Month: January 2017

   Role of Political Activists in Clientelistic Settings: Evidence from an Indian Public Works Program by Vidya Soundararajan IIM, Bangalore  On 30th March, 2017 (Thursday) at 3:00 PM Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor) Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics All are cordially invited Abstract In a setting of clientelistic politics where ruling politicians make preferential transfers to bolster political support, our model introduces a new voter identity: political activists who are influential and potentially change the political allegiance of other voters. Given these new players, do politicians now offer transfers only to target swing voters who choose political

   Pathways to Reducing Poverty and Sharing Prosperity in India : Lessons from the Last Two Decades by Rinku Murgai The World Bank On 23rd March, 2017 (Thursday) at 3:00 PM Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor) Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics All are cordially invited Abstract India is uniquely placed to help reduce global poverty and boost prosperity. The country has the largest number of poor people in the world, as well as the largest number of people who have recently escaped poverty. There is an emerging middle class but the majority of people are still vulnerable

   The Effect of Patents on Trade by Elizabeth Webster Swinburne University of Technology, Australia On 10th March, 2017 (Friday) at 3:00 PM Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor) Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics All are cordially invited Abstract  In contrast with quotas and tariffs, it is theoretically ambiguous whether fewer (or ‘weaker’) rules over intellectual property rights will increase or decrease trade in patentable goods. The prevailing view is that anticipation of imitation reduces exporters’ incentive to export goods to jurisdictions with ‘weak’ patent regimes. This empirical paper uses new measures of how the destination-country patent system

   Do Public Works Programs Increase Women’s Economic Empowerment? Evidence from Rural India by Sonalde Desai University of Maryland & Senior Fellow, NCAER   On 7th March, 2017 (Tuesday) at 3:00 PM Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor) Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics All are cordially invited Abstract Although it is often argued that labor market discrimination, resulting in blocked employment opportunities and wage discrimination, reduces women’s economic empowerment, it has been difficult to examine this constraint rigorously. The enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005 offers us a unique opportunity to

   The Transmission of Monetary Policy Within Banks: Evidence from India​ by Prachi Mishra Reserve Bank of India On 2nd March, 2017 (Thursday) at 3:00 PM Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor) Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics All are cordially invited