Op-Eds

Of the four key areas that define women’s empowerment, personal efficacy, power in intra-household negotiations, societal engagement, and access to income-generating activities, we see improvements in the first three domains. In contrast, the fourth — access to employment — has stagnated. As economists struggle to explain the stagnation in women’s participation in wage work in...   Read More

The G20's “Roadmap Towards Better, Bigger, and More Effective Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)” is an ambitious blueprint for transforming MDBs to address global development challenges. The roadmap sets bold objectives: scaling MDBs’ financing capacity, fostering collaboration, and integrating climate-related goals into development strategies. These priorities underscore a strategic shift toward a more responsive, impactful multilateral...   Read More

In India, where only 33% of women have an active bank account compared with 45% of men, the consequences for financial inclusion and economic growth are significant. By gaining greater control over their finances, women can lift themselves and their families financially and reduce their vulnerability to economic hardship. A financially literate and economically empowered...   Read More

The overall health insurance coverage of house holds is impressive but pricier, complex self-financed insurance products hinder wider adoption. One of the most concerning and unsustainable aspects of healthcare financing is the significant out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses that households bear. These costs are aggravated by the relentless rise in medical expenses and inflation. Health insurance, often...   Read More

The emissions from air travel, local transport and accommodation for COP delegates are staggering. The COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, will take stock of climate commitments made by countries as well as advances in curbing carbon emissions. However, conducting such large-scale international conferences comes with its own costs, particularly additional carbon emissions —...   Read More

When it comes to gender parity, India’s story seems quite curious. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) reached one in the country at primary education level (Class I - V) in 2009-10 and has been greater than one (in favour of females) for all levels of education since 2018-19. The GPI has also been consistent across...   Read More

Three communiqués, two approaches, one global economy. In the rarefied world of economic policy-making, where the public and markets are distanced from complex decision-making, communiqués serve as windows into the ambitions, hesitations and geopolitical leanings of powerful economic blocs. Released in October 2024, three influential documents from Brics, the International Monetary Fund’s International Monetary and...   Read More

With the rapid rise in internet use in India, the incidents of online frauds/ scams/ cheating has also seen a spurt. Identity theft, social engineering, phishing, skimming, QR code fraud, OTP fraud, frauds using NFC technology, fake cashback links, UPI fraud, etc have now become the buzz words. Fraudsters and scammers are now using advanced...   Read More

If south India wants a larger population, it needs to focus on family-friendly policies or encourage migration from more populous states. In 1944, Stalin (Joseph not MK) established the Mother Heroine award for women who had given birth to 10 or more children. In the wake of population decimation during World War II, motherhood was...   Read More

These households or persons are generally difficult to approach, or they refuse to entertain  survey investigators. Even when they do let them in, much of the data, especially related to income or expenditure, tends to be under-reported. This is a serious problem for a rapidly growing country like India, where incomes are rising at a fast rate....   Read More