Thinking about national plans

The last decade saw the revival of national plans in African policy parlance. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are amongst the list of countries who revitalised their planning efforts and brought national plans back to the heart of their national policy agendas. Most of these plans aim at charting the trajectory for the low-income country in question to achieve ‘middle-income status’. Developing a national plan that outlines the envisaged growth path of all major socioeconomic sectors of the economy, along with a possible allocation of budget and the identification of priority sectors/investments, is an intricate policy exercise. The sheer number of stakeholders to be consulted and the possible overlapping of topics make it mind-blowingly complicated

Mind the Gap: Analyzing the impact of data gap in Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) indicators on the progress towards MDGs

This paper analyses the impact of data gap in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) performance indicators on actual performance success of MDGs. Performance success, within the MDG framework, is quantified using six different ways proposed in the existing literature, including both absolute and relative performance and deviation from historical transition paths of MDG indicators. The empirical analysis clearly shows that the data gap in performance measurement is a significant predictor of poor MDG performance in terms of any of the six progress measures. Larger the data gap or weaker the performance measurement system, lesser is the probability of MDG performance success. The empirical methodology used in the paper combines a Heckman correction and instrumental variable estimation strategies to simultaneously account for potential endogeneity of the key data gap variable and bias due to sample selection. This result holds true even after controlling for overall national statistical capacity and a variety of socioeconomic factors. The paper underlines the need to strengthen the performance measurement system attached to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper is the first attempt at empirically evaluating the value of data in the context of international development goals and gives empirical evidence for the need to harness the ‘data revolution’ for sustainable development

Gender Bias in Educational Attainment in India : The Role of Dowry Payments

This paper explores the linkages between dowry payments and educational attainment of women. It formulates an unitary household model that captures how these linkages can potentially impact the educational investment decisions within a household. Based on existing literature and the theoretical model, the following three competing hypotheses arise, namely, (i) dowry do not affect educational attainment (ii) dowry favors educational attainment of women (iii) dowry hampers educational attainment of women. Using a national level household survey from India, we test between these three hypotheses. It adopts an instrumental variable estimation strategy to correct for endogeneity of the dowry measure. It finds strong empirical evidence for the hypothesis that expected dowry payments adversely affects female educational attainment. This is mainly driven by the hypergamous marriage custom, by which a bride is normally matched with a groom of higher educational level, which leads to the perverse outcome of dowry increasing with educational level of both bride and groom. We find that future dowry payments have a significant role in lowering educational attainment among women in India. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at empirically estimating the impact of dowry system on the educational attainment of women. An Engel curve estimation using household expenses reveals significant ender bias in terms of educational expenses. The extension of the research also shows dowry contributes to the ‘missing women’ phenomenon, due to the positive influence of dowry on parents’ preference for male children

Mind the Gap: Analyzing the impact of data gap in Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) indicators on the progress towards MDGs

This paper analyses the impact of data gap in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) performance indicators on actual performance success of MDGs. Performance success, within the MDG framework, is quantified using six different ways proposed in the existing literature, including both absolute and relative performance and deviation from historical transition paths of MDG indicators. The empirical analysis clearly shows that the data gap in performance measurement is a significant predictor of poor MDG performance in terms of any of the six progress measures. Larger the data gap or weaker the performance measurement system, lesser is the probability of MDG performance success. The empirical methodology used in the paper combines a Heckman correction and instrumental variable estimation strategies to simultaneously account for potential endogeneity of the key data gap variable and bias due to sample selection. This result holds true even after controlling for overall national statistical capacity and a variety of socioeconomic factors. The paper underlines the need to strengthen the performance measurement system attached to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper is the first attempt at empirically evaluating the value of data in the context of international development goals and gives empirical evidence for the need to harness the ‘data revolution’ for sustainable development

Effect of Micro-blasting on Characteristics and Machining Performance of PVD AlTiN Coated Cutting Tools

It is essential to sustain ever increasing challenges faced by cutting tool manufacturers in improving the performance of the tools during machining of difficult-to-cut materials which have been developed in recent times. Although coated tools have found wide application in industries, there still remains a considerable scope of improvement of the properties of coatings with a view to achieve environment-friendly dry machining. Surface treatment has been identified as one of the possible avenues which has the potential to augment properties and performance of coated tools in dry machining. The current research work has utilized micro-blasting of cutting tool substrates prior to coating deposition as well as coated surface in order to recommend optimal surface treatment technique for the development of a coated tool. AlTiN coating is deposited using cathodic arc evaporation and effect of micro-blasting both as pre-treatment as well as post-treatment methodology is investigated on micro-structure, crystallographic orientation, grain size, coating adhesion and hardness. Effect of surface treatment has been finally studied during machining of 17-4 PH martensitic stainless steel. As-deposited AlTiN coating without any treatment has all along been considered for comparison. Results have clearly indicated micro-blasting as pre-treatment technique considerably enhances coating adhesion while post-treatment results in increase in hardness. Since both the properties are essential in combating coating delamination and improving wear resistance, AlTiN coating with both pre- as well as post-treatment techniques has demonstrated excellent promise in dry machining application. Significant reduction in cutting force up to 27% is observed using AlTiN coated tool subjected to both pre- and post-treatment. The same tool is also successful in bringing down in chip reduction co-efficient. While tool wear progression of only pre-treated and pre- as well as post-treated tools are similar under lower cutting speed (120 m/min), the latter clearly outperformed all the tools under higher cutting speed (150 m/min)

A Review of Central Bank Digital Currencies

This is a review paper on the exploratory research done by various central banks and international organisations on CBDCs and the framework to be followed for implementing these CBDCs so that the monetary system of a specific country remains unaffected. CBDCs and cryptocurrency in general as we know have become quite popular and are the talking point for many research scholars, economists and investment analysts. While many believe cryptocurrencies to have no intrinsic value, the value of the underlying technology i.e blockchain is something that can be argued upon. CBDCs remove the major cons of cryptocurrency by providing stability to the volatile cryptocurrency market and by acting as a legal tender thereby gaining the trust of retail public. Many governments believe that the introduction of CBDCs into the economy could simplify the payment’s structure thereby increasing the velocity of money leading to higher GDP growth. But one possibility that shatters this glass of optimistic views is the possibility of disintermediation of banks which could adversely affect the credit creation capacity of the country and disintegrate the entire monetary policy formation mechanism. Therefore, though the concept of digital currencies may excite many people, its adoption in an economy should be considered only after thorough research and pilot programs conducted by the central banks

Evaluation of a porous hydroxyapatite alloplast in the management of grade II furcation defects in molars: a case series

Introduction: The present case series evaluates the efficacy of a hydroxyapatite graft material in the management of grade II furcation involvement in first molars. Materials and methods: Eight patients presenting with a total of 9 grade II furcation defects in relation to the facial aspect of either maxillary or mandibular first molars were treated with a porous hydroxyapatite alloplast. The clinical outcomes were measured in terms of change in probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level (vertical and horizontal) at 6 months post-operatively. Radiographs were used as supplements. Results: At 6 months, there was a mean pocket depth reduction of 3.12±1.25 mm, a mean vertical attachment gain of 2.75±1.17 mm, and a mean horizontal attachment gain of 3.25±1.28 mm. Radiographs showed bone fill at all treated sites. The outcomes were better in mandibular teeth compared to maxillary teeth. The use of hydroxyapatite graft is effective in reducing pocket depth and bringing out gain in attachment levels when used in grade II furcation defects

Trading Real-World Assets on Blockchain - An Application of Trust-Free Transaction Systems in the Market for Lemons

Since its introduction in 2008, blockchain technology has outgrown its use in cryptocurrencies and is now preparing to revolutionize a multitude of commercial applications including value and supply chains, business models, and market structures. This work follows design science research to guide the implementation of a blockchain-based proof-of-concept prototype that enables the automated transaction of real-world assets, such as cars, and provides a valid, transparent, and immutable record of vehicle history to market participants, authorities, and other third parties. The contribution of this study to existing research is threefold: First, it introduces a built-in mechanism to reduce transaction risk resulting from the irreversibility of transactions in blockchain-based systems. Second, it replaces a trust-based, centralized, and bureaucratic register with a tamper-free and autonomous transactional database system that comprises a secure registration and transaction process. Third, it proposes a novel approach to mitigate adverse selection effects in lemon markets by providing a reliable, transparent, and complete record of each marketable asset’s history. In total, the findings in this article illustrate the potential of blockchain-based systems but also highlight technological shortcomings and challenges for commercial applications, such as scalability or privacy issues

Policy landscape of trade in environmental goods and services

This paper analyses the trends in trade flows and trade policies in environmental goods (EGs) and related services, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific Economies. The paper finds that the region is a dominant player in both exports and imports of EGs in the world, contributing to 42% and 44%, respectively. Renewable energy related goods dominate both the export and import basket of EGs in the region. The paper warns that even though specific environmental goods in general face very low tariffs, many other goods that are however required for environmental projects still face high tariffs, especially in least developed countries. Hence, the paper calls for a ‘holistic approach’ for tariff liberalization. The paper highlights the role of services in environmental sectors. The paper estimates an augmented gravity model of trade flows that integrates non-tariff measures (NTMs) and services trade restrictions. The estimations find that while tariffs have had an insignificant impact on environmental goods trade, NTMs have a strong negative impact. The impact of NTMs is more strongly felt by exports from low income countries when compared with middle income and high-income ones. The services trade restrictions also have a significant negative impact on the EG trade. The results point to the need for integrating NTMs and service sector policies within the framework of environmental goods negotiations to expedite the process of liberalizing global trade in EG