Business Competitiveness in Bahrain: A Synopsis

Unbridled freedom to private business sector is a harbinger of business collapse and eventually the economic landscapes of nations. We have had ample examples very recently. Hence, suitable rules and regulations are essential in conditioning favourable business environment. The ease of doing business can be understood by the availability of a cross section of factors such as clarity of property rights, low cost of resolving disputes, predictability of economic policies and situation, protection to investments, impartial redressal mechanism, the freedom and low cost retrenchment policy and exit, ease of resource mobilisation etc. This report reviews two annual reports on Doing Business pertaining to Kingdom of Bahrain vis-a-vis major counterparts in the Middle East and other noted economies.Business competitiveness, Doing business, Business environment, Kingdom of Bahrain

Vector-exponential time-series modeling for polynomial J-spectral factorization

An iterative algorithm to perform the J-spectral factorization of a para-Hermitian matrix is presented. The algorithm proceeds by computing a special kernel representation of an interpolant for a sequence of points and associated directions determined from the spectral zeroes of the to-be factored matrix

A behavioral view of Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation

The classical Nevanlinna-Pick (NP) interpolation problem is about finding a rational function that satisfies given interpolation conditions, along with a norm condition. In this paper we address the NP problem using concepts from behavioral systems theory and quadratic differential forms (QDFs). The NP problem is solved using a certain “dualization of data”. We address system theoretic motivations for this dualization and the advantages gained in this process. Finally, we address the problem of constructing interpolating functions that satisfy a “frequency dependent” norm condition

Interpolation with bilinear differential forms

We present a recursive algorithm for modeling with bilinear differential forms. We discuss applications of this algorithm for interpolation with symmetric bivariate polynomials, and for computing storage functions for autonomous systems

Evolution of Social Security in the Lap of Public Action: Recounting the Experience of Kerala

This paper is part of a large study on the Social Protection in Rural India and China. In this paper, we attempt at a critical appraisal of the historical development and experience of social security initiatives in Kerala, India. We situate the development experience of Kerala in a conceptual framework of participatory development, which we interpret in a broad context of organization and mobilization of people at specific junctures of historical progress of a society. Thus participatory development, in our view is participation in the progressive process of realization of human rights and thus in development; that is, public action, with an effective public demand and a wiling public supply, conditioned by the legitimate function of the state. It is also attempted to categorize the on-going social security schemes according to the definitional framework of our study, that is, in terms of the definitional division of social security into basic and contingent social security.Social security; Kerala; development; contingency

In the Vacuum of Public Action Social Security in Orissa: A Long Way to Go

This paper is part of a large study on the Social Protection in Rural India and China. In this paper, we attempt at a critical appraisal of the historical development and experience of social security initiatives in Orissa, India. Unlike in the context of Kerala, an unfavourable dynamics of historical conjunction of ecological, economic, social, and institutional conditions in Orissa has worked itself out to contribute to the high level of insecurity there. We argue that the failure of Orissa was in its inability to develop the forces of organization and mobilization into its logical end of participatory development process for a secured life on account of some unfavourable historical conjunction. It is also attempted in this paper to categorize the on-going social security schemes according to the definitional framework of our study, that is, in terms of the definitional division of social security into basic and contingent social security.Social security; Orissa; Development; Contingency