Related Articles

Matching keywords : Haze, problem, function, commitment, government, ineffectiveness, prevention, complex, disaster, landscape.

Model Nagar Raj Bill: Taking Democracy to the Grassroots

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

by Kedar Diwan | On 21 Feb 2021

ADB’s Comprehensive Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major global crisis that requires country, regional, and global intervention, as well as collaboration to mitigate damage to economies and peop...

by Asian Development Bank | On 25 Jan 2021

eSS Sunday Edit: Waiting for a Vaccine! Fault lines in Medical Science and Governance Exposed

People’s ability to respond to this crisis is coloured by class, caste, gender and religion and the government’s failure to respond adequately to the needs of its citizens, exposing the ugly underside...

by Ravi Duggal | On 26 Oct 2020

Impact of Covid-19 on the Indian Economy: An Analysis of Fiscal Scenarios

Amidst the economic slowdown triggered by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in India there have been many demands for the government to announce a large fiscal stimulus to support the economy. E...

by Ila Patnaik | On 08 Oct 2020

It is not enough to have a strong govt; you need a strong country

While the govt has done many things right, it has also made mistakes that have weakened India. It should acknowledge challenges, reverse economic slide, and build national cohesion.

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Jul 2020

Containment Strategies and Support for Vulnerable Households

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

by Jonathan Leape | On 18 May 2020

Post Covid-19: Recovering and Sustaining India’s Growth

The paper discusses past virtuous growth cycles in India and argues that the post Covid-19 macro-financial package is an opportunity to trigger another such cycle, by raising marginal propensities t...

by Ashima Goyal | On 14 May 2020

Economic Policies for COVID-19

This note describes some of the early policy developments in the UK and the way in which the framing and understanding of a novel economic problem evolved to include a focus on livelihoods combining...

by Paul Anand | On 01 May 2020

Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers in the Presence of Revenue Uncertainty: The Case of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India

A comprehensive multistage Value Added Tax (VAT) system, viz., Goods and Services Tax (GST), is introduced in India since 1 July 2017. GST encompasses various taxes from Union and State indirect tax b...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 02 Apr 2019

The Political Economy of Gender Budgeting: Empirical Evidence from India

Gender budgeting is a public policy innovation to transform the gender commitments into budgetary commitments. The political economy process of gender budgeting in India has encompassed four distinct...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 02 Apr 2019

Price Discovery in Indian Government Securities Market, Monetary Management and the Cost of Government Borrowing

Over 2017-18 there was a sharp rise in Indian government securities (G-Secs) interest rates unrelated to fundamentals. Examining each of the standard explanatory variables shows them to be inadequate...

by Ashima Goyal | On 29 Mar 2019

Environmental Governance and Environmental Performance

Along with the continuous development of the global economy, environmental deterioration has been widely recognized as a pressing issue nowadays, bringing environmental governance to the forefront of...

by Chun-Ping Chang | On 28 Mar 2019

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

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

by Roy Bahl | On 07 Mar 2019

Improving Subnational Government Development Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies: Towards a Strategic Approach

This paper reviews the rationale and potential for improving subnational development finance, outlines the overall landscape of institutional arrangements available for this purpose, and considers bro...

by Paul Smoke | On 18 Feb 2019

The Anomaly of Women’s Work and Education in India

This paper utilizes a large cross-section of data sets such as the ILOSTAT, NSSO Quinquennial Employment and Unemployment Survey, Labour Bureau Annual Employment and Unemployment Survey, National Fami...

by Surbhi Ghai | On 03 Feb 2019

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

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

by Janet G. Stotsky | On 14 Jan 2019

Health and Disaster Risk Management in India

This paper presents an overview of India’s health capacity in managing disaster risks. It looks at demographic, epidemiological and developmental transitions in India and how that impacts decision mak...

by Supriya Krishnan | On 14 Jan 2019

Data Localisation in India: Questioning the Means and Ends

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

by Rishab Bailey | On 12 Jan 2019

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

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

by Amandeep Kaur | On 11 Jan 2019

Investment in Research and Development for Basmati Rice in Pakistan

Basmati rice is Pakistan’s celebrated export. After years of growth, Pakistan’s production and export of basmati has slipped and is on a downward trend. The absence of a strong research and developmen...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 13 Dec 2018

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

An Assessment of the Fiscal Features of the PDP Laban Model of Philippine Federalism 1.0 and the Gonzales-De Vera Federal Model

The paper highlights the importance of the design of the fiscal features of the federal system of government in ensuring that the potential benefits from its adoption are realized. The economic litera...

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 03 Oct 2018

Sectoral Labor Income Share Dynamics: Cross – Country Evidence from a Novel Dataset

This paper overcomes the constraint and provides some preliminary outcomes from a novel dataset that the authors compile at the sectoral level (10 sectors) for 53 countries, including 20 developing co...

by Yoko Oishi | On 01 Oct 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

Assessing the Effects of Simple and Complex Innovation Strategies on the Performance of Firms in the Philippines

Innovation is the synergistic use of resources, technology, capital, and information to achieve growth at different levels of the economy. Many studies abroad have already supported the hypothesis tha...

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 27 Aug 2018

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

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

by Megan Counahan | On 24 Aug 2018

Determinants of Public–Private Partnerships in Infrastructure in Asia: Implications for Capital Market Development

This study attempts to understand the role of greater access to finance, i.e., stocks, bonds, and bank loans, in public–private partnership (PPP) investment in developing countries. Most developing co...

by Suk Hyun | On 10 Aug 2018

Building Food Security in Asia through International Agreements on Rice Reserves

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 Aug 2018

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

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

by Naoyuki Yoshino | On 19 Jul 2018

Financial Inclusion, Financial Regulation, Financial Literacy, and Financial education in the Kyrgyz Republic

This paper discusses recent developments in financial inclusion and financial literacy in Kyrgyz Republic. While financial inclusion is considered one of the key drivers of today’s development, it is...

by Savia Hasanova | On 19 Jul 2018

Macroeconomic Overview of the Philippines and the New Industrial Policy

This short paper has two main sections. The first section presents a more detailed picture and overview of the macroeconomic performance of the Philippines behind the Philippines’ remarkable growth. T...

by Maureen Ane D. Rosellon | On 06 Jul 2018

Mainstreaming SMEs: Promoting Inclusive Growth in APEC

SME development as a major domestic policy objective that is consistent and reinforced within APEC would not only engender inclusive growth, but also enable SMEs to become drivers of growth for the do...

by Erlinda M. Medalla | On 06 Jul 2018

Institutional Issues on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Ensuring the realization of the full potential of the incumbent DRRM policy requires appropriate sectoral and institutional translation of its espoused principles; reflecting more refined institutiona...

by Sonny N. Domingo | On 06 Jul 2018

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

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

by Sonny N. Domingo | On 05 Jul 2018

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

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

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 05 Jul 2018

Designing the Fiscal Features of a Federal Form of Government: Autonomy, Accountability, and Equity Considerations

The paper provides estimates of the cost of shifting to a federal form of government under different scenarios in terms of the number of regions. Finally, it concludes with the discussion of why adopt...

by Rosario G. Manasan | On 03 Jul 2018

Decentralization and Health in the Philippines: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidences

This study provides a systematic review and summary of the extant knowledge on the impacts of decentralization on health in the Philippines. Despite the country’s twenty-five years of experience in de...

by Michael R.M. Abrigo | On 03 Jul 2018

Lessons on Providing Cash Transfers to Disaster Victims: A Case Study of UNICEF’s Unconditional Cash Transfer Program for super typhoon Yolanda Victims

This paper describes and assesses the design of the UCT program. It evaluates the UCT based on data collected from three survey rounds from a sample of UCT household beneficiaries, as well as other pr...

by Celia M. Reyes | On 29 Jun 2018

Methods to Investigate the Hydrology of the Himalayan Springs: A Review

This paper reviews the methods that investigate the hydrology of springs, with a focus on the Himalayan region. The methods are classified as field-based empirical and desk-based analytical. Field-bas...

by Pennan Chinnasamy | On 27 Jun 2018

Productivity Growth in Organized Manufacturing in Telangana

This paper makes an attempt to estimate Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth by using both growth accounting approach and production function approach. Kendrick, Solow and Tornqvist-Theil indices ar...

by G. Alivelu | On 26 Jun 2018

Maternal Education, Parental Investment and Non-Cognitive Characteristics in Rural China

This paper evaluates the parental response to non-cognitive variation across siblings in rural Gansu province, China, employing a household fixed effects specification; the non-cognitive measures of i...

by Jessica Leight | On 26 Jun 2018

Cash Holdings and Tax Evaded Incomes in India – A Discussion

The paper makes an analysis of cash holdings in India and attempts to test its association with tax effort and government spending. The finding arrived is that the ratio of Cash holding to Nominal GDP...

by R. Mohan | On 21 Jun 2018

The Rise of Government-Funded Health Insurance in India

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

by Ila Patnaik | On 15 Jun 2018

Capital Skill Substitutability and the Labor Income Share: Identification Using the Morishima Elasticity of Subtitution

The relationship between a declining labor income share and a falling relative price of capital requires capital and labor to be gross substitutes at the aggregate level. It argues that this restricti...

by Saumik Paul | On 07 Jun 2018

Shadow Price of CO 2 Emissions in Indian Thermal Power Sector

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

by | On 29 May 2018

Gender and Intersecting Inequalities in Local Government in South Asia

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

by | On 11 May 2018

EJF View on the Global Compact on Migration

The report says that investment in climate change adaptation and mitigation are listed as key ways of minimizing the drivers that force people from their country of origin – one of the GCM’s central o...

by Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) | On 09 Apr 2018

Performance Trends and Policy Recommendations An Evaluation of the Mass Health Insurance Scheme of Government of India

India’s health sector is characterized by modest health indicators, a paucity of medical financing schemes that have successfully scaled, high per capita out-of-pocket health expenditure, and very l...

by | On 06 Apr 2018

People, Policy and Partnership for Disaster Resilience Development: Proceedings

The report says that the Bunkar Samiti was establised to create a common platform for sustainable livelihoods.

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

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

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

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

Trade Rules in E-commerce: WTO and India

Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is an integral part of business activities, and various models of e-commerce have emerged with liberalisation and technological developments. Global e-commerce trade...

by | On 28 Mar 2018

The Education Sector in Pakistan

The report says that the education scene in Pakistan, during the past four decades, has been characterized by substantial quantitative expansion at all levels.

by Khwaja Sarmad | On 28 Mar 2018

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

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

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

Cash Holding and Tax Evaded Incomes in India – A Discussion

The paper makes an analysis of cash holdings in India and attempts to test its association with tax effort and government spending. The finding arrived is that the ratio of Cash holding to Nominal GDP...

by R. Mohan | On 14 Mar 2018

Rehabilitation of Child Labour in India Lessons Learnt from the Evaluation of NCLPs

The paper says that the children continue to form a sizeable section of the labour force in several fields of employment around the world.

by | On 13 Mar 2018

State of Child Workers in India: Mapping Trends

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

by Ellina Samantroy | On 12 Mar 2018

Measuring the Equilibrium Impacts of Credit: Evidence from the Indian Microfinance Crisis

In October 2010, the state government of Andhra Pradesh, India issued an emergency ordinance, bringing microfinance activities in the state to a complete halt and causing a nation-wide shock to the li...

by Emily Breza | On 10 Mar 2018

Long-term Implications of Humanitarian Responses: The Case of Chennai

Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tamil Nadu lost about 8,000 people and the lives and livelihoods of over 897,000 families were affected. In 2015, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nad...

by | On 09 Mar 2018

Women Rights in Conflict Zones: A Focus on India

Through these studies it has been shown how often the plight of women and the impact of war on their lives had been ignored.

by Sona Drahonovská | On 22 Feb 2018

Militarisation and Armed Conflict

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

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

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

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

by Matilda Carlsson | On 20 Feb 2018

What Evidence Exists for Initiatives to Reduce Risk and Incidence of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict and Other Humanitarian Crises? A Systematic Review

This systematic paper aimed to canvas the extent and impact of initiatives to reduce incidence, risk and harm from sexual violence in conflict, post-conflict and other humanitarian crises, in low and...

by Jo Spangaro | On 20 Feb 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

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

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

by Bent Jörgensen | On 07 Feb 2018

Choice, Recognition and the Democracy Effects of Decentralization

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

by James Manor | On 07 Feb 2018

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

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

by Leena Avonius | On 07 Feb 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume II, Chapter 2: Review of Fiscal Developments

Sound public financial management has been one of the pillars of India’s macro-economic stability in the last three years. Based on this firm footing, the Government, in partnership with the States,...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Economic Survey 2017: Volume I: Chapter 9: Ease of Doing Business’ Next Frontier: Timely Justice

The government’s efforts to make business and commerce easy have been widely acknowledged. The next frontier on the ease of doing business is addressing pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellat...

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

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

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

by Arun Jaitley | On 31 Jan 2018

Green Paper on Farmers, Farming and Rural Economy: 4 Years… 4 Budgets: What has this Central Government Delivered?

most of the major policy measures promised by this government to the Indian farmers have not seen the light of the day. No social security measures have been taken for farmers above the age of 60 or...

by ASHA Kisan Swaraj Alliance | On 31 Jan 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...

by United Nations Girls Education Initiative | On 22 Jan 2018

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

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

by Chanchal Kumar Sharma | On 22 Jan 2018

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

Strategic Roadmap for Implementation of UDAY Scheme

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

by Rishu Garg | On 11 Jan 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

by D. Chandran | On 09 Jan 2018

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

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

by Daniel Robinson | On 27 Dec 2017

Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reduction and the World Trade Organization

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

by Joel Trachtman | On 26 Dec 2017

Aging and Inequality : The Perspective of Labor Income Share

Despite a growing literature on population aging, empirical studies exploring mechanisms between aging and income inequality are scarce. This paper estimates the impact of aging on inequality via the...

by | On 18 Dec 2017

The Potential for Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Sequestration in Agro-Manitoba

The report says that Manitoba is a province rich in agricultural lands, where the agriculture sector is a cornerstone for the economy.

by International Centre and Sustainable Development | On 18 Dec 2017

Access To Medicines In The Philippines: Overcoming The Barriers

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

by Ramon Clarete | On 12 Dec 2017

Role of Government in Public Health: Current Scenario in India and Future Scope

The new agenda for Public Health in India includes the epidemiological transition, demographical transition, environmental changes and social determinants of health. Based on the principles outlined a...

by | On 12 Dec 2017

PIDS Calls For ‘Intelligent’ Discourse On Federalism

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

by PIDS Information Staff | On 11 Dec 2017

Inclusive Urban Planning for the Working Poor: Planning Education Trends and Potential Shifts

The report outlines and critically assesses trends in urban planning education across the globe, specifically in countries of the global South, and the extent to which curricula address issues of incl...

by Vanessa Watson | On 07 Dec 2017

Fund-Raising For Energy Projects In Pakistan

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

by Huma Khan | On 30 Nov 2017

Revitalizing economy by balancing defence & development

In this context, a government that is in doubt regarding re-election will give a popular or election-oriented budget and go on a spending spree.

by Dr. Abid Suleri | On 20 Nov 2017

Impact of Human capital on Economic Growth: Evidence from Pakistan

The papers says that there is a need to invest in educational sector to maximize the human capital, which not only helps in economic growth but also contributes to economic development of the country.

by Syed Kazmi | On 17 Nov 2017

Electronic filing System, Bureaucratic Efficiency and Public Service Delivery: Evidence from Bangladesh

A look into the effect of an e-Governance initiative in Bangladesh is on efficiency in the public sector. The electronic Filing (e-Filing) system was introduced to all the Deputy Commissioners' (DC)...

by Wahid Abdallah | On 15 Nov 2017

Building Smart Cities in India - An Opportunity For Strategising Urban Development

The report states that the current urbanisation pattern in many Indian states is skewed with growth concentrating in and around the primate city.

by Sujaya Rathi | On 03 Nov 2017

State-level Policy Analysis for PV Module Manufacturing in India

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

by Bhupesh Verma | On 02 Nov 2017

Remittances for Growth: Initiatives for Remitters and Remittances

This paper argues that by some monetary and fiscal reforms, the investable part of remittances could be diverted to labour intensive and development projects, creating hundreds of thousands employment...

by Atiq Rehman | On 30 Oct 2017

Measuring Competition in the Banking Sector of Pakistan: An Application of Boone Indicator

The banking sector of Pakistan has witnessed a notable transformation in its structure and business activities following the implementation of financial sector reforms since the early 1990s. Specific...

by Mahmood ul Hasan Khan | On 09 Oct 2017

Resource requirements for Right to Education (RTE): Normative and the Real

The paper examines the issue of resource adequacy for Right to Education (RTE) by estimating the resource requirement for universalization of elementary education across twelve Indian States. Using RT...

by Sukanya Bose | On 05 Oct 2017

DRRM's Design and Implementation Need to Be Beefed Up

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

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

Measure and determinants of chronic and transient poverty in the Philippines

This Policy Note addresses this lack of a measure of chronic and transient poverty in the Philippines.

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 29 Sep 2017

An Assessment of the Community Mortgage Program Implementation Strategy

The study also provides recommendations on how the identified issues can be addressed.

by Marife M. Ballesteros | On 29 Sep 2017

Secondary Towns and Poverty Reduction: Refocusing the Urbanization Agenda

This review is framed around the exploration of a central hypothesis: A shift in public investment towards secondary towns from big cities will improve poverty reduction performance.

by Luc Christiaensen | On 27 Sep 2017

Working Group on Education: Digital Skills for Life and Work

The reports says that the question of how digital skills and competencies can be developed by all people — young and old, girls and boys, rich and poor — on a sustainable basis is an ongoing challenge...

by Broadband Commission Development | On 26 Sep 2017

Improving Data on Missing Migrants

The reports discuss the methodological challenges of gathering data on missing migrants.

by Frank Laczko | On 25 Sep 2017

Monetary Transmission in India: Working of Price and Quantum Channels

The paper examines the strength and efficacy of transmission from the policy rate and liquidity provision to market rates in India, using event window regression analysis. The paper finds the interest...

by Ashima Goyal | On 15 Sep 2017

Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth in Karnataka

The paper aims to study the trend and pattern of electricity consumption in Karnataka, to investigate the direction of causality between electricity consumption and economic growth, and to forecast th...

by Laxmi Rajkumari | On 11 Sep 2017

Estimating Filipinos' Vulnerability to Poverty

Natural disasters, together with other shocks, have contributed to the vulnerability of both poor and nonpoor Filipino households to poverty.

by Christian D. Mina | On 07 Sep 2017

Understanding the principles underlying the Philippine competition law

The culture of competition cultivates flexibility and adaptability that enable the economy to cope better with a constantly changing environment.

by Erlinda M. Medalla | On 07 Sep 2017

Womanhood Beyond Motherhood: Exploring Experiences of Voluntary Childless Women

This study attempts to explore the emerging issue among women in Indian cities who voluntarily chose to be childless, with an emphasis on the reasons accorded for opting out of motherhood. Findings of...

by Chandni Bhambhani | On 07 Sep 2017

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

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

by Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy | On 06 Sep 2017

Preventing chilhood stunting: Why and how?

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

by Alejandro Herrin | On 04 Sep 2017

How Inequality Hurts Growth: Revisiting the Galor‐Zeira Model Through a Korean Case

This paper aims to show that the level of inequality increases via the human capital channel with credit market imperfections generating negative effects on economic growth. We expand the model presen...

by Bogang Jun | On 28 Aug 2017

Is There Enough Public Resource for School Education? Examining the Available Evidences

The enactment of RTE Act, 2009 imposes a duty on the Indian states to fulfill every child's right to elementary education. Education is also a stand-alone goal among SDGs, which India is one of the si...

by Protiva Kundu | On 22 Aug 2017

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

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

by Andrew Siddle | On 11 Aug 2017

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

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

by Jaimini Bhagwati | On 11 Aug 2017

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

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

by Ashok Gulati | On 11 Aug 2017

Strengthening Local Governance in Africa: Beyond Donor-Driven Approaches

The paper argues, in line with other recent studies that time has come to rethink concepts and practices used to promote local governance in African countries.

by Göran Hydén | On 10 Aug 2017

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

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

by Parkash Chander | On 08 Aug 2017

Achieving Universal Literacy in Andhra Pradesh: Status and Prospects

The main objective of the present paper is to assess the prospects of achieving universal adult literacy with a policy intervention factor through adult literacy programmes that target different age g...

by Motkuri Venkatanarayana | On 02 Aug 2017

A Situational Theory of Pork Barrel Politics: The Shifting Logic of Discretionary Allocations in India

A rich panel dataset on Indian states is used to propose a situational theory of distributive politics which states that incentives for exclusive targeting of affiliated states in dominant party syst...

by | On 02 Aug 2017

Aid for Trade in Action

The case stories show clear results of how aid for trade programmes are helping developing countries to build human, institutional and infrastructure capacity to integrate into regional and global ma...

by World Trade Organisation WTO | On 02 Aug 2017

Strengthening the Governance for Effective Tobacco Control in India

One of the key components in achieving a substantial reduction in tobacco use and associated disease, economic and ecologic burden in India is to strengthen the governance for tobacco control. In the...

by Dr. Upendra Bhojani | On 01 Aug 2017

Economic Impacts of Child Marriage

The international community is increasingly aware of the negative impacts of child marriage on a wide range of development outcomes. Ending child marriage is now part of the Sustainable Development Go...

by Quentin Wodon | On 31 Jul 2017

Does Government Borrowing Crowd out Private Sector Credit in Pakistan

An analysis of the impact of government borrowing from the scheduled banks on the credit to private sector in Pakistan, using monthly data from 1998:M6 to 2015:M12. We find that a one percentage poi...

by Sajjad Zaheer | On 31 Jul 2017

Fuel Blending in India: Learnings and Way Forward

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

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

Taking an Ecosystems Approach: Support for Advocacy Training Initiatives’ (SATHI) Public Health Work in India

Delivering accessible, inclusive and high-quality health services in India is both technically challenging and politically complex. India’s public health services have been highly decentralized for mo...

by Brendan Halloran | On 26 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

Gender Equality Results Case Study: Bangladesh - Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development Project

The report narrates that in Bangladesh, women-owned SMEs have different characteristics when compared with men-owned SMEs and tend to face specific challenges and obstacles.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 25 Jul 2017

Sustainable Energy Access Planning: A Framework

This report presents a framework for sustainable energy access planning that planners and policy makers can use to design cost-effective clean energy supply systems that both poor and nonpoor can sust...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 24 Jul 2017

Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2017 Supplement: Cautious Optimism for Asia's Outlook

With export demand stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2017, the region’s GDP is forecast to expand somewhat faster than forecast in April in Asian Development Outlook 2017.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 20 Jul 2017

A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific

The report discusses the most recent projections pertaining to climate change and climate change impacts in Asia and the Pacific, and the consequences of these changes to human systems, particularly f...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jul 2017

Financial Soundness Indicators for Financial Sector Stability in Viet Nam

The results of this study can be used to strengthen the institutional and statistical capacities of Viet Nam to routinely collect, compile, analyze, and disseminate internationally comparable FSIs tha...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jul 2017

Gender Mainstreaming Case Study: Sri Lanka - North East Coastal Community Development Project and Tsunami-Affected Areas Rebuilding Project

This case study looks at the gender dimensions of two projects that focus on the community development component that advocated community participation, social inclusion, and gender equality in commun...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 Jul 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 Jul 2017

Strengthening City Disaster Risk Financing in Vietnam

This paper presents a summary of a technical assistance project on the development of disaster risk financing solutions for the cities of Can Tho and Hue and, by extension, for other cities in Viet Na...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 26 Jun 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Jun 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 16 Jun 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - March 2016

The report narrates that the yields of local currency bonds in most emerging East Asian markets remained on a downward trajectory in the first month and a half of 2016, pressured by worries over globa...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Jun 2017

Digital Financial Services in the Pacific: Experiences and Regulatory Issues

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 14 Jun 2017

Disaster-Resilient Microfinance: Learning from Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan

The report sets out the experience, analysis and conclusions of VisionFund International and their Philippine microfinance operation Community Economic Ventures Incorporated (CEVI). This analysis foll...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Jun 2017

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 09 Jun 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - June 2016

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 06 Jun 2017

Incentives for Reducing Disaster Risk in Urban Areas

The rapid growth of urban areas has often resulted in the siting of poorly designed infrastructure and assets in hazard-prone areas, increasing disaster risk.

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 05 Jun 2017

Bangladesh: Consolidating Export-led Growth - Country Diagnostic Study

This study argues that some of the policies that allowed Bangladesh to prosper in the last few years will become less effective, and the economy will need to “switch gears” to consolidate the growth m...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 23 May 2017

A Comparative Analysis of Tax Administration in Asia and the Pacific: 2016

The analysis and practical guidance provided in this report are based on surveys of revenue bodies conducted in 2014 and 2015, along with accompanying research of revenue bodies’ corporate documents,...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 22 May 2017

Sanitation and Sustainable Development in Japan

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 12 May 2017

Philippines: Public-Private Partnerships by Local Government Units

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Asia Bond Monitor - November 2016

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 11 May 2017

Mongolia: Development Effectiveness Brief

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 10 May 2017

Reinventing Mutual Recognition Arrangements: Lessons from International Experiences and Insights for the ASEAN Region

This report aims to support ASEAN policymakers and regulatory bodies by examining MRAs signed in other regions to see how well they have functioned on the ground. It focuses on the following issues: D...

by Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza | On 08 May 2017

The Long Road Ahead: Status Report on the Implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements on Professional Services

In the report there has been progress primarily in two areas: (1) the creation of implementing offices and bodies at the regional and national levels as outlined in the MRAs; and (2) the incorporation...

by Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza | On 05 May 2017

Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Outlook

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 04 May 2017

Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) Modelling :Theory And Practice

In recent years DSGE (dynamic stochastic general equilibrium) models have come to play an increasing role in central banks, as an aid in the formulation of monetary policy (and increasingly after th...

by DILIP NACHANE | On 04 May 2017

Cost Channel, Interest Rate Pass-Through and Optimal Policy under Zero Lower Bound

This paper analyzes optimal monetary policy under zero lower bound in the presence of cost channel. Cost channel introduces trade-o¤ between output and inflation when economy is out of ZLB. As a res...

by Taniya Ghosh | On 04 May 2017

Smart Cities Movement in BRICS

BRICS nations are today cooperating on numerous matters of mutual concern. The cooperation is the result of years of deliberation, hard work and commitment. Since the formation of the grouping in the...

by | On 14 Apr 2017

An Interview with Anand Patwardhan

For over 40 years Anand Patwardhan’s documentary films have stood for freedom of expression. He faced censorship on numerous occasions, took the government to court, and won each time. Anand is not ju...

by Vidya Bhushan Rawat | On 10 Apr 2017

India Skills Report 2017

India Skills Report 2017 is an report that aims to support this initiative; by providing a stock of the talent landscape of India and supporting in charting the future direction of matchmaking. Curren...

by United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] | On 15 Mar 2017

Prostitution and the Ends of Empire: Scale, Governmentalities, and Interwar India. Durham: Duke University Press, Review

The book is an important exploration of late colonial preoccupations with the brothel, a "scandalous" space fueling the archival accretions that sustain contemporary historical inquiry. 2015; xi...

by Tara Suri | On 23 Feb 2017

Development Planning and 'Urban' Context: Reflections on the Indian Scene

Through a broad portrayal of character of its development, changing urban patterns, nature of urban economic structure and contents of urban development policies, this paper takes a political econom...

by Biswaroop Das | On 17 Feb 2017

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

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

by | On 02 Feb 2017

The Geography of Poverty, Disasters and Climate Extremes in 2030

This report, The geography of poverty, disasters and climate extremes in 2030, examines the relationship between disasters and poverty. It concludes that, without concerted action, there could be up t...

by | On 23 Jan 2017

Vital Stats: Participation of Members of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (2012-2017)

The Election Commission recently announced the poll schedule for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. In this context, data on the composition of the 16th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (2012-...

by Jhalak Kakkar | On 10 Jan 2017

Global Wind Energy Outlook 2016

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

by | On 05 Jan 2017

Modelling Corporate Sector Distress in India

The paper attempts to formulate a model to predict corporate financial distress of non-government non-financial public limited companies and estimate distressed bank debt due to the sample companies...

by Manjusha Senapathi | On 27 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 State of India's Pulses Sector

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

by | On 15 Dec 2016

The Changing Contours of Inter group Disparities and the Role of Preferential Policies in a Globalizing World: Evidence from India

How persistent are traditional socioeconomic hierarchies in the face of marketization, significant structural shifts in the economy, and increased political representation of lower-ranked groups, and...

by Ashwini Deshpande | On 15 Dec 2016

Resilient and Responsive Health Systems for a Changing World

A health system should be responsive, resilient, self-regulating. It should be able to respond to health emergencies and changing development scenarios. Governments all over the world should see to it...

by Rajeev B.R. | On 14 Dec 2016

Government’s Role in India’s Ailing Cold Storage Sector

Every year, India wastes about 18 per cent of fruits and vegetables, due to lack of post-harvest storage facilities. The cold storage sector has been one of the most undermined sectors in India, devo...

by Madhu Sivaraman | On 05 Dec 2016

Technology for Transformation

India is committed to solve many problems that it is facing today. the human condition can improve more here in the next two decades than anywhere in the world. And the benefit, to India and to the...

by Bill Gates | 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

Endogenous Leadership in a Federal Transfer Game

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

by Bodhisattva Sengupta | On 14 Nov 2016

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

A Stagnant Agriculture in Kerala: The Role of the State

The paper shows that disincentives generated by the successive governments in Kerala through imposing artificial barriers on the freedom of farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs resulted in the coll...

by Lekshmi R Nair | On 08 Nov 2016

Rail Revolution-2025

This policy brief proposes reorganisation of current industry structure and proposes a new organizational structure for the railways to meet the needs of the 21st century . [CPPR Policy Brief Series...

by Centre for Public Policy Research CPPR | On 21 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

Problem of Food Security: A Brief Analysis of Tribal Area in India

The right to food is about freedom from hunger. The narrow meaning at hunger may be understood as the right to have two square meals a day, while in its broader meaning would include under nutrition....

by Johani Xaxa | On 17 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

Trade Shocks and the Provision of Local Public Goods

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

by | On 10 Oct 2016

Regime Shifts in India’s Monetary Policy Response Function

The objectives of monetary policy have always been a topic of intensive debate. This debate has resurfaced during the past few years. In India too monetary policy-making appears to have undergone si...

by Lokendra Kumawat | On 10 Oct 2016

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

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

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

Campaign for Release of Political Prisoners

A large number of people are being imprisoned largely under ordinary laws, just because they happen to live in regions where conflict/movement is going on. People are randomly picked up and booked und...

by Coordination for Democratic Rights Organisations CDRO | On 03 Oct 2016

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

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

by | On 26 Sep 2016

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

Does Government Spending on Social Sector Impacts Growth? An Analysis Across Indian States for the Last Two Decades

This paper attempts to examine the impact of government expenditure in social sector on economic growth at the state level for 15 major states. The study reveals that the share of social sector expend...

by | On 07 Sep 2016

Who Takes a Call on Price Stability, the Government or the RBI?

The question here is, whether it’s the responsibility of the Government or the Central Bank to ensure price stability in an economy? For instance, what was the role of the RBI when the prices of pulse...

by Deepthi Mary Mathew | On 07 Sep 2016

Should Countries Be More Like Shopping Malls? A Proposal for Service Performance Guarantees

Many developing countries have made progress in political openness and economic management but still struggle to attract private sector investments, at least outside of narrow, resource-based enclaves...

by Alan Gelb | On 01 Sep 2016

Learning and Behavioral Spillovers of Nutritional Information

This paper provides evidence for informational spillovers within urban slums in Chandigarh, India. I identify three groups, a treatment group, a neighboring spillover group, and a nonadjacent pure con...

by | On 30 Aug 2016

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

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

by K. Vaijayanti | On 29 Aug 2016

Picking the Winner: Measuring Urban Sustainability in India

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

by B.Sudhakara Reddy | On 29 Aug 2016

Impact of Caregiver Incentives on Child Health: Evidence from an Experiment with Anganwadi Workers in India

This paper provides evidence of effectiveness for performance pay among government caregivers to improve child health in India. In a controlled study of 160 daycare centers serving over 4,000 children...

by | On 29 Aug 2016

Re-Shaping Policy and Institutions for Integrating Climate and Disaster Resilience

It is clear that positive policy action is needed to build the resilience of citizens and the state to changing climate and disaster shocks and stresses. What is not so clear is why there is a lag in...

by | On 29 Aug 2016

Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Education Sector

The ultimate goal of the resource manual is to ensure that all children may equitably exercise their educational and environmental rights in totality, as described in the Convention. The resource ma...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 29 Aug 2016

The Concept of Integration in Refugee and Immigrant Studies

The concept of integration is quite a popular one, debated and discussed majorly in developed Nations. Integration is an imperative area of empirical apprehension and inquiry in refugee and immigrant...

by | On 23 Aug 2016

Combating Haze: Holding One’s Breath A Year On

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

by | On 19 Aug 2016

The History of Humanitarian Action in East and Southeast Asia: Asian Perspectives

ASEAN assumed different roles in responding to humanitarian crises in Cambodia (in the 1970s) and Myanmar (Cyclone Nargis in 2008). For the Cambodia situation, ASEAN was playing the role of ‘antagonis...

by | On 19 Aug 2016

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

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

by Ioana Marinescu | On 17 Aug 2016

The Dominant Borrower Syndrome: The Case of Pakistan

The pressure fiscal expansion exerts on the economy via credit markets in Pakistan is analysed. Melina and Villa (2014) is extended by allowing government to compete with the private borrowers (firms...

by Sajawal Khan | On 16 Aug 2016

Global Forest Watch Climate: Summary of Methods and Data

The Global Forest Watch (GFW) Climate online platform catalyzes action on climate change by providing timely and credible answers to questions about the impacts of tropical deforestation on global...

by nancy Harris | On 12 Aug 2016

Gender Dimensions at Work and Employment: A Case of Sexual Harassment

The present study is an effort towards the effective implementation of this welfare piece of legislation for women and deals with employer’s perspective on sexual harassment, existing mechanism for...

by Shashi Bala | On 10 Aug 2016

Signing away Sovereignty: How Investment Agreements Threaten Regulation of the Mining Industry in the Philippines

In the last decade, the resource-rich Philippines has bet heavily on the mining industry as a development strategy, an approach that has come under growing scrutiny. With 47 large-scale mines in oper...

by Cecilia Olivet | On 10 Aug 2016

GST in India: Chasing a Mirage or Reality?

India is moving towards introducing a Goods and Services Tax (GST). The GST would be a multistage comprehensive value added tax (VAT) encompassing both goods and services. Given the federal structur...

by Sacchidananda Mukherjee | On 09 Aug 2016

First Discussion Paper on Goods and Services Tax in India

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

by Government of India | On 05 Aug 2016

Anatomy of Input Demand Functions for Indian Farmers across Regions

This study models the optimum use of production inputs and analyse the behaviour of input demand functions of agricultural production through restricted transcendental logarithm profit function for...

by Shrabani Mukherjee | On 04 Aug 2016

Subsidies to Coal Production in China

A further subsidy in the form of credit support was estimated to be between CNY 3.5 and 35.7 billion (USD 0.57 billion and USD 5.8 billion). The major subsidies included tax relief, investment in asse...

by | On 02 Aug 2016

Global Estimates 2015: People Displaced by Disasters

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

by | On 01 Aug 2016

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

Evaluation of Government Interventions in Khadi Sector

Khadi sector is an over-regulated one in India, where the entire production process, sales, distribution, and marketing is fully regulated by the government. The paper examines the growth of Khadi sec...

by Lekshmi R Nair | On 25 Jul 2016

Finders, Keepers?

Natural resource taxation and investment often exhibit cyclical behaviour, associated with shifts in political power. Why do finders get to keep more of their discoveries in some periods than others?...

by Niko Jaakkola | On 22 Jul 2016

Estimating Local Fiscal Multipliers

This paper proposes a new source of cross-sectional variation that may identify causal impacts of Government spending on the economy. It uses the fact that a large number of federal spending programs...

by Juan Serrato | On 20 Jul 2016

A Systematic Review of Cross-Country Data Initiatives on Agricultural Public Expenditures in Developing Countries

A number of data initiatives exist that assemble and make available public expenditure data on agriculture, in addition to other variables. Several of these data initiatives overlap in terms of which...

by Richard Anson | On 20 Jul 2016

A Study on Financial Literacy and its Determinants among Gen Y Employees in Coimbatore City

Financial literacy is the mix of one’s knowledge, skill and attitude towards financial matters. It helps to make informed decisions and well-being of an individual. Research has been conducted globall...

by | On 18 Jul 2016

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

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

by Shyam Sundar | On 11 Jul 2016

Does Social Health Insurance Reduce Financial Burden? Panel Data Evidence from India

Indian government launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a national health insurance scheme, in 2008 that provides cashless health services to poor households in India. The scheme is eval...

by Mehtabul Azam | On 11 Jul 2016

Vital Stats: Overview of Central Government Employees

The central government periodically constitutes a Pay Commission, to evaluate and recommend revisions of salaries and pensions, for its employees. Recently, the Seventh Central Pay Commission has mad...

by Vatsal Khullar | On 07 Jul 2016

Incorporating gender and age in genetic algorithms to solve the indexing problem

In this paper it is proposed that there is a need for new genetic algorithms as a tool indexing problem. Genetic algorithms are said to be nature-inspired, in that they are modeled after the natural p...

by Diptesh Ghosh | On 04 Jul 2016

Perspectives on the Investigation, Prosecution and Prevention of Art Crime in Asia

Many art crimes exist in Asia, where looting and trafficking of regional artefacts have developed extensively in contemporary times. The sophisticated methods of looters and middlemen, the highly effi...

by Stefan Gruber | On 30 Jun 2016

Best Practices in Regulation of Private Education

Current paper aims to understand how the governments in different parts of the world have leveraged upon the private sector to achieve specific educational goals. The idea here is not to recommend o...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 29 Jun 2016

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

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

by | On 29 Jun 2016

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

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

by Subhasish Dey | On 27 Jun 2016

Talent Management Systems in Indian Pharmaceutical Firms: Exploring an Emerging Typology

This study has explored the implementation of talent management process in pharmaceutical industry in India through a case study approach. Data was collected from top management and senior managers in...

by Kirti Sharda | On 24 Jun 2016

Right to Food in India: Mitigating amidst Challenges

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

by Aarti Salve | On 24 Jun 2016

Changes in Wage Structure in Urban India 1983-2004: A Quantile Regression Decomposition

This paper examines changes in the wage structure in urban India during the past two decades (1983-2004) across the entire wage distribution using the Machado and Mata (2005) decomposition approach. R...

by Mehtabul Azam | On 22 Jun 2016

A Practical Note on Predictive Analytics Usage in Marketing Applications

This paper is an attempt to provide a simplified approach to this practical problem of evaluating model performance taking account of the decision context. Two scenarios are discussed; a) a classifica...

by Arindam Banerjee | On 21 Jun 2016

An Analysis of Perceptions of Domestic Violence and Efficacy of the Implementation of the PWDV Act (2005) in Bihar

The present study has been conducted in the rural and urban areas of 9 districts of 9 commissionaries in Bihar. A random sample of 375 families is drawn from different socio-economic backgrounds. The...

by CARE India | On 20 Jun 2016

Case Study on AID Effectiveness in Tajikistan

This case study aims at presenting Tajikistan’s perspective of, experiences with, and challenges to foreign aid. The objective of the study is to raise awareness about different dimensions of aid f...

by Rustam Aminjanov | On 20 Jun 2016

Optimal Unemployment Benefit Policy and the Firm Productivity Distribution

This paper provides a novel justification for a declining time profile of unemployment benefits that does not rely on moral hazard or consumption-smoothing considerations. It considers a simple search...

by Tomer Blumkin | On 15 Jun 2016

A Report on Elder Abuse and Crime in India

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

by Helpage India | On 15 Jun 2016

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

Inter-Regional Comparisons of Humanitarian Action

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

by | On 09 Jun 2016

Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future

The role of one consumption-based solution: shifting the diets of populations who consume high amounts of calories, protein, and animal-based foods are analysed. Specifically, we consider three in...

by Janet Ranganathan | On 06 Jun 2016

The Contours and Concerns of Drought-Induced Migration

Umi Daniel is currently working as Head Migration Thematic unit at Aide et Action South Asia. His areas of interests are tribal empowerment, people’s right to food, micro level planning, rights and en...

by Umi Daniel | On 03 Jun 2016

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

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

by Oxfam India | On 02 Jun 2016

How Forced Displacements Caused by a Violent Conflict Affect Wages in Colombia

In this paper, we analyze how forced displacements caused by violent conflicts affect the wages of displaced workers in Colombia, a country characterized by a long historical prevalence of violent con...

by | On 02 Jun 2016

Global Slavery Index 2016

The Global Slavery Index (‘the Index’) provides an estimate of the number of people in modern slavery, the factors that make individuals vulnerable to this crime, and an assessment of government actio...

by | On 01 Jun 2016

Minimum Wage Comparison: Asian Countries Minimum Wage Fixing

For countries which have a minimum wage, the minimum wage fixing system differs according to objectives and criteria, machinery and procedures, coverage, and subsequent adjustment as well as the opera...

by Sanjana Singh | On 31 May 2016

Youth and Labour Reforms in India

On account of May 1st being the Labour Day, India Youth Fund interviewed Professor Arup Mitra from the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi on a number of labour rights and reforms related issues in In...

by Arup Mitra | On 26 May 2016

On the Road to Universal Health Coverage: Every Person Matters

In modern society, the possession of a personal official identification (ID) is critical to an individual’s access to government services, and social and economic programs. From voting to receipt of s...

by Michael Stahl | On 26 May 2016

Upgrading in the Indian Garment Industry: A Study of Three Clusters

This paper examines the process of upgrading of the Indian garment industry through a survey of 100 firms in three clusters in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Tirupur, and Mumbai in 2012. Upgradi...

by | On 25 May 2016

Degradation and Loss of Peri-Urban Ecosystems

Rapid degradation of peri-urban ecosystems is resulting in a loss of associated ecosystem services. Water provision, storm- and waste-water regulation, along with protection from natural disasters and...

by Rockeffeller Foundation RF | On 25 May 2016

Stop Stunting in South Asia: A Common Narrative on Maternal and Child Nutrition

Governments in South Asia are progressively acknowledging that child stunting is both a marker and a maker of poor development. UNICEF regional and country offices in South Asia work with regional bo...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 24 May 2016

Search for Resources in a High Income State: A Study of State Finances of Sikkim

The paper examines the public financial management (PFM) of Sikkim focusing mainly on resources generation effort and budget management practices. We note that any deviation from the Central transfers...

by Pratap R Jena | On 23 May 2016

Climate Refugees: A Sad Reality

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

by | On 19 May 2016

Building a Design Economy in India

The interministerial group will rework its strategy on labour laws and tweak it in such a manner that it maximises benefits for both workers and employers. In this paper, we outline the manner in whi...

by Shamika Ravi | On 18 May 2016

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

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

by Cornelis Haasnoot | On 18 May 2016

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

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

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

by | On 11 May 2016

The Trade Marks Act, 1999

Indian trademark law statutorily protects trademarks as per the Trademark Act, 1999 and also under the common law remedy of passing off. Statutory protection of trademark is administered by the Contro...

by Ministry of Commerce and Industry GOI | On 09 May 2016

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

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

by N Rajendran | On 09 May 2016

The Federation Model of Community Organising

In the past two decades through a process called “Enumeration” through which the members collect at city level data about slums, Slum Dwellers International have created a mechanism which serves to cr...

by Sheela Patel | On 06 May 2016

Ninety-Fourth Report on Demands for Grants 2016-17 (Demand No. 43) of the Department of Health Research

The aim of the Department of Health Research (DHR) is to bring modern health technologies to the people through research and innovations related to diagnosis, treatment methods and vaccines for prev...

by Rajya Sabha Secretariat | On 05 May 2016

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation Amendment Bill, 2015)

A bill further to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 03 May 2016

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

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

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

Tamil Nadu: What Voters Want and How They Rate Government Performance

This report consists the findings of a survey carried out in February 2016 in Tamil Nadu. The purpose of the survey was to find out what voters really want from the Government and how they rate the pe...

by Association for Democratic Reforms ADR | On 28 Apr 2016

Kerala: Education Report on Schools

Annual Status of Education Report is the largest annual household survey of children in rural India that focuses on the status of schooling and basic learning to find out whether children in rural Ind...

by Annual status of education report ASER | On 27 Apr 2016

The Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005

A Patent Act is a country's legislation that controls the use of patents. A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in...

by Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs GOI | On 27 Apr 2016

The Patents (Amendment) Act, 2002

A Patent Act is a country's legislation that controls the use of patents. A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in...

by Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs GOI | On 27 Apr 2016

Designs (Amendment) Rules, 2014

The Designs (Amendment) Rules, 2014 has been published by the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) by notification in Part-II, Section...

by Ministry of Commerce and Industry GOI | On 26 Apr 2016

Elderly in India

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

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

Action vs Planning

Can the targets of achieving high economic growth be achieved without planning?

by T.N. Ninan | On 24 Apr 2016

Maritime Failures

India's trade infrastructure is in a bad shape. India's imports are very high than its exports. The government has promised some investments and policies in this sector.

by T.N. Ninan | On 16 Apr 2016

The Post Office Paradox: A Case Study of the Block Level Education Bureaucracy

Elementary education administrators at the block level primarily perceive themselves, or report themselves to be, disempowered cogs in a hierarchical administrative culture that renders them powerless...

by Yamini Aiyar | On 15 Apr 2016

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

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

by | On 13 Apr 2016

Distortions in Land Markets and their Implications to Credit Generation in India

Land and buildings are a preferred collateral for lenders in India due to its ease of valuation and disposal in the event of default. Yet several distortions afflict Indian land markets that make thi...

by K.P. Krishnan | On 12 Apr 2016

The 2016 National Budget: Philippines

The 2016 Budget reaffirms the belief that no one should be left behind as the country progresses.

by Strategic Communication Unit Philippines | On 11 Apr 2016

Global Report on Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use...

by World Health Organisation (WHO) | On 07 Apr 2016

The West Sumatra Earthquakes: Not Learning Our Lessons?

A big earthquake hit the ocean floor off Southwestern Sumatra, Indonesia on 2 March 2016. Tsunami warnings were issued by the government to the whole Sumatran regions. How effective are Indonesia’s...

by Jonatan Lassa | On 28 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Uttar Pradesh: 2016-17

Budget speech of the finance minister of Uttar Pradesh.

by Uttar Pradesh Government UP | On 22 Mar 2016

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

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

by Lalitha Kamath | On 21 Mar 2016

A Case for China’s Security Role in South Asia

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

by Ramandeep Kaur | On 21 Mar 2016

Co-operatives and Rural Development in India

This paper characterises and distinguishes co-operatives from other forms of organisations and highlights the important place they occupy in India‘s rural economy. It examines their contribution to ru...

by Katar Singh | On 20 Mar 2016

Review and Compendium of Environmental Policies and Laws in Bhutan

This review and compendium of our country’s environmental laws, policies, and regulations aims to enhance the accessibility to information by judges, lawyers, government officials, and stakeholders in...

by Antonia Gawel | On 18 Mar 2016

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

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 18 Mar 2016

The 8th Lecture of Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on The Golden Rule: A Remedy for Decadence in Global Health

The 8th Lecture of Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series On Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences: ‘The Golden Rule: a remedy for decadence in global health’ By Dr Eric Suba

by ... CEHAT | On 16 Mar 2016

Budget Speech Andhra Pradesh 2016-17

Budget Speech of Yanamala Ramakrishnudu Minister of Finance.

by Yanamala Ramakrishnudu | On 16 Mar 2016

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

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

by Divya Datt | On 15 Mar 2016

Diffusion of Bt Cotton in India: Impact of Seed Prices and Technological Development

Recent studies have analyzed the adoption of Bt cotton in the light of government seed price interventions. According to one view, reduction in seed prices enabled the farmers to buy seeds at lower pr...

by | On 15 Mar 2016

Can the Organised and Unorganised Sectors Coexist: A Theoretical Study

In the past debates around protection are usual couched in terms of protection of the manufacturing sector from imports and are centered around the so called “infant industry” argument. This paper has...

by Manoj Pant | On 15 Mar 2016

Improving Interchanges Introducing Best practices on Multimodal Interchange Hub Development in the People's Republic of China

This report discusses the experiences and commonly encountered issues when developing railway interchange hubs. It proposes basic design principles as well as research approaches. The report focuses o...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

Disaster Risk Management in Asia and the Pacific

The study considers key trends, in terms of disaster incidence, sources of vulnerability, and social and economic impacts. This is followed by discussions of some of the major issues: compound disaste...

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 15 Mar 2016

The End of Japan’s Nuclear Renaissance? Not Just Yet.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that severally damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant have been described as ending the ‘nuclear renaissance’ in Japan. The government is in a hard pla...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Japan’s ODA Still Going Strong

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

by | On 14 Mar 2016

Reforming Vietnam’s Rural Economy

This year it is predicted that Vietnam’s economy will slump to a level not seen since 1999. As a result of this and factional in-fighting over this issue, on the 22nd of October Vietnam’s Prime Minist...

by | On 14 Mar 2016

The Housing Market and Housing Policies in Japan

Housing policies in Japan after World War II were focused on the quantitative supply of houses with a wide range of targeted groups and public rental houses. The Japan Housing Corporation (now the Urb...

by Masahiro Kobayashi | On 14 Mar 2016

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

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

by Panchanan Das | On 14 Mar 2016

US-WTO Shadow on India’s Solar Power Plans

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

by D Raghunandan | On 14 Mar 2016

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

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

China and North Korea: A Relationship in Transition?

Military tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been escalating for several months now. The latest events with the missile launches and newly released reports on the abduction of Chinese fishermen by N...

by | On 12 Mar 2016

China and Vietnam: Managing Tensions in Troubled Waters

In spite of competing claims over the Spratly and Paracel Archipelagoes and maritime areas in the South China Sea, China and Vietnam have sought, with some degree of success, to manage their tensions...

by Ramses Amer | On 12 Mar 2016

Desecuritizing the Kurdish Question and Emerging Regional Dynamics

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Tensions in Cyberspace: Toward a Code of Conduct

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

by | On 12 Mar 2016

Empowering Tamil Women: Recovery in Post-conflict Sri Lanka

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

by | On 11 Mar 2016

Biofuel Feedstock Cultivation in India: Implications for Food Security and Rural Livelihoods

Biofuels are acquiring importance due to their potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The two most important biofuels – viz., bioethanol and bio-diesel, are largely considered supplementary t...

by K.S. Kavi Kumar | On 11 Mar 2016

Efficiency in Education Sector: A Case of Rajasthan State (India)

In this paper, considering the district level variations in literacy and other pertinent socio-economic variables we explore whether efficiency in education in district level enrolments is merely a re...

by Brijesh C. Purohit | On 11 Mar 2016

Analyzing the Water Footprint of Indian Dairy Industry

Water footprint is a multidimensional indicator, showing water consumption volumes by source and by type of pollution; all components of a total water footprint are specified geographically and tempor...

by Zareena Begum Irfan | On 11 Mar 2016

Effect of Macroeconomic News Releases on Bond Yields in India China and Japan

This paper studies the effect of domestic macroeconomic news releases on the change in the bond yields of India, China and Japan. We apply event study method to observe whether the large set of new in...

by Sreejata Banerjee | On 10 Mar 2016

Remorse and Reform: Abe's Stormy Spring

From apologizing for Japan’s wartime past to collective defense and FTA negotiations with the United States, Japan faces a number of contentious issues in the coming months that call into question Pri...

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Politicking and the Philippine Peace Process

Three months after a deadly clash in Mamasapano, the Philippine peace process is in danger. The hard-won gains of negotiations over the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)—the implementing piece of le...

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Myanmar’s Fragile Ceasefire

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

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Mitigating Militancy in Northwest Pakistan

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

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Creative Diplomacy and North Korea

This policy brief looks at how North Korea has figured as an issue on the sidelines of the recent APEC Summit in Beijing in the context of developments such as Pyongyang’s release of two American pris...

by | On 10 Mar 2016

Tariff Reduction and Functional Income Distribution in Pakistan: A CGE Model

The specific question to be explored in this study is: whether or not trade liberalisation (tariff reduction) policies improve income distribution and reduce poverty in Pakistan?

by Rizwana Siddiqui | On 10 Mar 2016

Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance?

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

by Afia Malik | On 10 Mar 2016

India's Policy on Genetically Modified Crops

Agricultural biotechnology is highly contested site in India, encompassing debates on impact of technology on society, economic development, and India’s future agricultural Strategy. Proponents of b...

by Anitha Ramanna | On 09 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

Organizational Identities and Institutions: Dynamics of the Organizational Core as a Question of Path Dependence

Organizational identity is a mechanism that mediates between external pressures and internal demands on continuity. The concept of organizational identity is considered to be central to solving the re...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

India’s Union Budget: Changing Scope and the Evolving Content

The paper reflects on the changing scope of the Union Budget and the Finance Minister’s speech and assesses the evolving content of these policy instruments in recent years. The analysis undertaken...

by | On 08 Mar 2016

Poverty and Diseases: A Dangerous Liasion?

In the second issue of the NTS Alert for February, we turn our attention towards the complex interactions between poverty and diseases. We briefly summarise the state of the world's health, identify l...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 Mar 2016

Nuclear-Public Relations Management In Southeast Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 06 Mar 2016

Chartering ASEAN Human Rights

Human rights issues within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pose a significant challenge as it seeks to remain relevant in an increasingly interconnected global system. On 20 July 2009, ASEA...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Disaster Preparedness in Southeast Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Mega¬ Sporting Events Fuelling Human Trafficking?

The upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in South Africa between 11 June and 11 July 2010 has once again raised concerns over the possibility of human trafficking. A study by the Human...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 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

Weather- ¬related Disasters

The second half of June 2010 witnessed several weather-related disasters in various parts of the world. Heavy rains in several Asian countries inundated both rural regions such as China’s Yunnan provi...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 05 Mar 2016

Responding to Transnational Organised Crime: Case Study of Human Trafficking and Drug Trafficking

Human trafficking and illicit drug trafficking are arguably the most intractable of all transnational crimes. They are an issue of both domestic and foreign policy concern and a subject of longstandin...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

The International AIDS Conference 2010

The International AIDS Conference 2010 was held in Vienna, Austria from 18 to 23 July to gather those working in the field of HIV such as policymakers, scientists and researchers, those living with HI...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

Asia Flooded with Disasters

The past month has witnessed several major environmental disasters in Asia. Of particular significance are the Pakistan floods, which have engulfed a fifth of Pakistan’s total land area and affected 2...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Reducing Human Vulnerabilities To Natural Disasters

This issue of the NTS Alert offers an overview of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as a means of improving long-term preparedness against the projected increase in frequency and intensity of natural haza...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 04 Mar 2016

Voluntary Compliance: Better Governance with Lesser Government

Analysed from various perspectives, the success of a recent experiment of regulating car traffic on the streets of India’s capital city of Delhi – in order to control air pollution – shows the possibl...

by Vinod Rai | On 04 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

Cancún Agreement: Implications for Southeast Asia

The recent 2010 UN climate change conference in Cancún, Mexico, and the resulting Cancun Agreement, has shown that there is an increasing recognition of the need to protect the poor and vulnerable in...

by | On 03 Mar 2016

Human Factors Determine Extreme Weather Impact

The beginning of 2011 was marked by a series of rain-related disasters in various parts of the globe. Australia experienced one of the most severe (and most probably the costliest) wave of floods in i...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 03 Mar 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 03 Mar 2016

Enhancing Early Warning Systems for Disaster Management

A recent report by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) noted that Indonesia faces the highest risk from tsunamis worldwide. The evaluation was based on the number...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 02 Mar 2016

An Asia Prepared for the Monsoon Season?

Several Asian countries have experienced flooding in recent weeks. While the monsoon rains – amplified by the La Nina effect -have been taking place as expected from the second to the third quarter o...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 02 Mar 2016

ENGOs’ Bitter Pill: Adapting to Incremental Climate (Governance) Change

Environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) have often been depicted as a section of civil society that is highly critical of the lack of political will in addressing environmental issues. Th...

by Sofiah Jamil | On 02 Mar 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 02 Mar 2016

Government Health Financing in India: Challenges in Achieving Ambitious Goals

The Government of India has publicly committed to a doubling or trebling of government health spending by 2012 and launched a major program, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), to help spend the...

by Peter Berman | On 01 Mar 2016

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

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

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Decentralization and Local Service Provision : What Do We Know?

What do we know about the results of decentralized service delivery? Verifying outcomes and results of decentralized policies is a very challenging exercise, given the large number of stakeholders inv...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Budget Speech of Madhya Pradesh 2016

Budget Speech of Finance Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

by Finance Minister of MP Govt of MP | On 01 Mar 2016

Comparative Analysis of Indonesian and Korean Governance

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

by Prof. Yunwon Hwang | On 01 Mar 2016

Vital Stats: Union Budget 2016-17

Trends regarding the central government’s sources of financing including tax revenue, disinvestments, and its revenue and capital expenditure, including subsidies. Estimates are presented in the 2016-...

by Mandira Kala | On 01 Mar 2016

Financing Social Policy in the Presence of Informality

We present a framework for the analysis of tax and benefit policy in countries with significant informality. Our framework allows us to jointly analyse the e!ects of various taxes and benefits on ince...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Should China Revisit the 1994 Fiscal Reforms?

The 1994 Fiscal Reforms in China were spectacularly successful in meeting the immediate challenges that the economy faced at that time—a sharply dropping tax/GDP ratio, and limited ability of the cent...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 01 Mar 2016

Access to Finance: A Functional Approach to Supply and Demand

This paper provides a comprehensive description of the financial environment for households and small businesses in a defined geographical region. It develops a new, functional approach to financial a...

by Greg Fischer | On 29 Feb 2016

Challenges and Developments in the Financial Systems of the Southeast Asian Economies

This paper discusses the economies and financial systems of Southeast Asia (SEA) and focuses on challenges and developments in the region. Despite the diversity of SEA economies and some important exc...

by Toshiyuki Shimada | On 29 Feb 2016

Will no One Plant a Tree in Indonesia? Yes, the Poor will, and on Islands not known for Their Forests: One Such is Timor

In this paper we explore an innovative approach to poverty reduction by the introduction of an agro-forestry variant of sustainable agricultural land technology among the rural farming population of a...

by Roger Montgomery | On 29 Feb 2016

Climate Change and The Agriculture Crisis as a Solution Agroecology

India's policy on agriculture in the context of climate change, is foregrounded by the need to produce enough grain to meet the food requirements of the country. To promote sustainable agriculture, po...

by | On 29 Feb 2016

Understanding Land Grabbing, Land Rights in the 21st Century

Issues or problems associated with land have become more multi-layered in the 21st century. In the Philippines, a number of “pro-poor” land laws were enacted after the Marcos dictatorship. These laws...

by Focus on the Global South FGS | On 29 Feb 2016

Joining Pre-existing International Production Networks: Implications for India’s Economic Integration to East Asia

This study provides a conceptual framework to explain what kinds of difficulties a late-follower will suffer from when it tries to join pre-existing International Production Networks (IPNs). We consid...

by Jeongmeen Suh | On 29 Feb 2016

India First Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The government recognizes the urgency and importance of the actions that need to be taken collectively to meet the ultimate objective of the Convention i.e. stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations i...

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

Anaemia in Pregnancy - Inter-State Differences

Nutritional anaemia due to iron and folate deficiency is a major global Public Health problem. South Asia ranks among the regions, which have the highest prevalence of anaemia in the world and India p...

by K.N. Agarwal | On 29 Feb 2016

Combating Low Birth Weight and Intra - Uterine Growth Retardation

Low birth weight is a major public health problem in India. About 30% of all infants born in hospitals are reported to weigh less than 2.5 kg at birth. Studies carried out by ICMR in the late seventie...

by Sarath Gopalan | On 29 Feb 2016

Narendra Modi, Mark II

Has Narendra Modi re-set his political sights? What's there in the Budget?

by T.N. Ninan | On 29 Feb 2016

Corporate Debt Market in India: Key Issues and Some Policy Recommendations

This paper presents an overview of the corporate debt market in India. A study of the structure and the status of the corporate debt market along with the current policies initiated by Securities and...

by M. T. Raju | On 28 Feb 2016

Nuclear and safety: Can the Two Ever Meet?

In September, the Japanese government announced that it would phase out nuclear energy by 2040. Just one week later, it stepped back from specifying an explicit timeframe. The about-turn illustrates J...

by Lina Gong | On 27 Feb 2016

Is the ASEAN plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) the Answer Tt Southeast Asia’s Food Security Challenges?

The recently launched ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) aims to safeguard the region’s food security in times of calamity, disaster, supply shock or extreme price spike. The region had...

by Sally Trethewie | On 27 Feb 2016

Alternative Opportunities to Cut through the Haze

The intensity of the recent haze came as a shock to many in Singapore, as the pollutant standards index (PSI) went beyond the level considered hazardous. The economic and health impacts from this ep...

by Sofiah Jamil | On 27 Feb 2016

Can Indonesia advance the peace process in Mindanao?

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Progress of 10 Years Implementation of Hyogo Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Reduction in ASEAN

2015 marks the end of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), an international disaster risk reduction plan that aimed to en...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Enhancing ASEAN Regional Capacity for Disaster Response Operations

Major disasters that typically hit Southeast Asia illustrate the immensity of the tasks involved in undertaking disaster relief operations. With the establishment of the ASEAN Community by the end of...

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Networks of Experts and Non-Traditional Security in Asia

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 27 Feb 2016

Clearing up ASEAN’s Hazy Relations

The air quality in Malaysia and Singapore over the past few weeks has deteriorated significantly, with PSI levels remaining largely in the unhealthy range. This has caused many people to remain homebo...

by Sofiah Jamil | On 26 Feb 2016

Can Southeast Asia Afford to Wait? Coping with Floods and Humanitarian Emergencies

THE NEWS has been coming in thick and fast. Floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfalls in parts of Southeast Asia seem to have become normal occurrences. As if this is not enough, we also hear of...

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 26 Feb 2016

Climate Change and the Muslim World: The OIC Can do with ‘Captain Planet’

WHILE the media incessantly highlights the Muslim world’s battle with Islamophobia and the political crises in Iraq, Gaza and Iran, another set of issues that is just as pertinent — but often overlook...

by Sofiah Jamil | On 26 Feb 2016

Rohingya Muslims:Myanmar’s Forgotten People

The stateless Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar have been discriminated and excluded by consecutive governments since the 1960s, causing an exodus to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and other count...

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Whither Civil Society in Thailand?

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

by | On 26 Feb 2016

Governance and Institutions: The role of multilevel fiscal institutions in generating sustainable and inclusive growth

Differences in political ideology might lead to different views about the role of the state in the provision of public services across countries, or even in the same country over time.2 At the same ti...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 26 Feb 2016

Involving the Private Sector and PPPs in Financing Public Investments: Some Opportunities and Challenges

Given that public investment requirements far exceed available resources in most developing countries, there is a need to both channel public resources wisely and also best leverage the opportunities...

by Ehtisham Ahmad | On 26 Feb 2016

Food Aid and Food Security: A Necessary Evil?

Is Food Aid effective or does it actually lead to other food-related insecurities? This paper examines whether Food Aid in Bangladesh merely addresses the challenge of food supply disruptions induced...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Protest Culture in Thailand

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

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Post-Kyoto Protocol: Changing a Climate of Denial?

As governments gear up to meet in Copenhagen later this year to formulate a post-Kyoto Protocol framework on climate change, governments have been slow in translating scientific knowledge into policy...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Responding to Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia

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

by Mely Caballero-Anthony | On 25 Feb 2016

Oil Pipeline from Myanmar to China: Competing Perspectives

An oil pipeline is set to be constructed to connect Myanmar with China. To make sense of the development, one can benefit from paying attention to industry descriptions about the project, rather than...

by | On 25 Feb 2016

Government Debt

The present Status Paper for 2015-16 is fifth in this series and reinforces the Government’s commitment to keep the level of public debt within sustainable limits and follow prudent debt management pr...

by Ministry of Finance GOI | On 25 Feb 2016

Power and Piety: Religion, State and Society in Muslim Countries

There is the logical possibility of the creation of a Muslim society that is characterised by high levels of trust in and esteem for the State, and in which there is also a high level of trust in reli...

by Riaz Hassan | On 25 Feb 2016

Nongovernment Reforestation in the Philippines: Review, Analysis, and Ways Forward

The study reviewed and assessed nongovernment reforestation in the Philippines vis-a-vis government and total reforestation using primary and secondary data. The end purpose was to identify issues and...

by Danilo C. Israel | On 25 Feb 2016

Combed Cotton Yarn Exports of Pakistan to the US: A Dispute Settlement Case

On December 24, 1998 the Government of Pakistan (GOP) received a Call Notice from the US Government for consultation regarding the establishment of quantitative restraints on Pakistani exports of Comb...

by S. M. Hussain | On 25 Feb 2016

Recent Trends in China’s Trade

Who would have thought thirty years ago China could become one of the world’s most influential trading nations? At that time the Chinese government was reluctant to open up its door for foreigners and...

by Alice Wang | On 24 Feb 2016

Lifting the Lid Off Xinjiang’s Insecurities

The recent riots and attacks in China’s western province of Xinjiang have brought to the forefront the long simmering tensions between the Han Chinese and Uyghur communities. What have often been capt...

by | On 24 Feb 2016

Ketsana and its Aftermath: Lessons on Social Resilience

Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines has exposed both the weaknesses of government-led disaster preparations and the strengths of civil society in responding to the crisis. Clearly planning for disaster...

by | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by Widjajanti Suharyo | On 24 Feb 2016

From Aceh to Chile: Is ASEAN Prepared for Another Disaster?

The latest natural disaster in Chile, like the one in Haiti, comes as yet another test of Southeast Asia’s readiness in global humanitarian relief — five years after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. How...

by | On 24 Feb 2016

Regional Cooperation towards Multilateral Arrangements on Agriculture, Labour, and Environment in the Context of Globalisation: The Case of Indonesia

This study looks at Indonesia’s commitments to multilateral trade agreements, and assesses policies adopted by the government to meet the criteria set by those agreements. Particularly, three sectors...

by Titik Anas | On 24 Feb 2016

A Critical Analysis of Purchasing of Health Services in the Philippines: A Case Study of PhilHealth

This study is a critical analysis of health services purchasing undertaken by Phil Health which implements the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippines. Purchasing is about how an institut...

by Oscar F. Picazo | On 24 Feb 2016

Why Inequality Matters in Poverty Reduction and Why the Middle Class Needs Policy Attention

While the Philippines has had a new economic growth trajectory in recent years, the country has had little progress in reducing poverty and in making growth more inclusive. In this paper, the authors...

by Jose Ramon G. Albert | On 24 Feb 2016

Gajah Securing the Future for the Elephants in India

Despite best efforts of the government, the society and the people at large, elephant conservation still remains an uphill task. This report makes a number of useful recommendations for institutionali...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests | On 24 Feb 2016

Cost Effectiveness Assessment of Green House Gas Mitigation Options: A Proposed Methodology

The World Bank has been requested by the government of India to undertake a study, “Strategies for Low Carbon Growth.” The study considers different options for low-carbon growth trajectories to fisca...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests GOI | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by World Bank | On 24 Feb 2016

Urban Nomads: The Masan Jogis Based on the Field Work Experiences in Mumbai

This paper is based on field work experiences with Masan Jogi community living in Mumbai city, which is a De-Notified Tribe. There is lack of awareness and knowledge about these communities.

by . Anjana | On 24 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Beyond Petroleum: Limits of Risk Management

The cost of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has now surpassed the US$3bn mark. That may prove to be a drop in the ocean compared to what will come if governments, businesses and civil-society gr...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Food (In)Security in Urban Populations

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

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Financial Institutions and Structures for Growth in East Asia

The paper examines the changing size, shape and range of financial markets in the region indicates the extent to which regional markets have become more efficient and have improved in quality since th...

by Jenny Corbett | On 23 Feb 2016

Pakistan’s Floods: How Not to be Caught Off Guard

The Pakistani government and the international community’s response to the recent floods has been heavily criticised for being woefully inadequate. While a national disaster management framework is in...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Arsenic Poisoning of Water in Bangladesh

Arsenic poisoning of water is a serious problem in Bangladesh. It has significantly negative physical and social impact. There is an urgent need for the government to take effective steps to salvage t...

by | On 23 Feb 2016

Agricultural Contracts in Mindanao: the Case of Banana and Pineapple

Contract growing has been defined as an agreement between farmers and processing and/or marketing firms under forward agreements, usually at predetermined prices for the production and supply of agric...

by Larry Digal | On 23 Feb 2016

Post-Crisis Investment Performance Of ASEAN Countries: Impact Of FDI

The paper studies the post-Asian crisis investment performance of crisis affected countries in ASEAN. The empirical evidence clearly indicates that the ASEAN and East Asian countries are emerging from...

by Aekapol Chongvilaivan | On 23 Feb 2016

From Crisis to Recovery in Asia: Strategies, Achievements, and Lessons

This paper reviews and highlights lessons from the stabilisation and reform programme that Thailand, Malaysia and Korea implemented in response to the 1997 crisis. The three countries’ rapid recovery...

by Kanit Sangsubhan | On 23 Feb 2016

Civil Society from the BRICS: Emerging Roles in the New International Development Landscape

There is a burgeoning literature on the (re)emergence of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – as significant actors in international development. To date, however, mos...

by Adele Poskitt | On 23 Feb 2016

“Mercenaries” in Libya: Impact of Legal Impunity

Gaddafi’s engagement of “mercenaries” to fight in his domestic civil war is problematic. The current hostilities between Libyan protesters and migrant Sub Saharan Africans manifest the weak internatio...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

(Un)natural Disasters: Health Responses after Natural Hazards in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is certainly no stranger to natural hazards, having experienced some of the world’s worst. This paper argues that the occurrence of a natural hazard does not inevitably lead to a natura...

by | On 22 Feb 2016

Recent Monetary Policy Statement of   Bangladesh Bank (July 2009)

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

by Debapriya Bhattacharya | On 22 Feb 2016

Differentiated Policies: Indonesia’s International Leadership and Internal Challenges

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

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

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

Asymmetry In Government Bond Returns

Is there asymmetry in the distribution of government bond returns in developed countries? Can asymmetries be predicted using financial and macroeconomic variables? To answer the first question, we pro...

by Ippei Fuijwara | On 21 Feb 2016

An Examination of the Least Developed Countries in the IPCC AR5 WGII

The Fifth Assessment Report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR5 WGII), on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, was released in March 2014. In providing the...

by Clare Stott | On 21 Feb 2016

The Economic Effects of a Borrower Bailout Evidence from an Emerging Market

This paper studies the credit market implications and real effects of one the largest borrower bailout programs in history, enacted by the government of India against the backdrop of the 2008–2009 fin...

by Xavier Giné | On 21 Feb 2016

Floods and Regional Disaster Preparedness: Too Little, Too Late?

As the floods in Thailand and Cambodia continue, the state of regional cooperation is proving critical in addressing the difficulties faced by affected countries. Disaster preparedness is increasingly...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Feeding Southeast Asia in the 21st Century

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

by Sally Trethewie | On 20 Feb 2016

After Rio+20: What is ‘The Future We Want’?

The world’s biggest summit on environment and development in 20 years wrapped up last Friday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Has the outcome of Rio+20 managed to meet its promise?

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Myanmar: Learning from the Philippines’ Democratic Transition

In pursuing democratic reforms, Myanmar may take a leaf from the experience of the Philippines’ difficult transition from authoritarianism to democracy. But as demonstrated by the Philippine case, dem...

by | On 20 Feb 2016

Role of Experts in Policy Advice: Lessons of Experience

The policymaking in modern states is highly complex and requires a high degree of expertise and knowledge, which was not the case even 10, let alone 25 years ago. Partly in view of limited capacity in...

by Nurul Islam | On 20 Feb 2016

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

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

by S. Rajaratnam International Studies | On 19 Feb 2016

Rio+20 Incorporated? Assessing Diplomatic Outcomes and Private Sector Actions on Sustainable Development

The May 2012 NTS Alert entitled ‘Back to the future: Is Rio+20 a 1992 redux or is there cause for optimism?’ explored the prospects for the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Reducing Indonesia’s Health Risks: Filtering a Smoke-Free ASEAN?

Despite a tobacco control bill, the holding of a tobacco exposition in Jakarta this week 19-21 September thwarts the Indonesian government’s smoke-free initiatives. The expo has the effect of making t...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

Fostering Resilience Through Community Based Innovation

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

by Mary Rowe | On 19 Feb 2016

A Comparative Study Of Mergers And Acquisitions By Privately- And State-Owned Enterprises

Governments have become much more welcoming towards foreign investors over the past several decades. The widespread use of screening, performance requirements, and outright restrictions on foreign own...

by Michael Gestrin | On 19 Feb 2016

How Much Do We Know about the Impact of the Economic Downturn on the Employment of Migrants?

The employment shock of late 2008 in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) may have been a product of three different events: (i) the contractionary macroeconomic policies introduced by the government...

by Xin Meng | On 19 Feb 2016

Urbanization & Demographics: The Coordination Problem

The lecture is based on the realization that little attention is being paid to the inexorable increase in urban populations, particularly in very low income countries. Almost all of the world’s next 2...

by | On 19 Feb 2016

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

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

by Alan Fels | On 19 Feb 2016

Civil Servants’ Salary Structure

The paper looks at the trends in nominal and real salaries of the Federal Government employees over the period 1990-2006. It examines the structural defects in the existing salary structure and the an...

by Faiz Bilquees | On 18 Feb 2016

Adaptation to Climate Change in India: A Study of Union Budgets

The present study reviews the framework on adaptation in India and provides an estimation of the public resources devoted to this sector.

by Kaushik Ganguly | On 18 Feb 2016

The Federation Model Of Community Organizing

In the past two decades through a process called “Enumeration” through which the members collect at city level data about slums, Slum Dwellers International have created a mechanism which serves to cr...

by | On 18 Feb 2016

Disaster Risk Governance: Strengthening Collaboration with Non-State Actors

The increasing use of disaster risk governance today suggests that there is a deeper problem with how disasters are being managed. It does not mean governments have been ineffective. But they do have...

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia: Public Engagement before Policies

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

by | On 17 Feb 2016

Smart Content For Smart People : Best Practices of Sri Lankan e-Content and Applications of 2014

This book is a review of 49 white papers which were selected through e-Swabhimani 2014, Best e-Content and Application award of Sri Lanka. White papers are normally used in two main spheres, governm...

by org eldis. | On 17 Feb 2016

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

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Here Comes the Haze, Yet Again: Are New Measures Working?

The current episode of haze is the first after Indonesia ratified the ASEAN agreement to tackle haze pollution in 2014. It is also the first after Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 cam...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Southeast Asia’s Haze Problem: Why So Hard to Resolve?

Haze from Indonesian fires has again blanketed Singapore and Malaysia. Prevention strategies are improving, but will likely take years to become truly effective.

by | On 16 Feb 2016

ASEAN’s Haze Shroud: Grave Threat to Human Security

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

A New Series – Indonesia’s Haze and Disaster Governance Deficit

The current Southeast Asian haze problem is not a function of the lack of commitment on the part of President Jokowi’s government. The ineffectiveness of forest fire prevention and response lies deepe...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Towards a Transboundary Haze-Free ASEAN by 2020: Prevention and Collaboration

This commentary discusses the importance of preventive and preparedness actions and inclusive participatory collaboration with all stakeholders to sustain the efforts of a transboundary haze-free ASEA...

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Citizen-Led Accountability and Inclusivity in Pakistan

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

by | On 16 Feb 2016

Impact of Export Subsidies on Pakistan’s Exports

Throughout Pakistan’s history, policy has sought to promote exports through government support and incentives. The government machinery is geared to export promotion especially through direct and indi...

by Nadeem Ul Haque | On 16 Feb 2016

Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

In Pakistan innovation and risk taking is severely inhibited by the intrusive role of government in the marketplace. From the early days of planning when protection and subsidy policies determined win...

by Nadeem Ul Haque | On 16 Feb 2016

Health Care Services and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on health in Pakistan at provincial, both rural and urban level; using the primary data of the Pakistan Social Standard L...

by Muhammad Akram | On 16 Feb 2016

National Finance Commission Awards in Pakistan: A Historical Perspective

This study explores the evolution of fiscal resource distribution in Pakistan. Pakistan is a federation comprising four provinces, federally administered areas, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Be...

by Iftikhar Ahmed | On 16 Feb 2016

The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank: Should Asia Have Both?

The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) face three sets of challenges: those that are common to others in the official development finance community; those that are common to the World Ban...

by Vikram Nehru | On 16 Feb 2016

Economic Stability and Choice of Exchange Rate Regimes

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of Europe’s structural problems and governance as the cause of the current euro area crisis. The euro may have led to bubbles, but member econo...

by Sahoko Kaji | 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

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

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

by Kumar Shailabh | On 15 Feb 2016

Tax Expenditures in Bangladesh: An Introductory Analysis

This policy note attempts to introduce the concept and size of tax expenditures in the context of Bangladesh with special references to experiences of India and Pakistan. It shows that the amount of t...

by M. Golam Mortaza | On 15 Feb 2016

Monetary Policy and Capital Market Development in Bangladesh

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

by Shubhasish Barua | On 15 Feb 2016

Accountability and Transparency in Political Finance

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

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Judicial Accountability and Discipline

The judiciary needs to be independent of outside influence, particularly of political and economic entities such as government agencies or industry associations. But judicial independence does not mea...

by Transparency International TI | On 14 Feb 2016

Public Provision of Education and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on education in Pakistan at the provincial (both rural and urban) level, using the primary data of the Pakistan Social St...

by Muhammad Akram | On 14 Feb 2016

Income, Public Social Services, and Capability Development: A Cross-district Analysis of Pakistan

Is household income enough for human development or should government direct resources towards the provision of social services to improve capabilities of individuals? The former is emphasised by the...

by Rizwana Siddiqui | 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

Fragile States: A Donor-Serving Concept? Issues with Interpretations of Fragile Statehood in Afghanistan

Current conceptions and models of fragile statehood in conflict-affected contexts can serve the purposes of international donor governments over and above reconstruction and statebuilding. First, desp...

by Sultan Barakat | On 14 Feb 2016

The Political Games in the Taliban Negotiations

That the Taliban has agreed to negotiations is not surprising. It has much to gain from participating in negotiations – yet almost no incentives to agree to any sort of a deal before 2015. Nor should...

by Vanda Felbab-Brown | On 14 Feb 2016

A Deadly Triangle: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India

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

by William Dalrymple | On 14 Feb 2016

On Measuring the Complexity of Urban Living

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

by Lubna Hasan | On 14 Feb 2016

Let Them Fly - A Multi-Agency Response to Child Marriages in Haryana

The Prohibition of Child Marriages Act (PCMA), 2006 came into effect on 1 November, 2007 replacing the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929. PCMA is a social re-engineering mechanism which mandates St...

by Trupti Jhaveri Panchal | On 14 Feb 2016

Special Cell for Women and Children: The Spirit and Strategies to Meet the Challenges

The aim of the present endeavour is to highlight these commonalities in the nature of the work and individual functioning and thereby adhere to the team spirit and democratic principles of the Special...

by Tata Institue of Social Sciences TISS | On 14 Feb 2016

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

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

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 13 Feb 2016

Social Networks in India: Caste, Tribe and Religious Variation

Using original data from a newly collected nationwide survey for 40,000 households in India, we examine variation in social capital in India across caste, tribe, and religion. Our primary measure uses...

by Reeve Vanneman | On 13 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

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 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

India and Central Asia: Trade Routes and Trade Potential

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

by Pradeep Agrawal | On 11 Feb 2016

Towards Fiscal Consolidation and a Simplified Tax Structure?

The forthcoming union budget 2016-17 faces several fiscal challenges and it will be tough task for the government to provide positive signals to revive the private investment while pursuing the fiscal...

by Pratap Jena | On 11 Feb 2016

Fast-tracking Green Patent Applications: An Empirical Analysis

In recent years, innovation has topped the agenda of policymakers worldwide as they seek to promote green growth and advance sustainable development. As a result, several countries - including Austral...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

Wageindicator Living Wages - Methodological Note

WageIndicator living wage introduces a concept that allows users and stakeholders through web interface to share and compare living wages across countries and regions using a methodology that accounts...

by | On 10 Feb 2016

Women’s Health in Urban Vadodara: Reflections based on SAHAJ’s Experience

Our data shows that most women go to the private sector for most of their reproductive health needs. After our early interventions, eligible/BPL women began availing of the benefits of the Chiranjeevi...

by | On 09 Feb 2016

Life and Work in Jeedimetla: A Montage

The workers have to put up with poor housing and living conditions that cramp and disrupt their family lives. There is no government plan to house these workers when industrial areas like in Jeedimetl...

by Mithun Som | On 09 Feb 2016

Addressing Health Inequities through Community-led Advocacy in Bangalore: Experiences, Successes and Challenges

Like other cities, Bangalore suffers from fragmentation of government health services, with institutions and outreach services run by BBMP, the State Health Department, the State Medical Education d...

by Sudha Nagavarapu | On 09 Feb 2016

Representative versus Responsible Government

The changing circumstances in which parties compete in contemporary democracies, coupled with the changing circumstances in which governments now govern, have led to a widening of the traditional gap...

by | On 08 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

Legitimacy and Compliance in Transnational Governance

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

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Addressing Barriers to Digital Trade

This paper addresses the question of whether it is possible to balance the need for a free flow of information across borders with legitimate government concerns related to public order, consumer priv...

by | On 08 Feb 2016

Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management: a Field Guide

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

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

Statement 22: Recognition of Budget for Children in India

This paper traces the process of recognition of children’s budget and the introduction of Statement 22- Budget Provisions for Schemes for the Welfare of Children in the Expenditure Budget Volume 1. I...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 08 Feb 2016

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

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

by Uttara Balakrishnan | On 07 Feb 2016

Leader Networks and Transaction Costs: A Chinese Experiment in Interjurisdictional Contracting

Do leader networks promote efficient intergovernmental contracts? We examine a groundbreaking policy in China where subprovincial governments freely traded land conversion quotas and investigate the r...

by Nancy H. Chau | On 07 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

Looking Beyond 2015: A Role For Governance

The year 2015 signals the end date for development commitments that global leaders first made at the United Nations (UN) in 2000: the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the world looks beyond 201...

by Transparency International TI | On 06 Feb 2016

A Dynamic Macroeconometric Model of Pakistan’s Economy

In this study, an attempt has been made of develop a dynamic macroeconometric model of Pakistan’s economy to examine the behaviour of major macroeconomic variables such as output, consumption, investm...

by Muhammad Arshad Khan | On 06 Feb 2016

Urban Poverty in Nepal

This research report tracks various aspects of poverty in Nepal across geographical areas and evaluates the rise of squatter settlements. It also looks at various dimensions of poverty, resilience for...

by Shivit Bakrania | On 05 Feb 2016

Bangladesh National Integrity System Assessment 2014

One of the key strategic areas of Transparency International Bangladesh's research has always been the institutions of democracy and specialized pillars of governance and accountability, which constit...

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

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

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

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

Foreign Aid and the Fiscal Behaviour of Government of Pakistan

This study examines the effect of foreign aid on the fiscal behaviour of the Government of Pakistan. It applies the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model to analyse the relationship that prevailed betw...

by Rabia Butt | On 03 Feb 2016

How the Green Climate Fund Could Promote REDD+ through a Cash on Delivery Instrument: Issues and Options

A specific proposal is suggested for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to pilot a pay for results agreement – using a Cash on Delivery (COD) approach – to slow climate change through reductions in deforest...

by William Savedoff | On 03 Feb 2016

Does the Rise of the Middle Class Lock in Good Government in the Developing World?

The current size of the income-secure middle class and its likely future growth, suggest that optimism is indeed warranted for many of today’s middle-income countries. But it is not warranted for all...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 03 Feb 2016

Food Security Post-2015: What Countries Need to Do So That Regional Collaboration Can Be Effective

Attempts to explain why ending hunger has been so hard, so here the focus is on four main themes: the complex role of markets, the importance of government policies, the historical process of structur...

by C. Peter Timmer | On 03 Feb 2016

Explaining the de facto Open-access of Public Property Commons

Public property common pool resources in many developing countries are manage them in a sustainable manner. While this explanation may have some merit, it is certainly inadequate. Instead, we argue th...

by Junaid Memon | On 03 Feb 2016

Financial Incentives to Industry

This paper provides details of the decisions made by the Environment Standards Committee (ESC) on Financial Incentives to industry. It also documents the progress made so far in the implementation of...

by Abdul Khan | On 02 Feb 2016

The Copts of Egypt: "State Discrimination and Exclusion"

This paper looks the factors which gave birth to a common Coptic identity in opposition to the state. Have the Copts been compelled to adopt this common identification to resist the state's policies t...

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Corruption Perceptions Index 2015

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

by | On 02 Feb 2016

Remittances: An Unrecognised Support Mechanism During Humanitarian Crises

Remittances – money sent home by migrants – can help families survive conflicts or natural disasters. However, humanitarian agencies often fail to consider remittances when planning interventions. Thi...

by Paul Harvey | On 01 Feb 2016

The Role of NGOs In Conflict and Peace-Building

Non-government organisations (NGOs) have become increasingly involved in the international response to armed conflict, some aiming to mitigate the effects of war and others to help end the violence. B...

by Jonathan Goodhand | On 01 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

Developing Technologies for Sustainable Fisheries in Asia

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

by The WorldFish Center TWC | On 01 Feb 2016

People, Policy, and Partnership for Disaster Resilient Development

The National Alliance of Disaster Risk Reduction (NADRR) was launched at a two-day workshop held in New Delhi on November 3rd and 4th, 2007. The workshop brought together over 150 participants represe...

by National Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction NADRR | On 01 Feb 2016

The Israeli Policy of Nuclear Ambiguity

The Israeli policy of nuclear ambiguity was developed in the 1960s, and is still followed by the Israeli government. This study seeks to uncover the origins of this policy and the domestic and externa...

by | On 01 Feb 2016

A Taste of Success: Examples of the Budget Work of NGOs

This report is a compilation of examples of the budget work undertaken by nongovernmental organizations from around the world. Although many of these organizations are new to budget analysis, they h...

by International Budget Partnership IBP | 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

A Global Green New Deal for Sustainable Development

Seventy-six years ago, in the midst of the Great Depression, the United States government introduced the New Deal. The New Deal effectively harnessed the fiscal stimulus for environmental as well as d...

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

Reaching a Climate Deal in Copenhagen

There is a growing awareness that action is urgently needed to seriously address the climate change problem. The multilateral process that began with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...

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

Governments Need to Push for More Energy Efficient End-Use Technologies

About 2.7 billion people do not have access to modern energy. Without it, they have little chance of achieving a decent living standard. Much more economic progress is needed to lift the living standa...

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

Achieving Sustainable Development: The Energy Investment Challenge

There is an emerging consensus holding that sustainable development requires a radical transformation of the world’s energy system. This brief suggests that countries will need to manage large and com...

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

Policies for Industrial Learning in China and Mexico

In this paper a comparative analysis of the role of government policies in industrial learning and the development of capabilities of indigenous firms in Mexico and China in order to shed light on why...

by Kevin P. Gallagher | 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 and the 13th Amendment: Tamil Disenchantment

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

by Suryanarayan V. | On 31 Jan 2016

Trade Policy and Food Security: Farm Policies of Developed Countries: What Kind of Trade Policy Framework is needed to Support Food Security Goals?

Farm Policies in developed countries have been widely blamed for creating problems for food security in developing countries. These problems have included high barriers to developing country exports,...

by | On 30 Jan 2016

The Future and the WTO: Confronting the Challenges: A collection of short essays

Mutually agreeable solutions have yet to be found for moving the WTO’s stalled Doha Round forward. This collection of short essays aims to help in the search for consensus by providing brief but thoro...

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

Organizational and Institutional Issues in Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management

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

by Catherine Ragasa | On 30 Jan 2016

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is a new survey-based index designed to measure the empowerment, agency, and inclusion of women in the agricultural sector. The WEAI was initially d...

by Sabina Alkire | On 30 Jan 2016

Voice And Accountability In The Health Sector

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

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

Does Governance Matter for Enhancing Trade? Empirical Evidence from Asia

The primary objective of this paper is to find whether or not the governance and institutions matter for enhancing Asia’s trade. In this study, we have performed a comprehensive empirical analysis of...

by Prabir De | On 30 Jan 2016

Assessing Barriers to Trade in Services in India

This study analyses the linkages between India’s services trade flow and its probable barriers. The results of the analysis show that the linkages between services export and services trade barriers a...

by Prabir De | On 30 Jan 2016

A Report on the Status of Pardhis in Mumbai City

Owing to a dearth of government data and research studies on the urban existence of Pardhis, one of the principal aims of this study was to render visibility to the issue.

by Paankhi Agrawal | On 30 Jan 2016

Poverty-Environment Nexus An Investigation of Linkage and Policy Implications

The present paper titled Poverty-Environment Nexus: An Investigation of Linkage and Policy Implications has been prepared under the CPD-UNDP collaboration programme on Pro-Poor Macroeconomic Policies...

by Centre for Policy Dialogue CPD | On 29 Jan 2016

Healing Wounds: How the International Centers of the CGIAR Help Rebuild Agriculture in Countries Affected by Conflicts and Natural Disasters

This study first reviews current thinking on the underlying causes of conflicts and disasters, identifying poverty as a major driver of both. Poverty breeds frustration, compelling the poor to turn to...

by Surendra Varma | On 29 Jan 2016

Glacier Systems and Seasonal Snow Cover in Six Major Asian River Basins: Water Storage Properties under Changing Climate

The publications in this series cover a wide range of subjects—from computer modeling to experience with water user associations—and vary in content from directly applicable research to more basic stu...

by Vladimir Smakhtin | On 28 Jan 2016

A Legally Binding Agreement (LBA) - Growing Need for Air Pollution Reduction and Control in South Asia

With increasing urbanization and economic growth, air pollution is becoming an urgent concern in South Asian countries. The study upon which this paper is based has been conducted at SDPI, to look int...

by Mahmood Khwaja | On 28 Jan 2016

Economic Rationale, Subsidy and Cost Sharing for Watershed Projects: Imperatives for Institutions and Market Development

This paper seeks to examine the experiences with respect to subsidies and cost-sharing in the light of the various watershed programmes supported by the state as well as donor agencies and other non-g...

by Amita Shah | On 28 Jan 2016

Linking Conservation with Livelihood: Lessons from Management of Gir-Protected Area in Western India

The paper talks about linking-up of regeneration efforts within and outside the Protected Area (PA) by treating them as an integrated ecological system may help better management and also protection o...

by Amita Shah | On 28 Jan 2016

Drinking Water Supply: Environmental Problems, Causes, Impacts and Remedies – Experiences from Karnataka

Drinking water is a basic requirement for life and a determinant of standard of living. The paper examines the nature and magnitude of environmental problems, causes and impacts in drinking water supp...

by Puttaswamaiah S. | On 28 Jan 2016

Management by Participation? Village Institutions and Drinking Water Supply in Gujarat

One of the critical dimensions of rural water supply has been participation by the local community in managing the source and finances. Drawing upon case studies of 20 villages (spread across 17 distr...

by Keshab Das | On 28 Jan 2016

Can Mandated Political Representation Increase Policy Influence for Disadvantaged Minorities? Theory and Evidence from India

A basic premise of representative democracy is that all those subject to policy should have a voice in its making. However, policies enacted by electorally accountable governments often fail to refle...

by Rohini Pande | On 28 Jan 2016

How Can We Know (More) About the Trade Effects of Regulation?

Standards and regulations have externalities for other governments, citizens, and economic actors. The vector for those externalities is international trade, which is the reason that trade agreements...

by | On 27 Jan 2016

When the Hen Crows: Obstacles that Prevent Indigenous Women from Influencing Health-care Policies – A Case Study of Shillong, Meghalaya, India

Meghalaya is a landlocked and largely agrarian state in northeast India with an approximate population of three million. Various government surveys report that roughly half the state lives below the p...

by | On 26 Jan 2016

Unravelling Commitment? An Empirical Assessment of Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Five High Burden Countries

In recent years, the global hunger and nutrition community has increasingly come to view political commitment as an essential ingredient for pushing food and nutrition security higher up public policy...

by | On 26 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

Trade Policy Uncertainty as Barrier to Trade

This paper studies the effects of trade policy uncertainty on the extensive and the intensive margins of trade for a sample of 149 exporters at the HS6 digit level. We measure trade policy uncertainty...

by Nadia Rocha | On 26 Jan 2016

Tbt Provisions In Regional Trade Agreements: To What Extent Do They Go Beyond The WTO TBT Agreement?

This paper investigates whether TBT provisions included in RTAs differ from those under the WTO TBT Agreement, and, if they do, whether they entail broader commitments. Our analysis covers 238 RTAs, o...

by Vira Khoroshavina | On 26 Jan 2016

Covered or not Covered: That is The Question - Services Classification and Its Implications for Specific Commitments under the GATS

This paper attempts to make contribution by providing an overview of services classification and highlighting its relevance to both trade negotiations and WTO dispute settlement. It consists of four s...

by Ruosi Zhang | On 26 Jan 2016

Government Intervention and Prices of Medicines: Lessons from Tamil Nadu

This paper looks at the approach adopted by the government of Tamil Nadu where drug procurement and supply is done through an autonomous agency. The paper emphasises the need for such goverment interv...

by N. Lalitha | On 26 Jan 2016

Agency and Access under Decentralized Governance: Water Supply and Sanitation in Kolkata City

Ensuring sustainable access to basic services in urban India has continued to remain a major challenge for civic bodies. A fast growing urban population has exerted great pressure on the provisioning...

by Keshab Das | On 26 Jan 2016

Regulating Microfinance through Codes of Conduct: A Critical Review of the Indian Experience

The paper critically reviews the course of events that led to the development of codes of conduct for the microfinance industry in the country and examines their effectiveness in motivating microfinan...

by Tara S Nair | On 25 Jan 2016

Climate Change and Vulnerability in Bangladesh

It is predicted that climate change will aggravate the presence of sudden (e.g. cyclones, floods etc.) and chronic (e.g. drought, erosion) hazards to agrarian communities in Bangladesh. According to t...

by Md Maniruzzaman | On 23 Jan 2016

Climate and Development Outlook

This publication summarises CDKN’s partnership work with Bangladesh to date, highlighting key achievements and signposting further information. We are involved at many levels, by investing in policy-r...

by Climate and Development Outlook CDO | On 23 Jan 2016

From The Ground Up Changing The Conversation About Climate Change

The survey had two main aims – to provide a replicable baseline that could be measured over time and to inform the development of communication strategies in the future. The project has also developed...

by Stephan Faris | On 23 Jan 2016

Interest Rates and the Demand for Money in Bangladesh: An Empirical Investigation with Quarterly Data, 1997Q4-2006Q4

This paper investigates the sensitivity of money demand to interest rates on treasury bills in Bangladesh with quarterly data for the period 1997Q4-2006Q4. A standard demand for money function is spec...

by Akhand Akhtar Hossain | On 23 Jan 2016

Institutional Lending and Financing Policy for SMEs in Bangladesh

Over the last few years, the government has taken a number of initiatives in terms of financial, fiscal, and related policies; adopted strategies; and implemented actions for promoting SME-led economi...

by Naima Nazneen Rikta | On 23 Jan 2016

Inflation Accounting Across Income Groups: Does Inflation Hurt the Poor More in Bangladesh?

This note provides estimates of the contribution of food prices to inflation in Bangladesh. The results suggest that the current inflation takes a bigger toll on the poor because they spend more of th...

by M. Golam Mortaza | On 23 Jan 2016

Prospects and Challenges of Bond Market Development in Bangladesh

The thin bond market in Bangladesh faces manifold challenges emanating from several sources including excessive reliance on bank credit, government debt instruments dominated by primary auction based...

by Md. Akhtaruzzaman | On 23 Jan 2016

Enhancing Disaster Management Capacity in South Asia

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

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Political Risks in India-North Korea Ties

North Korea’s latest expression of interest in humanitarian help from India has brought into new focus the whole issue of economic engagement between the two countries. India may well have to weigh th...

by | On 23 Jan 2016

Better Ask the Parrot

It may be time to look at the market forecasts that pundits had made earlier.

by T.N. Ninan | On 23 Jan 2016

Ensuring Access for the Climate Vulnerable in Bangladesh

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

by International Centre for Climate Change and Develo ICCCAD | On 23 Jan 2016

Bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) Opportunities and Challenges for Bangladesh - Framework Issues

In the backdrop of rise in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in developing countries, particularly after the global financial and economic crisis, Bangladesh is still ambivalent in setting its strategies r...

by Khondaker Moazzem | On 23 Jan 2016

Loss & Damage Associated with Climate Change: The Legal and Institutional Context in Bangladesh

The study concludes that existing legal and policy frameworks provide a limited scope to assess and address both the current and potential future risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse im...

by Abdullah Faruque | On 23 Jan 2016

Impact of Climate Change on Least Developed Countries: Are The SDGs Possible?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will define the priorities of the UN’s development agendabeyond 2015. But the reality of climate change impacts will render these aspirational goals almost imp...

by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC | On 23 Jan 2016

Social Cost-Benefit Analysis of Delhi Metro

The growing demand for public transport in mega cities has serious effects on urban ecosystems, especially due to the increased atmospheric pollution and changes in land use patterns. An ecologically...

by Rashmi Singh | On 23 Jan 2016

Navigating the Global Financial Storm: Challenges for Bangladesh

The present global financial crisis shows that there is no substitute of prudent government intervention and careful regulation even when market determined incentive structures operate. The pursuit of...

by Bangladesh Bank | On 23 Jan 2016

Scenarios of Waste and Resource Management: for Cities in India and Elsewhere

The report identifies four future scenarios of this complex waste/resource management landscape using tools from Foresight methods and political economy analysis. We also identify the dynamics within...

by Ashish Chaturvedi | On 23 Jan 2016

PDS ‘To Go’? ‘Portability’ of Rights through Real-time Monitoring: the Centralised Online Real-time Electronic PDS in Chhattisgarh, India

Information and communications technology (ICT)-based reforms are increasingly being used to improve the delivery of public services. The main question which the research reported here addressed is th...

by Anuradha Joshi | On 23 Jan 2016

Understanding The Rising Powers' Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

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

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

Do Government Transfers Reduce Conflict?

Social conflicts have been solved through fiscal policy and the provision of public goods and services over the centuries. Data from India, too, show government expenditure on social services has had...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

Engaging Men for Effective Activism against Sexual and Gender-based Violence

To maximise the potential of working with men to ensure inclusion, and sustainability in the response to SGBV, the global programme on Effective Organised Activism against Gender-based Violence highli...

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 23 Jan 2016

Community Based Women Empowerment Initiatives in India

Over the years, India has designed and implemented a number of targeted interventions for the poor including putting in place specific reservations for the disadvantaged to ensure equitable access to...

by Global IPE | On 22 Jan 2016

India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions

This document outlines one component of India’s INDC submission to the UNFCCC focussing on the renewable energy contribution to its future electricity mix. So far, the Government of India has articula...

by Sudatta Ray | On 22 Jan 2016

The E15 Initiative: Strengthening the Global Trade and Investment System in the 21st Century

World trade has experienced a significant slowdown since the 2008 financial crisis. Over this period, the global ratio of trade expansion to income growth has halved. An effective global trade and inv...

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

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

INDIA’S GHG Emissions Profile: Results of Five Climate Modelling Studies

The effort has been to ensure that these studies are fact-based and objective and are not seen as a “government study”. We believe that the debates and negotiations on climate change are best served b...

by Climate Modelling Forum CMF | On 22 Jan 2016

Access, Equity and Inclusion : Ethical Norms and S&T Policy Outcomes

In our research on science policy and inclusion and ethics in S&T policy we identified that in the Indian context Access, Equity and Inclusion (AEI) can be the norms to assess the policy outcomes and...

by Krishna Ravi Srinivas | On 21 Jan 2016

Climate Change and Cities

This paper is a study of climate change discourse in urban India. It suggests that the policies being articulated to deal with climate issues are premised on incremental changes rather than radical re...

by Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay | On 21 Jan 2016

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

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

by Institute of Development Studies IDS | On 21 Jan 2016

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

Statistics and Indicators for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

This report highlights the experience from the Millennium Development Goals has shown that well-defined, objectively measurable indicators can help to maintain focus on internationally agreed developm...

by United Nations (UN) | On 20 Jan 2016

Stunting among Children Facts and Implications

Indian children are very short, on average, compared with children living in other countries. Because height reflects early life health and net nutrition, and because good early life health also helps...

by Alessandro Tarozzi | On 20 Jan 2016

Mapping of Nutrition Teaching and Training Initiatives in India: The Need for Public Health Nutrition

India also tops the charts globally in the prevalence of risk factors for several chronic diseases. Although Public Health Nutrition (PHN) - both as an academic field as well as a means to improved he...

by Shweta Khandelwal | On 19 Jan 2016

Rural Sanitation Transformation in Himachal Pradesh

The relationship between poor sanitation, water borne disease, mortality and malnutrition is well documented. Statistics about the number of deaths due to diarrhea as well as stunting caused by malnut...

by Deepak Sanan | On 19 Jan 2016

United Nations E-Government Survey 2014

E-government—digital interactions between governments and people—varies greatly among and within regions, but most countries are making progress on providing greater access, according to the 2014 UN E...

by United Nations (UN) | On 19 Jan 2016

Designing Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Investments

The present document is designed to serve as a tool to guide programme planners who are aiming to apply these recommendations in the design of agricultural investments and programmes. The persistence...

by Anna Lartey | On 19 Jan 2016

“If we eat well, we can study” Dietary Diversity in the Everyday Lives of Children in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

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

by Elisabetta Aurino | On 19 Jan 2016

Thirty-Five Years Later: Evaluating Effects of a Quasi-Random Child Health and Family Planning Programme in Bangladesh

This project examines the effects of the Matlab Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning (MCH-FP) program that started in 1977, 35 years later. Treatment and comparison areas were built into the...

by Tania Barham | On 19 Jan 2016

Delhi’s Traffic Nightmare: Lessons from Global Practices

Delhi's traffic management is based on a system designed long before motor vehicle ownership in the city had reached its current mammoth size. This system is immensely inadequate to respond to the gro...

by prashant kumar | On 19 Jan 2016

Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia: Results from a Pilot Project in Vietnam

Human trafficking is one of the most widely spread and fastest growing crimes in the world. However, despite the scope of the problem, the important human rights issues at stake and the professed inte...

by Ngan Dinh | On 19 Jan 2016

Public Infrastructure as a Determinant of Intertemporal and Interregional Productive Performance in China

This paper focuses on the question whether public infrastructure capital matters for labor productivity in China, both over time and across regions. It finds that public infrastructure is a significan...

by | On 15 Jan 2016

Housing Policies in China: Issues and Options

This article consists in three parts. The first part deals with theory. We evaluate the pros and cons of government involvement in urban housing and of renting versus ownership. In the second part, we...

by Yves Zenou | On 14 Jan 2016

Gender and Climate Change Thematic Section

Eldis has brought together an editorially selected range of over 170 research resources from diverse perspectives and publishers. The theme focuses on gender equality and the role that both women and...

by E. Esplen | On 14 Jan 2016

Gender Sensitivity In Disaster Management

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

by Janet Robinson | On 14 Jan 2016

Broken Lives and Deserted Homes: Report on Exodus of Muslim Families from Atali

The following is a report based on PUDR’s repeated visits to Atali and its interactions with Muslim and Jat families over the last four months.

by PUDR Peoples Union for Democratic Rights | On 13 Jan 2016

The Imprudence of Labour Market Flexibilization in a Fiscally Austere World

This paper assesses the effects of combining fiscal austerity with flexibilization policies aimed at reducing labour costs and increasing competitiveness. Core to our analysis is a global perspective...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Will Inequality Lead China to the Middle Income Trap?

China has departed from the East Asian model of development by letting inequality to rise to a high level, which is contributing to China’s current problems of macroeconomic imbalance, declining effic...

by | On 11 Jan 2016

Trade and Environment Review 2003

This Review addresses this concern by tackling trade and environment issues from a development perspective. It also attempts to provide developing countries´ Governments and civil society with a forum...

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

Sharing of Social Sectors Experiences in IBSA: Assessment of Initiatives and Way Forward

The paper analyses the select Communiqués and Declarations pertaining to social sectors issued from time to time. In this context, it evaluates the status and performance of social development in each...

by | On 09 Jan 2016

India-Myanmar Ties: New Hope, Old Despair

India’s current trade negotiations have three agreements as top priorities. Two of these the India ASEAN services agreement and the bilateral trade and investment agreement with the European Union (EU...

by Laldinkima Sailo | On 09 Jan 2016

Competitive Diplomacy of India and China

India and China, viewing themselves as key players within the BRICS which they see in a worldwide perspective, had in fact made two different global commitments on the eve of this Brisbane G20 summit....

by P S Suryanarayana | On 09 Jan 2016

State of Injustice: The Indian State and Poverty

The paper throws light on the view that the Indian state has been one that has been perpetrated by injustice irrespective of a series of ground-breaking legislative acts that enshrine a number of soci...

by John Harriss | On 09 Jan 2016

Indian Military Diplomacy: Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

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

by C. Raja Mohan | On 09 Jan 2016

The Indian Bond Market

This paper tries to explain the main characteristics of the Indian government and corporate bond markets and what has contributed to the poor development of the latter. It goes on to show that an oppo...

by Chandrani Sarma | On 09 Jan 2016

Indian agricultural development in the context of economic reforms. Causes of change and issues for a future reform agenda.

This work examines the influence of reforms in the 1990s regarding the agricultural development in India. Many studies have analysed the impact of these reforms but most of them focused on foreign tra...

by Marion Künzler | On 08 Jan 2016

Double Bubble Trouble

Sustaining anything in the region of 7% growth should be good enough in a troubled and risk-laden world.

by T.N. Ninan | On 08 Jan 2016

Natural Resources Contested in Autonomous Councils: Assessing the Causes of Ethnic Conflict in North-East India

Constitutional arrangements for peripheral areas in India reflect the national government’s instrumentalist attempts at decentralising bureaucratic and administrative control in far-flung (essentially...

by Sanjay Barbora | On 08 Jan 2016

Prevention and Resolution of Foreign Exchange Crises in East Asia

This paper discusses mechanisms to prevent and resolve foreign exchange crises in East Asia. Policies and mechanisms at the country level as well as regional and global levels are discussed. Policies...

by Andrew Cooper | On 07 Jan 2016

Institutions for Asian Integration: Innovation and Reform

The formation of regional production networks in East Asia has occurred mainly through market forces, without much help from regional institutions in promoting the creation of a single Asian market. W...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 07 Jan 2016

A Report on Fluorosis mitigation in Dhar District (M.P.)

Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with the help of Peoples’ Science Institute, Dehra Doon undertook fluoride testing and fluorosis mitigation in Tirala, Dharampuri and Umarban bloks of Dhar district. The program...

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

Collapsing ‘Government’, Emerging ‘Governances’

Contrary to widespread belief, the collapse of ‘government’ does not automatically entail the collapse of ‘governance’. In a setting of ‘unstable’ livelihoods, households’ coping strategies, coupled w...

by | On 07 Jan 2016

A Tortured History: Federalism and Democracy in Pakistan

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

by | On 07 Jan 2016

Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Evaluation and Implications for East Asian Regionalism

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement seems to have reached a crossroads: it could either be a building block toward achieving economic integration in Asia and the Pacific, or trigger the form...

by Inkyo Cheong | On 07 Jan 2016

Banking Crises and 'Japanization': Origins and Implications

Japan’s “two lost decades” perhaps represent an extreme example of a weak recovery from a financial crisis, and are now referred to as “Japanization.” More recently, widespread stagnation in advanced...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 07 Jan 2016

Special Study on Sustainable Fisheries Management and International Trade in the Southeast Asia and Pacific Region

This paper analyzes the current status of fisheries and aquaculture in Southeast Asia and international trade. Analysis concludes that a policy of sustainable management for both capture fisheries and...

by Masayuki Komatsu | On 07 Jan 2016

Contracting out the Last-Mile of Service Delivery: Subsidized Food Distribution in Indonesia

The paper examines these issues by conducting a randomized field experiment in 572 Indonesian localities in which a procurement process was introduced that allowed citizens to bid to take over the imp...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 07 Jan 2016

The Single Best Health Policy in the World: Tobacco Taxes

The single most cost-effective way to save lives in developing countries is in the hands of developing countries themselves: raising tobacco taxes.

by | On 06 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

Results and Analysis of the Perception Survey: Unemployed Youth of Bhutan

This paper presents results and findings from a survey aimed at understanding perceptions among Bhutan’s unemployed youth. It also provides analysis of the results and concludes with an eight point pl...

by | On 06 Jan 2016

Internal Migration, Poverty and Development in Asia

This article explores the relationship between internal migration and economic growth and development in Asia, concentrating on four countries: China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. Levels of internal...

by | On 05 Jan 2016

Habitat III Issue Papers : 22 – Informal Settlements

Although some governments acknowledge the existence of slums and informal settlements, many do not. This lack of recognition and subsequent response directly undermines city-wide sustainable developme...

by | On 05 Jan 2016

Stories of Change in Nutrition: A Tool Pool

This paper—which draws on inputs to, and discussions at, a methods development workshop—highlights the various concepts, methods, and tools that SoC researchers are considering to measure nutrition-re...

by | On 04 Jan 2016

Labour Migration Trends and Patterns: Bangladesh, India, and Nepal 2013

This regional study commissioned by The Asia Foundation entitled "Labour Migration: Trends and Patterns" examines the patterns and process of labour migration by Nepali and Bangladeshi migrant workers...

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People

The findings from The Asia Foundation's fifth public opinion poll in Afghanistan, Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People, which covers all 34 of Afghanistan's provinces.

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Democracy in Indonesia A Survey of the Indonesian Electorate 2003

This report presents the findings of The Asia Foundation’s third national survey of the ndonesian electorate. The aim of the research was to assess voter knowledge and opinion, and to identify key iss...

by The Asia Foundation | On 02 Jan 2016

Summary of Indonesia's Education Sector Assessment

The Indonesian school system is one of the largest and most diverse in the world, with more than 50 million students, 4 million teachers and more than 250,000 schools. Over the past 15 years, the gove...

by Norman LaRocque | On 01 Jan 2016

Developing Myanmar’s Information and Communication Technology Sector toward Inclusive Growth

Myanmar is expected to grow at least 6.8% per year in the coming years. Accompanying this growth will be an increase in demand for infrastructure services, including ICT-related services, both for co...

by Kee-Yung Nam | On 01 Jan 2016

Open Educational Resources: Enhancing Education Provision and Practice

Open educational resources made their appearance in early 2002 as a promising tool for enhancing the quality of and access to education and were perceived to have the potential to reduce costs by reus...

by Jouko Sarvi | On 01 Jan 2016

Public–Private Partnerships in Information and Communication Technology for Education

A study of how PPPs have been employed by ADB developing member countries in Asia and the Pacific identified seven initiatives that adopted the underlying principles of PPP in developing and deliverin...

by Jouko Sarvi | On 01 Jan 2016

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

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

by Ravi Chopra | On 29 Dec 2015

Global Increase in Climate-Related Disasters

Intense climate-related natural disasters—floods, storms, as well as droughts and heat waves—have been on the rise worldwide. Is there an ominous link between the global increase of these hydrometeoro...

by Ramón López | On 29 Dec 2015

Evaluation on the Contribution of UN Women to Prevent Violence against Women and Expand Access to Services

During 2012-2013, the UN Women Independent Evaluation Office undertook a corporate thematic evaluation of the UN Women contribution to preventing violence against women (VAW) and expanding access to r...

by UN Women | On 28 Dec 2015

Afghanistan in 2014: A Survey of the Afghan People

This report puts out findings from The Asia Foundation's tenth survey in Afghanistan - the broadest public opinion poll in the country, surveying 9,271 Afghan citizens across all 34 provinces.

by Zach Warren | On 26 Dec 2015

The Political Economy of Transitions: Governance Assessments and Measurements

This discussion paper examines existing methods for measuring aspects of political transitions. The paper canvasses and examines existing measurement tools that focus on some, but not all, relevant di...

by United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] | On 23 Dec 2015

Fiscal Decentralization And Tax Incentives In The Developing world

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

by Quan Li | On 23 Dec 2015

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

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

by Jonas Mecklinga | On 23 Dec 2015

National Refugee Law for India: Benefits and Roadblocks

This paper intends to ascertain whether a uniform national law would be beneficial to the interests of the three main parties involved with refugee policy in India, namely the Government of India, the...

by Arjun Nair | On 22 Dec 2015

Tension in the Rolling Hills: Burmese Population and Border Trade in Mizoram

This paper first describes Mizoram’s Burmese population and its integration in Mizo society. It then examines border trade and its implications, with a particular focus on Aizawl’s central market, Bar...

by Julien Levesque | On 22 Dec 2015

Climate Change and India: A 4 X4 Assessment a Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030

This report is a step in this direction. In particular, the knowledge and understanding of impacts as deduced from the Global Circulation Models and Regional Climate Models are not adequate to assess...

by Government of India GOI | On 22 Dec 2015

Water-Related Disasters and Disaster Risk Management in the People’s Republic of China

Disaster risk now presents one of the most serious threats to inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development. Coupled with anticipated increases in the frequency and intensity of weather-related...

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

Teacher Incentives: Evidence from Schools in Delhi

The paper reports on existing incentive structures in a sample of government and private schools in Delhi and elicits teachers’ perspectives on factors which motivate them. It is found that performanc...

by | On 21 Dec 2015

Missed Opportunities in Global Health: Identifying New Strategies to Improve Mental Health in LMICs

Countries like South Africa and India are putting new mental health policies in place. There is now a clear agenda of “what to deliver” to make this deplorable reality better, and indeed a nascent adv...

by Victoria Menil | On 19 Dec 2015

Real Exchange Rate and its Impact on Export, Import and Trade Balance: Is There any J Curve Effect in Bangladesh?

The intention of this paper is to examine whether Real Exchange Rate (RER)depreciation has any impact on export, import and trade balance of Bangladesh. Real exchange rate is calculated using Tk./do...

by Maidul Chowdhury | On 19 Dec 2015

Study of the Regulatory and Operational Structure of the Higher Education Sector in India

This project will study and document these barriers in a carefully chosen sample. Privately-managed higher education institutions have been chosen for the study. This will include a study of the three...

by Parth Shah | On 18 Dec 2015

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

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

by Pradeep Choudhury | On 18 Dec 2015

Exchange Rate Reform in South Sudan

This paper considers the role of the exchange rate in the economy and its importance as a macroeconomic instrument, and outlines the policy choices that are available to governments in general, and th...

by Keith Jefferis | 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

Meta-Study of Literature on Budget Private Schools in India

Budget Private Schools (BPS) are privately-run schools that charge very low fees, operating among the poorer sections of the society and have become relevant to the education discourse of India. This...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 18 Dec 2015

Citizen Participation and Accountability for Sustainable Development

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

by Danny Burns | On 17 Dec 2015

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

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

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

by | On 17 Dec 2015

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

Income Inequality and Labour Income Share in G20 Countries: Trends, Impacts and Causes

The paper present concise evidence of recent trends in inequality and labour income shares and to identify possible causes as a basis for developing potential policy responses. This report takes up th...

by Internaional Labour Organization [ILO] | On 17 Dec 2015

The Challenges of Climate Change: Children on the Front Line

The challenge of climate change is huge; it requires an urgent response from all generations. As the effects of climate change become more visible and extreme, they are likely to affect adversely the...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 17 Dec 2015

Building Tax Capacity in Developing Countries

The agenda for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development suggests there will be less focus on aid, and more on how developing countries can generate their own financial resources...

by Mick Moore | On 16 Dec 2015

Engaging with Health Markets in Low and Middle-Income Countries

Many low and middle-income countries have pluralistic health systems with a variety of providers of health-related goods and services in terms of their level of training, their ownership (public or pr...

by Henry Lucas | On 16 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

China's Fitful Economic Reforms

Back in 2004, when I ran the Chinadesk at the International Monetary Fund, my team some written questions to Beijing ahead of our meetings with Chinese officials. China’s central bank had claimed that...

by Eswar Prasad | On 16 Dec 2015

Merchants of Labor: Agents of the Evolving Migration Infrastructure

The special focus of this paper are the merchants of labour, the public and private agents who move workers over borders. The ILO Convention 97 (1949) recommended that migrants move over borders with...

by Philip Martin | On 15 Dec 2015

Global Increase in Climate - Related Disasters

Is there an ominous link between the global increase of the hydrometeorological and climatological events on the one side and anthropogenic climate change on the other? This paper considers three main...

by Vinod Thomas | On 15 Dec 2015

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

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

by Bishwa Koirala | On 15 Dec 2015

Enhancing Early Warning Capabilities and Capacities for Food Safety

Worldwide, food safety incidents can have a significant impact on public health, economies, agrifood trade, food security, and public confidence in the food supply. The prevention, mitigation, and man...

by | On 15 Dec 2015

The Exposure, Vulnerability, and Ability to Respond of Poor Households to Recurrent Floods in Mumbai

This paper examines poor households in the city of Mumbai and their exposure, vulnerability, and ability to respond to recurrent floods. The paper discusses policy implications for future adaptive cap...

by | On 14 Dec 2015

Does the Rise of Middle Class Lock in Good Government in the Developing World?

The current size of the income-secure middle class and its likely future growth, suggest that optimism is indeed warranted for many of today’s middle-income countries. But it is not warranted for all...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 14 Dec 2015

Peaceful Coexistence? The Role of Religious Schools and NGOs in the Growth of Female Secondary Schooling in Bangladesh

In this paper, documents a positive spillover effect of BRAC schools on female secondary enrollment in registered madrasas. Drawing upon school enrollment data aggregated at the region level, It first...

by Mohammad Niaz Asadullah | On 11 Dec 2015

Overview of Central Government Employees

The central government periodically constitutes a Pay Commission, to evaluate and recommend revisions of salaries and pensions, for its employees. Recently, the Seventh Central Pay Commission has mad...

by Vatsal Khullar | On 10 Dec 2015

National Strategy Day on India: Delivering Growth in the New Context

The World Economic Forum along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) convened the National Strategy Day on India on 3rd and 4th of November to provide a platform to boost economic growth and...

by | On 09 Dec 2015

Budget for Children in Meghalaya 2015-16

Budgets are the most solid expression of a government’s priorities, performances, decisions and intentions both at the national as well as the level of the states. This budget for children (BfC) in Me...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 08 Dec 2015

The Sun Gets Bigger

The government should encourage the use of solar energy.

by T.N. Ninan | On 04 Dec 2015

Regional Inequality and ‘Inclusive Growth’ in India under Globalization: Identification of Lagging States for Strategic Intervention

This paper analyses the trends and patterns of economic inequality across Indian states since the early 1990s. The inter-state inequality in per capita income and consumption expenditure show a clear...

by | On 04 Dec 2015

Follow-up and Review of the SDGs: Fulfilling our Commitments

This paper considers the challenge of establishing a robust follow-up and review mechanism to support such implementation. The paper underscores the importance of the follow-up and review process taki...

by | On 04 Dec 2015

Look to the Forests: How Performance Payments can Slow Climate Change

This report argues that what is urgently needed is a tested but far from fully exploited approach to funding forest conservation: pay-for-performance transfers, under which public (and private) funder...

by Nancy Birdsall | On 03 Dec 2015

Socially Sustainable Development and Participatory Governance: Legal and Political Aspects

This paper explores the notion of “sustainable development” which has progressively evolved over the recent years from the environmental field in which it originated, to the social sphere and has been...

by | On 02 Dec 2015

Adolescents under the Radar: In the Asia-Pacific AIDS Response

This report highlights the HIV crisis for vulnerable adolescents in Asia and the Pacific and what we can do to give them the support they desperately need. If we fail to do this, the world will not g...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 01 Dec 2015

Global Increase in Climate-Related Disasters

Intense climate-related disasters—floods, storms, droughts, and heat waves—have been on the rise worldwide. At the same time and coupled with an increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atm...

by Vinod Thomas | On 30 Nov 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

Narendra Modi’s Eighteen Months

What is the preogress report of Modi Government? Well, there are some good and bad reports. There are some good projects but the implementation part of it is slow.

by T.N. Ninan | On 28 Nov 2015

The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters

Over the last twenty years, the overwhelming majority (90%) of disasters have been caused by floods, storms, heatwaves and other weather-related events. In total, 6,457 weather-related disasters were...

by | On 25 Nov 2015

Sustainable Nutrition Security: Restoring the Bridge Between Agriculture and Health

Malnutrition remains the world’s most serious health problem and the single biggest contributor to child deaths. It is time to restore the bridge between agriculture and health. FAO’s Member Countries...

by Graeme Thomas | On 24 Nov 2015

How Much is Enough?

Post-7th Pay Commission recommendations, the pay being offered now should not be a disincentive for public-spirited people with ability. Can the government afford this hike?

by T.N. Ninan | On 21 Nov 2015

Are Juveniles Really Responsible fo Making Delhi the Rape Capital?

Statistics have been the most important criteria for the Central Government in changing the juvenile justice law and introducing treatment of 16-18 year old juveniles committing such offences as adult...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 13 Nov 2015

Convergence of Social Security Schemes for Elimination of Child Labour

Child labour is a complex problem rooted in poverty, illiteracy and social inequality. The National Child Labour Policy has identified ‘focusing of general development programmes for benefiting child...

by Helen Sekar | On 10 Nov 2015

Now Focus on the Economy

What the government should is to concentrate on economic issues with diversionary issues being put back in the cupboard.

by T.N. Ninan | On 07 Nov 2015

Meta - Study of Literature on Budget Private Schools in India

Despite lack of infrastructure and facilities, studies over the past decade has shown that learning outcomes in these schools are equal to or better than those of far more resourcefu...

by Centre for Civil Society CCS | On 29 Oct 2015

Quality of Government and the Relationship between Natural Disasters and Child Poverty A Comparative Analysis

This paper explores the degree to which exposure to reoccurring natural disasters of various kinds explains seven dimensions of severe child poverty in 67 middle- and low-income countries. It also ana...

by Adel Daoud | On 28 Oct 2015

Mr Modi and Dr Singh

There must be a way of combining sensible policy, based on a certain worldview and an agenda, with a bias for action.

by T.N. Ninan | On 26 Oct 2015

Process Evaluation of a Project on Vulnerability Reduction of Women Affected by Climate Change

It is evident that the poor, especially women and children are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because of their limited adaptive capacity. In such circumstances, BRAC Disaster, Envi...

by Tahera Akter | On 26 Oct 2015

Child Labours in India

Even after a hundred years of child labour legislation and fifty years of independence, child labour is a common occurrence in India. Today, their numbers exceed those of any other country. The urgent...

by | On 19 Oct 2015

Aspirations and the Role of Social Protection: Evidence from a Natural Disaster in Rural Pakistan

This article uses Pakistan’s 2010 floods to identify the effects of a natural disaster on citizens’ aspirations. Aspirations were significantly reduced—especially among the poorest and most vulnerab...

by Katrina Kosec | On 19 Oct 2015

Report on Evaluation of the Impact of the Scheme for Mega Food Park of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries

This scheme was rolled-out in 2008-09 and at present is in its fourth phase. The objective includes a comparative analysis of the scheme with similar schemes of the government, an evaluation of select...

by Indian Council for Research on International Econo ICRIER | On 13 Oct 2015

Measuring Poverty

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

by Angus Deaton | On 13 Oct 2015

Social and Economic Change in Rural Bihar and the Emerging Policy Framework

This document presents a summary of the initial findings from a research programme on inclusive growth in Bihar, carried out by the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi. The study aims to unde...

by | On 12 Oct 2015

Now for the Reality Play

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

by T.N. Ninan | On 02 Oct 2015

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2014) - Measuring the Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Developing Countries

This report presents the Hunger And Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) 2014. It seeks to: 1. Rank governments on their political commitment to tackling hunger and undernutrition; 2. Measure what gover...

by | On 01 Oct 2015

Strategies for Tobacco Control in India: A Systematic Review

Tobacco control needs in India are large and complex. Evaluation of outcomes to date has been limited. The aim of this paper is to review the extent of tobacco control measures, and the outcomes of as...

by | On 30 Sep 2015

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2014): Measuring the Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Developing Countries

This report presents the Hunger And Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) 2014. It seeks to: Rank governments on their political commitment to tackling hunger and undernutrition; Measure what governments...

by Rajith Lakshman | On 30 Sep 2015

State, Ideas and Economic Reform in India

This paper argues that the state is an important institution for initiating economic reforms in India. Ideas held within the state are especially important. When the state reposed faith in a closed ec...

by | 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

The National Health Profile 2015

The National Health Profile 2015 prepared by the Central Bureau for Health Intelligence (CBHI) has revealed some disturbing facts about India’s healthcare sector. It shows the poor patient to bed rati...

by Central Bureau for Health Intelligence (CBHI) | On 25 Sep 2015

Urban informal settlers displaced by disasters: challenges to housing responses

The growing frequency of urban disasters and the lessons learned from mega-events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti have spurred the development of human rights gu...

by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre | On 22 Sep 2015

Reducing all Forms of Child Poverty: The Need for Comprehensive Measurement

Despite widespread investments in child poverty reduction, the way in which child poverty is measured presents a narrow and partial picture. Current practice is still biased towards measuring static a...

by | On 17 Sep 2015

Political and Economic Analysis of State Business Relations in Andhra Pradesh: Impact on the Performance of Manufacturing Sector

The central objective of this paper is to enquire into the politics of the government and business relation and how it affected the industrial development in Andhra Pradesh.

by Alivelu G | On 17 Sep 2015

Losing Our Minds? New Research Directions on Skilled Migration and Development

This paper critiques the last decade of research on the effects of high-skill emigration from developing countries, and proposes six new directions for fruitful research. The study singles out a cor...

by Michael Clemens | On 16 Sep 2015

Strengthening Existing Systems for Prevention of Child Marriage: Investing in a Model with Potential to Affect Reduction in Child Marriage

Child marriage can be prevented and children protected by activating the mandated government structures. A two-pronged approach – working with specific community groups, as well as with representativ...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 14 Sep 2015

Report of the National Consultation on Prevention of Child Marriage

The purpose of the national consultation was to bring together initiatives from across the country to share experience and challenges. This report is the final draft of the discussions and a common ag...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 14 Sep 2015

HIV-related Stigma Research in India: Current Knowledge, Gaps, and Recommendations

The study provides evidence in support of an effective national response to addressing stigma faced by people living with HIV and other high-risk groups and guide future research on the subject. In In...

by | On 11 Sep 2015

Deep Shift Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact

Digital connectivity enabled by the software technologies is changing the society fundamentally. The scale of the impact and the speed of the changes taking place have made the shift so different from...

by | On 10 Sep 2015

Global Nutrition Report: Actions and Accountability to Accelerate the World’s Progress on Nutrition

This report highlights the global nature of malnutrition and the successes and bottlenecks in addressing it. Malnutrition continues to affect the lives of millions of children and women worldwide. Eve...

by International Food Policy Research Institute | On 08 Sep 2015

Education For All Towards Quality with Equity

India has made significant progress towards the goal of Education for All during the past few years. Keeping in view the pace of progress achieved till 2000, several programmes have been formulated an...

by Ministry of Human Resource Development, GOI | On 08 Sep 2015

Pirates and Slaves: How Overfishing in Thailand Fuels Human Trafficking and the Plundering of Our Oceans

The report calls for overfishing, pirate fishing and modern-day slavery in the Thai fishing industry to be addressed as interconnected issues. It examines the complex and multi-faceted problems in Tha...

by Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) | On 08 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

Civil Society Briefs: Myanmar

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

by Asian Development Bank Institute | On 07 Sep 2015

Indonesia: Concerted Efforts Needed to Find Solutions for Protracted IDPs

IDMC estimates that as of July 2015 at least 31,400 people are internally displaced as a result of conflict and violence in Indonesia. Nearly all are protracted internally displaced persons (IDPs) who...

by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre | On 03 Sep 2015

Income Inequality, Poverty and Labor Migration in Thailand

This paper explores the dynamics of economic growth, poverty, inequality and migration in Thailand, and evaluates the relevance of Lewis model to Thailand’s long-term development. Thai economy seems t...

by Somchai Jitsuchon | On 03 Sep 2015

The Permanent People’s Tribunals and Indigenous People’s Struggles in Mexico: Between Coloniality and Epistemic Justice?

On 21 October 2011, hundreds of Mexican civil society organizations formally submitted a petition to the Lelio e Lisli Basso Foundation in Rome to justify the opening of a Mexican Chapter of the Perma...

by Rosalba Icaza | On 02 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

Efficacy of New Monetary Framework and Determining Inflation in India: An Empirical Analysis of Financially Deregulated Regime

Against the backdrop of the new monetary policy framework, this paper analyses the determinants of inflation in the deregulated financial regime. The paper upfront has been kept free from adherence to...

by Lekha Chakraborty | On 25 Aug 2015

Curbing Militancy: Regulating Pakistan's Madrassas

Thousands of madrassas in Pakistan remain completely unregulated by the government and their sources of funding unknown while many more thousands offer an education to their students with bleak employ...

by | On 25 Aug 2015

Strong Sustainable Growth for the Indian Economy

How is the RBI helping the government to create the conditions for a sustainable growth? Structural reforms will help strengthen this growth – two weeks ago, the Government announced Indradhanush, la...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 25 Aug 2015

Global Estimates 2015 People Displaced by Disasters

Since 2008, an average of 26.4 million people have been displaced from their homes each year by disasters brought on by natural hazards- equivalent to one person displaced every second. Policy make...

by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre | On 24 Aug 2015

Understanding Children’s Risk and Agency in Urban Areas and their Implications for Child-centred Urban Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia: Insights From Dhaka, Kathmandu, Manila and Jakarta

This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken by IIED in partnership with Plan International on urban children’s risk and agency in four large Asian cities: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nep...

by | On 24 Aug 2015

Introduction to "Governing Marriage Migrations: Perspectives from Mainland China and Taiwan"

Cross-border migration for the purpose of marriage is on the rise, and at present it constitutes one of the most common forms of long-term international mobility in East Asia. The articles included he...

by | On 20 Aug 2015

Science and Economics for Sustainable Development of India

This paper deals with the interface between science and economics in environmental policy making in India. It explains Nehru‘s concept of scientific temper and its influence in the formulation of scie...

by U. Sankar | On 19 Aug 2015

Don’t Target the Media

It is not correct to blame the media when effective communication suffer. The government will have to recheck its media policies and the distance it has to keep the media.

by T.N. Ninan | On 15 Aug 2015

National Policy for Children, 2013

To affirm the Government of India commitment to the rights based approach in addressing the continuing and emerging challenges in the situation of children, the government hereby adopts this resolutio...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 13 Aug 2015

Public Debt Management in India and Related Issues

This study focuses on the marketable domestic public debt of the Government of India (GoI) in terms of size, magnitude, policy and approach followed and also discusses issues and challenges on debt m...

by Lakshmanan L | On 13 Aug 2015

The Socially Responsible Company as a Strategic Second-Order Observer: An Indian Case

The emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a global component of business-society relationships has triggered many controversial debates in which CSR is either advocated as a source of...

by Damien Krichewsky | On 07 Aug 2015

Social Sector and Economic Reforms (With Special Reference to Public Health)

Social Sector performs an effective function in human resource development and hence it is very important to study how the economic reforms are influencing social sector expenditures. Any economic re...

by Runa Paul | On 03 Aug 2015

India Labour and Employment Report 2014

This report provides an overview of the labour market and employment outcomes that the Indian economy has delivered as it globalized. It concludes that structural changes are slow and difficult, and t...

by | On 29 Jul 2015

Forgotten Voices: The World of Urban Children in India

This report discusses how the major urban development schemes in India do not adequately take into account issues related to children’s health, education, growth, safety and participation. The rising...

by Save Children | On 28 Jul 2015

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Ordinance 2014: A Process Perspective

This paper captures the policy processes leading to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Ordinance, 2014. It maps the role an...

by G. Raghuram | On 28 Jul 2015

Juvenile Justice in India: Policy and Implementation Dilemmas

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

by Bharti Ali | On 23 Jul 2015

India: Trade in Healthcare Services

During the last two decades international trade in healthcare services has expanded under the GATS. Increasingly it has acquired new dimensions with application of advanced information and communicati...

by T.P. Bhat | On 23 Jul 2015

Public Economics and Sustainable Developments Policy

The domain of public economics is increasing as governments‘ policy goal is shifting from economic development to sustainable development. The government has to act as a trustee representing future ge...

by U. Sankar | On 22 Jul 2015

Banking on Non-solutions

Can state owned banks revive Indian economy? Let's see what the managerial solutions to revive banks show us.

by T.N. Ninan | On 18 Jul 2015

Cyclone Aila and the Sundarbans: An Enquiry into the Disaster and Politics of Aid and Relief

This paper explores the politics and problems of the governmentality of aid and relief in context of the disastrous effect of cyclone Aila on the Sundarbans and nearby areas. The author through narrat...

by Amites Mukhopadhyay | On 17 Jul 2015

Climate Extremes and Child Rights in South Asia: A Neglected Priority

The links between climate change and disasters in South Asia, such as flooding in Pakistan or cyclones in Bangladesh, are increasingly evident. However, there is little recognition of the potentially...

by | On 14 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

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

Waste Pickers in Pune, India

Recent statistics show the majority of workers in developing countries earn their livelihoods in the informal sector. For this paper, a sample of 150 was randomly drawn from the membership database of...

by Poornima Chikarmane | On 06 Jul 2015

State and Economic Development: The Need for a Reappraisal of the Current Literature

This essay tries to bring out some of the complexities that are overlooked in the usual treatment of the state in the institutional economics literature and supplement the latter with a discussion of...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 29 Jun 2015

Wrong Target for Benign Neglect

The school education system needs a desperate overhaul. The human resource development minister in New Delhi be focusing on it too, in the middle of her other pressing concerns.

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Jun 2015

Reprioritizing Government Spending on Health: Pushing an Elephant up the Stairs?

Countries vary widely with respect to the share of government spending on health, a metric that can serve as a proxy for the extent to which health is prioritized by governments. World Health Organiza...

by Ajay Tandon | On 25 Jun 2015

Relaxing Migration Constraints for Rural Households

There are an estimated 750 million internal migrants in the world, yet the effects of access to internal migration for rural households are not well understood. Internal migrants may provide wealth tr...

by Cynthia Kinnan | On 25 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 Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2012): Measuring the Political Commitment to Reduce Hunger and Undernutrition in Developing Countries

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI 2012) measure what governments achieve and where they fail in addressing hunger and undernutrition providing greater transparency and public accountabi...

by | On 23 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

Mining Without Consent: Chromite Mining in Manipur

The recent identification of chromite deposits in two districts of Manipur, Ukhrul and Chandel, has led the government to grant mining clearances disregarding constitutional provisions. While environm...

by Franky Varah | On 21 Jun 2015

Medium-Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) of Ministry of Public Administration Bangladesh

The statement discusses the need of development of a competent and accountable public service by attracting, developing, engaging and managing an efficient and innovative organizational, functional an...

by Ministry of Finance Bangladesh | On 18 Jun 2015

Policy Note 2014–2015 on Agriculture Department of Tamil Nadu Government

Agriculture sector covers largest segment of livelihood and plays a significant role in the overall socioeconomic fabric of the nation.Tamil Nadu, through the Second Green Revolution, has initiated ma...

by | On 12 Jun 2015

Policy Note 2014–2015 on Labour and Employment Department of Tamil Nadu Government

The labour policy of the Government seeks the overall growth and development of the industry and the individual worker who equally contributes to the success of the industry. Labour management relatio...

by | On 12 Jun 2015

Policy Note 2014–2015 on Industries Department of Tamil Nadu Government

This policy note emphasis on the growth and development of industries. The note aims to give an impetus to industrial development and to create an Industry - friendly environment to enable the State t...

by | On 12 Jun 2015

Bangladesh Budget 2010-11: Budget Speech

Budgetary speech presents an outline of the the Budget Implementation Progress report for FY 2010-11. The speech discuss briefly budget framework of bangladesh government and also analyse macroeconomi...

by Ministry of Finance Bangladesh | On 12 Jun 2015

Policy Note 2014–2015 on Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu Government

The prime objective of this Government is accelerated growth and sustainable development of Adi Dravidar and Tribal population in Tamil Nadu. It also aims to ensure socio-economic and educational deve...

by | On 10 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

Universal Food Security Program and Nutritional Intake: Evidence from the Hunger Prone KBK Districts in Odisha

This article provides evidence on the role of consumer food subsidies in improving nutritional intake and diet quality by evaluating the expansion of the government food assistance program coverage i...

by Andaleeb Rahman | On 05 Jun 2015

Renewable Energy: Market and Policy Environment in India

India's significant economic growth over the last decade has led to an inexorable rise in energy demand. Currently, India faces a challenging energy shortage. To grow at 9 per cent over the next 20 ye...

by Vivan Sharan | On 05 Jun 2015

E-Waste in India

Like hazardous waste, the problem of e-waste has become an immediate and long term concern as its unregulated accumulation and recycling can lead to major environmental problems endangering human heal...

by Rajya Sabha | On 04 Jun 2015

Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

This report of comptroller and auditor general of India containing the results of performance audit of the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) hig...

by Ministry of Rural Development GOI | On 02 Jun 2015

Report of the Committee to Review the Implementation of Crop Insurance Schemes in India

This report attempts to address some of the issues and challenges facing major crop insurance schemes being operated in India. Many of the issues and problems highlighted when the Committee interacted...

by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation GOI | On 01 Jun 2015

Land Markets, Government Interventions, and Housing Affordability

Urban population growth and economic growth require cities to expand into the agricultural land on their periphery. How much land is required for this extension? How much planning and direct intervent...

by Alain Bertaud | On 01 Jun 2015

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

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

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

The Working Group on Health Research for XII Plan

Health research is the key to a well functioning and effective health sector in the country. The focus of the report is to identify major issues, areas for policy research in health sector for 12th Fi...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 22 May 2015

Working Group on Disease Burden (Non-communicable diseases)

The paper aims to document the burden and trend of communicable diseases including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in India and also to review the achievement of ongoing major communicabl...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 20 May 2015

GST Reforms and Intergovernmental Considerations in India

This paper reviews the replacement of the state sales taxes by the Value Added Tax in 2005 marked a significant step forward in the reform of domestic trade taxes in India. Implemented under the leade...

by | On 19 May 2015

State of Indian Farmers: A Report

The present study is based on primary survey across 18 states of India by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi conducted between December 2013 and January 2014. The survey wa...

by | On 18 May 2015

Globalisation and Child Labour: Evidence from India

Child labour is a complex problem basically rooted in poverty. The Government of India has formulated policies since the economic reforms of the early 1990s. Children under fourteen comprise 3.6 per c...

by Mita Bhattacharya | On 14 May 2015

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

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

by Dilip Mookherjee | On 14 May 2015

Twenty Second Report on Action Taken on the Recommendations on ‘Small and Mini Hydel Projects

This report of the Standing Committee on Energy deals with the action taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in their Sixteenth Report (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Small an...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 13 May 2015

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

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

by | On 12 May 2015

Draft State Sports Policy-2010

In order to achieve excellence in sports, government of Assam aims to adaopt a uniform policy so that sports activities in the state are spread over the year. Assam sports policy aims to provide sport...

by Government of Assam | On 12 May 2015

Inter Linking of Rivers: Action taken in the Eleventh Report (14th Lok Sabha) of the Standing Committee on Water Resources

This Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources deals with the action taken by the Government on the recommendations / observations contained in their Eleventh Report on Water Resources (2008...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 11 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

Fifth Report on National Auto Fuel Policy

The Policy aims to holistically address the issues of vehicular emissions, vehicular technologies and auto fuel quality in a cost efficient manner, while ensuring the security of fuel supply.

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 07 May 2015

Twenty-sixth Report on Review of Representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Senior Positions of Government of India

This Report of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes deals with the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in their Twenty-sixth Report (Fifte...

by Lok Sabha Secretariat | On 05 May 2015

Connecting the Last Mile: The Role of Communications in the Great East Japan Earthquake

The report explores how communities in the most devastated areas of the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima got their information. It identifies which communications channels were used before,...

by Lois Appleby | On 04 May 2015

MGNREGA Sameeksha: An Anthology of Research Studies on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (2005) Act 2006–2012

This report by Ministry of Rural Development is an analytical anthology of all major research studies done on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) that were published in various acad...

by | On 29 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

Report of the Expert Group to Recommend the Detailed Methodology for Identification of Families Living Below Poverty Line in the Urban Areas

The paper focuses on the objective of putting in place a uniform criteria to identify the BPL households in urban areas so that objectivity and transparency is ensured in delivery of benefits to the t...

by Planning Commission | On 27 Apr 2015

Guide on Right to Information Act, 2005

The present guide is an updated and consolidated guide for the use of all stakeholders. This guide contains five parts. Part I of the guide discusses some aspects of the Act which all the stake-holder...

by Government of India GOI | On 27 Apr 2015

Network Neutrality: A Thematic Analysis of Policy Perspectives Across the Globe

This policy review looks at four types of Internet traffic management policies across the globe: legal regulation, transparency, non-neutrality, and government control. Each of these has been employed...

by Christine Stover | On 16 Apr 2015

Deliberating Public Spheres: How does Net Neutrality Enable Democracy?

This study reviews and re-conceptualizes the ideas of democracy and the public sphere through the receptive medium of the Internet. Through exploring the transformational concept of the public sphere...

by Jonathan Cunha | On 15 Apr 2015

Budget 2015 - What's In It For the Common Man ?

This is analysis of this year's Union Budget in Hindi. This video discusses on how the government categories budget and how the budget document should be viewed.

by | On 13 Apr 2015

Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2014-15

Maharashra Government, State Economy, Population, State income, Prices & Public Distribution System, Public Finance, Institutional Finance & Capital Market, Agriculture & Allied Activities, infrastru...

by Government of Maharashtra | On 09 Apr 2015

IMI Konnect Volume 4 Issue 2 - February 2015

The February 2015 issue of IMI Konnect (Volume 4, Issue 2) has the following articles - Reinventing India as an Innovation Nation? by Raghunath Anand Mashelkar; Understanding the Underpricing of IPOs...

by IMI Konnect | On 25 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

On Government-Industry Nexus and Indigenous Armed Resistance

This paper proposes a simple game-theoretic framework for analyzing the relationship between the government, industry and indigenous community, especially in the context of mounting violence surroundi...

by Soumyanetra Munshi | On 23 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

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

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

by | On 12 Mar 2015

Women’s Rights in India: Problems and Prospects

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

by | On 11 Mar 2015

An Agenda for the New Government: Policy Options for India in Maldives

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) brief on ‘India-Maldives Relations’: “India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiq...

by | On 10 Mar 2015

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabitation and Resettlement Act, 2013

The Act aims to ensure a humane, participative, informed and transparent process for Land acquisition, industrialisation, development of essential infrastructural facilities and urbanisation with leas...

by | On 09 Mar 2015

India's Union Budget: Changing Scope and the Evolving Content

The paper reflects on the changing scope of the Union Budget and the Finance Minister’s speech and assesses the evolving content of these policy instruments in recent years. The analysis undertaken is...

by | On 27 Feb 2015

Citizens Charter on Drinking Water and Sanitation before Union Budget

Ahead of the Union Budget, Civil Society Organizations ask for policy strategies to support drinking water and sanitation for vulnerable sections. Civil society budget groups, collectively as a networ...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 26 Feb 2015

The Land Acquisition Ordinance

The ruling government’s Land Acquisition Ordinance is viewed with suspicion by most politically active groups, as well as the industry. Consent, compensation, relief and rehabilitation are some of the...

by Maitreesh Ghatak | On 25 Feb 2015

Hunger, Undernutrition and Food Security in India

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

by Rudra Narayan Mishra | On 25 Feb 2015

Road Infrastructure: Issues in Financing

Equity and efficiency are two issues that arise again and again the area of infrastructure finance. If the financing of infrastructure projects is to be sustainable the private sector must be entruste...

by Sudakshina Gupta | On 25 Feb 2015

Cleanliness and Sanitation: Underlying Constraints in India

Open defecation and improper garbage disposal are a reality of public spaces in India, not just due to poverty or a lack of initiative on the government, but social acceptance of attitudes which disr...

by Poorva Awasthi | On 24 Feb 2015

Policy Asks and Expectations from Union Budget 2015-16

Important processes relating to government budgets in India have been constrained by some widely-acknowledged challenges in governance in the country. These challenges pertain to lack of adequate tran...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 20 Feb 2015

Budgeting for Improved Nutritional Status of Tribal Children through the Tribal Sub Plan Strategy

Nutritional deprivation is the highest among tribal children in india. However, fiscal policy strategy to improve nutritional status for this section of the population depends a lot on the implementat...

by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability | On 20 Feb 2015

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, GOI 2014-15

This brief uses government reported data to analyse Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) performance.

by Accountability Initiative | On 18 Feb 2015

The Paradox of Gender Responsive Budgeting

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

by | On 17 Feb 2015

Financial Inclusion: Need for Differentiation between Access and Use

With no financial capacity to save and invest, a dismal record of use of bank accounts and the severe lack of trust in the current model of using business correspondents, it is extremely difficult to...

by | On 16 Feb 2015

Hurdles in Rural e-Government Projects in India: Lessons for Developing Countries

Rural Electronic Government (e-government) projects are aimed at providing government services and information to rural public. The e-government initiatives have not been very successful in developing...

by | On 04 Feb 2015

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Risks and Opportunities

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

by Crisis Group | On 02 Feb 2015

Special Financial Incentive Schemes for the Girl Child in India: A Review

In order to improve the survival and welfare of girls and to reverse the distorted sex ratio at birth, both the national and state governments have launched special financial incentive schemes for gir...

by T.V Sekher | On 23 Jan 2015

Trade Policy Uncertainty and the WTO

This paper discusses the impact of WTO commitments on changes in MFN applied tariffs, isolating pure trade policy changes from any other change in the level of protection due to market conditions by f...

by Valeria Groppo | On 22 Jan 2015

Annual Day Lecture of the Delhi School of Economics, India

The lecture focuses on the continuing relevance of the founding principles of the School, viz., academic freedom, academic excellence, social commitment with technical competence.

by C.H. Hanumantha Rao | On 21 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

Militancy and Identity Politics in Assam

With the state getting tougher and the public turning against them, the militants in Assam are clearly on the defensive today. Militancy in Assam is not a mere law and order problem but a reflection o...

by | On 29 Dec 2014

Understanding Healthcare Access in India

Expanding healthcare access is a critical priority for the Government of India and the private sector. Efforts to date have addressed numerous issues and much progress can be reported. Yet the gap bet...

by IMS for HealthCare Infomatics | On 24 Dec 2014

Freedom of Religion and Anti-Conversion Laws in India: An Overview

Indian constitution stands on the bedrock of secularism though nowhere in the original constitution the word secularism‘ was mentioned. Indian political circuit, in recent times has seen the dirtiest...

by Saadiya Suleman | On 23 Dec 2014

Labour Migration in South Asia: A Review of Issues, Policies and Practices

This paper reviews migration policy frameworks in South Asia and their implications for governance of migration, protection of migrant workers and maximizing development benefits of migration. The pap...

by Piyasiri Wickramasekara | On 19 Dec 2014

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

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

by Oommen M A | On 17 Dec 2014

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

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

by Ruby Ojha | On 12 Dec 2014

Regionalization of Labour Reform Process: The Fabian strategy

The President of India signed a revised set of labour laws from Rajasthan into state law. The Rajasthan government has revised the Factories Act, the Industrial Disputes Act and the Contract Labour Ac...

by K.R. Shyam Sundar | On 02 Dec 2014

Global Slavery Index 2014

This is the second edition of the Global Slavery Index (‘the Index’) which provides estimates the number of people in modern slavery in 167 countries. The Index estimates there are 35.8 million people...

by Walk Free Foundation | On 18 Nov 2014

Labour Market Transitions of Young Women and Men in Bangladesh

During the last decade, Bangladesh maintained a stable growth rate of around 6 per cent, and gross domestic product (GDP) doubled in the period 2000–12. Unfortunately, economic growth has not translat...

by Kazi Ali Toufique | On 31 Oct 2014

Is the NREGS a Safety Net for Children? Studying the access to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for Young Lives families, and its impact on child outcomes in Andhra Pradesh

The NREGS is an ambitious public works program intended to provide a basic safety net to the rural poor in India. This paper attempts to study two aspects of the program’s functioning using data from...

by Vinayak Uppal | On 31 Oct 2014

Location Identification for Rapid Evacuation from a Disaster Site: A Case Study from KAPS

Robust plans need to be developed for rapidly evacuating victims from a nuclear disaster site. Although nuclear plants are constructed with multiple redundant safety features, the chances of a leak ca...

by Debjit Roy | On 30 Oct 2014

Information, Access and Targeting: The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India

In this paper, the relationship is assessed between possessing information on, gaining access to and the efficacy of delivery of India's national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGA) in three sta...

by Shylashri Shankar | On 28 Oct 2014

Currency Undervaluation and Sovereign Wealth Funds: A New Role for the World Trade Organization

Two aspects of global imbalances - undervalued exchange rates and sovereign wealth funds - require a multilateral response. This paper proposes new rules in the World Trade Organization to discipline...

by Prachi Mishra | On 22 Oct 2014

From “Hindu Growth” to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition

Most conventional accounts of India’s recent economic performance associate the pick-up in economic growth with the liberalisation of 1991. This paper demonstrates that the transition to high growth o...

by Dani Rodrik | On 21 Oct 2014

Social Change and Public Policy

A public policy is basically a law or rule that is enforced by any level of government, whether central, state, or local. When making policy, the government often fall into the conceit that they are i...

by Parth Shah | On 15 Oct 2014

Political Economy of Transition from Manmohanomics to Modinomics

The inaugural budget of the NDA led government has been a cause of some surprise and disappointment amongst those who were eagerly expecting a new radical dose of neo-liberal reforms. It appeared that...

by Surajit Mazumdar | On 22 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

Civil Society, Indian Elections and Democracy Today

Civil society in Independent India has perhaps never been as active as it is today, except in the years before and during the emergency. The author explores the role it has played in strengthening and...

by Trilochan Sastry | On 18 Sep 2014

India: Third and Fourth Combined Periodic Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child

‘India: Third and Fourth Combined Periodic Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child’ is a product of extensive consultations with all stakeholders. The Report has been prepared after consul...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 15 Sep 2014

Floods: Trends and Social Impacts in Indian Context

India is the most flood affected nation in the world after India is the most flood affected nation in the world after Bangladesh. ? It accounts for 1/5 It accounts for 1/5thth of the global deaths by...

by Gopakumar K.U. | On 15 Sep 2014

National Population Policy

The National Population Policy, 2000 (NPP 2000) affirms the commitment of government towards voluntary and informed choice and consent of citizens while availing of reproductive health care services,...

by Government of Odisha | On 09 Sep 2014

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

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

by Jenna Nobles | On 02 Sep 2014

Food Stamps: A Model for India

About 4.5 lakh fair price shops in India sell 10-20 lakh tons of rice and wheat at the subsidized rate per month. Majority of the ration shops are in urban areas, they are hardly ever open and only a...

by Parth Shah | On 27 Aug 2014

Doing more than Lip-service to the Backward Sections

The Scheduled Castes form 16 percent of the population yet their issues have largely remained silent. It’s high time to bring into line the discord between election commitments and budgetary allocatio...

by P.S Krishnan | On 19 Aug 2014

Debt Sustainability at the State Level in India

The debt position of the state governments in India, which deteriorated sharply between 1997-98 and 2003-04, has witnessed significant improvement since 2004-05, reflecting the impact of both favourab...

by Atri Mukherjee | On 19 Aug 2014

Government of India's Resolution setting up the Planning Commission

Problems of planning were reviewed towards the end of 1949 by the Advisory Planning Board which was appointed by the Interim Government of India, an important recommendation of the Board being the app...

by Government of India GOI | On 18 Aug 2014

Integrated Health and Microfinance in India, Volume II: The Way Forward

Integrated Health and Microfinance in India: The Way Forward is a follow-up report that highlights the context of integration of health and microfinance in light of India’s journey towards universal h...

by Somen Saha | On 11 Aug 2014

Creative Budgeting or Actual Deficit Reduction? The case of FRBM Act

The FRBM Act was reflective of the shared commitment across political parties towards fiscal conservatism. A decade later, the picture, as reflected in the Union Budget, is yet to change for the bette...

by Surajit Mazumdar | On 07 Aug 2014

Examining the Impact of Climate Change on Migration through the Agricultural Channel: Evidence from District Level Panel Data from Bangladesh

This paper studies how changes in climatic variables such as temperature and rainfall impact migration through agriculture. Bangladesh is recognized as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate...

by Paritosh Roy | On 31 Jul 2014

Science Education and Research in India

Many aspects of the Indian scientific development are extremely unsatisfactory, lacking in both quality and quantity. Although the outreach of teaching and research programmes has increased considerab...

by Gautam Desiraju | On 29 Jul 2014

Marching towards Inclusive Education: Are we Prepared for Inclusive Science Education?

The paper reports the historical background of inclusion in education and the status of inclusion in education in India. The article concludes that in spite of several efforts by the Government and ot...

by Amit Sharma | On 28 Jul 2014

Reading the Malappuram Debate: Postcolonial State and the Ethics of Place

The district of Malappuram was formed on the 16th demographics and led to intense debates and agitation in the state, with each side accusing the other of communalism and partisanship. This paper is a...

by Mohamed Shafeeq K | On 24 Jul 2014

India – National Youth Policy 2014 (NYP-2014)

The Government of India (GoI) currently invests more than Rs 90,000 crores per annum on youth development programmes or approximately Rs 2,710 per young individual per year, through youth-targeted (hi...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 21 Jul 2014

No Shortage of Money

The new government wants to increase investment in various sectors. The government has funds but the Finance Minister has said about lack of funds in the Budget. Public private partnerships (PPPs) can...

by T.N. Ninan | On 17 Jul 2014

Article 2 and Government Budgets

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

by International Budget Partnership IBP | On 10 Jul 2014

Impact of Private Tutoring on Learning Levels: Evidence from India

Despite widespread and substantial private expenditure on private tutoring outside the formal school system in many developing countries, not much is known about their effects on learning outcomes....

by Ambrish Dongre | On 05 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

Repeal and re-enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, (JJ Act)

The Ministry of Women and Child Development invites comments and suggestions to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act of 2000, which is also known as the JJ Act.

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 02 Jul 2014

The Role of Mineral Fertilizers in Transforming Philippine Agriculture

Fertilizer policy in the country has evolved from pervasive interventionism in the 1970s to today's market-oriented regime. Government has abandoned price policies and subsidies, focusing rather on...

by Roehlano M. Briones | On 20 Jun 2014

Quality Healthcare and Health Insurance Retention: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in the Kolkata Slums

Healthcare in developing countries is often unreliable and of poor quality, thus reducing individuals incentives to use quality health services. This paper examines an innovative approach to access to...

by Clara Delavallade | On 12 Jun 2014

Police and the Rule of Law: Recent Developments in India

This paper examines some of the recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court and other High Courts and tries to analyse them vis-à-vis the understanding of the rule of law in India. [IIMA W.P. No.2014-0...

by Anurag K Agarwal | On 11 Jun 2014

Workers in the Shadows: Abuse and Exploitation of Child Domestic Workers in Indonesia

This report documents how hundreds of thousands of girls in Indonesia, some as young as 11, are employed as domestic workers in other people’s households, performing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, l...

by Human Rights Watch | On 09 Jun 2014

Marking Progress Against Child Labour

New estimates presented by International Labour Organization (ILO) indicate that 168 million children worldwide are in child labour, accounting for almost 11 per cent of the child population as a whol...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 27 May 2014

The Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction: The Indian Experience

Poverty alleviation has been a pre-eminent goal of India’s development efforts since its Independence. Though there has been a significant decline in the incidence of poverty at the national level in...

by Alakh Sharma | On 29 Apr 2014

National Manufacturing Policy (2011)

The concern about the stagnant and low share of the manufacturing sector in India‘s GDP necessitated a dedicated policy for the sector with a view to accelerated development, inclusive growth and prov...

by Ministry of Commerce and Industry GOI | On 01 Apr 2014

Problems and Prospects of Small-Scale Industries in India

The decade of the 1990s was marked by considerable deregulation of the industrial economy through delicensing and dereservations. The problem of sickness in small-scale industries is due to under-uti...

by Reddy . Koti | On 11 Mar 2014

Report of the Steering Committee on Rapid Poverty Reduction And Local Area Development for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)

The report examines the data on the poor, their characteristics and attempts to profile the poor. It addresses the need to devise a vision for the Eleventh Plan, which derives from the Approach Paper...

by Planning Commission | On 04 Mar 2014

Implementing Integrated Natural Resources Management Projects

The Government of India recently enacted the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(NREGA) 2005.1 The NREGA guarantees onehundred days of wage employment every year to every rural household whose adu...

by G.M. Antony | On 28 Feb 2014

Education vital for social mobility

Analysis on correlation between parental education levels and students' achievements; impact of government and social mobility strategies on multi-structural problems which inhibit children from achie...

by Economic and Social Council | On 28 Feb 2014

Ending Newborn Deaths: Ensuring every baby survives

This report looks at the progress made in neo-natal care across the world, and also ranks countries in the order of infant mortality rates. The causes of stillbirths, newborn and maternal deaths are e...

by Simon Wright | On 28 Feb 2014

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

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

by J. Devika | On 11 Feb 2014

Do Indian States have the Power to Devise their Own Policies? A Study on Fiscal Space

With the decentralization process of the 1990s, linked to economic liberalization, there emerged new decisional scope for regional governments to shape their own policies. But the decentralization pro...

by Kim Robin | On 24 Jan 2014

Television as a public health awareness tool to reduce tobacco use in India

Tobacco continues to be a major social and health menace across the globe. It is estimated that by 2030, it would account for the death of about 10 million people per year; half of them aged between 3...

by Dr. Pragati Hebber | On 09 Jan 2014

Typhoon Haiyan’s Aftermath: Testing Resilience in Complex Emergencies

No one could have anticipated the devastating impact of super typhoon Haiyan that hit central Philippines a week ago. The country faces the herculean task of providing humanitarian assistance and disa...

by Mely Caballero Anthony | On 13 Dec 2013

Reducing Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters

The past two years have been challenging ones for the Asia-Pacific region in several respects, but 2011 has been particularly unforgettable for how it has focused the attention of so many people on th...

by ... CEHAT | On 13 Dec 2013

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Aadhaar

This study estimates the costs and benefi ts of Aadhaar. The analysis takes into account the costs of developing and main- taining Aadhaar, and of integrating Aadhaar with the schemes over the next t...

by National Institute of Public Finance and Policy NIPFP | On 11 Dec 2013

Review of the Institutional Arrangements for Labour Market Information and Skills Anticipation in India

Determining the characteristics of the labour market is one of the fundamental tasks faced by those with responsibility for policy on skills and employment. There is, therefore, a need to identify the...

by International Labour Organisation ILO | On 09 Dec 2013

Asia's Rising Power and America's Continued Purpose

This paper examines a range of possible outcomes in strategic Asia and evaluates the likelihood of each outcome based on the prospective performance of the U.S and the Chinese economies, potential pol...

by Aaron Friedberg | On 26 Nov 2013

Subnational-level Fiscal Health: Stability and Sustainability Implications for Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal

The Government of India has recently announced that Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal are fiscally unsound at the level of general category states. The study reviews this projection and assesses their...

by Nimai Das | On 26 Nov 2013

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

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

by Antonio Giustozzi | On 22 Nov 2013

Strengthening Democracy in Bangladesh

The paper describes of some of the critical challenges to democratization in Bangladesh. While electoral challenges are included, the paper looks beyond elections and describe other factors that can h...

by ASIA FOUNDATION | On 14 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

E – Mission Failed

The Central government evolved a computerization policy in 2007 to speed up the cases in the courts, hitherto proceeding at a ‘tortoise pace’. It was called ‘E-Courts Mission Mode Project’. Its object...

by Lawyers Collective | On 25 Oct 2013

Rationalism Rationed

The gruesome murder of Dabolkar, who had been spearheading a movement against superstitions in Maharashtra, has plunged all people of rationalist disposition in shock. Voices are rising that laws sho...

by Oscar F Picazo | On 22 Oct 2013

Disaster Management in India

India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million...

by Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs | On 17 Oct 2013

Identity Politics and Statehood Movements in India

The paper has explored into the reasons behind political mobilization of minority ethnic groups in support of smaller states. In accordance with the above hypothesis, the paper has tried to arrive at...

by Rajat Ganguly | On 11 Oct 2013

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 Study on Fiscal Space

In the study states’ finances is analysed to see whether all states have been able to create a fiscal space and whether their fiscal capacities have increased over time. Then the states’ spending is l...

by Kim Robin | On 23 Sep 2013

Improving Public Financial Management in India: Opportunities to Move Forward

In recent years the role of a sound PFM system to achieve the objectives of fiscal discipline, strategic planning, and improved service delivery has been getting increasing public attention in India....

by Pratap Ranjan Jena | On 12 Sep 2013

Crystallizing Fault-lines: Turkey’s Democratic Durability at Risk

In the aftermath of the anti-governmental Gezi demonstrations of May-June and the conclusion of the Ergenekon trial earlier this month, clear fault-lines are crystallizing in the Turkish political lan...

by Ozan Serdaroglu | On 05 Sep 2013

Statement by Dr. Raghuram Rajan

Statement by Dr. Raghuram Rajan on taking office on September 4, 2013. [RBI Press release].

by Sabeeta Badkar | On 05 Sep 2013

Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function

The poor often behave in less capable ways, which can further perpetuate poverty. The authors hypothesize that poverty directly impedes cognitive function and present two studies that test this hypoth...

by Anandi Mani | On 04 Sep 2013

Malaysia: Recent Developments in Agricultural Research

Main issues of concern looking to the future include ongoing maintenance of capacity and infrastructure given government funding cuts, and the training and mentoring of junior staff needed to replace...

by Kathleen Flaherty | On 04 Sep 2013

Anti-Superstition Legislation

After a long and gruelling campaign by ANS for the past eight years to enact a Law against Superstition which harm the citizens, the Maharashtra State Government under the leadership of the new Chie...

by Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmoolan Samiti MANS | On 22 Aug 2013

The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013

A bill to provide for mental health care and services for persons with mental illness and to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of such persons during delivery of mental health care and services a...

by Lok Sabha | On 21 Aug 2013

Schematic Natural Hazard Zonation of Bihar using Geoinformatics

The findings of the present study are being documented with an aim for invoking a paradigm shift in the attitudes and perceptions about natural hazards; this shift should make the state and the peopl...

by Tuhin Ghosh | On 12 Aug 2013

Just not cricket?

Ashis Nandy, a reputable Indian sociologist, likes the game so well that he declares Indians were the real inventors of cricket. It is an Indian game, he says, accidentally discovered by the British....

by Stephen Fay | On 10 Aug 2013

Fuel Price Hike and Indonesia’s Energy Insecurity

Fuel price hikes have always been unpopular in Indonesia, largely because of their wide-ranging impact on the population. Yet, it is undeniable that the current high subsidies are unsustainable. To mo...

by Margareth Sembiring | On 26 Jul 2013

An Explanatory Analysis of Deprivation and Ill Health Led Poverty in Urban India: A Case Study of Delhi

This paper examines the multi-dimensional nature of urban poverty with special emphasis on ill-health led deprivation. As a driver of poverty, ill-health reduces the income earning potential and incre...

by Samik Chowdhury | On 28 Jun 2013

The National Policy for Children, 2013

To affirm the Government’s commitment to the rights based approach in addressing the continuing and emerging challenges in the situation of children, the Government of India hereby adopts this Resol...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 13 Jun 2013

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

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

by Kalyan Das | On 27 May 2013

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

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

by Saudamini Das | On 24 May 2013

Science and Economics for Sustainable Development o f India

This paper deals with the interface between science and economics in environmental policy making in India. It explains Nehru‘s concept of scientific temper and its influence in the formulation of scie...

by U. Sankar | On 23 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

Reach out to Peasant Women: A Study from Punjab

Review of the book Those who did not die: Impact of Agarian Crisis on Women in Punjab by Gursharan Singh Kainth.

by Gursharan Singh Kainth | On 15 Apr 2013

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Amendment) Bill, 2013

A bill further to amend the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992. [PRS]. URL:[http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media//SEBI%20(A)%20Bill,%202013/The%20Securities%20and%20Exchange%20Board%20...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 19 Mar 2013

Gambling on the Private Sector at the Cost of the Working Class: NTUI Statement

The budget offers no programme for job creation or any substantive policy measures to contain inflation that continues to erode the real wage while it commits itself to cash transfers and cuts in subs...

by Gautam Mody | On 01 Mar 2013

Nine years later…

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

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Feb 2013

Exploring the gap between hand washing knowledge and practices in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional comparative study

This study is a cross-sectional comparative study between baseline (2006), mid-line (2009) and end-line (2011) surveys in 50 sub-districts from the first phase of the programme. Thirty thousand househ...

by Sifat Rabbi | On 22 Feb 2013

Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution

The proposed legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security – from the current welfare approach to a right based approach. About two thirds of the population will be ent...

by MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DIST GOI | On 15 Feb 2013

Open Budget Survey 2012: India

India's Open Budget score is 68 out of 100. India's budget documents have been found to be informative and as providing substantial relevant information to people.

by MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DIST GOI | On 15 Feb 2013

Nutrition Policies in Developing Countries: Challenges and Highlights

There are many nutrition policies in developing countries. What are the challenges faced by these malnutrition policies? There are many countries which have successfully included nutrition in their d...

by Olivier Ecker | On 12 Feb 2013

Property Tax System in India: Problems and Prospects of Reform

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

by M. Govinda Rao | On 06 Feb 2013

Positive and Normative Aspects of Food Policy and the Market in Indian Agriculture-An Empirical Analysis of Government Policy Interventions in Food Management

There are discussions about food management and food policy issues in India in the backdrop of largely unchanging dynamics of slow growth of the farm sector in India. First we deal with the manner in...

by Munish Alagh | On 30 Jan 2013

Land Acquisition for Industrialization and Compensation of Displaced Farmers

This paper addresses the question of how farmers displaced by acquisition of agricultural land for the purpose of industrialization ought to be compensated. Prior to acquisition, the farmers are leasi...

by Maitreesh Ghatak | On 22 Jan 2013

The New Great Walls: A New Guide to China's Overseas Dam Industry, Second Edition

Chinese hydropower companies and banks are now the largest dam builders in the world. Chinese banks have stepped in to fill the gap left by traditional dam funders such as the World Bank. The Chines...

by International Rivers Network IRN | On 15 Jan 2013

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

Corruption Perceptions Index 2012

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

by Transparency International TI | On 07 Dec 2012

Provide Human Security through Human Development

Review of the book 'Peace is Everybody's Business: Strategy for Conflict Prevention' by Arjun Ray. Number of pages: 264, Price Rs. 495/-.

by Irfan Engineer | On 03 Dec 2012

Security Sector Governance (SSG) and Conflict Management in Indonesia: The Aceh Case

This paper examines the evolution of security sector governance (SSG) in Indonesia, focusing in particular on the effects of security sector reform (SSR) on the management of the secessionist conflict...

by Rizal Sukma | On 26 Oct 2012

The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development Bill, 2011

To declare the institution known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, to be an institution of National importance and to provide for its incorporation and for matters connected...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 05 Oct 2012

The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011

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

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 01 Oct 2012

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

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

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. The Bill now remains...

by Ministry of Labour and Employment MoL&E | On 01 Oct 2012

What Do Teachers Do? Teacher Quality Vis-a-vis Teacher Quantity in a Model of Public Education and Growth

This paper analyses the contribution of teachers in a public education system and its implication for growth. Focus is given exclusively on two teacher-specfi?c inputs (teacher quality and teacher q...

by Mausumi Das | On 21 Sep 2012

Exposure Draft National Youth Policy 2012

The NYP 2012 is a step forward from the earlier Policy formulated in 1988 and, later, in 2003. It reaffirms commitment of the nation to the rights and holistic development of the young people of the c...

by Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs YAS | On 12 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

MTNL: Why the Slow Death?

What is the cause of deteriorating services from MTNL? Suggestions are given to improve its services.

by Alex George | On 03 Sep 2012

The Air that We Breathe: Addressing the Risks of Global Urbanization on Health

The Editors examine the lack of correlation between the size of a city and its air quality, noting that the strength of environmental laws and the accountability of the country's government have a gre...

by PLoS Medicine Editors | On 30 Aug 2012

Recent Developments in Kerala State Finances

This paper covers recent trends in a series of broad indicators of the financial health of the Government of Kerala with its developmental policy as the backdrop. It examines fiscal balances in Kerala...

by Tapas K. Sen | On 30 Aug 2012

Revisiting the Devolution of ENR Functions

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

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Aug 2012

Japan’s Post-Triple-Disaster Growth Strategy

This paper discusses the scope of the many challenges and sets out a long-term strategy for overcoming them and putting the Japanese economy on a stable growth path. [Working Paper No. 376]. URL:[http...

by Masahiro Kawai | On 24 Aug 2012

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

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

by Shoba Raja | On 24 Aug 2012

Under-Nutrition in Maharashtra: Is ICDS effective?

Malnutrition and under nutrition are critical issues in Maharashtra. In spite of being a high growth state in the country, it has occasionally remained in the news due to deaths caused by under nutrit...

by Manisha Karne | On 21 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

The Quality of Governance How Have Indian States Performed?

What is ‘good’ governance? Can the quality of governance be measured? And how do state governments in India measure up by such a measure? [Working Paper no. 104]. URL:[http://www.nipfp.org.in/neww...

by Sudipto Mundle | On 02 Aug 2012

Examination of Intense Climate-Related Disasters in Asia-Pacific

The frequency of intense floods and storms is increasing globally, particularly in Asia-Pacific, amid the specter of climate change. Associated with these natural disasters are more variable and ext...

by Vinod Thomas | On 26 Jul 2012

Review of Philippine Migration Laws and Regulations Gains, Gaps, Prospects

The Philippines has often been cited as the global model in managing international labor migration. Despite the complexity of our management infrastructure, however, some gaps still remain. This pap...

by Julyn S Ambito | On 12 Jul 2012

Political Strongholds and Budget Allocation for Developmental Expenditure: Evidence from Indian States, 1971-2005

This paper examines the effects of political factors on allocation of revenue budget for developmental expenditure by the sub-national governments, using data from 15 major states in India during the...

by Arun Kaushik | On 10 Jul 2012

Has India Emerged? Business Cycle Stylized Facts from a Transitioning Economy

A comprehense documentation - using both annual and quarterly data - an exhaustive set of stylized facts for the Indian business cycle in the pre and post reform period, the data is used to report...

by Chetan Ghate | On 19 Jun 2012

Cambodia’s Hydropower Development and China’s Involvement

The research was undertaken to better understand the current policy and plans of the Cambodian government for the electricity sector; map the decision-making process; develop a greater understanding...

by Carl Middleton | On 25 May 2012

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

Integrating Urban Datasets: The Path to Effective Socio-Economic Planning in Urban Pakistan

Effective urban policy making and implementation in Pakistan is impeded by the problem of integrating data containing incompatible spatial references. There is great heterogeneity across spatial units...

by Sohaib Khan | On 16 May 2012

Environmental Migrants: A Myth?

This brief reviews recent evidence, examines main research challenges in identifying migration–climate links and discusses the policy options for formalizing migration as an adaptation mechanism to cl...

by Jean-François Maystadt | On 09 May 2012

Draft National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy

The National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy reaffirms the commitment of the Government of India to provide integrated services for holistic development of all children, along the con...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 20 Apr 2012

Innovative Approaches to Managing Longevity Risk in Asia: Lessons from the West

This paper discusses what is longevity risk, why it is important, approaches used by the West to manage longevity risk and what lessons can be learnt by Asian countries from the experiences of the Wes...

by Amlan Roy | On 18 Apr 2012

A Competitive Genetic Algorithm for Single Row Facility Layout

The single row facility layout is the NP-Hard problem of arranging facilities with given lengths on a line, so as to minimize the weighted sum of the distances between all pairs of facilities. Owing t...

by Uma Kothari | On 09 Apr 2012

Health, Height, Height Shrinkage and SES at Older Ages: Evidence from China

Adult height, as a marker of childhood health, has recently become a focus in understanding the relationship between childhood health and health outcomes at older ages. However, measured height of t...

by Wei Huang | On 02 Apr 2012

1391 National Budget of Afghanistan

According to M Mustafa Mastoor, the Deputy Minister of Finance, “The national budget is more than just a financial document. It is government’s plan for the development of Afghanistan. We are committ...

by Ministry of Finance Afghanistan | On 28 Mar 2012

Tamil Nadu Budget Speech: 2012-13

Speech of Thiru O. Panneerselvam, Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Government of Tamil Nadu, presenting the Budget for the year 2012-2013 to the Legislative Assembly on 26th March, 2012. [Government...

by Tamil Nadu Government | 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

Kerala Budget 2012-13

Minister for Finance, Sri. K. M. Mani presented his 10th Budget for the year 2012-13. The Kerala government raised the retirement age of government employees from 55 years to 56 years. [Budget Spe...

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 20 Mar 2012

Report on China's Central, Local Budgets (2012)

REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CENTRAL AND LOCAL BUDGETS FOR 2011 AND ON DRAFT CENTRAL AND LOCAL BUDGETS FOR 2012. [Ministry of Finance Report]. URL:[http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/news/...

by Ministry of Finance China | On 15 Mar 2012

State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12

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

by Ministry of Agriculture GOI | On 14 Mar 2012

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

Theft and Loss of Electricity in an Indian State

Utilizing data from the power corporation of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, the politics of electricity theft over a ten year period (2000–09) is studied. It is seen that electricity the...

by Miriam Golden | On 06 Mar 2012

Issues and Challenges with the Philippines' Public Corporate Sector

Government-ownedand- controlled corporations were initially created as solutions to market imperfections. It is ironic therefore, that in recent years, they have come to be seen as problems t...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 06 Mar 2012

Penance time

The time has come for the governmant to make up for its sins of the past three years. The Budget must be judged on whether it shows that the govt is in the mood to recognize its follies, and in a posi...

by T.N. Ninan | On 05 Mar 2012

The State of the World's Children 2012: Children in an Urban World

The experience of childhood is increasingly urban. Over half the world’s people – including more than a billion children – now live in cities and towns. This report adds to the growing body of eviden...

by United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF | On 01 Mar 2012

Subsidizing the National Food Authority: Is It a Good Policy?

National Food Authority's (NFA) twin mandate of price stabilization and food security has cost the government billions of pesos in losses over the past few decades. As such, there is a need to ...

by Senate Economic Planning Office SEPO | On 28 Feb 2012

Electoral Rules, Forms of Government and Redistributive Policy: Evidence from Agriculture and Food Policies

The effect of electoral rules and forms of government on public policy outcomes using a new dataset on agriculture and food policies from 74 countries over the 1960-2005 period is investigated. Using...

by Alessandro Olper | On 22 Feb 2012

Economic Growth, Comparative Advantage, and Gender Differences in Schooling Outcomes: Evidence from the Birthweight Differences of Chinese Twins

Data from two surveys of twins in China are used to contribute to an improved understanding of the role of economic development in affecting gender differences in the trends in, levels of, and retur...

by Mark Rosenzweig | On 13 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

Comparing the Technical Efficiency of Indian Banks Operating Abroad and Foreign Banks Operating in India: A Stochastic Output Distance Function Approach

The aim of this paper is to compare the technical efficiency of Indian Banks operating abroad and foreign banks operating in India and to investigate the effect of openness of the country, ownership...

by Vivek Kumar | On 08 Feb 2012

Technical Productivity Analysis for Cement Industry at Firm Level

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

by Binay Kumar Ray | On 30 Jan 2012

Vital Stats: Assembly Elections 2012

The Election Commission recently announced the poll schedule for Assembly elections in five States – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. As parties prepare for the upcoming election...

by Rohit Kumar | 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

Tabu Search for the Single Row Facility Layout Problem Using Exhaustive 2-Opt and Insertion Neighborhoods

The single row facility layout problem (SRFLP) is the problem of arranging facilities with given lengths on a line, while minimizing the weighted sum of the distances between all pairs of facilities....

by Ravi Kothari | On 23 Jan 2012

Challenges in IMS Reforms: A Global and Emerging Markets Perspective

The current global financial crisis has reopened an old debate on the international monetary system by baring weaknesses and flaws that have long been known. The debate is centred on both stability an...

by Alok Sheel | On 10 Jan 2012

The Open Knowledge Foundation: Open Data Means Better Science

This article focuses on the Open Knowledge Definition and the Panton Principles for Open Data in Science. Some of the tools the group has developed to facilitate the generation and use of open dat...

by Jennifer C Molloy | On 03 Jan 2012

The National Food Security Bill, 2011-as introduced in Lok Sabha

A bill to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity...

by Lok Sabha | On 30 Dec 2011

The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010

A bill to lay down judicial standards and provide for accountability of judges and establish credible and expedient mechanism for investigating into individual complaints for misbehaviour or incapacit...

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 29 Dec 2011

The Evolving Dynamics of Global Economic Power in the Post-crisis World: Revelations from a New Index of Government Economic Power

This paper develops an index for measuring the economic power of governments viewed as entities in themselves. The basic idea is to encapsulate the economic representative power of a nation’s governme...

by Kaushik Basu | On 27 Dec 2011

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

Mullaperiyar – the Issue and the Politics

Discussions and debates are going on in Kerala over the Mullaperiyar dam. A solution is proposed here to solve the issues associated with the dam.

by Santhakumar V | On 19 Dec 2011

The Single Row Facility Layout Problem: State of the Art

The single row facility layout problem (SRFLP) is a NP-hard problem concerned with the arrangement of facilities of given lengths on a line so as to minimize the weighted sum of the distances between...

by Ravi Kothari | On 14 Dec 2011

Union Power November 2011

The three year journey of the G-20 Heads of Government Summit from Washington in 2008 to Paris this November is signified by two markers of the depth of the global capitalist crisis. First, that the c...

by Louise Ross | On 14 Dec 2011

Quality of Maternal Health Care: A Call for Papers for a Maternal Health Task Force–PLoS Collection

The MHTF–PLoS Collection in 2011–12 will focus on quality of maternal health care, as it is clear that such a focus is now a global imperative [9]. The quality of maternal health care is highly va...

by Samantha R Lattof | On 02 Dec 2011

Legislative Brief: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for Finance on March 24, 2011. The Bill was referred to the St...

by M. R. Madhavan | On 01 Dec 2011

Rejigging the Elephant Dance

India's development challenges. The India growth story was thrown off track by the global financial crisis which engulfed virtually every country in the world. We recovered from the crisis sooner than...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 30 Nov 2011

Fifth Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series: Moving Towards Universal Access to Health Care- 5

The Fifth Anusandhan Trust’s Krishna Raj Memorial Lecture Series on Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Sciences was held on January 5, 2011. The speakers were Dr. K. Srinath Reddy (Chairperson o...

by Hansa Thapliyal | On 29 Nov 2011

Impact of the Retail FDI Policy on Indian Consumers and the Way Forward

This paper analyses the impact of the retail FDI policy on Indian consumers and make policy recommendations for the Indian government. Based on a primary survey of Indian consumers, the paper examines...

by Arpita Mukherjee | On 28 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

Torture in India 2011

Torture in India series have been instrumental for bringing national and international spotlight on torture in india. The Government of India regrettably has been reluctant to address torture. It draf...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 21 Nov 2011

Where is the Virtue in the Middle Class?

It is widely agreed by economists and political scientists that the middle class is vital to progress because of its many virtues. But it is difficult to define a middle class by income in a manner t...

by Charles Kenny | On 16 Nov 2011

The Public Procurement Bill, 2011

An Act to regulate public procurement with the objective of maximising economy and efficiency, promoting competition among suppliers and contractors while ensuring a fair, transparent and equitable...

by Planning Commission | On 08 Nov 2011

Monetary Operating Procedures: Principles and the Indian process

As markets deepen and interest elasticities increase it is optimal for emerging markets to shift towards an interest rate instrument since continuing monetization of the economy implies money demand...

by Ashima Goyal | On 04 Nov 2011

Teaching How to Bridge Neuroscience, Society, and Culture

In most universities, sharp disciplinary and departmental divisions continue to this day and have regrettably translated into the life sciences being taught with scarce attention to their historical a...

by Giovanni Frazzetto | On 31 Oct 2011

Emigration of Women Domestic Workers from Kerala: Gender, State Policy and the Politics of Movement

Restrictions imposed by the Government of India on the emigration of women in ‘unskilled’ categories such as domestic work are framed as measures intended to protect women from exploitation. Specia...

by Praveena Kodoth | On 24 Oct 2011

Macro-Economic Policy Outcomes and Agriculture Relation between Fiscal Deficits and Investment in Agriculture

In an earlier paper (Alagh, Munish, 2011) it was shown that macro economics matters in agriculture. The relevance of understanding the impact of macro-economic policy on agriculture was outlined. A...

by Munish Alagh | On 24 Oct 2011

Does Greater Autonomy Improve Performance? Evidence from Water Service Providers in Indian Cities?

The efficiency of urban water supply in 27 Indian cities are analyzed using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Cities are grouped by the management structure of their water utilities. Utilities with g...

by Shreekant Gupta | On 24 Oct 2011

User-based Financing of Marine Protection in the Maldives

This paper provides an economic valuation of the recreational uses of atoll-based marine resources in the Republic of the Maldives. A travel demand model to estimate the benefits of atoll-based marin...

by Mahadev G Bhat | On 30 Sep 2011

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

The Optional Protocol (OP) on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict was ratified by India on November 30, 2005, and is in effect since December 30, 2005. This is t...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 29 Sep 2011

Valuing the Recreational Uses of Pakistan’s Wetlands: An Application of the Travel Cost Method

This study applies a single-site truncated count data travel cost model in order to estimate the value visitors place on recreation in Keenjhar. The recreational use value associated with Keenjhar...

by Ali Dehlavi | On 27 Sep 2011

Mitigating Climate Change Through Agriculture

Among the major challenges currently faced by humanity are food security and climate change. Agriculture plays a significant role in both. Adapting to climate change is expected to be an increasing ...

by Claire Schaffnit Chatterjee | On 26 Sep 2011

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

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

by Sandeep M S | On 20 Sep 2011

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

The New Great Walls: A Guide to China's Overseas Dam Industry

The purpose of this guide is to support groups addressing the impacts of dams built by Chinese companies and financiers. The guide is intended for use by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and in...

by International Rivers Network IRN | 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

Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth: An Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan

In preparing the Approach Paper, the Planning Commission has consulted much more widely than ever before recognising the fact that citizens are now much better informed and also keen to engage. Over...

by Planning Commission, India | On 12 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

Evolution of Property Rights Regimes in the Groundwater Economy of India-Constraints on Moving Towards a Common Property Regime

The paper paper reviews the 'model' central and state government bills, pertaining to groundwater, through a conceptual framework and discusses the Andhra Pradesh experience in the developing governme...

by G.Ananda Vadivelu | On 30 Aug 2011

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

Of Opening Colleges & Obtaining Licences

Education, as anyone would agree, is an inevitable element in our lives. In the pursuit to familiarise with the system, first the authorities concerned are enlisted and their specific functions are...

by Shailly Arora | On 25 Aug 2011

Air Quality and Cement Production: Examining the Implications of Point Source Pollution in Sri Lanka

Suspended particulate matter (SPM), dust, fumes and gases from cement production can result in a range of health effects to households living around factories. This study estimates the health costs as...

by Cyril Bogahawatte | On 23 Aug 2011

Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Spillover: An Evaluation Across Different Clusters in India

The paper attempts to explore the technology spillover effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Indian manufacturing industries across different selected clusters in India. To measure the spillov...

by Pami Dua | On 12 Aug 2011

Multidimensional Indices of Achievements and Poverty: What Do We Gain and What and What Do We Lose?

Poverty and well-being are multidimensional. Nobody questions that deprivations and achievements go beyond income. There is, however, sharp disagreement on whether the various dimensions of poverty...

by Nora Lustig | On 11 Aug 2011

Determinants of Primary Yield Spreads of States in India: An Econometric Analysis

An attempt is made to identify the determinants of yield spreads between the State and Central government securities in a panel data framework as has been used in several cross-country studies. This...

by Dhritidyuti Bose | On 08 Aug 2011

Efficiency and Productivity Growth in Indian Banking

This paper attempts to examine technical efficiency and productivity performance of Indian scheduled commercial banks, for the period 1979-2008. A model is constructed using multiple output/multiple i...

by S S Rajan | On 03 Aug 2011

Parliament Session Alert: Monsoon Session: August 01 – September 08, 2011

Parliament meets for the Monsoon Session between August 01 and September 08, 2011. There will be a total of 26 sittings. The agenda for government Bills includes 35 pending Bills for consideration...

by Kusum Malik | On 01 Aug 2011

Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011

The Bill intends to create a framework for prevention and control of communal and sectarian violence. It also aims to provide relief to victims of such violence. URL:[http://nac.nic.in/pdf/pctvb_amend...

by | On 22 Jul 2011

Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011

The Bill intends to create a framework for prevention and control of communal and sectarian violence. It also aims to provide relief to victims of such violence. URL:[http://nac.nic.in/pdf/pctvb_amend...

by | On 22 Jul 2011

"Why do I have to Clean Teeth Regularly?”: Perceptions and State of Oral and Dental Health in a Low-income Rural Community in Bangladesh

The general perception that dentistry is expensive keeps many people away from seeking treatment from registered professionals and make them hostage to the services of non-registered lay practitione...

by Syed Masud Ahmed | On 20 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

Pendency of Cases in Indian Courts

The Union Law Minister recently launched the ‘Mission Mode Programme for Reduction of Pendency of Arrears in Courts’. According to media reports, the programme aims to dispose of 40 per cent of the...

by Rohit Kumar | On 15 Jul 2011

Shocks, Economic Growth and the Indian Economy

This paper analyses the impact of domestic and external shocks on the Indian economy. A macro-modelling framework is developed that evaluates the impact of two domestic shocks (rainfall shortfall an...

by B B Bhattacharya | On 15 Jul 2011

Inter-State Imbalances in Essential Services: Some Perspectives

This paper analyzes the inter-state imbalances in three major sectors of the economy, namely, education, health and family welfare, and water supply and sanitation for fifteen major states. It uses...

by C Bhujanga Rao | On 14 Jul 2011

A Thousand Industries In A Thousand Days? State Business Relations and The Puzzle of Orissa's Industrial Performance

In this paper, the phenomenon of 'two types of industrialisation' in Orissa is documented where a fast growing resource based manufacturing sector has co-existed with a stagnant non-resource based...

by Alivelu G | On 11 Jul 2011

Mutual Funds and Market Development in India

A brief description of the role of Mutual Funds in money markets and government securities makets are provided. Some of the regulatory issues that arise are discussed. The role of Mutual Funds in fina...

by Subir Gokarn | On 08 Jul 2011

Communal Violence in India

The National Advisory Council recently released a draft ‘Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011’. The Bill intends to create a framework for preven...

by Rohit Kumar | On 05 Jul 2011

Using Incentives to Prevent HIV Infections

The global record on HIV prevention is bleak. The $8 billion spent each recent year on international AIDS assistance has been split about evenly between AIDS treatment and prevention. But while treatm...

by Mead Over | On 29 Jun 2011

Getting to a “Grand Bargain” for Aid Reform: The Basic Framework for U.S. Foreign Assistance

In this paper, the author focuses on understanding why long-term development is often subjugated to other objectives in the day-to-day planning processes of the U.S. government. She proposes one way t...

by Jean Arkedis | On 21 Jun 2011

The Global AIDS Transition

This landmark essay proposes a new paradigm for combating AIDS and a new objective around which international donors and recipient governments can coordinate their efforts. CGD senior fellow Mead Over...

by Mead Over | On 20 Jun 2011

India - Reforming Farm Support Policies for Grains

The objective of this study is to analyze some of the recent reforms proposed in the operation of government buffer stocks and provision of price support to wheat and rice farmers in India. Based o...

by Shikha Jha | On 17 Jun 2011

Revenue Potential of Panchayats in Kerala

How much more taxes would it be possible for Panchayats in Kerala to collect? This question is important in deciding the financial allocations to such local governments. Information regarding this m...

by Centre for Development Studies | On 17 Jun 2011

Popular Expectations of Government: Findings from Three Areas in Bangladesh

This paper presents findings from research into expectations of government, based on focus group discussion sessions with over 100 poor and very poor people in rural and urban Bangladesh. The resear...

by Tariq Ali | On 15 Jun 2011

City Governments and Public Water Supply in India: Analysing the Institutional Economics

Given that the 74th amendment to the Indian Constitution stipulates that the water supply service is to be transferred to the city/urban governments this note analyses the institutional economics of...

by Centre for Global Development | On 15 Jun 2011

Efficiency Spillovers from FDI in the Indian Machinery Industry: A Firm Level Study Using Panel Data Models

Adopting a micro-level framework of impact of FDI in an industry, this study empirically examines the following three issues in the context of Indian machinery industry (IMI) - division 28 of Nation...

by Pradeep Kumar Keshari | On 14 Jun 2011

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

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

by Centre for Global Development | On 09 Jun 2011

GAVI’s Future: Steps to Build Strategic Leadership, Financial Sustainability, and Better Partnerships

On June 13, the GAVI Alliance will hold its first pledging conference, seeking to obtain commitments for US$ 3.7 billion for the 2011–15 period. Remarkably, in the midst of a historic global recession...

by Lisa Carty | On 09 Jun 2011

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

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

by P.V. Srinivasan | On 07 Jun 2011

Suicide of Farmers in Maharashtra

The present study focuses on examining socio-economic aspects that can be identified as important risk factors and in providing some suggestions to the GOM. [PP-005] URL: [http://www.igidr.ac.in/suici...

by Srijit Mishra | On 02 Jun 2011

Book Review: Dowry: A Way of Enforcing Women’s Subordinate Status

Broken Mirrors: The Dowry Problem in India by Robin Wyatt and Nazia Masood,Sage, Publications, 2010, 244 pages and costs 350/-

by Praveena Kodoth | On 02 Jun 2011

Budget for Children Analysis: A Beginner's Guide

This toolkit is designed to train individuals and civil society on how to conduct a child centered budget analysis to support their advocacy work and to hold state accoutable for the fulfilment of chi...

by HAQ Centre for Child Rights HAQCRC | On 02 Jun 2011

Leasing of Degraded Forest Lands

One of the most critical aspects of information about non-forest wastelands pertains to ownership. Not all may be owned by Government. In addition to uncultivated lands which were historically part...

by Planning Commission | On 27 May 2011

Hong Kong’s Linked Exchange Rate System

Hong Kong has had a linked exchange rate regime of one kind or another for most of its history as a trading and financial centre. In 1863 the Hong Kong Government declared the silver dollar – then a...

by Hong Kong Monetary Authority | On 27 May 2011

Towards a Fair Effective and Sustainable Health Care System for India

Newspapers carry frequent news about increasing government spending in health care and the availability of increasingly more specialised hospital care in India. While facilities in private and gov...

by Rajkumar Ramasamy | On 27 May 2011

Social and Economic Impact of Disasters: Estimating the Threshold between Low and High Levels of Risk

Catastrophes caused by natural hazards that hit “without warning” serve as grim reminders of the challenge that governments and civil society face in identifying and protecting the areas that are...

by Clovis Freire | On 23 May 2011

Monetary Operations and Central Bank Balance Sheets in a World of Limited Government Securities

The limited supply of government securities in some industrial countries has important ramifications for the operating techniques used by central banks to implement monetary policy, provide credit to...

by Mark Zelmer | On 16 May 2011

Bengal Diary: On the Eve of Change: SMS Updates of a West Bengal Tour, April 2011

A tour of West Bengal on the eve of the elections and the results, April 19 – 27, 2011, recorded by a young journalist-in-the-making in a collection of SMS messages.

by Kranti S. Bhatewara | On 13 May 2011

The Future of Development Finance

Development finance is at a turning point. There is talk about a “triple revolution of goals, actors and tools.” As much of Asia grows its way out of poverty, aid will increasingly be focused on Afr...

by Nemat Shafik | On 13 May 2011

National Environment Policy

The National Environment Policy, 2006 is the out come of extensive consultations with experts indifferent disciplines, Central Ministries, Members of Parliament, State Governments, Industry Associa...

by Ministry of Environment and Forests | On 12 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

Federalism and Fiscal Reform in India

This paper attempts to analyse the experience of incentivising economic reforms at the state level through central transfers to states. It reviews the experiences of the central government introdu...

by M. Govinda Rao | On 09 May 2011

Book Review: Distance Education: A Growing Sector in Asia

Review of Policy and Practice in Asian Distance Edited by Belawati Tiawati and Baggaley Jon Education, Sage, Publications, India 2010, 260 pages, Rs. 650/-

by Madhu Parhar | On 06 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

Encounters

The Tarkunde Committee confirmed that the police and the government of Andhra Pradesh were involved in the cruel practice of committing planned murders and covering it up as encounter. It recommende...

by People's Union for Democratic Rights PUDR | On 28 Apr 2011

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

Statement by Governor, RBI

There have been significant developments in the global economy since we met in the fall of 2010. The IMF too has moved on several fronts under its mandate which has strengthened its position in a chan...

by Duvvuri Subbarao | On 20 Apr 2011

Ramadan Effect on Price Movements: Evidence from Pakistan

This paper attempts to verify the widespread perception that general price level tends to rise due to the month of Ramadan in Pakistan. For this purpose, the ARIMA methodology (simple and extended f...

by Muhammad Akmal | On 19 Apr 2011

Improving the Legal Process in Enforcement at SEBI

The legal processes at SEBI is examined and described with a focus on the enforcement process, particularly on the quasi-judicial functions. An attempt is made to lay out the principles that ought t...

by Dharmishta Raval | On 15 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

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

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

by Rémi de BERCEGOL | On 08 Apr 2011

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

Economic Survey 2010-11

This paper contains the economic survey report for the state of Haryana. URL: [http://web1.hry.nic.in/budget/Economic%20Survey%202010-11.pdf]

by Haryana Government | On 06 Apr 2011

Budget Speech

This paper presents the annual budget of the Goa Government containing the Annual Financial Statement. URL: [https://www.goa.gov.in/portalweb/login/budget_2011-12/speech.pdf]

by Goa Government | On 06 Apr 2011

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Implications for Hong Kong

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, applicable to Hong Kong since October 1996, requires States parties to take steps to address all forms of violence against women. Th...

by Andrew Byrnes | On 06 Apr 2011

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

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

by Kelley Loper | On 01 Apr 2011

Conference on Psychosocial Care and Mental Health Services in Disasters: Summary and Recommendations

Psychosocial care has been incorporated into the disaster management program only recently. Now, emphasis is being placed on long-term care, disaster preparedness and strengthening of community harmon...

by National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciencn NIMHANS | On 30 Mar 2011

State Women Policy

The Government of Chhattisgarh is firmly committed to capitalise on its ‘new State advantage’. The State has taken a conscious decision to do away with past legacies and to adopt a fresh approach to...

by Government of Chhattishgarh | On 30 Mar 2011

Status of the Reservation to the Right to Vote in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government continues to invoke the 1976 reservation to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) entered by the United Kingdom government in relation to Hong Kong....

by Seren S.T. Tang | On 29 Mar 2011

Scheme for “New Initiative in Skill Development through PPP” - Guidelines for Grants-in-Aid and Other Heads

The scheme would facilitate improving both qualitative and quantitative aspects of skill development in Mission Mode by harmonizing efforts of Central / State Governments as well as private sector t...

by Planning Commission, India | On 28 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

Legal and Ethical Aspects of First Medical Response to Disasters – Workshop Report

A workshop was held by the Center for Science, Society and  Citizenship  (CSSC),  to  identify  and  explore  some  of  the  ethical,  legal  and  social  implications  of  disaster  response  and  to...

by Holly Ashton | On 26 Mar 2011

Social and Economic Policies to Prevent Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Lessons from Experience

In simple language and with numerous concrete examples, this policy brief analyses the impact - among others - of key ex-ante factors such as acute 'horizontal inequality' between social groups in the...

by Jeni Klugman | On 22 Mar 2011

Trends in Diversion of PDS Grain

This article estimates the proportion of grain "diverted" from the Public Distribution System (PDS) to the open market, using the well-established method of matching state offtake figures published by...

by Reetika Khera | On 21 Mar 2011

Issues Before the Eleventh Finance Commission: Presented and Discussed at the Seminar on The Issues Before the Eleventh Finance Commission

In their tasks to fulfill their constitutional obligations, the Eleventh Finance Commission have to face and solve two broad group of issues. The first relates to the basic principles that ought to go...

by Chelliah Raja J | On 21 Mar 2011

Health, Technical Efficiency And Agricultural Production In Indian Districts

In this study, they attempt to quantify the effect of improved population health on technical efficiency in agricultural production. Using data for over 260 districts in 15 Indian states, they emplo...

by Atheendar S. Venkataramani | On 17 Mar 2011

Budget 2011-12, Punjab

Budget speech by Finance minister. URL:[http://punjabgovt.nic.in/departments/Budget/budget/budget.htm].

by Government of Punjab | On 16 Mar 2011

Cambodia enters the WTO: Lessons learned for Least Developed Countries

The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia applied for accession to the World Trade Organization in October 1994. At its meeting on 21 December 1994, the Preparatory Committee for the WTO establishe...

by Sok Siphana | On 16 Mar 2011

Poverty Targeting in Asia: Experiences from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, People’s Republic of China and Thailand

Poverty targeting, defined as the use of policy instruments to channel resources to a target group identified below an agreed national poverty line, is used by all governments in Asia in one form or...

by John Weiss | On 11 Mar 2011

Gender Responsive Budgeting: The Case of Kerala

This paper we make an attempt to understand and analyze the budget from a gender perspective. The paper looks into the different areas of allocations, how far it is ‘pro woman’ budget or a ‘gender re...

by Aleyamma Vijayan | On 08 Mar 2011

Budget for Gender Equity

The budgetary policy of the Government has a major role to play in achieving objectives of gender equality and growth through content and direction of Fiscal and Monetary Policies, measures for r...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 08 Mar 2011

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Gender Budget 2011-12

The Corporation has decided to implement various schemes for females within the framework of its obligatory and discretionary functions as laid down in the M.M.C. Act. A step towards it, is a separat...

by Municipal Commissioner BMC | On 07 Mar 2011

Targeting Subsidies for Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs): A Conceptual Framework, Experience from other Sectors and Lessons for ITNs

A number of interventions for preventing and treating malaria have now been shown through a combination of clinical trials and economic analysis to be highly cost-effective (Goodman, Coleman et al....

by Eve Worrall | On 07 Mar 2011

Budget 2011-12 High Growth Not Reflected in Public Spending

With shrinking public spending, State’s health care concerns are specious. The rise in allocations on the health sector will only have limited impact on its efficiency and availability.

by Ravi Duggal | On 06 Mar 2011

Failed States, Vicious Cycles, and a Proposal

The problems of failed states, including the repeated return to power of former warlords are examined. It is argued that this causes institutions to become weaker and people to get poorer. It is argue...

by Raghuram G. Rajan | On 04 Mar 2011

Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP): Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors Survey

The overall objective of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factors survey was to improve the information available to the Government health services and care providers on a set of high-priority...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 24 Feb 2011

Will it be Different this Time?

All proposals and policy measures in the forthcoming Budget may best be summed up as efforts to improve the sustainability of growth. Specific objectives are likely to be lowering inflation and defici...

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Feb 2011

Development in North East People’s Republic of China

Since the government announced the Revitalise the North East policy in 2002 there has been a new focus to regional policy following on from the previous, but continuing, Develop the West policy. For...

by John Weiss | On 17 Feb 2011

Solutions exist

The press (including this newspaper) has been screaming blue murder about the spectrum scandal from the time it was perpetrated in broad daylight, nearly three years ago. Not only did nothing happen,...

by T.N. Ninan | On 10 Feb 2011

Decentralization, Corruption, and Government Accountability: An Overview

The impact of government decentralization on economic performance and growth is a hotly contested issue. Waves of decentralization occurred in many developing countries over the past few decades, fo...

by Pranab Bardhan | On 10 Feb 2011

Understanding the Kole Lands in Kerala as A Multiple Use Wetland Ecosystem

Wetlands which face several anthropogenic and other threats are complex ecosystems providing substantial benefits to human society. This paper is an attempt to understand the ecological and economic...

by Jeena T Srinivasan | On 09 Feb 2011

Moving from Them to Us: Challenges in Reframing Violence Among Youth

This paper describes framing and the challenges particular to the context of violence prevention, with the goal of moving youth violence from being understood primarily as a criminal justice issue dea...

by Lawrence Wallack | On 09 Feb 2011

Privstization in a Small Open Economy with Imperfect Competition

Privatization is analysed in a general equilibrium model of a small, tariff-distorted, open economy. There is a differentiated good produced by both private and public sector enterprises. A reductio...

by Arghya Ghosh | On 04 Feb 2011

Cost-effectiveness Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options: A Proposed Methodology

The World Bank has been requested by the government of India to undertake a study, “Strategies for Low Carbon Growth.” The study considers different options for low-carbon growth trajectories to fis...

by Ministry of Environment and Forest | On 03 Feb 2011

Transperancy in Government Procurement

While in their purchase operations, as in all other activities, governments endeavour to maximize the use of scarce financial resources, the 'cost minimising objective underlying competitive bidding r...

by Anwarul Hoda | On 03 Feb 2011

Russia’s Quasi-Sovereign Debt: A Sizeable Contingent Liability

An overview of corporate and quasi-sovereign debt in Russia is provided. Fiscal sustainability in Russia in a broader framework analysed. Scenarios for public debt developments until 2020, also taking...

by Maria Arakelyan | On 31 Jan 2011

Singapore's Exchange Rate-Based Monetary Policy: A Critical Evaluation

The exchange rate-based monetary policy followed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is outlined. Possible theoretical frameworks, including a reaction function is outlined. The way the MAS h...

by Partha Sen | On 31 Jan 2011

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

Development Strategies: Lessons from the Experiences of South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam

This piece synthesizes the development strategies of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam and draws some relevant lessons. Using a complex adaptive systems approach, strategic openness, a set of...

by Haider A. Khan | On 27 Jan 2011

Voluntary Contribution in the Field: An Experiment in the Indian Himalayas

In this paper is a study of trend of voluntary contribution for community services in the Indian Himalayan region. The study is done by using an experimental game method of face-to-face communication...

by Sujoy Chakravarty | On 25 Jan 2011

Rethinking Food Security Strategy: Self-sufficiency or Self-reliance

This Policy Brief discusses whether Bangladesh should continue to pursue a national food security strategy based on self-reliance or return to its earlier policy of food self-sufficiency through ...

by Uttam Kumar Deb | On 17 Jan 2011

Socioeconomic Divides in Tuberculosis Control: Study of Smear-Positive TB Prevalence, Care Seeking Behaviour and Role of Informal Healthcare Providers

The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has intensified the implementation of the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) strategy with the primary aims (i) to detect and treat at least 70% of T...

by Fazlul Karim | On 12 Jan 2011

The Disinterested Government: An Interpretation of China’s Economic Success in the Reform Era

In the last 30 years, China has achieved high economic growth and successfully transformed its economy from a planned economy to a market-based system. The country, to a large extent, has attaine...

by Yang Yao | On 10 Jan 2011

Pentavalent and other New Combination Vaccines: Solutions in Search of Problems

The pentavalent vaccine and many other combination vaccines waiting to enter Universal immunization Programme (UIP) have brought into sharp focus the gaping gap between lofty slogans of ‘evidence ba...

by Y Madhavi | On 05 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

Possession and Usage of Insecticidal Bed Nets among the People of Uganda: Is BRAC Uganda Health Programme Pursuing a Pro-Poor Path?

The use of insecticidal bed nets is found to be an effective public health tool for control of malaria, especially for under-five children and pregnant women. BRAC, an indigenous Bangladeshi non-gove...

by Syed Masud Ahmed | On 31 Dec 2010

Effects of Socio-economic Development on Health Status and Human Well-being

Bangladesh is popularly described in the literature as a ‘test case for development’ in view of the complex nature of its socioeconomic and cultural problems, coupled with severe resource constraints...

by Mushtaque Chowdhury | On 29 Dec 2010

Is Tibet Entitled to Self Determination?

The purpose of this article is to explore whether Tibet can be said to have a right to self-determination under international law. [CCPL Occasional Paper No. 18]

by Paul Harris | On 21 Dec 2010

The Relative Efficiency of Water Use in Bangladesh Agriculture

This study examines the marginal productivity of water and other inputs in dry season rice production in Bangladesh. Agriculture is the major water using sector in Bangladesh, but water is in shortsup...

by Nasima Tanveer Chowdhury | On 17 Dec 2010

Capability Traps? The Mechanisms of Persistent Implementation Failure

Many countries remain stuck in conditions of low productivity that many call “poverty traps.” Economic growth is only one aspect of development; another key dimension of development is the expansion...

by Lant Pritchett | On 15 Dec 2010

The Future of Financial Liberalization in South Asia

The paper defines financial liberalization, distinguishing between liberalization of domestic financial markets and capital account convertibility. It then examines the stages and the strategy of Ind...

by Ashima Goyal | On 14 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

Preventing Odious Obligations: A New Tool for Protecting Citizens from Illegitimate Regimes

This report sets out a way to prevent an all-too-common form of theft from some of the world’s poorest people. An illegitimate, unelected regime signs a contract with a foreign agent, handing ov...

by Centre for Global Development | On 10 Dec 2010

Five Years of NRHM 2005-2010

Health is a State subject and the Government of India has always tried to work in partnership with states to meet people's needs. As the report will indicate, it is through this partnership with const...

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare H & FW | On 08 Dec 2010

Kuttanad Development Project: An Economic Evaluation

This paper attempts an economic evaluation of the Kuttanad Development Project (henceforth referred to as KDP) whioh is part of an overall programme of the Government of Kerala to augment the Produ...

by K. P. Kannan | On 07 Dec 2010

Transparency and Corruption: Does E-Government Help?

Through its pioneering surveys in recent years, the Transparency International (TI) has tried to gauge the extent of corruption in different countries, identify Government departments where corruption...

by Prof. Subhash Bhatnagar | On 06 Dec 2010

Egovernment: Lessons from Implementation in Developing Countries

E-government applications from a large number of developing countries are reviewed. Different models of electronic delivery of services are compared. Delivery through conveniently located service cent...

by Prof. Subhash Bhatnagar | On 06 Dec 2010

A Study of Children Dependent on Prostitutes in Selected Areas of Uttar Pradesh

Many studies simply demonstrate that there is paucity of empirical data, research findings and literature on the status of children dependent on prostitutes in Uttar Pradesh. Thus, it is imperative...

by Government of India Ministry of Women and Child Development | On 02 Dec 2010

'Slippage': The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh)

Slippage is one of the main bottlenecks of achieving full coverage of water and sanitation services in India. This paper makes an attempt to identify the causes of slippage in a systematic manner. T...

by V. Ratna Reddy | On 02 Dec 2010

Census of Castes

The present system of making Census has many advantages such as, taking stock of Indian situation with detailed data regarding the wide diversity of our people and the finding of conditions of life ha...

by Rajesh Komath | On 01 Dec 2010

Commitment to Development Index 2010

The Commitment to Development Index (CDI) ranks 22 of the world’s richest countries on their dedication to policies that benefit the five billion people living in poorer nations. Moving beyond standar...

by David Roodman | On 29 Nov 2010

Economic Agendas in Civil Wars: What We Know, What We Need to Know

The political economy of civil wars has acquired unprecedented scholarly and policy attention. Among others, the International Peace Academy’s programme on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (EACW) ha...

by David M Malone | On 26 Nov 2010

Analysis of Deviations and Delays in Aid Disbursements

The study seeks to identify donor-specific factors that cause donors to delay aid disbursement, and to apply a double standard in dealing with the non-compliance of a recipient with regard to aid c...

by Matthew Odedokun | On 24 Nov 2010

Issues in Real Estate and Urban Management – A Note

This note raise many policy issues related to real estate and the urban sector. Urban issues and the very high cost of real estate in India have deep rooted problems that have their origin in the po...

by Sebastian Morris | On 22 Nov 2010

Gulf Migration Study: Employment, Wages and Working Conditions of Kerala Emigrants in the United Arab Emirates

This is the fourth in a series of Working Papers published by the CDS on Kerala migration. Unlike the other three, this one is financed by the Kerala Government and the data were collected in UAE. ...

by K. C. Zachariah | On 18 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

Global Determinants of Stress and Risk in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Infrastructure

This study analyzes the determinants of stress in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure investment. While project failures seldom occur, there are many stresses that hinder success. O...

by Renato E. Reside, Jr. | On 27 Oct 2010

Private Financing Firms in Karnataka: A Boon for Tax Dodgers

The growth of government financial institutions in India both in terms of number of branches and quantum of credit has been impressive, especially in the post-blank nationalisation period. [Working Pa...

by D. Rajasekhar | On 23 Oct 2010

Agricultural Development of Kerela from 1800 AD to 1980 AD: A Survey of Studies

This paper attempts to survey the published literature on agricultural development of Kerala covering a period between 1800 AD and 1980 AD. The Survey covers both academic studies as well as governme...

by B.A. Prakash | On 18 Oct 2010

The Role of State Intervention in the Financial Sector: Crisis Prevention, Containment, and Resolution

This paper discusses the role of state intervention for prevention, containment, and resolution of financial crises based mainly on the Korean experience during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Crises...

by Yoon Je Cho | On 12 Oct 2010

A Campaign for No UID-Till Complete Transparency, Accountability and People’s Participation

A press conference was arranged which was against the Unique Identity Card (UID) project of Government of India. The panel discussed about the project that the potential to transform the state-citize...

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 08 Oct 2010

Transparency in Government Procurement

While in their purchase operations, as in all other activities, governments endeavour to maximise the use of scarce financial resources. Some of these objectives are to promote the development of a do...

by Anwarul Hoda | On 07 Oct 2010

Impact of Global Recession on Sustainable Development and Poverty Linkages

The global financial crisis and the resulting economic slowdown may be assumed to have at least the benefit of also reducing environmental degradation in the individual countries. This paper discu...

by Venkatachalam Anbumozhi | On 07 Oct 2010

Developing Asia’s Competitive Advantage in Green Products: Learning from the Japanese Experience

Right now, governments around the world are spending record amounts of money to kick- start their economies in response to the financial crisis. Fortunately, a great opportunity exists for this fis...

by Fukuya Lino | On 06 Oct 2010

The Role of the State in Managing and Forestalling Systemic Financial Crises: Some Issues and Perspectives

This paper reviews recent state interventions in financial crises and draws lessons for crisis management. A number of areas are identified where crisis management could be strengthened, including...

by Charles Adams | On 29 Sep 2010

Cyclicality in Industrial Growth in lndia: An Exploratory Analysis

A review of the literature on industrial growth in India, bows that barring a few studies [e.g.,Raj (1976,1984), Shetty (1978)], Industrial growth has been interpreted by merely fitting statistical m...

by R. Anandaraj | On 29 Sep 2010

Debt Policy in a Competitive Two-Sector Overlapping Generations Model

In this paper debt policy in a two-period, two-sector overlapping generations model with Leontief technologies has been analysed. It has been found that debt, issued to transfer resources to the initi...

by Partha Sen | On 28 Sep 2010

Fiscal Policy Issues for India after the Global Financial Crisis (2008–2010)

The need for fiscal consolidation and sustainability is one of the key macroeconomic issues confronting Indian economy. This paper attempts to understand India’s current fiscal situation, its likely f...

by Rajiv Kumar | On 28 Sep 2010

HANTEX: An Economic Appraisal

Most Governments in the Third World Countries have actively promoted cooperatives in the traditional sectors of the economy with a view to overcome the diseconomies of small size. Characterised as the...

by Mridul Eapen | On 27 Sep 2010

The Government of Chronic Poverty: From Exclusion to Citizenship?

Development trustees have increasingly sought to challenge chronic poverty by promoting citizenship amongst poor people, a move that frames citizenship formation as central to overcoming the exclusion...

by Sam Hickey | On 24 Sep 2010

On the Possibility of a Weighting System for Functioning

Measuring well-being of an Individual based on his/her levels of functionings raises the following problem; Two vectors representing two individuals' achieved levels of functionings cannot be ranked u...

by Achin Chakraborty | On 21 Sep 2010

Commodity and Credit in Upland Maharashtra

The notion that the backwardness of Indian Agriculture may be explained in terms of the institutional, and more particularly, the market structure within its functions, is not wholly novel one, elemen...

by Sumit Guha | On 20 Sep 2010

Policy Intervention and Response: A Study of the Pharmaceutical Industry in India during the Last Decade

The pharmaceutical industry in India has provoked much debate and sharp criticism, on account of its insensitivity towards the health needs of the Indian people. The vulnerability of the indu...

by P. Mohanan Pillai | On 20 Sep 2010

The Transfer Paradox in a One-Sector Overlapping Generations Model

This paper examines the effects of international income transfers on welfare and capital accumulation in a one-sector overlapping generations model. It is shown that a strong form of the transfer para...

by Partha Sen | On 15 Sep 2010

Markets, Institutions and Efficiency: Ground Water Irrigation in North India

This paper analyzes the institutions and markets that govern groundwater allocation in the sugarcane belt of Uttar Pradesh, India, using primary, plot-level data from a village which shares the typic...

by A. Banerji | On 14 Sep 2010

Determinants of Weekly Yields on Government Securities in India

This paper examines the determinants of the Government yields in India using weekly data from April 2001 through March 2009. The analysis covers Treasury Bills with residual maturity of 15-91 day...

by Pami Dua | On 13 Sep 2010

The Evolution of Singapore Business: A Case Study Approach

This volume contains summaries of 12 case studies for three categories of business organisations defined by ownership, i.e. foreign, state and (local) private. The case studies explore the history a...

by Anisha Sabhlok | On 06 Sep 2010

Roof above the head - A qualitative assessment of rural housing in India

This paper is based on a set of village visits carried out by the authors as part of a study on rural housing sponsored by Holcim Limited. The views expressed here are those of the authors. [Working...

by Shashanka Bhide | On 03 Aug 2010

European Views on Asia and Europe-Asian Relations

This paper examines in its first part, the views of leading European academics, politicians, lobbyists and opinion-makers on the issue of relations with Asia. The second part of this paper looks at...

by Venil Ramiah | On 29 Jul 2010

Private Sector in the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme: A Study of the Implementation of Private-Public Partnership Strategy in Tamil Nadu and Kerala (India)

During the past one decade, the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has gained much prominence in healthcare sector in India. The foremost objective of such partnerships has been to improve th...

by Vangal R Muraleedharan | On 23 Jul 2010

Regional Responses To The Southeast Asian Economic Crisis: A Case Of Self-Help Or No Help?

The currency crises of the 1990s, particularly the one that hit Southeast Asia since the devaluation of the Thai baht on July 2, 1997, are suggestive of the relevance and pervasiveness of contagion...

by Chang Li Lin | On 21 Jul 2010

Morbidity Costs of Vehicular Air Pollution: Examining Dhaka City in Bangladesh

This study estimates the morbidity costs of reduction in air pollution in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, using the Cost-of-Illness (COI) approach. COI is defined as the sum of lost earnings due t...

by Tanzir Chowdhury | On 19 Jul 2010

Big Industry Before Independence: 1860-1950

The world over, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, private sector units were of a laissez-faire variety i.e., the private sector was completely free of state interference. Private enterprise...

by Anupriya Singhal | On 16 Jul 2010

Privacy, time consistent optimal labor income taxation and education policy

Incomplete information is a commitment device for time consistency problems. In the context of time consistent labour income taxation privacy can lead to a Pareto superior outcome and increases the ef...

by Kai A. Konrad | On 09 Jul 2010

The Unsupportable Support Price : The Government in Paddy Auctions of Northern India

In consonance with the global trend of redefining the role of the government in developing and transition economies from producer to facilitator, there is today a lively debate in India on governm...

by J.V. Meenakshi | On 07 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

Why is Dead DEDA Still Alive?

The paper discuses and analyzes the present state of affairs of the Delhi Energy Development Agency (DEDA).

by Arjun Bhattacharya | On 30 Jun 2010

Economic and financial analysis of scaling up child, newborn and maternal health

Little attention has been paid to the question of how to finance the costs of scaling up MNCH care and the likely availability of funds. Methods Past health expenditure (2000 – 2005) was analysed th...

by Giulia Greco | On 25 Jun 2010

Kisan Credit Card

Provision of timely and adequate credit has been one of the major challenges for banks in India in dispensation of agricultural and rural credit to the farmers. Constant innovation is required in or...

by Danish Faruqui | On 24 Jun 2010

Public Works Department Delhi Government

Public Works Department is engaged in planning, designing, construction and maintenance of government assets in the field of built environment and infrastructure development. This paper talks about...

by Sabith Ullah Khan | On 16 Jun 2010

Parking Space for the Poor: Restrictions Imposed on Marketing and Movement of Agricultural Goods in India

Agricultural markets in India have been regulated since 1928 with the inception of the "Royal Commission of Agriculture." Policy intervention in agriculture was virtually absent till the Bengal Fam...

by Mayank Wadhwa | On 16 Jun 2010

Street Vendors: Exploitation by the State

Street vendors are those millions of people who come to cities as economic refugees hoping to provide basic necessities for their families.They are the main distribution channels for a large variety...

by Shailly Arora | On 15 Jun 2010

Wine Industry in Maharashtra: An Analysis

Two of the countryʹs biggest grape-producing districts, Nasik and Sangli, are in Maharashtra; 20,000 hectares of vineyards here grow more than one lac tons of grapes a year. As much as 99 per ce...

by Sudipto Mitra | On 15 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

HIV Counselling, Testing And Referrel Services in Mental Health Care Settings in Kolkata- A Provider Perspective

The main objective f this paper id to assess the adherence of and barriers to HIV counseling, testing and referral services on the part of the providers.

by Arupkumar Chakrabartty | On 04 Jun 2010

Trade in Financial Services: India's Opportunities and Constraints

This paper analyzes the prospects for liberalizing financial services under the GATS, in view of India’s interests and concerns in this sector. The paper consists of seven sections. Section 2 discuss...

by Rupa Chanda | On 03 Jun 2010

Koi Bhookha Na Soye

A report of the workshop ‘Koi Bhookha Na Soye’ was held at the Gandhi Peace Foundation on 14th and 15th of May, 2010.

by Shambhu Ghatak | On 03 Jun 2010

Debt Policy and Economic Growth in a Small Open Economy Model with Productive Government Spending

In this paper, the effects of introducing constraints on government borrowing have been examined by using a continuous-time overlapping generations model of a small open economy. Government placing co...

by Koichi Futagami | On 27 May 2010

Urban Governance and Finance in India

Over 330 million people live in India’s cities; 35 cities have a population of over a million and three (Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata) of the 10 largest metropolises in the world are in India. India’s...

by M. Govinda Rao | On 21 May 2010

OTC Derivatives Market in India: Recent Regulatory Initiatives and Open Issues for Market Stability and Development

The paper seeks to prove the point that the Indian OTC derivatives markets, unlike many other jurisdictions, are well regulated. Only contracts where one party to the contract is an RBI regulated e...

by Dayanand Arora | On 03 May 2010

Drivers of Academic Research and Patenting in India: Econometric Estimation of the Research Production Function

In this paper we attempt to provide a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of academic research and patenting in India. Research inputs by a faculty member are considered to be an outcome of h...

by Amit Shovon Ray | On 20 Apr 2010

Commonwealth Games 2010: Displacement of Persons

This research paper analyses Government policy with regard to Jhuggi-Jhopri clusters- a particular type of housing present in Delhi. These colonies are perceived to be illegal by the Government. Wit...

by Eshaan Puri | On 13 Apr 2010

Vulnerability and Coping to Disasters: A Study of Household Behaviour in Flood Prone Region of India

This paper attempts to understand the various risks faced by households living in disaster prone regions of rural India and specifically examine the effectiveness of coping mechanisms adopted by ho...

by Unmesh Patnaik | On 12 Apr 2010

Implementation of Monetary Policy in India

How does the Reserve Bank of India implement monetary policy? The objectives and framework of monetary policy, as they have evolved, the operational aspects of monetary policy have been discussed. Th...

by Deepak Mohanty | On 08 Apr 2010

Climate Change and the Future Impacts of Storm-Surge Disasters in Developing Countries

The implications of sea-level rise and storm surges for 84 developing countries and 577 of their cyclone-vulnerable coastal cities with populations greater than 100,000 are explored. Combining the mos...

by Susmita Dasgupta | On 25 Feb 2010

State Aid and Competition in Banking: The Case of China in the Late Nineties

A reduced form model where banks can pursue other goals than profit maximization is presented. This allows us to test for behavioral changes of banks over time. This model provides a framework to e...

by Xiaoqiang Cheng | On 23 Feb 2010

Factor Employment, Sources and Sustainability of Output Growth: Analysis of Indian Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in India is crucial for two main reasons: It has significant potential to provide modern employment to a growing labour force, especially that of less skilled type and second...

by Arvind Virmani | On 09 Feb 2010

India's Public Finances: Do They Matter

India’s general government deficits and public debt have remained high despite faster economic growth in recent years and periodic attempts to instil greater fiscal discipline. Modest fiscal tighten...

by Paul Rawkins | 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

Dilli Sarkar’s Advertisement Expenditure: Information or Publicity?

To find out whether our government is spending an astronomical amount of taxpayer’s money publicising itself rather than disseminating information, facts and figures were assimilated. By tracking f...

by Kumar Gaurav | On 29 Jan 2010

Assessing the Fiscal Capacity of Indian Governments

The record of different post reform governments in meeting their targets and improving both delivery and finances is assessed. A variety of indices are constructed, and consistency checks devised to m...

by Ashima Goyal | On 27 Jan 2010

The Dynamic Relationship between Price and Trading Volume: Evidence from Indian Stock Market

This study investigates the nature of relationship between price and trading volume for 50 Indian stocks. Firstly the contemporaneous and asymmetric relation between price and volume are examined. T...

by Brajesh Kumar | On 25 Jan 2010

Working with Existing Systems: Lessons from INHP

Engaging and strengthening the ICDS and Health programs of the government was a major approach of the two component projects under the RACHNA program, INHP-II and Chayan. Of the two, the INHP interve...

by CARE India | On 24 Dec 2009

Re-Activating Primary Health Centres Through Industrial Partnership in Tamilnadu Is it a Sustainable Model of Partnership?

Kerala’s success in human development demonstrated that efficient functioning of government health care delivery system opens the doors of prosperity for the poor and vulnerable sections of the popu...

by Varatharajan D | On 21 Dec 2009

Fuel for the Clean Energy Debate – A Study of Fuelwood Collection and Purchase in Rural India

In many parts of rural India the use of wood for fuel is the cause of significant environmental and health problems. Efforts to help people switch to cleaner fuels have not been effective and fuelwood...

by ARABINDA MISHRA | On 18 Dec 2009

Literacy Traps: Society-wide Education and Individual Skill Premia

Using a model of O-ring production function, the paper demonstrates how certain communities can get caught in a low-literacy trap in which each individual finds it not worthwhile investing in higher...

by Vidya Atal | On 01 Dec 2009

Delivering (sustainable) Services on Scale : Anywhere

This paper addresses issues related to public private partnerships that can enable delivery of comprehensive health care to rural communities.

by Prachi Shukla | On 25 Nov 2009

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

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

by CARE India | On 20 Nov 2009

No One Barked

No reponse form the policies that the government is announcing

by T.N. Ninan | On 20 Nov 2009

From Income to Urban Contest in Global Settings: Chronic Poverty in Bangalore

The paper is a research which studies the government policies and agendas that affect the poor in India. For the research 8 to 10 families, who had been intervened several years ago were re-interviewe...

by Solomon Benjamin | On 16 Nov 2009

The Chinese Aid System

Questions about Chinese aid—how large it is and how fast it is growing; how decisions are made on how much aid is provided each year; which countries receive it and how much they get; how the aid is m...

by Carol Lancaster | On 10 Nov 2009

The Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention and Redressal) Bill, 2007: A Critique

Before 1997, women experiencing sexual harassment at workplace had to lodge a complaint under Indian Penal Code, 1860, ss. 354 and 509. But the Supreme Court, applying Convention on the Elimination...

by Mahalaxmi Tiwary | On 09 Nov 2009

Public Pain, Private Gain

If a private sector partner goes wrong on business assumptions, it should not be the government or the consumer who pays

by T.N. Ninan | On 09 Nov 2009

Institutional and Economic Perspectives on Government Capacity to Assume New Roles in the Health Sector: a Review of Experience

This review paper provides the background to research that will take place in four country case-studies to examine these issues. A key focus of this paper concerns government's capacity to fulfil the...

by Sara Bennett | On 09 Nov 2009

2 headaches, 1 solution

The government simply has to find a way to deliver the basics. That is what will defeat the Maoists and hold off China.

by T.N. Ninan | On 27 Oct 2009

Telecommunications Infrastructure and Economic Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries

Simultaneous relationship between telecommunications and the economic growth, using data for developing countries are examined. Using 3SLS, a system of equations that endogenize economic growth and...

by Kala Seetharam Sridhar | On 15 Oct 2009

Financing the Panchayati Raj Institutions: Flagging Some Issues For The 13th CFC

The Finances of the PRIs are looked into. The role of 13th Finance Commission is explained. Some ‘learnings’ from International experience is given.

by Abhay Pethe | On 15 Oct 2009

Coping with Rising Food Prices: Policy Dilemmas in the Developing World

Rising food prices cause considerable policy dilemmas for developing country governments. Letting domestic prices adjust to reflect the full change in international prices generates inflationary pres...

by Nora Lustig | On 09 Oct 2009

Assessing the Impact of Fiscal Policy on Poverty

Fiscal policy measures are a key means by which governments can influence distribution and poverty, but in fact the relationships between fiscal policy and poverty are not well understood. The most c...

by Andrew McKay | On 05 Oct 2009

Dual Practice by Public Health Providers in Shandong and Sichuan Provinces, China

Private practice in the health sector was re-introduced from 1980, when China began its economic reform from a planned economy to a market economy. But today the total number of private sector provide...

by Ying Bian | On 30 Sep 2009

Do Remittances Impact the Economy? Some Empirical Evidences from A Developing Economy

The study attempts to examine the impact of remittances on macroeconomic activities (private consumption and investment) and its implications on economic growth in India for the period from 1966-67 to...

by Hrushikesh Mallick | On 01 Sep 2009

End of the Recession

The best economic news of the past two years can be that the worst recession in 80 years may be over.

by T.N. Ninan | On 31 Aug 2009

A Simple Model of the Financial Crisis of 2007-9 with Implications for the Design of a Stimulus Package

The financial crisis of 2007-09 began as a local problem in the mortgage finance market in the United States and Europe but, within months, escalated into a general global financial crisis, resulting...

by Kaushik Basu | On 17 Aug 2009

Analyzing Industrial Water Demand in India: An Input Distance Function Approach

This study investigates the water demand of Indian manufacturing plants. It adopts an input distance function approach and approximates it by a translog form. Duality between cost function and input d...

by Surender Kumar | On 17 Aug 2009

Swine Flu Casts its Spell across the Globe

The swine flu has come to India also. What measures have been taken by the government to fight against the pandemic?

by Rajeev Mavani | On 12 Aug 2009

Village Development Boards (VDBs) in Nagaland

The article describes the constitution and functions of Village Development Boards (VDBs) in NAGALAND where VDBs are considered as “Financial Intermediaries” or “Non-Banking Financial Intermediaries”....

by Karmakar K G | On 06 Aug 2009

“Group Measurement” of NREGA work: The Jalore Experiment

The paper takes a closer look at an experiment of NREGA training mates (worksite supervisors) in Rajasthan to improve worksite management. It is based on a four-day field visit (11-14 February, 2008)...

by Reetika Khera | On 05 Aug 2009

Peasant Classes, Farm Incomes and Rural Indebtedness: An Analysis of Household Production Data from Two States

The paper attempts to appraise the extent of the constraint of credit relations on agricultural production and its differential impact across peasant classes. Additionally, the analysis of the structu...

by Arindam Banerjee | On 04 Aug 2009

The State and Civil Society in Disaster Response An Analysis of the Tamil Nadu Experience

The primary objective of this report is to bring together the experiences and learnings of a range of actors affected by, and involved in the disaster response in order to identify factors that have i...

by Tata Institue of Social Sciences TISS | On 28 Jul 2009

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008

A bill to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years.

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 27 Jul 2009

Self-help Co-operatives, Deposit Mobilisation and Supply of Credit

The paper is aimed at exploring as to how such co-operatives (i) function and deal with members while delivering micro finance; (ii) mobilise funds, and (iii) get shaped and reshape the contents of me...

by Gagan Bihari Sahu | On 09 Jul 2009

Key Features of Budget 2009-2010

Key features of budget presented by the Finance Minister

by Pranab Mukherjee | On 06 Jul 2009

Report of the Internal Working Group on Debt Management

Establishing a debt management office would consolidate all debt management functions in a single agency, and be the catalyst for wider institutional reform and transparency about public debt. It is i...

by Ministry of Finance | On 04 Jul 2009

Emerging Contours of Financial Regulation: Challenges and Dynamics

The paper attempts to analyse the emerging contours of regulation of financial institutions with an emphasis on the emerging challenges and dynamics. [Paper prepared for Financial Stability Review of...

by Rakesh Mohan | On 29 Jun 2009

Relative Effectiveness of Monetary and Fiscal Policies on Output Growth in Bangladesh: A VAR Approach

This paper investigates the relative importance of monetary and fiscal policies in altering real output of Bangladesh. An unrestricted vector auto regression (VAR) framework based on the St. Louis equ...

by Md. Habibur Rahman | On 27 Jun 2009

Groundwater Irrigation in India: Gains, Costs and Risks

Groundwater has rapidly emerged to occupy a dominant place in India’s agriculture and food security in the recent years. It has become the main source of growth in irrigated area over the past 3 decad...

by Vasant P Gandhi | On 23 Jun 2009

Sal Seeds, an Untapped Resource in India

Sal seeds could provide effective livelihoods support for poor people when few alternative natural resource based strategies are available

by Sanjoy Patnaik | On 23 Jun 2009

Drug Regulation in the Philippines

Access to essential drugs is vital for the promotion of better health for the entire population. High prices of drugs are being used as an argument for greater government role in the drugs sector thro...

by Allan Grand A. Sobrepeña | On 16 Jun 2009

Subnational Taxes in Developing Countries: The Way Forward

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

by Richard.M. Bird | On 16 Jun 2009

Climate Change and Youth and/in Local Governments

Can young people help to increase awareness about climate change and its impacts working through local bodies? A perceptive and informative presentation by the UN-HABITAT Youth Advisory Board Member a...

by John Anugraha | On 15 Jun 2009

Goods and Services Tax for India

The paper contours of a feasible design of VAT in India. It also takes on board the various alternatives proposed. It looks at the issues that need resolution and the options available for resolving t...

by R.Kavita Rao | On 12 Jun 2009

Risk Management in the Midst of the Global Financial Crisis

The global economy is passing through its deepest financial and economic crisis of our time. Protecting the Indian economy from the worst impact of the crisis has been a big challenge for the governme...

by D Subbarao | On 08 Jun 2009

Initiatives of NGOs in Kutch Region

Many NGOs occupy a space between public and private sector organisations, and the papers in this special issue demonstrate that the mechanisms required for effective accountability by these NGOs are u...

by Kalpana C Satija | On 06 Jun 2009

The EU-India FTA Critical Considerations in a Time of Crisis

The paper broadly examines the core trade interests of the EU and India, the content of the negotiations and outlines some key concerns of a potential deal for India in the areas of goods, services an...

by Shefali Sharma | On 05 Jun 2009

Making the Punishment Fit the Crime or Taliban Justice? Optimal Penalties without Commitment

This paper argues that graduated penalties observed in most legal systems may be an attempt to direct law enforcement efforts towards crimes that are socially more harmful, thereby achieving better de...

by Parikshit Ghosh | On 03 Jun 2009

Imputation Methods for Handling Item-Nonresponse in the Social Sciences: A Methodological Review

Missing data are often a problem in social science data. Imputation methods fill in the missing responses and lead, under certain conditions, to valid inference. This article reviews several imputatio...

by Gabriele Beissel Durrant | On 02 Jun 2009

Aids In India

This paper revolves around the Public health related aspects of industrial and intellectual property rights policies in a developing country with respect to Aids in India. It also focusses on its prev...

by Samira Guennif | On 22 May 2009

Agricultural Impact of Climate Change: A General Equilibrium Analysis with Special Reference to Southeast Asia

Capitalizing on the most recent worldwide estimates of the impacts of climate change on agricultural production, this paper assesses the economic effects of climate change for Southeast Asian countrie...

by Fan Zhai | On 14 May 2009

Cities with Suburbs: Evidence from India

For a country like India that contains a large number of Urban Agglomerations (UAs), suburbanisation has drawn little attention of the literature. I focus on this sparsely studied issue in this work....

by Kala Seetharam Sridhar | On 20 Feb 2009

Consultation Paper on Licensing Issues Related to Next Generation Networks

Telecom operators in India have initiated their move towards Next Generation Networks (NGN) by implementing IP based core network. In order to identify & address various issues related to Next Gen...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 04 Feb 2009

Planning for Results: The Public Accountability Information System

The paper proposes a Public accountability information system (PAIS), with a web enabled public information system and a smart card recording all the benefits that the poor are entitled to receive thr...

by Arvind Virmani | On 22 Jan 2009

Report on the GLobal Financial Crisis and Kerala Economy: Impact and Mitigation Measures

This preliminary report has been prepared with a view to assist the state government in understanding the implications of the crisis, so that appropriate policies and programmes could be chalked to de...

by Centre for Development Studies CDS | On 02 Jan 2009

Development of What? An Exposition of the Politics of Development Economics

The present paper aims at driving home a hitherto-neglected and perhaps often muted (but important) point, namely, that the confusions and identity crisis that had gripped development economics in th...

by Arup Maharatna | On 31 Dec 2008

Government Spending, Trade Openness and Economic Growth in India: A Time Series Analysis

The study examines the impact of aggregate government expenditure and its two broader components such as revenue expenditure and capital expenditure on the growth rate of output in the Indian contex...

by Hrushikesh Mallick | On 22 Dec 2008

Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects

This is an initiative by the Planning Commission to formulate “Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects in order to have a unified perspective by all ministries.These guidelines are theref...

by Government of India GOI | On 08 Dec 2008

The Impact of Terrorism and Conflicts on Growth in Asia, 1970–2004

This paper quantifies the impact of terrorism and conflicts on income per capita growth in Asia for 1970–2004. Transnational terrorist attacks had a significant growth-limiting effect. An additional t...

by Khusrav Gaibulloev | On 05 Dec 2008

National Water Policy

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

by Ministry of Water Resources GOI | On 02 Dec 2008

Ensuring ‘Collective Action’ in ‘Participatory’ Forest Management

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

by Rucha Ghate | On 14 Nov 2008

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

Impact of Urban Growth on Water Bodies The Case of Hyderabad

This study makes an attempt to analyse the transformation of common property resources (the lakes) into private property. [WP No. 60].

by Ramachandraiah C | On 17 Oct 2008

Hobbes, Coase and Baliraja: Equity and Equality in Surface Water Distribution

It is attempted to understand the implications of equality in water distribution on social welfare with a simple abstract analysis using Leontief-type fixed production function.

by Sashi Sivramakrishna | On 16 Oct 2008

Heterodox Macroeconomics and the Design of Monetary Institutions

Two agendas of the heterodox economics programme; the stock-flow consistent models pioneered by Wynne Godley, and the monetary circuit approach researched in France and Italy are discussed. The object...

by Romar Correa | On 10 Oct 2008

Deconstructing China’s and India’s Growth: The Role of Financial Policies

This paper uses the standard one-sector neoclassical growth model to investigate why China’s consumption has been low and investment high. This paper looks into the role played by the financial sector...

by Jahangir Aziz | On 07 Oct 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

Issues Before the Thirteenth Finance Commission

The paper argues that irrespective of the wording of the Terms of Reference (ToR), the Commission would do well to focus on its primary task of recommending transfers to serve the objective of equit...

by M.Govinda Rao | On 06 Oct 2008

Consultation Paper on Media Ownership

The objective of the paperis to obtain the inputs of stakeholders and to generate a discussion on the appropriate policy relating to cross media and ownership restrictions in India. The comments of al...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 03 Oct 2008

Technology Sourcing and Internationalisation of IT firms in India

The paper analyzes the determinants of internationalisation, defined in terms of export intensity and overseas investments, of the IT firms in India. In particular, the paper examines the role of tech...

by Narayanan K | On 01 Oct 2008

Women in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation: A Study in the Context of the Debate on the Women's Reservation Bill

This article presents the findings of a survey conducted in 2000 in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC), where quotas – 33 per cent of seats - for women have been implemented since 1995. [CSH Oc...

by Stephanie Tawa Lema-Rewal | On 30 Sep 2008

Pollution Across Chinese Provinces

The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is revisited using 1987-1995 data for Chinese provinces.

by Catherine Yap Co | On 29 Sep 2008

Goa Musings: Mining

Men who will stop the water: vignettes from Goa's mining heartland

by Hartman de Souza | On 26 Sep 2008

Early Warnings of Inflation in India

In India, year-on-year percentage changes of price indexes are widely used as the measure of inflation. In terms of monthly data, each observation of a one-year change in inflation is the sum of twelv...

by Rudrani Bhattacharya | On 25 Sep 2008

Kandhamal Massacres: Where is the State? Central Government of India must stop the killings

Over 50 persons, mainly Christians, have been killed since the Hindu fundamentalists launched an attack on the Christians following the murder of four members of the VHP including 90 year old Laxmanan...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 22 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

Food Processing in Andhra Pradesh Opportunities and Challenges

The study is taken up in the state of Andhra Pradesh with the following objectives: 1. To study the opportunities and challenges in processing of rice, fruits and vegetables, oilseeds and livestock...

by S.Mahendra Dev | On 17 Sep 2008

India's Climate Change Policy and Trade Concerns: Issues, Barriers and Solutions

This study assesses the Five Year Plans and relevant government policies adopted to garner India's climate change goals and priorities. It attempts to highlight key climate change concerns from a brie...

by Centre for Trade and Development CENTAD | On 17 Sep 2008

A Better Childhood: Case Studies onChild Labour

Child labour is seen in every corner of the street in India, they are everywhere, they are visible. It is a very complex socio -economic problem and it definitely will be a burden of the growth of Ind...

by Theodora Lee | On 11 Sep 2008

The Naxals get lethal: Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the conflict

Chhattisgarh continues to be the epicenter of the Naxalite conflict as a direct consequence of the counter-insurgency Salwa Judum campaign. There have been credible reports of serious human rights vio...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 18 Aug 2008

WCD Thematic Review 1.3:Social Aspects: Contributing Paper: Displacement, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Reparation and Development

This paper seeks primarily to establish some benchmarks for policy and law for displacement and rehabilitation in India. It will do this by looking briefly at the actual experience of displacement due...

by Ravi Hemadri | On 14 Aug 2008

Impact of Proposed Commodity Transaction Tax

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

by Pravakar Sahoo | On 07 Aug 2008

A Human Rights Commission Must Have Effective Powers

Ratification imposes specific obligations on a state to incorporate human rights into national laws, to amend legislation, to promote, protect and fulfill human rights and prevent violations of huma...

by South Asians for Human Rights SAHR | On 31 Jul 2008

Managing Capital Flows: The Case of India

From the early 1990s, India embarked on easing capital controls. Liberalization emphasised openness towards equity flows, both FDI and portfolio flows. In particular, there are few barriers in the fa...

by Ajay Shah | On 24 Jul 2008

Bangladesh and Climate Change: Need for a Comprehensive Adaptive Strategy

The aim of this paper is to examine the effects climate change will have on Bangladesh and also gives some possible solutions for tackling climate change.

by Centre for Trade and Development CENTAD | On 24 Jul 2008

Drug Development for Maternal Health Cannot Be Left to the Whims of the Market

The development of drugs for maternal health cannot be constrained by market-driven needs. What is needed is a political will.

by PLoS Medicine | On 16 Jul 2008

Between Citizens and Institutions: The Dyamics of the Integration of Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Hyderabad

The purpose of this study is to review the changes that have taken place recently in water supply and sanitation services and examine the role of various stakeholders involved in urban governance in...

by Agnes Huchon | On 15 Jul 2008

Constitutionalising Panchayats: The Response of State Legislatures

This article is an attempt to look at debates in the light of the Assemblies' tryst with panchayats. It should be noted that it is not an evaluation of what transpired in the state Assemblies. In view...

by Girish Kumar | On 03 Jul 2008

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

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

by Alex M. George | On 29 May 2008

It’s the Network, Stupid: Why Everything in Medicine Is Connected

Social networking is about more than just friends reunited; it’s a framework for understanding even the most basic of biological processes. Two papers in the month of March PLoS Medicine illustrate t...

by PLoS Medicine | On 26 Mar 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

ICT and Employment Promotion Among Poor Women: How Can We Make It Happen? Some Reflections On Kerala's Experience

This paper deals with the integration of gender in policies relating to information and communication technology to empower socially excluded poor women as producers of this technology. In this contex...

by Mohanan Pillai P | On 25 Mar 2008

A short critique of the Stern Review

The Stern Review (2006) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assert that the greenhouse problem can be solved at a negligible cost. this articls details the argument that both th...

by Ted Trainer | On 17 Mar 2008

A Sugar Policy for India Comment on D R Gadgil

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

by Aparna Mitheel Jaikar | On 13 Mar 2008

Scaling up a Reproductive Health Curriculum In Youth Training Courses

Considering the reproductive health information and service needs of adolescents and youth, the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) Program, in collaboration with the Min...

by Laila Rahman | On 12 Mar 2008

Andhra Pradesh Budget 2008-09

SPEECH OF SRI K. ROSAIAH, HONOURABLE FINANCE MINISTER WHILE PRESENTING THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2008-09 TO THE ANDHRA PRADESH STATE LEGISLATURE.

by Government Andhra Pradesh | On 10 Mar 2008

Kerala Budget Speech 2008-09

Budget speech 2008-09 by Finance Minister Dr. Thomas Issac

by Government of Kerala Govt | On 07 Mar 2008

Key Features of Budget 2008-2009

Budget presented by Finance Minister

by P Chidambaram | On 29 Feb 2008

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2007

The Bill seeks to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.

by Parliamentary Research Service PRS | On 28 Feb 2008

Introducing the Railway Budget 2008-2009

Speech of Lalu Prasad

by Lalu Prasad | On 27 Feb 2008

The Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2007

A bill to provide for the rehabilitation and resettlement of persons affected by the acquisition of land for projects of public purpose or involuntary displacement due to any other reason, and for mat...

by Lok Sabha | On 07 Feb 2008

Requirement of Public Holding for Listing

It is proposed to amend the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957 (SCRR) to make provisions to implement the proposals as suggested at Para 11 in the paper. The comments on these proposals are...

by Ministry of Finance | On 05 Feb 2008

From Theory to Practice: Translating Research into Health Outcomes

Commenting on recent research articles which look at the potential health benefits of behaviour change, the PLoS Medicine Editors say that publication of the findings of such research is only one part...

by PLoS Medicine | On 01 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

National Policy on the Voluntary Sector

This National Policy on the Voluntary Sector-2007 is the beginning of a process to evolve a new working relationship between the Government and the Voluntary Sector, without affecting the autonomy and...

by Planning Commission, India | On 29 Jan 2008

Managing Migration in thePhilippines: Lessons for India

The significance of international migration in the Philippines economy and society is discussed. The Government of Philippines plays a supportive and regulatory role promoting internationational migr...

by S. Irudaya Rajan | On 19 Jan 2008

Issues Relating to 3rd Phase of Private FM Radio Broadcasting

The first phase of private sector involvement in FM radio broadcasting was launched by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India vide its notification in year 1999. Based on the ex...

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI | On 11 Jan 2008

HIV Treatment Proceeds as Prevention Research Confounds

World AIDS Day, the annual December 1 commemoration, first took place in 1988 under the auspices of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. At that time there was no idea about HIV treatment b...

by PLoS Medicine | On 11 Jan 2008

Transgenics in Indian Agriculture: Experiences so far and implications of KIA proposals on Indian Farmers

KIA proposes to bring a paradigm shift in Indian Agriculture in terms of human resource development, research, technology generation, technology dissemination and commercialization. In the short run,...

by Ramanjaneyulu G V | On 05 Jan 2008

Mangroves - A Natural Defense against Cyclones: An investigation from Orissa, India

Following this disaster in Orissa caused by a super cyclone there was a great deal of controversy over whether the high levels of mangrove forest destruction in the area had increased the impact of th...

by Saudamini Das | On 13 Dec 2007

A Success Story

India's economic reforms are evaluated.

by T.N. Ninan | On 26 Nov 2007

Vaccine Policy in India

The success of an immunisation programme in any country depends more upon local realities and national policies. This is particularly true for a huge and diverse developing country such as India, with...

by Yennapu Madhavi | On 12 Nov 2007

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

Newsletter on Regional Economy: A bi-monthly four-state update

A monthly compilation by IRIS.

by IRIS India IRIS | On 22 Oct 2007

Unorganised Sector Worker's Social Security Bill 2007

A bill to provide for the social security and welfare of unorganised sector workers and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

by Minister of State for Labour and Employment | On 15 Oct 2007

Between Stools

Different options that RBI and government must decide regard to future inflows of international capital to India.

by T.N. Ninan | On 08 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

Governance and Health

As we celebrate 60 years of political independence and take pride in our dynamic private sector, our remarkable IT successes and all the other usual dimensions of success, let us remind ourselves that...

by Shankar Acharya | On 08 Oct 2007

Capital Inflows, Financial Repression and Macroeconomic Policy in India since the Reforms

Since the early 1990s the Indian economy has seen a considerable relaxation of controls, as a consequence of which it has witnessed unprecedented growth. This is especially remarkable in the external...

by Partha Sen | On 04 Oct 2007

Marketing of Bt Cotton in India: Aggressive, Unscrupulous and False….

The paper examines the prevailing situation of Bt cotton marketing in India. It tells a story of how aggressive and unethical marketing practices are adopted for luring faemers into the Bt cotton trap...

by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture CSA | On 04 Oct 2007

Tracking Functional Devolution by States to Panchayats

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

by Indira Rajaraman | On 28 Sep 2007

The Reserve Bank and the State Governments: Partners in Progress

The States, relative to the Centre, have taken the centre-stage in the reform process since the areas of highest national priority now fall essentially within the purview of the States. The unique and...

by Y V Reddy | On 26 Sep 2007

Missing the Bus

Government has done a lot for the development of textile industry. But India is not at all doing well in the international markets compared to countries like China and Bangladesh. Government has not d...

by T.N. Ninan | On 24 Sep 2007

Educational Policy and the Economics of the Family

The implications of alternative ways to model decisionmaking by families for educational policy are analysed. Many of the policy implications associated with credit constraints cannot be distinguished...

by Abhijit Banerjee | On 11 Sep 2007

Where are the SOPs?

Need for SOPs (standard operating procedures) in many government departments can be seen form the maintenance of cities in India. Many unplanned decisions have caused difficulties to pedestrians. It h...

by T.N. Ninan | On 10 Sep 2007

Pesticide Use in the Rice Bowl of Kerala: Health Costs and Policy Options

The pesticide use in Kuttanad, India, an ecologically sensitive area often referred to as the rice bowl of Kerala is examined. Using primary data collected from pesticide applicators and farm labor, t...

by Indira Devi P | On 17 Aug 2007

De-risking the System

The advent of political uncertainties has led to questions about poor governance which can lead to economic under performance.

by T.N. Ninan | On 31 Jul 2007

The Real Numbers

The macro-economic numbers put out by the official statistical systems do not capture the full underlying reality because of a variety of accounting fudges and delayed decisions. Taken in its totality...

by T.N. Ninan | On 30 Jul 2007

Working Draft for Revised Medical Curriculum: Introduction

There has been a global shift in the emphasis from discipline based curriculum to more integrated and problem based curriculum. However, considering the logistics of implementation and constrains in t...

by Task Force on Medical Education | On 21 Jul 2007

Evaluate Anti-Naxal Policies of the Chhatisgarh Government: Naxal Conflict Monitor April 11, 2007

The State has the responsibility to ensure right to life of the citizens. Involving civilians directly in armed conflicts only increases the risks to their lives and prolongs the conflicts. Common cit...

by Asian Centre for Human Rights ACHR | On 13 Jul 2007

Working Together for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

Despite years of significant advances in improving child survival and health, the final chapter on ending unnecessary child deaths has not yet been written and advances have stagnated in several count...

by Francisco Songane | On 03 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

Measurement of Environmental Efficiency and Productivity: A Cross Country Analysis

This paper measures environmental efficiency (EE) and environmental productivity (EP) and analyses differences in these across countries. It explores the macroeconomic factors that could explain these...

by Surender Kumar | On 14 Jun 2007

Lesons Government Failure: Public Goods Provision and Quality of Public Investment

This paper focuses on government investment and expenditure policies. Going beyond the growth experience, the author also tries to relate the policy experience to the issues of aggregate poverty, in...

by Arvind Virmani | On 25 Apr 2007

Declaration of SAARC Summits 1985-1998

The Summit declarations of the Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries of SAARC at the conclusion of all the ten SAARC summits that have taken place since the inception of SAARC have been co...

by SAARC Secretariat | On 10 Apr 2007

Language Politics: Learning English

States are struggling to find the right language formula in education, giving rise to political agendas around language teaching. How early should English be introduced in the school curriculum? Shoul...

by Lakshmi Priya | On 03 Apr 2007

Commission of Inquiry

On 1st September 2003, the Government had appointed the Commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to inquire into the allegations of corrupt paractices and maladministration inot certain...

by Maharashtra Government | On 27 Mar 2007

TB Report

On world TB day, this reoirt gives an idea about how overall the world people are affected byTB and the government initiatives to control TB

by World Health Organisation WHO | On 24 Mar 2007

Educational Development and Wastage in Tripura

The paper evaluates the general educational scene in Tripura three commonly known indicators such as literacy rate, enrolment ratio and wastage rate are used as yardsticks in the present study. though...

by P. Nayak | On 22 Mar 2007

Groundwater Irrigation in North India: Institutions and Markets

This paper analyzes the institutions and markets that govern groundwater allocation in the sugarcane belt of Uttar Pradesh, India, using primary, plot-level data from a village which shares the typica...

by Banerji A | On 21 Mar 2007

Andhra Pradesh Budget 2007-08

Budget Speech of Finance Minister 2007-08

by Government Andhra Pradesh | On 16 Mar 2007

Suicides by Cotton Farmers in Andhra Pradesh

The paper disuses and analyzes the condition of cotton farmers of Andra Pradesh and the reasons for their committing suicides.

by Reji K Joseph | On 05 Mar 2007

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

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

by Lori Beaman | On 16 Feb 2007

Outcome of the review of the trends in receipts and expenditure in relation to the budget at the end of the second quarter of the financial year 2006-2007

This mid-year review reports developments in the economy in the first half of 2006- 07, with a particular focus on Central Government finances, outlining the performances in the real sector, economi...

by Ministry of Finance | On 06 Feb 2007

The International Mobility of Technical Talent: Trends and Development Implications

This paper charts the complex dynamics of the movement of technical talent in the world economy and assesses broadly the impact of such mobility on both sending and receiving countries. Based on sec...

by Anthony P. D'Costa | On 29 Dec 2006

Impact of Reservations of Panchayat Pradhans on Targeting in West Bengal

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

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

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

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

by Pranab Bardhan | On 27 Dec 2006

The Role of Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme in Preventing Rural Emergencies in India

The Self-Help Emergency Prevention (SHEPherd) programme aims to use lessons from CRS/Orissa’s emergency responses in 1999 and 2001 to inspire an India-wide response to emergency prevention. The progr...

by Kim Wilson | On 03 Dec 2006

Valuation of Urban Air Pollution: A Case Study of Kanpur City in India

This study estimates the monetary benefits to individuals from health damages avoided as a result on reductions in air pollution in the urban industrial city of Kanpur in India. A notable feature of t...

by Usha Gupta | On 31 Oct 2006

Journal of Social and Economic Change

Articles Pareto’s Revenge — Ravi Kanbur 1 Socio-Economic Dimensions of Old Age Security in India: With Special Reference to Karnataka — T V Sekher Gender, Poverty and Employment in India — V Gaya...

by | On 12 Aug 2006

The Communal Violence (Pevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) bill, 2005

Bill No. CXV of 2005 A Bill to empower the State Governments and the Central Government to take measures to provide for the prevention and control of communal violence which threatens the secular fab...

by Ministry of Home Affairs | On 25 May 2006

India Needs to Separate Debt from Monetary Management

The Reserve Bank of India, in its Annual Policy Statement on April 28, 2005, for the year 2005-06, announced its intention to reorient government debt management operations entailing functional separ...

by Charan Singh | On 14 Apr 2006

The Siren Song of Technonationalism

Technological development in Asia is driven by government policy, and that policy is motivated in large part by technonationalism, or the desire of Asian states to free themselves from dependence on W...

by David Kang | On 07 Mar 2006

Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments: Third Quarter Review 2005-06

Contents I. The Real Economy -- 1 Agricultural Situation Industrial Performance Business Expectations Surveys Services Sector II. Fiscal Situation 14 Combined Government Fi...

by Reserve Bank of India | On 25 Jan 2006

Reproductive Health Services and Role of Panchayats in Karnataka

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

by Poornima Vyasulu | On 19 Jan 2006

Conceptualizing NGO-State Relations in Karnataka:Conflict and Collaboration amidst Organizational Diversity

This paper maps the organizational diversity of the NGO sector in Karnataka, a “middle order state” (Vyasulu, 1995), and demonstrates that conceptualizing NGO actions vis-à-vis the state dichotomously...

by Neema Kudva | On 13 Jan 2006

Participation in a School Incentive Programme in Karnataka

Development education policy has recently focused on school-based recognition and conditional cash transfer programs to improve accountability and incentives of school employees and committees. The L...

by Sharon Bernhardt | On 12 Jan 2006

Institutionalising Citizen Participaion in Urban Governance

The twin concepts of a federal arrangement – a structure for a multi-tiered form of government with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, as well as active citizenship are like the two strands...

by Ramesh Ramanathan | On 12 Jan 2006

Corruption and Local Governance: Evidence from Karnataka

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

by V. Vijayalakshmi | On 09 Jan 2006

Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka

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

by Kripa Ananthpur | On 09 Jan 2006

Choosing to Live: Guidelines for Suicide Prevention Counselling in Domestic Violence

Nearly a million people take their own lives every year, more than those murdered or killed in war. Suicide is a problem that affects people of all ages and economic levels, and is recognised by the W...

by Aruna Burte | On 02 Dec 2005

From Governments To Markets: Funding Urban Infrastructure

Provision of quality urban infrastructure is an area of major concern forthe Indian Economy. The environment defined by the context of globalisation and privatisation has implied fiscal compression an...

by Abhay Pethe | On 05 Aug 2005

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

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

by Lant Pritchett | On 31 Mar 2005