Equalizing Health and Education : Approach of the Twelfth Finance Commission

Service standards in the provision of health and education in the states in India are low on average and also characterized by large inter-state disparities. These disparities are due to differences in fiscal capacity, differences in revenue effort and differences in priority accorded to the concerned sectors. The transfers from the central to state governments in many federations are guided by the equalization principle. Two important examples are Canada and Australia. When unconditional transfers are made, equalization transfers aim to neutralize deficiency in fiscal capacity but not that in revenue effort. Sometimes adjustments affecting cost and need factors may also be accommodated. Both in Canada and Australia, apart from general purpose and unconditional transfers, there are also specific purpose transfers. Considering the fact that it is important not only to improve the average levels of provisions of health and education services, but also to reduce disparities across states, the Twelfth Finance Commission has recommended special grants for health and education to selected states. In determining these grants, the TFC had kept the equalization principle in perspective and has not underwritten deficiency in expenditure if it arises because states accord less than average priority to the concerned sector. Recommended grants however only partially meet the requirement of resources for these sectors. For meeting the needs fully, much larger amounts would be involved. TFCs initiative should be taken only as a beginning that requires supplementation by plan grants. After gaining experience in implementing these grants, larger grants and a more comprehensive approach can be developed.Twelfth Finance Commission, health, education, equalization principle, India

Thermal Particle and Photon Production in Pb+Pb Collisions with Transverse Flow

Particle and photon production is analyzed in the presence of transverse flow using two approximations to describe the properties of the hadronic medium, one containing only $\pi, \rho, \omega$, and $\eta$ mesons (simplified equation of state) and the other containing hadrons and resonances from the particle data table. Both are considered with and without initial quark gluon plasma formation. In each case the initial temperature is fixed by requiring $dN_{ch}/dy \sim$ 550 in the final state. It is shown that most observables are very sensitive to the equation of state. This is particularly evident when comparing the results of the simplified equation of state in the scenarios with and without phase transition. The hadronic gas scenario leads to a substantially higher rate for the $p_T$-distribution of all particles. In the complete equation of state with several hundreds of hadronic resonances, the difference between the scenarios with and without phase transition is rather modest. Both photon and particle spectra, in a wide $p_T$ range, show very similar behavior. It is therefore concluded that from the $p_T$ spectra it will be hard to disentangle quark gluon plasma formation in the initial state. It is to be stressed however, that there are conceptual difficulties in applying a pure hadronic gas equation of state at SPS-energies. The phase transition scenario with a quark gluon plasma present in the initial state seems to be the more natural one.Comment: 9 pages RevTeX figures in postscript forma

Reforming India’s Fiscal Transfer System : Resolving Vertical and Horizontal Imbalances

Two central problems in a fiscal transfer systemrelate to resolving vertical and horizontal imbalances. In the context of the setting of the 13th Finance Commission, this paper looks at the methodological background of fiscal transfers followed by recent Finance Commissions in India, particularly the Twelfth Finance Commission (TFC). It is noted that in India, there is long - term stability in the share of states after transfers in the combined revenues of the centre and the states. It is argued that this stability depends on linking the share of states in the transfers, particularly tax devolution with the difference in the buoyancies of central and states taxes. In the context of horizontal imbalance, it is argued that some of the recent Finance Commissions have implicitly followed an axiomatic approach to tax devolution and brought in some normative elements in determining grants. In spite of large difference in fiscal capacities, a high degree of equalization has been achieved. It is shown, for example, that in the case of TFC recommended transfers, nearly 88 percent of needed equalization was achieved while devoting 50 percent of transfers to resolving vertical imbalance. Amethodology is also developed to determine weights of vertical and equalizing components of transfers through devolution. In the case of the Twelfth Finance Commission, the horizontal component of tax devolution is strengthened by a scheme of equalizing health and education grants.fiscal transfer system, vertical imbalance, horizontal imbalance, Twelfth Finance Commission

Enhancement of gluonic dissociation of J/ψJ/\psi in viscous QGP

We have investigated the effect of viscosity on the gluonic dissociation of $J/\psi$ in an equilibrating plasma. Suppression of $J/\psi$ due to gluonic dissociation depend on the temperature and also on the chemical equilibration rate. In an equilibrating plasma, viscosity affects the temperature evolution and also the chemical equilibration rate, requiring both of them to evolve slowly compared to their ideal counter part. For Au+Au collisions at RHIC and LHC energies, gluonic dissociation of $J/\psi$ increases for a viscous plasma. Low $P_T$ $J/\psi$'s are found to be more suppressed due to viscosity than the high $P_T$ ones. Also the effect is more at LHC energy than at RHIC energy.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figur

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic-gravity waves and vortices in the solar atmosphere

With the adaptation of the FLASH code we simulate magnetohydrodynamic-gravity waves and vortices as well as their response in the magnetized three-dimensional (3D) solar atmosphere at different heights to understand the localized energy transport processes. In the solar atmosphere strongly structured by gravitational and magnetic forces, we launch a localized velocity pulse (in horizontal and vertical components) within a bottom layer of 3D solar atmosphere modelled by initial VAL-IIIC conditions, which triggers waves and vortices. The rotation direction of vortices depends on the orientation of an initial perturbation. The vertical driver generates magnetoacoustic-gravity waves which result in oscillations of the transition region, and it leads to the eddies with their symmetry axis oriented vertically. The horizontal pulse excites all magnetohydrodynamic-gravity waves and horizontally oriented eddies. These waves propagate upwards, penetrate the transition region, and enter the solar corona. In the high-beta plasma regions the magnetic field lines move with the plasma and the temporal evolution show that they swirl with eddies. We estimate the energy fluxes carried out by the waves in the magnetized solar atmosphere and conclude that such wave dynamics and vortices may be significant in transporting the energy to sufficiently balance the energy losses in the localized corona. Moreover, the structure of the transition region highly affects such energy transports, and causes the channelling of the propagating waves into the inner corona.Comment: 11 Pages, 12 Figures, Accepted for the publication in MNRA

Measuring Accuracy of Projections of Central Taxes by the Finance Commission

This paper looks at the quality of forecasts/assessments made by some of the recent Finance Commissions for the shareable central taxes and own tax revenues of selected states. The Commissions covered under this analysis are Ninth to Twelfth Finance Commissions. It is observed that while direct taxes are underestimated in general, revenues from indirect taxes partially Union excise duties and custom duties have been over estimated. In respect of states, four selected states viz., Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa and Assam are examined. While there is similarity between the approaches of Ninth, Tenth and Twelfth Finance Commissions in regard to middle and high income states, the Eleventh Finance Commission required that they raise tax revenues higher than what they were able to achieve.Central Taxes, Own Tax Revenues, Finance Commission