Determinants and consequences of land sales market participation : panel evidence from India

Although opinions on impacts of land market transfers are sharply divided, few studies explore the welfare and productivity effects of land markets on a larger scale. This paper uses a large Indian panel spanning almost 20 years, together with a climatic shock (rainfall) indicator, to assess the productivity and equity effects of market-mediated land transfers (sale and purchase) compared with non-market ones (inheritance). The analysis shows that frequent shocks increase land market activity, an effect that is mitigated by the presence of safety nets and banks. Land sales markets improved productivity and helped purchasers, many of whom were formerly landless, to accumulate non-land assets and significantly enhance their welfare.Banks&Banking Reform,Markets and Market Access,Municipal Housing and Land,,Real Estate Development

Efficiency and equity impacts of rural land rental restrictions : evidence from India

Recognition of the potentially deleterious implications of inequality in opportunity originating in a skewed asset distribution has spawned considerable interest in land reforms. However, little attention has been devoted to fact that, in the longer term, the measures used to implement land reforms could negatively affect productivity. Use of state level data on rental restrictions, together with a nationally representative survey from India, suggests that, contrary to original intentions, rental restrictions negatively affect productivity and equity. The restrictions reduce the scope for efficiency-enhancing rental transactions that benefit poor producers. Simulations suggest that, by doubling the number of producers with access to land through rental, from about 15 million currently, liberalization of rental markets could have far-reaching impacts.Rural Development Knowledge&Information Systems,Municipal Housing and Land,Housing&Human Habitats,Climate Change,Land and Real Estate Development

Can political reservations affect political equilibria in the long-term? Evidence from local elections in rural India

While many studies explored impacts of political quotas for females, often with ambiguous results, underlying mechanisms and long-term effects have received relatively little attention. Nation-wide data from India spanning a 15-year period allow us to explore how reservations affect leader qualifications, service delivery, political participation, local accountability, and individuals' willingness to contribute to public goods. Although leader quality declines and impacts on service quality are ambiguous, gender quotas are shown to increase political processes and participation, the willingness to contribute to public goods, and perceived ability to hold leaders to account. Key effects persist beyond the reserved period and impacts on females often materialize only with a lag. --Public goods,reservations,India,discrimination,political economy

Land reforms, poverty reduction, and economic growth : evidence from India

Recognition of the importance of institutions that provide security of property rights and relatively equal access to economic resources to a broad cross-section of society has renewed interest in the potential of asset redistribution, including land reforms. Empirical analysis of the impact of such policies is, however, scant and often contradictory. This paper uses panel household data from India, together with state-level variation in the implementation of land reform, to address some of the deficiencies of earlier studies. The results suggest that land reform had a significant and positive impact on income growth and accumulation of human and physical capital. The paper draws policy implications, especially from the fact that the observed impact of land reform seems to have declined over time.Rural Poverty Reduction,Political Economy,Rural Development Knowledge&Information Systems,Municipal Housing and Land,Rural Land Policies for Poverty Reduction

Equity and efficiency impacts of rural land rental restrictions: Evidence from India

Recognition of the potentially deleterious implications of high inequality of opportunity due to a biased asset distribution has led to increased interest in land reforms. However, little attention has been devoted to the potential longer-term impacts of the measures used to implement such reforms, despite evidence that, the restrictions on land rental in rural areas they imply can have potentially far-reaching consequences. Use of state level data on rental restrictions, in conjunction with a nationally representative survey from India suggests that, contrary to their original intention, rental restrictions significantly reduce supply of land to the rental market, prevent land access by the landless, and by more productive producers. Ways to counter these effects by liberalizing land rental markets are discussed.Land Economics/Use,

Determinants and Consequences of Land Sales Market Participation: Panel Evidence from India

Although opinions on impacts of land market transfers are sharply divided, few studies explore the welfare- and productivity impact of land markets on a larger scale. We use a large Indian panel spanning almost 20 years, together with a climatic shock (rainfall) indicator, to assess the productivity- and equity-impact of market-mediated land transfers (sale and purchase) as compared to non-market ones (inheritance). While frequent shocks increase land market activity, an effect that is mitigated by presence of safety nets and banks- land sales markets improved productivity and helped purchasers, many of them formerly landless, to accumulate non-land assets and significantly enhance their welfare.Land Economics/Use,

Does Land Fragmentation Reduce Efficiency: Micro Evidence from India

Land Economics/Use,

Does female reservation affect long-term political outcomes ? Evidence from rural India

Although many studies have explored the impacts of political quotas for females, often with ambiguous results, the underlying mechanisms and long-term effects have received little attention. This paper uses nation-wide data from India spanning a 15-year period to explore how reservations affect leader qualifications, service delivery, political participation, local accountability, and individuals’ willingness to contribute to public goods. Although leader quality declines and impacts on service quality are often negative, gender quotas are shown to increase the level and quality of women's political participation, the ability to hold leaders to account, and the willingness to contribute to public goods. Key effects persist beyond the reserved period and impacts on females often materialize only with a lag.Housing&Human Habitats,Population Policies,Gender and Law,Gender and Health,Parliamentary Government

The 30-kW ammonia arcjet technology

The technical results are summarized of a 30 kW class ammonia propellant arcjet technology program. Evaluation of previous arcjet thruster performance, including materials analysis of used thruster components, led to the design of an arcjet with improved performance and thermal characteristics. Tests of the new engine demonstrated that engine performance is relatively insensitive to cathode tip geometry. Other data suggested a maximum sustainable arc length for a given thruster configuration, beyond which the arc may reconfigure in a destructive manner. A flow controller calibration error was identified. This error caused previously reported values of specific impulse and thrust efficiency to be 20 percent higher than the real values. Corrected arcjet performance data are given. Duration tests of 413 and 252 hours, and several tests 100 hours in duration, were performed. The cathode tip erosion rate increased with increasing arc current. Elimination of power source ripple did not affect cathode tip whisker growth. Results of arcjet modeling, diagnostic development and mission analyses are also discussed. The 30 kW ammonia arcjet may now be considered ready for development for a flight demonstration, but widespread application of 30 kW class arcjet will require improved efficiency and lifetime

Women’s Access to Land and Economic Empowerment in Selected Nigerian Communities

Despite various land policies that prescribe rights to land in many societies, women remain marginalized in access to and economic utilization of land. This is widespread in rural communities where informal institutions such as customs and traditions subsist. In most of these communities, the patriarchal structure of families is championed by the informal institutions that support male dominance. This study focuses on economic empowerment of women as it encapsulates sustainable wealth of women. It provides answers to two main research questions: a) what kind of relationship exists between land access and empowerment of women? And b) how important are individual and household attributes in informing women’s empowerment through land rights? The empirical results of this study provide some new insights as they demonstrate how land rights influence women’s economic empowerment. The study also finds that women’s earning capacity reduces when they take up the responsibility of becoming the heads of households and that their income increases as they become more educate