Researchers Publication

NCAER News is a monthly digest where you can learn about NCAER's research outputs, its latest events, and offerings.

The Thar Desert, India’s iconic sea of golden sand dunes and steadfast desert cultures, is undergoing a dramatic transformation—one that is as mesmerizing as it is misleading. Global headlines now highlight its unexpected metamorphosis not into a harsher wasteland, but into a surprisingly green zone. Over the past two decades, satellite imagery has confirmed a...   Read More

The IHDS Forum is a monthly update of socio-economic developments in India by the IHDS research community, based on the India Human Development Survey, jointly conducted by NCAER and the University of Maryland. While two earlier rounds of the survey were completed in 2004-05 and 2011-12, respectively. Fieldwork for the third round was undertaken in...   Read More

Growth in digital adoption has outpaced growth in digital literacy, creating an ecosystem where access does not necessarily translate into empowered usage. India’s dream of becoming a developed nation by 2047 is closely tied to the potential of its digital economy. From fintech innovations to digital governance, its transformation is being powered by technology. Flagship...   Read More

Evidence from borrowing countries reveals systematic twin-objective failure While financial institutions promote debt swaps as ‘win-win’ solutions that address both debt distress and development financing, borrowing countries report a systematic failure in achieving both objectives, revealing an inversion of development finance principles. Experiences across various developing countries highlight this critical contradiction. While Belize’s Prime Minister...   Read More

For India, the challenge is to strike a balance between tactical necessity and economic priorities. On April 2, United States President Donald Trump announced a broad set of bilateral tariffs that stunned the world. The tariffs were high and uneven: India faced a 26 per cent tariff; China, 34 per cent; and the European Union,...   Read More

On examining the relationship of energy consumption with economic growth and carbon emission, we provide the evidence that the petroleum consumption growth significantly contributes to GSDP growth of Kerala (as indicated from regression coefficient of 0.70%), whereas electricity consumption growth affects GSDP growth with a time lag (as evidenced from Granger causality and regression coefficient of .13%). In...   Read More

Financial literacy should not be an occasional campaign or an app feature-it must be an ongoing, evolving journey. In this age of digital transformation, the proliferation of apps, online courses, and gamified learning tools has brought financial education to our fingertips. But the question remains: are we truly learning, or merely consuming content in a...   Read More

India’s economy may stay in a low equilibrium if we do not act to resolve well identified restraints on women taking up employment. A comparison of urban and rural data shows that neither setting is working for women, even if the reasons differ. As India inches closer to the $5 trillion economy mark with human...   Read More

Ambedkar viewed urbanisation as an instrument for breaking down the rigid caste-based system prevalent in rural areas. However, the extent to which this holds true in contemporary India raises questions over whether people in urban settings can truly transcend the influence of the entrenched caste system. This paper examines the persistent issues of occupational segregation...   Read More

Unclaimed property (UP), including dormant financial and tangible assets, remains an overlooked area in global financial systems due to weak enforcement, fragmented regulations, and low public awareness. However, its growing volume and economic implications have prompted many countries to reform legal frameworks to enhance transparency and recovery. This cross-country study investigates the administrative and legal...   Read More

India can be a global leader in technical textiles. With nearly 2 per cent of the contribution to the country’s GDP, India is the sixth largest exporter of textiles globally and holds 3.9 per cent share in world textile exports. The sector provides direct employment to over 45 million people and indirect jobs to over...   Read More