An attempt has been made in this paper to critically analyse the parameters/ criteria on which basis awards are finalized. With special reference to poorer states, the following aspects have been discussed: i) Basic parameters of the 13th FC; ii) Distribution neutral factors; iii) Redistributive...

Firms often give away free goods with the product that they sell. Firms often give stock options to their top management and other employees. Mixing these two practices—giving stock options to consumers who buy the firm’s product—, creates a deadly brew. Large numbers of...

The primary focus of this paper is a remote sense mapping excercise to identify the food insecure parts in Uttarakhand, using official, secondary data. To mitigate the intrinsic weakness of such an effort, an attempt has been made to provide some ground truths from micro-studies. Thus, food...

This joint paper attempts an unusual collaborative approach that offers an understanding of the problems that registered nurses of India have faced. Through this paper, the problem of ‘social status’ in both historical and contemporary landscapes, representing a relatively rare...

The purpose of the ASER 2009’s rapid assessment survey in rural areas is twofold: (i) to get reliable estimates of the status of children’s schooling and basic learning (reading and arithmetic level) at the district level; and (ii) to measure the change in these basic learning and...

This paper is about the financial lives of poor households. It examines the different sources of income and expenditure of the poor households residing in a coastal settlement in Kerala. The method of financial diary for data collection is adopted for the study. The sample size is 13. [WP 412].

Introducing patent rights in developing country markets might stimulate greater R and D investment targeting their specific health needs – areas long neglected. This paper examines this argument using statistical data and survey evidence. We identify a set of diseases where 99 per cent of...

The informality discourse is large and vibrant, and is expanding rapidly. But there is a certain conceptual incoherence to the literature. New definitions of informality compete with old definitions leading to a plethora of alternative conceptualisations. While some individual studies may apply...

This paper is an attempt to explore the meaning and significance of political participation within (a) the conceptual framework of democratic citizenship and (b) debates surrounding representative democracy. It consists of three parts; the first examines the idea of representative democracy and...

The Finances of the PRIs are looked into. The role of 13th Finance Commission is explained. Some ‘learnings’ from International experience is given.