Home Menu
icon-menu-close.svg

Faculty & Research

Faculty & Research

Research Productive

Show result

Clear
Search Query :
Area :
Search Query :
3846 items in total found

Working Papers | 1991

Corporate Investment in Agriculture Research: Issues in Sustainable Development

Anil K. Gupta

The productivity of agricultural inputs has been consistently declining over last two decades. Given the economic squeeze, Indian economy cannot afford to provide resources required for such a non-sustainable use of inputs. Even in the affluent countries, the non-sustainability of external input oriented agriculture is being realised. The excessive use of pesticides and disruption of the ecological chain due to high residual toxicity and treadmill effect; imbalanced use of nutrients and consequent nutrient mining of soil; declining water tables, etc., are some of the early warning signals. Need for maintaining genetic diversity in different crops and thus fillip to national seed industry is another area of urgent concern. Increasing control of Multi-National Corporations in the agri-input industries is adversely affecting the indigenous incentives for R & D for development of eco-friendly technologies. We have done a survey of Indian agri-input companies to identify the patterns of investment in research within these companies and in public sector universities/institutes. The problems faced by small companies in pursuing R & D and getting support from agricultural universities are highlighted. Several areas of future research and policy modifications are discussed: (a) environmental scanning - how would debate on intellectual property rights in Europe affect the interests of Indian companies - large or small; What should be the role of public sector R & D institutions given global competitiveness and increasing role of private sector; (b) should a database on technological trends be developed for better forecasting and negotiation domestically and globally, (c) what type of fiscal incentives be provided for encouraging corporate sector to pursue R & D, particularly by the smaller companies, (d) should farmers cooperatives remain indifferent to R & D processes, should not cooperative federations invest in specific well defined R & D programmes, (e) how to support research on farm equipment by small artisans, private companies with the for hand tools or bullock, camel or tractor drawn implements. What type of banking support in required for investing in R & D (f) should seed companies not be allowed to lease or buy land for setting up research farms, (g) how should India stake its claim to intellectual property of people, pastoralists, horticulturists and the artisans, (h) can corporate sector build upon watershed projects in dry regions as sites for multi location testing of new technology in different agro climatic zones, (i) can private sector help in commercialization of publicly developed technologies with royalty payments to state, how to strengthen these links G) can farmers, breeders (livestock, crop, trees) association be involved in trilateral R & D arrangements with public and private organisations? (k) what should be the role of NGOs, (I) how should private companies share their profits with the people or communities whose technical innovations they have scaled up, (m) how should linkage between credit and technology be strengthened at different levels in the country particularly in high risk environments so that corporate sector is emboldened to invest in R & D.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Approaches to Institution Building

Garg Pulin K and Parikh Indira J

This paper traces the history of Behavioural Science approaches in India. The paper examines the task centered, and identity centered approach to organization development. It differentiates between the institutional and structural modalities of organizations. The institutional modality has philosophy, mission, aim, direction and resource energy, tasks/targets, roles and performance and evaluation and rewards. These two are integrated with management control systems and sentient systems. If these are well integrated then wholesome organizations emerge with processes of coordination and control, sutonomy and discretion, organizational learning, renewal and regeneration and finally for individual a sense of belonging, mobilization of their resources and commitment. This further leads to organization processes of correspondence, convergence, coherence and congruence for task efficiencies. Indian organizations require IB processes so that organizations has individuals become dynamic and wholesome.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Analysis of Wagon Utilization and Estimating the Optimal Freight Transport Effort (Loaded and Empty Wagon Movement) for the Indian Railways

G. Raghuram

Over the past four decades, the freight movement output of the Indian Railways has increased substantially. The tonnes originating increased over fourfold from 73.2 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 302 million tonnes in 1988-89. During the same period, the net tonne kilometers (NTKMs) increased nearly sixfold from 37.6 billion in 1950-51 to 222.4 billion in 1988-89. This phenomenal increase in freight output has been possible primarily through a) better inputs and b) better utilization of the inputs. In this context, it is the purpose of this paper to: a) Identify the key inputs whose growth have contributed to the increase in freight output, with an exphasis on wagons. b) Analyze the determinants of the improved utilization of wagons. In 1987-88, the empty wagon kilometres was 34% of the total wagon kilometres, up from a low of 26.8% in 1955-56. In absolute terms, the empty wagon kilometres in four wheeler units (FWUs) were 6052 million in 1987-88 while it was 1486 million in 1955-56. This (6052 million wagon kilometres) works out to four trains of nearly 67 FWUs travelling empty, the entire Railway system of 62000 kms, every day. The empty wagon lead has been increasing from 220 kms in 1950-51 to 395 kms in 1987-88. In this context of the loaded and empty wagon movement, it is the further purpose of this paper to estimate the optimal transport effort in terms of a) loaded wagon movement and b) empty wagon movement In order to estimate the loaded wagon movement, the commodity movement pattern has to be estimated. There are nine commodities, all bulk in nature, which account for 91.0% of the goods carried (tonnes originating), generating 89.7% of the tonne kilometres in 1988-89. These nine commodities are coal, iron ore, cement, foodgrains, mineral oils, chemical manures, iron and steel, limestone and dolomite, and salt in the order of importance in terms of tonnes originating. Intrastate allocations are first considered and assumed as taking place by road. Efficient distribution of the remaining surplus/deficit of each of the commodities for interstate movement by rail is assumed and estimated using transportation models for all the commodities.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

An Estimation of Social Time Preference Rate for India and its Public Policy Implications

Tewari Devi D and Pandey I M

This paper estimates the social time preference rate for India using DMVL model. The fundings of the study suggest that public investment in India has been grossly misallocated. The current problems of Indian economy can not be dissociated with the DDW deliberate misallocate of public resources in the past.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Monitoring Cost, Transaction Interlinkage and the Selection of Optimal Loan Contracts: Evidence from Rural India

Samar K. Datta

Costly monitoring is an important market imperfection in developed as well as developing economies. In developed countries monitoring costs are usually minimized through intermediation. The intermediation process is hampered, however, by market fragmentation typical of developing agrarian economies. Borrowers may choose to use private moneylenders rather than formal banking sector intermediaries. A theory of loan contract choice is developed which emphasizes the role of monitoring costs and transaction interlinkages. The theory is tested against survey data from rural West Bengal. The results are consistent with the main conclusions of the model.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

In Praise of Caste: A Tribute to Manu - The Law Giver: An Equity into the Philosphy of Work and Stratification (Part II)

Gaikwad V R

The Part I of this paper (W.P. 928) analyses the question: 'How is one work different from the other? and proposes seven basic and thirteen other supplementary/corollary propositions. According to these, each work has mental and manual components. Higher the mental component in a work, higher is the rating of the work, and accordingly the status of the worker. Secondly, greater the hurt caused to senses by the manual component in a work, lower is the rating of that work, and accordingly the status of worker. Thirdly, greater the difference between the inherent, rating associated status (ascribed status) and the status actually enjoyed (achieved or imposed), higher will be the tension in an organization/society. These and other propositions indicate that as long as the Rating-Status Equity Law operates there is harmony. This paper continues the analysis and brings out the following propositions: 1. The lower the rating or work, higher is the sacrifice of potential of human mind; 2. Greater, the intervention of technology greater will be the reduction in the inequality in sacrifice. 3. Higher the rating or work, greater will be the intrinsic reward one can expect from the self to the self. 4. Greater the expectation of external reward for mental work, higher will be the disharmony. 5. Greater the indirect reward evolved to compensate the sacrifice involved in manual work, greater will be the harmony in an organization/society.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Technical Progress in Indian Agriculture: Temporal Analysis

Dholakia Bakul H and Ravindra H. Dholakia

An attempt has been made in this paper to estimate the extent of technical progress in Indian agriculture during the period 1950-51 to 1988-89. An analysis of the sources of growth of Indian agriculture is also presented in the paper. The concluding part of the paper examines briefly the role of government in promoting modernization of Indian agriculture and also presents some estimates of the contribution of technical progress in Indian agriculture to the overall acceleration in economic growth observed in Indian economy during the 80's.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Drought, Deprivation and Sustainable Development: Why Are the Public Policies So Weak?

Anil K. Gupta

National capacity to deal with the deleterious consequences of the drought has certainly increased in the recent years. But the absence of death as an indicator of success of public policies for drought mitigation is not very dignified or creditable. This precisely was the claim of a national document on drought brought out by the Government of India in 1987. Why do we consider sustained social deprivation, ecological degradation, learned helplessness, lack of basic necessities, etc. as inevitable features of a drought prone region. National Commission and Development of Backward Areas (NCDBA), Planning Commission, (1981), went to the extent of suggesting that development efforts in drought prone regions should not check the out migration too much lest the supply of cheap labour for large infrastructural projects elsewhere is checked. It is not surprising that the social discontent is increasing in some of the backward regions particularly hill and forest regions) on account of such a definition of the developmental goals by the dominant elite. It may not be too long when people in drought prone regions also realise that the only available alter- native to attract the attention of the planners is to use agitational methods. Science and technology help in transforming the relationship between the resources and the people. Planners have not drawn much upon the indigenous scientific wisdom while developing the long range plan ( if any at all) to reduce misery of the affected people on account of the natural disasters. Links between people's knowledge system about conservation and utilization of natural resources and formal R & D have continued to be weak. Only a few professional associations have so far come forward to organize full fledged sessions in their annual conferences on indigenous technological innovations developed by the people. Dialogue on sustainability has not yet included adequately the discussion on ethical and value dilemma on tapping local knowledge without maintaining peoples rights over the rent extracted from utilizing it. The linkage between post graduate education and emergent research needs for coping with stress in different disciplines continues to be of an ad hoc nature. Community of scientists may like to reflect upon such a situation in science management. The paper is divided into four parts. In part I, the conceptual framework linking micro and macro aspects of drought and consequent social deprivation are discussed. The socio- ecological paradigm for analysing development options in dry regions is described. In part II, the key issues for science policy for mitigating and preventing the effects of natural stresses like drought are identified. The inadequacies in the public policies for drought mitigation are discussed in part III. In part IV, the need for further research and action is identified.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

In Praise of Caste: A Tribute to Manu - The Law Giver: An Equity into the Philosphy of Work and Stratification (Part I)

Gaikwad V R

This paper analyses the question: ' How is one work different from the other? and proposes the following seven basic propositions: 1. Greater the degree of mental component in a work, higher will be the rating of that work in the hierarchy of work. 2. Greater the unknown a human mind has to cope with or manipulate or deal with, higher will be the rating of mental work. 3. Greater the hurt caused to the senses by the manual component in the work, lower is the rating of that work in the hierarchy of work. 4. Greater the contribution of work, whether mental or manual, to the survival of members of the society and society at large, higher will be the rating of that work. 5. Higher the rating of work higher will be the status of person doing that work. 6. Greater the difference between the inherent, rating associated status (ascribed status) and the status actually enjoyed (achieved or imposed), higher will be the tension in an organization, group community, society. In addition, there are thirteen other propositions which are a corollary of these or are derived from the explanations of contradictions to the seven basic propositions. Al these propositions indicate that as long as the Rating-Status Equity Law operates, there is harmony.

Read More

Working Papers | 1991

Adjustment to Risk in Farming-An Assessment of Drought-Prone Farmers Strategies in Karnataka, India *

Gajanana T M and Sharma B M

Weather-induced instability in farming in the predominant rainfed lands is fairly well recongised. Faced with the problems of frequent droughts and the resultant risk in farming, farmers strategies to cope with the situations during and after the drought. An attempt is made in this paper to examine the nature and extent of risk in farming and an assessment is made of the adjustment/management mechanism adopted by the farmers in one of the drought-prone districts of Karnataka.

Read More
IIMA