Development as freedom: Amartya’s importance for ID
Book: Development as Freedom Author: Amartya Sen This is a world of unprecedented opulence, which coexists with remarkable deprivations. Overcoming these deprivations is central to development. Sen...
View ArticleFood Politics: Building institutions that regulate choice
Book: Food politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health Author: Marion Nestle The book was motivated by the contradictions between nutrition policy and practice. The author argues...
View ArticleLearning as doing: John Seely Brown’s exciting ideas
During my recent field work in India, I was impressed by the depth of social understanding by common people I met in the villages. Often, their views on the society were more sophisticated than many...
View ArticleInstitutions for an unequal world: Talk by Ha Joon Chang
In this very entertaining talk, Ha Joon Chang argues against mainstream trade theories. He argues that most of the success stories, including the USA followed practices that are rejected by the current...
View ArticleBabasaheb Ambedkar’s works online: Books, articles, talks
A growing collection of Ambedkar’s works are available online at Ambedkar.org Ambedkar is easily one of the finest Indian thinkers ever. Academically, he has a degree in law, a Masters in economics...
View ArticleCollected works on Anthropology and institutional economics
Book: Anthropology and institutional economics Editor: James M. Acheson This volume is one of the rare collection of papers I found looking at Anthropology and institutional economics. Surprisingly,...
View ArticleEasterly’s critique of cash for condoms: a case of poverty of economic approach
In his famous book Elusive quest for growth William Easterly criticizes World Bank’s attempts to control population. But his ‘economic approach’ and failure to get contextual information makes his...
View ArticleBest book on India’s development by Amartya Sen and Dreze
Book: India: Development and participation Authors: Amartya Sen & Jean Dreze My favourite book on India’s development issues. Provides a comprehensive overview of many important development issues...
View ArticleEdward Said’s talk on ‘Clash of Civilizations’ by Samuel Huntington
Understanding popular theories and their challenges is crucial to understanding institutions. Notions such as Clash of civilisations by Huntington have a powerful influence on how foreign policies are...
View ArticleReview of Easterly’s Elusive quest for growth
Book: The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists’ Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics Author: William Easterly Magnanimity of IMF and World Bank leads to policies unfavourable to poor people –...
View ArticleDelivering public services effectively: Tamil Nadu & beyond
An excerpt from my forthcoming book. This is how it starts, and this is how it all started. The narrow-gauge train line built by the Prince of Gwalior from Gwalior to Sheopur was so much smaller than...
View ArticleFood Politics: Building institutions that regulate choice
Book: Food politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health Author: Marion Nestle The book was motivated by the contradictions between nutrition policy and practice. The author argues...
View ArticleLearning as doing: John Seely Brown’s exciting ideas
During my recent field work in India, I was impressed by the depth of social understanding by common people I met in the villages. Often, their views on the society were more sophisticated than many...
View ArticleInstitutions for an unequal world: Talk by Ha Joon Chang
In this very entertaining talk, Ha Joon Chang argues against mainstream trade theories. He argues that most of the success stories, including the USA followed practices that are rejected by the current...
View ArticleDevelopment as freedom: Amartya’s importance for ID
Book: Development as Freedom Author: Amartya Sen This is a world of unprecedented opulence, which coexists with remarkable deprivations. Overcoming these deprivations is central to development. Sen...
View Article