Showing all 9 books
Jean Drèze has a rare and distinctive understanding of the Indian economy and its relationship with the social life of ordinary people. He has travelled widely in rural India and done fieldwork of a kind that few economists have attempted. This has enabled him to make invaluable contributions not only to public debates on economic and social policy but also to our knowledge of the actual state of the country.
Drèze’s insights on India’s ...
Noam Chomsky visited India in 1996 and 2001 and spoke on a wide range of subjects, from democracy and corporate propaganda to the nature of the world order and the role of intellectuals in society. He captivated his audiences with his lucid challenge of dominant political analyses, the engaging style of his talks, and his commitment to social equality as well as individual freedom.
Chomsky’s early insights into the workings of power in the modern world ...
There is a wide diversity in the provision of public services in India. In some states one can go miles without seeing a functional school or public health centre, where roads are poorly maintained, and electricity has not yet been introduced, while in other places governments tend to function remarkably well in extending basic public services to all. Tamil Nadu is one of those few states with an impressive commitment to services. This book examines the dynamics ...
This book presents an analysis of the enduring problem of hunger in the modern world, and of the role of public action in meeting this challenge. Public action is understood to involve not only the activities of the state, but also those of opposition parties, civic organizations and the public at large. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, the authors discuss a wide range of issues relating to the eradication of hunger and famines, including the economic, social ...
This book is a classic analysis of an extraordinary paradox: in a world of food surpluses and satiety, hunger kills millions more each year than do wars or political repression. This collection of influential essays addresses a wide range of policy issues relating to the role of public action in combating hunger and deprivation in the modern world. It covers topics like the characteristics and causal antecedents of famine and endemic deprivation; the ...
In comparative international perspective, the Indian economy has done reasonably well in the period following the economic reforms initiated in the early nineties. However, relatively high aggregate economic growth coexists with the persistence of endemic deprivation and deep social failures. Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen relate this imbalance to the continued neglect, in the post-reform period, of public involvement in crucial fields such as basic education, health ...
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 is a law whereby any adult who is willing to do unskilled manual labor at the minimum wage is entitled to being employed on public works within fifteen days. This Primer is a simple introduction to the Act. Through a question-answer format, the Primer discussed the basis features of the Act, and suggests a few ideas about what concerned citizens can do to intensify the campaign for a full-fledged Employment ...