Playing in Invisible Markets: Innovations in the Market for Toilets to Harness the Economic Power of the Poor

Sanitation is at the heart of not only environmental security but also food security and health. Today about 41% of the global population or about 2.6 billion people do not have access to toilets and about 42,000 people die every week due to drinking water polluted with faecal matter. The problem is most acute in India, China, many countries of Africa and a few countries of Latin America. Why is there such a crisis in the toilets market? How much of the present problem is due to a lack of supply and how much is it due to a lack of demand? What is the optimal role of the State, the firms and the NPOs? The present paper attempts to give some insight on the above questions through the case study of the market for toilets for the poor in India. It examines the toilet history and achievements of India, the innovations in the market for toilets targeting the group at the bottom of the income pyramid and the factors that influence the adoption and usage of toilets in an Indian coastal village, in order to infer answers to the above questions.Toilets, Innovation, India, Health, Hygiene, Sanitation, BOP, Income Inequality, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Government Policy

E-governance for ESI Hospitals Costing of Medical Services at EsI Hospital, Bapunagar

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) of India is one of the largest social security organizations providing medical insurance cover and delivering of medical care to 35 million beneficiaries through 140 hospitals and 1500 dispensaries. The objectives of this study are to understand the costing of medical care at ESI hospitals and suggest systems for e-governance to facilitate the coordination between ESIC, ESIS and the beneficiaries. Towards this, we selected a large ESI hospital, namely, the ESI General Hospital at Bapunagar, Ahmedabad and gained very useful insights about the systems currently in practice for offering medical benefits to the insured persons and their beneficiaries. This working paper brings out our detailed analysis of the working of ESI hospital, Bapunagar in delivering medical care under the ESI scheme.

Voluntary agreements and community development as CSR in innovation strategies

The present paper examines how an innovating firm decides between two forms of voluntary agreements (VA) in a context, where a non-governmental organization (NGO) rather than a regulator watches over citizens' interests. The innovation generates profit and consumer surplus as well as environmental damage. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the innovation process is considered in terms of a redistribution of profit towards community development, with or without additional abatement efforts via a VA. Bargaining between firm and NGO yields the amount allocated to community development. The model demonstrates that the firm's choice of VA hinges on the tradeoffs between appropriating the full innovation profit and paying a higher lump sum towards community development or sacrificing some of the innovation profit by lowering innovation effort, but gaining in terms of paying a lesser amount towards community development. CSR with abatement is unlikely in the case of radical innovations. There is also a clear divergence of interests between the firm, the NGO and the State for some parameter configurations, which are duly identified.Corporate social responsibility, voluntary agreements, community development, donations, innovation

Management Capacity Assessment for National Health Programs: A study of RCH Program in Gujarat State

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India administers a large number of national health programs such as Malaria control program, Blindness control program, National AIDS control program, Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Program and so on. However, effective management of these programs has always come under scrutiny, as these programs consume a large amount of resources. As health is a state government subject in India, it is necessary to assess the management capacity of the department of Health and Family Welfare (H & FW) in each state. In this paper, we focus on the management capacity assessment for RCH program. Based on extensive literature survey, and discussions with senior officers in charge of RCH program at the centre and several states, we have developed a conceptual framework for management capacity assessment. Central to our conceptual framework are the following determinants of management capacity at the state dept of H & FW: (1) Capacity to formulate a clear statement of the state’s RCH Policy, Goals, and a Strategic Plan to achieve the Objectives, consistent with the resources available, (2) A well designed organizational structure for the H&FW department to provide the necessary support for achieving the policy goals, (3) Capacity of the H & FW department for effective management of RCH program, (4) Clear documentation of HR policies (qualifications, transfer, promotions, training etc) for RCH managers, (5) Role of External Stakeholders (6) Management Systems for Planning, Implementation and Monitoring RCH program, and (7) Institutional Processes and procedures For each of the above determinants, we have identified a set of indicators to assess the management capacity and designed a management capacity assessment tool to estimate these indicators. A pilot survey of our management capacity assessment tool in a few states helped us to refine certain instruments in our tool and finalize the same. Our management tool has been accepted by the Ministry of H & FW, Government of India and it has asked all the states and union territories to carry out a self assessment of their management capacity for RCH program. We have also recommended a suitable structure for effective management of RCH program for each state based on its population, the number of people in the reproductive age group, expected number of childbirths, and the current status of its H&FW department in delivering RCH services. This recommended structure can be used as a guideline by each state to identify its capacity gaps and take the necessary steps to augment its management capacity.

R&D cooperation, asymmetric technological capabilities and rationale for technology parks

Starting from the premise that firms are distinct in terms of their capacity to create radical product innovations, the present paper attempts to explore how firms choose between different forms of R&D cooperation and their consequences for social welfare. It studies a duopolistic market, where firms have to choose between R&D competition, a cost sharing alliance, an information sharing alliance or an R&D cartel. The paper demonstrates that asymmetry has an impact on alliance choice and social welfare. With similar firms, the cost sharing alliance will be preferred to R&D competition or any other form of collaboration. With significant asymmetry no alliance may be formed. In terms of social welfare, any alliance is preferable to R&D competition and the R&D cartel is the best. Given this inherent contradiction between private preferences and optimal social choice, the paper provides a rationale for public investment in terms of science and technology parks to promote R&D cartels. --R&D competition,R&D cooperation,technology parks

Effect of moisture on the fatigue behavior of graphite/epoxy composite laminates

The form of the moisture distribution in the specimen (gradient and flat profile) was considered to establish the influence of accelerated moisture conditioning on fatigue behavior. For the gradient specimens having an average moisture content of 1.4 percent, fatigue life was reduced by a factor of 8 at all stress levels investigated. Corresponding reduction in fatigue life for the flat moisture profile specimens at the same average moisture content was comparatively smaller, being about a factor of 5 from the value in dry specimens. X-ray radiographic analysis of damage accumulation in compression-compression fatigue revealed interlaminar cracking to be the dominant mode of failure responsible for the observed enhanced cyclic degradation of moisture-conditioned specimens. This finding was corroborated by the observed systematic reduction in interlaminar shear strength as a function of moisture content, which, in turn, increased the propensity for delamination under cyclic compressive loads. Residual strength measurements on cycled specimens indicated significant strength reductions at long lives, particularly in moisture conditioned specimens

Child malnutrition in India: using data more effectively

In the light of the newly announced National Nutrition Strategy, released by NITI Aayog in September 2017, it is important to note that tackling child malnutrition requires enlightened leadership at the Central and state levels, with a dedicated resolve to reduce the incidence of child malnutrition and greater commitment to develop systems for regular collection, monitoring and use of data on child growth. V. Ramani outlines the many challenges ahead and how data can be used

Notched and Unnotched Fatigue Behavior of Angle-Ply Graphite/Epoxy Composites

The axial fatigue behavior of both notched and unnotched graphite/epoxy composites was studied. In unnotched studies, conducted on a 0/+ or - 30 3S AS/3501 laminate, S-N curves were determined for various stress ratios R using simply supported test specimens. Apparent fatigue limits in tension-tension (T-T) and compression-compression (C-C) cycling occurred at about 60% of the respective static strengths. The overall results were expressed in the form of a constant life diagram showing the relationship between mean stress and stress amplitude. The diagram illustrates a skew-symmetry in fatigue life caused by the relatively low compressive strength of the unrestrained test specimens used. In effect, a maximum in fatigue properties occurs at a positive value of mean stress. Results are of significance in situations where structural members are buckling or crippling critical in design

Impact of performance evaluation, compensation and promotional practices on employee performance study in banking sector in Nuwara Eliya district

In the current scenario, HR practices play an important role in organizations to increase the employee performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the employees‘ performance, compensation, performance evaluation, and promotion practices in the banking sector of Nuwara-Eliya District, Sri Lanka. A survey of 200 banking personnel was conducted through a personally administrated questionnaire to investigate the impact of compensation, performance evaluation, and promotion practices on employees‘ performance. The relationships are calculated by applying the Pearson‘s correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrate that, the employee performance and compensation, performance evaluation, and promotion practices have the positive and significant relationship. The regression results indicate that the performance evaluation and promotion practices are significant but the compensation practices are not significant. This study provides help for top-management of banking sector to design or revise their HR policies and make practices to attain high employee performance