Research Report

Project Details: The book deals with Theyyam, a dance system which has a close relationship with the social systems and caste structure of Kerala. Majority of the Theyyam dancers belong to Scheduled Castes while a certain section of Scheduled Tribe also performs Theyyam dance. Exclusive rights to perform this dance are given to SC or ST who are from the lower-strata of the society and people outside the prescribed castes are not allowed to perform the dance. Theyyam is a unique art form that blends religious beliefs, art, dance and music.

The book has added a new dimension to the established perspectives in relation to castes and class. The book discusses various aspects of the experience of Scheduled Castes who performs Theyyam dance in Kerala, with various Indian States. This is a unique experience which can be shared with other states as a tool to address diverse problems of Scheduled Castes in different States. Some of the aspects of replicability in relation to effectiveness of similar artistic forms or cultural programmes of Scheduled Castes in addressing a wide set of issues around them are discussed in book. Theyyam dances can be used as effective tools and weapons to resist and fight back against an unjust social system. As a religious revelation this dance performance has the potential to influence a considerable section of Upper Castes to develop a positive attitude towards the lower castes. The book hence, explores the possibilities of artistic or cultural performance as a medium which can be effectively used as a tool to reduce or remove the suppression of the Scheduled Castes in a society. Above all, the problems and experiences of Theyyam dancers are related to the Dalits in India who are victims of economic and social discriminations.

The book discusses possible strategies at the national and subnational level to break the cycle of economic dependency of Dalits. This book derives, by and large, from the insights of our study on the ‘Socio- Economic and Health Problems of Theyyam Dancers belonging to Scheduled Castes of Kerala’ sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.

Project Details: This book discusses the significance of the local government in public healthcare systems in developing countries particularly in India. It considers a new model of public health delivery system in the Indian state of Kerala, which is unique in achieving a fairly high level of human and social development with a relatively low level of economic development. Unlike most India states, Kerala has devolved the control of health service management to local governments though the state government still has administrative powers, resulting in a system of dual responsibilities. Transfer of public health control from state government to local governments has seen an increase in the participation of the local community in public health delivery management.
Based on the field study conducted in Kerala districts, this book explains the scope for mobilizing local resources for the implementation of public health projects under the local government, discussing a unique model of co-production between the government and civil society that can improve health services, efficiency and equity, leading to better health outcomes.
As such, this study will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in the areas of health, local governance and decentralized planning.

Community Based Adaptive Measures to Address Climate Change in India

Project Details:The United Nations Framework Convention defines climate change as "a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability Observed over comparable time periods”. (http://unfccc.int/) According to this widely accepted definition, the impact of climate change on the community is immense. Climate change has started affecting adversely numerous people through increased floods, reductions in water supply, drought, increased rainfall and various health effects. Various recent studies have highlighted adverse impact of climate change on the poor and downtrodden. According to Oxfam, climate change is likely to impact in a much more serious manner to the poor due to various reasons such as soaring food prices, increasing expenses on medical care, etc. The report is also available at Dowload here

Medical Tourism and Inclusive Growth: Significance of Ayurveda Sector

Project Details:Medical tourism has emerged as a critical component of tourism in India. Medical tourism, a subset of health tourism, is an emerging segment of tourism industry and there are only a few serious studies conducted on the topic. With the growing importance of medical tourism and the thrust given by central and state governments to promote tourism, the paper explores the potential role of Ayurveda in medical tourism sector. A survey of practitioners, manufacturers, researchers, representatives of various associations in Ayurveda sector was carried out and the findings of the survey, which have policy implications, have been used to explore the possibilities of promoting Ayurveda sector in the medical tourism with the participation of local government institutions and community in order to achieve inclusive growth. The report is also available at Dowload here

Education Loan and Inclusive Growth: India in a Comparative Perspective

Project Details: Higher education in India has been growing at a fast pace in recent years, partly fuelled by increasing school completion rates and partly by rising aspirations. However, liberalization of the economy has made it difficult to find public resources that match the increasing demand for expansion and quality improvement of the system. There is indeed a fear that inept handling of higher education financing may seriously derail the economic growth process. The 12th Five Year Plan proposes to at least double the level of gross enrolment in higher education in the country, keeping expansion with equity and excellence as the overall vision. But, notwithstanding these pious intentions, rising and prohibitive costs of procuring higher education threaten to leave out a large section of the aspiring population from the ambit of higher education.The report is also available at Dowload here

South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes (SANEI)

Project Details: Our institute has conducted a study on the impact of global financial crisis on poor people in India with special reference to Kerala focusing on health and education. The study is completed. The study report is available at http://saneinetwork.net/Files/11_10.pdf

Planning Commission, Government of India

KDS has carried out an evaluation study on Kudumbasree, a SHG based rural livelihood programme in Kerala. It not only analyzed the impact of Kudumbasree as a poverty eradication programme but formulated an action plan for replicating the programme in other states of India (2008-09).The Study is completed. The detailed report is available at http://planningcommission.gov.in/reports/sereport/ser/ser_kudu.pdf.

Study on role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in execution and implementation of plan projects in Union Territories without legislature

Dr.Jacob John has carried a study on role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in execution and implementation of plan projects in Union Territories without legislature. The objectives of the study are to review the technical, financial and administrative powers delegated by the five UTs to PRIs for the execution of the plan schemes in the background of select state governments, which have a better functioning PRI system and to examine the applicability of the better functioning PRI system in select State Governments to those five UTs. The study was conducted on behalf of Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. The study was commissioned by Planning Commission of India. The report is also available at Dowload here

Research Article

Resource Mobilization and Utilization by Panchayati Raj Institutions in UTs without legislature:Journal of Social and Economic Development , Vol.10 No.2 July-Dec 2008

Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Union Territories (UTs) without a legislature have been grappling with many complex problems --structural, administrative and fiscal. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep Islands are the five UTs in India that do not have a legislature. This paper examines the essential features of the PRI system in these UTs, analyses the mobilisation and utilisation of funds by PRIs and suggests concrete measures to improve their functioning. The study reveals that though the administrative bodies of all the five UTs have specified that functions be transferred to PRIs, this is not being executed. In the absence of a legislature, the UT administrator and the bureaucracy have been holding powers. A huge amount of funds available with PRIs remain unspent every year primarily due to the lack of functions and functionaries. Significantly, the accumulated unspent balance with the PRIs has had an adverse effect on mobilisation of own source of revenue. Certain concrete steps that are essential to improve fund mobilization and utilisation by the PRI system in the five UTs are suggested. Own source of revenue needs to be mobilised by strengthening tax assessment and collection process. The paper highlights the urgency for the removal of the mismatch between activity mapping and corresponding funding of PRIs under various budget heads of UTs.This paper is written by Dr.Jacob John and Ms. Ruchi Jain. This study is also available at “http://www.isec.ac.in/digitalLibraryisecpublications-journal.html”

Books

Cambridge Scholars Press, London

Sub-national Fiscal Sustainability in a Globalised Setting:

Published a study cum seminar on fiscal issues entitled as ‘Sub-national Fiscal Sustainability in a Globalised Setting’ (2009), Cambridge Scholars Press, London. This is available at http://www.c-s-p.org/flyers/978-1-4438-0611-4-sample.pdf

Loan for Higher Education and Inclusive Growth:

Loan for Higher Education and Inclusive Growth:India in a Comparative Perspective

Cambridge Scholars Press, UK is in the process of publishing a book entitled as Loan for Higher Education and Inclusive Growth: India in a Comparative Perspective. This forthcoming book draws heavily from KDS study on Higher Education Loan in India . KDS had carried out this study with the support of NUEPA/Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The growth of access of higher education to college-age population in India remains quite low. The gross enrolment ratio in higher education has grown from 10 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2008 in India while China registered a growth of 23 percent in 2008 against 8 percent in 2000. It is a matter of serious concern that the number of individuals joining educational institutions as a percent of college-age population has not gone up significantly in India. The academic cost of providing greater access to higher education with emphasis on quality is quite mind-boggling in several developing countries like India. There is a need to raise more resources to meet the different components of costs of higher education such as academic costs, academic support cost and student welfare costs. There is an emerging need for raising resources from non-government sources to fund the higher education. Education loan within an appropriate framework of inclusiveness is a significant non-government source of finance.

The book deals with different models of education loan systems prevailing in various countries. There is a good review of international experiences in the area of education loan. It discusses Indian system of education loan with special reference to its significance as a tool for financing higher education of all sections of students in India. Based on field studies conducted in four Indian states the book explains that higher education in India has not been inclusive of poorer sections of society and in particular people from the rural areas. It covers an elaborate discussion on the operation of education loans given by banks in four Indian states. The book examines various issues of education loan and formulates an action plan to popularize it as a tool for financing higher education in India. Academic readership of the book will include practitioners in the field of education, banking and finance and development economics. Dr.Jacob John is the author of this forthcoming book. (Under print)