Thursday, December 13, 2018

14 December 2018: Is Housing an Intractable Problem?

Richard K. Green
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

Discussant:
Sameer Sharma, DG & CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)

Abstract:
All over the world, in rich countries and poor, housing is a problem. In rich countries it is too expensive, in the absence of subsidy, for those at the bottom of the income distribution. In poor countries, vast numbers lack access to infrastructure that makes housing healthy and accessible: electricity, sewer systems, clean water, and transport. The countries that best house their people—Singapore, Norway, New Zealand and Switzerland—are affluent and have small populations. This talk will look at the strengths and weaknesses of housing policy across a number of countries. It will look at the role of formal property rights, land use regulation, building permit processes, supply and demand side subsidies, and housing finance. It will also discuss value capture as a technique for at once encouraging the construction of new housing while financing the infrastructure necessary to allow dwellers of that housing to be healthy and to have access to employment. While there are policies that do improve housing outcomes, one possibly intractable problem facing successful cities is latent demand. In principle, one could build enough housing to meet demand for any growing city (such as Shanghai or Bangalore), but as a physical, rather than a policy matter, this can be difficult. This implies that very successful cities will need subsidies in order to have the heterogeneous labor force necessary for an economy to thrive. The talk will end by discussing what those subsidies might look like.

Date: December 14, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact and zkazmi@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

20 December 2018: Managing a Water Utility in the United States: Lessons in Operations and Finance

Ravindra M Srivastava
U.S. Embassy, New Delhi

Date: December 20, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Location:

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Friday, December 7, 2018

10 December 2018: Talk on Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: Lessons from India’s Previous Government Health Insurance Programmes

Jeffrey Hammer
National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

Abstract:
The newly launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has the mandate to deliver health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable Indian families. Under the larger ambit of Ayushmaan Bharat, PMJAY is envisioned to be the world’s largest health insurance programme aimed at increasing access to quality healthcare and reducing the financial burden of catastrophic expenses on poor and vulnerable groups.

This ambitious scheme comes after previous similar efforts for nation-wide health insurance, such as the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), have not yielded desired results. What can we learn from these past efforts? The third session in the Policy In-Depth series will explore some of these implementation challenges, namely - pricing, third party monitoring, regulation and insurance fraud, the current quality of government hospitals, as well as, concerns on the current capacity of the government administrative structure. Underpinning the discussion will be the significant informational requirements necessary to support the programme.

Date: December 10, 2018
Time: 03:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Kindly click here: https://www.facebook.com/events/601760533579953/ to register or RSVP at ashrivastava@accountabilityindia.org.

Location:

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Thursday, November 29, 2018

3 December 2018: Tiffin Talk - Does beef availability early in life affect anaemia decades later? Evidence from cattle slaughter bans in India

Aparjita Dasgupta,
Ashoka University

Abstract:
This paper uses the rollout of cattle slaughter bans in India as a natural experiment in beef availability around birth. We compile rich historical data on cattle slaughter ban legislation and harmonize it with household and individual level data on beef consumption and biomarkers from independent data sources for this purpose. Using a triple differences-in-difference strategy along with an event study design, we show that cattle slaughter bans reduce the availability of beef for the poor. In the long –term we find that early life exposure to cow slaughter bans leads to lower levels of haemoglobin (Hb)for poor women in communities that traditionally eat beef, who are up to 10% more likely to be anaemic in their prime reproductive ages.

Date: December 3, 2018
Time: 11:30 A.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Location:


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

12 November 2018: Risk Transfer solutions in the Insolvency space

Amit Agarwal
JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd.

Abstract:
While IBC has heralded a revolution in the India, wherein for the first time, there has been a shift of power amongst the creditors from the erstwhile powerful debtor regime, it is still subject to many risks and challenges, some of which however can be effectively transferred by way of insurance. We at JLT believe that the broad risks in the IBC eco-system can be transferred in the following ways:

1. Transfer of Asset risk of corporate debtor by having proper due diligence of the existing insurances, (if in existence) or structuring the same for the corporate debtor.
2. Transferring Liability risk accruing onto the Resolution Professional, having designed bespoke insurance solution for the RP and protecting him and the team.
3. Exploring to provide M&A solutions to enhance the value of the asset, benefitting the CoC and the RP.

Date: November 12, 2018
Time: 04:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Location:

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Tuesday, October 16, 2018

18 October 2018: Incentives for Corporate Social Responsibility in India: Mandate, Peer Pressure or a Crowding-Out Effect

Madhu Khanna
UIUC

Abstract:
The Companies Act of 2013 went into effect in India on April 1, 2014 making it the first law in the world to mandate that companies commit 2% of their profits on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. However, the Act did not impose penalties on firms that failed to do so, requiring them only to disclose the reasons for non-compliance publically. We use panel data for 39,736 firms with a difference-in- difference model to estimate the average treatment effect of the Act on firms ‘eligible’ for compliance with the Act and in particular to investigate the role of peer pressure in influencing a firm’s response to the Act in 2015 and 2016. We also apply the Regression Discontinuity Design method to estimate the average effect of treatment assignment for units near the threshold of eligibility for compliance with the Act. We find that the Act led to a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of reporting of CSR expenditures and in the level of CSR expenditures by eligible firms and this increase was not accompanied by crowding out of other charitable donations by firms. The effect of the Act was also positive and statistically significant on firms at the threshold of criteria for compliance with the Act. In addition to the direct effect of the Act on CSR expenditures, we find strong evidence of peer pressure in motivating CSR by firms and of these peer pressures being stronger on eligible firms.

Date: October 18, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Seminar Room 2,
Indian Statistical Institute Delhi Centre,
7, S. J. S. Sansanwal Marg,
New Delhi-110016 (INDIA)

Location:

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Monday, September 24, 2018

28 September 2018: Discussion on The Long March to 2019: Understanding the rise of farmers movements and its impact on the 2019 election

Panellists:
Mekhala Krishnamurthy, Ashoka University
Harish Damodaran, The Indian Express and
V M Singh, Supreme Court lawyer

Abstract:
As we approach the 2019 general elections, Rural and Agricultural distress is an issue which is likely to dominate the election discourse. Over the last few years, India has seen a significant increase in farmers movements, best exemplified by the 'Kisan Long March' which signified the emergence of a new moment in Indian agricultural politics. Election season is therefore likely to see many promises being made to farmers as a response to this new mobilization. In this session of the CPR-TCPD "Dialogues on Indian Politics" we bring together a distinguished panel of academics, journalists and activists to understand the nature of the current rural political economy and its likely impact on the elections next year. In particular this panel will seek to unpack the reason behind the emergence of these new farmers movements. Could this be the beginning of a new politics?

Date: September 28, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at president.cpr@cprindia.org

Location:

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

28 September 2018: Feminist Engagement with Post-Colonial Developments

Devaki Jain, Economist & Writer

Abstract:
In the seminar, Devaki Jain will present research that forms the core of her two recent volumes and questions given categories in the social sciences, economics and statistics. The essays and lectures in the volumes draw upon Jain's dialogue with academia, governments and international bodies such as the United Nations, over the course of several years. Jain's work traverses territories such as errors in data collection coming out of false perceptions of women's location in the economy to criticisms of how governments understand reality. She points out deep flaws not only in the counting of women and their work but also in the presentation of GDP- a crucial statistic in both assessing a nations progress as well as its components. She argues that GDP is a misleading figure and when it is broken down to unmeasured items, it emerges that 90% or more of India's GDP comes from small-scale, handmade and household industries whereas public investment and financing of institutions and government goes to corporates who actually provide a much smaller percentage of GDP.

Date: September 28, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact zkazmi@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

17 September 2018: Solutions to save Delhi from getting flooded even with little rain

A. K. Gosain
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Delhi

Moderator:
Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Board of Governors, ICRIER

Date: September 17, 2018
Time: 07:00 P.M.

Venue:
Gulmohar Hall,
India Habitat Centre,
Lodi Road,
New Delhi 110003

Location:

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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

18 September 2018: Effective Enforcement of a Data Protection Regime: A model for risk-based supervision using responsive regulatory tools

Malavika Raghavan
Dvara Research

Abstract:
Enforcement of data protection regulations present some unique challenges, like a market-wide enforcement perimeter and difficulty in identifying contraventions of laws or regulations and harm caused by such contraventions. Taking these factors into consideration, we propose a model of enforcement based on risk-based supervision and the use of a range of responsive enforcement tools. This model attempts to move away from a focus on post-data breach sanctions and considers how the regulatory community might act to minimize contraventions of the data protection regime. As part of this model, we propose a methodology to identify those entities which potentially pose a higher level of risk, to both individuals and the system, when personal data held by them is breached. We also have set out a range of enforcement tools that the regulator may utilize to both prevent and mitigate the effects of a compromise of individuals personal data, as well as some features of institutional design and intersectoral co-ordination required for effective enforcement.

Discussant:
Anirudh Burman, NIPFP

Date: September 18, 2018
Time: 04:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Location:

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Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Thursday, August 9, 2018

10 August 2018: Book discussion on Rule of Law in India: A Quest for Reason

A conversation between author Harish Narasappa, Samvad Partners and DAKSH
and
Ritin Rai, Independent Law Practice Professional

Abstract:
Author Harish Narasappa talks about his book 'Rule of law: A Quest for Reason'. It envisages, inter alia, participatory lawmaking, just and certain laws, a bouquet of human rights, certainty and equality in the application of law, accountability to law, an impartial and non-arbitrary government, and an accessible and fair dispute resolution mechanism. This work’s primary goal is to understand and explain the obvious dichotomy that exists between theory and practice in India’s rule of law structure.

The book discusses the contours of the rule of law in India, the values and aspirations in its evolution, and its meaning as understood by the various institutions, identifying reason as the primary element in the rule of law mechanism. It later examines the institutional, political, and social challenges to the concepts of equality and certainty, through which it evaluates the status of the rule of law in India.

Date: August 10, 2018
Time: 05:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at president.cpr@cprindia.org.

Location:

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Tuesday, August 7, 2018

7 August 2018: Pulse Revolution for Addressing Protein Malnutrition

Trilochan Mohapatra
Department of Agricultural Research and Education & Director General, ICAR

Chair:
Rajendra Singh Paroda
Former DG, ICAR and Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Science (TAAS)

Date: August 7, 2018
Time: 07:00 P.M.

Venue:
Causrina Hall
India Habitat Centre
Lodhi Road
New Delhi-110003 (INDIA)
(Entry from Gate No. 3)

Note:
RSVP: Manish Anand, Tel: 011-24682100, e-mail: manand@teri.res.in

Location:

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Friday, August 3, 2018

9 August 2018: Talk on Crony populism

A conversation with Michael Walton, Harvard Kennedy School and Centre for Policy Research and
James Crabtree, Lee Kuan Yew School, National University of Singapore

Abstract:
Populism has emerged in various forms in many parts of the world in recent years. While it is typically associated with an anti-establishment and anti-elite narrative, it is striking how it often coincides with cronyism—favored relations between the state and (some) big business. This talk will seek to put some structure and perspective on these phenomena, interpreting the central features of both populism and cronyism, and their consequences for economic and social development—that is (perhaps surprisingly) ambiguous. For example, in India, Tamil Nadu has in the past been, by international standards, a real success in economic and social development, even as it has vividly exemplified both populist politics and cronyist state-business relations. The current conjuncture will also be explored.

The talk will draw on both an ongoing comparative study of state-business relations in India, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa and secondary literature on the history and contemporary features of cronyism and populism.

Date: August 9, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at president.cpr@cprindia.org

Location:

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Wednesday, July 25, 2018

31 July 2018: Indian Monetary Policy in the time of Inflation Targeting and Demonetisation

Rakesh Mohan
Brookings India and
Partha Ray
Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta

Abstract:
The period from 2009 to 2013 was dominated by a joint monetary and fiscal stimuli by the Indian authorities prompted by the North Atlantic Financial Crisis (NAFC) in mid-2008. Did these, along with other structural shocks and a hands-off attitude in forex market intervention, play a role in rising inflation and external account instability?

Date: July 31, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: rlaik@brookingsindia.org and contact zkazmi@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

Monday, July 16, 2018

27 July 2018: No Free Lunch: Using Technology to Improve the Efficacy of School Feeding Programmes

Sisir Debnath
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad

Abstract:
Malnutrition among vulnerable children is often targeted using free school feeding programmes in developing countries. Prof. Debnath studies the role of technology in improving the delivery of school feeding programmes. Using the rollout of a mobile-based monitoring mechanism (Interactive Voice Response System or IVRS) that aids in cross-tallying the number of beneficiaries in the delivery chain, he finds that increase in resulting accountability reduces leakages in school lunch provision in Bihar. He contrasts the provision of meals in districts of Bihar and its contiguous neighbouring states from an independent survey with the official state records. Independently collected data reveals that the technology reform increases the likelihood of lunch provision in a school by 20 percentage points and finds that the increase in take-up is also accompanied by an improvement in the quality and quantity of meals.

Date: July 27, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact nmehta@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

Thursday, July 12, 2018

16 July 2018: Book discussion on ​'Intertwined Lives: P N Haksar and Indira Gandhi'

A conversation between author Jairam Ramesh and Srinath Raghavan

Abstract:
This book is the first full-length biography of arguably India’s most influential and powerful civil servant who was Indira Gandhi’s alter ego during her period of glory. Educated in the sciences and trained in law, P N Haksar was a diplomat by experience and a communist-turned-democratic socialist by conviction. He knew Indira Gandhi from their London days in the late 1930s and in May 1967 she appointed him as the secretary in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. He then emerged as her ideological beacon and moral compass, playing a pivotal role in her signature achievements including the nationalisation of banks, abolition of privy purses and princely privileges, the creation of an independent Bangladesh, the signing of the Indo-Soviet Treaty and the emergence of India as an agricultural, space and nuclear power, to name a few. Haksar wielded awesome power for over five years but chose to walk away from Indira Gandhi in January 1973. She persuaded him to return to the government two years later.

After 1977, he was associated with a number of academic institutions and became the patron saint of various public causes and concerns that included protection of India’s secular traditions, propagation of a scientific temper, strengthening the public sector and deepening self-reliance in economic and technological matters. In 1987 he was instrumental in triggering the reconstruction of India’s relations with China. He continued to be one of India’s leading public intellectuals till his death in November 1998.

Drawing on Haksar’s extensive archives of official papers, memos, notes and letters and using his unique personal knowledge of people and politics, Jairam Ramesh presents a compelling chronicle of the life and times of a remarkable Indian who decisively shaped India’s political and economic history in the1960s and 1970s. Written in his inimitable style this is a work of formidable scholarship that bring to life a man who is fast becoming the victim of collective amnesia.

Date: July 16, 2018
Time: 12:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Registration is mandatory to attend the event and will close at 50 on a first come first serve basis. Please register at president.cpr@cprindia.org. to reserve a seat for you.

Location:

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Friday, July 6, 2018

10 July 2018: Talk on Compulsory Development: The Ideal Model of Land Acquisition in India and China

Huang Yinghong
Sun Yat-sen University, China

Abstract:
Land acquisition in India and China since the late 1980s has been theorised into an ideal model, the compulsory development, which highlights the extremely active role of the state and its compulsory measures towards land acquisition in both countries for achieving the commitment of development. As a developmental state, either state in both cases acts as the land use planner, regulation maker in the land administration, as well as the major land developer and the monopolistic player in the land market, while at the same time it extracts high proportion of revenue from land development projects, which is realised through a compulsory land acquisition despite of the numerous flaws of the land acquisition institutions. The compulsory development as we term is a key feature in political economy of land acquisition in both countries. It provides an ideal model to penetrate through the dense fog of hybrid phenomena of land acquisition in these two largest developing societies, and to develop a systematic analysis towards land acquisition, or even development in both countries. As the beginning of this research, in this talk, we focus only on the theoretical model of this compulsory development, including its definition, characteristics, and the diverse variations.

Date: July 10, 2018
Time: 12:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at president.cpr@cprindia.org

Location:

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Thursday, July 5, 2018

7 July 2018: Special Talk - Beyond Techno-Narcissism: Self and Other in the Internet Public Realm

Langdon Winner
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York

Chair:
Ambassador Vijay K. Nambiar, former UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on Myanmar

Abstract:
Expectations that the Internet would provide a suitable place for the flourishing of democracy have recently encountered some grave setbacks. The rise of monopoly control within platforms of communication has greatly magnified the economic and political power of oligarchies. Techniques for harvesting personal data to fuel targeted “computational propaganda” threaten to undermine the integrity of elections and to erode citizen confidence that their outcomes are fair. While both roots and possible remedies for these maladies exist within large institutions, the erosion of democracy may have origins closer to home - in the activities and experience of selfhood on the Net. After all, who are we on the Internet? Looking for connection and community, do we now encounter something entirely different?

Date: July 7, 2018
Time: 06:00 P.M.

Venue:
Seminar Rooms I to III,
Kamla Devi Complex,
India International Centre
Max Mueller Marg,
New Delhi - 110003(INDIA)

Note:
Sign up for the event at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDn3s4uJfR7AEGnVH8YGaUyGf8ndbFKzbSG7LRxk8w0Uvg3Q/viewform to reserve a seat for you.

Location:

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Monday, July 2, 2018

6 July 2018: Panel discussion on Interpreting the 2019 elections: Settling a research agenda

Speakers:
Ashutosh Varshney, Brown University
Pradeep Chhibber, UC Berkeley
Vandita Mishra, Indian Express
Aditi Phadnis, Business Standard

Abstract:
The run up to the general elections in 2019 have already generated heated political debate. As political activity gains momentum, researchers and observers of Indian politics face the formidable task of interpreting and analysing the implications of these activities both on the immediate elections as well as on democratic practice in the long term. In these polarised times, when debates on politics have become increasingly partisan, building a research agenda to understand the elections becomes even more critical.

This third edition of the CPR-TPCD dialogues on Indian politics will bring together a panel of formidable academics and political journalists to discuss the broad contours of the research agenda for 2019. In order for us to meaningfully contribute to understandings of the shifting dynamics of political life in India, what are the questions that we should be asking and how should we orient our research?

Date: July 6, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at president.cpr@cprindia.org to reserve a seat for you.

Location:

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Friday, June 29, 2018

2 July 2018: Launch of World Bank Regional Flagship Report- "South Asia's Hotspots: The Impact of Temperature and Precipitation Changes on Living Standards"

Keynote Speaker:
Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India

Abstract:
South Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change. Given that many of the poor live in areas prone to climactic shifts and in occupations that are highly climate-sensitive, such as agriculture and fisheries, future climate change could have significant implications for living standards. At the same time, the effect of climate change will vary significantly depending on the level of exposure and the inherent adaptive capacities of individuals, households, and communities. It is therefore important to understand how climate varies spatially and over time at a relatively granular level and to better understand the corresponding spatial effects of climate change on living standards. This report will aid in the development of targeted policies to improve resilience of the people, especially the poor and vulnerable, to future climatic shifts. Using historic and projected climate and household survey data, this study investigates the historic spatial patterns of climate change across South Asia at the district level, the effect of changes in long-term average climate on living standards at the household level, and where the future hotspots may be. The analysis complements studies that have investigated effects of extreme climate events and finds that projected future temperature and precipitation changes could create a significant challenge for certain geographic areas and populations, which could reduce gains in increases to living standards that have taken place over the past decades.

Date: July 2, 2018
Time: 10:15 A.M.

Venue:
Jacaranda Hall,
India Habitat Centre,
Lodi Road,
New Delhi 110003

Location:

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Thursday, June 21, 2018

26 June 2018: Workshop on Predicting 2019: How many census towns will there be?

Shamindra Nath Roy
Kanhu Charan Pradhan
Centre for Policy Research

Abstract:
India’s rural landscape is dotted with numerous villages where people do not work on the farm. The 2011 census highlighted the enormous growth of such areas, with new census towns (CTs) accounting for more than one third of the urban population growth during 2001-2011. The process of urban transformation in India is therefore not much about movement of people from rural to urban areas, rather it is about ‘morphing of places’ from rural to urban. Since the rural-urban identification process in India is ex-ante, using the past census data, this talk seeks to estimate the number of CTs that will be identified in 2019 for the 2021 census. It does so to ask whether the large increase in the number of CTs from 2001 to 2011 census was a one-off phenomenon or part of a longer process of rural-urban transformation. Since such prognosis requires a detailed review of the census methodology of determining CTs, it will also clarify certain challenges that arise during such identification. Along with this methodological review, this talk will present the regional distribution of CTs on the basis of last two censuses and the upcoming predictions; and offer insight on their spatial characteristics in relation to the larger cities and attempts to throw light on their economic characteristics in the broader context of rural-urban transformation. A better appreciation of this transformation is necessary to contextualise how well the policy framework is placed to manage and govern these areas, not only in the present but also in the future.

Date: June 26, 2018
Time: 03:45 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
This workshop is free and there is no registration required.

Location:

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

4 July 2018: When Should We Trust Artificial Intelligence

Vasant Dhar
Stern School of Business, New York University

Discussant:
Anna Roy, NITI Aayog, Government of India

Abstract:
Modern day artificial intelligence machines learn and improve themselves based on ever-increasing amounts of data that humans and machines generate with each passing day. This happens largely through supervised learning which is a major branch of Artificial Intelligence. But such machines also make mistakes.

In the Seminar, speaker will walk us through various situations in our everyday lives – investing, playing sports, riding in driverless cars, using social media platforms – to encourage us to question the faith we put in technology. He proposes methods to inform executive and policy makers in evaluating the risks associated with data infrastructure initiatives, such as those proposed in his recent Hindustan Times editorial.

Date: July 4, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Kamalnayan Bajaj Conference Room
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact nmehta@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

24 May 2018: Panel discussion on 'Future of Governance'

Speakers:
J Satyanarayana, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Ananth Padmanabhan, Carnegie India
Chinmayi Arun, National Law University
Vrinda Bhandari - Advocate

Chair:
Justice BN Srikrishna, Chairman, Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC)

Abstract:
The aim of this panel is to bring clarity to concepts like receptive technology, glacial government, response of regulators to the pace of technological advancements, era of blockchain and bitcoins, artificial intelligence, big data and forecasting.

Date: May 24, 2018
Time: 06:30 P.M.

Venue:
Deshmukh Auditorium,
India International Centre
Max Mueller Marg,
New Delhi - 110003(INDIA)

Note:
Sign up for the event at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUy-N8QRgtfpEmwTZ4d8z4dEnf-OROPTeM38E5V4VTwprE7A/viewform.
This is necessary given seating requirements.

Location:

Monday, May 14, 2018

25 May 2018: Political Economy of Market Development: Why India's Equity Market Reforms Have Succeeded While Its Corporate Debt Market Has Not

John Echeverri-Gent
University of Virginia

Abstract:
India’s equity markets have been transformed from the backwaters of the global market with outdated trading technologies and regulatory institutions to world class institutions using cutting edge technology. At the end of 2017, National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange had the ninth and tenth largest domestic market capitalization in the world, and they operated settlement and regulatory standards at the global cutting edge. At the same time, India’s market for corporate bonds lagged far behind global standards. In 2013, the value of Indian corporate bonds as a percentage of GDP was only 5.4% trailing far behind not only economic powerhouses like Republic of Korea (77.5%), Singapore (37%), Hong Kong (31.4%), and China (13%), but also less successful economies like Malaysia (43.4%) and Thailand (15.9%). More than 94% of corporate debt was raised through private placement rather than on the open market. This talk develops a political economy approach to explain why India’s equity markets have rapidly developed and its corporate debt market has not.

Date: May 25, 2018
Time: 04:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Location:

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Friday, May 4, 2018

11 May 2018: A panel discussion on ‘Power plants as a source of Air Pollution in India’

Panellists:
Vinuta Gopal, Asar Social Impact Advisors
Priyavrat Bhati, Centre for Science & Environment
Ritwick Dutta, Legal Initiative of Forest & Environment

Moderator:
Shibani Ghosh, Fellow, Centre for Policy Research

Abstract:
We now turn to a fourth significant source of air pollutants in the country – coal-based thermal power plants. They are responsible for the dramatic rise in pollutants such as SO2 and NOx in the country, particularly in industrial hotspots.

Power plant-specific emission standards for PM, SO2, NOx and mercury, introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in 2015, were to be complied with in two years. By some estimates these could have reduced emissions from power plants by 70-85%. However, the Ministry moved the Supreme Court to relax its own deadline by five years, claiming that the standards were not attainable in two years.

As coal-based power plants generate about 75% of India’s electricity, regulation of emissions from power plants needs urgent attention. The panel will explore various aspects of this issue: what is the nature and scale of the problem; what is the governing regulatory eco-system; and what was the process of formulation of the 2015 emission norms? It will also deliberate the key challenges – political, economic and technical – in reducing power plant emissions and what is the role of the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, in regulating pollution from power plants.

Date: May 11, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at climate.initiative.cpr@gmail.com

Location:

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Monday, April 23, 2018

25 April 2018: Launch of report on "The Anatomy of an Internet Blackout: Measuring the Economic Impact of Internet Shutdowns in India"

Abstract:
Internet shutdowns are a growing occurrence in India. In 2017, the number of Internet shutdowns in India more than doubled from 2016, while the total hours of shutdown increased by 20 percent. Very few studies have attempted to capture the economic loss due to an internet blackout. This study uses both secondary and primary information to estimate the loss of economic activity due to Internet shutdowns, an important consequence to be considered when ordering one.

Date: April 25, 2018
Time: 10:30 A.M.

Venue:
Juniper Hall,
India Habitat Centre,
Lodi Road,
New Delhi 110003

Location:

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Friday, April 20, 2018

26 April 2018: Jobs for Justice(s): Corruption in the Supreme Court of India

Madhav S. Aney
Singapore Management University

Abstract:
We investigate whether judges respond to pandering incentives by ruling in favour of the government in the hope of receiving jobs after retiring from the Court. We construct a dataset of all Supreme Court of India cases involving the government from 1999 till 2014, with an indicator for whether the decision was in its favour or not. We find that pandering incentives have a causal e↵ect on judicial decision-making, where we define pandering incentives as being jointly determined by 1) the salience of the case (exogenously determined by a system of random allocation of cases) and 2) whether the judge retires with enough time left in a government’s term to be rewarded with a prestigious job (since the date of retirement is exogenously determined by law to be their 65th birthday). We also find that authoring judgements in favour of the government is positively associated with the likelihood of being appointed to a prestigious post-Supreme Court job. These findings suggest the presence of corruption in the form of government influence over judicial decisions that seriously undermines judicial independence.

Date: April 26, 2018
Time: 03:00 P.M.

Venue:
Seminar Room (First Floor) 
Department of Economics,
Delhi School of Economics,
New Delhi-110007(INDIA)

Location:

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

20 April 2018: Roundtable on FinTech

Organised by:
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi

Agenda

Date: April 20, 2018
Time: 02:00 P.M. to 06:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Location:

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Friday, April 13, 2018

25 April 2018: Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)

Kashinath Katakdhond
Receivables Exchange of India Limited (RXIL)

Abstract:
The RXIL TReDS presentation will cover what is TReDS, RXIL background, TReDS arrangement, how it works, key benefits for participants, key challenges – regulatory and non-regulatory, road map ahead and new initiatives undertaken.

Date: April 25, 2018
Time: 11:30 A.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Location:

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Wednesday, April 11, 2018

20 April 2018: Regulating a Digital Economy

Joshua P. Meltzer
Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Discussants:
Avik Sarkar, NITI Aayog
Mudit Kapoor, Indian Statistical Institute
Amb. Asoke Mukerji, former Indian diplomat

Moderator:
Harsha Vardhana Singh, Brookings India

Abstract:
The world is experiencing unprecedented increases in connectivity and global data flows, much of it centred in the Asia-Pacific region. Internet access and maximising cross-border data flows is leading to increased productivity, economic growth and new opportunities for international trade. The economic opportunities from technologies such as cloud computing, big data and the internet of things are also not limited to the IT sector but are economy-wide, including in sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture. India stands to gain from going digital – with scope to create 1.5-2 million more jobs this year and to contribute to $550 billion-$1 trillion to its GDP by 2025. However, governments across Asia are adopting data localisation requirements that restrict cross-border data flows. In many cases, however, there remain ways to achieve these goals with less impact on data flows, economic growth and trade.

Date: April 20, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org

Location:

Thursday, April 5, 2018

13 April 2018: The Brave New World of Low Inflation

Surjit S. Bhalla
Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council and Oxus Research & Investments

Discussant: Sajjid Chinoy, JP Morgan

Abstract:
This talk attempts an answer to the puzzle of low inflation in the Advanced Economies (AE), a phenomenon observed over the last 20 years. Part of the answer is provided by the fact that global supply of college graduates, especially the supply of the rest of the world relative to the supply in advanced economies, has been expanding at a fast rate. This globalisation phenomena helps explain the trend in real wages of college educated labor in the US since the 1980s. The talk will also document the reality that oil prices have ceased to have an impact on inflation, and that the gap between developing economies inflation and AE inflation is close to a historical low, and less than 200 basis points. Bhalla will also discuss the determinants of inflation in India and forecast future trends.

Date: April 13, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Kamalnayan Bajaj Conference Room
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact nmehta@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.

Location:

12 April 2018: Campaigning for Air Quality: Lessons from Two Decades of Advocacy

Anumita Roychowdhury
Centre for Science and Environment

In conversation with:
Navroz K Dubash, Centre for Policy Research

Abstract:
Anumita Roychowdhury, who has been at the forefront of the clean air campaign in India for more than two decades, in conversation with Navroz K Dubash, will examine the practical considerations around governance of air quality in the country. Based on CSE's long experience, what kinds of strategies have been effective in improving Indian air quality regulation and governance, and what has failed to work? What are some of the lessons to be drawn from these efforts at shaping policy through deep government engagement and work with the courts? Are major challenges better institutions, better policy or better implementation and what is the mix of these? How can we move from predominantly reactive measures to effective long term preventive policies? How can the present public concern about air pollution be mobilised from being episodic and somewhat blinkered to becoming sustained and politically salient in an ongoing way? The conversation will go behind the scenes of policy making and action around air quality, in order to inform future efforts.

Date: April 12, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP at climate.initiative.cpr@gmail.com

Location:

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Monday, March 26, 2018

29 March 2018: Panel discussion on US-India Space Co-operation

Alok K. Chatterjee and
Larry James
Jet Propulsion Lab
Rakesh Sood
Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
Ajey Lele
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)

Date: March 29, 2018
Time: 11:00 A.M.

Venue:
ORF Conference Hall
Observer Research Foundation
20 Rouse Avenue Institutional Area
New Delhi-110002(INDIA)

Note:
Please drop us a line confirming your participation to Vidya Sagar Reddy at vidyasagar.reddy@orfonline.org

Location:

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

22 March 2018: Seminar on "The Identification Revolution and Development"

Alan Gelb
Center for Global Development

Abstract:
Driven by multiple factors, digital ID systems are rapidly increasing in numbers, coverage and precision, and legal identity has been recognised as an SDG target. Will the increasing reach and effectiveness of ID technology and systems support the SDGs more widely? Will they improve state capacity to implement policies and programs, and open up opportunities for people? What can be learned from leading cases? What risks are created or aggravated by the new systems? The seminar will provide an overview of this new, emerging area.

Date: March 22, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please RSVP to president.cpr@cprindia.org

Location:

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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

27 March 2018: Workshop on "Sustainable Cities through Heritage Revival: Asian Case Studies"

Olga Chepelianskaia
Founder of UNICITI and Program Manager of Seher Intach

Abstract:
Indian cities face an unprecedented urbanization pressure (50% of India’s population will reside in cities by 2050, UN), which reflects in a rapid and uncontrolled built infrastructure development. Such development often takes place at the expense of natural eco-systems, human scale and cultural distinctiveness, which in turn significantly compromises sustainability, resilience, social cohesion, inclusiveness and economic opportunities. Climate change and extreme weather events further exacerbate negative effects of this unsustainable urbanization process and further deepen poverty and vulnerability in cities. In this context, achieving the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda targets imperatively comes to reviving and harnessing on cities’ unique natural and cultural assets. Yet, the potential of built heritage to address urban development challenges in India has hardly been explored and tapped into.

A number of Asian cities have however demonstrated that such a joint approach unlocks the rich potential of heritage to bring wide economic, social and environmental benefits at both the national and the local level. SEHER INTACH initiated a series of related analytical case studies with the objective of identifying successful heritage integrating policies, institutional set ups and interventions. This talk presents selected Asian cities’ cases and highlights how these learnings could apply to the Indian context.

SEHER INTACH – Sustainable Cities through Heritage Revival – is an integrated urban initiative launched by INTACH in 2017 to respond to equally critical needs of preventing built heritage from demolition and of ensuring that urbanization is inclusive, human scale and environmentally sustainable in India.

Date: March 27, 2018
Time: 03:45 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
This workshop is free and there is no registration required.

Location:

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Tuesday, March 13, 2018

23 March 2018: Digital India Sounds Lovely, But Do you Trust the Digital Planet?

Bhaskar Chakravorti
Brookings India

Abstract:
The world’s digital economy stands at a threshold where opportunity and risk stand in balance. Our digital evolution and productive use of new technologies rests on how well we can build digital trust. India, with many policy-led pushes for digitalization, including a Digital India campaign and initiatives, such as demonetization, to give a boost to digital payments, warrants the need for systemic changes to boost digital evolution in this type of environment. Bhaskar Chakravorti in this seminar will explore the privacy, security, and accountability aspects of the digital environments, as users’ expectations and interests change, so does public sentiment and regulatory pressure. While it will be up to digital companies to keep up and innovate in this new frontier for competitiveness what does the definition of digital trust mean in the Indian context?

Date: March 23, 2018
Time: 03:00 P.M.

Venue:
Kamalnayan Bajaj Conference Room
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP psharma@brookingsindia.org

Location:

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

8 March 2018: Panel discussion on Embattled Skies: Re-imagining Drone Applications

Adam Welsh
DJI
Pushan Das and
Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Observer Research Foundation (ORF)

Date: March 8, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
ORF Conference Hall
Observer Research Foundation
20 Rouse Avenue Institutional Area
New Delhi-110002(INDIA)

Note:
Please drop a line confirming your participation to Vidya Sagar Reddy at vidyasagar.reddy@orfonline.org

Location:

Monday, March 5, 2018

23 March 2018: Technology and society: Education of future leaders for an informed citizenry

Venkatesh Narayanamurti
Harvard University

Abstract:
From the digital revolution to bioinformatics, from global warming to sustainability, and from national security to renewable energy, technology plays a critical role in shaping our lives. This talk takes on the question of what the future of liberal education means, and the bridging of the humanistic condition with technological and economic advancement. It will elaborate on technology as an object of politics, democracy and the public face of science. The intent is to discuss the ways in which future global leaders and citizens can begin to address the 21st century challenges facing society.

Date: March 23, 2018
Time: 06:00 P.M.

Venue:
Art Gallery (Top Floor),
Kamladevi Complex,
India International Centre,
Max Mueller Marg,
New Delhi - 110003(INDIA)

Location:

Thursday, March 1, 2018

7 March 2018: Panel Discussion on 'Municipal Solid Waste as a cause of Air Pollution'

Panellists:
Ravi Agarwal, Toxics Link
Nalini Shekhar, Hasiru Dala
Seema Awasthi, ICUC Consultants Pvt. Ltd

Moderator:
Arkaja Singh, Centre for Policy Research

Abstract:
In this panel, we will seek to understand the multiple locations and kinds of exposures to air-borne pollutants that take place in the solid waste disposal cycle. Some of the strategies to address these exposures give primacy to the waste workers, whereas others emphasize technology, infrastructure and management. We will also discuss pollution standards setting processes and regulations, and the challenges and opportunities this provides for waste management and mitigation interventions.

Date: March 7, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please do RSVP at climate.initiative.cpr@gmail.com

Location:

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5 March 2018: Virus Geography in a City: from Structuralist to Complexity Theories - and back

Olivier Telle
Centre for Social Science and Humanities (CSH)

Abstract:
The last two decades have witnessed an increase in various infectious diseases (Ebola, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, etc. The aim of the talk is to present social sciences paradigms, concepts, methods and tools that enable to analyze this emergence, and to illustrate the usefulness of these methods for the specific case of dengue epidemics that regularly affect asian urban areas. This illustration will summarize 10 years of research conducted on dengue geography at urban scales in two different Asian agglomerations: Delhi and Ventiane.

Date: March 5, 2018
Time: 03:30 P.M.

Venue:
Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH)
2, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road,
New Delhi 110011

Note:
Please note that this is an internal seminar with a limited number of seats. RSVP mentioning your full name to be sent at the latest on Saturday 2 December, to: sneha.kapoor@csh-delhi.com

Location:

Monday, February 26, 2018

27 February 2018: Can China Innovate?

Krishna G Palepu
Harvard University, USA

Chair:
Mr. Shivshankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India

Abstract:
In 2006, the Chinese government declared its intention to transform China into “an innovative society” by 2020 and a world leader in science and technology by 2050. With its Made in China 2025 strategy, China is preparing to graduate from becoming the factory of the world to becoming to a “manufacturing superpower” by 2049. 

The ambitious industrial plan has the potential to move Chinese industry up the value and technology ladder and modernize its older production facilities to become a centre of smart manufacturing. The strategy is backed by immense funding and there is huge enthusiasm among local governments for promoting industries such as robotics, big data, and electric vehicles. China's advances in technology have been supplemented by the emergence of large tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu. A combination of the world’s largest consumer base and strong government support are helping push this new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. 
 
Ambitious Chinese startups have been expanding, even across borders, with increasing success. The session will focus on the transition that China is trying to make from a heavy industry-dependent, export led economy to an innovation and domestic consumption-oriented economy. Is China ready to blaze a new path of innovation for the rest of the world to follow?

Date: February 27, 2018
Time: 05:00 P.M. (Registration: 4:30 PM)

Venue:
WWF Auditorium,
172-B, Lodhi Estate,
New Delhi- 110003 (India)

Location:

Friday, February 23, 2018

27 February 2018: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Imperatives for India

Anurag Agrawal
Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB)

Chair:
Kiran Karnik, Former President, NASSCOM, President, India Habitat Centre and Chairman, Vigyan Prasar

Date: February 27, 2018
Time: 07:00 P.M.

Venue:
Causrina Hall
India Habitat Centre
Lodhi Road
New Delhi-110003 (INDIA)

Note:
RSVP: Mr. Tish Malhotra/Mr. N N. Krishnan
Ph: 011-24682176, 24682184, E-mail: dgoffice@ris.org.in

Location:

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

23 February 2018: Panel Discussion on 'Crop Burning as a source of Air Pollution in National Capital Region'

Panellists:
HS Sidhu, Borlaug Institute of South Asia
Pritam Singh Hanjra, Panipat, Haryana
Rajbir Yadav, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)

Moderator:
Harish Damodaran, Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor, The Indian Express

Abstract:
We look at crop burning as a source of air pollution in the National Capital Region. By some estimates biomass burning, including seasonal burning of crop residue in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, contributes 20% of the annual average particulate matter in the urban air shed of the region. While banning crop burning appears to be the straightforward solution, and one that has appealed to the courts, it is far from being easily implementable. Without cost effective alternatives to harvest and dispose the crop residue in time to sow for the next season, burning the residue is still the most viable option for many farmers, even if it significantly worsens the local and regional air quality.

The panel will explore the genesis of the problem, why it has become a particularly thorny issue in the last few years, and what are the possible technological interventions available? It will also discuss the key political, scientific, economic and social drivers that have to considered while designing a long-term solutions to the problem of crop burning.

Date: February 23, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please do RSVP at climate.initiative.cpr@gmail.com

Location:

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Friday, February 9, 2018

15 February 2018: Aspiring for the future: Drivers and consequences of women’s aspirations in rural India

Kalyani Raghunathan
International Food Policy Research Institute

Organised by:
Brookings India

Abstract:
Kalyani Raghunathan examines the drivers of the aspirations of rural women around income, asset ownership, social status and the education of their children. Using data from five states in Northern India, she studies what role the average levels of outcomes in geographical and caste-based reference groups have to play in the formation of aspirations. She then investigates how the gaps between current and aspired-to status influence individual investments in financial, social status-related, and educational dimensions.

Date: February 15, 2018
Time: 11:00 A.M.

Venue:
Kamalnayan Bajaj Auditorium
Brookings India
No. 6, Second Floor,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021

Note:
Please RSVP psharma@brookingsindia.org

Location:

Thursday, February 8, 2018

9 February 2018: Workshop on "New opportunities in controlling vector-borne diseases: Big data, new insecticides and governance in urban India"

Organised by:
Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and The Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities (CSH)

Abstract:
Mosquito-borne diseases rising in Asia is a critical issue: severe dengue is for an example a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries. In India, CNRS and CPR collaborate with National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), South Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Institut Pasteur on a Public Health project which looks for short and long-term solutions to slow epidemics of vector-borne diseases. This project aims to test on-site innovative tools to control the Aedes Aegipty mosquito - the main vector for dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses and to rely on big data mining to better locate where intervention should be realized in cities. At long term we aimed to understand the structural factors involved in vector-borne diseases emergence, such as urbanisation, increased international/regional/urban mobility and unequal governance of diseases. This collaborative project, involving geographers, mathematicians, entomologists and viologists, is a strong example of collaborative and trans-disciplinary research between academics and public health planners.

Through this project, the second objective of this workshop is to present the Geospatial tools developed between CPR and CNRS, that gather innovative data at large scale on the Indian environment (mobility, climatic, socio-economical data). This Geographic Information System has the ambition to serve an extended community of researchers and health planners in India and abroad.

Date: February 9, 2018
Time: 05:30 P.M.

Venue:
Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities,
2 Adbul Kalam Road,
New Delhi–110016 (INDIA)

Note:
Due to embassy requirements, reservation mentioning your full name has to be sent at: telle.olivier@gmail.com.

Location:

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

6 February 2018: Artificial Intelligence, Society, and Politics of the Future

Anupam Guha

Abstract:
At the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this time centred around artificial intelligence there is both great peril and great hope. Great peril because currently demonstrated technology, if there are no radical socio-economic changes, will kill a significant percentage of Indian jobs and create precarity for the hundreds of millions of India’s workers, both formal and informal, from farmers to engineers. Great hope because the same technology could create a quantum leap in productivity and logistics enabling the potential formation of a radical national policy which could perhaps, if backed with political imagination and wisdom, lead to an emancipation of Indian labour. This fork in the road cannot be avoided.

There are reactionaries who will not look at AI critically and such a political dismissal of a titanic force will render us vulnerable, and there are also neoliberal technocrats who are enamoured with solutionism and who ignore the structural changes needed to make prosperity under AI possible. My talk will focus on, in the Indian context, the potentials of current AI, the need for a critical politically-educated look at it, the need for a radical rethink, beyond band-aid measures like UBI and robot taxes, towards the structural issues of work, wage, property, and public prosperity, and the possible futures of AI. In describing the above, my talk will also lay out the framework for a new kind of politics for the same.

Discussant:
Smriti Parsheera, NIPFP

Date: February 6, 2018
Time: 04:30 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall, Ground Floor
R&T Building
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
18/2 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110067(INDIA)

Note:
Those who are interested may please confirm your participation at latha.balasubramanian@nipfp.org.in

Location:

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Monday, January 29, 2018

1 February 2018: Panel Discussion on 'The role of the transport sector in Delhi’s air quality: key drivers and opportunities for intervention'

Panellists:
Amit Bhatt, WRI India
Parthaa Bosu, Environment Defence Fund and
Sumit Sharma, Earth Science and Climate Change, TERI

Moderator:
Mukta Naik, Centre for Policy Research

Abstract:
Vehicular pollution has been a significant contributor to Delhi’s air pollution, accounting for up to a fourth of PM 2.5 emissions. Delhi has the largest vehicular population of any city in India, with over a crore registered vehicles. More than 90% of these are private vehicles, and this number has steadily grown over the years. However, regulatory interventions towards promoting cleaner fuel and phasing out old vehicles, as well as legal measures to cap or decrease the number of vehicles have primarily focused on public transit vehicles. The panel will deliberate on key technical and policy drivers for reduction and management of emissions from the transport sector, including the source composition of air pollution from transport, potential gains from changes in fuel standards and fuel types, and issues related to public transport and modal shares.

Date: February 1, 2018
Time: 04:00 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
Please do RSVP at climate.initiative.cpr@gmail.com

Location:

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