Socio-Economic Indicators in Rural Pakistan: Some Evidence

This study attempts to quantify the inter-provincial and interdistrict differences among villages with respect to the availability of and access to certain crucial inputs and services which affect the level of living and even quality of life in rural areas.. Using the taxonomic method for rank ordering and clustering of regions, this comparative analysis should help in identifying the areas (provinces or districts) and activities (or services) in each area which may require immediate or special attention of policy makers and planners.

Emerging Next Generation Solar Cells Route to High Efficiency and Low Cost

Generation of clean energy is one of the main challenges of the 21st century. Solar energy is the most abundantly available renewable energy source which would be supplying more than 50 of the global electricity demand in 2100. Solar cells are used to convert light energy into electrical energy directly with an appeal that it does not generate any harmful bi products, like greenhouse gasses. The manufacturing of solar cells is actually based on the types of semiconducting or non semiconducting materials used and commercial maturity. From the very beginning of the terrestrial use of Solar Cells, efficiency and costs are the main focusing areas of research. The definition of so called emerging technologies sometimes described as including any technology capable of overcoming the Shockley-Queisser limit of power conversion efficiency 33.7 percent for a single junction device. In this paper, few promising materials for solar cells are discussed including their structural morphology, electrical and optical properties. The excellent state of the art technology, advantages and potential research issues yet to be explored are also pointed out. Md. Samiul Islam Sadek | Dr. M Junaebur Rashid | Dr. Zahid Hasan Mahmood "Emerging Next Generation Solar Cells: Route to High Efficiency and Low Cost" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-4 , June 201

Exchange Rate Determination in Pakistan: A Simultaneous Equation Model

In recent years the gap between real exchange rate (RER) and nominal exchange rate (NER) has widened in Pakistan. A proper understanding of the determinants of real exchange rate can be extremely useful for the management of current account deficit. The results of this study show that the Simultaneous Equation Model gives better results than the Single Equation Model. The estimated coefficients reveal that changes in both monetary and real sector variables affect the equilibrium path of RER. The distinction between traded and non-traded goods can also help in proper real exchange rate management.

Dr. Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi (1950-2010): Life & Contributions

Dr. Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi, Rahmatullah ‘Alayh, was a renowned Islamic scholar of th late 20th and 21st centuries, acknowledged for his intellectual and academic contributions to Islamic Social Sciences. He was serving as the Judge of the Federal Sharȋ‘at Court of Pakistan at the time of his demise and was Professor of Sharȋ‘ah, at International Islamic University, Islamabad. During his lifespan, he held numerous academic and administrative positions, fellowships of several national and international scholastic bodies. He attended around 100 national and international conferences. Professor Ghazi had thorough knowledge of Arabic, English, Persian, Urdu and French languages. He was a highly productive writer of English, Arabic and Urdu languages. He produced more than 30 books in the areas of Islamic law, cosmopolitan Islamic jurisprudence, Muslim political thought, Islamic resurgence, Islamic economics, Islamic education, Qur'ânic sciences, HadÈ‹th sciences and SÈ‹rah sciences.This paper highlights his brief memoir; academic and administrative contributions; his major published, unpublished and incomplete works, for the sake of recognition, preservation and guidance for further research.Â

The Political Economy of Agricultural Research in Pakistan

This study is premised on the propo1ition that economic research on agriculture in Pakistan has concentrated on narrow and technocratic aspects without reference to the structure of production relations among various and contending classes of farmers. The paper identifies three major and so far largely unexplored areas of agricultural research, viz. set of relationships among farm groups and their impact on agricultural production and income distribution, measurement and interpretation of participation by these groups in production activities in the private and public sectors, and the land tax system and its effect on issues of growth and equity

Impact of Foreign Aid on Economic Development in Pakistan [1960-2002]

The Two-Gap Model suggests that the Poor countries have to rely on the foreign resources to fill the two Gaps: Import-Export Gap and the Savings-Investment Gap. There are many forms of the foreign resources like FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), External loans & Credit, technical assistance, Project & non-project aid etc. But UDC’s (including Pakistan) don’t have the investment friendly policies. So, they have to rely on the Foreign aid and Debt rather than FDI and portfolio investments. The role of these external resources always remains questionable. This paper analyzes the trends and structure of the foreign aid in Pakistan during 1960-2002 and its role and effectiveness in the economic development in Pakistan.Foreign capital inflows (FCI); Foreign Aid; Economic Development; Foreign Economic Assistance; Official Development Assistance (ODA); Foreign Debt Burden; Aid and Growth; Trends and Structure of Aid; Aid Effectiveness

Farm Size and Land Productivity Relationships in Pakistan

The study focuses on productivity differences due to farm size. Using farm size data, it suggests that in Pakistan large farms are relatively more productive because of their greater use of .. non-traditional" inputs. The input intensity of large farms derives from market distortion induced by public policy. Agricultural policy should therefore concentrate on eliminating market distortions, by measures like ceiling on land holdings and a wider diffusion of farm extension services and credit