Agglomeration Economies and Productivity Growth in India

Agglomeration economies have been analyzed in the literature as drivers of economic growth, as these contribute to productivity enhancement. The primary objective of this paper is to ascertain the existence of agglomeration economies, and to examine the extent to which these have contributed to productivity growth in India. Two sources of agglomeration economies are distinguished – (i) at the industry level – localization economies of intra-industry linkage; and (ii) at the regional level – inter-industry urbanization economies. Growth accounting framework is used with agglomeration parameters included in the shift term of a general production function, coefficients of which are estimated through panel data regression. I employ state level data for 25 state economies in India for the period 1980-81 to 2006-07. There is evidence that urbanization economies tend to exist; however, there is considerable variation in the sources and magnitude of agglomeration economies across sectors. Results indicate that for service sector, the economies of urbanization exist on a lower level of urbanization, whereas for manufacturing, these economies are present at higher levels. Results support regional diversity more than localization, even if some differences can be seen across sectors.

Estimating the Contribution of Infrastructure in Regional Productivity Growth in India

There does not seem to be a consensus on the importance of infrastructure investments in the process of economic development. With persistent regional disparities, and increasing regional identities, there is a need to determine the drivers of regional growth. Contribution of infrastructure to regional productivity growth is analyzed in this paper. Empirical analysis using data from 25 states in India for the past two decades suggests that composition of infrastructure investment is important in facilitating economic growth. Empirical results also highlight that investments in economic infrastructure have the closest linkage with regional productivity growth.

Regional Income Disparities in India and Test for Convergence - 1980 to 2006

We examine trends in regional disparities in India over a period of 26 years (1980 to 2006). There are wide and increasing variations in economic performances of states over time. We have employed panel data estimation method based on the neo-classical framework. The analysis is based on 25 state economies in India. Results of the analysis suggest convergent trend in regional incomes, conditional upon growth rates of inputs, and rate of technological progress. Speed of convergence has been faster during the period 1992-2006, when Indian economy embarked upon detailed structural reforms. Incomes of the special category states have experienced convergence at a higher rate.

Urban Development Strategy for Bihar: A Management Perspective

Bihar is among the least urbanized states in India with a level of urbanization just above 10% in 2001. The present study suggests a four-stage strategy for the urban development of Bihar. The stages are- (i) Increase in the rate of urbanization (ii) Increase in the resources of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) (iii) Improvement in delivery of urban services, and (iv)Local economic development for employment generation in cities. The current state of finances of ULBs in Bihar is very poor on account of low yield of own revenue sources and low level of grants. The quality of services provided by ULBs in Bihar, measured by expenditure on these services is inferior in comparison to standard benchmarks and other selected cities in India. The location quotient analysis of cities in Bihar reveals lack of industrial development, and reliance on primary activities for employment. Positive correlation between economic growth and share of service sector in employment and negative correlation between economic growth and primary sector employment justify the need for efforts towards development of industrial and service sectors in the state.

Position Control of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle From a Mobile Ground Vehicle

Quadcopters have been developed with controls providing good maneuverability, simple mechanics, and the ability to hover, take-off and land vertically with precision. Due to their small size, they can get close to targets of interest and furthermore stay undetected at lower heights. The main drawbacks of a quadcopter are its high-power consumption and payload restriction, due to which, the number of onboard sensors is constrained. To overcome this limitation, vision-based localization techniques and remote control for the quadcopter are essential areas of current research. The core objective of this research is to develop a closed loop feedback system between an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and a mobile ground vehicle. With this closed loop system, the moving ground vehicle aims to navigate the UAV remotely. The ground vehicle uses a pure pursuit algorithm to traverse a pre-defined path. A Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller is actualized for position control and attitude stabilization of the UAV. The issue of tracking and 3D pose-estimation of the UAV in light of vision sensing is explored. An estimator to track the states of the UAV, utilizing the images obtained from a single camera mounted on the ground vehicle is developed. This estimator coupled with a Kalman filter determines the UAV\u27s three dimensional position. The relative position of the UAV with the moving ground vehicle and the control output from a joint centralized PD controller is used to navigate the UAV and follow the motion of the ground vehicle in closed loop to avoid time delays. This closed loop system is simulated in MATLAB and Simulink to validate the proposed control and estimation approach. The results obtained validate the control architecture proposed to attain closed loop feedback between the UAV and the mobile ground vehicle

Does Circularizing Source-Separated Food Waste Present A Risk To Our Food?

About a third of the food produced annually is wasted. Food waste recycling can be a way to close the loop and attain a more sustainable food system, however, the system must be carefully monitored and managed to avoid the introduction and build-up of contaminants. To study the potential presence of contaminants in food waste, source-separated food waste was collected and screened for five classes of contaminants (physical contaminants, heavy metals, halogenated organic contaminants, pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes) from two separate regulatory environments (voluntary vs mandated food separation). The regulatory environment did not affect the level of contamination, except there was more physical contamination in Maine, where food waste diversion is not mandated. Fifty-seven percent of samples had some form of non-compostable waste. Most of the heavy metals tested were not detected. Copper and zinc were detected in most samples but were always below the most stringent global standards for compost. Some samples had detectable halogenated organics, which is cause for concern because some are known to accumulate in the food chain. Foodborne pathogens were seldom detected and should be killed during treatment, but this could pose a risk to collectors and haulers. Antibiotic resistance genes were detected in most samples. This could jeopardize the utility of antibiotics used to fight infections. More research is needed to determine the fate of antibiotic resistance genes and halogenated organics during treatment, and the risk of their accumulation in a circular food system