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We describe a research-for-development (R4D) strategy developed to address how investments and interventions in agricultural intensification as a means to achieve community development can be designed to be more socially inclusive and equitable. We draw on results from a 5-year project – Promoting socially inclusive and sustainable agricultural intensification in West Bengal (India) and southern Bangladesh (SIAGI). We reflect on a major pivot in the project's strategy, from being primarily research-driven to placing community concerns and priorities at the centre with a shift towards Ethical Community Engagement (ECE). This became the foundational framework which guided the definition and undertaking of all subsequent activities – including a rethink of methods and concepts to develop tools and frameworks fit for purpose and local context, and inculcating a culture of reflexivity and mutual learning in the project. We show that creating the conditions for true participation, where project beneficiaries and non-government organizations are equal partners alongside researchers and government actors, and for co-learning using the ECE framework, sets the foundations for increased and potentially enduring social inclusion in agricultural intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to observe a day's break as the Planet Day (While the proposed day can also be named as the Gaia Day (after James Lovelock), Planet Day seems to be simpler and easier name for better understanding by the masses and greater connect of the issues with them. Hence, here the proposed day is termed as the Planet Day) every month to allow the nature to heal and ensure sustainability of the planet in the long run. Based on the concept of sustainable degrowth, the paper carries out benefit–cost analysis of the proposed Planet Day and presents a framework based on extensive literature review, secondary data analysis and stakeholders' (Here, participants are referred to as one of the "stakeholders" in the sense that every human being who lives on this planet is accountable for the harm done to it and is impacted by ecological degradation. Hence, they are supposed to contribute to healing of the nature through appropriate initiatives both individually and collectively. In addition to the common residents, there are other stakeholders of the ecology as well such as the government, the business enterprises, and manufacturing firms, etc.) perceptions through a non-random convenience sample survey. The paper finds that the net benefit from the Planet Day amounts to be USD 9002.37 billion across the world and USD 102.48 billion for India per annum. The respondents also perceive the proposed Planet Day as ecologically and economically beneficial and thus support the idea of healing time for the planet. However, a critical challenge is to take different stakeholders on board, ensure their active participation, and design appropriate institutional mechanisms for its successful implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of economic reforms in general and subsequent wave of M&A in particular, this paper attempts to examine the impact of M&A on the export competitiveness of firms in the Indian manufacturing sector. By using a panel dataset of 33 industries from the period of 2000-01 to 2007-08, it is found that, the wave of M&A has enhanced the export competitiveness of firms. The industries with larger number of M&A have greater penetration in the international market. The other factors that have significantly contributed to export competitiveness include the presence of MNCs and import of foreign technology. Export competiveness is higher in the industries that have larger presence of MNCs and greater foreign technology purchase intensity. On the other hand, industries with higher capital intensity or greater selling efforts by firms have limited penetration in the international market. However, this paper did not find any significant influence of market concentration, competition from imports, in-house efforts, or profitability on export competitiveness of firms. Therefore, the findings from this paper have important policy implications in relation to the regulation of M&A and entry of MNCs as well as the import of capital goods.