This paper provides a robust normative evaluation of the spectacular growth episode that India has experienced in the last 15 years. Specifically, the paper compares the evolution, between 1998, 1996 and 2001 of the distribution of several important individual attributes on the basis of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a robust normative evaluation of the recent evolution of Indians' exposures to health-related risks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares empirically the distributions of individuals' risks of death in India on the basis of new...

This paper investigates if better access to secondary education increases enrolment in primary schools among children in the 6–10 age group. A household-level longitudinal survey is also done covering 43 villages in a poor state in India. [IEG Working Paper No. 312]....

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in India is one of the largest public employment programmes in the developing world. It was introduced by the central government led by Indian National Congress (INC). While its implementation is, in principle, based on demand for work from...

This paper examines how local politics affects public fund allocations. It uses the context of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in India which was introduced by the Indian National Congress (INC). Using longitudinal data on funds sanctioned and election results from three...

This paper focuses on four selected questions. (1) How does local political competition and the characteristics of the elected officials matter for the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)? (2) Is there local capture of the benefits from the scheme? (3) What...

This paper analyzes whether mass education is more growth enhancing in developing countries than having a minority well educated elite. Using Indian Census data as a benchmark and enrollment rates at different levels of education, we compute annual attainment levels for a panel of 16 Indian...

This report is based on a prospective study which attempted to estimate the cost of treatment borne by the cancer patients at an academic tertiary public hospital. There is a lack of information about the financial burden of major illness like cancer on patient and their families. An...

This paper analyses whether in developing countries mass education is the key or a highly well educated elite should be more bene?cial for growth. Using the Indian census data as a benchmark and enrollment rates of di!erent levels of schooling we compute annual attainment levels for a panel of...

An exogenously defined poverty line yields poverty headcounts between any two points in time that are a net outcome of hte two-way traffic into and out of poverty. This paper arugues that, for the rural Indian context, where housing is too lumpy and illiquid to be used for consumption smoothing...