Search

Begin New Search Topic Development Political Geography South Asia

1. State Enterprises as Enablers of Economic Cooperation in India

Author:
Kyunghoon Kim
Publication Date:
01-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
This Brief discusses the role of state enterprises in India's economy, emphasizing their pivotal contribution to the government's development strategy. It also highlights cases where Indian state enterprises have formed cooperative relationships with global companies, as well as foreign and international development agencies. The Brief concludes with implications for the Korean government and businesses.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Economic Cooperation, and State-Owned Enterprises
Political Geography:
South Asia, India, Asia, and South Korea

2. Election 2024 in Pakistan - A Catalyst for Strengthening Global Health Security Partnerships

Author:
Saeed Ahmad
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
Dr. Saeed Ahmad, a Public Health Coordinator with Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, "explores the impact of Pakistan’s 2024 electoral outcomes on health policy formulation, resource allocation, and continued partnership and engagement with the United States on global health security and sustainable development."
Topic:
Security, Development, Elections, Partnerships, and Public Health
Political Geography:
Pakistan, South Asia, and United States of America

3. Pakistan's Declining Human Development Index (HDI) and the Requisite Policy Reforms

Author:
Shehla Saleem Mughal and Zaheer Liaqat Baig
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
South Asian Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
This paper is an attempt to study the Human Development Index (HDI), its components and trend over the last ten years. It has strived to understand the relationship between policy choices adopted by the policy makers to devise economic policies and their impact on the standards of living or per capita income. Similarly, it has conducted to study how the budget expenditures in the health and education sectors in Pakistan impact the key human development indicators like life expectancy and average levels of education. At a time when Pakistan faces ongoing challenges in these sectors, understanding how public spending affects human development is not doubt, of critical importance for informed policymaking. The analysis focuses on secondary data obtained from government budget reports, health statistics, and education assessments. It examines trends in budget allocations and explores how differences in funding levels affect public health outcomes and educational attainment. Research highlights that, inadequate educational funding contributes to lower mean education levels while inadequate investment in health can lead to lower life expectancy rates. The key findings suggest that prioritizing public needs, in the form of increased public spending on health and education and provision of favorable environment for sustainable standard of living, is positively associated with improvements in life expectancy and educational outcomes. This relationship underscores the importance of prioritizing these sectors within national budget frameworks. The findings encourage the policy makers to understand that strategic investments in human capital are fruitful and yield long-term benefits for the economy and society. The study is significant as it emphasizes the need for efficient allocation of resources and calls for a shift in policy priorities to improve standard of living along with up-lifting the health and education services. Hence, the research serves as a valuable resource for advocacy groups seeking increased funding for these vital areas of human development in Pakistan. This study solicited for a adopting a comprehensive approach towards public policy and investment. Moreover, it intends to supplement the existing research by establishing a relationship between policy measures including human development indicators and budgetary expenditures with a special emphasis to improvement in standards of living and fostering social and economic progress in Pakistan.
Topic:
Development, Reform, Economic Policy, Human Development, and Budgeting
Political Geography:
Pakistan and South Asia

4. Transfers and the rise of Hindu nationalism in India

Author:
Amal Ahmad
Publication Date:
06-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP)
Abstract:
In democracies with widespread poverty, what is the impact of programmatic transfers on voting and on incumbent power? This paper provides the first village-level quasiexperimental evidence on this for India, in the context of the Hindu-nationalist party in power. First, I provide a novel method for linking Indian villages to polling booths and for obtaining village-level electoral data. Second, focusing on a program which transfers development funds to villages with a high share of disadvantaged castes, I use a discontinuity design to identify the effects of both past and promised transfers on voting in India’s largest state. Promised transfers increase village turnout slightly but neither treatment impact the villages’ vote share for the Hindu-nationalist incumbent, which is high across the board. The results suggest that political competition limits the impact of programmatic transfers on voting behavior, and they shed light on the recent slide to ethnic nationalism in the world’s largest democracy.
Topic:
Development, Poverty, Democracy, Voting, and Hindu Nationalism
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

5. Climate Change Impacts in Bangladesh: What Climate Change Means for a Country and its People

Author:
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
Publication Date:
02-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
Abstract:
This report is a scientific synthesis by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in collaboration with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). It is intended to inform policymakers, media, the private sector, civil society, academics and anyone looking for country-level information on the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. It has been reviewed internally before publication.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Natural Disasters, and Vulnerability
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

6. The experimented society: interventions, social science, and the failure of post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan

Author:
Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United Nations University
Abstract:
This paper critically examines the shortcomings of post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, arguing that an overemphasis on measurable results and causal inference led to overly narrow, community-driven development interventions that failed to appreciate the complex political realities of the country. While these interventions espoused community control, they were in fact the result of a top-down approach reminiscent of earlier state-building efforts, neglected the importance of customary authority structures, and treated Afghanistan as a blank slate for experimentation. Such community-based programmes also lead to a myopic focus on quantifiable metrics at the expense of political considerations, reflecting a broader methodological bias in development studies exemplified by the popularity of randomized controlled trials. Drawing on extensive field observations, the paper contends that such programmes worked against the grain of Afghan society and paradoxically undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of local governance institutions. The paper concludes by advocating a more holistic, adaptive, and politically informed approach to grassroots development in conflictaffected regions—one that empowers authentic local ownership, aligns with endogenous social and political structures, and grapples with the messy realities of fostering legitimate governance in fragile contexts. The hard-earned lessons from Afghanistan’s recent past should prompt a fundamental rethinking of what constitutes effective development assistance in post-conflict environments.
Topic:
Development, Governance, Reconstruction, and Post-Conflict
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and South Asia

7. The Impacts of Earned Wage Access on Low-Income Women Workers

Author:
Achyuta Adhvaryu, Sowmya Dhanaraj, Anant Nyshadham, Smit Gade, and Apoorv Somanchi
Publication Date:
12-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
This study examines the effects of employer-provided Earned Wage Access (EWA) on financial resilience, workplace retention, and productivity among low-income women workers in a South Indian garment factory. Through a 12-month randomized controlled trial, researchers found that access to EWA reduced reliance on informal loans by 30%, improved liquidity, and enhanced worker retention by 4.2%. Women in the intervention group also experienced an 8% increase in daily productivity, particularly those facing high financial stress. While the intervention improved financial confidence, it did not significantly impact savings behavior or intra-household bargaining power. The findings highlight the potential of workplace-based digital financial solutions in promoting financial well-being and economic empowerment for women in developing countries.
Topic:
Development, Women, Income Inequality, Resilience, Productivity, Wages, and Garment Industry
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

8. Institutionalizing Downward Accountability: The Bangladesh Experience

Author:
Shaheen Anam
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
East Asia Institute (EAI)
Abstract:
In this issue briefing, Shaheen Anam, Executive Director at Manusher Jonno Foundation, explores the challenges of institutionalizing downward accountability and assesses how such difficulties are projected in development projects of various sizes. Anam argues that effective bottom-up planning requires expertise of stakeholders, strong political will from above, and most importantly, active participation of the local community. Through a Bangladesh case study, Anam offers a successful example of the civil society taking advantage of social accountability tools to channel its voice and improve the transparency of the authorities.
Topic:
Civil Society, Development, Government, Accountability, Institutions, and Transparency
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

9. Scaling up locally led adaptation in Bangladesh: three action areas

Author:
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
Abstract:
Although highly climate vulnerable, Bangladesh in South Asia is known as a pioneer of climate change adaptation. Recent national policies have recognised the vital importance of community-based and locally led adaptation (LLA). Where LLA interventions have been used by international and national nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), they have proven to be both effective and widely accepted by local communities. Yet major gaps remain in implementing LLA nationally due to legislative, administrative and conceptual limitations. Meeting Bangladesh’s ambitious national targets will require better coordination within government and with NGOs, so that each can benefit from the other. Building on recent examples, this briefing showcases existing interventions that are replicable and scalable and presents three key action areas requiring further government support. The lessons are also relevant to LLA practitioners in Bangladesh and other Least Developed Countries.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Local, Community, Adaptation, and Capacity Building
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

10. India’s economic development since independence: An interpretative survey

Author:
Kunal Sen
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United Nations University
Abstract:
When India became a republic in 1950, the economy was primarily agrarian, with threefifths of output originating from agriculture. In the sixty years since independence, there has been a significant transformation of economic activity away from agriculture, with less than one-fifth of output now originating from agriculture and the rest from manufacturing and services. Since the 1980s, along with structural change, there has been strong economic growth, till 2010, followed by a period of declining growth. In this paper, we describe India’s economic foundation, paying particular interest to the processes of economic growth and structural change. We begin with a brief discussion of the patterns of growth and structural change since independence. We then discuss the economic policies that have underpinned India’s economic development. Next, we discuss the evolution of the three main economic sectors—agriculture, industry, and services. We then provide a summary of India’s regional performance. We end with a discussion of India’s economic performance in the post-2014 period.
Topic:
Agriculture, Development, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, and Industry
Political Geography:
South Asia and India