In this study, we examine how efforts taken by states to combat corruption act as a mediator in the relationship between fiscal decentralization and regional income disparities. Fiscal decentralization may affect regional disparities via access to funding, but corruption could limit the ability...

In this paper, I examine the impact of fiscal decentralization on state-level economic growth in India. There is little empirical evidence testing for a non-uniform impact of fiscal decentralization within a country. I build a social development index (SDI) to characterize 15 Indian states into...

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 states, I test a model of the optimal size of the state. I find that size and preference...

This paper examines the relationship between federal transfers and fiscal deficits in India. The system of federal transfers has been criticized on the grounds that it distorts the incentives for states to promote fiscal discipline. We analyze the relationship between transfers, state domestic...

This paper examines the relationship between federal transfers and fiscal deficits in India. The system of federal transfers has been criticized on the grounds that it distorts the incentives for states to promote fiscal discipline. We analyze the relationship between transfers, state domestic...

Despite the policy realm’s growing recognition of fiscal devolution in gender development, there have been relatively few attempts to translate gender commitments into fiscal commitments. This paper aims to engage in this significant debate, focusing on the plausibility of incorporating gender...

There is a growing recognition that fundamental changes are happening in Indian fiscal federalism ex post the abolition of the Planning Commission, the creation of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, the constitutional amendment to introduce the Goods and Services Tax...

We investigate the impact of foreign aid on inter-governmental transfers in India. While anecdotal evidence suggests that the central government substitutes fiscal transfers with earmarked foreign aid for state governments (fungibility), empirical evidence is scant due to the complex procedure...