This open access book provides an evidence-based roadmap for revitalising Indian agriculture while ensuring that the growth process is efficient, inclusive, and sustainable, and results in sustained growth of farmers’ incomes. The book, instead of looking for global best practices and evaluating them to assess the possibility of replicating these domestically, looks inward at the best practices and experiences within Indian states, to answer questions such as -- how the agricultural growth process can be speeded up and made more inclusive, and financially viable; are there any best practices that can be studied and replicated to bring about faster growth in agriculture; does the prior hypothesis that rapid agricultural growth can alleviate poverty faster, reduce malnutrition, and augment farmers’ incomes stand? To answer these questions, the book follows four broad threads -- i) Linkage between agricultural performance, poverty and malnutrition; ii) Analysing the historical growth performance of agricultural sector in selected Indian states; iii) Will higher agricultural GDP necessarily result in higher incomes for farmers; iv) Analysing the current agricultural policy environment to evaluate its efficiency and efficacy, and consolidate all analysis to create a roadmap. These are discussed in 12 chapters, which provide a building block for the concluding chapter that presents a roadmap for revitalising Indian agriculture while ensuring growth in farmers’ incomes.

Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress. New ways of production are adopted, markets expand, and societies evolve. But some changes provoke more attention than others, in part due to the vast uncertainty involved in making predictions about the future. The 2019 World Development Report will study how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology today. Technological progress disrupts existing systems. A new social contract is needed to smooth the transition and guard against rising inequality. Significant investments in human capital throughout a person’s lifecycle are vital to this effort. If workers are to stay competitive against machines they need to train or retool existing skills. A social protection system that includes a minimum basic level of protection for workers and citizens can complement new forms of employment. Improved private sector policies to encourage startup activity and competition can help countries compete in the digital age. Governments also need to ensure that firms pay their fair share of taxes, in part to fund this new social contract. The 2019 World Development Report presents an analysis of these issues based upon the available evidence.

In a diverse country like India, the level of economic development in different states differs widely, owing to varied economic structures and historical experiences. This book presents a comprehensive account of the economy of Odisha, one of the lesser developed states of the country. The chapters in the book have been contributed by 26 academic researchers, each dealing with a different aspect of Odishas economy. Covering various sectors like agriculture, industries, mining, transportation, education, and health, the book provides detailed factual information about the states economy and specific problems such as poverty and malnutrition that continue to affect the states development. Providing a critique of the strategy of development that has been pursued in the state in the recent years, the book discusses the recent growth experience of Odisha and the impact of fiscal adjustments within the state.

This book is a result of a piece of field-based research that discusses the institutional arrangements and workings of the rural local governments, otherwise known as the Panchayati Raj institutions, in rural and tribal areas (scheduled areas) in the context of the enactment of important constitutional and legal provisions. It focuses on understanding decentralised governance through political structures and workings of rural local governments and the contributions of these institutions in shaping the political economy of the tribal people in India through the case of Odisha. It highlights the Panchayati Raj institutions that have been instrumental in strengthening the local politics and governance, as well as propelling the economic development, of tribal communities in rural areas. It demonstrates that effective implementation is the tantamount of strengthening the livelihoods of poor tribal people.

This book sheds light on the status of tribal communities in Central India with respect to governance, human development, gender, health, education, arts, and culture. Written by noted academics, thematic experts, and activists, this first-of-its-kind report by the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation brings together case studies, archival research, and exhaustive data on key facets of the lives of Adivasis, the various programmes meant for their development, and the policy and systems challenges, to build a better understanding of the Adivasi predicament. This volume, Discusses the human development challenges faced by the Adivasis in India, covering the dismal state of health, education, and nutrition in Adivasi regions; Explores key issues related to gender and development in an Adivasi context, the impact of the loss of common lands and forests on their traditional economic roles; Presents the progress made thus far in implementing PESA and FRA; Examines the current state of 'Denotified Tribes' in India, the policy response of the state post-independence, and the abrogation of the act, and discusses the immediate need for recognition of their political rights; Highlights the importance of recognising, developing, and preserving Adivasi arts, music, dance, crafts, language and literature, and knowledge systems. Companion to Tribal Development Report: Livelihoods, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of indigenous studies, development studies, and South Asian studies.

Increased global demand for land posits the need for well-designed country-level land policies to protect long-held rights, facilitate land access and address any constraints that land policy may pose for broader growth. While the implementation of land reforms can be a lengthy process, the need to swiftly identify key land policy challenges and devise responses that allow the monitoring of progress, in a way that minimizes conflicts and supports broader development goals, is clear. The Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF) makes a substantive contribution to the land sector by providing a quick and innovative tool to monitor land governance at the country level. The LGAF offers a comprehensive diagnostic tool that covers five main areas for policy intervention: Legal and institutional framework; Land use planning, management and taxation; Management of public land; Public provision of land information; and Dispute resolution and conflict management. The LGAF assesses these areas through a set of detailed indicators that are rated on a scale of pre-coded statements (from lack of good governance to good practice). While land governance can be highly technical in nature and tends to be addressed in a partial and sporadic manner, the LGAF posits a tool for a comprehensive assessment, taking into account the broad range of issues that land governance encompasses, while enabling those unfamiliar with land to grasp its full complexity. The LGAF will make it possible for policymakers to make sense of the technical levels of the land sector, benchmark governance, identify areas that require further attention and monitor progress. It is intended to assist countries in prioritizing reforms in the land sector by providing a holistic diagnostic review that can inform policy dialogue in a clear and targeted manner. In addition to presenting the LGAF tool, this book includes detailed case studies on its implementation in five selected countries: Peru, the Kyrgyz Republic, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Tanzania.

In India, indigenous tribal communities are the most backward sections of the society and they have been a matter of great concern for the Government. More than 87 per cent of the country’s tribal population is confined to 11 states, among which Odisha has the largest number of tribal communities and Mayurbhanj district has the highest concentration of tribes. Throughout the history of development, tribal communities were trapped in a vicious circle of exploitation. This led to social discontent and unrest, resulting in extremist activities, which can be prevented only by more meaningful development of the tribal areas. This book is divided into 10 chapters, each dealing with very crucial and relevant issues. It will be useful for policy makers dealing with livelihood issues, social exclusion and tribal development-related projects.

Ending poverty and stabilizing climate change will be two unprecedented global achievements and two major steps toward sustainable development. But the two objectives cannot be considered in isolation: they need to be jointly tackled through an integrated strategy. This report brings together those two objectives and explores how they can more easily be achieved if considered together. It examines the potential impact of climate change and climate policies on poverty reduction. It also provides guidance on how to create a “win-win†? situation so that climate change policies contribute to poverty reduction and poverty-reduction policies contribute to climate change mitigation and resilience building. The key finding of the report is that climate change represents a significant obstacle to the sustained eradication of poverty, but future impacts on poverty are determined by policy choices: rapid, inclusive, and climate-informed development can prevent most short-term impacts whereas immediate pro-poor, emissions-reduction policies can drastically limit long-term ones.

The authors examine the numerous structural and policy changes Indian authorities have adopted since the 1991 balance of payments crisis; how these changes helped India weather the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98; the risks to fiscal sustainability and their implications for growth; the challenges facing monetary policy in the face of financial market liberalization; and the benefits of structural reform and fiscal policy for growth, poverty, and the reduction of regional disparities.