Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy: A triannual Journal of Agrarian South Network and CARES, 2015
This article offers an estimate of the informal sector in non-agricultural activities in the rura... more This article offers an estimate of the informal sector in non-agricultural activities in the rural and urban areas. It brings out the supply-push segment within the informal sector. The findings of micro-surveys are utilized to construct the well-being index of the households, the members of which are largely engaged in the informal sector. Findings from the qualitative survey are also cited to understand how contractualization and ancillarization have impacted on the work practices and performance of the informal sector. Finally, the article looks into policy issues.
India emancipated from the prolonged phase of conservative Hindu rate of growth almost a quarter ... more India emancipated from the prolonged phase of conservative Hindu rate of growth almost a quarter century back. However, given its vast labour supplies the labour demand, particularly for those who are less skilled and poorly endowed with human capital, has been growing sluggishly. To be specific, whether economic growth is able to generate employment opportunities on a large scale, particularly for the unskilled, semi-skilled and the less-educated labour force, is an important question that has been bothering the development economists since long. Second, what impact the economic reforms in various sectors have made on the employment front is another important aspect that needs a thorough investigation. Accordingly, the future strategy has to be developed and sectors and policies that hold potentiality and prospects for employment growth need to be identified. After all, for economic growth to be inclusive or pro-poor, productive employment generation has to take place in a significant way.
Corruption and Development in Indian Economy this view and argues that corruption can actually ra... more Corruption and Development in Indian Economy this view and argues that corruption can actually raise regulation compliance though it does not happen always. We can be optimistic about economic policy, which may be effective in reducing corruption.
There is acceleration in the unemployment rate in recent years along with the convergence of unem... more There is acceleration in the unemployment rate in recent years along with the convergence of unemployment rate across states. The stagnation in job creation and decline in the total employment in the manufacturing sector and the structural changes in the economy appear to be pushing the unemployment level up. Though per capita income as such is not seen to be related to unemployment rate across states and over time, the structural change and educational attainments do unravel a strong effect. The changes in the rural sector with a declining dependence on the farm sector are associated with a rising unemployment rate. Though water scarcity and low crop diversification are prevalent, new processes of contractor-led single-member migration from rural households and remittance flow, emergence of new non-farm activities and consumption support schemes are instrumental to the new transformations occurring in the rural areas and their transition to urban space. Besides, the association of ...
This chapter proposes to examine the impact of technological progress on employment in developing... more This chapter proposes to examine the impact of technological progress on employment in developing countries. Using the World Enterprise Survey data, the focus is laid on the manufacturing sector. On employment, the impact of foreign technology, imported inputs, and foreign ownership are positive. Domestic innovation also results in higher levels of employment. Hence, foreign technology and better quality imported inputs can be beneficial for the firms as new opportunities may come up for expansion in activities though the joint effect turns out to be negative. Furthermore, the skilled labor demand responds positively to technology and input acquisition from abroad while the unskilled labor demand does not rise significantly. Domestic innovation also shows positive effect on skilled labor. Hence, it seems that the dampening effect of new technology on employment in absolute sense seems to be rather exaggerated while the concern may be justified in relative terms or in reference to unskilled labor particularly.
PurposeThis study attempts to examine the missing middle (MM) phenomena in the context of the Ind... more PurposeThis study attempts to examine the missing middle (MM) phenomena in the context of the Indian manufacturing sector using the unit level information from the database of Ministry of Corporate Affair, Government of India.Design/methodology/approachUnlike the previous studies, the present study first bifurcated the missing enterprises into two categories such as “permanently” dropped and “reappeared,” in order to pursue a meaningful analysis and derive conclusions with policy insights. Various financial indicators were used to explain the causes of MM phenomena during 2009–2010 and 2016–2017, in a logistic framework.FindingsThe study found that profit margin ratio is higher for the group of medium sized enterprises which continued in comparison to the units which dropped out permanently. Similar is the case with the ratio of investment turnover. The econometric results, however suggest that the relationship between the chances of a firm being dropped out and financial indicators...
In this paper we examine the quality of urbanisation in terms of deprivation index developed at a... more In this paper we examine the quality of urbanisation in terms of deprivation index developed at a highly disaggregated level of urban centres (city/town) on the basis of dwelling conditions, basic amenities and assets in possession. Further, the demographic and economic characteristics in relation to the deprivation index and city size are examined. Very large cities endowed with better living conditions and infrastructural facilities are displaying lower magnitude of the index, though this relationship is not very strong, suggests the importance of other variables that are impacting on the index value. Although large cities experience agglomeration economies, they do not benefit all sections of the population equally which in turn does not necessarily bring in proportionate decline in deprivation index with a rise in city size. The group of "smart cities" selected by the present government for further investment and making cities the key centres of growth comprises a number of million-plus and other large cities, which have already benefitted from the past investment. However, a number of counter-intuitive results follow from the exercises carried out for the 'smart cities'-for example, the phenomenon of inclusive growth seems missing. This paper argues that at least all class 1 cities (each with a population of 100,000 and above) could have been considered to form the category of 'smart cities'.
Book Review of S.Mahendra Dev, Piush Antony, V.Gayathri and R.P.Mamgain, Social and Economic Secu... more Book Review of S.Mahendra Dev, Piush Antony, V.Gayathri and R.P.Mamgain, Social and Economic Security in India, (eds.), Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, 2001, pages 523, ISBN 81 9009484X, price Rs.750/-
Insights into Inclusive Growth, Employment and Wellbeing in India, 2012
This paper discusses the creation of a growth deal for North Wales (The North Wales Growth Deal-N... more This paper discusses the creation of a growth deal for North Wales (The North Wales Growth Deal-NWGD). North Wales is primarily a rural region within the UK, without a core-city or large metropolitan centre. The paper examines how this urban dynamic, fostered around a pushing of the agglomerative growth model out of the city-region, is being transferred largely across rural space and place in terms of how growth is envisioned and how policy is implemented. It contributes to regional studies knowledge by raising the importance of the non-metropolitan city-regional alternatives in the context of the (academic and policy) city-regional debate.
Les commentaires et analyses développés n'engagent que leurs auteurs qui restent seuls responsabl... more Les commentaires et analyses développés n'engagent que leurs auteurs qui restent seuls responsables des erreurs et insuffisances.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of civil society in providing... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of civil society in providing higher levels of employment and earnings compared to what labour contractors usually offer. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the primary survey data the authors have estimated econometric models to capture who is likely to join the civil society and whether joining actually improves the earnings. Findings – The authors observe that a civil society not necessarily is able to provide employment opportunities on a large scale nor it is able to take a lead role in multiple activities. The binomial logit model is indicative that women from large households with greater domestic burden tend to join the civil society and subsequently their earnings increase. However, the lack of work consignment forces many workers to operate through the contractors. Not necessarily the functioning of a civil society ensures optimal outcomes. Research limitations/implications – The survey was conducted o...
This article focuses on the growth–employment relationship and the determinants of labour force p... more This article focuses on the growth–employment relationship and the determinants of labour force participation rate. In the time-series framework, employment is seen to have a greater impact on GDP rather than vice versa. This is quite consistent with the literature that employment contracts can be long term in nature, and they are usually not flexible in the short run. Hence, fluctuations in the commodity market do not affect employment immediately. The effect of employment on growth through the demand linkage is usually overlooked, which is brought out by this study, suggesting that demand deceleration caused by sluggish expansion in jobs can make economic growth unsustainable in the long run. From supply side of labour, poverty-induced participation in the job market is evident, and women are seen to be largely engaged in the agricultural sector. The effect of physical infrastructure on women’s work participation is positive. Large household size and child to women ratio affect wo...
A large majority of the workers engaged in the informal sector operate through various informal c... more A large majority of the workers engaged in the informal sector operate through various informal channels of information flow, designated as ‘social capital.’ Though these contacts may result in overcrowding and prevalence of low wages in certain activities, without ‘social capital’ access to any source of livelihood is almost inconceivable. For upward mobility, job market experience and self-initiative are more important though the phenomenon of upward mobility itself is quite limited among the low-income households. Even in terms of the well-being index several long duration migrants, who constitute a sizeable percentage of the slum population, are located in the lower size classes, indicating the lack of evidence in favour of any significant improvement in their living standards over time. Social capital is seen to be hindering the upward mobility possibly by creating excess supplies of labour. The policy implication of the study is that the role of ‘social capital’ needs to be in...
Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy: A triannual Journal of Agrarian South Network and CARES, 2015
This article offers an estimate of the informal sector in non-agricultural activities in the rura... more This article offers an estimate of the informal sector in non-agricultural activities in the rural and urban areas. It brings out the supply-push segment within the informal sector. The findings of micro-surveys are utilized to construct the well-being index of the households, the members of which are largely engaged in the informal sector. Findings from the qualitative survey are also cited to understand how contractualization and ancillarization have impacted on the work practices and performance of the informal sector. Finally, the article looks into policy issues.
India emancipated from the prolonged phase of conservative Hindu rate of growth almost a quarter ... more India emancipated from the prolonged phase of conservative Hindu rate of growth almost a quarter century back. However, given its vast labour supplies the labour demand, particularly for those who are less skilled and poorly endowed with human capital, has been growing sluggishly. To be specific, whether economic growth is able to generate employment opportunities on a large scale, particularly for the unskilled, semi-skilled and the less-educated labour force, is an important question that has been bothering the development economists since long. Second, what impact the economic reforms in various sectors have made on the employment front is another important aspect that needs a thorough investigation. Accordingly, the future strategy has to be developed and sectors and policies that hold potentiality and prospects for employment growth need to be identified. After all, for economic growth to be inclusive or pro-poor, productive employment generation has to take place in a significant way.
Corruption and Development in Indian Economy this view and argues that corruption can actually ra... more Corruption and Development in Indian Economy this view and argues that corruption can actually raise regulation compliance though it does not happen always. We can be optimistic about economic policy, which may be effective in reducing corruption.
There is acceleration in the unemployment rate in recent years along with the convergence of unem... more There is acceleration in the unemployment rate in recent years along with the convergence of unemployment rate across states. The stagnation in job creation and decline in the total employment in the manufacturing sector and the structural changes in the economy appear to be pushing the unemployment level up. Though per capita income as such is not seen to be related to unemployment rate across states and over time, the structural change and educational attainments do unravel a strong effect. The changes in the rural sector with a declining dependence on the farm sector are associated with a rising unemployment rate. Though water scarcity and low crop diversification are prevalent, new processes of contractor-led single-member migration from rural households and remittance flow, emergence of new non-farm activities and consumption support schemes are instrumental to the new transformations occurring in the rural areas and their transition to urban space. Besides, the association of ...
This chapter proposes to examine the impact of technological progress on employment in developing... more This chapter proposes to examine the impact of technological progress on employment in developing countries. Using the World Enterprise Survey data, the focus is laid on the manufacturing sector. On employment, the impact of foreign technology, imported inputs, and foreign ownership are positive. Domestic innovation also results in higher levels of employment. Hence, foreign technology and better quality imported inputs can be beneficial for the firms as new opportunities may come up for expansion in activities though the joint effect turns out to be negative. Furthermore, the skilled labor demand responds positively to technology and input acquisition from abroad while the unskilled labor demand does not rise significantly. Domestic innovation also shows positive effect on skilled labor. Hence, it seems that the dampening effect of new technology on employment in absolute sense seems to be rather exaggerated while the concern may be justified in relative terms or in reference to unskilled labor particularly.
PurposeThis study attempts to examine the missing middle (MM) phenomena in the context of the Ind... more PurposeThis study attempts to examine the missing middle (MM) phenomena in the context of the Indian manufacturing sector using the unit level information from the database of Ministry of Corporate Affair, Government of India.Design/methodology/approachUnlike the previous studies, the present study first bifurcated the missing enterprises into two categories such as “permanently” dropped and “reappeared,” in order to pursue a meaningful analysis and derive conclusions with policy insights. Various financial indicators were used to explain the causes of MM phenomena during 2009–2010 and 2016–2017, in a logistic framework.FindingsThe study found that profit margin ratio is higher for the group of medium sized enterprises which continued in comparison to the units which dropped out permanently. Similar is the case with the ratio of investment turnover. The econometric results, however suggest that the relationship between the chances of a firm being dropped out and financial indicators...
In this paper we examine the quality of urbanisation in terms of deprivation index developed at a... more In this paper we examine the quality of urbanisation in terms of deprivation index developed at a highly disaggregated level of urban centres (city/town) on the basis of dwelling conditions, basic amenities and assets in possession. Further, the demographic and economic characteristics in relation to the deprivation index and city size are examined. Very large cities endowed with better living conditions and infrastructural facilities are displaying lower magnitude of the index, though this relationship is not very strong, suggests the importance of other variables that are impacting on the index value. Although large cities experience agglomeration economies, they do not benefit all sections of the population equally which in turn does not necessarily bring in proportionate decline in deprivation index with a rise in city size. The group of "smart cities" selected by the present government for further investment and making cities the key centres of growth comprises a number of million-plus and other large cities, which have already benefitted from the past investment. However, a number of counter-intuitive results follow from the exercises carried out for the 'smart cities'-for example, the phenomenon of inclusive growth seems missing. This paper argues that at least all class 1 cities (each with a population of 100,000 and above) could have been considered to form the category of 'smart cities'.
Book Review of S.Mahendra Dev, Piush Antony, V.Gayathri and R.P.Mamgain, Social and Economic Secu... more Book Review of S.Mahendra Dev, Piush Antony, V.Gayathri and R.P.Mamgain, Social and Economic Security in India, (eds.), Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, 2001, pages 523, ISBN 81 9009484X, price Rs.750/-
Insights into Inclusive Growth, Employment and Wellbeing in India, 2012
This paper discusses the creation of a growth deal for North Wales (The North Wales Growth Deal-N... more This paper discusses the creation of a growth deal for North Wales (The North Wales Growth Deal-NWGD). North Wales is primarily a rural region within the UK, without a core-city or large metropolitan centre. The paper examines how this urban dynamic, fostered around a pushing of the agglomerative growth model out of the city-region, is being transferred largely across rural space and place in terms of how growth is envisioned and how policy is implemented. It contributes to regional studies knowledge by raising the importance of the non-metropolitan city-regional alternatives in the context of the (academic and policy) city-regional debate.
Les commentaires et analyses développés n'engagent que leurs auteurs qui restent seuls responsabl... more Les commentaires et analyses développés n'engagent que leurs auteurs qui restent seuls responsables des erreurs et insuffisances.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of civil society in providing... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of civil society in providing higher levels of employment and earnings compared to what labour contractors usually offer. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the primary survey data the authors have estimated econometric models to capture who is likely to join the civil society and whether joining actually improves the earnings. Findings – The authors observe that a civil society not necessarily is able to provide employment opportunities on a large scale nor it is able to take a lead role in multiple activities. The binomial logit model is indicative that women from large households with greater domestic burden tend to join the civil society and subsequently their earnings increase. However, the lack of work consignment forces many workers to operate through the contractors. Not necessarily the functioning of a civil society ensures optimal outcomes. Research limitations/implications – The survey was conducted o...
This article focuses on the growth–employment relationship and the determinants of labour force p... more This article focuses on the growth–employment relationship and the determinants of labour force participation rate. In the time-series framework, employment is seen to have a greater impact on GDP rather than vice versa. This is quite consistent with the literature that employment contracts can be long term in nature, and they are usually not flexible in the short run. Hence, fluctuations in the commodity market do not affect employment immediately. The effect of employment on growth through the demand linkage is usually overlooked, which is brought out by this study, suggesting that demand deceleration caused by sluggish expansion in jobs can make economic growth unsustainable in the long run. From supply side of labour, poverty-induced participation in the job market is evident, and women are seen to be largely engaged in the agricultural sector. The effect of physical infrastructure on women’s work participation is positive. Large household size and child to women ratio affect wo...
A large majority of the workers engaged in the informal sector operate through various informal c... more A large majority of the workers engaged in the informal sector operate through various informal channels of information flow, designated as ‘social capital.’ Though these contacts may result in overcrowding and prevalence of low wages in certain activities, without ‘social capital’ access to any source of livelihood is almost inconceivable. For upward mobility, job market experience and self-initiative are more important though the phenomenon of upward mobility itself is quite limited among the low-income households. Even in terms of the well-being index several long duration migrants, who constitute a sizeable percentage of the slum population, are located in the lower size classes, indicating the lack of evidence in favour of any significant improvement in their living standards over time. Social capital is seen to be hindering the upward mobility possibly by creating excess supplies of labour. The policy implication of the study is that the role of ‘social capital’ needs to be in...
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