Top 10 economic and development challenges for India in 2014

LSE’s Ruth Kattumuri highlights some economic challenges that are of priority for India’s development in the new year. Return to India At LSE on Friday for a list of the Top 10 foreign policy challenges facing India in 2014

Top 10 economic and development challenges for India in 2016

Sustainable and inclusive growth is once again the over-arching priority for India in 2016, but in the wake of the Paris Climate Conference environmental sustainability is also being given greater attention, writes Ruth Kattumuri. Improving technology governance, developing infrastructure, harnessing the young population and ensuring the benefits of development are evenly distributed between urban and rural areas, as well as different states, will also be key to achieving India’s ambitious growth goals going forward

Sustainable Development: the goals and the challenges ahead

As the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit begins in New York, Ruth Kattumuri offers an overview of the 17 goals, and writes that while economic and environmental security issues have been covered extensively across a range of goals, the emphasis on social issues is limited. She highlights that the goals are highly aspirational and raises several key questions that should be considered in order to optimise implementation. This post forms part of the Africa @ LSE, South Asia at LSE and IGC cross-blog series on the Sustainable Development Goals

ADB and India: partnership for inclusive and sustainable development

In advance of ADB Managing Director General Rajat Nag’s talk at LSE, Dr Ruth Kattumuri reviews the bank’s India programme and its growing emphasis on skills development, gender mainstreaming, and climate change adaptation

Evidence and the policy process from an Indian perspective

This paper analyses the institutional framework and setting within which evidence has become linked to policy in India, and the role that multidisciplinary researchers play in the policy process. It draws on a number of empirical studies exploring sustainable and equitable development in India to illustrate the two-way relationship between researchers and policy-makers, and to demonstrate the value in policy-oriented research of combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The author assesses the potential impact and effectiveness of evidence-based policy-making within the institutionalised strategic planning framework of the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog. She considers whether the lessons learnt from one region could be transposed to other regions within India and elsewhere, and discusses how and why policies and forms of delivery may require adaptation if they are to be implemented in different socio-economic, political and cultural contexts

Decentralization of environmental regulation in India

Our article considers the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for certain sectors in India and examines the implications of decentralization. We find that the decentralization of EIA processes has improved environmental regulation and been successful in reducing polluting activities in India. Our evidence suggests that decentralization was associated with relatively fewer firm births in states with stricter environmental enforcement. Key among our recommendations is that the development of stronger collaborations between EIA, SEIAA and State Pollution Control Board would enhance enforcement of environmental regulation and reduce disparities between states, through knowledge-and-resource sharing and improving technical, financial and administrative capabilities across states

Sustaining natural resources in a changing environment: evidence, policy and impact

This article explores the global impacts of a changing environment on the sustainability of resources. In a global context characterised by continued population growth and accelerated urbanisation in emerging economies and the least developed regions of the world, pressures on environmental resources are intensifying. Extreme effects on ecosystems in both urban and rural communities are of enduring concern, as evidenced in water and food insecurity, and poor air quality. The author compares varying approaches to the collection and use of evidence, and the ways in which researchers may influence policy decisions and their implementation. Drawing on large and small-scale studies conducted in different regions of the world from a range of disciplinary perspectives, the article seeks to unravel the triangular relationship between research evidence, policy and impact, while paying attention to the tools used to assess impact on, and of, policy. In conclusion, the author considers how co-ordinated efforts by academics, public, private and third-sector practitioners across disciplines and national borders might produce stronger evidence and knowledge with which to inform decision-makers, empower citizens and achieve sustainable development, thereby supporting the needs of present and future generations

Children with Disabilities in Private Inclusive Schools in Mumbai: Experiences and Challenges

‘Inclusive education’ policy has been introduced in India, however the concept is in its infancy This qualitative study analyses the case of children with disabilities studying in private inclusive schools of Mumbai. It discusses the development of self concept, elucidates the benefits and challenges of children with disabilities in inclusive education. We then suggest recommendations for improvements in implementing inclusive education in India

Local adaptation strategies in semi-arid regions: study of two villages in Karnataka, India

Rural people in India, particularly farmers, are exposed to climate variability and risk, which is likely to increase due to climate change. This study assessed current adaptation strategies adopted by rural households in two dryland villages of Bagepalli Block, Chikballapur district, Karnataka, in southern India. The adequacy of adaptation strategies was also assessed. The study showed that rural households, and farmers in particular, adopted several practices to cope with current climate risks which include irrigation provisioning (depending on groundwater), shifting cropping pattern (to more resilient but low economically valued crops and varieties), mixed cropping, agroforestry (as a long-term strategy), diversified livestock holdings, and reliance on government development programmes. The adaptation measures also included leaving croplands fallow, sale of assets such as livestock and trees, and migration. Current climate-related responses to agricultural distress are not adequate to cope with even existing climate risks. This further indicates that rural households may not be able to cope with increasing climate variability and climate change. Thus, there is an urgent need to better understand current adaptation strategies and to enhance resilience, and to develop structured adaptation strategies to cope with the risks associated with current and long-term climate change