|
on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Rajeev, Meenakshi; B P, Vani |
| Abstract: | Though Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is of recent origin in India it has attracted the attentions of entrepreneurs, policy makers and media persons equally due to its phenomenal growth. The growth of this sector has not only helped to improve our current account balance, but also generated income and employment. This paper looks at this IT-enabled service (ITES) based industry particularly focusing on three major service lines, viz., customer care, financial and health care. It analyses India’s strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis the competing countries. While the major strength of Indian BPO industry is the availability of cost-effective manpower, ironically, it has been observed that the major challenges faced by the industry in India today are mainly human resource related. The paper comes up with the possible measures necessary for keeping India’s competitive edge intact in this segment. |
| Keywords: | Key Words: Business Process Outsourcing; IT-enabled services; off-shoring. |
| JEL: | L86 |
| Date: | 2008–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9834&r=cwa |
| By: | Rajeev, Meenakshi |
| Abstract: | Inclusive economic growth is the most talked about issue in India. This is due to the fact that the impacts of the recent spectacular growth have not been able to percolate down to various segments of population, most importantly to the rural population. Rural infrastructure in India have still remained far from satisfactory and amongst others, lack of funds is one critical reason for this. In order to ensure smooth flow of funds for the development of infrastructure in rural India, rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF) was introduced in the budget of 1995-’96. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governs this fund through NABARD with corpus from the commercial banks. This paper is an attempt to critically examine some of the issues that arise in the context of utilization of the fund by different states of India. The study finds that many projects remain incomplete even after receiving funds under RIDF and certain measures are necessary to ensure proper utilization of funds as well as to reduce intra rural disparity in India. |
| Keywords: | Key Words: Rural Infrastructure Development Fund; Corpus; RIDF Tranche. |
| JEL: | H54 H53 |
| Date: | 2008–01–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9836&r=cwa |
| By: | L, lakshmanan; S, Chinngaihlian; Raj, Rajesh |
| Abstract: | This paper provides an analytical abstract of various parameters of manufacturing competitiveness of the Indian economy. India's manufacturing exports have risen impressively in the past decade or so and found to be directly linked to the world GDP and inversely related to real effective exchange rate (REER). Indian manufacturing industries have certain inherent strengths and advantages in having a relatively inexpensive, adequate and skilled labour force, cost-effective and competitive prices of goods produced, large manufacturing base and proximity to fast growing Asian markets. India is one of the leading producers and exporters in a number of commodities and enjoys significant advantages in terms of lower labour costs as compared to other economies. Nevertheless, India's competitiveness is lost on account of lower labour productivity and higher input and material costs. To improve the competitiveness of the Indian manufacturing goods, issues like further diversification of export basket, upgradation of export quality, improvement in productivity, increased technology intensity in production, enhanced R&D activity, encouraging business environment, less cumbersome regulatory environment, flexible labour laws, removal of infrastructural bottlenecks and SME related issues need attention of all concerned. |
| Keywords: | Manufacturing sector; Competitiveness |
| JEL: | F14 L52 O57 L60 |
| Date: | 2007–01–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9801&r=cwa |
| By: | von Braun, Joachim; Ruel, Marie; Gulati, Ashok |
| Abstract: | "1. The facts: Child malnutrition in India India is home to 40 percent of the world's malnourished children and 35 percent of the developing world's low-birth-weight infants; every year 2.5 million children die in India, accounting for one in five deaths in the world. More than half of these deaths could be prevented if children were well nourished. India's progress in reducing child malnutrition has been slow. The prevalence of child malnutrition in India deviates further from the expected level at the country's per capita income than in any other large developing country. 2. The challenge: Accelerating progress in reducing child malnutrition in India India has many nutrition and social safety net programs, some of which (such as Integrated Child Development Services [ICDS] and the Public Distribution System [PDS]) have had success in several states in addressing the needs of poor households. All of these programs have potential, but they do not form a comprehensive nutrition strategy, and they have not addressed the nutrition problem effectively so far. 3. Strategic choices for improved child nutrition India lacks a comprehensive nutrition strategy. Various choices for nutrition strategies can be considered. A review of some of the more successful country experiences suggests that all of them implemented complex, multisectoral actions with more or less emphasis on service-oriented nutrition policies (as in Indonesia), incentive-oriented nutrition policies linked to community or household participation and performance (as in Mexico), or mobilization-oriented nutrition policies (as in Thailand). These choices are not mutually exclusive. India now has the opportunity to “leapfrog” toward innovative nutritional improvement based on the experiences of other countries and on experiences within India itself. 4. Cooperation for policy actions To accelerate progress in reducing child malnutrition, India should focus on the following four cross-cutting strategic approaches: a. ensuring that economic growth and poverty reduction policies reach the poor; b. redesigning nutrition and health policies and programs by drawing on science and technology for nutritional improvement, strengthening their implementation, and increasing their coverage; c. increasing investments and actions in nutrition services for communities with the highest concentration of poor; and d. focusing programs on girls' and women's health and nutrition. IFPRI, in collaboration with Indian experts and international networks, could bring much-needed experience with programs and policies around the world to bear on this effort. An evidence-based, research-intensive approach with “learning while implementing”—which has shown success in other countries—is recommended. There is no time or reason to wait for taking action." from Text |
| Keywords: | Malnutrition in children, Policies, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Public Distribution System (PDS), Nutrition, stakeholders, Global Hunger Index, Gross national income per capita, Hunger, Child mortality, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:resbrf:12&r=cwa |
| By: | Jain Rekha |
| Abstract: | Telecom sector in India has been growing very fast and changing very rapidly in service delivery mechanisms used, target segments addressed, technogical platforms for service delivery etc. Globally also the growth scenario is very positive. This means that this sector offers employment opportunities that are attractive. In order to exploit these opportunities, the sector needs people with the approppriate employment profiles that match the changing requirements both in atributes and numbers. However, the current education system is not equipped to provide the requisite profiles. This paper identifies and quantifies the skill gap both in terms of focus areas and numbers by segmenting the sector. It suggest directions in which the change must happen. It also reviews innovative approaches in the private and government sector in India and abroad with a view to assess the adapatability of these approaches on a larger scale in India. |
| Date: | 2008–08–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2008-08-02&r=cwa |
| By: | Dhas, Albert Christopher; Helen, Mary Jacqueline |
| Abstract: | In this paper, the basics of globalization, the economic reforms initiated in India and the trends in employment and the impact of globalisation are discussed. It is argued that the unorganised workers would expand further due to globalisation. Under the present deprived conditions of unorganised sector, this would lead to imbalance in the labour market leading to more supply of labours, low wages and low level of income. This situation would affect the social and economic conditions of the unorganised working population. The unorganised workers will be in the highly disadvantageous position as there would be a shift in the technology from labour to capital intensive and use of unskilled to skilled workers. |
| Keywords: | Globalisation; Economic Reforms; Employment; labour; India; Unorganised workers; Organised workers; Unemployment; unskilled workers; enterprises; |
| JEL: | O1 J6 N3 J0 |
| Date: | 2008–08–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9597&r=cwa |
| By: | Sonia Bhalotra; Bernarda Zamora |
| Abstract: | This paper uses two large repeated cross-sections, one for the early 1990’s, and one for the late 1990’s, to describe growth in school enrolment and completion rates for boys and girls in India, and to explore the extent to which enrolment and completion rates have grown over time. It decomposes this growth into components due to change in the characteristics that determine schooling, and another associated with changes in the responsiveness of schooling to given characteristics. Our results caution against the common practice of using current data to make future projections on the assumption that the model parameters are stable. The analysis nevertheless performs illustrative simulations relevant to the question of whether India will be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of realising universal primary education by the year 2015. The simulations suggest that India will achieve universal attendance, but that primary school completion rates will not exhibit much progress. |
| Keywords: | Millennium Development Goals, primary schooling, attendance, completion rates, gender, India, decomposition |
| JEL: | I21 I28 O12 J18 |
| Date: | 2008–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bri:cmpowp:08/190&r=cwa |
| By: | Soner Baþkaya; Hakan Kara; Defne Mutluer |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:0801&r=cwa |
| By: | Sean Dougherty |
| Abstract: | Over the past decade, labour market outcomes have improved in India, with net employment rising markedly for the economy as a whole. However, these gains have arisen primarily in the unorganized and informal sectors of the economy, where productivity and wages are generally much lower than in the formal organized sector. It is only India’s organized sector that is subject to labour market regulation, and here employment has fallen. The role of employment protection legislation in affecting employment outcomes is controversial both in the OECD area and in India. This paper looks at the impact of employment protection legislation and related regulation on the dynamics of employment in the organized sector of the economy, using newly constructed measures of national regulation and state labour reforms. We find that while reforms have taken some of the bite out of core labour laws, more comprehensive reforms are needed to address the distortions that have emerged. This working paper relates to the 2007 Economic Survey of India (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/india). <P>Réglementation du travail et dynamiques de l’emploi au niveau de l’État en Inde <BR>Au cours de la dernière décennie, les résultats du marché du travail se sont améliorés en Inde, l’emploi net augmentant de façon sensible dans l’ensemble de l’économie. Cependant, ces gains sont intervenus essentiellement dans les secteurs non organisé et informel de l’économie, où la productivité et les salaires sont généralement bien moindres que dans le secteur organisé formel. Seul le secteur organisé est assujetti à la réglementation du marché du travail et, dans ce secteur, l’emploi a diminué. L’incidence de la législation de protection de l’emploi sur la performance du marché du travail est sujette à controverses aussi bien dans la zone de l’OCDE qu’en Inde. Le présent article examine l’impact de cette législation et des réglementations associées sur la dynamique de l’emploi dans le secteur organisé de l’économie, en utilisant de nouvelles mesures de la réglementation nationale et des réformes au niveau des Etats. Il ressort de cette étude que si les réformes ont permis d’assouplir quelque peu la rigidité du droit fondamental du travail, des mesures plus approfondies sont nécessaires pour remédier aux distorsions qui sont apparues. Ce document de travail se rapporte à l’Étude économique de l’Inde 2007 (www.oecd.org/eco/etudes/inde). |
| Keywords: | labour laws, employment protection indicators, job turnover, labour market distortions, législation du travail, indicateurs de protection de l’emploi, rotation du travail, distorsion du marché du travail |
| JEL: | G38 J21 J63 K20 |
| Date: | 2008–08–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:624-en&r=cwa |
| By: | Sonia Bhalotra |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the extent to which the decline in childhood mortality over the last three decades can be attributed to economic growth. In doing this, it exploits the considerable variation in growth over this period, across states and over time. The analysis is able to condition upon a number of economic and demographic variables. The estimates are used to produce a crude estimate of the rate of economic growth that would be necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the under-5 mortality by two thirds, from its level in 1990, by the year 2015. The main conclusion is that, while growth does have a significant impact on mortality risk, growth alone cannot be relied upon to achieve the goal. |
| Keywords: | childhood mortality, economic growth, MDGs, India |
| JEL: | O12 I12 I18 J13 |
| Date: | 2008–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bri:cmpowp:08/188&r=cwa |
| By: | Sean Dougherty; Richard Herd; Thomas Chalaux; Abdul Erumban |
| Abstract: | India’s growth performance has improved significantly over the past 20 years, but has been uneven across industries and states. While some service industries, notably in the information and communications technology sector, have become highly competitive in world markets – yielding considerable gains for employees and investors – manufacturing industries have lagged and improved their performance only recently. A divergence in performance has taken place, with firms in those states and sectors with the best institutions gaining, and those in the more tightly regulated states and sectors falling further behind. As a result, the competitive landscape is uneven across sectors and states and a high degree of concentration continues to prevail in different industries. While this is partly the result of the legacy of licensing, change has been politically difficult, making it harder for the manufacturing sector than for the service sector to expand. The need for further institutional reforms is urgent, focusing on product and labour market regulations at the central and state levels. This working Paper relates to the 2007 Economic Survey of India (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/india). <P>Profil de croissance de l’Inde et obstacles à une accélération de la croissance <BR>La croissance en Inde s’est sensiblement améliorée depuis une vingtaine d’années, mais les performances sont inégales d’un secteur ou d’un État à l’autre. Si certaines industries de services, notamment dans le secteur des technologies de l’information et des communications, sont désormais très compétitives sur les marchés mondiaux – à l’origine de gains considérables pour les salariés et les investisseurs – les industries manufacturières restent à la traîne et n’ont commencé que récemment à améliorer leur performance. Les écarts se sont creusés, les entreprises des États et secteurs dotés des institutions les plus efficaces allant de l’avant, tandis que celles des États et secteurs plus strictement réglementés accusaient plus encore leur retard. D’où un paysage concurrentiel fort dissemblable d’un secteur ou d’un État à l’autre, et une forte concentration, notamment aux mains de la puissance publique, dans plusieurs secteurs d’activité. S’il faut y voir pour une part un héritage du système des autorisations administratives, les évolutions ont été politiquement délicates, rendant plus difficile l’expansion du secteur manufacturier que celle du secteur des services. Il est impératif de poursuivre les réformes institutionnelles, en privilégiant la réglementation des marchés de produits et du travail, aux niveaux aussi bien de l’administration centrale que des États. Ce document de travail se rapporte à l’Étude économique de l’Inde 2007 (www.oecd.org/eco/etudes/inde). |
| Keywords: | productivity, productivité, réglementation, regulation, specialisation, spécialisation, firm microdata, micro-données d'entreprise, regional concentration, concentration régionale, manufacturing development, développement industriel |
| JEL: | D4 F15 L11 O12 |
| Date: | 2008–08–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:623-en&r=cwa |
| By: | Sean Dougherty; Richard Herd |
| Abstract: | The provision of high-quality education and health care to all of the population is considered a core element of public policy in most countries. In India, the government is active in both education and health but the private sector also plays an important role, notably for heath, and to a lesser extent in education. At present, the quality and quantity of the outputs from education, and also form public health care, are holding back the process of economic development. Steps are being taken to draw more children into primary education and the paper considers ways to keep children in school. It also considers institutional changes that may help to improve the performance of the educational system and so boost human capital formation. This working Paper relates to the 2007 Economic Survey of India (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/india). <P>Améliorer la formation du capital humain en Inde <BR>Permettre à l’ensemble de la population de bénéficier d’une éducation et de soins de santé de qualité est l’un des enjeux majeurs de la politique publique dans la plupart des pays. En Inde, les pouvoirs publics interviennent aussi bien dans l’éducation que dans les soins de santé, ce qui n’empêche pas le secteur privé de jouer un rôle important, en particulier dans le premier de ces domaines. À l’heure actuelle, les performances qualitatives et quantitatives de l’éducation et des services publics de santé constituent un frein au processus de développement économique. Des mesures ont été prises pour augmenter la fréquentation de l’enseignement primaire, et le présent document étudie les moyens de lutter contre les abandons scolaires. Il analyse également les changements institutionnels nécessaires pour contribuer à améliorer les performances du système éducatif et stimuler ainsi la formation du capital humain. Ce document de travail se rapporte à l’Étude économique de l’Inde 2007 (www.oecd.org/eco/etudes/inde). |
| Keywords: | tertiary education, education policy, Returns to education, literacy rates, age cohorts, primary, secondary, politique éducative, taux d’alphabétisation, cohorte d’âge, rendement de l’enseignement, primaire, secondaire, supérieur |
| JEL: | I0 I21 J24 |
| Date: | 2008–08–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:625-en&r=cwa |
| By: | Das, Sanghamitra; Mukhopadhyay, Abhiroop; Ray, Tridip |
| Abstract: | This paper presents simple measures of individual and family mental health indices based on axiomatic foundations and integrates mental health into a neoclassical model that allows for proper substitution possibilities in the family preferences and quantifies its significance in family utility. We find that mental health effects are far more important than the effect of consumption or children’s schooling in determining family utility. We illustrate the usefulness of our approach by considering the case of HIV/AIDS experience in India. Using our approach, we find that while there are no significant differences in per capita consumption and schooling between HIV and NON HIV families, the cost of HIV/AIDS are still considerably large due to the inclusion of mental health. Integrating mental health in a utility maximization framework helps us quantify these costs. |
| JEL: | C10 I31 I10 |
| Date: | 2007–08–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9945&r=cwa |
| By: | Faruk Aydin; Hulya Saygili; Mesut Saygili |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:0708&r=cwa |
| By: | Delgado, Christopher L.; Narrod, Clare A.; Tiongco, Marites M.; Barros, Geraldo Sant'Ana de Camargo; Catelo, Maria Angeles; Costales, Achilles; Mehta, Rajesh; Naranong, Viroj; Poapongsakorn, Nipon; Sharma, Vijay Paul; de Zen, Sergio |
| Abstract: | "The rapid growth in consumer demand for livestock offers an opportunity to reduce poverty among smallholder livestock farmers in the developing world. These farmers' opportunity may be threatened, however, by competition from larger-scale farms. This report assesses the potential threat, examining various forms of livestock production in Brazil, India, the Philippines, and Thailand. Findings show that the competitiveness of smallholder farms depends on the opportunity cost of family labor and farmers' ability to overcome barriers to the acquisition of production- and market-related information and assets. Pro-poor livestock development depends, therefore, on the strengthening of institutions that will help smallholders overcome the disproportionately high transaction costs in securing quality inputs and obtaining market recognition for quality outputs. These and other findings make this report a useful guide for researchers and others concerned with the opportunities and risks of smallholder livestock farming." from Authors' Summary |
| Keywords: | Developing countries, Economic aspects, Industrialization, Profit efficiency, Environmental externalities, Smallholder competitiveness, Livestock productivity, Livestock Industrialization, Scaling up, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:resrep:157&r=cwa |
| By: | Gokhan Yilmaz; Rauf Gonenc |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:0804&r=cwa |
| By: | Mavalankar Dileep; |
| Abstract: | In the month of August 2006, a massive flood in the city of Surat caused major human tragedy and property damage estimated at Rs 22,000 crore. Floods also lead to loss of human and animal life and threat of epidemic. The flood of 2006 was the 3rd major flood since 1994, when plague epidemic broke out in Surat after similar flood. Given the repeated floods in Surat policy makers, administrators, experts and people have to rethink about how to improve dam management to reduce the risk floods. With global warming the risks of extreme weather events will also increase. Given this situation we have tried to analyse the available literature and evidence, including ‘People’s Committee on Gujarat Flood 2006: A Report’, about how Ukai dam was managed during the flood of August 2006 in Surat. This analysis shows that Ukai dam is still being managed using static “Rule Book” originally developed in the 1970s. No modern OR/MS techniques or computer based modeling is used in dam management to reduce risk of flooding. Based on this analysis of the floods and dam management practices we develop a conceptual framework for a Decision Support System using simple modeling of Tapi River and Ukai dam using basic of MS/OR techniques. We have identified more than 18 parameters which should be used for such DSS to minimize risks of flooding and risk of lack of irrigation water in summer. Given that India is a world leader in computer software it should not be difficult or expensive to develop a computerized model of the dam system which will enhance the capacity to balance various risks involved in the dam management. We discuss what needs to be done in public management to develop and apply such DSS in major dams in rivers. |
| Date: | 2008–07–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2008-07-06&r=cwa |
| By: | Das, Sanghamitra; Mukhopadhyay, Abhiroop; Ray, Tridip |
| Abstract: | Using primary household data from India we estimate family utility function parameters that measure the relative importance of consumption, schooling of children and health (both physical and mental) and find that mental health is far more important than consumption or children’s schooling in determining household utility. We then estimate that the monetary equivalent of the welfare loss to an HIV family is Rs. 66,039 per month, whereas the losses to an HIV male and female are Rs. 67,601 and Rs. 65,120 per month respectively. These figures are huge given that the average per capita consumption expenditure of the families in our sample is just Rs. 1,019 per month. This huge magnitude is not surprising as it includes private valuation of one’s own life as well as the cost of stigma for being HIV positive. In addition, the annual loss from external transfers (through debt, sale of assets and social insurance) accounts for 2.6% of annual health expenditure and 0.12% of GDP in 2004. The significance of mental health in welfare evaluation can be gauged from the fact that, for an average HIV family, a whopping 74% of the welfare loss comes from aspects of mental health. |
| Keywords: | HIV/AIDS; Mental Health; Physical Health; Welfare Loss; Family Preference. |
| JEL: | C10 O10 D10 I10 |
| Date: | 2008–02–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9946&r=cwa |
| By: | Ngullie, ML; Mishra, SK |
| Abstract: | This paper presents our findings on the structural relationship between household income and consumption expenditure in the township of Kohima. It is based on the primary data collected from 209 households inhabiting 19 wards of the township. It is found that about 56 percent of households are in the per capita monthly income class below Rs. 4000. About 61 percent of the household income is drawn from salaries and pension while about 22 percent of the same is drawn from self-employment. About one third of the income is spent on food items and about one fifth of the income is spent on clothes, shoes and housing-related items. About 11 percent of income is spent on education. The average propensity to consume is about 63 percent of income. The marginal propensity to consume is about 0.55. Per capita income explains about 85 percent of variance in per capita consumption expenditure. Distribution of income and expenditure over the households is mildly unequal as the Gini coefficients for them are 0.367 and 0.312 respectively. On the basis of income elasticity of consumption expenditure on different items it has been found that rented house is an inferior good. Most of the food items, clothing, fuel, electricity, toiletries and education are normal necessity goods. Addictive items, medicine, newspaper, telephone, cable TV, travel, etc. fall in the superior goods category. Attending to social obligations is a strongly superior item of expenditure. Increase in family size affects consumption of superior goods adversely. Family size and income are positively correlated. To investigate into how the different components of per capita income (salaries, pension, wages, etc.) relate to the different components of consumption expenditure (on food grains, vegetables, etc.), not severely but jointly, we have gone in for the canonical correlation analysis. This analysis between income components and expenditure components indicates that income obtained from secure and stable streams such as salaries, pension, rentals and self-employment supports expenditure on necessities such as food items, housing, clothing, etc. A community-wise distribution of income and expenditure reveals that while Angami, Ao and Lotha communities among the Naga tribes are relatively better off, households belonging to other Naga communities and those migrated from other parts of the country are relatively worse off. Several factors obtained from canonical correlation analysis are strongly significant and point to much more complicated structure and divergent determinants of relationship between the components of income and consumption expenditure. We have also gone in for discriminant analysis to investigate if increase in per capita income of the households brings about structural changes in the pattern of consumption expenditure. Our findings suggest that indeed it is so and such structural changes are statistically significant. |
| Keywords: | Household Income; expenditure; marginal propensity to consume; Lorenz curve; Engel’s elasticity; Gini coefficient; Robust regression; Least Median Squares; canonical correlation; discriminant analysis; Nagaland; Kohima; India |
| JEL: | D12 |
| Date: | 2008–08–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9972&r=cwa |
| By: | Mishra, SK; Nayak, Purusottam |
| Abstract: | This paper systematically presents the geographical and historical forces that have shaped the resource base, infrastructure, connectivity, socio-economic milieu and consequently the economy of Tripura determining the level of human development in the state. In spite of a great burden of population on its fragile economy, the state has secured an appreciable score in matters of education and health. The human development of the state needs to be harnessed to promote economic growth in terms of increased productivity and higher per capita income. Human development has also to concord with enhanced dexterity and favorable attitude to economic development. |
| Keywords: | Human development; Tripura |
| JEL: | O15 |
| Date: | 2008–07–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9788&r=cwa |
| By: | Deren Unalmis; Ibrahim Unalmis; Derya Filiz Unsal |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:0802&r=cwa |
| By: | Jacinto F. Fabiosa (Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD); Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI)); Ibrahim Soliman |
| Abstract: | We estimated a system of Engel functions for two survey periods, 1999/2000 and 2004/2005, to quantify the impact of changes of income on household expenditure behavior and to investigate how expenditure responsiveness changes with income. We found that rural households have a higher expenditure share for food categories but a lower share for non-food categories compared to urban households. The expenditure share did not change so much between the two survey periods, with only a slight decline in the share of cereals-bread and the non-food category and an increase in the meat-fish-dairy category. All estimates have a good fit, and the total expenditure explanatory variable is significant in all equations. In general, households with lower incomes are more responsive to changes in income for food categories, and less responsive for non-food categories. This is evident with the higher income elasticity of lower-income rural households compared to urban households for food categories. Moreover, elasticities in the 2004/2005 survey period are higher compared to the 1999/2000 period. Per capita real income declined by 37.2% in 2004/2005. This consumption expenditure pattern has an alleviating effect on the impact of a food crisis since a lower real income associated with a food crisis is accompanied by greater responsiveness of households to reduce their demand for food as their real incomes shrink. This adjustment behavior is most obvious in the case of bread and cereals in rural areas, in which the expenditure elasticity increased from 0.50 to 0.91 as per capita income declined. |
| Keywords: | Engel function, household consumption pattern, income elasticity. |
| Date: | 2008–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ias:fpaper:08-wp475&r=cwa |
| By: | Dhas, Albert Christopher |
| Abstract: | From independence, size and composition of bovines in Tamil Nadu showed differential growth pattern. The total bovine population showed an increasing trend up to the early-Sixties and thereafter stagnant till the early Eighties. While the milch animal stock increased steadily, the work animals showed a declining trend from seventies. These trends not only indicate the growing importance of dairy animals but also the competitive linkage between work and milch animal population. The work animal stock is highly influenced by the agro-climatic, institutional and economic factors and an analysis of capturing them is attempted in this paper. Initially, the changes in the size and composition of bovines, work animal population and its density since independence are traced. Subsequently, the factors determining work animal population and its density are examined using regression models. Two regression analyses are made, one representing phase I (1956-1974) and the other for phase II (1977-1994). Phase I basically represents the period when mechanisation in agriculture had been at the early stages and phase II represents the period when mechanization (both energisation of irrigation and tractorisation) was at a relatively higher level. The study revealed that while the agro-climatic and irrigation factors had played a major role in shaping the work animal density during the period prior to mid-Seventies, the technological, economic and institutional factors played a major role in recent years. |
| Keywords: | Work Animal Density; Work Animals; Mechanisation; Irrigation; tractorisation; energisation; milch animals; bovines; Density; Cropping Pattern; Cropping Intensity; Econometrics;Tamil Nadu |
| JEL: | Q5 O13 N5 C01 |
| Date: | 2008–08–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:9589&r=cwa |