Jindal Journal of Public Policy

The Role of Law and Economics in Tackling Climate Change: A Policy Analysis

2023-11-28T14:53:13+00:00

The study is based on the role of law in handling the major environmental issue that is climate change. The study discusses various policies present at the international level and explores their strengths and weaknesses besides suggesting measures to overcome those obstacles. The study uses secondary data to discuss the various economic dimensions of climate change as well as discuss the policy framework of law-making bodies. The purpose of the study is to bring out the weaknesses of the policies in order to assess the impact of climate change on various sectors of the economy. In conclusion, international organizations have faced several challenges and failures in their efforts to tackle climate change. While they have played a critical role in raising awareness and mobilizing resources, more needs to be done to overcome political challenges, improve coordination, and increase the ambition and impact of their policies and initiatives.

Editorial

2023-11-24T14:58:23+00:00

No Abstract.

Locating the Process of Policy Change to Empower Youth Care Leavers as Inheritors of State Property in India

2023-11-27T14:46:35+00:00

To ensure the continuum of care to be sustainable and of participatory quality for orphaned/ abandoned children and youth without parental care or those residing in institutional care, there is an urgent requirement of policy shift and extension in the aftercare of the youth sphere. These children must be conferred with rights-based privilege and responsibilities by the federal government in the management of state resources and property as their guardians and carers. This policy and programme shift would formally recognise these youth care-leavers (YCLs) as wards of state, provide them with employment and income sources and grant them legal inheritance rights to public property. This policy reform entails provision of legal identity on the care-leavers as state's children, prior training in vocational skills, harnessing of life-skills, and management capabilities and linking them to public institutions for life beyond aftercare. The authors advocate for the states of India to widen their scope and include 'those in care of the State' as leaders and change agents in resource management through a proposed right to inheritance. This would pave the way for inclusion and equality of the marginalised and stigmatised population cohorts, in this case the YCLs, and yield demographic dividend for the country.

Between Policy and Lived Realities: Situating the Experiences of Interstate Migrant Workers in Kerala

2023-11-27T14:47:17+00:00

Kerala has a long history of emigration and immigration of migrant workers, especially to the Gulf countries, leading to labour shortages filled by migrants from other states in the country seeking higher wages and better opportunities. Around 3.4 million interstate migrants work in Kerala's construction, manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors. Migrants have achieved partial integration into Kerala society by learning Malayalam to foster better communication, marrying locals in some cases, and adding North Indian cuisine and culture to the local landscape. However, they also face discrimination and exploitation at times.

Despite Kerala's progressive policies for migrant welfare like housing, insurance, education and language support schemes, many migrants are unaware or unable to access benefits. Migrants still face hardships including unfair wages, poor living conditions, lack of healthcare, and have protested against rights violations. More inclusive, practical policies addressing migrants' realities and upholding their rights are needed. While Kerala governments have taken proactive and progressive measures, policy and migrants' lived realities remain disconnected, undermining their wellbeing. Bridging this disconnect by making policy consultative, rights-based and grounded in migrants' needs is essential for their sustainable welfare and dignity. The inclusive development of migrants as co-citizens with equitable rights is contingent on the state reconciling policy and ground realities.

Rethinking International Political Economy: Cementing Resilient Governance in a Fragmented World Order

2023-11-27T14:46:52+00:00

This research paper examines the International Political Economy (IPE) to explore how the adoption of systems thinking can foster resilient governance in an increasingly fragmented global landscape. It juxtaposes the linear philosophy predominant in Western thought with the nonlinear essence ingrained in Eastern philosophy, linking these paradigms to the qualitative and quantitative approaches that shape IPE. Through a comparative analysis of instruments for growth, linear-nonlinear feedback loops, and the interplay between trade policy and international relations dynamics, the paper argues for the convergence of top-down and bottom-up strategies in policymaking. By integrating these diverse perspectives, the argument endeavours to highlight the importance of reconciling disparate approaches to enhance the adaptability and efcacy of governance systems in a complex world.

Foundational Principles for a Robust Law on Public Service Delivery in India: Drawing Inspiration from International Instances and Practices

2023-08-16T10:14:20+00:00

Public service delivery and guarantee laws are instrumental in fostering good governance and economic growth, yet the legal framework in India remains fragmented across independent state legislations. This research paper aims to elaborate on the principles that should guide a model law, drawn from global best practices, and explores the influence of contemporary public management values on the evolution of the Indian legal landscape. The recent introduction of a national public service guarantee law has rekindled the debate on the need for a coherent framework. The paper compiles a list of global best practices for modernizing India's public service delivery laws. The research contributes to the ongoing discourse and emphasizes the significance of public service delivery in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and development in India. It may prove to be a ready resource for creating a unified and effective legal structure that aligns with the needs of society and businesses. By synthesizing historical perspectives, current challenges, and future prospects, this paper serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, legal scholars, and practitioners seeking to understand and shape the future of public service delivery laws in India.

Governance of Skill Development and Policy Perspectives: A Comparison of India, US, EU and China

2023-11-28T14:53:35+00:00

Governments across the world have developed strong policy frameworks stimulating the growth of skill ecosystems. The aim of this paper is to present the evolution of policy framework for skill development across India, USA, the EU and China from a comparative perspective. The 'Skill India Mission' emphasizes employability, while skill policies across the US are focused on reducing the dependence on skill imports. The European Agenda for Skill (EAS) meanwhile emphasizes skilling citizens for the transition towards digital and greenways. Similarly, Chinese skill policies address the structural contradictions in the employment scenario. However, the policies addressing skill development depend on multiple factors such as demographic profile, socio-economic realities, industry needs, and political aspirations. Therefore, countries around the world focused on skill development must prioritise stakeholder interventions, increase in budget allocation, integrating soft skills with academically-based education, and vocational content which is crucial for transforming the workforce.

Floodlighting the Fog out of Contractual Employment: A Holistic Inquiry into the Discourse

2023-11-27T14:48:59+00:00

This qualitative research paper investigates the multifaceted phenomenon of contractual employment in India, with a particular emphasis on understanding its implications for workers. The study dives into the experiences and opinions of many stakeholders involved in the contractual employment system using a foresight lens. This study intends to expose the effects of contractual employment and labour law subversion on employees' lives by conducting in-depth interviews with workers, management personnel, and academicians. The findings offer insight into the intricate interplay of social, economic, and political factors that contribute to the frequency and persistence of contract labour in India. Based on the findings, this study simulates various situations that emerge depending upon the impending labour code changes and also details the subsequent steps that are to be taken. The solutions to the problems encountered by contract workers are much more holistic in nature and require an in-depth local-level analysis and coordination. This study provides a detailed knowledge of the complexities connected with contractual work in India by using a foresight lens. It provides vital insights to stakeholders involved in the issue, such as workers, management, and academics, allowing them to pursue more equitable and just work systems. Ultimately, this research underscores the critical importance of addressing the complexities surrounding contractual employment, recognizing the need to safeguard workers' rights and welfare, and fostering an environment conducive to fair and sustainable employment practices in India.

Central Bank Digital Currencies: Evolution and Implications to the Monetary System

2023-11-27T14:48:39+00:00

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are the newest entrants to the financial landscape. Widely backed by Central Banks around the globe, CBDCs offer unique characteristics and novel solutions to the existing gaps in the monetary system. Nevertheless, potential dangers like infringement on personal liberties cannot be overlooked while adopting a new system with broad implications. Introduction of CBDCs exposes the government's necessity to retain the 'trust' in its institutions amidst emerging financial innovations in the private space. An honest scrutiny of the positives and negatives of the proposed system would contribute to designing a better monetary policy tool while mitigating risks.

Although individuals stand to reap some benefits, governments would gain excessively from a mass CBDC adoption, if implemented. Therefore, civil society must play an active role in designing the technical specifications of the proposed CBDCs. A CBDC should be designed to maximise the policy goals without parting with individual privacy and personal liberties.

Legal Empowerment of the Poor in India

2023-06-08T06:03:17+00:00

The interplay between law and poverty is intricate. Obstructions to justice reinforce poverty and marginalisation. Poverty can be viewed as both a cause and a result of exclusion from the rule of law. Against this backdrop, the Legal Empowerment of the Poor (LEP) has become highly relevant. It has been realised that poverty is not just related to income; the law can play a significant role in poverty reduction. The legal empowerment agenda considers law as a medium for the self-empowerment of poor people. The goal of Legal Empowerment of the Poor is to address the fundamental causes of exclusion, vulnerability, and poverty. This paper explores the Legal Empowerment of the poor, focusing on India.

Impact of ideology on public policy and governance :

2023-05-23T06:29:00+00:00

India's public policy has been strongly conditioned by political ideology. While dirigisme was the preferred ideology when India became independent, the early 90s witnessed a sharp U-turn toward a freemarket economy and the dismantling of LPQ (License, Permit, Quota) raj. This paper tries to analyze the impact of changed economic ideology on structural transformation and high GDP growth coupled with a dissonance between growth and development parameters such asMYS (mean years of schooling), malnutrition, IMR (Infant Mortality Rate), and MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate). The paper also brings out how parties in power with different political ideologies (Congress and BJP) have shown remarkable congruence in terms of economic ideology and pursuing the free market philosophy of the Washington consensus. It brings out how autonomy for bureaucracy is critical for quality governance (Fukuyama) and looks back into India's professional approach to perspective planning, policy design, and program evaluation under the erstwhile Planning commission. It also brings out the importance of RCT (Random Control Trials) before undertaking developing programs and not putting the cart before the horse. The paper makes a strong recommendation for institutional independence, capacity build-up, and proper regulation of the free market. Liberal democracy, without inclusive development and shared prosperity, and public policy without empathy for the most disadvantaged sections of the society, can lead to social disharmony and disruption.

Urban energy systems in India :

2023-05-23T06:29:20+00:00

The fossil fuel-based energy systems require accelerated transitioning towards renewable energy provisions in order to reduce carbon emissions. Urban energy systems are commonly called sociotechnological systems, that have interconnections with the political, environmental, and economic landscape of the urban areas. These inter-sectoral linkages, the constant evolution of stakeholder's priorities and relationships, and their conflicting objectives in the urban energy landscape make urban energy systems a complex system. Asserting the need to comprehend the challenges of transitioning towards sustainable energy systems, it appears desirable to view urban energy systems as complex systems. Based on recent literature on urban energy systems and complex systems thinking, the paper initially discusses the characteristics of urban energy systems. It aims to demonstrate the relationship of urban energy systems with social, technological, environmental, political, and economic aspects of urban areas. It further emphasizes the need and the approaches to recognise urban energy systems as complex systems due to the presence of factors, such as multiple stakeholders, the interconnectedness of the agents, changing dynamics, and adaptive processes in the systems. This paper takes the case study of the city setting of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and considers its urban Solar City Master Plan to better understand the essence of complex energy systems. Against this background, the aim of the paper is to understand the application of complexity economics and systems thinking to the transition of urban energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables. In addition, the paper intends to explore how examining the urban energy systems through the lens of complexity economics and systems thinking can be valuable in formulating policy interventions towards sustainable urban energy transitions.

Cognizing climate refugees and proposing measures for their relief

2023-05-23T06:29:25+00:00

There are several instances around the world where people have been forced to migrate due to numerous issues, inclusive of the political circumstances, terrorism, famines. One of the key issue which happens to be missing out from this bracket is the migration induced by the climate. If all the aforementioned earlier can cause force migrations, then it is possible that climate change can also induce forced migration. This paper will discuss the problems faced by the climate refugees in the current world, as this paper will showcase the manner in which the climate refugees have often been neglected from the focal point. It is observed that the Global North had often neglected to take the climate refugees as a part of their refugee system and its laws, this had left a massive void for these refugees, who had come seeking refuge under extraneous circumstances, which they had been facing and led to their migration from their homes domestically/internationally. Climate Refugees and their problems have often been deemed to be under an ambiguous conception, due to misunderstandings by several researchers. Therefore, the paper will shed light on the ambiguous concepts elaborate on the International Treaties and their take on the climate refugees. The paper highlights the vital need for recognition of people displaced by environmental crises and the inhumanity of ignoring them in the conventional refugee systems.

Visibilising the underbelly of global capitalism :

2023-05-22T09:31:48+00:00

At the annual Pravesi Bharatiya Diwas, the contribution of overseas Indians and the diaspora is celebrated but amidst the high achievers, presidents, and billionaires, ignored and invisible is the contribution of the low and semiskilled workers, especially female domestic workers at the lowest rung of the labour hierarchy of those who migrate to the Gulf and S. E Asian migration corridor. They expose themselves to working and living in a world of precarity, in the desperate hope of lifting their families out of poverty. The Gulf countries account for half of India's 18 million emigrants whose official remittances make up nearly a fifth of the total 87 billion USD overall remittance flows into India. Braving indebtedness, exploitative recruitment agencies, the uncertainties of fraud about jobs, wage theft, bonded labour and dire living conditions, health neglect, hunger, sexual harassment and even torture, migrant workers from South Asia risk their all to escape the hopelessness of unemployment at home in order to sustain their families living there.

Lived experiences of Kashmiri pandit women :

2023-05-23T06:29:30+00:00

Migration, whether forced or voluntary, has been an intrinsic part of the broader processes of social change across the world. However, there is a marked difference in the way different forms of migration are conceptualised and the resultant implication that it has. For instance, the difference between refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and the expected role of the state in dealing with them. Officially termed 'migrants', the Kashmiri Pandit community – originally belonging to the now Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is a quintessential example of a community that was forcibly displaced and forced into a life of exile in their own country over three decades ago. The exilic conditions that characterised their lives have left an indelible print on their minds and have shaped their life discourses polemically, in the forms of ruptured social fabric, disoriented identity, barriers to education, healthcare and restricted labour market opportunities. Although displacement affected the entire community at large, the impact of displacement was experienced differentially. This difference stemmed from gender, the social capital they possessed, educational qualifications that they had, their place of residence (rural or urban) and the quality of social networks they had access to. The most explicit difference can be seen between those who were set up in tents that were sunk in filth and were a breeding ground for disease and ill-health versus those who were displaced but never had to live in 'migrant camps'. But even within these two groups, there are apparent differences in the lives of men and women. The challenges of everyday life are felt more acutely by women who have had to navigate the murky waters of patriarchy in addition to physical displacement. And yet, available literature on the subject is androcentric and homogenising in nature. The paper attempts to shed light on the manner and the source for the differential impact of displacement as seen through the impact of displacement on health, education and employment, which are more pronounced for women than men.