Socioeconomic, Institutional & Political Determinants of Human Rights Abuse: A Subnational Study of India, 1993-2002

We conduct an econometric analysis of socioeconomic, institutional and political factors determining government respect for human rights within India. Using time series crosssectional data for 28 Indian states for the period 1993 ñ 2002, we find that internal threat poised by number of social violence events, presence of civil war and riot hit disturbed areas are strongly associated with human rights abuses. Amongst socioeconomic factors, ëexclusiveí economic growth, ëunevení development, poor social development spending,youth bulges and differential growth rates between minority religious groups explain the likelihood of human rights violations. Capturing power at the state and central level by Hindu national partiesí viz., Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, further help understand the incidence of human rights violations within India. We also address the possible endogenity problem between human development and human rights. Using a system of simultaneous equation, we find that improvement in human development have positive impact on government respect for human rights within India.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64388/1/wp926.pd

Do Choice & Speed of Reforms Matter for Human Rights During Transition?

Conventional wisdom posits absence of systematic relationship between economic reforms and human rights. Taking the case of transition economies, Vadlamannati & Soysa (2008) shows significant positive relationship between economic reforms and various forms of human rights. This brings us to the next question on the impact of choice and speed of reforms on human rights performance. In other words, does speed and choice of reforms increase or decrease government respect for human rights in transition economies? This is the question our paper tries to address. The Anglo-Saxon perspective is that speed of reforms lead to growth and development which inturn generates respect for human rights. While skeptics contend that rushing towards a free market economy would always be destructive as development process tends to be exclusive creating exogenous shocks leading to social and economic unrest. This leads to domestic violence and conflicts, allowing governments to resort to repressive measures. We use a new method to construct ëspeed of reformsí variable for transition economies for the period 1993 ñ 2006 to estimate its impact on all forms of human rights. Further, using the methodology of Wolf (1999) on discrete groupings of choice of reforms of transition economies, we classify the countries under radical, gradual and laggard reformer groups. We measure the impact of speed of reforms on human rights performance conditioned by choice of reforms. Our findings show that speed of reforms significantly improves government respect for all forms of human rights, while volatility in reforms is associated with human rights abuses. But the interesting finding is that, controlling for the speed of reforms attained, the choice with which the country has reformed plays pivotal role in determining human rights performance. While radical reforming countries are associated with better human rights performance, gradualists and laggards share poor human rights performance.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64413/1/wp927.pd

Exploring the Relationship Between Military Spending & Income Inequality in South Asia

The basic objective of this paper is to examine the effect of military spending on income inequality in four major South Asian economies. In the process, we also control for other possible key determinants of income inequality subject to data availability. Using panel regression fixed effects analysis for the study period 1975 to 2005, we find from our estimates that there is a positive effect of military expenditure on income inequality.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64381/1/wp918.pd

Is There Electoral Cycles in Globalization Process? Evidence From 78 Democratic Countries, 1975-2006

I investigate whether timing of the elections impact globalization process or not in democratic countries across the globe. In other words, do elections slowdown globalization process? The theoretical underpinning is that, globalization process lead to economic and social hardships in short run but benefit the economy in the long run. The motto behind slowing down globalization process before elections is that it leads to polarization of voters and thus negatively affects the incumbent government. I make use of Axel Dreherís comprehensive globalization index as proxy for overall globalization process; economic globalization index for economic globalization policies and restrictions index as proxy for removal of trade and financial restrictions. I then construct ëinstrumental electoral cycleí to capture the scheduled and midterm election cycle. Using cross-sectional time series data for 78 democratic countries for the period 1975 ñ 2006, I find that scheduled elections are associated with slow down in all the three forms of globalization process, whereas midterm elections are not. Replacing all three Dreherís indices with our modified indices does not alter the results. I also find that slow down in globalization process is responsive to the propinquity to a scheduled election year. Meaning, as incumbent government nears the scheduled elections, globalization process keeps slowing down, while this is exactly opposite during the early years of incumbent government in office. These results suggest that elections generate ìelectoral globalization cycleî in democratic countries.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64400/1/wp931.pd

Impact of Economic Reforms on Poverty Indian Experience

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of economic reforms on poverty levels in India during the period 1975 - 2006. We construct a comprehensive measure of economic reforms index made up of seven subcomponents and percentage of population living below poverty line is used as proxy for aggregate level of poverty levels. The empirical study is conducted within the frame work of unit root, cointegration and Vector Error Correction Method tests. The results display long run equilibrium relationship between the two and the direction of causality flowing from reforms to poverty. Further, it is interesting to find that the current level of economic reforms is having a positive effect on poverty levels. But, the past level of reforms (stock of reforms) has a significant negative effect on poverty levels. Meaning, the immediate adjustment cost of current level of economic reforms is counterbalanced by the negative effects by the level of past reforms during the study period.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64373/1/wp924.pd

Gene expression studies on bovine oocyytes and embryos subjected to various heat stress and heat shock conditions

Tese de Doutoramento, Ciências Agrárias, 14 de junho de 2018, Universidade dos Açores.Increasing temperature mainly by global warming has been showing rapid environmental temperature chances, unpredictable climatic changes. Increasing temperature has been showing a greater effect on reproductive performance of lactating cows, ultimately affecting dairy economy. Ambient temperatures in subtropical zones during summers affecting cows, as the temperature level were reaching more the upper critical temperature or else above theromonetual zone. Terceira-Azores being considered a dry summer tropical climate, it is important to study the seasonal changes impact on Holstein cows in the islands. Besides this, they still lot unknown factors effecting the heat stress oocytes and embryos, as fertility is a multifactorial problem that affects physiological and cellular functions in several tissues. […]. Aims and Objectives: Increasing environmental temperatures have been showing a greater effect on the fertility of cattle, which eventually affecting global economy of dairy industry. As describe above there is an increasing global warming effect in temperate zone, and subtropical regions , Terceira-Azores (situated in the North Atlantic Ocean: 38° 43' N 27° 12' W) being a dry summer subtropical climate presumed having similar effect. To determine this climatic / Heat stress effect and to study the molecular mechanism involved in reproductive performance of cows following objectives were performed. Objectives Chapter 2: The major objective of this study to evaluate reproductive performances of all day grazing Holstein cows in a warm temperature region of Azores, in relation to environmental stress, but also to determine the in vitro development of oocytes and embryos during cold and warmer months. Apart from this effect of heat shock under different temperatures during in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine oocytes and further embryonic development after IVF was also evaluated. Chapter 3: To study molecular mechanism/gene expression analysis it is important to stabilize a standardized protocol for the extraction of total RNA from a minimum number bovine oocytes and embryos samples. As so far no proper standardize protocol was descried in specific to Bovine cells. Hence the major aim of this work is to design a standardize protocol which is specific for bovine oocytes and embryos and reliable for the downstream process (Gene amplification and Gene quantification). Chapter 4: To understand the molecular mechanism involved in low fertility rate of cows under heat stress (in vivo and in vitro) the following objective has to be performed. Gene expression studies of developmental genes (Cx43, CDH1, DNMT1 and HSPA14) in different developmental stages (2-cell, 4-cell, morula and blastocyst) of embryos developed from oocytes under prolonged heat shock, as well as oocytes collected during hot and cold seasons has to be studied. Chapter 5: As it is important to understand maternal heat stress factors and to analyze the heat stock condition based on time and exposure, following objectives were performed. Gene expression analysis of kinetic heat shocked oocytes and oocytes matured in the summer and the winter. Chapter 6: An overview and discussion of the results of these studies and their possible implications for the practice and for future research are given

Do Elections Slow Down Economic Globalization Process in India? It's Politics Stupid!

I investigate whether timing of the elections impact economic globalization process or not in India. In other words, do elections slowdown economic globalization process? The theoretical underpinning is that, policies of economic globalization lead to economic and social hardships in short run but benefit the economy in the long run. The motto behind slowing down the economic globalization process before elections is that it leads to polarization of voters and thus negatively affects the incumbent government. I make use of Axel Dreherís economic globalization index and construct ëinstrumental electoral cycleí to capture the scheduled and midterm election cycle. Using time series data for India for the period 1970 ñ 2006, I find that scheduled elections are associated with slow down in economic globalization, whereas midterm elections are not. Replacing Dreherís economic globalization index with our modified globalization index does not alter the results. I also find that slow down in economic globalization process is responsive to the propinquity to a scheduled election year. Meaning, as incumbent government nears the scheduled elections, economic globalization process keeps slowing down, while this is exactly opposite during the early years of incumbent government in office. These results suggest that elections generate ìelectoral globalization cycleî in developing democratic country like India.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64406/1/wp929.pd

Does Timing of Elections Instigate Riots? A Subnational Study of 16 Indian States, 1958-2004

We investigate whether timing of the elections leads to riots or not within India. In other words, does timing of elections instigate riots? The theoretical underpinning is that an incumbent government and opposition parties exercises control over their agents to instigate communal mob violence and riots during the election years. The motto behind instigating riots is that it leads to polarization of voters and thus benefits the respective constituents (incumbent government & opposition parties). Using time series crosssectional data for 16 major Indian states for the period 1958 ñ 2004, we find that scheduled elections are associated with increase in riots. Also intensity of riots, proxied by rate of growth rate of riots increases in scheduled election years. We also find that riots and intensity of riots are responsive to the propinquity to an election year. Meaning, as incumbent government nears the elections, riots and intensity of riots keeps increasing, while this is exactly opposite during the early years of incumbent government in office. These results suggest that elections generate ìriots cycleî in regionally, ethnically, culturally and socially diverse country like India.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64385/1/wp939.pd

Impact of Foreign Direct Investments on Industrial Productivity: A Subnational Study of India

The paper uses unique aggregate industry-level dataset at subnational level from India to measure the effects of foreign investments on the productivity of domestic firms. Using pooled regression analysis with fixed effects for the period 2002 – 2005, we find that: (a) foreign investments have significant positive effect on productivity of domestic firms. However, the coefficient values of FDI are smaller, suggesting that the positive effects are marginal. (b) When FDI inflows are controlled for in the cross-section productivity regression, the relationship between the share of foreign technical collaborations and productivity of domestic firms increases significantly. This supports the argument that foreign technical collaborations increase productivity in part through its effect on the FDI inflows. (c) Another interesting finding is that there is no strong evidence to show that this positive effect is state-heterogeneous. In turn, we find partial effects of FDI are marginally higher in non-industrial states. Thus, we suggest that domestic firms can reap rich dividends if the FDI inflows are evenly distributed across the regions, particularly concentrating the efforts on attracting FDI into non-industrial states.FDI; Productivity; India

DO CHOICE & SPEED OF REFORMS MATTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DURING TRANSITION?

Conventional wisdom posits absence of systematic relationship between economic reforms and human rights. Taking the case of transition economies, Vadlamannati & Soysa (2008) shows significant positive relationship between economic reforms and various forms of human rights. This brings us to the next question on the impact of choice and speed of reforms on human rights performance. In other words, does speed and choice of reforms increase or decrease government respect for human rights in transition economies? This is the question our paper tries to address. The Anglo-Saxon perspective is that speed of reforms lead to growth and development which inturn generates respect for human rights. While skeptics contend that rushing towards a free market economy would always be destructive as development process tends to be exclusive creating exogenous shocks leading to social and economic unrest. This leads to domestic violence and conflicts, allowing governments to resort to repressive measures. We use a new method to construct ‘speed of reforms’ variable for transition economies for the period 1993 – 2006 to estimate its impact on all forms of human rights. Further, using the methodology of Wolf (1999) on discrete groupings of choice of reforms of transition economies, we classify the countries under radical, gradual and laggard reformer groups. We measure the impact of speed of reforms on human rights performance conditioned by choice of reforms. Our findings show that speed of reforms significantly improves government respect for all forms of human rights, while volatility in reforms is associated with human rights abuses. But the interesting finding is that, controlling for the speed of reforms attained, the choice with which the country has reformed plays pivotal role in determining human rights performance. While radical reforming countries are associated with better human rights performance, gradualists and laggards share poor human rights performance.