Vivek's Commentary

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is a city of stark contradictions. On one hand, it boasts the highest per capita Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the country, and its municipal corporation ranks among the wealthiest in terms of revenue. Yet, paradoxically, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban District, as well as the neighboring districts of Thane and Palghar, grapple with a severe crisis of malnutrition, affecting the most vulnerable members of its population, particularly children. In this article, we delve into this puzzling contradiction, exploring the reasons behind this alarming situation and potential solutions. Figure 1: Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Source: Author's calculations are based on NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 data. Palghar district was established in 2014, following a partition from Thane district. Consequently, for the 2015-16 period, Palghar is considered as an integral part of Thane district. Please note that the use of red color is consistent with the formation of four

Economists advocating for economic growth put forth two crucial arguments. First, they posit that growth possesses a trickle-down mechanism whereby even if the benefits of growth initially accrue to the upper echelons of income, they ultimately extend to the impoverished segments of society. Second, in instances where this trickle-down process fails to materialize, the surplus generated from economic growth can be equitably reallocated through welfare initiatives. An exemplar of such a welfare scheme is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which was enacted in 2006. During this period, India experienced a period of robust economic expansion. However, this prompts the question of whether the government should solely target a specific income threshold. In the 2000s, the governmental objectives were not confined to attaining a predetermined income level but were instead oriented towards cultivating sustainable and balanced economic growth that concurrent

I have been experiencing the schizophrenia-like-symptoms for the last 4-5 years While I was in Pune, these symptoms, including hallucinations, became more intense. And then struggle for survival of the fittest started which was transformative that has shaped my perspective on life, instilled resilience within me, and granted me valuable insights into the complexities of the human mind. From the initial confusion and fear to embracing self-acceptance and finding purpose, my experience has been a remarkable exploration of personal growth and self-discovery. My encounter with this phenomenon commenced with a tumultuous prelude of confusion and disarray. It all started with hallucinations, where I would see a young child, around 4 to 5 years old, begging for food. These hallucinations triggered strange and intrusive thoughts, distorting my perception of reality and causing intense paranoia. Soon after, I began hearing voices that made it increasingly difficult to differentiate between wh

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dual impact on inflation, causing both deflationary and inflationary pressures globally. Lockdowns initially led to a decline in demand, causing deflationary pressure. However, as countries lifted restrictions, demand increased but supply chains were disrupted, leading to supply-side inflationary pressure. But response to that inflationary pressure was traditional: increase the interest rate. Central bank across many countries increases the interest rate to tackle the inflation. The given monetary policy response to supply driven inflation is questionable. It is questionable as it can further disrupt the supply side, making banks uncomfortable and resulting in unchanged inflation rates with volatile financial institutions. This is exemplified by the Fed's interest rate increase. In the context of India, with inflationary pressures and global monetary policy tightening, coordination between monetary and fiscal policies will be essential for sustainabl

Despite the efforts of both the federal and state governments to prevent underage marriage, West Bengal has a high rate of underage marriage. Marriages from the previous three years are counted in both NFHS-4 and NFHS-5. For NFHS-4 (2015-16), women who married after 2012 are considered, and for NFHS-5 (2019-21), women who married after 2016 are included. West Bengal had roughly 27.4% (weighted by sampling weight) underage marriages (marriages occurred at an age less than 18) for NFHS-5 in 2016. In 2012, it was 30.19% for NFHS-4. Within the provided time period, Manipur (from 8.03% to 10.6%) and Tripura (from 26.22% to 26.23%) witness a rise. District level Spatial Mapping of Early Age Marriages Proportion indicates that the proportion of early age marriages is dropping in the South and West, but remains high in the East and North East. The kernel density plot for age at marriage in the last three years shows that the peak for India is on the right side of the 18-year line, however for

   I first encountered Martin Ravallion's work in the last year of my bachelor's degree (“Poverty comparisons" by Martin Ravallion). The most interesting part of his study is that he deals with the fundamental questions. Martin Ravallion has made a significant contribution in growth-poverty-inequality by both raising fundamental questions and attempting to find answers to them. These basic questions include who are poor, how to identify them, can we measure the poverty, what is difference between poor in rich countries and poor in poor countries? how this poverty interacts with inequality, how growth affects these two? Who are Poor? Poverty in simple word can be said to be there in a society when people don’t have a minimum material level of well-being according to society’s standards.  Considering the notion of poverty, Ravallion raised three fundamental questions: 1. How do we assess individual well-being or "welfare"?  2. At what level of measured well-bei