336 results on '"INFORMAL sector"'
Search Results
2. Occupational injuries and health-seeking behavior of informal sector waste collection workers in Nellore, India
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Sai Divya Chinthapatla and Rajnarayan Ramshankar Tiwari
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health-seeking behavior ,india ,injury ,waste collection workers ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Introduction: Waste collection workers are exposed to occupational injuries at every step in the process of waste collection and disposal, from the point of collection at homes, during transportation, and at the sites of recycling or disposal. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of injuries among municipal waste collection workers and their health-seeking behavior for the injuries. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 422 workers from randomly selected 20 wards in four zones of Nellore. The information regarding sociodemographic, occupational, and injury characteristics were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire by conducting a face-to-face interview with each of the study participants. Results: Two hundred and four (48.3%) workers suffered from injury in the past 12 months. A shorter duration of the job, a lack of safety training, and a lack of awareness about the risk of injury on the job were significantly associated with the occurrence of injuries. The health-seeking behavior was found to be poor, with only 40.7% of those who suffered injury and 30.6% of overall workers preferring to approach any health-care facility for the treatment of wounds. Conclusion: The informal sector waste collection workers are at risk of injuries while pursuing their occupation. The health seeking behavior was found to be poor among them.
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- 2024
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3. The business model canvas of women owned micro enterprises in the urban informal sector
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Mukherjee, Sujata
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- 2023
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4. An Analysis of Rural-to-Rural Migration
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Bhattacharya, Prabir and Bhattacharya, Prabir
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- 2024
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5. Milk quality and safety in the informal sector in Assam, India: governance, perceptions, and practices
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Giulia Nicolini, Alejandro Guarin, Ram Pratim Deka, Bill Vorley, Silvia Alonso, Emma Blackmore, and Delia Grace
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food safety ,milk ,dairy ,informal sector ,traditional markets ,India ,Agriculture ,Food processing and manufacture ,TP368-456 - Abstract
ABSTRACTThis paper explores how the safety of milk and dairy products is understood and managed within the informal dairy sector of Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, north-east India. The article contributes to a growing body of literature that questions negative assumptions about food safety in informal markets, and seeks to understand how access to safe and healthy food for all is, or can be, achieved in these markets. The study combines a literature review of the informal dairy sector in Assam and India with a field survey and key informant interviews. A survey of 113 producers, intermediaries, retailers, traditional processors and consumers, provides insights into how people think about the safety of milk, and the everyday practices they employ to mitigate food safety risks when trading and consuming dairy products. Our findings suggest that, in the absence of formal guarantees of quality and safety, consumers’ cultural practices and producers’ and traders’ knowledge likely reduce the risks of consuming raw milk. Despite the informal dairy sector receiving little direct government support in India, we found that at the state level, there has been some cooperation between government officials, small-scale producers and informal traders. We conclude that the absence of adverse relations between these groups, together with proactive attempts at collaboration, could inform other Indian states’ approaches to food safety governance, and are a positive foundation for future improvements to food safety in Assam’s dairy sector.
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- 2022
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6. Qualitative Exploration of Enabler, Purpose, and Benefits of Digitalisation in the Informal Sector: Understanding the Role of Bricolage Among Women Entrepreneurs.
- Author
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Singh, Swati, Alok, Swati, and Banerjee, Sudatta
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INFORMAL sector ,DIGITAL technology ,FAMILY support ,SOCIAL influence ,DIGITAL divide - Abstract
Women entrepreneurship literature is blooming and largely indicate the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in setting up and scaling businesses. Much of the research on women's entrepreneurship revolves around entrepreneurial activities in the formal sector. Women entrepreneurship in the informal sector is still less explored. In this study, we explore the enablers and benefits of digitalisation among women entrepreneurs in the informal sector in the Indian context. We employ a qualitative study to unravel the experiences of women entrepreneurs (n = 30). Data were collected through interviews, and analysis was carried out through Voyant tools and Atlas.ti. Findings revealed that respondents attempted to bricolage with existing resources to run and manage their businesses. Family support, social influence, and willingness to learn emerged as key enablers of digitalisation. Digitalisation benefitted women entrepreneurs in several ways including ease of transaction, getting feedback, selling and promoting their offerings, and business collaborations. Based on the findings, a model of enabler, purpose, and benefits of digitalisation is proposed. Findings are discussed in the light of existing literature and future research agenda is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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7. Finance, Gender, and Entrepreneurship: India's Informal Sector Firms.
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Gang, Ira N., Raj Natarajan, Rajesh, and Sen, Kunal
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INFORMAL sector , *BUSINESSWOMEN , *PROPENSITY score matching , *ENTREPRENEURSHIP , *GENDER , *BUSINESS enterprises - Abstract
How does informal economic activity respond to increased financial inclusion? Does it become more entrepreneurial? Does access to new financing options change the gender configuration of informal economic activity and, if so, in what ways and what directions? We take advantage of nationwide data collected in 2010/11 and 2015/16 by India's National Sample Survey Office on unorganized (informal) enterprises. This period was one of rapid expansion of banking availability aimed particularly at the unbanked, under-banked, and women. We find strong empirical evidence supporting the crucial role of financial access in promoting entrepreneurship among informal sector firms in India. Our results are robust to alternative specifications and alternative measures of financial constraints using an approach combining propensity score matching and difference-in-differences. However, we do not find conclusive evidence that increased financial inclusion leads to a higher likelihood of women becoming entrepreneurs than men in the informal sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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8. Diffusion dynamics of the informal sector sustainable innovations: Exploring cases of grassroots innovations in India.
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Lakum, Anjali Chandulal, Namrata, and Kumar, Hemant
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• Ethnography is useful in researching the diffusion of informal sector innovations. • Informal sector innovations diffuse easily in the local context. • Informality plays a role in the diffusion of informal sector innovations. • Excessive formality may impede the diffusion of inventions from the informal sector. • Time dimension of diffusion is less significant for informal sector innovations. • Formal sector actors are relevant for dissemination of informal sector innovations. Over the last two decades, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners have focused on the innovations in the informal sector, particularly grassroots innovations (GI) from low-income countries. Such innovations' diffusion dynamics, however, are uncharted territory. As a result, this paper explores the diffusion of GI from India's informal sector. We chose ten GI and gathered data in ex-situ and in-situ conditions using a case study method. The data is analysed on four parameters of diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory by Rogers. The findings imply that the GI provide sustainable, and a low cost perceived use value while other innovations from the formal sector are either expensive, unavailable, or do not see it as a potentially profitable enterprise. Furthermore, informality vis -à- vis communication and social structure have a significant impact on diffusion of GI. Time dimension may not be as important for the informal sector innovations. The formal sector actors are more involved in dissemination of GI, employing new means. Finally, we discuss how DOI theory may be applied in the informal sector and how it can aid in alleviating GI diffusion concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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9. Informal sector in India and adoption of digital technologies.
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Dutta, Nabamita, Kar, Saibal, and Guha, Supratik
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INFORMAL sector ,DIGITAL technology ,ELECTRONIC funds transfers ,INTERNATIONAL Financial Reporting Standards ,INNOVATION adoption ,BANKING industry ,CHIEF information officers - Abstract
Purpose: According to the Government of India's Ministry of Labour and Employment Report (2015), almost 90% of the Indian workforce can still be categorized as informally employed, generating approximately 50% of the national product. Challenges with data availability have made a rigorous analysis of the informal economy in India often difficult and inadequate for policy formulations. This study aims to fill the gap by providing an empirical analysis of the informal economy in India using micro-data from the World Bank's Informal Enterprise Surveys. Design/methodology/approach: The authors contribute by empirically testing the association between the adoption of digital technology (payments) and firm performance proxied by firm sales. Matching models are used to mitigate sample selection bias arising out of simultaneous sample selection. Findings: The results suggest that the participation in digital platforms, namely, use of digital payment instruments, is associated with higher sales for firms. The results of this study also show that adoption of digital payments helps in both situations – whether a firm has been using digital technology or has just started using it since the outbreak. Research limitations/implications: More in-depth data over time, spanning across more cities of India, is needed to conduct a further detailed investigation. Social implications: The results should allow policymakers in India to reconsider youth-centric and women-centric business needs, even within the informal sector, which does not often enter the purview of the government but remains responsible for the growth and sustenance of 90% of the country's workforce. If further research on this issue could engage with the impact of demonetization of currency in 2016 as a lagged shock on sales and reestimate subsequent growth, it would perhaps offer a wider spectrum of how the performance of the informal economy in India affects the entire economy, which has over the last four years and before the onset of Covid reported slower growth. Originality/value: Productivity is measured in terms of sales of informal firms in India in a regular month or in recent period like last month. Adoption of technology such as making payments using digital platforms can enhance productivity of firms by lowering standard transaction costs and time spent for visiting banks or financial institutions. Albeit not extensively, the literature has investigated digital technology adoption in the context of firms achieving comparative advantage (D'Ippolito et al. 2019; Scuotto et al. 2017), firms generating value creation (Magistretti, Dell'Era and Petruzzelli, 2019), and in helping with strategic initiatives and agility of firms (Ghezzi and Cavallo, 2018; Piccoli and Ives, 2005). Nonetheless, it would incur certain fixed costs, including acquiring skills and awareness, to manage digital platforms. In addition, physical access to instruments such as smartphones or computers and internet connectivity are prerequisites for productivity enhancements. Firms belonging to the informal sector in India generally face these challenges but may also benefit significantly following successful adoption. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to conduct a preliminary empirical analysis of the impact of digital technology adoption on the performance of informal sector firms in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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10. COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges for urban informal sector: An insight from street vendors of the district Srinagar, Kashmir
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Najar Shabir Ahmad, Bashir Aadil, Manzoor Shazia, Khan Bilal Ahmad, and Sheikh Bisma Farooq
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covid-19 ,street vendors ,living conditions ,loss of work ,income loss ,india ,Criminal law and procedure ,K5000-5582 - Abstract
This paper aims at presenting the findings of the study on the position of street vendors in the District Srinagar, Kashmir, in India, including both men and women, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The purpose of the study was to explore various challenges street vendors faced during the COVID-19 lockdown and to highlight the vulnerability of this particular group of informal workers. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews with the use of a questionnaire, on a sample of 150 street vendors from the District Srinagar. In addition, a certain number of in-depth interviews with selected respondents from the sample was done. The study findings show that the majority of the respondents have lost their job during the peak period of COVID-19, i.e. from March to July 2020. The findings have also revealed that the lockdown directly impacted the socio-economic conditions of the workers which made it very difficult for them to survive during the peak of COVID-19. Additionally, workers were struggling very hard in order to fulfill the basic daily needs of their families. Therefore, it is suggested that the government of India should provide financial support to street vendors in order to compensate for the loss caused due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
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- 2022
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11. Informal enterprise as harbinger of women empowerment in India
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Majeed, Mehak, Rather, Zahid Gulzar, and Mushtaq, Saeed Owais
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- 2024
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12. Migration, Vulnerability, and Protection: Changing Labour Law Regime in Contemporary India.
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Munjal, Kunal and Bamba, Ishaan
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LABOR laws ,MIGRANT labor ,IMMIGRANTS ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
This article undertakes a socio-legal analysis of India's changing labour laws and situates migrant workers within the broader context of the changing relations between state, capital, and labour amid the reforms that were introduced in 2019–2020. It illustrates the precarity of migrant workers and the possibility of their legal exclusion from the revised labour codes, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-led lockdowns. The new codes reduced the number of establishments under regulation and diluted provisions that can hold contractors and employers accountable, which increases the scope for exploitation of workers and has serious implications for the rights of migrants. The labour law reforms, we argue, appear to have favoured capital in its relations with workers and have increased the degree of informality in a wide range of industries. Inter-state migrant workers may find themselves excluded from protective provisions that hold employers accountable for their treatment and this may make them more vulnerable in the informal sector. The article concludes that this push by the state to boost the 'ease of doing business' via precarious forms of employment and whittling away the protections of inter-state migrant workers may be far more detrimental than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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13. Farming is charming: Informal learning of farmers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
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von der Bank, Felix, Pilz, Matthias, and Venkatram, Rengan
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- 2024
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14. Actually Existing Neoliberalism and Enterprise Formation in the Informal Economy: Interrogating the Role of Mediating Social Enterprises in India and South Africa.
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Chopra, Vrinda
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SOCIAL enterprises , *INFORMAL sector , *SOCIAL entrepreneurship , *NEOLIBERALISM , *ECONOMIC geography , *MEDIATION - Abstract
Scholarship on social entrepreneurship primarily reduces social enterprises in the Global South to geographic variations of an idealized concept of combining commercial imperatives with social missions. In the article, I see social enterprise practice in economies of the Global South, namely India and South Africa, as channels to engage in the ongoing theorization of the field. The article draws on the frame of actually existing neoliberalism, moving beyond macroperspectives and policy imperatives on social entrepreneurship to show how neoliberal rationalities are mobilized and regulated by emancipatory rationalities and agendas. The empirical focus is on social enterprises mediating enterprise formation to address employment concerns in the informal, noncapital domains of India and South Africa. I draw on data from the ethnographic fieldwork on mediating social enterprises collected during my doctoral research. The lived realities of practice of the two intermediaries considered in the article, Dhwani in India and EntShare in South Africa, show mediating social enterprises in ongoing negotiations with capital and noncapital domains. Understanding the negotiations explains the convergences and divergences in how neoliberal economic rationalities align with progressive and emancipatory agendas and values across India and South Africa. In doing so, the article provides an opportunity to enrich conceptual registers of postcolonial economic geography by tracing and articulating mediation processes between neoliberal and nonneoliberal rationalities not solely from one site but across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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15. Mapping stakeholders and identifying institutional challenges and opportunities for waste management in towns of Uttar Pradesh, India.
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De, Indranil and Patel, Ila
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WASTE management ,INFORMAL sector ,URBAN policy ,URBAN planning ,MUNICIPAL services - Abstract
The extensive research on waste management has primarily remained confined to metro cities and focused on economic and environmental issues. The present study explores waste management in smaller urban areas from an institutional standpoint, mapping formal and informal players onto a two‐dimensional framework: institutional type and institutional strength. The analysis is based on data accumulated through in‐depth interviews and focus group discussions in three towns of India. Despite the absence of formal acknowledgment, it establishes a continuum between formal and informal actors whose efforts to collect waste and provide public goods and services are mutually supportive. Although the informal sector is ranked lower, there is little variation in institutional strength between the formal and informal sectors. A formal‐informal hierarchy hinders informal waste collectors from moving up the value chain. The paper argues against separating the formal and informal actors in urban policy and planning. A waste management system that is formally integrated is required to extract greater economic value from waste and to strengthen the informal‐formal continuum. This should enhance both the wages and working conditions of waste workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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16. Do Different Types of Vocational Education and Training Programmes Influence Earnings? Recent Evidence from India
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Vincent, Andrea and Rajasekhar, Durgam
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Purpose: Indian government initiated several skill development policies and different types of vocational education and training (VET). Yet the participation in skill education is low because of poor labour market outcomes. This paper aims to calculate returns to skill education to understand the type of training that will have better labour market outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper nationally representative data from the periodic labour force survey (PLFS), collected by the national sample survey office for 2017-2018, are used to estimate the returns to formal and non-formal VET obtained (after different levels of general education) with the help of Heckman's two-stage method. Findings: Nearly 8% of the working-age population has received some form of VET (mostly non-formal), generating poor returns. For the overall population, formal on-job training (OJT) and full-time VET influence wage positively and significantly. Full-time VET obtained after secondary and below levels of education generates positive returns, whereas part-time VET is profitable only to those without formal education. At the graduate level, technical education obtained along with VET is associated with better wages. Originality/value: In India where a considerable proportion of the workforce is employed in the informal sector, different types of skill training like full-time, part-time and OJT influence labour market outcomes. This finding has policy implication for countries with large informal sector and calls for further research in such countries.
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- 2023
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17. Design, adoption and implementation of electronic waste policies in India.
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Borthakur, Anwesha
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ELECTRONIC waste ,ELECTRONIC waste disposal ,POWER electronics ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
Globally, E-waste is experiencing an unprecedented growth in the recent years. This growth will be fueled further by the COVID-19 pandemic owing to the new work culture where people are becoming more dependent on their electronic products than ever before. However, governance of E-waste, particularly in the Global South, has been a complex phenomenon. Considering this, the current study attempted to assess the design, adoption, and implementation of E-waste policies in India—a major electronics manufacturing hub with a massive consumer electronics market. Taking hints from theoretical concepts such as policy transfer, policy convergence, and policy effectiveness, the study addressed the primary research question: why India adopts E-waste policy approaches that seem inadequate and ineffective in its local contexts and attempts to identify alternative approaches. Through expert interviews and policy document analysis, it was observed that E-waste policy approaches in India are largely influenced by the European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. All the experts interviewed recognized absence of the informal sector in India's policy efforts of both 2011 and 2016 as a significant lacuna in the country's E-waste policy responses. In this paper, the author argues that there should be policy change towards a healthy collaboration between the informal and formal sector where best-of-the-two-worlds could be wisely used for sustainable E-waste governance in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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18. Do different types of vocational education and training programmes influence earnings? Recent evidence from India.
- Author
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Vincent, Andrea and Rajasekhar, Durgam
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VOCATIONAL education ,LABOR market ,LABOR supply ,INFORMAL sector ,TECHNICAL education ,DIALECTICAL behavior therapy - Abstract
Purpose: Indian government initiated several skill development policies and different types of vocational education and training (VET). Yet the participation in skill education is low because of poor labour market outcomes. This paper aims to calculate returns to skill education to understand the type of training that will have better labour market outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper nationally representative data from the periodic labour force survey (PLFS), collected by the national sample survey office for 2017–2018, are used to estimate the returns to formal and non-formal VET obtained (after different levels of general education) with the help of Heckman's two-stage method. Findings: Nearly 8% of the working-age population has received some form of VET (mostly non-formal), generating poor returns. For the overall population, formal on-job training (OJT) and full-time VET influence wage positively and significantly. Full-time VET obtained after secondary and below levels of education generates positive returns, whereas part-time VET is profitable only to those without formal education. At the graduate level, technical education obtained along with VET is associated with better wages. Originality/value: In India where a considerable proportion of the workforce is employed in the informal sector, different types of skill training like full-time, part-time and OJT influence labour market outcomes. This finding has policy implication for countries with large informal sector and calls for further research in such countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
- Full Text
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19. Venture capital industry emergence and development in India and Brazil: the role of the state and challenges for the Global South countries.
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Gonzalo, Manuel, Guimaraes Alves, Nathalia, Federico, Juan, Szapiro, Marina, and Kantis, Hugo
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DEVELOPING countries ,VENTURE capital ,COUNTRIES ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
Most governments around the world are fostering innovation and entrepreneurial systems with a prominent role for venture capital (VC) support policies. However, the debate about the role and impact of VC support policies is still focused on the countries of the Global North. In this context, this paper seeks to describe and analyse the role that the state has played in the emergence and development of the VC industry in India and Brazil, two of the biggest economies of the Global South. We adopt a systemic and evolutionary perspective under the general context of a renewed role for the state in financing innovation. We offer interesting questions and implications to discuss the challenges, scale and impact that could be expected from VC industry support policies in the Global South countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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20. Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment and Earning in Urban India during the First Three Months of Pandemic Period: An Analysis with Unit-Level Data of Periodic Labour Force Survey
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Sengupta, Anindita
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- 2023
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21. Building Sustainable and Decent Refugee Livelihoods through Adult Education? Interplay between Policies and Realities of Five Refugee Groups
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Preeti Dagar
- Abstract
Most of the world's refugees live in Global South countries, where they struggle to find quality education and opportunities for decent livelihoods. This paper explores the underexamined yet highly relevant interlinkage between sustainable livelihoods and adult learning among urban refugees residing in three major cities in India. It speaks to the tight intersection of education, livelihoods and aspirations of five refugee communities: Afghan, Rohingya, Somali, Chin and Tibetan. Building on interviews, focus groups and participatory drawing sessions involving 66 refugee and staff respondents, the study highlights the refugees' extremely limited learning opportunities, which result in low skills and being forced to take discriminatory and undignified work in the informal sector. By integrating the capabilities approach with sustainable livelihoods, the paper argues for more diverse educational opportunities and a broader understanding of refugee livelihoods that goes beyond pure economics to encompass consideration of freedom and human dignity.
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- 2024
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22. Neo-Dualism: Accumulation, Distress, and Proliferation of a Fissured Informality.
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Sadhu, Kasturi and Chakrabarti, Saumya
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INFORMAL sector , *MACROECONOMICS - Abstract
A dominant strand of orthodoxy argues that the problem of the informal sector could be mitigated through the capitalistic growth process. But our observations on India are different—with an expansion of the capitalistic formal sector, as the economy grows, there is a proliferation of fissured informality. Using a structuralist macro-model, we provide certain explanations for this phenomenon, which are also tested empirically using Indian subnational-state and firm-level data. Thus, we explore both the short- and long-run effects of the expansion of the formal sector on the heterogeneous informal economy. While a section of the population is pulled into the advanced informal activities, a vast segment is pushed to petty production. Accordingly, the orthodox transition narrative is questioned and alternative policy and political possibilities are introduced. JEL Classification: O11, O13, O17, P48 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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23. The Complementarity Between the Formal and Informal Sub-sectors of the Indian Industry
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Majeed, Mehak, Mushtaq, Saeed Owais, and Rather, Zahid Gulzar
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- 2022
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24. Contradictions of Neoliberal Urbanism: The Case of Paid Domestic Workers in Indian Cities.
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Sharma, Sonal
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NEOLIBERALISM ,HOUSEHOLD employees ,CITIES & towns ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
This article discusses the contradictions of neoliberal urbanism in the context of Indian cities. Focusing on gated neighborhoods as a quintessential feature of neoliberal urbanism, it unpacks the changing meaning and significance of gated neighborhoods (GNs) and their representative organizations, the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), in mediating the relationship between the propertied middle classes and the urban poor. A few decades into the making, I argue that neoliberal urbanism is beginning to produce contradictory outcomes through its specific elements such as the GNs. Using the case of domestic workers, I show that domestic workers are performing collective actions and targeting GNs as a whole. Domestic workers' actions are subverting the purpose of physical features and institutional features of GNs to their advantage as workers. How can middle-class residents' tools of control and exclusion become the new means of power and resistance for a section of the urban poor—domestic workers? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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25. Informalized Workforce of Women Domestic Workers: Case of Bengaluru Metropolitan Region
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Yadav, Vinita, Jacob, Sherin, Dahiya, Bharat, Series Editor, Kirby, Andrew, Editorial Board Member, Friedberg, Erhard, Editorial Board Member, Singh, Rana P. B., Editorial Board Member, Yu, Kongjian, Editorial Board Member, El Sioufi, Mohamed, Editorial Board Member, Campbell, Tim, Editorial Board Member, Hayashi, Yoshitsugu, Editorial Board Member, Bai, Xuemei, Editorial Board Member, Haase, Dagmar, Editorial Board Member, Arimah, Ben C., Editorial Board Member, and Cirella, Giuseppe T., editor
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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26. Exploring the daily lives of women street vendors in India.
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McKay, Fiona H. and Osborne, Richard H.
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STREET vendors ,MOBILE food services ,EVERYDAY life ,INFORMAL sector ,LIVING conditions ,PERISHABLE foods - Abstract
Indian women enter the informal workforce for a range of reasons. Women food vendors tend to dominate low-income, low-skill activities, such as selling perishable food items. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of women food vendors in India. Twenty-four women were interviewed in 2015 and 2016 about financial matters, livelihoods, family, and housing, and the experience of vending. Findings indicate that women vendors are financially vulnerable, need greater access to education, better work and living conditions, and greater financial management options. Policies and programmes aimed at informal sector workers must recognise gender-specific vulnerabilities facing women vendors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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27. Flexibility and Informalisation of Labour: Intangible Assets, Family and the Informal Economy in India.
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Yadav, Smytta
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RURAL poor , *INFORMAL sector , *INTANGIBLE property , *LIFE course approach , *NEOLIBERALISM - Abstract
In this article, I demonstrate, through the use of the life course perspective, how informal work in the form of verbal wage contracts might lead to dignity and autonomy amongst the rural poor. The article draws attention to a broader comparative context of how indigenous autonomies are produced. In that they have the relative freedom to engage in a range of informal work as discussed, the Gonds' autonomy in a neoliberal sense consists of self-governance, which draws attention to the indigenous community's conception of the self as an economic and autonomous entity that is sustained by a range of social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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28. Informal Work and the Appropriation of Social Reproduction in Home-Based Work in India.
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Boeri, Natascia
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SOCIAL reproduction ,UNPAID labor ,LABOR supply ,HOUSEKEEPING ,INFORMAL sector ,SOCIAL services - Abstract
Home-based work is among the largest forms of employment in the informal economy in India and is overwhelmingly represented by women. Employing a social reproduction framework that reframes what is counted as labor, this article asks how women's unpaid work activities are appropriated as labor in subcontracted home-based work. Applying this analytical framework, it becomes clear that domestic work in the home, often completed by women, is needed and exploited in this production process as a result of gendered constructs of care. The contribution considers how unpaid work is directly appropriated by capital as surplus value. The context of informal work is key here because of the irregular and fragmented production process, the space where work occurs, and the use of unpaid family workers. The goal of this research is to offer empirical evidence that broadens analytical perspectives to account for the context of informality in the Global South. HIGHLIGHTS Subcontracted home-based work in India relies on a gendered, fragmented, and precarious labor force. Unpaid caregiving and household work directly contributes to profit-making. Western analytical concepts of the economy need to be reexamined in the context of the postcolonial informal economies. Research tools that measure economic participation need to capture how unpaid activities directly or indirectly contribute to economic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
- Full Text
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29. Labour force participation among the elderly in India: what does the latest data show?
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Roy, Paramita and Barua, Anshuman
- Subjects
LABOR supply ,OLDER people ,LIVING alone ,SOCIAL security ,INFORMAL sector ,EDUCATIONAL attainment ,SOCIAL security beneficiaries ,OLDER patients - Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the labour force participation among the elderly population (aged 60 and above) in India from data available for the most recent time periods. The paper reviews the types of employment, industries and occupations that the elderly in India are employed in presently and also examines the impact of different factors on the decision of the elderly to be a part of the labour force. Design/methodology/approach: Unit-level data has been extracted from the most recent data available on employment and labour force in India provided by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), from 2017 to 2018 to 2019–2020. Binary logistic regression model has been used to identify some of the socio-economic and demographic factors that influence the odds of the elderly being a part of the labour force along with the extent of their influence, and Wald statistic has been used to examine the dynamics. Findings: The study finds that among the elderly population, males, individuals living in rural areas, those living alone, those who are currently married and those with low educational attainment are more likely to be a part of the labour force. Again, elderly females are found to be employed mostly in the informal or unorganised sector which provide minimal or nil social security benefits. Between 2017–2018 and 2019–2020, the coefficients for sector, gender, marital status, education and income are found to be significantly different. Originality/value: This paper attempts to shed some light on the scanty literature with regards to studies on the elderly in India, and also to reveal the possible factors which induce the elderly in India to participate in the labour force with the help of the most recent data available. Peer review: The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2021-0350. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Impact of COVID-19 restrictive measures on income and health service utilization of tuberculosis patients in India
- Author
-
Chatterjee, Susmita, Das, Palash, and Vassall, Anna
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Legal segmentation in China, India, Malaysia and Viet Nam.
- Author
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COONEY, Sean
- Subjects
LEGAL terminology ,LABOR market ,LEGAL history ,LEGAL language ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
This article applies a qualitative approach to the legal segmentation analysis developed by Dingeldey et al. (2021), considering exclusion from, and hierarchies of, worker protection. Examining the cases of China, India, Malaysia and Viet Nam, the author finds that several factors distinguish these countries from those in the global North and produce distinct labour market outcomes, namely: in terms of the relative size of the workforce operating outside the effective coverage of employment regulation; legal terminology that is not readily translated into Western languages; and legal history, especially as regards the mismatch between statutory frameworks and the labour market resulting from colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Segmentación legal del trabajo en China, la India, Malasia y Viet Nam.
- Author
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COONEY, Sean
- Subjects
LABOR laws ,LABOR market segmentation ,INFORMAL sector ,LABOR market - Abstract
Resumen: Siguiendo el marco de Dingeldey et al. (2021), pero con un enfoque cualitativo, se analiza la segmentación legal del trabajo en China, la India, Malasia y Viet Nam, prestando atención a los niveles de exclusión y a las jerarquías de protección otorgada. El autor observa varios factores que diferencian a estos países de los del Norte y que determinan sus mercados de trabajo: el tamaño relativo de la población activa que opera fuera de la cobertura efectiva de la reglamentación laboral; la terminología jurídica, de difícil traducción a los idiomas occidentales; y la historia jurídica, especialmente en lo que respecta al desajuste entre los marcos jurídicos y el mercado laboral resultante del colonialismo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Working Lives in India: Current Insights and Future Directions.
- Author
-
Hammer, Anita, Keles, Janroj Yilmaz, and Olsen, Wendy
- Subjects
PRODUCTIVE life span ,EMERGING markets ,DEVELOPING countries ,INFORMAL sector ,DECOLONIZATION - Abstract
India presents a rich context for research on work and employment, epitomising the paradox of an 'emerging economy' but one where 92.4% of the workforce is informal – insecure, unprotected, poor – and women and disadvantaged groups most vulnerable. It displays a wide range of production relations in its formal/informal economy, embedded in diverse social relations, and the related forms of exploitation and resistance. This WES Themed Collection aims to review existing WES scholarship on India since 2001, identifying both gaps in scholarship and fruitful avenues for future research on India. The purpose is to showcase some of this scholarship while also advancing the internationalisation and expansion of the journal's presence in countries in the Global South. This effort is timely as decolonisation of scholarship and increased focus on the South is on the intellectual agenda, challenging established structures of power and knowledge in academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Structural Transformation and Employment Generation in India: Past Performance and the Way Forward.
- Author
-
Basole, Amit
- Subjects
LABOR productivity ,EMPLOYMENT ,INFORMAL sector ,INCOME ,DEVELOPING countries ,ECONOMIC activity - Abstract
Historical experience suggests that a sustained rise in per capita incomes and improvement in employment conditions is not attainable without a structural transformation that moves surplus labour from agriculture and other informal economic activities to higher productivity activities in the non-farm economy. In this paper, I analyse India's performance from a cross-country comparative perspective, estimating the growth semi-elasticity of structural change. Using a cross-country panel regression, I estimate the effectiveness of growth in moving workers away from agricultural and informal activities as compared to other developing countries at similar levels of per capita income. I show that the performance in pulling workers out of agriculture is as expected given its level and growth of GDP per capita, but the same is not true for pulling workers out of the informal sector. I also propose the following five indicators that need to be kept track of when evaluating the growth process: the growth elasticity of employment, the growth semi-elasticity of structural change, the growth of labour productivity in the subsistence sector, the share of the organised sector in total employment and the workforce participation rate. Comparing these indicators across periods, states, regions or countries, allows us to understand which sets of policies have worked better than others to effective improvements in employment conditions. And taken together the indicators allow us to set structural change targets as well as to say whether the current pattern of growth is going to be sufficient to meet those targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Responding to the Multifaceted COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of Mumbai, India.
- Author
-
Duvendack, Maren and Sonne, Lina
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,COVID-19 ,INFORMAL sector ,SYSTEMS theory ,PANDEMICS ,NONPROFIT organizations - Abstract
COVID-19 has severely impacted the society not only in terms of health but also in terms of economic survival of individuals. Unless adequate support is provided, the pandemic will have long-lasting effects, especially on the lives of the most vulnerable, often working in the informal sector. In this article, we present a case study drawing on systems thinking and complexity theory, outlining how the city of Mumbai has responded to COVID-19. We find a multifaceted scenario where non-profit organizations, businesses and citizen volunteers operate alongside government bodies to support Mumbai's population to overcome this pandemic. We provide broader policy lessons, as well as more specific lessons in relation to particular actors, from the first wave of the pandemic stressing the importance of becoming 'systems thinkers' and highlighting the importance of forming new partnerships and exploring new modes of knowledge sharing to effectively respond to crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Returns to formal and informal vocational education and training in India.
- Author
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Bahl, Shweta, Bhatt, Vasavi, and Sharma, Ajay
- Subjects
VOCATIONAL education ,NONFORMAL education ,PROPENSITY score matching ,LIFE cycles (Biology) ,LEAST squares ,SCHOOL-to-work transition ,INFORMAL sector ,HUMAN capital - Abstract
Purpose: In the process of school-to-work transition, the role of general education and vocational education and training (VET) remains quite central. Based on the human capital theory, we estimate whether investment in VET brings additional returns for workers across the age cohorts. Design/methodology/approach: The focus of our study being the labour market in India, the data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018–19, conducted by the National Statistical Office, has been used for analysis. We have applied the ordinary least square method with sample selection correction, the quasi-experimental technique of propensity score matching and heteroskedasticity based instrumental variable approach to estimate the returns with respect to no VET, formal VET and informal VET. Findings: Our study shows that workers with formal VET earn higher wages than workers with no VET or informal VET. The study finds that workers with informal VET do not earn higher wages than workers with no VET. Moreover, from the age cohort analysis, we have deduced that wage advantage of workers with formal VET persists across all age cohorts and, in fact, accentuates with an increase in age. Originality/value: We have estimated that VET being complemented with basic general education fetches higher returns in the labour market, especially when provided through formal channels. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, in the case of developing countries where informal VET is widely provided, this is one of the first studies that captures the return to informal VET. Lastly, complementing the existing studies on the developed countries, we have estimated the returns to VET over the life cycle of the workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Plastic waste management practices pertaining to India with particular focus on emerging technologies.
- Author
-
Kataki, Sampriti, Nityanand, Krithika, Chatterjee, Soumya, Dwivedi, Sanjai K., and Kamboj, Dev Vrat
- Subjects
WASTE management ,PLASTIC scrap ,SOCIAL impact ,FOOD habits ,PLASTICS ,INFORMAL sector ,INNOVATION adoption - Abstract
Under the parent petrochemical industries, plastic industry is proliferating enormously over the past several years globally due to its advantages in terms of weight, robustness, expense, versatility, and durability. Due to the diversified consumer base representing varied climate zones, food habits, and standards of living, the generation and growth opportunities for the plastic industry in India are particularly distinct and humongous. The present work extensively reviews the Indian plastic industry with primary focus on the evolving technologies for plastic waste valorization encompassing their level of utilization, technology readiness, and progress achieved at R&D level. The study attempts to recognize different issues related to technology, recycling, policy, research, regulation that should be given attention to formulate an improved plastic waste management strategy in the region. Though significant shares of waste plastics in the country are processed by traditional practices, state-of-the-art technologies primarily plastic to oil conversion, in road making and in cement manufacturing, are being deployed at increasing rate. Action to tackle the problem of plastic contamination in India will need to adopt a pan India strategic consensus/concurrent approach for effective waste collection and segregation with active participation of urban local bodies, fixing the role of the informal sectors, investment for reliable technology adoption with skilled manpower for operation, adoption of circular economy schemes involving plastic waste co-processing, and providing support to work on R&D for better penetration of the proven plastic valorization options along with their environmental and social implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. The COVID‐19 pandemic: Narratives of informal women workers in Indian Punjab.
- Author
-
Singh, Nadia and Kaur, Areet
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,MATERNAL health services ,INFORMAL sector ,AUTONOMY (Economics) ,WOMEN'S employment ,HOUSEKEEPING - Abstract
The COVID‐19 crisis has translated into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis for the poor and marginalized groups in society. The countrywide lockdowns, quarantine measures, and mobility restrictions across 200 countries of the world have resulted in a host of negative manifestations for women. There have been unprecedented losses in the informal economy, which is dominated by women. Some scholars also contend that the pandemic will translate into heightened burden of unpaid domestic work, loss of economic autonomy and disruption to maternal health services. Despite these factors a gendered perspective is absent in the policy response to this crisis. It is against this background that the present paper employed a feminist intersectionality lens to conduct participatory field based research on the lived experiences of women in informal employment in Indian Punjab during the COVID‐19 crisis. The research unearthed the specific pathways through which existing socio‐economic inequities rooted in caste, class and occupational entities magnify the vulnerabilities experienced by women during such a health crisis. The research offers a contextualized framework for understanding the gendered impacts of the crisis. It also highlights the urgency of taking account of gender specific constraints during the health crisis so as to institute robust, effective and equitable policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Life, labour, and dreams: one woman's life in Old Delhi.
- Author
-
Menon, Kalyani Devaki
- Subjects
MUSLIM women ,LABOR ,INFORMAL sector - Abstract
The many Muslim women who make up India's burgeoning informal economy, challenge any attempt to reduce them to homemakers whose lives are delimited by culture and religion. An examination of their lives reveals the complex forces that shape their worlds, and illuminates how they variously negotiate landscapes of inequality in contemporary India. Here I focus on the biography of one Muslim widow to illustrate how she labours to live and dream in contemporary India as various social forces intersect to create precarity in her life. While neoliberal priorities and a shrinking social safety-net affect underprivileged women across religious lines, the intersection of gender, class, and religion in Hindu majoritarian India has made it even more challenging for low-income Muslim women like her to make ends meet. However, dominant forces are not totalising, and the biographical method reveals how one woman negotiates precarity, employing various skills as she adapts to changing conditions, juggling multiple jobs to meet expenses, and envisioning a better future. We see not just the deep inequalities that create precarity for some, but also how dreams can be a material force in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. India's tryst with Modi-fare 2014–19: towards a universalistic welfare regime.
- Author
-
Nakray, Keerty
- Subjects
PUBLIC welfare ,WELFARE state ,INFORMAL sector ,SOCIAL security ,SOCIAL policy - Abstract
Purpose: This paper examines India's tryst with welfare/dis-fare with a specific focus on Modi Sarkar's (2014–2019) dirigiste style reforms. In the welfare regime research, Esping-Andersen (1990) classified advanced economies into three ideal-types of liberal, conservative-corporatist and social-democratic welfare states by government-led welfare provisions and levels of decommodification. The classical typology discussions include countries such as India which is classified as informal-insecurity regime due to a large informal economy with no social security for workers. Based on theoretical standpoints of the political economy of welfare states, comparative historical institutionalism and critical junctures this article examines Modifare has expanded formal welfare to its citizens. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses crisp-set analysis to examine the social policy developments under Modi's regime in India. Findings: This paper examines if the centre-right Modi government did bring about a radical departure from UPA I and II lacklustre welfare approach to the more strategic use of welfare reforms as a political weapon on a national scale. It concludes that Modi-fare falls short in being transformatory. Originality/value: The article is an original contribution to the field of comparative welfare regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. An integrated multi-criteria decision-making approach for evaluating e-waste mitigation strategies.
- Author
-
Karuppiah, Koppiahraj and Sankaranarayanan, Bathrinath
- Subjects
ELECTRONIC waste ,ELECTRONIC waste management ,ANALYTIC hierarchy process ,RECYCLING centers ,ILLEGAL imports ,INFORMAL sector ,TOPSIS method - Abstract
The need for effective electronic waste (e-waste) management practices has received wide attention due to increased societal awareness; however, the existence of challenges adds difficulties. This study identifies these critical e-waste management challenges through extensive literature reviews and targeted interaction with e-waste recycling units, and our work suggests strategies for e-waste mitigation. Then, an integrated framework of four methods — Fermatean fuzzy set (FFS), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), and Technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) – calculates the weightage of the challenges, depicts causal interrelationships among the challenges, and ranks the mitigation strategies. For India, the top five most critical challenges to e-waste management practices include the booming informal sector, illegal import of e-waste, lack of technical expertise, absence of guidelines for e-waste recycling, and lack of data inventory. India's governmental establishment of an infrastructure for modern e-waste management represents the best potential strategy. Understanding the causal interrelationship and weightage of the challenges may help policymakers, industrial practitioners, and government agencies streamline e-waste management activities. • This study analyzes the e-waste mitigation strategies by taking into account the challenges involved. • An integrated MCDM approach consisting of FFS - AHP - DEMATEL – TOPSIS is used in this study. • E-waste recycling facility centers located in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh are considered for the case study. • Establishment of infrastructure for modern e-waste management is the most potential e-waste management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Design, adoption and implementation of electronic waste policies in India
- Author
-
Anwesha Borthakur
- Subjects
Policy effectiveness ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Formal recycling sector ,India ,Environmental Chemistry ,General Medicine ,Informal sector ,E-waste ,Policy transfer ,Pollution ,WEEE Directive - Abstract
Globally, E-waste is experiencing an unprecedented growth in the recent years. This growth will be fueled further by the COVID-19 pandemic owing to the new work culture where people are becoming more dependent on their electronic products than ever before. However, governance of E-waste, particularly in the Global South, has been a complex phenomenon. Considering this, the current study attempted to assess the design, adoption, and implementation of E-waste policies in India-a major electronics manufacturing hub with a massive consumer electronics market. Taking hints from theoretical concepts such as policy transfer, policy convergence, and policy effectiveness, the study addressed the primary research question: why India adopts E-waste policy approaches that seem inadequate and ineffective in its local contexts and attempts to identify alternative approaches. Through expert interviews and policy document analysis, it was observed that E-waste policy approaches in India are largely influenced by the European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. All the experts interviewed recognized absence of the informal sector in India's policy efforts of both 2011 and 2016 as a significant lacuna in the country's E-waste policy responses. In this paper, the author argues that there should be policy change towards a healthy collaboration between the informal and formal sector where best-of-the-two-worlds could be wisely used for sustainable E-waste governance in India. ispartof: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH vol:30 issue:4 pages:8672-8681 ispartof: location:Germany status: published
- Published
- 2022
43. A two-decade history of women's entrepreneurship research trajectories in developing economies context: perspectives from India.
- Author
-
Dana, Léo-Paul, Chhabra, Meghna, and Agarwal, Monika
- Subjects
INDIAN women (Asians) ,WOMEN'S history ,EMBEDDEDNESS (Socioeconomic theory) ,BIBLIOMETRICS ,WOMEN'S empowerment ,ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Abstract
Purpose: This paper seeks to add a historical perspective to the contemporary debate concerning women's entrepreneurship in India. This study aims to explore the quantitative and qualitative research map of the research field of women's entrepreneurship. Through this exploration, the authors aim to portray the historical and contemporary factors related to women's entrepreneurship development in India, the problems and the opportunities. Future research opportunities are also identified based on the keyword analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a systematic literature review to analyze the historical and theoretical perspectives of women's entrepreneurship in India. The bibliometric analysis portrays the publication landscape, including the most popular journals, authors and countries, citation analysis and keyword analysis. The content analysis reveals the thematic clusters of the research field. Findings: The content analysis of the management literature on women's entrepreneurship reveals four primary clusters from the research: contextual embeddedness in women's entrepreneurship, reasons for starting a business, microfinance interventions and empowerment of women entrepreneurs and marginalization dynamics for women entrepreneurs in India's informal sector. The study also presents implications for policymakers and a women entrepreneurs' development framework. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively analyze the management literature on women's entrepreneurship in India from a historical perspective. The study combines bibliometric mapping and content analysis for a holistic presentation of the research field of women's entrepreneurship in India and future research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Occupational physical risk factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among the traditional lacquerware toy makers of South India
- Author
-
Sakthivel Gnanasekaran, Pradeep Kumar Hanumegowda, Subramaniam Shankar, and Adarsh Honnappa
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Informal sector ,business.industry ,Rehabilitation ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,India ,Questionnaire ,Human factors and ergonomics ,Occupational Diseases ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Work (electrical) ,Risk Factors ,Handicraft ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Environmental health ,Intervention (counseling) ,Prevalence ,Humans ,Population study ,Medicine ,Female ,Musculoskeletal Diseases ,business ,Body mass index - Abstract
BACKGROUND: The majority of handicraft workers in India falls under the informal sector, which plays a prominent role in the employment generation. Artisans in handicraft sectors encounter various hazards and risks causing occupational diseases. OBJECTIVE: The key objective of the study is to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and occupational risk factors among the artisans involved in making traditional lacquerware toys in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, South India. METHODS: The subjects considered in this study are 177 artisans who work in mechanized lathes at Channapatna of Karnataka and Etikoppaka of Andhra Pradesh, South India. The information regarding the reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) symptoms from 7 days to 12 months are collected through modified Standardized Nordic Questionnaire and by direct observations. Moreover, the intervention of WMSD in their day-to-day life and the overall comfort of their body are also determined. The questionnaire survey is conducted through face-to-face interviews and by direct field study. RESULTS: From the statistical analysis, it is found that about 76.83%of the study population (77.4%male and 74.28%female) has self-reported WMSDs. The prevalence of WMSD is most common in the age group of 30–40 years. Physical factors like workplace adaptability, stress at work, body postures, health status, body mass index, active and enough breaks during work and body condition at the end of work have a significant association with WMSD. CONCLUSION: In this study, many of the work-related and lifestyle/health-related factors show a significant association with WMSD in artisans. The sub-standard working environment and the nature of work expose artisans to many occupational risks in their day-to-day life. To mitigate the occupational risks and musculoskeletal disorders, the workspace needs to be redesigned ergonomically.
- Published
- 2021
45. Studies from SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies Further Understanding of Malnutrition (Financial stress, health and malnourishment among older adults in India).
- Subjects
FINANCIAL stress ,OLDER people ,MALNUTRITION ,INFORMAL sector ,NUTRITION policy ,NUTRITIONAL assessment ,NUTRITIONAL status - Abstract
A new report from SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies explores the impact of financial stress and insecurity on adult malnutrition in India. The study analyzes data from 59,764 respondents aged 45 and above and categorizes malnutrition into low risk, high risk group 1 (undernourished), and high risk group 2 (over-nourished). The research finds that financial insecurity, particularly in the informal and agricultural sectors, coupled with poor mental health, hinders positive nutritional outcomes. The study suggests that implementing universal pro-poor policies to fortify food security and integrating mental health variables in nutrition policies can help address adult malnourishment in India. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
46. The COVID‐19 pandemic: Narratives of informal women workers in Indian Punjab
- Author
-
Nadia Singh and Areet Kaur
- Subjects
Intersectionality ,Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management ,Economic growth ,Informal sector ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Caste ,Humanitarian crisis ,Psychological intervention ,India ,Citizen journalism ,Gender Studies ,COVID‐19 ,Political science ,Pandemic ,informal employment ,Original Article ,intersectionality ,multidimensional poverty ,Autonomy ,media_common - Abstract
The COVID‐19 crisis has translated into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis for the poor and marginalized groups in society. The countrywide lockdowns, quarantine measures, and mobility restrictions across 200 countries of the world have resulted in a host of negative manifestations for women. There have been unprecedented losses in the informal economy, which is dominated by women. Some scholars also contend that the pandemic will translate into heightened burden of unpaid domestic work, loss of economic autonomy and disruption to maternal health services. Despite these factors a gendered perspective is absent in the policy response to this crisis. It is against this background that the present paper employed a feminist intersectionality lens to conduct participatory field based research on the lived experiences of women in informal employment in Indian Punjab during the COVID‐19 crisis. The research unearthed the specific pathways through which existing socio‐economic inequities rooted in caste, class and occupational entities magnify the vulnerabilities experienced by women during such a health crisis. The research offers a contextualized framework for understanding the gendered impacts of the crisis. It also highlights the urgency of taking account of gender specific constraints during the health crisis so as to institute robust, effective and equitable policy interventions.
- Published
- 2021
47. The Gendered Crisis: Livelihoods and Mental Well-Being in India during COVID-19
- Author
-
Sanchari Roy, Farzana Afridi, and amrita dhillon
- Subjects
social networks ,J16 ,J22 ,employment ,J23 ,ddc:330 ,gender ,COVID-19 ,wage employment ,India ,informal sector ,O14 ,mental health - Abstract
This paper studies the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gendered dimensions of employment and mental health among urban informal-sector workers in India. First, we find that men's employment declined by 84 percentage points during pandemic relative to pre-pandemic employment, while their monthly earnings fell by 89 per cent relative to the baseline mean. In contrast, women did not experience any significant impact on employment during pandemic, as reported by their husbands. Second, we document very high levels of pandemic-induced mental stress, with wives reporting greater stress than husbands. Third, this gendered pattern in pandemic-induced mental stress is partly explained by men's employment losses, which affected wives more than husbands. In contrast, women staying employed during the pandemic is associated with worse mental health for them and their (unemployed) husbands. Fourth, pre-existing social networks are associated with higher mental stress for women relative to men, possibly due to the 'home-based' nature of women's networks.
- Published
- 2022
48. The Politics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India
- Author
-
Uma Purushothaman and John S Moolakkattu
- Subjects
Government ,Economic growth ,vaccine diplomacy ,Informal sector ,Emergency management ,business.industry ,dissent ,Humanitarian crisis ,General Social Sciences ,Social Sciences ,federal structure ,India ,lockdown ,Politics ,foreign policy ,Foreign policy ,Central government ,Political science ,disaster management ,Federalism ,business - Abstract
India responded to the COVID-19 measures abruptly and in a tough manner during the early stages of the pandemic. Its response did not take into consideration the socio-economic life of the majority of people in India who work in the informal sector and the sheer diversity of the country. The imposition of a nationwide lockdown using the Disaster Management Act 2005 enabled the Union Government to impose its will on the whole country. India has a federal system, and health is a state subject. Such an overbearing role on the part of the Central Government did not, however, lead to coordinated action. Some states expressed their differences, but eventually all complied with the central guidelines. The COVID-19 pandemic struck at a time when an agitation was going on in the country, especially in New Delhi, against the Citizen Amendment Act. The lockdown was imposed all of a sudden and was extended until 31 May. This led to a humanitarian crisis involving a large number of domestic migrant workers, who were left stranded with no income for survival and no means of transport to go home. Indians abroad who were intending to return also found themselves trapped. Dissenting voices were silenced through arrests and detentions during this period, and the victims included rights activists, students, lawyers, and even some academics. Power tussles and elections continued as usual and the social distancing norms were often compromised. Since COVID-19 containment measures were carried out primarily at the state level, this paper will also selectively draw on their experiences. India also used the opportunity to burnish its credentials as the ‘pharmacy of the world’ by sending medical supplies to over a hundred countries. In the second wave, there were many deaths, but the government was accused of undercounting them and of not doing enough to deliver vaccines to Indians. This paper will deal with the conflicts, contestations and the foreign policy fallout following the onset of the pandemic and the measures adopted by the union government to cope with them, with less focus on the economic and epidemiological aspects of pandemic management. This paper looks at previous studies, press reports, and press releases by government agencies to collect the needed data. A descriptive and analytical approach is followed in the paper.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. The Politics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India.
- Author
-
Purushothaman, Uma and Moolakkattu, John S.
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,SOCIAL status ,INFORMAL sector ,EMERGENCY management laws - Abstract
India responded to the COVID-19 measures abruptly and in a tough manner during the early stages of the pandemic. Its response did not take into consideration the socio-economic life of the majority of people in India who work in the informal sector and the sheer diversity of the country. The imposition of a nationwide lockdown using the Disaster Management Act 2005 enabled the Union Government to impose its will on the whole country. India has a federal system, and health is a state subject. Such an overbearing role on the part of the Central Government did not, however, lead to coordinated action. Some states expressed their differences, but eventually all complied with the central guidelines. The COVID-19 pandemic struck at a time when an agitation was going on in the country, especially in New Delhi, against the Citizen Amendment Act. The lockdown was imposed all of a sudden and was extended until 31 May. This led to a humanitarian crisis involving a large number of domestic migrant workers, who were left stranded with no income for survival and no means of transport to go home. Indians abroad who were intending to return also found themselves trapped. Dissenting voices were silenced through arrests and detentions during this period, and the victims included rights activists, students, lawyers, and even some academics. Power tussles and elections continued as usual and the social distancing norms were often compromised. Since COVID-19 containment measures were carried out primarily at the state level, this paper will also selectively draw on their experiences. India also used the opportunity to burnish its credentials as the 'pharmacy of the world' by sending medical supplies to over a hundred countries. In the second wave, there were many deaths, but the government was accused of undercounting them and of not doing enough to deliver vaccines to Indians. This paper will deal with the conflicts, contestations and the foreign policy fallout following the onset of the pandemic and the measures adopted by the union government to cope with them, with less focus on the economic and epidemiological aspects of pandemic management. This paper looks at previous studies, press reports, and press releases by government agencies to collect the needed data. A descriptive and analytical approach is followed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. African migrants plight in India: Afrophobia impedes India's race for Africa's resources and markets
- Author
-
Kohnert, Dirk
- Subjects
Afrophobia ,Africa ,India ,racsim ,remittances ,informal sector ,Slave trade ,migration ,minorities - Abstract
& RÉSUMÉ & ZUSAMMENFASSUNG : Africa and India share a long history of trade, investment and slavery. The Portuguese alone brought up to 80,000 slaves from Mozambique to India since the 16th century. Unlike slaves in other parts of the world, African slaves, soldiers, and traders had a strong military and cultural influence on India's culture and society. Some of the slaves even held privileged positions. Today India competes with other global players, especially China, for African resources and markets. Growing racism and Afrophobia towards African migrants, however, could hamper the ambitions of the New-Delhi government. India's social networks and political leaders are increasingly looking for scapegoats and “strangers” to blame for their failures due to religious, racist and linguistic prejudice. Racism and Afrophobia did not appear first under Modi's administration, but they have become more daunting and contagious. The famous Indian writer and political activist, Arundhati Roy, rated Indian racism towards black people as almost worse than white peoples" racism. For example, Africans, who were often summarily disqualified as „Nigerians", were generally accused of being drug dealers and even suspected of „cannibalism". Yet, Indian authorities at all political levels did not effectively counter this. On the contrary, they not infrequently encouraged these prejudices. Modi, for example, compared breakaway Indian regions to „Somalia". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RÉSUMÉ : L'Afrique et l'Inde partagent une longue histoire de commerce, d'investissement et d'esclavage. Les Portugais à eux seuls ont amené jusqu'à 80 000 esclaves du Mozambique en Inde depuis le XVIe siècle. Contrairement aux esclaves d'autres parties du monde, les esclaves, les soldats et les commerçants africains ont eu une forte influence militaire et culturelle sur la culture et la société indiennes. Certains d'entre eux occupaient même des postes privilégiés. Aujourd'hui, l'Inde est en concurrence avec d'autres acteurs mondiaux, en particulier la Chine, pour les ressources et les marchés africains. La montée du racisme et de l'Afrophobie envers les migrants africains pourrait cependant freiner les ambitions du gouvernement de New-Delhi. Les réseaux sociaux et les dirigeants politiques indiens recherchent de plus en plus des boucs émissaires et des « étrangers » à blâmer pour leurs échecs dus à des préjugés religieux, racistes et linguistiques. Le racisme et l'Afrophobie ne sont pas apparus en premier sous l'administration Modi, mais ils sont devenus plus intimidants et contagieux. Le célèbre écrivain et militant politique indien, Arundhati Roy, a qualifié le racisme indien envers les Noirs de presque pire que le racisme des Blancs. Par exemple, les Africains, qui étaient souvent sommairement disqualifiés de « Nigériens », étaient généralement accusés d'être des trafiquants de drogue, et même soupçonnés de « cannibalisme ». Pourtant, les autorités indiennes à tous les niveaux politiques n'ont pas réussi à contrer efficacement cela. Au contraire, ils ont souvent encouragé ces préjugés. Modi, par exemple, a comparé les régions indiennes dissidents à la « Somalie ». ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ZUSAMMENFASSUNG : Afrika und Indien teilen sich eine lange Geschichte von Handel, Investitionen und Sklaverei. Allein die Portugiesen brachten seit dem 16. Jahrhundert bis zu 80.000 Sklaven aus Mocambique nach Indien. Im Gegensatz zu Sklaven in anderen Teilen der Welt hatten afrikanische Sklaven, Soldaten und Händler einen starken militärischen und kulturellen Einfluss auf Indiens Kultur und Gesellschaft. Einige von ihnen besetzten sogar privilegierte Positionen. Heute konkurriert Indien mit anderen Global Playern, insbesondere China, um afrikanische Ressourcen und Märkte. Wachsender Rassismus und Afrophobie gegenüber afrikanischen Migranten könnten jedoch Indiens Ambitionen behindern. Indiens soziale Netzwerke und politische Führer suchen aufgrund religiöser, rassistischer und sprachlicher Vorurteile zunehmend nach Sündenböcken und „Fremden“, die sie für ihr Versagen verantwortlich machen könnten. Rassismus und Afrophobie traten unter Modis Regierung zwar nicht zuerst auf, aber sie wurden abschreckender und ansteckender. Die berühmte indische Schriftstellerin und politische Aktivistin Arundhati Roy bewertete den indischen Rassismus gegenüber Schwarzen fast noch schlimmer als den Rassismus der Weißen So wurden Afrikaner, die oft summarisch als „Nigerianer“ disqualifiziert wurden, im Allgemeinen als Drogendealer beschuldigt und sogar des „Kannibalismus“ verdächtigt. Doch die indischen Behörden auf allen politischen Ebenen traten dem nicht effektiv entgegen. Im Gegenteil, sie förderten nicht selten diese Vorurteile. Modi, zum Beispiel, verglich abtrünnige indische Regionen mit „Somalia“. 
- Published
- 2021
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