India
Does retirement affect healthy ageing? A study of two groups of pensioners in Mumbai, India
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Among the many concerns of humankind, the ability to lead a life free from illness or disability during old age is a dominant one. Health is thus a key factor to livability. For older persons, health determines their ability to perform the tasks that facilitate their participation in society. Society for its part depends on the good health of its members to enable them to perform their roles adequately, be they of an economic, community or family nature.
Recent fertility declines in China and India: A comparative view
China and India are the two most populous countries in the world and together they account for almost 38 per cent of the global population. China’s population has already crossed the 1.2 billion mark and India’s is expected to exceed 1 billion around the turn of the century. However, in recent years, the annual growth rate of the Chinese population has slowed down, to about 1.1 per cent, whereas in India it continues to be almost 2 per cent. The available evidence shows that China has experienced a large and remarkably rapid fertility transition in recent years, whereas although fertility in India has also fallen, the decline has been much smaller. Why has India not been as successful as China in achieving a fertility decline?
Indicators of women’s empowerment in India
Women’s empowerment, or autonomy, is a multifaceted concept. In a patriarchical society, as exists in large parts of India, men are placed in a more advantageous position than women. The family lineage and living arrangements are centred on men, and inheritance and succession practices tend to neglect women as well. The state of male supremacy is reflected in the child rearing and caring practices. The celebrations for the birth of a male child, and the differential treatment meted out to boys bears ample evidence of this. Access to nutrition, child care and education all favour boys over girls. From a very early age, a girl is socialized to give priority to the needs of the male members in the family. The cumulative effect of these practices is a tilt in the power relations in favour of males. Women’s empowerment is essentially an effort to rectify this imbalance and attain gender equity.
Maternal health-care service use among rural-urban migrants in Mumbai, India
Previous studies of migrants’ health-seeking behaviour have demonstrated that migrants under-utilize health services in their new environment owing to problems of access, urban assimilation and the continuation of traditional rural practices (Tam, 1994; Zulkifli and others, 1994; Bender and others, 1993; Davidson, 1983; Uyanga 1983). Migrants, however, have been shown to increase their utilization of services relative to those remaining in rural areas (Tam, 1994). This study examines the maternal health-seeking behaviour of rural-urban migrants in a slum pocket of Mumbai. The objective of this study is to identify and compare the nature, prevalence and typology of maternal and child health service utilization by rural-urban migrant and non-migrant populations in Maharashtra, India. At the same time, the research aims to identify key social, cultural and economic influences on service utilization and suggest possible ways to increase the use of maternal health-care services among recent migrants to Mumbai.
Age at marriage in India
Demographers and other social scientists from less developed countries have shown interest recently in the study of the age at marriage., especially of women, as a prime determinant of fertility in countries where contraception is not widely practised. The age at marriage is also considered one of the best indicators for studying the status of women in developing countries (Vag-liani, 1980).
Sequence of fertility treatments among childless couples in Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Despite its well-established links to other aspects of reproductive illhealth, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unsafe abortion (Berer, 1999), infertility is the most neglected component in the reproductive health programmes of many developing countries.
Gender, health, marriage and mobility difficulty among older adults in India
Recent evidence from India suggests a growing prevalence of morbidity and poor health status along with significant increases in longevity in the elderly population (Alam, 2000). Yet, barring a few exceptions, most studies about the health and functional ability of older persons in India are based on impressionistic findings and rarely provide empirical evidence addressing the factors that are associated with morbidity and functional limitations.
Unmet need for public health-care services in Mumbai, India
The rural urban disparities in health outcomes in India are often attributed to urban bias in allocation of resources and location of health-care services. Statistics clearly show that the bed population ratio is higher in urban areas and that those regional inequalities have not seen any significant decline over time (Duggal and others, 1995). This regional imbalance is there in both the public and the private health sector. Further, public spending on health care is also disproportionately higher in urban areas. However, while critiquing the regional bias, it is to be examined whether the urban areas in India, where 22 per cent of the population is residing in slums, has the required number of public health-care facilities. Unlike other urban areas, the matter requires special attention in an urban metropolis in India that is characterized by poor living conditions making the public more vulnerable to diseases, and where poverty levels are likely to be similar, if not worse, than that in rural areas. This could be understood by examining who utilizes those services and for what reasons.
Raising corporate debt in India: Has foreign ownership been an asset or a liability?
The impact of international R&D on home-country R&D for Indian multinationals.
Extant research on internationalization of research and development (R&D) has not examined what the impact of foreign R&D investments is for the investing corporate parent firms, in particular on domestic R&D investments. The aim of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of international knowledge sourcing through foreign R&D in an empirical analysis of the effects of foreign R&D investments on domestic R&D intensity for a panel of Indian firms. The paper specifically investigates the importance and impact of the role and the location of foreign R&D centres on parent-company R&D by analysing differences between foreign-technology-seeking and foreign-technology-exploiting R&D, and between centres in advanced countries and in developing countries. The analysis finds contrasting results between advanced and developing countries and between technology-exploring and technology-exploiting investments.
India: Heritage theft remains a challenge
Faced with an increasing demand for its art objects in the global antiquities market, India has introduced strict laws to curb the illicit export of its archaeological and cultural heritage. However, the implementation of these laws remains a major challenge, due to the poverty that fuels looting, and the lack of adequate security to protect historical monuments.
Banking on collaboration between India and Africa
Indian outward FDI: a review of recent developments.
This paper reviews the recent developments of Indian outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), which has been expanding rapidly, against the backdrop of liberalization and openness policies that have been instituted since the 1990s. The Indian OFDI landscape is changing with the participation of increasing numbers of Indian firms from a wide range of industries, the proactive role of State-owned enterprises in seeking overseas energy resources, and the growing distribution of investments, which are now geographically well spread across developed and developing regions. Indian firms are turning into global players with a global market focus and are undertaking overseas investments for international production, acquisition of foreign-created assets and foreign R&D activities.
América Latina al encuentro de China e India: Perspectivas y desafíos en comercio e inversión
El alto crecimiento pronosticado para China e India mantendría a estos países como el polo más importante de la economía mundial en los próximos años, ofreciendo a América Latina y el Caribe un mercado de gran potencial para sus productos de exportación. Esta posibilidad ha sido poco explotada hasta ahora, salvo en el caso de algunos sectores de productos primarios provenientes de América del Sur. América Latina debería fortalecer los vínculos con ambos países asiáticos, buscando una mayor complementariedad productiva con ellos y estableciendo acuerdos comerciales y además alianzas de comercio y de inversión, lo que le daría nuevo acceso a esos dos mercados y propiciaría su incorporación a las cadenas asiáticas de producción y exportación.
Guest editor’s introduction to the special issue: Indian outward FDI and MNEs.
Following the ongoing liberalization and openness measures begun in the 1990s, an increasing number of Indian firms have progressively taken to outward FDI (OFDI), in line with their efforts to diversify away from domestic markets. This expansion has been heightened by market competition on firms’ home turf, the continued high growth of the home economy (leading to investible resources) and considerably expanding business prospects worldwide. Internationalization has gained strategic importance in the survival and growth of capable Indian firms in recent periods.
Determinants of outward foreign direct investment: a study of Indian manufacturing firms.
In this paper we analyze the determinants of outward FDI (OFDI) with reference to Indian manufacturing firms. Mainly we examine the impact of firm-specific characteristics such as productivity, exports, imports of technology, and research and development (R&D) intensity on the OFDI of firms for the period from 1998 to 2009. We use dynamic random-effects Probit and Tobit models to examine the determinants of OFDI. The results support the theoretical argument that more highly productive firms undertake OFDI as a mode of internationalization. The study reveals a complementary relationship between OFDI and exports by Indian firms. R&D investment and imports of technology in the form of capital goods play important roles in both the probability of undertaking OFDI and the share of OFDI.
Uncovering the institutional foundations of specialization patterns in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
This article identifies the institutional foundations of the comparative advantages of the Indian pharmaceutical industry in generic bulk drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and final dosages, and formulations manufacturing. Through studying six institutional areas in connection with the internationalization strategies of nine Indian pharmaceutical firms, this study illustrates how these comparative advantages have been evolving since liberalization of the Indian economy. It demonstrates how, in the post-liberalization era, both up-market outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and the rise of contract-based partnerships are altering the way in which Indian pharmaceutical firms coordinate their action in the local sector. The shift towards more contact-based forms of coordination could support an industry-wide transition towards specialization in novel drug discovery and development. Although firms, especially larger ones, have been the main orchestrators of this shift, this study concludes that mainstreaming the necessary institutional mechanisms across the industry and employing the appropriate policy tools will be critical to supporting this transition.
Mark Tully: A radio legend in India
For over a quarter of a century, one of the most recognized and trusted radio voices in India was that of Mark Tully. This British correspondent for the BBC has covered all the momentous events that marked the country's recent history, until the mid-1990s. He is a living witness of the time when radio was the main medium to reach the masses, telephone communications were unreliable, and radio recordings were made on magnetic tapes that had to be physically sent to the editorial offices.