Indian Policy Makers Research Articles

Sustainable transportation infrastructure in Indian cities of different size-class: towards a research and policy agenda

Owing to the fact that the planning and management of urban transportation systems are convoluted ventures, a sound number of cities in India, especially those lacking strong institutional and financial means – principally small and medium-sized cities – have become incapable of efficiently addressing their transportation challenges. Drawing on a pan-India comparative research on 54 cities, the present study well-demonstrates a previously undetected relationship between size-class of Indian cities and their existing state of sustainable transport infrastructure development. The results speak in accordance with the notion that betterment in non-motorized and public transit infrastructure is typically associated with increasing size of cities. Accordingly, this research argues that with regard to the production of knowledge in the field of urban transportation and associated policymaking, academicians and planners can rethink and branch out the understanding of transport sustainability beyond big-metropolises of the country. This study, therefore, enunciates in support of the need for a small and medium-sized city-based research and policy agenda that can focus on eliminating the ‘sizism’ which has conventionally influenced urban theory and policymaking in India and has led to the condition of such cities as the least understood and perhaps least studied element of urban and regional transport systems.

Factors Affecting Traditional and Modern Services Imports in an Emerging Economy: The Role of Real Exchange Rate and Remittances Inflows

This study examines the effects of real exchange rate and remittance inflows on total, traditional and modern services imports in India using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound testing approach from 1990 to 2020. Banking sector development, stock market development and net foreign direct investment inflows are controlled variables in the estimated services imports functions. The findings from the ARDL long-run model indicate that real exchange rate and remittance inflows inversely affect all service imports. Banking sector development and stock market development positively impact total and traditional services imports. In the case of modern services imports, the banking sector (stock market) inversely (positively) affects it. Net foreign direct investment inflows positively (negatively) affect modern services imports (traditional and total services imports). These findings suggest that policymakers in India should check the adverse effects of real effective exchange rates and remittance inflows on total, traditional and modern services imports. JEL Codes: F14, F31, F24, G21, G10, C32

Exploring the Role of Environmental Ethical Consideration in Advancing Green Growth: Perspectives from India

Aims: The current study explores the intricate nexus between environmental ethical considerations and green growth in the context of India, a country grappling with dual challenges of rapid industrialization and environmental sustainability. As India seeks to balance rigorous economic growth, ecological preservation and integration of ethical principles into environmentally friendly policy design it is necessary to understand the meaning of ethical consideration and green growth relationship. Theoretical Framework: The research aims to understand the interrelationship and implication of the of environmental ethical consideration into driving green growth, by exploring the challenges and prospects in context of India- a rapidly developing economy. This paper is structured in the form of exploration of available literature and through providing a vast perspective and strategic framework in regards of Indian policy makers and scenario in context of countries socio-economic and cultural structure. Methodology: The study explores the available literature in the field and synthesizes the challenges available in the path of green growth management. Analysis of barriers to green growth in developing country framework is done by identifying chances of market failure, underinvestment in green technologies, and the lack of clear ethical guidelines present in the Indian developmental structure. Results: The findings of this paper suggest the possibility of enhancing current scenarios to achieve what is needed to follow the path of green growth in economic context and coming future challenges. The findings are supported by rational policymaking and strategic investment, which can significantly advance India’s green economy, ensuring long term benefits and environmental well-being.

Qualitative assessment of evidence-informed adolescent mental health policymaking in India: insights from project SAMA

BackgroundThe importance of evidence-informed health policymaking is widely recognized. However, many low- and middle-income countries lack evidence-informed mental health policies due to insufficient data, stigma or lack of resources. Various policies address adolescent mental health in India, but published knowledge on their evidence-informed nature is limited. In this paper, we report results of our analysis of the role of evidence in adolescent mental health policymaking in India.MethodsThis paper reports findings from the document analysis of key policy documentation (n = 10) and in-depth interviews with policy actors including policymakers, researchers, practitioners and intermediaries (n = 13). Framework analysis was used, informed by the components of a conceptual framework adapted from the literature: actors, policy and evidence processes, nature of evidence itself and contextual influences.ResultsResults show that adolescent mental health policies in India were generally evidence-informed, with more key evidence becoming generally available from 2010 onwards. Both formal and informal evidence informed mental health policies, particularly agenda-setting and policy development. Mental health policymaking in India is deemed important yet relatively neglected due to competing policy priorities and structural barriers such as stigma. Use of evidence in mental health policymaking reflected differing values, interests, relative powers and ideologies of policy actors. Involvement of government officials in evidence generation often resulted in successful evidence uptake in policy decisions. Policy actors often favoured formal and quantitative evidence, with a tendency to accept global evidence that aligns with personal values.ConclusionsThere is a need to ensure a balanced and complementary combination of formal and informal evidence for policy decisions. Evidence generation, dissemination and use for policy processes should recognize evidence preferences by key stakeholders, while prioritizing locally available evidence where possible. To help this, a balanced involvement of policy actors can ensure complementary perspectives in evidence production and policy agendas. This continued generation and promotion of evidence can also help reduce societal stigma around mental health and promote mental health as a key policy priority.

Estimating the value of expired and active patents: A renewal model approach

ABSTRACT This study proposes an updated renewal model to estimate active patent value and technical depreciation in five major Indian technology fields. According to a study of 27,000 patents issued by the Indian Patent Office between 1998 and 2018, Indian patents have a lower value than foreign patents. This suggests that India's patenting and R&D qualities differ from those of more advanced countries. Technology-specific factors are important because technology fields depreciate at different rates. The top 5% of patents accounted for most international and domestic patent values. A genetic algorithm is used to optimise the renewal model accuracy. This study has significant implications for Indian policymakers, patent holders, international investors, and technology market participants. This model allows startups and new businesses who want to value their IP at the very early stage to negotiate with their counterpart when licensing or selling the patents.

The paradox of urban decline in India

Urban shrinkage has become a global challenge in the field of urban studies. Despite significant progress in understanding urban shrinkage in developed countries, further exploration is necessary to comprehend the recent emergence of urban shrinkage in developing countries. This study explores the spatial pattern of urban shrinkage and urban decline and examines the associated factors of population decline in Indian urban centers. The phenomenon of urban decline in India presents a paradox as the country witnesses a steady growth in urbanization, yet some urban centers are facing a decline in population. Results showed that every one in nine urban centers was declining, with one-fifth of them shrinking in terms of population. The urban growth rate and level of urbanization are major contributing factors to this decline, along with city-level characteristics such as small population size, low population density, low fertility, and a higher aging population. To address this rising threat, urban policymakers in India must plan for the growth and development of declining and shrinking cities through revitalization programs, capital investment, infrastructure development, and micro-regional planning. Further, encouraging inclusive development for small and larger cities can help achieve sustainable urban development in India.

An Analytical Study on Quality Education

Education is the greatest determinant of success. It helps in unlocking several opportunities and empowers an individual to develop crucial skills to lead a fulfilling life. For decades, our Indian policymakers have envisioned a world-class education system through various education policies. However, our- Indian education system still battles with many unresolved challenges that need to be addressed

Employment generation potentials in the implementation of a rural drinking water supply program: evidence from India's Jal Jeevan Mission

ABSTRACT Policymakers in India are finding it challenging to generate adequate employment to meet the requirements of growing population. An avenue consistently used is to invest in large-scale public infrastructure projects. In 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched with the aim of providing potable drinking water to every rural household in India. Underscoring the large investments in infrastructure development, the mission holds significant potential to create employment. The evidence base of studies assessing the effect of rural development programs on employment was weak. Against this backdrop, we assessed the employment generation potential of JJM at various phases of its implementation. We utilized secondary and scheme-level primary data across states of India and used the input-output model and ratio method to assess employment prospects. Our results suggest that JJM has the potential to generate an average of 5.99 million person-year of direct and 22.25 million person-year of indirect employment during the construction phase, and 1.11 million person-year of additional direct employment annually during the maintenance phase. Our study highlights the spillover effects of public investments in the form of employment generation and indicates that the impact of JJM is likely to be substantial once the program is complete and operational.

Deficit financing and consumption: a study of Indian private consumption expenditure

The study reinvestigates the 'Ricardian Equivalence hypothesis in India by taking private consumption as the dependent variable. The study aims to empirically study the impact of debt financing versus tax of fiscal deficit in the Indian context, as Indian policymakers primarily rely on fiscal policy as a tool for economic stability and growth. ARDL, FMOLS and DOLS approach was used by taking annual time series data from 1988 to 2023. The study reinvestigates the 'Ricardian Equivalence hypothesis in India by taking private consumption as the dependent variable. Government expenditure, public debt, tax, domestic income, and liquidity constrain as independent variables. The estimates confirm a significant symmetric as well as symmetric long-run and short-run relationship between the variables; the results reject the Ricardian Equivalence and propound the Keynesian approach that financing the fiscal deficit (debt vs tax) does matter to the private consumption expenditure. The positive and significant coefficient shows that the increase in liquidity will lead increase in private consumption expenditure. Over-reliance on debt financing strategies has a significant influence on domestic private consumption. The liquidity constraints, fiscal policies will be able to reallocate resources from the future to the present. Since debt financing of deficits and liquidity substantially influence India's consumer spending, expansionary fiscal policies should be carefully devised and supported. This study contributes to the existing literature on deficit financing and 'Ricardian Equivalence' by giving new evidence on designing sustainable fiscal policy by spending wisely without imperilling the country's consumption expenditure.

PREDICTIVE MODELLING FOR SUGARCANE PRODUCTION: A COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISON OF ARIMA AND MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS

Accurate prediction of sugarcane yield is essential for trade, economic planning, and sustainable agriculture in India. This study addressed the challenge of forecasting sugarcane yield by evaluating the effectiveness of time series modelling and machine learning algorithms. Leveraging data spanning from 2001 to 2020, the research focuses on predicting the sugarcane yield for the subsequent years. The problem statement revolves around the need for precise yield predictions to inform decision-making in the agricultural sector. Methods employed included the utilization of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) for time series analysis and machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). The analysis encompassed sugarcane yield data spanning multiple years, with predictions extending for a specified duration. Through analysis of temporal patterns and dependencies within the sugarcane yield time series data using Autocorrelation Function (ACF) and Partial Autocorrelation Function (PACF), the study optimized the predictive models. Results indicated that ARIMA outperformed machine learning algorithms, exhibiting superior performance with a root meansquare error of 36700.68 anda minimumAICvalue of 456.7. The study emphasizes the significance of accurate yield predictions for agricultural planning and decision-making, highlighting the implications for sustainable crop management and the fortification of Indian sugar industry.The study affirms the importance of informed decisions facilitated by accurate yield predictions in resilient agricultural sector. Overall, this study contributes to the advancement of sugarcane yield prediction, offers practical insights for stakeholders and policymakers in India's agricultural landscape.

Aspirations for Higher Education among Mahadalit Students and Strategies for Overcoming Urban Marginalities in India

This paper seeks to understand the aspirations of first-generation learners for higher education and overcoming urban marginalisation in Indian higher education. It also aims to understand how students from the most disadvantaged social group, mahadalit, overcome their marginalities in accessing and obtaining higher education. Access and equity in higher education have been important goals for Indian policymakers and planners. The study, which is qualitative in nature and uses the ethnography method, provides a deep and nuanced understanding of the aspirations for higher education and Strategies for Overcoming Urban Marginalities among the mahadalit students in Bihar, India. Various educational and equalising programs focusing on disadvantaged groups have created aspirations among first-generation and marginalised learners like Mahadalit students. These mahadalit students are also from non-urban backgrounds and come to cities for higher education. In pursuing higher education, these students face social and economic marginality in their villages, schooling, and urban marginality. They use their social networks to find space at the transformative Dr B. R. Ambedkar hostel, which helps them sustain their higher education in the city. The Dr B. R. Ambedkar hostel becomes the site of educational and career aspirations for the mahadalit students in Bihar, India.

Critical factors for capacity building of NGOs working in the intellectual disability sector in India: a TISM-MICMAC approach

PurposeThis study aims to identify the critical factors contributing to India-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) capacity building and value creation for beneficiaries.Design/methodology/approachA total interpretive structural modeling technique has been used to develop a hierarchical model of critical factors and understand their direct and indirect interrelationships. The driving force and dependence force of these factors were determined by using cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification analysis.FindingsThis study identifies 12 critical factors influencing NGO capacity building in India’s intellectual disability sector across four dimensions. Internal organizational capabilities include infrastructure, staff qualifications, fundraising, vocational activities and technical resources. Second, coordination and stakeholder engagement highlight government and agency collaboration, dedicated board members and stakeholder involvement. Third, adaptability and responsiveness emphasize adjusting to external trends and seizing opportunities. Finally, impact and value creation emphasis on improving value for persons with disabilities (PWDs).Practical implicationsThe findings of this study have practical implications for Indian NGOs working for PWDs. The study provides NGOs with a structural model for improving organizational capacity by identifying and categorizing critical factors into the strategic model.Originality/valueThere is a scarcity of literature on capacity building for disability-focused NGOs in India. This study seeks to identify critical factors and develop a hierarchical model of those factors to assist policymakers in India in building the capacity of NGOs.

A Study on the Entrepreneurs’ Perception towards Rig Industries in Namakkal District of Tamilnadu

Purpose: To enhance the Rig Entrepreneurs’ perceptions, identifying the problems & prospects of Rig owners, involvement of the government in promoting Rig Entrepreneurs. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study's main aim is to explore rig entrepreneurs' problems and prospects with particular reference to Namakkal District So; the study is a primarily descriptive one. Both primary and secondary data are used for the study. Findings/Results: The banks' role is very minimum for the undertakings of rig venture. Therefore, the banks should take more initiative to provide loans and other rig entrepreneurs' financial support to undertake the rig business. It would encourage and facilitate many individuals who interested in the rig business to enter into this field. For the reason of many formalities to avail loan from the banks is one of the causes of the significant problem for the poor financial support to the rig entrepreneurs. Outcome: Entrepreneurship has pulled the attention of policymakers in India. A progression of elevated level activities, including startup India, has been dispatched to promote more India entrepreneurs. However, the developing entrepreneurship in a country is a significant job for the policymakers. At the same time, the economists have perceived the strong connection between entrepreneurship and development of the economy throughout history. Originality/Values: The research highlights the problems & prospects of Rig Entrepreneurs in Namakkal District. The government undertaken numerous changes since 1990’s to develop entrepreneurs, Reforms & investments in the rig industry have expanded worldwide. It is also used for the recovery operations in partially collapsed Himalayan highway tunnel in northern India’s Uttarakhand State. Type of paper: Empirical study. Primary data using questionnaires were used from various sources like case study analysis; journals were used for the research work.

Political factors, carbon emissions, and life expectancy in India: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goal 3.

This study examines the nexus among political factors, carbon emissions, and life expectancy between 1990 and 2020 in India. Data for this study was extracted from the World Bank Development indicators, after which it was subjected to econometrics analysis. The results showed that on averages, between 1990 and 2020, India experienced a life expectancy around 65 years. Fossil fuel energy consumption represents a small proportion of total energy consumption in India. However, carbon emissions and life expectancy have a positive and significant relationship. Fossil fuel usage and life expectancy possess a significantly positive relationship (FFEC = 0.044128, P-value = 0.0023) Moreover, government effectiveness and life expectancy have a significant direct relationship. Political stability and life expectancy have a significant negative relationship in the country. We conclude that policymakers in India should ensure that carbon emissions and fossil fuel usage in India do not pose a threat to life expectancy. Efforts should be put in place by policymakers in India to increase life expectancy , a strategic component of SDG 3- good health and well being for all at all ages, by ensuring stable political climate, good governance and efficient health enhanced public policies.

Do clean energy and dependence on natural resources stimulate environmental sustainability? A new approach with load capacity factor and temperature

AbstractIndia, not being an exception from the rest of the globe, has also been suffering from the unprecedented challenges of survival of the ecosphere, which is highly threatened by a continuous weakening of the environmental quality as a result of accelerated accumulation of anthropogenic emissions in the biosphere. As an immediate aftermath of the famous Glasgow Conference of Parties (COP26), while the Government of India is aiming to find realistic solutions to achieve net zero emissions goals by 2070 without much confrontion with its ambitious economic progression goals, accordingly proposes the alternative pathway to achieve environmental sustainability goals, this study has considered one of the three pivotal drivers of economic sustainability in the modern era of digitization, that is, natural resources rent, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth and examined their role on rendering environmental sustainability. Instead of CO2 emissions, load capacity factor and temperature have been considered proxies of environmental quality. This study has employed a novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimation technique to portray the short‐ and long‐run elasticity of environmental quality indicators by considering 48 years of annual time series data from 1970 to 2017. The findings of this study have documented that while natural resources rent and economic growth stimulate environmental squalor, renewable energy consumption promotes environmental sustainability. This study also unveiled different causal relationships using the frequency domain causality analysis. Subsequently, this study designs some vital policy measures and integration of which in the existing energy‐climate framework may assist Indian policymakers in achieving the net zero climate goal.

Semiconductor Geopolitics - Past, Present, and Future

This article reviews the book When the Chips are Down: A Deep Dive into a Global Crisis - the first book that deals with the geopolitics of semiconductors comprehensively from an Indian lens, while placing it simultaneously in the global context. The book demystifies semiconductors and their complex supply chain, alongside the evolving roles of various nation-states in it. The authors explain the 'meta-critical' aspects of semiconductors using three lenses: geopolitics, geoeconomics, and technology. Overall, the book is an essential read for policy makers in India; in less than two-hundred pages, it covers the essentials that can help create an action plan for the next twenty years for the Indian semiconductor industry.

Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration

BackgroundHigh-income countries increasingly look to the international recruitment of health workers to address domestic shortages, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. We adapt conceptual frameworks from migration studies to examine...

Assessing decarbonization: a comparison of the green sacrifice ratio for China and India

ABSTRACT Carbon mitigation and net-zero targets have an important place on the political agenda for all countries. Countries have been seeking to decouple economic growth and carbon emissions to achieve decarbonization. However, there is a cost of the decarbonization of economies, which can be called as Green Sacrifice Ratio (GSR), and this is critical for developing countries because they have been in the growing stage. By considering the critical role of GSR in achieving net-zero emissions by decarbonizing economies, the study comparatively examines how much environmental quality should be sacrificed for per capita economic growth in China and India. In line with this purpose, the study uses the Fourier-Shin cointegration test and various time series estimators with Fourier approximations for the period from 1989/Q1 to 2022/Q4. Estimation results are as follows: (i) all variables follow the non-stationary process, (ii) the long-run relationship exists between variables, and (iii) Estimation results show that GSR is 0.65% for China and 0.78% for India. Therefore, China and India sacrifice a significant amount of environmental quality for a 1% increase in per capita income level. Also, the ecological cost of increasing economic welfare in India is higher with regard to China. Besides, the results are robust according to the alternative method. Thus, the study recommends that both Chinese and Indian policymakers should revise the economic expansion structure with green growth strategies to prevent irreversible environmental degradation due to higher economic growth.

Economic and governance drivers of global remittances: a comparative study of the UK, US, and UAE to India

PurposeThe paper aims to analyse the impact of economic and governance factors on remittance inflows to India from the UK, USA and UAE. India is globally recognised as the largest recipient of remittances.Design/methodology/approachUsing a comprehensive time series data set spanning 1996 to 2022, the authors use an innovative non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model approach to examine the influence of economic growth, corruption control and employer availability in the three source countries on remittance inflows to India.FindingsThe results indicate that in the UAE, changes in economic growth and corruption control directly affect remittance outflows. However, the presence of employers in the UAE has minimal impact on remittance outflows to India. Regarding the UK, fluctuations in economic growth primarily drive remittance outflows to India. The effect of corruption control and employment opportunities on remittance outflows is marginal. In the USA, economic growth does not notably impact remittance outflows, whereas corruption control and employment opportunities significantly influence the outflows to India.Originality/valueThese findings have important implications for policymakers. Analysing macroeconomic factors from key remittance-sending nations offers valuable insights for Indian policymakers and their international counterparts to enhance remittance inflows. The study focuses on three countries that collectively contribute to about 50% of India's remittances, providing a unique contribution compared to the usual country-specific or regional focus in existing literature. Finally, leveraging these findings, NITI Aayog, an organisation dedicated to achieving India's sustainable development goals, can effectively monitor macroeconomic indicators related to significant remittance-sending countries.

Ethanol production ecosystem in India: Exploring enabling factors of sustainable policy regime

In recent years, policy-makers and researchers have paid close attention to sustainable energy resources. Biofuel has emerged as a viable option among available alternatives in countries with excess agricultural production. India is also ramping up ethanol production. However, there is limited research available on enablers that can help boost production for enhanced blending, thereby assisting in the achievement of energy security and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Furthermore, India can capitalize on its excess agri-production for long-term energy security, increase farmer income, reduce import bills and foreign exchange outflows, encourage local business participation and accelerate its overall economic development while lowering its carbon footprints. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach is used in this article to investigate the enablers for implementing a policy regime for increased ethanol production. The findings are important for policy-makers in India to identify areas for policy interventions, and they also lay the groundwork for future similar research on this evolving industry in the global markets.