Care Financing Reforms in India

The transfer system in India is discussed and analyses expenditure needs of States to provide essential health infrastructure. It also analyzes the fiscal space for health care in terms of stimulati...

by M Govinda Rao | On 19 Mar 2012

Annual Report (2011-12) on The Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments

Major shifts in the policy initiated in the electricity sector are well documented, only then the effect of the policy change can be analyzed, especially from the point of view of laying down future p...

by Planning Commission | On 19 Mar 2012

Forty Eighth Report on The Lok Pal Bill, 2011

The report includes a specific recommendation to categorically have a statutory provision imparting genuine independence to the CBI by declaring, for the first time, that it shall not be subject, on...

by Rajya Sabha | On 14 Mar 2012

Federal Budget of Pakistan-2011-12

BUDGET SPEECH 2011-2012 by DR. ABDUL HAFEEZ SHAIKH, Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning & Development.

by Minister of Finance Pakistan | On 12 Mar 2012

Agricultural Insurance in India: Problems and Prospects

The challenges of providing insurance to Indian agricultural sector in a manner that is both meaningful and sustaining. Critical assessment of the existing initiative and present possible options fo...

by M J Bhende | On 09 Mar 2012

Asia’s Wicked Environmental Problems

The developing economies of Asia are confronted by serious environmental problems that threaten to undermine future growth, food security, and regional stability. This study considers four major envir...

by Stephen Howes | On 06 Mar 2012

Budget of Nepal 2011-12

Budget speech by Nepal Finance Minister. URL:[http://www.mof.gov.np/publication/speech/2011/pdf/budgetspeech_english.pdf].

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 06 Mar 2012

Beyond the Numbers: Describing Care at the End of Life

PLoS Medicine, Olav Lindqvist and colleagues describe the range of non pharmacological care giving activities provided by palliative care staff for cancer patients in the last days of life. Their find...

by Plos medicine Editors | On 01 Mar 2012

Can Institutions be Reformed from Within? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment with the Rajasthan Police

Institutions in developing countries, particularly those inherited from the colonial period, are often thought to be subject to strong inertia. This study presents the results of a unique randomized t...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 27 Feb 2012

Sri Lanka Budget Speech 2012

Budget speech 2012.

by Mahinda Rajapaksa | On 24 Feb 2012

The Public Procurement Bill, 2012

A bill to regulate public procurement with the objectives of ensuring transparency, fair and equitable treatment of bidders, promoting competition, enhancing efficiency and economy and safeguarding...

by Ministry of Finance | On 24 Feb 2012

Mumbai Riots, 1992-3: Revisiting the Affected

Review of the book 'Riots and After in Mumbai: Chronicles of Truth and Reconciliation' Meena Menon, Sage Publications India, 2011, Pp 267 + xcii, Rs. 595/-

by Irfan Engineer | On 17 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

Inflation in Nepal

A large number of studies in Nepal have been conducted to identify the factors responsible for inflation based on the different theories of inflation. Although these studies provide insight into the...

by Nepal Rastra Bank Research Department NRB | On 02 Feb 2012

Transparency in Parliament: A Review of the Procedures and Practices in South Asia along with Recommended Guidelines for Increasing Openness

This paper examines the functioning of Parliaments in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka1 in order to gauge the extent of openness and access from the point of view of both Members of Parliam...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 31 Jan 2012

More and Better Jobs in South Asia

This report investigates how more and better jobs can be created in South Asia. It does so for two reasons. First, this region will contribute nearly 40 percent of the growth in the world’s workin...

by Reema Nayar | On 30 Jan 2012

India’s Food Security Bill: A Waste or Win for the Hungry?

Home to over 25 per cent of the world’s hungry poor, India faces major food security challenges and the situation has barely improved in two decades. Will the National Food Security Bill that the Indi...

by Sally Trethewie | On 27 Jan 2012

To Bt or Not to Bt? Risk and Uncertainty Considerations in Technology Assessment

Production costs and crop incomes in drought years are analyzed to test a simplistic theory of risk based on first principles. A mixed-methods framework is employed to draw inferences by combining da...

by Sarthak Gaurav | On 24 Jan 2012

Myanmar’s Reforms: The Challenges Ahead

The release of many high-profile political prisoners by Myanmar’s government has been applauded by the international community. Many obstacles to reform still exist, but they are not the usual suspect...

by Kyaw San Wai | On 24 Jan 2012

Can Lease Hold Forestry in Nepal Benefit People and the Environment?

In Nepal an innovative form of forestry management, known as the Leasehold Forestry (LHF) Programme, is being introduced to protect forest land and help it regenerate. A new SANDEE study analyzes th...

by South Asian Network for Development SANDEE | On 10 Jan 2012

What Makes Food Processing Firms Clean Up their Waste? – A Case Study from Sri Lanka

Many Sri Lankan companies, particularly in the food processing sector, do not have adequate management systems in place to control and dispose solid waste. In order to address this challenge, a new...

by South Asian Network for Development SANDEE | On 09 Jan 2012

Can the Bill Bring Desired Outcomes?

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill (LARR) is considered to be a flawed piece of legislation. An alternative method based on auction based pricing mechanism is suggested here.

by Maitreesh Ghatak | On 05 Jan 2012

Time for elections

Even though it would be considered politically premature by both the Congress and the BJP – it may be best to think in terms of fresh elections. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ni...

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 Jan 2012

Vital Stats: Parliament in 2011

The year in Parliament was characterised by frequent disruptions and protests over a host of issues. The issue of the establishment of a Lokpal prompted both disruption as well as intense debate. A...

by Rohit Kumar | On 02 Jan 2012

Plan vs. Performance Winter Session – November 22 to December 29, 2011

This note lists the legislative business planned by Parliament and compares it with the actual performance during the Winter Session. [PRS Note]. URL:[http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/ge...

by Kusum Malik | On 30 Dec 2011

Comparison of the Lok Pal Bill, 2011 and Lok Pal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011

Major differences between the Lok Pal Bill 2011 and the Lok Pal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011.URL: [http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Lok%20Pal%20Bill%202011/Major%20differences%20between%20the%20Lok%...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 28 Dec 2011

The Lokpal and Lokayukatas Bill, 2011-as passed by Lok Sabha

The bill as passed by Lok Sabha. URL:[http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Lok%20Pal%20Bill%202011/Lokpal%20and%20Lokayuktas%20Bill%20as%20passed%20by%20LS.pdf].

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 28 Dec 2011

Insights into Workers and ‘Political’ Union

Review of the book Workers, Unions and Global Capitalism: Lessons from India, Rohini Hensman, Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2011, pp. xix + 415

by Sharit Bhowmik | On 27 Dec 2011

Will Neoliberal Policies Resolve Water Sector Dilemmas? Learnings from Maharashtra and Gujarat

This paper examines how the neoliberal policies have influenced the water sector reform policies and interventions in India, particularly, in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. In doing so, the...

by Viswanathan P K | On 26 Dec 2011

Comparison of the Lok Pal Bill, 2011 and the Standing Committee Report on the Lok Pal Bill

The Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice tabled its 48th Report on the ‘Lok Pal Bill, 2011’ on December 9, 2011. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sa...

by Kaushiki Sanyal | On 23 Dec 2011

Monetary Neutrality in the Nepalese Economy during 1975-2008

One of the methods of measuring the effectiveness of monetary policies is via inspection of monetary neutrality in the economy. It is a concept from classical economics and it suggests that changes...

by Mukesh Khanal | On 16 Dec 2011

The Welfare Impacts of Leasehold Forestry in Nepal

The study analyzes the role of the leasehold forestry (LHF) program in improving household welfare in Nepal. Both the time saved in biomass collection and the addition to income through increases in b...

by Bishnu Prasad Sharma | On 15 Dec 2011

Comparative Analysis of Inflation in Nepal and India

Inflation data for the past few years (August 2007 to October 2011 of Nepal and August 2007 to July 2011 of India for the analysis of monthly annual variation) have been taken into consideration for...

by Nepal Rastra Bank Research Department NRB | On 12 Dec 2011

Where Socrates Fears to Tread……

Review of the book 'Social Income and Insecurity: A Study in Gujarat' by Guy Standing, Jeemol Unni, Renana Jhabvala, and Uma Rani Routledge India, 2010 216 pages.

by N. Vijayamohanan Pillai | On 12 Dec 2011

Data from State Assemblies: Some trends

How often do our State Assemblies meet? Do MLAs get enough opportunity to scrutinize Bills? Are all budget demands discussed on the floor of the House? PRS studied the work done by 13 State Assemblies...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 07 Dec 2011

Legislative Brief: The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010

The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 1, 2010. The Bill was introduced by the Minister of Law and Justice. The Bill was referred to the Stand...

by Anirudh Burman | On 30 Nov 2011

Legislative Brief: The Lok Pal Bill, 2011

The Bill establishes a body called the Lok Pal. It provides a process for receiving corruption complaints against public servants and investigating and prosecuting these in a time bound manner. The B...

by Kaushiki Sanyal | On 30 Nov 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 1

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Publishing Construction Contracts as a Tool for Efficiency and Good Governance

Construction is a $1.7 trillion industry worldwide, much of which is linked to publicly financed projects. Outcomes from this financing are frequently suboptimal. Cost and time escalation, as well a...

by Charles Kenny | On 25 Nov 2011

Wrong Climate for Big Dams: Destroying Rivers will Worsen Climate Change

P roponents of large dams, hoping to capitalize on concern for climate change, are promoting a major expansion of large dams in developing countries. Yet large dams are highly vulnerable to climate ch...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 24 Nov 2011

"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

Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill

Common man faces day-to-day hassles with regard to delivery of public services and corruption in service delivery. Currently inadequate institutionalised mechanism to address these problems. Lok Pal...

by Department of Administrative Reforms Public Grievances | On 03 Nov 2011

Draft of Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill, 2011

A Bill to lay down an obligation upon every public authority to publish citizens charter stating therein the time within which specified goods shall be supplied and services be rendered and provide...

by Department of Administrative Reforms Public Grievances | On 03 Nov 2011

Growth and Election Outcomes in a Developing Country

With the exception Brander and Drazen (2008), who use a comprehensive cross-country database consisting of both developed and developing countries, the hypothesis that rapid growth helps incumbents...

by Poonam Gupta | On 31 Oct 2011

Production and Marketing of Coconut in India

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

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 21 Oct 2011

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

Relation between Population, Gender and Reproductive Health

Review of the book 'Population, Gender and Reproductive Health'. F Ram, Sayeed Unisa and T V Sekher (eds.), Rawat publications, 2011, 416 pp, Rs 925

by K.S. James | On 20 Oct 2011

Transactions Matter but They Hardly Cost: Irrigation Management in the Kathmandu Valley

This study estimates the transaction costs entailed in maintaining Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) in Nepal based on a case study of 60 irrigation systems in the Kathmandu valley. It analyz...

by Ram Chandra Bhattarai | On 18 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

Draft of the Proposed National Sports Legislation

A bill to provide for development of sports in India, coordination of national teams for participation in international events, fair and transparent functioning of autonomous sports bodies and welf...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 17 Oct 2011

Draft Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2011

A bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to the scientific development and regulation of mines and minerals under the control of the Union. URL:[http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2011/sep/d2...

by Ministry of Mines GOI | On 03 Oct 2011

Rights, Responsibilities and Resources: Examining Community Forestry in South Asia

This paper seeks to understand whether decentralized management of forests can reduce forest loss in developing countries. [SANDEE Working Paper, No 59 - 11]. URL:[http://www.sandeeonline.org/upload...

by Priya Shyamsundar | On 28 Sep 2011

Pesticide Applications in Bt Cotton Farms: Issues Relating to Environment and Non-Tariff Barriers

This paper is undertaken to examine various aspects of farm level adoption of Bt cotton in Gujarat as well as explore issues relating to environment and non-tariff barriers affecting the cotton trade...

by N. Lalitha | On 27 Sep 2011

Estimating Urban and Rural Incomes in Gujarat: 1993-94 to 2004-05

Income originating within geographical boundaries of urban and rural areas of Gujarat is estimated for three benchmark years – 1993-94, 1999-00 and 2004-05 - at current prices following the broad me...

by Ravindra H Dholakia | On 26 Sep 2011

Does the System of Rice Intensification Outperform Conventional System? A Case Study of Gujarat

The paper examines the farm level performance of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation as against the traditional method. The role of NGOs in raising awareness among farmers...

by Jharna Pathak | On 22 Sep 2011

The Lok Pal Bill Debate: Lack of Accountability, not Anna Hazare's Fast, Should be the Focus

The paper analysis the current situation of corruption in India, the protests against it, the role of NGOs and the Lok Pal Bill

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 19 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

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography

The Optional Protocol (OP) to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography was ratified by India on September 16, 2005. This is t...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 16 Sep 2011

Opening India’s Garments Sector to South Asia

This paper examines the competitiveness of the Indian garments industry vis-à-vis the other South Asian countries Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Under the SAFTA agreement, many of the garment i...

by Saon Ray | On 16 Sep 2011

The Land Acquisition Bill: A Critique and a Proposal

The new Bill on land acquisition recently tabled in Parliament is well intentioned but seriously flawed. Its principal defect is that it attaches an arbitrary mark-up to the historical market price to...

by Maitreesh Ghatak | On 12 Sep 2011

Vital Stats: Parliament in Monsoon Session 2011

In performance terms, the house fell significantly short of its initial plan. Proceedings were marred by disruptions – first on the issue of corruption and the detention of Anna Hazare, and later on t...

by Rohit Kumar | On 09 Sep 2011

Plan vs. Performance: Monsoon Session – August 01 to September 08, 2011

This note lists the legislative business planned by Parliament and compares it with the actual performance during the Monsoon Session. URL:[http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/13154...

by Kusum Malik | On 08 Sep 2011

Comparison between the Lokpal Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha and the Jan Lokpal Bill

A note comparing the key features of the Lok Pal Bill, 2011 introduced on August 4, 2011 and the Bill prepared by civil society representatives in the Joint Drafting Committee. URL:[http://www.prsind...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 26 Aug 2011

The Jan Lokpal Bill, 2011

Bill to establish an independent authority to investigate offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 to detect corruption by expeditious investigation and to prosecute offenders and to ensu...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 26 Aug 2011

Trans-border Identities: (A Study on the Impact of Bangladeshi and Nepali Migration to India)

This paper deals with migration into India from adjoining neighbours and its impact on security and other issues of national interest. Unlike other studies on migration, it focuses on the ethnic ident...

by Subhakanta Behera | On 26 Aug 2011

The Environment as a Production Input: A Tutorial

Production is often affected by environmental conditions. For example, rice harvests might be damaged by infiltration of saline water from neighboring shrimp farms, fish catch might be reduced by th...

by Jeffrey Vincent | On 24 Aug 2011

The Costs of Achieving the Millennium Development Goals through Adopting Organic Agriculture

This paper provides estimates of the costs of organic agriculture (OA) programs, and sets them in the context of the costs of attaining the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It anal...

by Anil Markandya | On 19 Aug 2011

India-Pakistan Trade

On the basis of a survey conducted in three cities viz., Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar the paper examines the characteristics of firms engaged in Indo- Pakistan trade. It also estimates the transaction...

by Nisha Taneja | On 11 Aug 2011

Parliament Session Alert: Monsoon Session: August 01 – September 08, 2011

Parliament meets for the Monsoon Session between August 01 and September 08, 2011. There will be a total of 26 sittings. The agenda for government Bills includes 35 pending Bills for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 01 Aug 2011

Stepping Stones: Principal Career Paths and School Outcomes

More than one out of every five principals leaves their school each year. In some cases, these career changes are driven by the choices of district leadership. In other cases, principals initiate the...

by Tara Béteille | On 27 Jul 2011

Engaging with Policy Makers: Ideas on Contributing to the Law Making Process

This Primer explains the process by which a citizen group can participate and become actively involved in the process of lawmaking. A number of cases have been used to demonstrate the various ways in...

by Avinash Celestine | On 19 Jul 2011

THE LOKPAL BILL, 2011

A bill to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connected therewith. URL:[http://www...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 19 Jul 2011

Understanding the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Child and Maternal Health among the Poor: Opportunities for South Asia

The economic crisis hit many countries in 2007 and the effects are still being felt, especially in poorer developing nations. Much of the debate surrounding the economic crisis and its impacts has foc...

by Azra Abdul Cader | On 11 Jul 2011

Fragile States

Many of the world’s poorest countries can be described as 'fragile states' wherein governments cannot or will not provide an environment for households to reduce, mitigate, or cope with poverty and ot...

by Wim Naudé | On 23 Jun 2011

Let’s Be Straight Up about the Alcohol Industry

Alcohol industry is a massive and growing US$150 billion global business—have not yet received adequate prominence in medical journals. Indeed, attention to and scientific research on the alcohol...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 15 Jun 2011

Media Under Fire: Press Freedom Lockdown in Sri Lanka

In October 2008, a delegation from the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission undertook a solidarity and advocacy mission to Sri Lanka to assess the current media situation...

by Int Press Freedom & Freedom of Expression Mission IPF&FE | On 13 Jun 2011

Frontier Issues on the Global Agenda- Emerging Economy Perspective

The article is a report of RBI Minister Duvvuri Subbarao on issuesing concerning the G-20 countries and also issues effecting all the countries collectively.

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 13 Jun 2011

Book Review: Ineffable or Not: Understanding and Writing about Sri Aurobindo

Review of The Lives of Sri Aurobindo Peter Heehs. Columbia University Press, New York 2008. xiv + 496 pp. $45.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-231-14098-0. [ https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=32846...

by Hanna H. Kim | On 05 Jun 2011

Community Forestry in Nepal Management Rules and Distribution of Benefits

In the last decade, far reaching policy reforms in Nepal have allowed local communities to regain control over the management of vast tracts of lands. Community forestry is widely believed to be a maj...

by Bhim Adhikari | On 01 Jun 2011

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Their Implication on Urban Management and Regional Planning in India

Under the new industrial policy announced in 2002 and the export-import policy announced thereafter, SEZs have been sought to be created in several parts of the country for promoting industrial pr...

by Chetan Vaidya | On 26 May 2011

What Constrains Business? The Role of the ‘Single Window’ in Gujarat, India

The investment climate of a region reflects the location specific factors that provide opportunities and incentives for firms to invest, create jobs, and expand. A good investment cl...

by Errol D'souza | On 11 May 2011

Ministry of Finance and Planning Annual Report

This paper contains the annual report of Ministry of Finance and Planning, Government of Sri Lanka. URL: [http://www.treasury.gov.lk/FPPFM/fpd/pdfdocs/annualreports/annualreport2009-eng.pdf]

by Ministry of Finance and Planning, Govt of Sri Lanka | On 10 May 2011

Statement Delivered by Secretary of the Ministry of Finance

This paper presents the Statement Delivered by Mr. Krishna Hari Baskota, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development in the capa...

by Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal | On 09 May 2011

Agenda for the 2nd session of the First Parliament

This paper presents the agenda of the second session of the first Parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/show_forms.php?var=4]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 09 May 2011

Why Tackling Indoor Air Pollution Makes Sense – A Study from Nepal

Indoor air pollution (IAP) is a major environmental health problem in Nepal. Most of the poor in the country cook in poorly ventilated kitchens using inefficient stoves that burn wood and other bio...

by Min Bikram Malla Thakuri | On 06 May 2011

Agenda for the 3rd session of the First Parliament

This paper presents the agenda of the third session of the first Parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/9Final%20Agenda%20for%203rd%20session%20of%20First%20Parliament.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 06 May 2011

Order of Business or The 4th Session of the National Assembly

This paper presents the agenda of the fourth session of the National Assembly of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/104TH%20SESSION%20AGENDA.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 05 May 2011

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

Projected Order of Business or The 5th Session First Parliament of Bhutan

This paper presents the agenda of the fifth session of the first parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/11Agenda%20for%205th%20session.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 04 May 2011

Order of Business or The 6th Session First Parliament of Bhutan

This paper presents the agenda of the sixth session of the first parliament of Bhutan. URL: [http://www.nab.gov.bt/publication/126TH%20SESSION%20AGENDA.pdf]

by National Assembly of Bhutan | On 03 May 2011

Report of the Task Force on Plantations Sector

Today there is no credible alternative facility available to a grower to meet the risks of price movements and the art of price risk management is unknown to the small growers. (In this entire report,...

by Ministry of Commerce and Industry GOI | On 02 May 2011

Enhancing Intra-SAARC Trade: Pruning India’s Sensitive List under SAFTA

The study suggests an approach to reduce India’s sensitive list under SAFTA. The concept of Revealed Comparative Advantage has been used to pair the RCAs for products on India’s sensitive list with th...

by Nisha Taneja | On 29 Apr 2011

Tripura Budget 2011-12

Budget speech of Finance Minister.

by Government of Tripura | On 27 Apr 2011

Targeting and Distribution of Post-Tsunami Aid in Sri Lanka : A Critical Appraisal

In this study, two types of aid transfers - boats and houses are examined- that were made to rehabilitate tsunami-affected fishery households in Sri Lanka. The goal is to investigate the distributio...

by Asha Gunawardena | On 20 Apr 2011

Our Tahrir Square

The government has alienated the public through months of scandal on a scale not seen till now. URL:[http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/t-n-ninan-our-tahrir-square/431532/]

by T.N. Ninan | On 13 Apr 2011

Corruption Cases against Government Officials

The agitation led by Anna Hazare has focussed on the formation of a Lok Pal to address the issue of corruption. Some data on the existing systems of identifying and prosecuting cases of corruption a...

by Rohit Kumar | On 13 Apr 2011

The Lokpal Bill, 2010

A bill to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption aganist public functionaries and for matters connected therewith.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 08 Apr 2011

Issues Related to the Lok Pal Bill

In January 2011, the government formed a Group of Ministers, chaired by Shri Pranab Mukherjee to suggest measures to tackle corruption, including examination of the proposal of a Lok Pal Bill.

by Kaushiki Sanyal | On 08 Apr 2011

Pain and Palliative Care Policy 2008

This paper consists of the Health and Family Welfare Department of Kerela Government's formulation and declaration of State Policy for Pain and Palliative Care Services. URL: [http://www.kerala.gov.in...

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 01 Apr 2011

On The Optimal Coordination Of Uninformed Agents by an Informed Principal

They consider organizations with a single principal and many agents who interact in an environment with the following features: (a) Nature imperfectly informs the principal via a state-contingent si...

by Sudhir A. Shah | On 30 Mar 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

Rural Development & Energy Policy: Lessons from Agricultural Mechanisation in South Asia

The purpose of this paper is to reopen policy debates on the role of agricultural mechanisation in rural development. The paper examines very different and diverse patterns of agricultural mechani...

by Stephen Biggs | On 29 Mar 2011

Parliament Session Wrap: Budget Session – February 21 to March 25, 2011

Nine legislative Bills were introduced during the session. Five Bills were passed and one Bill was withdrawn during the session. Several hours were lost due to interruptions on the issues of appointme...

by Kusum Malik | On 28 Mar 2011

Was Tsunami Aid Well Targeted? An Examination of Disaster Assistance in Sri Lanka

As countries in South Asia ready themselves for climate change and the possibility of increased frequency in natural disasters, it is useful to understand how well post disaster operations work to...

by South Asian Network for Development SANDEE | On 28 Mar 2011

Banking Laws Amendment Bill

The government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that seeks to align voting rights in private banks with shareholding, enhance the central bank’s regulatory powers over banks and give grea...

by Economic Times ET | On 23 Mar 2011

Was Tsunami Aid Well Targeted? An Examination of Disaster Assistance in Sri Lanka

The Tsunami in 2004 devastated Sri Lanka. In its aftermath, followed aid and support from multiple sources. As countries in South Asia ready themselves for climate change and the possibility of in...

by Asha Gunawardena | On 18 Mar 2011

Sri Lanka Budget 2011-12

Budget speech by Finance Minister.

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 17 Mar 2011

BMC Budget 2011-12

Budget presented to Municipal Commissioner

by Municipal Commissioner BMC | On 01 Mar 2011

Post-Tsunami Recovery: Lessons from Case Study 1. Sri Lanka

The tsunami of December 26, 2004 left Sri Lanka with over 30,000 people dead, almost a million displaced and an estimated 150,000 people lost their primary source of livelihood. There was massive d...

by Sisira Jayasuriya | On 28 Feb 2011

Sri Lanka: Budget Speech, 2011

In the aftermath of the long war in the north, the prime minister anf finance minister launched Mahinda Chintana - Vision for the Future” that targets a per capita income in excess of US$ 4,000 by 201...

by Mahinda Rajapaksa | On 26 Feb 2011

Poverty, marriage timing, and transitions to adulthood in Nepal: A longitudinal analysis using the Nepal Living Standards Survey

This study examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation for girls during adolescence in Nepa...

by Ashish Bajracharya | On 14 Feb 2011

The Nature of Mothers’ Work and Children’s Schooling in Nepal: The Influence of Income and Time Effects

This paper examines the influence of the nature of mothers’ work on Nepali children’s schooling outcomes. Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey...

by Ashish Bajracharya | On 10 Feb 2011

India and the Civil War in Sri Lanka:   On the Failures of   Regional Conflict Management in South Asia 

The  paper  provides  an  assessment  of  India’s  role  in  the  final  years  of  the  civil  war  in  Sri  Lanka  (2003‐2009).  In  particular,  it  looks  for  explanations  for  India’s  in...

by Sandra Destradi | On 10 Feb 2011

Book Review: Last Man First

The late LC Jain’s new book titled Civil Disobedience: Two Freedom Struggles, One Life (The Book Review Literary Trust, Delhi, 2011, Rs. 375) illustrates how corruption has become the norm and ‘India...

by Nandana Reddy | On 10 Feb 2011

Central-Bank Government Relationship in the Context of Emerging Economic Environment

This is a analysis of relationship between the Central Bank of Sir Lanka and the Sri lankan Government. It views the relationship in context of emerging economic environment and global economy.

by P. B. Jauasundera | On 30 Jan 2011

Unbelievable but True — Improved Cook-stoves are not Helpful in Reducing Firewood Demand in Nepal

This paper analyzes the effect of different types of cook-stoves on firewood demand at the household level. Nationally representative household data from Nepal is used for the study. [SANDEE Working...

by Mani Nepal | On 05 Jan 2011

Transforming Conflict with an Economic Dividend: The Sri Lankan Experience

Peace can generate an economic dividend, which can be further increased by appropriate economic reform. This dividend can in turn be used to raise popular support for conflict resolution measures...

by Saman Kelegama | On 31 Dec 2010

Measuring the Quality of Life across Countries: A Sensitivity Analysis of Well-being Indices

This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of interrelationships among the determinants of the quality of life (QOL). They show that various measures of well-being are highly sensitiv...

by Tauhidur Rahman | On 28 Dec 2010

The Withdrawal of OHCHR-Nepal: Agreeing an Alibi for Violation?

On 9th June 2010 the mandate of the UN human rights field mission to Nepal, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal), expires. The Prime Minister MK Nepal has said t...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 22 Dec 2010

Women’s Status and Child Labour in Nepal

This paper uses data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey 2 (2003/2004) to find evidence to whether children are less likely to work and more likely to attend school in a household where the mothe...

by Milla Nyyssölä | On 20 Dec 2010

A Technical Paper on “Inflation Indexed Bonds (IIBs)"

This technical paper sets out the benefits and downsides of issuing IIBs along with explaining its structure comprising of indexation (principal or interest), inflation index lag, issuance method, met...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 17 Dec 2010

Establishing Dilaasa: Documenting the Challenges

Dilaasa, Crisis Centre for Women is the first hospital-based crisis centre in India designed to respond to the needs of women facing violence within their homes and families. The Centre is a joint i...

by Padma Deosthali | On 17 Dec 2010

Parliament Session Wrap: Winter Session – November 09 to December 13, 2010

List of Bills passed, withdrawn, introcuced and pending during the Winter Session

by Kusum Malik | On 14 Dec 2010

Inequality, Corruption, and Competition in the Presence of Market Imperfections

In this paper they analyze the relation between inequality, corruption and competition in a developing economy context where markets are imperfect. They consider an economy where different types o...

by Indranil Dutta | On 02 Dec 2010

The Relationship between Income Inequality, Poverty, and Globalization

This paper introduces two composite indices of globalization. The first is based on the Kearney/Foreign Policy magazine and the second is obtained from principal component analysis. They indicate...

by Almas Heshmati | On 30 Nov 2010

Regional Sources of Growth Acceleration in India

Gujarat, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were the major contributors to the growth acceleration in India after 1991-92. Although the Regional Disparity may increase tempor...

by Ravindra H. Dholakia | On 25 Nov 2010

Determinants of Trade Misinvoicing

Traditional explanations for trade misinvoicing -- high custom duties and weak domestic economies — are less persuasive in a world of high growth emerging markets who have low trade barriers. A 35- ...

by Ila Patnaik | On 22 Nov 2010

Medico Friend Circle Bulletin, 340-341,April-July 2010

Contents Survivors of the Bhopal Gas Disaster - Vinod Raina 1 Letter to President Obama 4 Bhopal was Inevitable - Dhruv Mankad 5 Bhopal Gas Victims Used as Guinea Pigs 7 Causes of Bhopal Disaster...

by Medico Friend Circle | On 03 Nov 2010

Socioeconomic Impacts of Cross-Border Transport Infrastructure Development in South Asia

Although the overall economic performance of economies in South Asia in recent years has been impressive, there is concern that an aging and increasingly inadequate infrastructure may limit the potent...

by John Gilbert | On 01 Nov 2010

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

Escaping Poverty: The Ralegan Siddhi Case

Poverty remains to be the most important development issue facing India with an estimated 301.72 million Indians (27.5 percent) living below the poverty line in 2004-2005. In 1975, Ralegan Siddhi was...

by Aasha Kapur Mehta | On 04 Oct 2010

Public Debt Management in Sri Lanka-Performance in 2009 and Strategies for 2010 and Beyond

The information included in this publication covers the public debt management strategies adopted in 2009, the movements in debt stock during the year and the related costs and risks and the primar...

by Central Bank of SriLanka CBSL | On 30 Sep 2010

Facts about Adolescents from the Demographic Survey- Statistical Tables for Program Planning: Nepal 1996

Tables are created to more clearly describe the diversity of the adolescent experience by drawing on the rich Demographic and Health Survey data. [Pop Council].

by Population Council | On 17 Sep 2010

Quantifying the Impact of Chikungunya and Dengue on Tourism Revenues

Health economists have traditionally quantified the burden of vector-borne diseases (such as chikungunya and dengue) as the sum of the cost of illness and the cost of intervention programmes. The obje...

by Dileep V. Mavalankar | On 21 Jul 2010

Unintended consequences?

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seems to have decided, somewhat belatedly, to fight for its own autonomy. Well, it’s better late than never, and there is much to recommend in the suggestion by RBI to...

by T.N. Ninan | On 14 Jul 2010

Licenses to Open a School: It’s All About Money

In Delhi, 14 lakh children are out of school. So why is there a shortfall in the supply of schools? Does the government help to better the situation? Why or Why not? In the light of these mind-boggl...

by Mayank Wadhwa | On 07 Jul 2010

Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill 2000

The paper provides information about the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill and also discuses some issues related to this bill.

by Shruti Rajagopalan | On 06 Jul 2010

Heroes of the Market: Street Vendors in Vadodara

The paper is a analysis of the street vendors of Vadodara and the Gujarat Government's attitute towards them.

by Nimisha Srivastava | On 29 Jun 2010

NCPCR Report on Children Affected by Civil Unrest Dantewada and Khammam

The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) conducted a factfinding visit from 17th to 19th December 2007, to Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Khammam (Andhra Pradesh), in order t...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 18 Jun 2010

Analyzing Corruption Possibilities in the Gaze of the Media

In this paper analyze the economic incentives that govern the strategic relationship between the government and the independent media has been analysed using a consistent analytical framework.The an...

by Samarth Vaidya | On 17 Jun 2010

Tragedy as farce

One of Marx’s more commonly quoted aphorisms is that “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce”. There are few countries where that could be truer than India—as the Bhopal case shows....

by T.N. Ninan | On 14 Jun 2010

Addressing Agricultural Power Subsidy: A Case Study of North Gujarat

This paper on the basis of fieldwork in the region of North Gujarat tries to analyze the perceptions among various sections of the farmers and examines whether the subsidy is pro-poor in nature. The...

by Vidyut Joshi | On 07 Jun 2010

Constitutional Fiats: Presidential Legislation in India’s Parliamentary Democracy

his article (the first in a two-part series) evaluates the nature and scope of executive controls over primary legislation in India and Pakistan. A Parliament, in a representative democracy, is the pr...

by Shubhankar Dam | On 05 Jun 2010

Economics and Efficiency of Organic Farming vis-à-vis Conventional Farming in India

The present paper focuses mainly on the issues like economics and efficiency of organic farming visà- vis conventional farming in India. Four states namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and U.P were...

by D. Kumara Charyulu | On 25 May 2010

Book Review: Of Space and 'Spatialities'

Review of Spatialising Politics: Culture and Geography in Postcolonial Sri Lanka. Catherine Brun and Tariq Jazeel (Editors). Sage Publications, New Delhi; 2009, 260 pp, Rs. 695.

by Anandi Dantas | On 04 May 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

Determinants of the Choice of Migration Destination

This paper examines migrants choice of destination conditional on migration. To this end, an empirical strategy is designed which remedies both migration selection and unobserved heterogeneity probl...

by Marcel Fafchamps | On 18 Mar 2010

State Business Relations and Performance of Manufacturing Sector in Andhra Pradesh

In this paper, an attempt is made to enquire into the politics of the government and business relation and how it affects the industrial development in general and expansion of manufacturing sector...

by Alivelu G | On 02 Mar 2010

The Impact of Slum Resettlement on Urban Integration in Mumbai: The Case of the Chandivali Project

The paper studies the socio-economic impact of the shift of slum dwellers to new rehabilitation site of Chandivali. It also discuses the issue of availability and choice of employment as a key driver...

by Damien Vaquier | On 18 Feb 2010

Pesticides and Productivity – a Study of Vegetable Farming in Nepal

In Nepal, agriculture is commercializing day by day and levels of agro-chemical use are growing. This is beginning to raise concerns about the health and environmental impacts of farm chemicals suc...

by Ratna Kumar Jha | On 09 Feb 2010

Gujarat Consultation on Bt Brinjal

Farmers, students , organic farmers, anti-GM activists thronged to the consultation on Bt-Brinjal held late last month in Gujarat with the government.

by Claude Alvares | On 05 Feb 2010

Transparency and Accountability in Employment Programmes The case of NREGA in Andhra Pradesh

Based upon several field visits to the state of Andhra Pradesh to observe and analyse the social audit process initiated by the Government of Andhra Pradesh under the National Rural Employment Guaran...

by Neera Burra | On 04 Feb 2010

Revisiting the Need of Improved Stoves: Estimating Health, Time and Carbon Benefits

This study generates some evidence on the costs and benefits of a particular indoor air pollution control initiative. The study is based on a survey of 400 households in Rasuwa district, Nepal,

by Min Bikram Malla Thakuri | On 02 Feb 2010

Towards A Competitive Economy: VAT and Customs Duty Reform

In this paper the issue of indirect tax reform, with a special focus on customs duty reform is examined. [WP]

by Arvind Virmani | On 28 Jan 2010

Productivity of Pesticides in Vegetable Farming in Nepal

This paper examines the effectiveness of damage control mechanisms to reduce crop losses from agricultural pests. It uses data from a sample of Cole crop (Cauliflower and Cabbage) growing households...

by Ratna Kumar Jha | On 22 Jan 2010

Examining Role of the State in Health Care: A Study of Motikhavadi-Special Economic Zone (SEZ-Jamnagar)

This paper examines the health services provided by Reliance Industries in the village, Motikhavadi, which comes under the Special economic Zone- Jamnagar to scrutinise the role of the state, especi...

by Shilpa Jadhav Bhakre | On 22 Jan 2010

Bihar’s Miraculous Economic Performance: Myth or Reality?

The Indian media has wrongly compared Bihar's (that is, 11.03per cent) average annual growth during the period 2004-05 to 2008-09 with that of Gujarat (that is, 11.05per cent). While the media has quo...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 14 Jan 2010

The Limits of Intellectual Property Rights: Lessons from the Spread of Illegal Transgenic Cotton Seeds in India

This paper examines these difficulties of regulation in the context of spread of unapproved transgenic Bt cotton seeds in India. This paper also examines the impact of the cultivation of approved and...

by Bharat Ramaswami | On 08 Dec 2009

Poverty and Livelihood among Tribals in Gujarat: Status, Opportunities, and Strategies

This paper tries to look into the status of poverty and multiple deprivations among tribal communities in the state and explores policy options for strengthening their livelihoods through a combinatio...

by Amita Shah | On 27 Nov 2009

Girls' Eductaion, a continuing Challenge: Interview with Hemlata James

Hemlata James is the principal of the Government middle school in Haat Pipaliya in Madhya Pradesh and is credited with making the school one of the best in the area: since she has taken over the numb...

by Rinchin Rinchin | On 26 Nov 2009

Regional Analysis of Gender-Related Development: Districts of Western India

In this paper the diverse dimensions of gender development are examined using individual indicators for the districts of the western region of India. The western region for the purpose of this study...

by Preet Rustagi | On 24 Nov 2009

Can Public Private Partnership reduce Maternal Mortality? Assessing Efforts Made by the ‘Chiranjeevi’ Scheme in Gujarat

The Chiranjeevi Yojna is considered to be a successful PPP model and has also received a prestigious Asian Innovations Award by the Wall Street Journal. It is a flagship scheme of the Gujarat state mi...

by Akash Acharya | On 13 Nov 2009

Rectifying the Anti-politics of Citizen Participation

Can ‘participatory’ approaches to development constitute a viable strategy for promoting citizenship? This paper addresses this question by scrutinising the equivocal reaction of a peasant community...

by Katsuhiko Masaki | On 13 Oct 2009

Rural Health Services at Cross-Roads: Insights from Gujarat

The objective of the paper is to i) understand and document the morbidity profile, ii) examine utilisation of health services, and iii) estimate approximate expenses on health care by th...

by Ratnawali Sinha | On 07 Oct 2009

Door-to-Door Garbage Collection Program in Surat city

This paper focuses on the evaluation study of door-to-door Garbage Collection (DDGC) program carried out by the Centre for Social Studies, Surat in 2005. The study was based on the information gath...

by Vimal Trivedi | On 06 Oct 2009

Situational Analysis of Reporting and Recording of Maternal Deaths in Gandhinagar District, Gujarat State

A situational analysis of recording and reporting maternal deaths in Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, India and to suggest improvements in the system for reporting and recording maternal deaths based o...

by Tapasvi I Puwar | On 23 Sep 2009

Estimating Health Benefits When Behaviours are Endogenous: A Case of Indoor Pollution in Rural Nepal

The effects of indoor air pollution on respiratory health after adjusting for endogenous health behaviours are estimated. The study includes measurements on indoor air pollution and is based on detail...

by Krishna Prasad Pant | On 17 Sep 2009

Chronic Poverty and Development Policy in Sri Lanka: Overview Study

The present study attempts to capture chronic poverty in Sri Lanka by examining general information on poverty and drawing conclusions on those who are likely to be among the chronic poor. Certain p...

by Indra Tudawe | On 17 Sep 2009

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

Employment and Income in India: Case of a City Economy

This paper analyses the pattern of growth observed in the city economy of Ahmedabad, a metropolitan city in the industrially developed state of Gujarat. The growth of this city is placed in the cont...

by Jeemol Unni | On 17 Aug 2009

Nepal Budget 2009-10

Budget presented by Finance minister of Nepal.

by Surendra Pandey | On 27 Jul 2009

Book Review: Are Women Really Empowered?

Book Review Discourse on Women and Empowerment, Vibhuti Patel (Ed), (Empowering Women Worldwide Series: 4), The Women Press, Delhi, 2009.

by Usha Thakkar | On 30 Jun 2009

Target Free Approach for Family Welfare in Gujarat: A Review of Policy and Its Implementation

The introduction of the Target Free Approach (TFA) has been a major policy shift in the health and family welfare programme of India. This study reviewed the process of change in the implementation...

by B L Kumar | On 17 Jun 2009

Estimates of BPL-households in Rural Gujarat: Measurement, Spatial Pattern and Policy Imperatives

The poverty scenario in Gujarat is marked by three features: (1) low incidence of poverty (2) spatial concentration and (3) adoption of targeted policy for poverty reduction. One of the important high...

by Amita Shah | On 16 Jun 2009

Role of Science & Technology, Higher Education and Research in Regional Socio-Economic Development

This paper is an attempt to focus on the role of Science and Technology (S&T) on regional development of India by considering 21 Indian states. The Index approach using the Principal Component techniq...

by Rajesh Shukla | On 12 Jun 2009

Assessing the Regional and District capacity for Operationalizing Emergency Obstetric Care through First Referral Units in Gujarat

Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) is crucial for preventing maternal deaths for which the policy has been to establish First Referral Units (FRUs). Twenty seven facilities from 6 districts from each adm...

by Raman Parvathy | On 03 Jun 2009

Archiving the Nation –State in Feminist Praxis: A South Asian Perspective

This essay mainly examines the relationship between feminism and nationalism as a point from which it looks at South Asian feminist scholarship. The historical circumstances in their respective countr...

by Uma Chakravarti | On 03 Jun 2009

Corruption Dynamics: The Golden Goose Effect

Development scholars view corruption as a leading cause of persistent poverty in less development countries. The paper mainly studies dynamic incentives for corruption in one of the world’s largest pu...

by Paul Niehaus | On 03 Jun 2009

Do Social Clauses in Generalized Systems of Preferences Advance the Cause of Women?

While in the era of globalization, millions of women got paid employment in labour-intensive industries in developing countries, they still face precarious working conditions. Women rights violations...

by Franziska Humbert | On 01 Jun 2009

Measures of Labour Force Participation and Utilization

The choice of the best measures of labour force, work force and unemployment has been the subject of intense debate in the formulation of employment strategies and preparation of plan documents. A new...

by J Krishnamurty | On 28 May 2009

If Technology is like Word, Institutions are like Grammar: Institutional Context of Technological Innovations and Knowledge Systems at Grassroots.

Many developing countries have taken interest in learning from the Honey Bee Network experience for replicating the model. In a UNESCO conference, the author was asked to identify the key steps that n...

by Anil K Gupta | On 27 May 2009

Himalayan Journal of Development and Democracy Vol 3:1, 2008

Papers and Proceedings of The Third Annual Himalayan Policy Research ConferenceSession Chairs and Discussants Session 1A: Conflict Resolution and Democratic Transitions Chair: Christopher Can...

by Vijaya R. Sharma | On 19 May 2009

Measurement of Employment And Unemployment in India : Some Issues

This paper offers a review of the concepts and definitions used in the NSS Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS, for short) which have remained virtually unchanged since they were introduced in the NS...

by K. Sundaram | On 15 May 2009

How to Deal With Scams

A large scandal hit company has found a buyer despite the matter that its accounts were all fictious.

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Apr 2009

Sri Lanka Budget 2009

2009 Budget speech

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 20 Apr 2009

Motivating Politicians: The Impacts of Monetary Incentives on Quality and Performance

Using exogenous variation in the salaries of local legislators across Brazil’s municipal governments this paper examines whether higher wages attract better quality politicians and improve political p...

by Claudio Ferraz | On 16 Apr 2009

India – 1947-79 Six Parliaments and Democratic Rights

Communal riots have become an annual feature of Indian life, although their number varies from year to year. A situation has come to pacs where maddening communal violence, arbitrary actions of exe...

by People's Union for Democratic Rights PUDR | On 16 Apr 2009

Budget 2009-10, Orissa

Budget speech of finance minister

by Orissa Government | On 13 Mar 2009

The State of the World's Children 2009

The State of the World’s Children 2009 focuses on maternal and neonatal health and identifies the interventions and actions that must be scaled up to save lives.

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 13 Feb 2009

Mullaitivu Vs Gaza: The Tokyo Co-Chairs fail on the responsibility to protect

The Mullaitivu district where the Sri Lankan Army have started cluster-boming today i.e. 4 February 2009 would look exactly what Gaza strip was about a few weeks ago. The Hamas whom Israel sought to c...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 06 Feb 2009

Women's Contribution to the Economy Through Their Unpaid Household Work

An attempt has been made to discuss various aspects of unpaid household work such as its treatment in the system of National Accounts, and the methodologies of its valuation. With the help relevant da...

by R N Pandey | On 09 Jan 2009

Controlling Money and Politics – An Exercise in Damage Control

Whether there should be transparency in political finance? Whether there should be a control over the money that the political parties are receiving?

by Marcin Walecki | On 04 Dec 2008

Development of Corrugated Fiber Board Cartons for Long Distance Transport of Tomato in India

Tomotaoes which are produced in Gujarat, north west India are small, so the growers were not organized enough to raise funds to sponsor research at public R&D institutions in the area. That task was t...

by Girja Sharan | On 25 Nov 2008

Changing Interface Between Agriculture and Livestock: A Study of Livelihood Options under Dry Land Farming Systems in Gujarat

The present paper tries to empirically examine the changing profile of distribution and ownership of livestock across different regions of India and specifically for Gujarat. Besides, primary data col...

by Amita Shah | On 21 Nov 2008

World Development Report 2007 Development and the Next Generation

The Report examines five pivotal phases of life that can help unleash the development of young people’s potential with the right government policies: learning, working, staying healthy, forming famili...

by World Bank | On 11 Nov 2008

Disaster in Bihar: A Report from the TISS Assessment Team

This report is prepared on the basis of a 5-day visit to the flood affected parts of Bihar, caused by the changing of the course of the river, Kosi, by a four-member team from the Tata Institute of...

by Manish K Jha | On 06 Oct 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

Traditional Water Harvesting for Domestic Use: Potential and Relevance of Village Tanks in Gujarat's Desert Region

Recognising the dearth of detailed analyses of economic and environmental performance of traditional water harvesting systems (TWHS) meant exclusively for domestic use, this paper enquires into the re...

by Keshab Das | On 26 Sep 2008

Report on the Fact Finding Mission to the North & East of Sri-Lanka to Asses the State of Displaced Persons

This report on the state of displaced persons in the North and East of Sri Lanka analyses the security conditon and concerns of those who live in makeshifts and camps in conflict affected areas. It pr...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 25 Sep 2008

Sri Laka Budget Speech

2008 Budget presented by His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 18 Sep 2008

Nepal's Community Forestry Funds:Do They Benifit the Poor?

Funds generated through community forestry offer crucial and significant resources for rural in Nepal. This study examines forestry funds in 100 communities in three districts to assess how large they...

by Ridish K. Pokharel | On 11 Sep 2008

Withdrawal of the Maoists’ unilateral cease-fire:Where does Nepal go?

The government of Nepal took an illegal measure to try the cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Ordinance. Under the amendments, all anti-terrorist cases will be heard in-c...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 27 Aug 2008

No Gross National Happiness for Bhutanese Refugees

One sixth of the population of Bhutan is displaced in Nepal and India. The prolonged exile of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal and India is a major human rights deficit in the South Asian region, a...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 12 Aug 2008

Corruption, Default and Optimal Credit in Welfare Programs

In this paper a dynamic model of subsidized credit provision is presented to examine how asymmetric information exacerbates inefficiency caused by corruption. Though designed to empower the underprivi...

by Bibhas Saha | On 11 Aug 2008

Women's Reservation Bill

Women's Reservation Bill

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 24 Jul 2008

The Chinese Chequer: Split Wide Open in Nepal

Although unilateral ceasefire declared by the Maoists on 3 September 2005 brought down the level of violence, the security forces sought to provoke the Maoists. The security forces and the Maoists hav...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 21 Jul 2008

The Unqualified Medical Practitioners Methods of Practice and Nexus with the Qualified Doctors

The presence of a large number of unqualified medical practitioners in the rural areas and urban slums indicate that they provide most of the outpatient services in the private sector. Given the huge...

by Naryana K V | On 08 Jul 2008

The State versus Kataria

The execution of Showkat Ahamad Kataria in 2006 by Jammu-Kashmir army raised serious concerns about the special powers given to army and fake encounters. The case of Kataria’s execution became a symb...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 12 Jun 2008

Why Tank Systems Need to be Revitalized: Kaveripakkam Tank in Tamil Nadu

In the past tank systems of water storage and use played an important role in the region’s prosperity. In recent times these tanks are being neglected. A case in point is the Kaveripakkam tank in Tam...

by K Sivasubramaniyan | On 03 May 2008

Liberation, May 2008

New Mineral Policy 2008 Quota Verdict CPI(M) Coimbatore Congress SPECIAL FEATURE Democracy in S Asia: Nepal Mandate Post-Poll Pakistan Bhutan Polls and Other features.

by Liberation | On 24 Apr 2008

Report on SAHR Fact Finding Mission to the North and East of Sri Lanka to Assess the State of Displaced Persons

This report on the state of displaced persons in the North and East of Sri Lanka analyses the security condition and concerns of those who live in makeshifts and camps in conflict affected areas. It p...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 11 Apr 2008

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four state update from IRIS India

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 09 Apr 2008

Effect of Introducing an ‘Afternoon Pay Clinic’ on Service Utilization and Cost Recovery

The Chhetrapati Family Welfare Center (CFWC) in Nepal provided comprehensive family planning and maternal and child health (MCH) services during morning hours. Because no services were provided in the...

by Mahendra Pd. Shrestha | On 09 Apr 2008

Tamil Nadu Budget 2008-09

Speech of Prof. K. Anbazhagan, Minister for Finance, Government of Tamil Nadu, presenting the Budget for 2008-2009 to the Legislative Assembly on 20th March, 2008.

by Tamil Nadu Government | On 25 Mar 2008

Markets, politics and freedom in the work of Hannah Arendt

Like the alchemist's philosopher's stone of old, though, the heavy artillery of game theory is being wheeled out in more and more sophisticated models, in the hope of converting the lead of individual...

by Kevin Quinn | On 17 Mar 2008

Highlights Of Karnataka’s Budget 2008-09

Highlights of budget 2008-09 presented by the Finance Minister

by Government of Karnataka Ministry of Finance | On 11 Mar 2008

Access and Utilisation of Health Care Services in Urban Low-income Settlements in Surat, India

This paper investigates a range of aspects including socio economic status,morality, morbidity requiring inpatient as well as outpatient care, health care-seeking behavior etc.

by Akash Acharya | On 10 Mar 2008

Police Firing on Adivasis in Gujarat: Report of Fact Finding Committee, PUCL Gujarat

Report of the committee of concerned citizens formed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat to enquire into the facts related to the police firing on the Adivasis demonstration on t...

by Ghanshyam Shah | On 02 Mar 2008

Medical Abortion: Some Exploratory Findings from Gujarat

The present study based on Gujarat provides interesting insights on medical abortion. Based on interviews with a few chemists, drug industries and the service providers, maladies in the provision of m...

by Leela Visaria | On 11 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

Book Review: Public Memory and Cultural Politics in Sri Lanka

Militarizing Sri Lanka: Popular Culture, Memory and Narrative in the Armed Conflict by Neloufer de Mel; Sage, New Delhi, 2007; pp. 329, Rs. 475.

by Pramod K. Nayar | On 14 Jan 2008

Newsletter on Regional Economy A bi-monthly four-state update from IRIS

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 11 Jan 2008

Understanding Gujarat Elections: What Does it Portend for Indian Democracy?

With the re-election of Narendra Modi and the BJP will the current disarray in the party give way to strong optimism to strive for power at the centre?

by Ram Puniyani | On 24 Dec 2007

‘Inclusive Citizenship’ for the Chronically Poor: Exploring the Inclusion-Exclusion Nexus in Collective Struggles

The promotion of ‘inclusive citizenship’, through which the disadvantaged engage in collective struggles for justice and recognition, has been attracting growing attention as a solution to chronic p...

by Katsuhiko Masaki | On 19 Dec 2007

HDI in Context

The United Nations Development Programme has just put out its latest Human Development Report, containing the human development index (HDI) for 177 countries, with the data being for 2005. India ranks...

by T.N. Ninan | On 03 Dec 2007

Decentralisation and Issues in Self Governance in Tribal Areas of South Gujarat

To examine the functioning of Gram Sabha and participation of tribal communities therein to asses the status of self governance under the “Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) A...

by Ratnawali Sinha | On 14 Nov 2007

The beast in us all

The tragedies and discrimination that happen in our country in the name of caste shows that there is a beast in all of us.

by T.N. Ninan | On 06 Nov 2007

Enhancing Rural Livelihoods

The Overseas Development Institute in the UK recently carried out a study on ICT for rural livelihoods, commissioned by InfoDev. The study included a literature and donor review in collaboration with...

by Paul Matthews | On 26 Oct 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Oct 2007

Model Nagara Raj Bill

Model bill to amend the laws relating to the Municipalities and to institutionalise citizens’ participation in municipal functions, e.g. setting priorities, budgeting provisions, etc. by setting up of...

by Ministry of Urban Development MoUD | On 08 Oct 2007

Minorities Under Attack in Gujarat: Report of an Investigation

This report is based on the visit of the team to various affected villages and other areas in Gujarat and interviews with the victims and other villagers of these areas. There are a number of other vi...

by Act Now for Harmony and Democracy ANHAD | On 26 Sep 2007

Corporate Social Responsibility and Children's Rights in South Asia

Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives within the context of children's issues in India, Nepal and Bangladesh are given. The mapping highlights that children's issues often do n...

by Girish Godbole | On 05 Sep 2007

What can be...

Examples of various initiatives for e-governance from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are given. The application of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology in different sectors can impr...

by T.N. Ninan | On 04 Sep 2007

Sustainability of Community Aquaculture – a Study of Transaction Costs from Sri Lanka

Over the last decade there has been a major push within policy circles to strengthen community initiatives related to natural resources management. The success or failure of such projects is an import...

by Athula Senaratne | On 29 Aug 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Aug 2007

Better Than the Rest

India’s good economic performance and friendlier ties with important countries that have been either distant or hostile, is achieved by a leader with whom the country can feel at ease. But Dr. Manmoha...

by T.N. Ninan | On 06 Aug 2007

Parochial Politics: Ethnic Preferences and Politician Corruption

Increased voter ethnicization, defined as a greater preference for the party representing one's ethnic group, affects politician quality. If politics is characterized by incomplete policy commitment,...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 19 Jul 2007

Governance Institutions and Development

The problem of corruption has become very important in recent thinking on development policy. But corruption is only a part of the more general issue of economic governance, and of more general policy...

by Avinash K Dixit | On 17 Jul 2007

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 06 Jul 2007

Public Distribution System in Gujarat: A Synoptic Overview

The PDS programme in Gujarat since the formation of the State in 1960 is reviewd and comments are given briefly upon its effectiveness in delivery. The food security issue for the poor is also address...

by Sudarshan Iyengar | On 04 Jul 2007

Improving Delivery of Programmes Through Administrative Reforms

India is showing signs of poor delivery of governance. In almost all states people perceive bureaucracy as wooden, disinterested in public welfare and corrupt. It must be recognized that improvement i...

by Naresh C. Saxena | On 02 Jul 2007

Selection into Worst Forms of Child Labor: Child Domestics, Porters and Ragpickers in Nepal

A large literature considers why children work, but little is known about why children participate in activities that are labeled worst forms of child labor. The principal international convention o...

by Eric Edmonds | On 19 Jun 2007

India's Informal Trade With SriLanka

The study is based on an extensive survey carried out in the Indian cities of Chennai, Trichy, Thiruvananthapuram, Tuticorin, Mumbai and Rameshwaram. Informal trade between India and Sri Lanka is larg...

by Nisha Taneja | On 19 Apr 2007

Indo-Sri Lanka Trade In Services: FTA II And Beyond

India and Sri Lanka are in the process of negotiating Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. In this context, the study shows that since there has been an increase in services trade between the...

by Nisha Taneja | On 09 Apr 2007

Trade in Services and South Asia: An Aggressive Agenda

This paper outlines the significance of services for South Asia and discusses the possible strategies to secure the region's trade and development interests through the GATS negotiations.

by Rupa Chanda | On 05 Apr 2007

Mid Day Meal Scheme: Understanding Critical Issues with Reference to Ahmedabad City

Gujarat started the scheme of Mid Day Meal Scheme in 1984 and was the only State after Tamil Nadu to start it so early. The objective was to provide one meal a day to students studying in primary clas...

by Satish Y Deodhar | On 30 Mar 2007

Book Review: Trojan Horses?

Review of Susantha Goonatilake's 'Recolonisation: Foreign Funded NGOs in Sri Lanka' . Takes up case studies of some leading development and human rights NGOs in Sri Lanka, arguing that NGOs are neith...

by Mohan Rao | On 21 Mar 2007

Parliament Session Wrap: Winter Session – November 22 to December 19, 2006

List of Bills passed, withdrawn, introcuced and pending during the Winter Session.

by M. R. Madhavan | On 23 Feb 2007

Property Rights and Natural Resources: Socio-Economic Heterogeneity and Distributional Implications of Common Property Resource Management

Poverty, property rights and distributional implications of community-based resource management have become major topics of discussion and debate in recent years. This study tries to examine the contr...

by Bhim Adhikari | On 17 Feb 2007

Grounding the Spirit: Revival of Irula Art as a Form of Narrative Tradition

Kriebish had, for a long time, cherished a dream of setting up a learning and documentation centre dedicated to the study of oral literature, village religion and customs, music and dance, traditional...

by Leena Pascal | On 12 Feb 2007

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan and Electoral Politics

Following the Supreme court judgement on election reforms including the mandate to the election commission to disseminate all information provided by the candidate to the people, a large number of non...

by E. Venkatesu | On 10 Jan 2007

Women’s Right To Land, Assets, And Other Productive Resources: Its Impact On Gender Relations And Increased Productivity

It is often assumed that poverty reduction would lead to gender equality. Research however, points to the opposite, namely, that increasing prosperity can have perverse gender effects . It is therefor...

by Nitya Rao | On 26 Dec 2006

System of Rice Intensification in India: Innovation History and Institutional Challenges

This report documents the history of the systems of rice intensification (SRI, for short) in India in the last few years and presents some of the institutional changes and challenges that SRI throws u...

by C. Shambu Prasad | On 06 Dec 2006

Gender Disaggregated Analysis of South Gujarat Tribals: Role of Social Capital in Human Development

This paper, based on ‘capabilities’ approach, analyses the ‘development outcomes’ forf ‘tribals’ of rural south Gujarat and examines the relative roles of physical, human and social capital within a...

by Arti Nanavati | On 26 Nov 2006

Surat 2006 Floods: Citizen's Report

The paper is a study with the purpose of exploring the flood time position of citizens in Surat city and to check aspects associated with flood warning system of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The...

by Akash Acharya | On 21 Oct 2006

Who's in Crisis?

If one might attempt a hypothesis, it would be that India’s communist parties would like to adjust to the reality of the day by giving up their old identities and becoming social democratic parties, b...

by T.N. Ninan | On 01 Oct 2006

Parens Patriae: Exercising Patriarchal Prerogative in Post-Partition India

This paper analyses the implications of this Abducted Persons (Recovery and Restoration) Act of 1949 not with the intention of discussing its legal merits, but rather, to indicate that in the exercise...

by Ritu Menon | On 29 Aug 2006

Geodisability Knowledge Production and International Norms: A Sri Lankan Case Study

In this paper I argue that United Nations norm standard setting, as a form of geodisability of knowledge which delimits and denotes the kinds of bodies known as disabled, is a technology for reining...

by Fiona Kumari Campbell | On 28 Jul 2006

Our Future: Sustainable Cities--Turning Ideas into Action

In convening the third session of the World Urban Forum in Vancouver, the United Nations Human Settlements Program has asked us to focus our attention on the Sustainable City and consider critical cha...

by Patricia L. McCarney | On 13 Jul 2006

Nepal/SouthAsia Beat: From the Underbelly of the Beast

Kanak Dixit was arrested in Kathmandu on Saturday, April 8, with a host of other professionals for defying curfew to press for democratic rights in Nepal. He remains in detention still. This column wa...

by Kanak Mani Dixit | On 14 Apr 2006

Democracy and People’s Rights in the Neo-Liberal Era: Role of Judiciary

The recent judgments and orders from various levels of higher judiciary indicate a drastic shift in their outlook and approach. A close look reveals two trends developing within the judiciary. Firstly...

by M.B.Rajesh | On 31 Mar 2006

Chronicles of Tragedies and Harbingers of Hope: Resistance to Neo-Liberalism-- People’s Movements and Alternatives

Neo-liberal economic policies have threatened land security, security of employment opportunities and food security. In the background representatives of the peasantry have to transform themselves int...

by Vijoo Krishnan | On 26 Mar 2006

Regional and Gender Disparities in Agricultural Wages

This study on agricultural wages shows that states like West Bengal and Gujarat have performed well in providing gender equal wages to men and women. Kerala’s performance in maintaining gender equal w...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 26 Mar 2006

Sri Lanka: Budget Speech by Finance Minister in Parliament

'Mahinda Chintana' : Towards a New Sri Lanka

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 05 Mar 2006

Sri Lanka: Budget Brief, 2006: Towards a New Sri Lanka

Tax Proposals and Administration Summary of Budget 2006

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 05 Mar 2006

Sri Lanka: Recent Economic Developments: Highlights of 2005 and Prospects for 2006

Economic Review of Developments in 2005 and Prospects for 2006. Presented before the Budget for 2006.

by Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka | On 05 Mar 2006

Gujarat: State Budget 2006-07 Part A

by Ministry of Finance Government of Gujarat | On 27 Feb 2006

Gujarat: Budget Speech 2006-07

by Ministry of Finance Government of Gujarat | On 27 Feb 2006

Role of Japan in BIMSTEC

The main objective of the paper is to explore the role of Japan in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC). The analysis suggests that BIMSTEC-Japan cooper...

by Mukul Asher | On 26 Feb 2006

Systematic Hierarchies and Systemic Failures: Gender and Health Inequities in Koppal District

Health and health care inequities in Koppal reflect systematic hierarchies based on gender, caste, economic class, and life-stage; they also reveal systemic failures in health care services, both publ...

by Asha George | 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

Provision Of Universal Access To Quality Education Through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

The following note touches upon some broad features and is not intended to go into details of each although in some places these may have been touched. Among other things, the SSA requires planning to...

by Madhav Chavan | On 12 Sep 2005

Further Reading

On political and social developments in Nepal

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

The Problem

Trapped for close to a decade in a vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence, the royal proclamation of 1 February 2005 declaring an emergency, suspending the constitution and fundamental rights,...

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

Interview

Pradeep Giri is a central committee member of the Sher Bahadur Deuba led Nepali Congress (Democratic).

by Prashant Jha | On 30 Aug 2005

Dateline Nepal

Choronologically arranged events in Nepal

by Anonymous | On 30 Aug 2005

Comment: The Indian Media: Time To Retrospect

The Indian media has reported the major events and developments in Nepal. Editorial stands of some newspapers have consistently urged the parties to be wary of an autocratic monarch, an advice that th...

by Prashant Jha | On 30 Aug 2005

Dialogues: The Monarchy And Demovracy In Nepal

THE project on the State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) is a 30 month study undertaken to evaluate the democratic enterprise in five South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sr...

by Peter Ronald deSouza | On 30 Aug 2005

Comment: When The State Kills

The militarisation of society, already alarming, has visibly increased since 1 February. The king justifies his takeover as a move towards peace. Peace there will be in Nepal, only it will be the chil...

by Bela Malik | On 30 Aug 2005

Neighbourly Concerns

India has repeatedly asserted that there is no military solution to the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. It is time that concrete and relevant initiative is taken by India in the direction of a viable poli...

by S. D. Muni | On 30 Aug 2005

The Working Of Democracy

Despite its many limitations, the processes of mobilization of socially diverse groups representing diverse constituencies and interests itself manifest a democratic practice at the lower level. Metho...

by Mukta Singh Lama | On 29 Aug 2005

Clarity Amidst Extremism

Another solution is needed now. An honest solution, a lasting one. One that might bring with it a republican Nepal. For this, certainly, is the call of the times: the monarchy must retreat to a strict...

by Manjushree Thapa | On 29 Aug 2005

The Future Of Democracy

This paper examines the future of democracy in Nepal against the current debate on political reforms, referred to in popular discourse as ‘restructuring the state'

by Krishna Khanal | On 29 Aug 2005

What The People Feel

This paper attempts to examine how far the king's assertions are in conformity with what the people of Nepal actually feel. It uses available evidence to analyze how the Nepali citizen may react to th...

by Krishna Hachhethu | On 29 Aug 2005

An Unavoidable Force

The ideological antipathy towards Maoism in particular and the left in general, forces international architects of Nepali democracy to conceal the monarchy's record of tyranny and bloodshed that far...

by Hari Roka | On 29 Aug 2005

Royal Regression

There is no doubt that the supine parliamentary democratic system has been snuffed out and autocratic monarchy restored in Nepal. Hence the questions arise: How could the limited bourgeois democratic...

by Baburam Bhattarai | On 29 Aug 2005

Will The Monarchy Survive?

Nepal's democratic order faces a serious setback with King Gyanendra's decision to assume all powers on 1 February 2005 for a period of three years. Now with a despotic monarch at the helm of politica...

by B. C. Upreti | On 29 Aug 2005

The Word And The World

This paper examines two sets of questions related to the meanings of ‘democracy' in Nepal. The first explores the various meanings that different groups of people currently attach to democracy. The se...

by Anil Bhattarai | On 29 Aug 2005

Political Economy And Social Movements

This note attempts to analyse the social and political environment in which the various social movements, including the Maoist struggle, have emerged.

by Arjun Karki | On 29 Aug 2005

No 548 Democracy Derailed :a symposium on the subversion of democracy by the monarch in Nepal

THE PROBLEM A short statement of the issues involved CLARITY AMID EXTREMISM Manjushree Thapa, author and political commentator, Kathmandu WILL THE MONARCH SURVIVE? B.C. Upreti, Senior Facul...

by Anonymous | On 29 Aug 2005

Is Maharashtra Performing Worse Than Other States? A Comparive Study of Public Finances of Indian States

Second Generation Reforms (SGR) has become the new buzz-word around policy circles. In fact, a few governments (Central government included) have gone ahead and proclaimed that they have already initi...

by Anonymous | On 19 Aug 2005

BACKPAGE

The frequency with which ‘innocents’ are charged, sometimes even convicted only to be let off later is alarming. Fortunately, the Supreme Court has demanded an impartial and speedy enquiry into the Ge...

by Harsh Sethi | On 08 Aug 2005

The Pension Fund Regulatory And Development Authority Ordinance, 2004

An Ordinance to provide for the establishment of an Authority to promote old age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds, to protect the interests of subscribers to sc...

by Government of India GOI | On 06 Aug 2005