The Anthropology in South Asian Development and Population Projects

1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Clarence Maloney

In principle, there should be wide scope for anthropologists and other social scientists in the vast efforts for life-betterment in the South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and possibly Afghanistan). This article points out a few areas where the anthropological perspective is critical. The latter part of the article presents some experiences of the author, who has worked for over 20 years directly in South Asian rural development.

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-197
Author(s):  
Renu Verma ◽  
Jaidev Dubey

During last decade, the stalemate in multilateral trade negotiations under the framework of World Trade Organization (WTO) regime has provided impetus to the signing of regional trade agreements world over .South Asia is not an exception to this trend and has been involved in setting up its own bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). Most commonly cited cooperation agreements are Agreement on Trade and Commerce between India and Bhutan(1972), India-Nepal Bilateral Trade and Transit Treaties(1991), India–Sri Lanka Bilateral Free Trade Area(1998) Bangkok Agreement (1975),  Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC-2004) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association of Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC-1997). One of  the most significant steps  towards regional economic cooperation in the history of South Asian countries, was taken with signing of The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) formed in 1985 with the objective of exploiting “accelerated economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region” for the welfare of the peoples of South Asia. And then seven South Asian countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—initiated a framework for region-wide integration under the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) in 1995. In order to further cement the regional economic relations and overcome some impediments of SAPTA, the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was signed in early 2004, which came into force on 1st July 2006. The SAFTA is a parallel initiative to the multilateral trade liberalization commitments of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries. SAFTA aims to reduce tariffs for intraregional trade among the seven SAARC member countries. It has been agreed that for the South Asian countries, Pakistan and India will eliminate all tariffs by 2012, Sri Lanka by 2013 and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal by 2015. The current paper is an attempt in assessing the potential trade in the region with latest dataset  with Gravity model approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-239
Author(s):  
MNA Siddiky ◽  
MO Faruque

Buffalo is considered the dairy animal for 21st century due to its higher adaptability and productivity in the changing climatic conditions. There is a large diversity in the buffalo genetic resources and South Asia is home of high yielding source promising buffalo breed of Murrah and Nail Ravi. South Asia is inhabitant of 151.49 million buffalo populations out of 194.29 million of global populations. Besides, about 79.74 % of Asia and 77.9 % of world buffalo populations are inhabitant in South Asian countries. During the last decade, the world buffalo population has been increased by approximately 1.49% annually. South Asia is currently producing 100.74 million metric tons of buffalo milk which is about 96.05 % of Asia and 93.19 % of world buffalo milk production. The share of buffalo milk is around 51.07% of the total milk production of the South Asia. The contribution of buffalo milk in India, Nepal and Pakistan are 51.2%, 66.6% and 59.5% respectively in total milk production. Among the South Asian countries, maximum milk is produced by India followed by Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. The productivity of buffalo has been recorded 410 kg-1buffalo-1year, 1880 kg-1buffalo- 1year, 1934 kg-1buffalo-1year and 867 kg-1buffalo-1year, 508 kg-1buffalo- 1year in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka respectively. Although most of the buffaloes are non-descript indigenous types and their production potential is not satisfactory. There are different production systems are prevailing such as zero input-low output, low input-medium output and high input-high output. Moreover, selective breeding for buffalo with the same breed under low input-medium output production system and grading up of non-descript buffaloes using improver breed/s under zero input-low output production system has been commonly practiced. The demand of milk has been increasing due to economic solvency and rapid pace of urbanization but most of the countries are deficit in production even it is challenging to meet the projected demand to achieve the SDG by 2030. To increase the productivity through genetic improvement of buffaloes could be important thrust areas to obtain projected demand of milk. Productive and reproductive efficiency can only be improved by adopting suitable breeding policies and good management practices.SAARC J. Agri., 15(2): 227-239 (2017)


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Kumar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the dynamic linkages among the stock markets of four South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) in the backdrop of trade interdependency. Design/methodology/approach Listed indices are used to serve the proxy of stock markets of four countries for the period: January 2000–December 2018. The study uses the autoregressive distributed lag model and Granger causality techniques in multivariate frameworks while focusing on intraregional trade as an exogenous factor for testing the long- and short-run causality in the given data set, hence raising the quality of statistical inference. Findings The results highlight that India and Pakistan are net exporters to the South Asian region, while Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are net importers from the region. While testing the stock markets linkages, the expanded intraregional trade volumes (exports plus imports) have occurred with the significant cointegration of stock markets of India and Pakistan with the other stock markets in the long run. In the short run, the stock markets of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka report bidirectional causality without having significant spillovers of intraregional trade on the stock prices. Research limitations/implications The study relies on the multivariate techniques with stock prices and regional trade share as the exogenous variables. Further the regulatory, political and economic conditions of sample countries are fundamentally different which in turn affect their degree of trade interdependency and integration between the stock markets. Practical implications Nonsignificant cointegration of the stock markets of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh highlights the possibility of portfolio diversification in the long run, while the significant bidirectional causalities between the stock markets highlight the lesser degree of portfolio diversifications in the short run. Originality/value Pioneer efforts are made to examine the dynamic linkages between the South Asian stock markets while focusing on regional trade interdependency. The results provide new insight in the dynamics of stock returns of South Asian stock markets in the backdrop of intraregional trade.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Muhammad Usman Sana Ullah ◽  
Naveed Ul Haq ◽  
Hood Laeeq ◽  
Ammar Aftab Raja

This study investigates the contagion and globalization between the South Asian (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) and five largest economies (US, UK, China, Japan and Germany) stock markets. Daily stock returns data from 1st July 1997 to 30th June 2015 consisting of total 4695 observation is analyzed.  DCC GARCH is applied to calculate the conditional correlation coefficients to overcome the issue of heteroscedasticity. Null hypothesis of no globalization got rejected eleven times out of twenty while the hypothesis of no contagion got rejected six times. Further analysis of conditional correlation coefficients confirmed the impact of 9/11 attacks, Subprime mortgage crises and Europeans debt crises on the Indian market. Impact of 9/11 attacks also found on Pakistani and Sri Lankan stock exchanges, while Dhaka stock exchange remained independent of all shocks. In sum, the South Asian stock markets remained isolated from the global shocks except India. Isolation of South Asian stock markets from the global shocks is due to their lower integration with the global markets. This study provides some useful recommendations to the investors and policy makers. Results suggests that Indian stock exchange  get  contagion impact from the major economies, so authorities of India should have to take measure to decouple the market from the global shocks. The markets of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are not properly integrated with global financial system, so the authorities of these countries should have to take proper steps to liberalize the markets. This paper presents the first empirical study on financial contagion and globalization of South Asian countries.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3470
Author(s):  
Xueqing Kang ◽  
Farman Ullah Khan ◽  
Raza Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Arif ◽  
Shams Ur Rehman ◽  
...  

In selected South Asian countries, the study intends to investigate the relationship between urban population (UP), carbon dioxide (CO2), trade openness (TO), gross domestic product (GDP), foreign direct investment (FDI), and renewable energy (RE). Fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) models for estimation were used in the study, which covered yearly data from 1990 to 2019. We used Levin–Lin–Chu, Im–Pesaran–Shin, and Fisher PP tests for the stationarity of the variables. The outcomes of the panel cointegration approach looked at whether there was a long-run equilibrium nexus between selected variables in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. The FMOLS approach was also used to assess the relationship, and the results suggest that there is a significant and negative nexus between FDI and renewable energy in south Asian nations. The study’s findings reveal a strong and favorable relationship between GDP and renewable energy use. In South Asian nations (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), the FMOLS and DOLS findings are nearly identical, but the authors used the DOLS model for robustification. According to the findings, policymakers in South Asian economies (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh) should view GDP and FDI as fundamental policy instruments for environmental sustainability. To reduce reliance on hazardous energy sources, the government should also reassure financial sectors to participate in renewable energy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110157
Author(s):  
S M Yasir Arafat ◽  
Syeda Ayat-e-Zainab Ali ◽  
Vikas Menon ◽  
Fahad Hussain ◽  
Daniyal Shabbir Ansari ◽  
...  

Background: Suicide is a global preventable public health problem. About a quarter of all suicides in the world occur in South Asia. As means restriction is an important suicide prevention strategy, gaining knowledge of the common suicide methods and their changing trends in each country and region is crucial. Aims: We aimed to assess the suicide methods in South Asian countries over the last two decades. Methods: A search was performed in PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Google Scholar with the search terms. Original articles of quantitative studies, published in the English language, from 2001 to 2020, with full-accessible text, that rank different methods of suicide in eight South Asian countries, were included. Results: A total of 68 studies were found eligible for review. The Maximum number of studies were found from India ( n = 38), followed by Bangladesh ( n = 12), Pakistan ( n = 9), Sri Lanka ( n = 6), and Nepal ( n = 3). Hanging ( n = 40, 55.8%) and poisoning ( n = 24, 35.3%) were the two most common suicide methods reported, in that order. Hanging followed by poisoning were the commonest suicide methods in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan while in Sri Lanka, poisoning was the preferred method to hanging. There is a decline in suicide by poisoning and an increase in suicide by hanging in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. Although hanging is still the commonest method in Pakistan, the use of firearms is growing in recent years (2011–2020). Conclusions: There is a steady decline in the incidence of suicides by poisoning following pesticide regulations in South Asian countries. However, there is heterogeneity of study methods, probable under-reporting of suicide, and lack of robust suicide data.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thilini Saparamadu ◽  
Nesrine Akrimi

This study ascertains the determinants of Intra-Industry Trade (IIT) with particular reference to IIT between Sri Lanka and its major trading partners in South Asia; namely; India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The study uses secondary data published in World Development Indicators, Penn World Table from 1992 to 2017. The level of IIT is calculated by using data gathered from Comtrade Data Base. Using panel data regression, the study adopts Random Effect model to analyze the regression results. The study concludes that economies of scale measured by difference of value added in the net output of the manufacturing sector and market size measured by average gross domestic product exert a significant influence on the level of IIT in the South Asian region. Differences of per capita Gross National Income (GNI - difference in income level) and tariff rate (the proxy for trade barriers) poses a negative influence on the level of IIT. The policymakers should be concerned about the possibility to increase IIT in the South Asian region. Based on the findings of the study, the present research offers policy recommendations to promote IIT within the region.


Author(s):  
Sushanta Kumar Tarai ◽  
Prof. Sudhakar Patra

This present research aims to analyze the total FDI inflow, outflow and net FDI of five South Asian countries over the period 1992–2019.This study is based on 28years Time series data taken from the World Bank Development Indicators. In order to compare the FDI inflow, outflow and net FDI inflow of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal over the period 1992–2019,both descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as correlation test, paired t test, the familiar linear regression model, Granger-Causality test, percentage analysis and tables, are used for analysis, hypothesis testing and interpretation of data. This study used various secondary data. Economic development of the developing countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal largely rely on FDI. However, the study also reveals that in the last two decades, India received 23 times more FDI than Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. For attracting more FDI, these nations require to create more congenial and favorable atmosphere towards the foreign investors. It is also concluded that the after implementing make in India campaign investing countries in total FDI inflow are increased. KEYWORDS: FDI inflow, FDI outflow, GDP growth.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amlan Haque ◽  
Md Shamirul Islam

Purpose Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has presented an opportunity to set aside traditional regional collaborations and take responsible leadership to overcome difficult times. This paper aims to explore the current COVID-19 vaccination progress and pandemic status for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and suggests responsible leadership to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to think beyond. Design/methodology/approach This paper offers a viewpoint of the current COVID-19 vaccination among eight SAARC nations. It scrutinises the recent COVID-19 vaccination statistics for the eight South Asian countries based on Web-based analytics and comparative analysis until 28 August 2021. Findings This paper calls for collaborative decisions and responsible actions for policymakers in the SAARC countries to deal with the COVID-19 vaccination crisis. When South Asian countries are fraught with the increasing number of populations with COVID-19 cases, deaths and acute shortage of life-saving vaccines, it is time for their national and SAARC leaders to strengthen regional cooperations and initiate collaborative actions. The paper demonstrates that implementing responsible leadership can result in favourable outcomes for individuals, organisations, regions and the world. Moreover, this paper suggests SAARC, through responsible actions, has the potentiality to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 vaccination and enhance the regional sustainability of the South Asian nations. Originality/value This paper delivers information about the present developing situation of COVID-19 vaccination in SAARC countries, how the governments and regional leadership are handling and future challenges that have been raised and can be overcome effectively. This paper can be helpful for the policymakers and SAARC leaders for effective public health interventions in the region and to develop a recovery roadmap for the sustainable economic zone.


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