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3721 items in total found

Working Papers | 1992

Debate on Biotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights: Protecting the Interests of Third World Farmers and Scientists

Anil K. Gupta

The debate on protection of intellectual property rights of the companies and scientific labs developing technologies through biotechnological means or otherwise has been highly surcharged with the emotions. I have argued in this paper that developing countries like India should negotiate this subject with the position of strength and not weakness. In the case of biotechnology, the technology gap is the shortest to bridge compared to most industrial technologies. By compromising on Industrial front, we could gain a lot on biotechnological front. We should simultanesouly refuse to accept the idea that biodiversity is the global common heritage. We should in fact document and patent various land races and other germ plasm in the name of local communities. The land races do not survive by chance or accident. Conscious effort and attention of local communities makes that possible. We should accept the principle that innovators wherever they are and who so ever they are must be protected and compensated. It is natural that this protection would extend to third world scientists and farmers too. We do not agree with those who think that by extending IPRs to crop varieties we would lose the game to MNCs. On the contrary, by protecting the rights of local communities, we would be able to stake the right of third world farmers to have a share in the global profits of Multinational seed companies. The contentions of those dominating the technological frontiers are given in part one of the paper. The concerns of the developing countries are mentioned in Part Two. The alternative ways in which we can operalionalize the concept of Farmers' Rights and compensate them for their innovations and intellectual property rights are discussed in part three. Issues for further discussion have been listed in part four.

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Working Papers | 1992

Emergence of a Social Change Organization: A Case Study of Sidh

Deepti Bhatnagar

With an increasingly significant role being played by the voluntary sector in the country in addressing age-old problems of poverty, illiteracy and exploitation, there is a greater need to understand the processes of emergence and growth of organizations in this sector. A considerable number of researchers have studied the functioning and contribution of various non-government organizations. However, most of the studies are about successful NGOs-organizations in the voluntary sector which have already arrived and have become well-known. The present study documents the process of emergence of a new NGO, SIDH (Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas) which has just completed three years of its existence. This report traces the genesis of SIDH, its objectives and activities at the nascent stage, its strengths, problems and difficulties, and some dilemmas and tough choices that confront the organization at the present stage of its growth.

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Working Papers | 1992

Pricing Economic Inequality

Lahiri Somdeb

In this paper we propose a mechanism which decentralizes the creation of economic inequality. A personalized price for the public good/bad (i.e. economic inequality), determines the choice of disposable income by an individual. A perfect foresight equilibrium is defined, and a vector of prices which supports a utilitarian optimal solution is obtained. A by product of our analysis, is an income tax profile for the individuals which is compatible with decentralized distributive justice.

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Working Papers | 1992

Micro-Level Planning Methodology for Primary Health Care Services

Satia J K, Dileep Mavalankar, and Sharma Bharati

This paper describes a micro-level planning methodology for primary health care service which has been developed and tested in India. As compared to current top-down target-based planning, the methodology uses village level data on client needs to formulate micro-level plans aimed at improving service coverage. A quick sample survey to assess service need, coverage-gaps and reasons for non-utilization of services form the basis for identifying village level variations and developing village profiles. From such disaggregated analysis of data general interventions for overall service-coverage improvement and targeted interventions for selected villages are also identified. This system was tried out in 113 villages of three Primary Health Care centres of a district in Gujarat state of India. It demonstrated the feasibility and utility of this approach. However, it also revealed the barriers in the institutionalization of the system on a wider scale. The proposed micro-level planning methodology would improve client-responsiveness of the heath care service delivery system and provide a basis for increased decentralization and community involvement. By focusing attention on under-served areas, it would promoted equity in the use of health services. It also helps improve efficiency by focusing the efforts on small group of villages which contribute to most of the service coverage gaps.

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Working Papers | 1992

Nontimber Forest Products: Some Policy Issues and Concerns

Tewari Devi D

This paper reviews policy issues and concerns related to non-timber forest products.

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Working Papers | 1992

Issues in Strategy for Export Promotion: An Inter-Industry Analysis

Dholakia Bakul H, Ravindra H. Dholakia, and Kumar N Ganesh

The present paper points towards the need for integration between the new Exit policy and the 8th plan in India by considering direct and indirect effects of a unit increase in coefficients in each of the 47 commodity producing sectors using the CSO's latest Input-Output Tables. Out main findings are : (a) If our objective is to achieve diversified high growth in the economy, the agri-based manufacturing sectors considering their linkages and DI effects; (b) Degree of export orientation of a sector varies inversely with the linkages of the sector with the rest of the economy; and (c) Import intensity of export oriented sectors is higher than that of other sectors. There is, thus, an urgent need to integrate the export promotion measures in our overall development strategy.

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Working Papers | 1992

Organisational Performance Analysis: A Different Perspective

Sood Anil and Pestonjee D M

The paper discusses the issue of organisational performance analysis in view of already existing theoretical and empirical research in the areas of economic theory, industrial economics, and organisation behaviour. It is proposed that the theories of existence of firm, individual behaviour in a collective effort and industrial performance together can form a basis for further research.

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Working Papers | 1992

Strategic Perspective on India Population Programme

Satia J K and Saseendran P P

Population growth is back on the national agenda. The earlier target of reaching replacement fertility by year 2000 is not likely to be met. If recent trend in birth-rate decline can be maintained then the annual growth rate may decline from around 2.0% to 1.7% by year 2000 and continue to decline thereafter. This would begin to alleviate population pressure on schooling, food requirements and employment. A faster decline in birth rate would accelerate the alleviation of population pressure. India's failure in moderating population growth stem from very slow improvements in both female education and quality of family welfare programme. An analysis of demographic diversity among states suggests that faster reduction in fertility can only be realized if a comprehensive national strategy is implemented comprising (a) increasing female education level as rapidly as possible; (b) making directional changes in the family welfare (FW) programme which would enable it to provide quality sterilization services to those who do not desire additional children and promote spacing methods more vigorously. The proposed directional changes in the family welfare programme include those needed for shifting emphasis to quality of services, achieving a better balance between sterilization and spacing methods and strengthening the reproductive health care. Instead of a uniform programme pattern, differential strategies would be required to respond to considerable demographic diversity among the states.

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Working Papers | 1992

Cigarette and Liquor Advertising in India An Exploratory Study

Mukhopadhyay S and Kureshi Sonal

The study examined cigarette and liquor ads in the print media in the context of consumer behaviour and legal/ethical issues. Subjects were drawn from three distinct segments, the vulnerable segment comprising of boys from senior school; habitual consumers, the adult users; and the potential segment, the adult non-users. The first segment was studied to assess the impact of ads on them in order to draw implications for public policy. To understand consumer behaviour, adult users were surveyed to find the initiation process and their reaction to own and competitive brands. Non-users were also examined on their reaction to ads. Laddering was used on both the adult segments to explore linkage of values with consumption. The findings indicate that school boys are exposed to either of the products through various media including shop displays. The impact of print media is realized only because of its proximity to the target audience and being a "choice" medium. Social factors dominate the initiation process for both the products. Values and goals differentiate users form non-users. Imposing restriction on media is unlikely to contain the overpowering influences of social and value related factors. Social education through emotive or rational appeals could be directed at the vulnerable/potential segment to emphasize moderation, rather than total abstinence. Other measures could be restriction of supply, the severest form being prohibition. The consequences could however be equally disastrous.

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Working Papers | 1992

Stress Audit: An HRD/OD Intervention

Pestonjee D M and Muncherji Nina B

The paper deals with the nature of the stress process and its linkage with negative outcomes for the individual as also the organisation. Special emphasis has been placed on the organisation related role stresses and the 'functional' and 'dysfunctional' strategies used for dealing with them. The concept of 'stress audit' is now almost a decade old but so far no attempt has been made to give it an operational definition. The paper has for the first time provided some very specific suggestions about carrying out a 'stress audit' in organisations. It is also suggested as to what type of results can be obtained and how these results can actually be utilised by organisations for development purposes. It is contended that 'stress audit' can be used as a special organisational development (D.D) method. It is classified as a 'person-based' intervention. It helps in: (a) identification of structural imbalances in organisation; (b) identification of training needs at various levels; (c) identification of conflicts and flash points; (d) identification of unproductive practices in organisation, and (e) identification of problem executives as also executives with problems.

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