Examining trends in growth of cities in India using novel high frequency data

Examining volume and directions of domestic migration in India using novel high frequency data

Female Labour Force Participation Rate

The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) is a crucial indicator of women’s economic empowerment and overall economic inclusiveness. This research paper presents econometric analysis highlighting a significant resurgence in female LFPR across Indian states, especially in rural areas, since 2017-18. There are three broad themes for the empirical analysis: (1) Recent trends in female LFPR, (2) The effects of marital status and parenthood on LFPR, and (3) LFPR variations with age and gender across all regions and states of India.

India and Global IPR Treaties

To become an international player in the knowledge economy, India needs to take global IPR treaties more seriously as these agreements create the framework for the country’s R&D ecosystem to align with global best practices and accurately benchmark our performance with international peers. In this EAC-PM Working Paper, we explore 4 such international agreements and look at the pros and cons of each of them. These are the Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification 1971, Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on Industrial Designs 1999, Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Geographical Indications 2015 and the Design Law Treaty 2024.

AGROFORESTRY: MISSING TREES FOR THE FOREST

Despite being a tropical country, India has not been able to unlock the full potential of agroforestry. India’s agroforestry sector remains under-utilised and stifled by regulation. According to a study published in the journal of “Environment, Development and Sustainability”, as of 2021, the area under agroforestry (defined as tree cover per cent greater than 10 per cent on agricultural land) is estimated to be around 28 million hectares, which is a mere 17 per cent of total agricultural land and is far less when compared to the global average of 43 per cent. Agroforestry is India’s primary source of timber. As per the Indian Council on Forest Research and Education (ICFRE), over 93 per cent of India’s domestic timber was produced by “trees outside forests”, a majority of which are agroforestry plots. However, a stringent, complex and cumbersome regulatory policy combined with a conservation-led approach to forestry has stifled the growth of agroforestry in India. Consequently, India has become a net importer of timber. In 2023, India imported over USD 2.7 billion worth of timber1 (ITTO 2023), which equals almost 12 per cent of all agrobased imports for the same year (Damodaran 2024)

Relative Economic Performance of Indian States

Most papers regarding economic performance of states deal with the real and nominal growth rates of states over time. In this paper, we have focused exclusively on the relative performance of states, measured using two indicators- (1) Share in India’s GDP and (2) Relative per capita income.The state's share in India’s GDP is calculated by dividing the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of the state by the sum of GSDP of all states. Relative per capita income is calculated as the ratio of the per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of the state as a percentage of the all-India per capita Net National Product (or Net National Income in some years). An important point to remember here is that per capita NSDP means that it does not include remittances which may be important for states like Kerala, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. We have made adjustments where possible for state bifurcations and other factors to ensure comparability. All data used are in current prices. The analysis spans a long period, from 1960-61 to 2023 24, providing insights into how individual states have performed in response to changes in national and state-specific policies.