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Sanjay Kumar

Indexing the Effectiveness of Tax Administration

Vol - XLII No. 50, December 15, 2007 | A L Nagar, Sanjay Kumar, and Sayan Samanta

The capacity of the tax administration needs to be continuously augmented to keep pace with the changing requirements of tax policy. One of the key challenges in this respect is to measure the effectiveness of the tax administration. This paper develops an econometric model for indexing the effectiveness of tax administration by using the principal component method to remove the feedback effect between voluntary and enforced compliance. This model shows that there has not been a large change in the effectiveness of the direct tax administration in the country over a period of time, despite the fact that there has been a substantial increase in the quantum of direct tax revenue, particularly over the last few years. This calls for attention to strengthen the tax administration.

Riddle of Population Growth

Vol - XLI No. 42, October 21, 2006 | N K Sharma and Sanjay Kumar

According to the 2001 Census, Andhra Pradesh in the previous decade showed the sharpest deceleration in population growth amongst the major states since independence. However, the evidence does not support such a decline in AP's population growth as none of the underlying factors (literacy, total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, female employment, etc) have moved in any extraordinary way as compared to the all-India figures during this period. Rather, if the 1991 population is correct, there is a distinctive probability of a substantial omission of either households or member(s) within households (or both) in the 2001 Census in the state.

Failure on the Rationality Front

Vol - XLI No. 29, July 22, 2006 | Sanjay Kumar


Letters



Maoist Attack



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Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2005

Vol - XL No. 05, January 29, 2005 | Sanjay Kumar

The Congress-JMM have reached an agreement on seat-sharing in Jharkhand. If joined by the RJD and the CPI, this would set up a formidable alliance against the current BJP-led government. The cause of the opposition alliance has also been helped by the presence of JMM leader Shibu Soren, who is seen as a true representative of the state's adivasis.

Bihar Assembly Elections: RJD Needs an Alliance for Victory

Vol - XL No. 03, January 15, 2005 | Sanjay Kumar

Will the 2005 assembly elections in Bihar see an end to the 15 years of Rashtriya Janata Dal misrule or can the party win a fourth consecutive election? What motivates people to vote for the RJD even as they keep hearing about growing corruption, neglect of development and non-governance? What could be the impact of the division of the state on the politics of Bihar? If the RJD manages to win next month, it will create history by winning four times in a row, a record only next to the Left Front in West Bengal.

Uttaranchal : Story behind Marginal Differences

Vol - XXXIX No. 51, December 18, 2004 | Annapurna Nautiyal and Sanjay Kumar

The outcomes of the 2002 assembly and 2004 Lok Sabha elections have emphasised the close nature of the electoral contest in the state and the predominance of the Congress and BJP as the two main contenders for political power. Nevertheless, it may be too early to conclude that Uttaranchal is heading for a two-party political system, given the substantial chunk of votes cornered by other parties. A third force in the shape of the BSP or SP is likely to remain active in the state.

Participatory Norm: How Broad-based Is It?

Vol - XXXIX No. 51, December 18, 2004 | Sanjay Kumar and Suhas Palshikar

Diversification of voters is not matched by a broadening of the social base of participants in politics. Active participants are still from the more privileged sections of society, with education and class being the determining factors. And although the OBCs have made an entry into active politics in recent years, dalits, adivasis, women and the poor still remain largely at the periphery. Thus, participation of more people in politics, as evidenced in recent elections, does not automatically ensure the entry of the less privileged sections into the political process.

Jharkhand : Reversal of Past Trends

Vol - XXXIX No. 51, December 18, 2004 | Harishwar Dayal and Sanjay Kumar

The breakdown of the BJP's alliance with state-level parties, combined with a general dissatisfaction with the performance of the party's government in the state, contributed to its electoral defeat. At the same time, the formidable alliance lined up by the Congress with the JMM, RJD and CPI enabled the emergence of a significant social coalition which swept the polls in Jharkhand

Impact of Economic Reforms on Indian Electorate

Vol - XXXIX No. 16, April 17, 2004 | Sanjay Kumar

Economic reforms initiated since the 1990s became an election issue in the 1996 general elections, when the Congress raised it in its manifesto. Later, the party's defeat and subsequent slide in parliament was attributed to its espousal of the themes of liberalisation and privatisation. This article analyses the results of surveys conducted after the three successive Lok Sabha elections of 1996, 1998 and 1999. While opinions on reforms differ across communities and categories of voters, increasing levels of awareness do not necessarily coincide with a support for reforms.