Researchers Publication

In the Review, we summarise the economic and policy developments in India; monitor global developments of relevance to India; and showcase the pulse of the economy through an analysis of high-frequency indicators and the heat map. Click here for previous issues.

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

India is gearing up for green transition through policy and budgetary support to reduce dependence on finite fossil fuels, to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and to mitigate climate change. The Viksit Bharat 2047 vision aims to transform India into a developed nation, which will drive a significant rise in energy demand across industries, infrastructure, and...   Read More

India’s public debt, at about 80 percent of GDP, is disproportionately high for its per capita income. Yet committed constituencies advocating for smaller or higher quality debt are largely absent. The complacency is because high debt has neither resulted in runaway interest rates or rollover risks nor is it seen to be a drag on...   Read More

When taking the G20 gavel, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he will focus on problems of debt sustainability in low income countries. He made it clear that the first African Chair of the G20 is there for all of Africa, acknowledging the continent is home to 22 of the world’s 26 low income countries—half  of...   Read More

Enhancement of the limit is not sufficient to make the scheme more accessible or beneficial to a broader section of farmers. The repayment schedule is also a significant challenge. Budget 2025 is one of the most promising Budgets in recent years, aiming to address the needs of the masses after a long time. One of...   Read More

A shift in focus from continuous expansion to ensuring sustainability and effectiveness of programmes is imperative for achieving policy success. The world is at a crossroads, navigating unprecedented economic, technological, geopolitical, and environmental challenges. Donald Trump’s uncompromising “America First” policies and the use of coercion to achieve his objectives have heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainties,...   Read More

We investigated how adolescents' time allocation across daily activities influences their body mass index and well-being by paying explicit attention to gender and activities relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We hypothesized that the inequitable domestic burden shouldered by girls adversely affects their health and well-being. Using data from three waves of the Young...   Read More

The global banking system has faced mounting disruptions in recent years, from the 2008 financial crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, another force is threatening to reshape the financial landscape: the rise of reciprocal tariffs and protectionist trade policies. The idea of reciprocal tariffs appears straightforward: if a country imposes tariffs on U.S. goods, the...   Read More

Fully a third of India’s very considerable public debt is debt of the states, a large fraction by the standards of other federal economies. State debts vary from less than 20 percent of state GDP in Odisha, Maharashtra and Gujarat to nearly 50 percent in Punjab. The recent evolution of these variables points to continued...   Read More

Boosting female labour force participation is not just a matter of gender equality but is also an economic imperative. India’s quest for high economic growth and social equity hinges on an obvious but underrated lever — its women’s workforce. Despite significant progress in education and health care, the country lags in enabling women’s economic participation....   Read More

Perhaps US efforts to cut off China’s access to advanced semiconductors will be more successful than analogous restrictions on tech exports to France in the 1960s. But we now have at least one data point – DeepSeek – that suggests otherwise. BERKELEY – Starting in October 2022, the late, lamented (by some) administration of President Joe...   Read More