In June, 2018 I finished assisting on a course on Public Finance for master degree students at my home institution - National Law School. Time spent on delivering this course has been a useful opportunity to observe higher education learning and teaching. This post is to gather key takeaways from this engagement. Moreover, it seems [...]
Category: public policy
[Policy Thinking]: A Flowchart
In the type of work we do in our consulting practice - research, evaluation and advisory, there is seldom time to develop theoretical insights, during the preparatory phase or during an ongoing work. It helps us to have (relatively) quick process flows; application oriented concepts and most importantly actionable insights. This is where one cannot [...]
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 [...]
Workers of the world can’t unite: May Day in neo-liberal times
Walking with workers on May Day morning was a humbling experience. Workers' unions from various establishments across the state showed up for May Day rally at the Town Hall yesterday. I was also filling up the last of my field trips for masters' thesis. So, this also comes from my field notes. The roads in [...]
Policy lessons from Nepal
This week completes over six months of formal engagement with Nepal's development sector. On the sidelines of the second Nepal Investment Summit which is being held for the second time, after the first one in the 1990s, there seems to be a recognition of need for investment in economic growth of the country. There is also [...]
The cross seems heavy to bear
In Oct - Nov, 2016 I spent six weeks in Scandinavia (Norway mostly) and in countries of Western Europe. This was to be my roving introduction to the region. To a traveler, the time he visits always appear as an interesting time. Likewise with me! It was to do with Brexit, immigration crisis and the [...]
The Middle Path to Development: Lessons from Bhutan’s environment policy
If there is a place which can make a traveler feel intimate with it in the shortest time since her arrival, Paro would be it. A gushing river of clear water and a fort marks the entrance to the town. The air is an invitation to inhale deep and a reminder that this is not [...]
