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

Articles by Purnamita DasguptaSubscribe to Purnamita Dasgupta

Climate Change

The climate conference at Glasgow, COP26, has provided hopes for limiting global warming to 1.5°C. India’s commitments included achieving net-zero by 2070, alongside increasing the share of non-fossil in installed electricity generation to 50% and enhancing the emissions intensity reduction target to 45%, and working towards zero-emission vehicles. Realisation of targets requires resources and trust that the international processes will indeed fulfil expectations on finance, technical support, and capacity building. Embedding climate change within development calls for an inclusive approach for a developing country like India, where climate action aligns with the overall transition to sustainability and social, economic, and ecological resilience for its citizens.

 

Immunisation Coverage in India

This article examines the decline in coverage levels of the Routine Immunisation Programme in the better-governed states across three rounds of the District Level Household and Facility Survey. The analysis points to an urban conundrum where proximity to urban centres is a "risk factor." An understanding of peri-urbanisation processes is essential for improving outcomes and governance in urban health services and the National Urban Health Mission.

Trade, Technology Transfer and Climate Change

Current developments in regulatory regimes raise concerns about the manner in which technology transfer is likely to pan out in the debate on climate change.   Existing trade agreements have made developing countries cope with environmental challenges in meeting standards. Given that India's exports face increasing vulnerability if trade measures were to be adopted by the developed countries, existing financial mechanisms for risk mitigation need to be strengthened alongside creation of a separate technology transfer mechanism.

A Nobel for the Commons: A Tribute to Elinor Ostrom

The Nobel Prize in Economics co-awarded to Elinor Ostrom marks a rare departure from the traditional approach of the selectors which hitherto has been characterised by adherence to sub-disciplines more explicitly recognised as falling within the discipline of economics, rather than those that govern an economic system from its exterior, created at the interface of political economy, economics and social anthropology. This essay is a tribute to her work taking into consideration the implications of her thought in the context of governance of commons in general, and in south Asia in particular.

Nature of Household Dependence on Common Pool Resources: An Empirical Study

Some recent studies on forest-based common pool resources have interpreted situations in which households choose to spend time on collection from the forest commons for sale and value addition as an income enhancing activity that is independent of the common's role as a safety net. This paper tests for the hypothesis by distinguishing between non-timber forest produce for sale and for self-consumptions, using the National Sample Survey Organisation data for a sample of 78,000 households in Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It finds that households collecting only for sale purposes are not likely to be income poor. They may collect because they have more secure property rights, greater access to forests and/or markets and may even be asset rich.

Water Resources, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystem Services

The second biennial conference of the Indian Society for Ecological Economics on the theme of 'Water Resources, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystem Services' brought together researchers and practitioners and gave them an opportunity to present their findings and dialogue on topics that ranged from technical to interdisciplinary.

Child Health and Immunisation

The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the immunisation programme in a broad macro-perspective on demographic trends and child health. We have collated data on 15 major states starting from the beginning of the 1980s to mid-1990s, though observation on all variables uniformly over the period could not be secured. Our analysis suggests that there has been a slackening of the initial thrust (1990-91) of the EPI, which is of some concern from the point of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). Since the population of net infants is in the increasing phase in almost all states, the task of providing full coverage appears to be daunting given the present performance level in the underperforming states. Although the notion of 'herd immunity' is controversial, we may not be totally on the wrong track in concluding that though at the aggregate level VPD occurrence will go down, the incidence of local 'epidemic' in some states cannot be ruled out. It is evident from our studies on immunisation, that the programme lacks on both aspects of incentive and management and this is not due to any shortage in the financial and physical resources devoted to it. This is also corroborated by the better performances of politically better managed states as compared to states which suffered from inept political management and instability.

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