:: Ideas for India ::

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Ashok Kotwal

I4I turns 1!
Posted on: 06 Aug 2013

It has been a year since the voice of ‘Ideas for India’ was first heard. Our mission was t ... read on »

For the New Year
Posted on: 21 Dec 2012

Five months ago we launched this portal to start new conversations on issues of vital impo ... read on »

On ideology
Posted on: 12 Sep 2012

Ideology plays a big role in the way we judge policies, politicians and even the people we ... read on »

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Deforestation in the Himalayas: Myths and reality
Jean-Marie Baland , Dilip Mookherjee
Posted on: 10 Mar 2014

Topics: Environment

Tags: Himachal Pradesh , Uttarakhand , Nepal

It is widely believed that the extent of deforestation in developing countries is large and growing over time, and that this has significant adverse effects on local livelihoods. This column presents findings of a study of the mid-Himalayan region, and contends that forest degradation, not deforestation is the key problem. It discusses the determinants of degradation and what can be done to limit it.
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What makes cities more competitive in India?
Ejaz Ghani , William Kerr , Stephen D O'Connell
Posted on: 07 Mar 2014

Topics: Urbanisation

Tags: cities , entrepreneurship , manufacturing , services

Policymakers in both developed and developing countries want to make cities more competitive, attract new entrepreneurs, boost economic growth, and promote job creation. This column shows that the two most consistent factors that bring entrepreneurs in manufacturing and services to a district in India are its education and quality of local physical infrastructure.
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India’s illiberal speech climate
Parikshit Ghosh
Posted on: 05 Mar 2014

Topics: Political Economy

Tags: freedom of speech

India’s cultural watchdogs and hate speech laws are increasingly seeking to restrict free expression in the country. This article contends that the right to take offence is fundamentally incompatible with the right to speak freely, and outlines three reasons for protecting free speech.
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Why taxing property is essential for local government accountability
Devesh Kapur , Arvind Subramanian
Posted on: 03 Mar 2014

Topics: Macroeconomic Policy

Tags: fiscal policy , accountability , Indian states

With rapid decentralisation and urbanisation, wealth is increasingly vested and locked up in land and property in India. In their previous article, Kapur and Subramanian emphasised the importance of direct taxes in ensuring citizen participation in holding the government accountable. In this part, they recommend that the 14th Finance Commission should promote tax decentralisation by incentivising state and local government to increase the property tax net.
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Proposing a solution for Indo-US ‘solar wars’
Saptak Ghosh
Posted on: 28 Feb 2014

Topics: Environment , Infrastructure , Trade

Tags: WTO , US , electricity , energy

India’s national solar programme mandates the use of domestically manufactured components in solar power installations in the country. The US has filed a WTO case against India, alleging that the policy discriminates against US exports. This column proposes a solution that would address the concerns of US as well as create a domestic market for solar products produced in India.
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Re-conceptualising crime and punishment
Pushparaj Deshpande
Posted on: 26 Feb 2014

Topics: Crime

Tags: crime against women

A Delhi court has awarded the death penalty to the convicts in the December 2012 gangrape incident. This article discusses the moral basis and dangers of relying on this form of punishment for deterring crime and providing justice. It proposes an approach that focuses on effective policing and law enforcement for crime prevention, together with measures of restitution for both the offender and the victim.
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Do wives care more about household welfare than husbands?
Utteeyo Dasgupta , Subha Mani
Posted on: 24 Feb 2014

Topics: Gender

Tags: consumption

Social science literature shows that women promote household welfare more than men. This column examines if consumption choices of husbands and wives change, depending on whether they have to work to earn the money that they are spending. It is found that wives’ preferences for joint household consumption remain largely independent of whether they work to earn the money, or receive it without working.
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Rape: The shame of a nation
Chandan Jha , Sudipta Sarangi
Posted on: 21 Feb 2014

Topics: Gender , Crime

Tags: crime against women

The proliferating number of rape incidents in India is chilling. This column discusses the various perspectives on the causes of rape, and the economic, social and legal factors that play a role in the high incidence of this crime in the country. It suggests taking steps to increase the cost of rapes for the perpetrators.
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Estimating losses to consumers due to mis-sold life insurance policies
Monica Halan , Renuka Sane , Susan Thomas
Posted on: 19 Feb 2014

Topics: Finance

Tags: insurance

Mis-selling of financial products has prompted regulators in India to work on consumer protection in financial markets. However, evidence on actual mechanisms and extent of mis-selling is lacking. This column estimates losses to consumers owing to mis-selling of Unit Linked Insurance Products in India between 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 – one of the biggest episodes of malpractice in the country’s finance sector.
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Service sector growth and convergence across Indian states
Anirudh Shingal
Posted on: 17 Feb 2014

Topics: Economic Growth

Tags: Indian states , services

India’s success story in the services sector is well documented at the national level. However, similar literature does not exist for India’s states. This column seeks to bridge this gap by looking at India’s services growth at the sub-national level over 1980-2006. Contrary to existing literature, it suggests that services growth in India may be able to reduce income disparities across states in the long run.
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This website is managed by the International Growth Centre, funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect official policy, and use of the website is under the terms of use for the website of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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