Rural decentralisation and panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) are a profound change in the Indian rural institutional scene. They may ultimately offer a better option for rural development and poverty alleviation. However, it was a mistake to think that PRIs would emerge as caring institutions...

Policy makers, therefore, often encounter the following questions while formulating the social security schemes. What are the priority social security needs of unorganized workers? What existing mechanisms and strategies do they use to meet the social security needs? Do social security needs and...

This is a case study of the Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme for rural farmers and peasants in Karnataka. The scheme, now in its second year of operation, covers 2.2 million farmers and peasants who pay an annual premium of Rupees 60 ($1.50) for comprehensive coverage of all surgical...

This issue of Global Employment Trends for Youth provides an update on youth labour markets around the world, focusing both on the continuing labour market crisis and on structural issues in youth labour markets. The report provides an overview of youth labour markets at the global and regional...

Much more than comparative advantage and free markets have been at play in shaping China's export success. Government policies have helped nurture domestic capabilities in consumer electronics and other advanced areas that would most likely not have developed in their absence. As a result, China...

The most critical factor for maintaining regional stability in East Asia over the next few decades is the relations between the three great powers in the region: China, Japan and the United States. This paper discusses relations between China, Japan and the United States since World War II. It...

EU's response to the East Asian community has to take account of several dimensions including Issues and dynamics of East Asian regional cooperation and integration; Scenarios of regional Community-building across East Asia. among the shaping factors are the rise of China and its relations with...

Relative to developed countries, there are far fewer women than men in India. Estimates suggest that more than 25 million women are "missing". Sex selection at birth and the mistreatment of young girls are widely regarded as key explanations. A decomposition of missing women by age across the...

As India continues to pursue calibrated globalisation and expand external linkages, this is an opportune time to develop robust economic partnership with Taiwan, an economy with a GDP of over US$300billion and a per capita income of US $14,000.

Almost all existing studies on the causes, consequences and policy implications of the economic and financial crisis faced by East Asia have provided only a cursory discussion of broad data at best, or have fallen into the trap of merely stating the weaknesses in the economies as a ‘matter...