Browsing by Author "Padhi, Balakrushna"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 36

Access and uses of icts: can virtual learning be an alternative mode of education in India?
(Sage, 2023-09) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study analyses household access and persons’ uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in India by using the latest National Sample Survey Organization’s (NSSO) Education survey (2017–2018) datasets. Accordingly, an ICT Index is computed, and a logistic model is applied to examine the pattern and likelihood of digital technology usage and access. The result shows that access to ICTs is lower in rural areas and access increases with the level of education. The study also observes that factors like education, income and regional variations are significant aspects of the disproportionate uses and access of ICTs at the household and individual levels. This study also observed that the low level of access to ICTs will be a huge challenge for the Government to ensure alternate online or virtual modes of education.
Analysis of the carbon emissions trend in the Indian manufacturing sector: a decomposition and decoupling approach
(Springer, 2024-07) Padhi, Balakrushna
There is a growing emphasis on fostering green growth and lowering carbon emissions in order to achieve sustainable economic development. This study uses the Tapio decoupling model and analyzes the factors influencing changes in carbon emissions from manufacturing in India utilizing the log mean Divisia index (LMDI) techniques. Furthermore, the nexus between carbon emission intensity, information and communication technology (ICT), total factor productivity (TFP), skill, and energy intensity has been analyzed using the system-GMM approach. It is based on the plant-level Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) datasets for the organized manufacturing sector of India from 2001 to 2002 to 2019 2020 for the major 21 Indian states/UT. The findings reflect the presence of weak decoupling in the manufacturing sector both at the aggregate level and in states. This indicates that both output and emissions are increasing; however, output growth surpasses emission growth, which signifies an effort to transition towards more environmentally friendly production methods and enhanced energy efficiency. The output and population effect are found to be leading factors in carbon emissions, while energy intensity is found to be reducing the effect. Further, the system-GMM estimates show that ICT and energy intensity positively affect total factor productivity, while with an increase in carbon emission intensity, productivity declines. The study confirms the existence of an inverted N-shaped Kuznets curve in the sector. This present study will contribute to formulating energy and environmental strategies to reduce emissions and promote adopting cleaner energy sources. These efforts will facilitate the attainment of carbon neutrality and enhance energy efficiency within the sector.
Analyzing Poverty and Inequality Dynamics across North-Eastern States of India
(IARIW, 2017) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study intends to explore the poverty inequality dynamics across North Eastern States (NES) of India during recent decade. Based on NSSO’s Consumer Expenditure Survey Rounds an analysis has been carried out for two time points i.e. 2004-05 (61st round) and 2011-12 (68th round) to examine the changing pattern of poverty and inequality in these regions by decomposing changes in poverty in to growth, redistribution and interaction components. This paper used headcount ratio to measure poverty, Gini Index as well as poverty decomposition method (Datt and Ravallion, 1992) to quantify the relative contribution of economic growth and redistribution to changes in poverty. The results depict that the NES are quite different in terms of basic socioeconomic attributes from the mainland as per the level of development. As per the decomposition results the growth mean effect and redistribution component determines the rise or fall in the poverty effect. States where economic reforms were initiated properly with other developmental activities those NES performs better than the rest in terms of the said effects
Assessment of living condition of urban slum dwellers in India in the New Millennium
(Taylor & Francis, 2021-02) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study analyzes the changes in access to basic services and maps the inter-regional differences in the slums over a period of 5 years in India by using the 2012 NSSO Slum Survey. This study uses the Multidimensional Wellbeing/Deprivation Index (MWD) towards the assessment of accessibility and availability of basic amenities like education, health, sanitation, electricity, and water facilities. The findings reflect that there is an apparent mutuality among different dimensions of deprivation. This situational inspection of slums has a direct policy imperative for intervention to address the regional imbalance in urban living.
An assessment of the public confidence in governance institutions in India: Empirical evidence using IHDS survey
(Elsevier, 2023) Padhi, Balakrushna
Using two rounds of the Indian Human Development Survey (2004–05 & 2011–12), this study evaluates levels of household confidence in the governance institutions across Indian states. The observed broad pattern conveys that although there is a marginal improvement (from 0.582 in 2004–05 to 0.602 in 2011–12) in the confidence in the governance institutions, there still exists a great deal of deficit in it. analysing the socioeconomic determinants of the degree of confidence, we find that over time regional identities along with class, caste, and other attributes shape the levels of confidence in governance institutions. Such an observation leads to an inference that improvement in confidence in governance institutions is responsive to the development divide across regions.
Changing contours of growth and employment in the indian labour market: a sectoral decomposition approach
(Elsevier, 2023-12) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study analyses the changing contours of employment and economic growth in the Indian labour market over four decades (1983–2019-20) using the NSSO-EUS & PLFS datasets. Here, the Shapley Decomposition methodology (as developed by World Bank) has been used to decompose the per capita income growth into changes in employment, changes in output per worker, and the population change components at the aggregate level and by sectors for the Indian labour market. The study unfolds a pattern of inter-sectoral variations in growth in income and employment since pre and post-reform periods. The estimate shows that the major contributor to the value-added is output per worker and inter-sectoral shifts. Further, despite the output growth in the industrial and service sector, it didn't reflect in absorbing the labour force entering the job market. The aggregate employment and income growth pattern entails proper policy intervention in the Indian labour market.
Collapse in Wage/Salary Income Growth in India, 2011-12 to 2017-18
(Institute for Human Development, 2020) Padhi, Balakrushna
A comparison of the growth rate of wages and salaries in India over two time periods (2004-05 to 2011-12 and 2011-12 to 2017-18 shows that wage growth virtually collapsed in the second period. Surprisingly, this collapse was even more dramatic among regular workers and in urban areas and in the higher deciles of wage/salary earners. These results show that the manifestations of the economic crisis were already quite widespread and were not only restricted to the informal sector or to the urban/rural poor. The results also confirm other results and analyses which have also suggested that genesis of the economic crisis and slow down which is currently being debated goes back several years and is related to a series of economic policy shocks since the early years of the last decade, which intensified after demonetization and subsequent policy shocks. The National Sample Survey Organization’s Employment Surveys (now substituted by the Periodic Labour Force Survey of the renamed National Statistical Office) provide the most exhaustive data on employment and on wages and salaries in India. The Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS) and the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) follow a different design but nevertheless provide robust estimates of employment and wages at the national and state level. This paper has compared the changes in weekly real earnings from wages/salaries between two time periods viz. 2004-05 to 2011-12 and 2011-12 to 2017-18. It concludes that wage growth collapsed in the latter period and even turned negative for several employment segments. It also shows that the wage and salary growth …
Comparable estimates of out-of-pocket payment on hospitalisation and outpatient services in India, 2004-18
(Elsevier, 2022-10) Padhi, Balakrushna
Comparable estimates of household health spending and out-of-pocket (OOP) payment on health care in India are a daunting task. Often these estimates are provided for specific services such as maternal care, type of disease, hospitalisation, outpatient care, and an episode of hospitalisation. This paper presents comprehensive and comparable estimates of health spending and out-of-pocket payment on hospitalisation and outpatient care in India over the past 15 years.
Concerns around the NDHM
(Economic Political Weekly, 2020) Padhi, Balakrushna
In August 2020, the Government of India announced the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) for ensuring health services for all. The NDHM highlights that a “Health ID will be given to every Indian. This health account will contain details of every test, every disease, the doctors visited, the medicines taken and the diagnosis.” The objective of this mission is to make the health sector in India more technologically advanced, inclusive as well as delivery-driven. The health sector is the most crucial, especially during a pandemic outbreak. In this regard, the NDHM is expected to ensure affordable healthcare facility to all. While NDHM promises every individual with a health ID that will be integrated with the entire healthcare history of the individual, one is unable to understand in what way it will universalise access to healthcare. Undoubtedly, the sick will be identified digitally with all their basic information but an ID of this kind may not automatically ensure the healthcare need of the individual. Given the scenario of a massive dependence on private sector for healthcare and a meagre budgetary share of gross domestic product for health, such measures are in no way going to offer a solution to the prevailing inequality in access to healthcare. We need capacity expansion of the public health facility, the inadequacy of which is apparent when we are confronted with a pandemic and expect an enormous load of patients.
COVID-19 and the Challenges of Virtual Mode of Education in India–University Practice Connect
(Azim Premji University, 2020) Padhi, Balakrushna
The COVID-19 outbreak that led to the closure of schools has had an unprecedented effect on children’s education and wellbeing. It is important to note that interrupting education services can have serious, long-term consequences for economies and societies, such as an increase in inequality, poorer health and nutrition outcomes, and reduced social cohesion. Therefore, the need to promote and safeguard every child’s right to education as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) should be given the utmost priority.
Discerning the long-term pace and patterns of employment in India
(Springer, 2023-11) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study examines the pace and pattern of employment in India during the last four decades using the Employment-Unemployment Survey (EUS) (1983 to 2011–12) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (2017–18 to 2020–21). The estimates reflect that, notwithstanding the impressive economic growth, aided by demographic dividend, the economy has witnessed a low sustained employment generation. The present analysis reflects a notable increase in both output growth and employment between the years 1983 and 2004-05. However, subsequent to this period, there exists a distinct phase of economic development characterised by a lack of job creation from 2004–05 to 2017-18 and a rebound thereafter. The concerning divergence between Gross Value Added (GVA) growth and employment growth is reflected in the continued dominance of agriculture in terms of employment share even when its GVA share is dismal. Besides, the low employment elasticities of non-farm sectors including industry and services indicate the inability of the non-farm sector to absorb additional labour force and hence sluggish employment opportunities. The slow rate of employment growth during the period of high economic growth failed to bring down overall unemployment. Consequentially, the findings serve as a rebuttal to the claim of ‘slow’ structural transformation. Not only that the labour market is characterising by significant gender disparity, but there is also a growing level of unemployment for the highly educated youth than the less educated. Apparently, economic growth rather than creating more jobs has resulted in net labour displacement as can be seen from the disaggregated analysis of Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Work Force Participation Rate (WFPR), and unemployment rate. The discourse of falling and lower employment elasticities and strong GVA growth painting a discordant picture of the economy calls for an urgent policy redressal in expanding the human capacity to participate in the new economic and social opportunities.
Employment and economic growth dynamics in Odisha, India
(Wiley, 2020-05) Padhi, Balakrushna
As the current phenomenon of “jobless growth” has gripped the Indian labor market, the subnational literature on how states have fared on employment generation in the post-liberalization period has been sparse. We examine the changing trends in employment and income among different sectors and subsectors of the economy of Odisha, an eastern Indian state, over the period 2011–2012 to 2017–2018 which is coincident to the Naveen Patnaik government which has been in power since March 2000 to date. Adopting the World Bank's Job Generation and Growth Decompositions tool (JoGGs) inspired by Shapley (1953. Contributions to the theory of games. Princeton University Press) decomposition method, we decompose growth across different sectors of its economy and examine how the per capita income growth is linked to changes in employment, output per worker, and population structure at the aggregate level and by sectors. We find there is a sharp decline in employment growth rate in the agriculture sector, a moderate growth in the mining sector, and a high growth only in the construction and a few service subsectors in Odisha. There has been significant output growth across industrial and service sectors and low growth in the agriculture-sector. Low employment creation in the agriculture sector and negative employment growth in manufacturing sector have had implications for seasonal migration and rural agrarian distress in the state. The dismal overall trend in the employment growth makes it imperative on the part of the government to undertake serious policy interventions in Odisha.
Evidence-Based Suggestions to Improve UGC JRF-NET Examination
(SSRN, 2020-04) Padhi, Balakrushna
To increase the transparency and efficiency of the exam, the UGC has brought out substantial changes in the National Eligibility Test (NET) examination in the recent past. However, concerns have been raised with respect to the quality and credibility of the exam, given its evaluation criteria. In this context, this paper attempts to highlight some of the existing problems concerning exam and evaluation of the exam questions. First, we discuss the issues with the existing pattern of NET examination and other governance issues. Second, we have undertaken an online survey of the candidates’ who already appeared for the exam at least once to capture the general perception on the issues highlighted. Third, based on the findings from the survey, we present possible changes in the conduct of the exam to increase the quality and credibility of the exam further.
Evolving Inequalities
(Economic Political Weekly, 2021-05) Padhi, Balakrushna
The World Social Report 2020 reiterates the cautionary message of 2005 regarding rising inequalities being the deterrent in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 10 emphasising on reducing inequalities within and between countries has brought to the fore the idea of “no one should be left behind.” Inequality is primarily assessed in the income domain, wherein it is observed to be rising in developed nations as well. In fact, rising inequality is seen in more than two-thirds of the world’s population, barring a few countries in Latin America and Africa where a decline has been noticed. The global scene of inequality conveys that the share of income going to the top 1% of individuals is on a rise, which was witnessed in 46 out of 57 countries between 1995 and 2015. At the same time, the bottom 40% of the population share 25% of incomes in 92 countries. This apparent imbalance is growing over time despite its recognition in policy circles and suggestive interventions to arrest the same. The evolving inequalities worldwide have their genesis in technological innovation, climate change, urbanisation and international migration. While technological innovation serves as an engine of growth offering new possibilities in education, healthcare, communication and raising productivity at large, it has its flip side in displacing workforce and giving rise to wage differences. Urbanisation offers informal job opportunities to a displaced and distressed workforce, but it also manifests poverty and affluence in close proximity and compromises on basics of human living with a rising number of slums. Threat of climate change is undoubtedly disproportionate among those depending on nature for a living like rainfed agriculture, forest produce as well as without the required resilience to withstand the vagaries of nature. Finally, international migration, ideally meant to be a balancer of the human-resource imbalance across world regions and make capital and labour mobility in tandem, does not seem to offer an equal opportunity to all. In fact, migration too is emerging as a divider in favour of the haves than have nots not merely in terms of resources but also in terms of attributes that ensure safe and successful migration.
Examining calorie undernourishment in India: Is it due to choice or inadequacy?
(Sage, 2020-10) Padhi, Balakrushna
Calorie undernourishment is often associated with poverty but India presents a unique scene of decline in money-metric poverty and rise in calorie deprivation. Existing literature has varied explanation towards this effect. However, neither are the poor entirely calorie compromised nor do all the non-poor qualify calorie compliance.
Exhibiting the Changes in Nutritional Status of Children in India: An Empirical Insight from the Human Opportunity Index
(Springer, 2024-03) Padhi, Balakrushna; Bal, Debi Prasad
Enhancing the nutritional status is essential for fostering human resource development and attaining sustainable development. The objective of this study is to analyse the temporal change in the opportunity to access adequate nutritional outcomes (Normal height for age, Normal weight for age, and Normal weight for height) for children under the age of five in India. The analysis of the study is based on three sets (2005–06, 2015–16 and 2019–21) of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, at both the national and sub-national levels. It used the Human Opportunity Index (HOI), D-index, Shapley decomposition of D-index and time decomposition of HOI to examine temporal change in the opportunity to access adequate nutritional outcomes. At the national level, HOI increased in all three nutritional opportunities from 2005–06 to 2019–21, owing to the increase in coverage rate and decline in D-index. On the contrary, a sub-national analysis for the same period finds HOI to increase in all major states only in the case of Normal height for age and Normal weight for age. Whereas, states such as Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat saw negative change in HOI for normal weight for height. Estimates from Shapley decomposition of D-index indicated that mother's education, wealth, social group, and access to toilet had major contribution to the unequal distribution of opportunities across all survey years. Further, the time decomposition of HOI revealed that the equalisation effect, which is the heart of the principle of equal opportunity, did not play a prominent role in expanding access to opportunities. Even a negative equalization effect is observed in Jammu & Kashmir, some states of the northeast, and even the rich states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. The study suggests a multi-pronged approach to address challenges, including increasing coverage and decreasing inequity in accessibility. Possible solutions include augmenting spending, minimizing leakages, and guaranteeing the delivery of services to the final recipients. A nuanced balance between "equality of outcomes" and "equality of opportunity" is needed.
Future of Work in Retail and Construction in India
(SEWA, 2019) Padhi, Balakrushna
The World of Work has changed dramatically in the last three decades in response to the needs of capital, impact of globalization and technical changes. These factors have led to a dramatic global, industrial, organizational and special reconfiguration of work and have accelerated the emergence of non standard forms of employment relationship in developed countries as well as in the developing countries
Gender-Based Wage Discrimination in Indian Urban Labour Market: An Assessment
(Springer, 2019-08) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study attempts at verifying the pattern of the wage gap between gender in India’s urban labour market using NSS 50th (1993–1994), 61st (2004–2005), and 68th (2011–2012) Employment and Unemployment Surveys. The wage gap between sexes in the urban labour market is verified among the regular and casual workers over a period of two decades (1993–1994 to 2011–2012). Using Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition as well as Recentered Influence Function (RIF) quintile decomposition analysis, it is observed that there is a male bias in wages in both the categories, namely, regular and casual workers. Female workers are also at a disadvantaged position via-a-vis male counterparts, and there is considerable disparity exists with regards to employment and earning standard between sexes. The decomposition exercise shows that the role of the discrimination component effect is larger than that of the endowment component across the regular and casual workers. Controlling for characteristic homogeneity, it is observed that female workers have a systematic wage disadvantage against their male counterparts in the urban labour market of India.
The Indian labor market and elderly: acclimatizing to an aging population in the workplace
(Springer, 2023-02) Padhi, Balakrushna
The study explores the trends and patterns of the labor force participation (LFPR) of the elderly in India’s labor market over the last one and half decades using the NSSO’s (EUS and PLFS) unit-level datasets (2004–2005 to 2019–2020). The findings of the study show that the labor force participation rate (LFPR) of the elderly in India has declined between 2004–2005 (38.9%) and 2018–2019 (28.5%) and showed a moderate increase in 2019–2020 (32.6%). It is observed that a large proportion of the elderly workforce are engaged in the agricultural sector and mostly in the informal sector and in casual and self-employed activities. Further, elderly females are less likely to participate than their male counterparts in the labor market. The logit estimates reflect that the level of education is found to be a significant predictor of their labor employability. The risk of low WPR may lead to low spending on health, an increase in morbidities, risks of social isolation, and less supportive opportunities for socioeconomic participation. Thus, to address the issue, the study suggests that inclusive, secure, and protective or remedial social security measures are required to be adopted for the elderly.
An inquiry into households’ confidence levels in various institutions in India: a temporal assessment from the IHDS
(Sage, 2023-06) Padhi, Balakrushna
This study attempts to assess the variations in households’ confidence levels in various sociopolitical institutions with varying socioeconomic and cultural characteristics across major Indian states based on two rounds of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS-I, 2004–2005; IHDS-II, 2011–2012). It traces the presence of a lower confidence level of households in governance institutions compared with other institutions, implying a deficit of households’ confidence in this component against the overall confidence score, which marginally improves over time. The states of Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram have a lower level of confidence score in governance and justice compared to other states. On analysing the socioeconomic determinants of households’ confidence in two rounds of the IHDS separately, this study observes that regional and economic factors are more significant in shaping the confidence levels of households than any other socioeconomic attributes.