.svg){kind=icon}
.svg){kind=icon}
%201.svg){kind=icon}
%201.svg){kind=icon}
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg)
.svg)
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg)
.svg){kind=icon}
Miscellany
Remembering our Editor-in-Chief Prof. Ashok Kotwal
We regret to inform you that our Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Ashok Kotwal, passed away on 28 April 2022. Apart from being a founding member of Ideas for India, he was Professor Emeritus at the Department of Economics at University of British Columbia, Senior Fellow at (BREAD) Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis in Development and an Associate, (ThRed) Theoretical Research in Economic Development. It is a huge loss for his family, friends, colleagues, and all of us at Ideas for India. He was an integral part of I4I from its inception in 2012, and his vision will continue to guide us in the years to come. If you would like to share your messages of remembrance for Prof. Ashok Kotwal, please send them to managing.editor@ideasforindia.in and we will post them on this page for you.
Improving survey quality using paradata: Lessons from the India Working Survey
To improve the credibility of survey data, several monitoring tools are used by researchers – such as ‘paradata’, which have gained prominence with the growth of computer-aided interviewing. In this post, Goel et al. discuss how paradata were used in the ‘India Working Survey’ conducted in the states of Karnataka and Rajasthan in 2020, to streamline enumerator practices and enhance data quality.
On the perils of embedded experiments
There is growing interest in ‘embedded experiments’, conducted by researchers and policymakers as a team. Aside from their potential scale, the main attraction of these experiments is that they seem to facilitate speedy translation of research into policy. Discussing a case study from Bihar, Jean Drèze argues that this approach carries a danger of distorting both policy and research.
Role of history in shaping India’s economic development
As India is now completing 75 years of Independence, two big questions loom over the conversation around India’s economic development: How successful was the Indian economy before and during colonial rule, as compared to the postcolonial period? What is the role of history – historical events, actors, and institutions – in shaping India’s development trajectory? This is the focus of the sixth edition of I4I Conversations, with Bishnupriya Gupta and Lakshmi Iyer. Gupta and Iyer deliberate on how applying a historical lens may change our conclusions about India’s progress –particularlyhow demand-side estimates of GDP (gross domestic product) per capita date the beginning of India’s economic decline to a century before British colonial rule. Gupta also discusses the misperception that Indian industrialisation was stifled during colonial rule, how we should evaluate 20th century economic progress in light of the historical evidence, and the long-run effects of historical land-tenure .....
I4I is hiring!
I4I is looking to hire a Managing Editor. The I4I Managing Editor reports to the Editor-in-Chief who has the ultimate responsibility of screening content, launching new initiatives, soliciting contributions by suitable experts, etc. The Managing Editor is expected to work very closely with the Editor-in-Chief in developing and implementing the overall strategy, and take day-to-day responsibility for the smooth functioning of the portal and maintaining the high quality of I4I. The Managing Editor will edit technical content, such that it is accessible and engaging for a wide, lay audience. This job therefore requires adequate proficiency in economics and econometrics and an excellent command over the English language.
Note from the I4I Team: Happy Holidays!
We are now closed for Christmas and New Year, until Monday, 3 January 2022. We would like to thank all our readers and contributors for supporting I4I through the year, and helping us reach over one million page views in 2021! We will be back in the New Year with new articles, perspectives, notes from the field, e-symposia, events, and conversations. The I4I Team wishes all readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sign up to our newsletter to be notified about the latest updates
.svg)
Just One Step Away!
Complete your signup to start getting the latest news, stories, and updates delivered straight to your inbox.