The purpose of this paper is to evaluate India's five year plan strategies for including the deprived in the development process since Independence.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate India's five year plan strategies for including the deprived in the development process since Independence.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a policy review paper based on past studies.
Findings
The paper argues that effective policy formulation for inclusion and its evaluation is conditioned by the available institutional capacity to generate and effectively utilize a sound information base. Using empirical illustrations based on past studies, this paper shows that India's pursuit of inclusion has been hampered because of the limited appreciation of design as well as limitations in available information. This has led to a mechanical pursuit of sophistication in policy formulation, which has rendered both the implementation and an honest evaluation of the policy process difficult.
Originality/value
This paper has relevance for inclusive policy reforms and will open up a debate, as well as future research, on the issues raised.
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Nagendra Kumar Maurya and Karuna Shanker Kanaujiya
The present research has been conceptualized to make an inter-district analysis in terms of IHDI of Uttar Pradesh. It aims to provide district-wise estimates of HDI and IHDI with…
Abstract
Purpose
The present research has been conceptualized to make an inter-district analysis in terms of IHDI of Uttar Pradesh. It aims to provide district-wise estimates of HDI and IHDI with the latest available data, which may prove to be a critical policy input to the policy makers that how different districts are performing in terms of education, health and standard of living parameters and help in implementing tailor made policy actions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes the Census of India data and unit-level data of National Sample Survey (NSS) for constructing HDI and IHDI. The broad framework for computing IHDI in this study is similar to the approach of UNDP's HDR 2010. To adjust the inequality aspect, the Atkinson inequality aversion parameter has been estimated at indicator level on the basis of NSS unit record data.
Findings
The study reveals that inequality discounted income index is on an average 30 percent lower than unadjusted income index. However, quite high variation exists in case of education and health. The difference ranges from 30 percent to 40 percent in the case of education and from 3 to 36 percent in the health dimension. The surprising fact which study finds that health infrastructure and education infrastructure are poorly correlated with their respective outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers a policy suggestion that increasing investment on educational and health infrastructure will not have any significant impact on their respective outcomes unless distributional inequalities are reduced. The study also suggests that rising income inequalities are threat to inclusive growth and sustainable development goals agenda. Thus, it recommends policy makers to take pro-active timely policy measures to reduce income inequalities. The educational achievement should be fixed in terms of average years of schooling and expected years of schooling rather than in terms of literacy rate.
Originality/value
The present research is an original work. This is the first study in the case of Uttar Pradesh which attempted to estimate district-wise IHDI following the internationally accepted UNDP (2010) methodology.
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RajatJyoti Sarkar and Moumita Karmakar
Improving food security at the household level is very crucial in India as here many people are suffering from persistent hunger and malnutrition. In India, mounting pressure of…
Abstract
Improving food security at the household level is very crucial in India as here many people are suffering from persistent hunger and malnutrition. In India, mounting pressure of population, adverse threats of climate change, fragmented land holding, high input cost etc. are very important which prevent to ensure food security. In India, there is malnutrition in all age groups, especially among children. Problem of low birth weight due to undernutrition of mother during pregnancy and underweight of children is very common in the country. The purchasing power of certain section of the society is so low that they cannot access food at the market price. They need the safety net of food subsidy. In India, food problem in the normative sense still continues to exist as millions of poor suffer from persistent hunger and malnutrition. This is the task to which food security system must address itself in future. There are some important factors which can increase yield growth and domestic supply of food substantially. Among these factors education and knowledge regarding improving farm efficiency, provision of an improved agricultural technology to the farmers, delivery of modern farm inputs, technical know-how, institutional credit to the farmers, and crop diversification are very essential to build a huge stock of food grains in India. Educated and trained people can acquire new skills and technologies required for growing agricultural output to meet the domestic demand.
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Alan de Brauw and MH Suryanarayana
China and India are two of the fastest growing economies in the world, and poverty reduction has been substantial in both countries through the past few decades. Yet they have…
Abstract
Purpose
China and India are two of the fastest growing economies in the world, and poverty reduction has been substantial in both countries through the past few decades. Yet they have very different profiles in terms of food security and undernutrition – while at the micro-level China has performed well in terms of undernutrition, India has not. The purpose of this paper is to examine linkages between poverty, food security, and undernutrition in both countries.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors discuss the linkages between poverty, food security, and undernutrition at the micro level, describe the literature, and make inferences for targeting the remaining poor, food insecure, or undernourished in both countries.
Findings
In China, there is a need for better tools for targeting the poor or malnourished. In India, more effective state-level policies should be better understood by the central government and disseminated to less successful states.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors describe data sources on poverty, food security, and undernutrition in both China and India, and correlates with changes in all three. The authors try to understand what factors appear to lead to reductions in all three, pointing out data gaps in both countries.
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Joanna Brzeska, Mousumi Das and Shenggen Fan
The purpose of this paper is to identify the pathways through which social protection policies in China and India can address the key challenges facing poor, vulnerable, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the pathways through which social protection policies in China and India can address the key challenges facing poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged groups under rapid transformation in both countries.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the main social protection policies in China and India and analyzes the challenges that they are facing. This analysis is based on an evaluation of poverty and food security trends in both countries among vulnerable and disadvantaged groups followed by an overview of major experiences and gaps in social protection policies in the two emerging Asian giants.
Findings
Improving the coverage and targeting of social protection systems is vital, and will require a multi-faceted reform portfolio that promotes more integrated and horizontally equitable systems. Emphasis should be placed on developing productive, cross-sectoral social protection programs that combine short-term social safety support with long-term tools to enhance productivity, paying special attention to nutrition, health, and human capital development. More efficient coverage and targeting should bridge the rural and urban divide and be grounded in transparent criteria and procedures that govern program implementation at all levels of the government. As both countries become more urbanized, social protection programs need to give equal attention to emerging food insecurity and nutrition issues within urban areas without detracting from food security and nutrition efforts in rural areas.
Originality/value
Faced with a sizable population of undernourished and poor people, India and China have applied rather different approaches to address food insecurity. The originality and value of this paper lie in an in-depth parallel analysis of how China and India can better use their social protection systems to address food insecurity and undernutrition among poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged groups.
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Rehabilitation facilities available for persons with intellectual disabilities are low in India. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an action research programme undertaken…
Abstract
Purpose
Rehabilitation facilities available for persons with intellectual disabilities are low in India. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an action research programme undertaken in Thrissur district, Kerala, India, to provide institution-based vocational training to selected beneficiaries of BUDS rehabilitation institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 40 students were selected for the training programme. Different vocational activities were included according to criteria such as the abilities of students, sustainability and therapeutic value.
Findings
The results of data analysis showed that fraternity, engagement and collectivism were the themes that emerged from the conversations with students, teachers and parents. Some students showed marked improvements in various areas of functioning.
Research limitations/implications
Larger replication studies could provide more evidence for wider implementation.
Practical implications
There is a possibility of scaling up the model at the state or national level.
Social implications
This model could be adopted for providing better services to persons with intellectual disabilities in similar low- and middle-income settings.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first known attempt at examining the utility of vocational activity training as therapeutic intervention for persons with intellectual disabilities in India.
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Kishore Thomas John and K. Shreekrishna Kumar
Kerala is one of India's most advanced states in human development and other social indices. This study aims to look at the management education scenario in Kerala from a…
Abstract
Purpose
Kerala is one of India's most advanced states in human development and other social indices. This study aims to look at the management education scenario in Kerala from a macro-perspective and examines the existing trends, major issues and present challenges facing the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is driven by previously unexplored secondary data published by India's apex technical education regulator–All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Qualitative and quantitative assessments are assimilated from the organization, dissection and categorization of unit-level data.
Findings
Business schools (B-schools) in the state are facing acute distress in enrolments. There are intra-regional variations in institution count and occupancy rates. The vast majority of the institutions have no accreditation at all. The entire sector is facing a protracted decline.
Research limitations/implications
The study has relied primarily on descriptive statistics considering a single discipline within the higher education sector in Kerala. Future studies should look at other disciplines (engineering, medicine) simultaneously. Use of statistical methods like panel data regression would be beneficial to find hidden trends in cross-sectional and longitudinal time-series data.
Practical implications
Management education in Kerala is facing an existential crisis. This has implications for the state's economic development. The paper creates strong imperatives for government policymaking to forestall the complete decline of the sector.
Social implications
A highly literate state with advanced human development indices need not be a suitable location for building a knowledge-based economy. Government policy has strong implications for the development and sustenance of higher education. The relationship between government and business schools are symbiotic.
Originality/value
The paper maps the progression of B-schools from local to global. A typology of privately funded B-schools is proposed. The conceptual framework advanced in this study can contribute to further literature development. The suggested policy initiatives are applicable not only to Kerala but also to other tightly regulated markets.
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Akhmad Affandi and Dewi Puji Astuti
The purpose of this study is to examine the poverty rate of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan representing majority Muslim populations and that of India as a minority Muslim…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the poverty rate of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan representing majority Muslim populations and that of India as a minority Muslim population according to Ibn Khaldun's dynamic model on poverty.
Design/methodology/approach
According to Ibn Khaldun, poverty is not merely influenced by economic dimensions. He initiated fundamental factors, as mentioned in his formula, which are the functions of Wealth of the Nation, Government, Human Resource, Shariah, Growth and Justice. This study generates secondary data covering the period from 2000 to 2010 or after the financial crisis of 1997. These data were generated using the Panel method.
Findings
The findings of this study reveal that the dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun significantly influenced the level of poverty in Indonesia as a Muslim-majority population, whereas in Pakistan, only the human development index variable has a significant influence. Meanwhile, like Malaysia, in India, the dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun did not have significant influence.
Research limitations/implications
Each country has certain characteristics and background with respect to economic growth, government policy and population that might influence poverty. As a result, the application of Ibn Khaldun's model varies accordingly.
Practical implications
The findings reveal that quite a few challenges lie ahead in applying Ibn Khaldun's model in these countries. This needs to be taken on promptly by each country, especially Muslim countries.
Originality/Value
This paper is one of the few studies which use Ibn Khaldun' theory on poverty using panel data to investigate the appropriateness of the model.
Details
Keywords
Akhmad Affandi and Dewi Puji Astuti
The purpose of this paper is to examine the poverty rates of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, representing majority Muslim populations, and of India as a minority Muslim…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the poverty rates of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, representing majority Muslim populations, and of India as a minority Muslim population, according to Ibn Khaldun's dynamic model on poverty.
Design/methodology/approach
According to Ibn Khaldun, poverty is not merely influenced by economic dimension. He initiated fundamental factors as mentioned in his formula P=f(W,G,N,S,g,J ) where P is a function of Wealth of the Nation (W ), Government (G ), Human Resource (N ), Sharia (S ), Growth ( g) and Justice ( J ). This study generates secondary data covering from 2000‐2010 or after financial crisis of 1997. These data employed using Panel method.
Findings
The study's findings reveal that the variable of Dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun influenced significantly the level of poverty in Indonesia as a Muslim majority population, whereas in Pakistan only the HDI variable has significant influence. Meanwhile (like Malaysia) in India, the variable of Dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun does not influence significantly.
Research limitations/implications
Each country has certain characteristics and background with respect to economic growth, government policy and population that might influence poverty. As a result, the application of Ibn Khaldun model varies accordingly.
Practical implications
The findings reveal that quite a few challenges lie ahead in applying Ibn Khaldun model in these countries. This needs to be taken on promptly by each country, especially Muslim countries.
Originality/value
This paper is one of few studies which employ Ibn Khaldun theory on poverty, using panel data to investigate the appropriateness of the model.