ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by Lakshmi KumarSubscribe to Lakshmi Kumar

The Existence of a North–South Divide in Kerala

It has been acknowledged that the disparities in the development indicators between north and south Kerala have been reduced significantly post independence. This reduction is typically attributed to developments in the social sector. However, there is considerable difference existing between Malabar and Travancore–Cochin in terms of living standards and key infrastructural facilities. The multidimensional poverty index has also revealed that the incidence of poverty is high in northern Kerala compared to southern Kerala. People-centric policies coupled with decentralisation have effectively reduced the outcome disparity, while the Malabar region still lags behind the Travancore–Cochin region in some key aspects.

Role of Mobile Money in Replacing Cash

This paper attempts an empirical understanding of the role of mobile money in replacing cash among migrant workers in South India. The study finds that four distinct outcomes explain why both agents and clients trust these systems. They are the clients' potential to save in their home bank accounts through remittances; the clients' attraction to the product; employers creating a sub-ecosystem of mobile money by remitting money on behalf of clients; and messages that clients receive on transfer of money. The paper also proposes a model for financial inclusion of migrant workers, which is a revenue model for mobile operators as well.

Illusion of Women Empowerment in Microfinance: A Case Study

The traditional literature implies that women are empowered when they can exercise choices and are aware of alternatives, microfinance being one of the most important catalysts. This research attempts to understand the impact of microfi nance on women empowerment through a case study in Tamil Nadu. It is found that even though women have experienced an increase in income and consumption, they have very little control over resources, assets and do not participate equally in major household decisions. However, they have significant infl uence on the choices that their children make. The research fi nds that the real bottlenecks are the hierarchical nature of society, the lack of entrepreneurial talent and risk-taking ability in these women.

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