The real conflict in gig work – Marx, Sen and Technology

I have been reading Sen's excellent memoir 'Home in the World' published recently. His reflections on Marx, Adam Smith and Srafa are a valuable reading to explore the long arc of key ideas in economics. One of those ideas is the idea of value. Taking a leap from there, the following is a reflection on … Continue reading The real conflict in gig work – Marx, Sen and Technology →

Day 77: Jean Dreze and public-spiritedness

Jean Dreze. Photo Credit: Ramchandra Guha, 2018. 09/06/2020 Day 77 The day began slow, with a cup of coffee and music. In this town, industrial sounds are non-existent. The soundtrack is of pure domesticity - a washing machine here and a water pump there. Sounds of cars starting and mixer-grinders in kitchens. In-between all this … Continue reading Day 77: Jean Dreze and public-spiritedness →

Notes from an Indian highway

Towns and villages along Indian highways that connect major cities are being transformed in ways that will have significant bearing on the growth trajectory of this country. It is in these locations that India is changing perhaps more rapidly. One tends to imagine the metropolis as a site of reading transformation in a society, which … Continue reading Notes from an Indian highway →

Ray’s encounter with Arrow

How on earth did I miss this adorable little recall of Debraj Ray meeting Kenneth Arrow, years back. Ray’s was my first ever econ text. Forever influenced me! I walked into his office. It was small and cluttered, full of books that went up high. It had a vertical rather than horizontal feel. Arrow himself … Continue reading Ray’s encounter with Arrow →

Economics, Development & Policy Takeaways, 2017

It has been an extraordinary year in academic realm, especially in public policy and economics. This is the year when economics got realistic, if one regards the annual Nobel Prize in Economics as a defining moment in economics research. Richard Thaler won it for for showing how the human traits of 'limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of … Continue reading Economics, Development & Policy Takeaways, 2017 →

The Colonization Narrative : India

This is an perhaps an oversimplified, linear narrative of how India went from a land 'out there' and 'somewhere' to being the crown jewel of the British Empire. If I were to write this story of colonization for a history paper, I would perhaps sink without a trace in the deep waters of historical analysis. … Continue reading The Colonization Narrative : India →

Social Responsibility of Business & the Companies Act 2013

In an earlier version I titled this post as - Legalizing loot by the state – Companies Bill 2013. It was due to the coercive way of making businesses part with their profits over and above the taxes they pay (by the way of Companies Bill 2013) , to get some of its own work … Continue reading Social Responsibility of Business & the Companies Act 2013 →

Understanding Public Policy Research – A schematic

Here is a ‘discipline neutral’ way of understanding policy research. This stuff comes out from a course on Introduction to Policy Research that I take this term. Interestingly enough this is the first time that we have a specific course titled as that – Public Policy, as a part of any graduate program in an … Continue reading Understanding Public Policy Research – A schematic →

Paving the road to hell with agricultural productivity

Here is a brief of a new policy study that my colleague Praveena and I begin this month. We are excited about this idea as agriculture and development has been sectors of our interest since long and that a sector fatigue (from our work in water sector) is slowly kicking in. We would sharpen this … Continue reading Paving the road to hell with agricultural productivity →

Microfinance in India: A case of development’s bull run

Talking to some friends who work in NGOs I have noticed an increased pace of activity in NGOs running microfinance programs. And some programs around the other buzz word 'financial inclusion'. This made me think if microfinance really has the kind of emancipatory potential that many in the non-profit sector see. I dug up a … Continue reading Microfinance in India: A case of development’s bull run →