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2751 items in total found

Working Papers | 1973

Labour in a Textile City: A Study of Workers Needs and Welfare in Ahmedabad

Verma Pramod

The basic hypothesis of this study is that welfare expenditure undertaken by various independent agencies does not meet the felt needs of the workers. A socio-economic survey was conducted to identify these needs. The survey covered 356 'chawls' and 43 housing colonies in 7 areas where industrial workers live. The data suggest, inter-alia, that the immediate needs of the working class are: sanitary facilities, primary school, cooperative housing society, vocational school for children and vocational school for adults. Survey results generally validate the hypothesis of this study. Consequently, two action-oriented suggestions have been made: 1) the managements should, either singly, or in collaboration with trade unions, Municipal corporation and welfare agencies, provide a lead in formulation and execution of welfare projects; and 2) an apex body should be created to coordinate the activities of relevant welfare and funding agencies.

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Working Papers | 1973

A Monetary Policy Model for India

Gupta G S

Based on a sample of 20 annual observations (1948-49 through 1967-68) a policy-oriented econometric model for the Indian economy with an emphasis on the monetary sector has been formulated estimated, and analysed. Besides national income and its components, the demand, supply, and equilibrium condition of each of the six kinds of financial assets (currency, bank reserves, government bonds, demand deposits, time deposits, and private non-bank liabilities with banks) were considered. Every effort was made to introduce as many policy variables in as many equations as permissible both on theoretical and on statistical grounds. The primary objective was to quantitatively evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of various policy variables on the model's endogenous variables. The model should be of help in understanding the portfolio management by the different sectors of the economy.

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Working Papers | 1973

Optimal Targets for Indian Family Planning Program

Satia J K

Benefits and costs associated with family planning programs of underdeveloped countries in general, and of India in particular, have been a subject of intensive investigations. These studies have been primarily used as a means for the justification of family planning programs. In this paper, we have applied benefit-cost analysis to derive the economically justifiable targets for Indian family planning programs. The targets are defined in terms of desired declines in general fertility rates (GFR). A demographic and economic model similar to Coale-Hoover is constructed to evaluate the economic consequences of different GFR paths. The cost-equations based upon the past data are used to estimate the costs of achieving various GFR paths. Benefit-cost analysis is used to compare these paths and derive optimal targets. The study shows that the benefit-cost analysis results are very sensitive to the type of economic benefits considered. Interest rates and horizon periods also effect the optimal targets. The analysis is then used to discuss the interactions among per-capita-consumption distribution, measures used and suggested to achieve declining fertility rates and financing of family planning programs. It is stressed that a massive program to reduce fertility rates may not achieve credibility unless steps are taken to achieve a greater equality in per-capita-consumption distribution.

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Working Papers | 1973

Trainer Intervention: A Case Study

Baliga B R and Garg Pulin K

This paper presents a series of Trainer Interventions and their efficacy in building up a Group Climate at a time when the Reactive Processes in the Group had reached a dangerous point which was affecting the working of the Group. The observations of these interventions were made by a Group of observers who were in the Second Phase of their Training Program for T-Group trainers. These observations were then subjected to a critical analysis under the Guidance of the Phase-Two coordinator and were, then, cross-checked with the observed Group and its trainers. The case study is very revealing in regard to the manner in which empathy processes can be generated in the group and also indicated the efficacy of 'Modelling' as a trainer-intervention. The paper also shows the value of 'Process-level' observation for understanding the underlying group processes.

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Working Papers | 1973

Implementation Problems of Management Control Systems

Bhattacharyya S K and Camillus J C

This report summarizes the initial findings of the research project on implementation problems of management control systems sponsored by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, with the support of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It must be emphasised that the findings at this stage represent just a "first cut" at the data and that a considerable amount of statistical analysis as well as in-depth interviews remain to be executed. This research project would not have been possible without the financial help of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the unstinted support of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India, and most importantly, the tremendous amount of co-operation provided to the researchers by the corporate sector. The response rate to the questionnaire has been truly phenomenal. In fact, in view of the length of the questionnaire, it is indeed a matter or considerable gratification, that the researchers can now analyse the management control practices of over 90 selected, large Indian companies. The researchers wish to place on record the tremendous debt of gratitude owed to the Indian Institute of Management, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and the companies that participated in the research study.

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Working Papers | 1973

An Approach for the Agricultural Strategy in the Fifth Five Year Plan of Gujarat

Desai D K

The basic principle in developing an approach for the agricultural strategy in the Fifth Five Year Plan is that instead of super-imposing a growth rate of agricultural sector to be achieved in the Fifth Five Year Plan, it would be desirable to find out the achievable targets at the disaggregate levels of the agricultural sector. This exercise would give the planners an insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each of the sub-groups in the agricultural sector. Following this approach it is suggested that the overall objectives of the agricultural strategy in the Fifth Five Year Plan of Gujarat should be based on the following premises: (1) It should provide at least coarse foodgrains and pulses for the weaker section of the population in Gujarat state to meet their minimum food requirement. (2) As Gujarat has comparative advantage in oilseeds, cotton, tobacco, sugarcane and fruits (particularly mango), and dairying the production of these commodities should be maximized with the available resources and new investments should be directed towards this effort. (3) Agricultural labour employed at present in agricultural sector should get such minimum was that would bring them above poverty line. (4) The economy of small farmers should be improved in such a way that by the end of the Fifth Five Year Plan a substantial portion of this section is above poverty line. (5) The lot of marginal farmers should be improved by providing them additional employment in agriculture and efforts should be made to bring a substantial portion of this sector above poverty line. (6) As Gujarat is essentially a dry farming area, a major emphasis should be laid on the improvement of dry farming. (7) The major emphasis should be for protective irrigation against the natural hazards of the failure of rains during the later half of monsoon when crops are lost for want of minimum irrigation. (8) Input use particularly fertilizer should be increased substantially both in the irrigated areas and dry areas. (9) Irrigation facilities should be increased to the possible extent. To meet these objectives emphasis should be laid to increase productivity of bajra from 1088 kg to at least 1250 kg per hectare. The areas under coarse grains would remain at the same level as in 1973-74 but their productivities would be improved. The areas under rice and wheat would marginally increase and their productivities would increase substantially. There would be special emphasis on the increase in the productivity of pulses. There will be special emphasis on enhancing the productivity of groundnut. The production of oilseeds would increase from 1778 thousand tons to 2269 thousand tons. The productivity of cotton would rise from 197 kg in 1973-74 to 304 kg per hectare in the Fifth Five Year Plan. This would increase the production from 23 lakh bales in 1973-74 to 29 lakh bales by the end of the Fifth Five Year Plan. The daily per capita consumption of milk would increase from 175 gms to 200 gms by the end of the Fifth Five Year Plan. The tentative targets for the Fifth Five Year Plan would be based on the achievable growth rates of diferent sub-groups of the agriculutral sector. If these targets are achieved the compound rate of growth in agriculture in Fifth Five Year Plan would be 6.18 per cent. To achieve these targets with the constraint of social justice, special efforts will have to be made for the development of infrastructure, drought prone area programme, and programmes for small and marginal farmers and agricultural labourers. The relationship between the development of infrastructure, special programmes and input and output programme structure, special programmes and input and output programmes should be established. Based on these relationships the financial outlay of the Fifth Five Year Plan for the agricultural sector can be allocated among various programmes and activities.

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Working Papers | 1973

Behaviour of Firms Subject to Imperfect Markets

Misra P N

A survey of available theories in economic literature would reveal that analysis of a firm's behaviour is performed, either, under the assumption of perfect competition in factor as well as output markets or by letting imperfections to prevail in these markets separately and then examining firm's decision making process in each case. At the same time it is widely accepted that perfect market conditions are simple a myth. In the present paper we analyse the behaviour of firm under imperfect market condition prevailing simultaneously in all the output and input markets. It is shown that the present approach enables us to solve for optimal magnitudes of size of the firm, factors of production, factor prices and the product price. We also discuss role of taxation on various aspects of the firm.

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Working Papers | 1973

Efficiency of Several Generalised Least Squares Estimators

Misra P N

Econometric theory, as developed till today includes a number of estimation procedures whose small and large sample properties have been analysed at different places by different authors. Looking at these works one can find a few contradictions regarding efficiency of some powerful methods of estimation. Present paper highlights these contradictions and then provides a systematic analysis of asymptotic efficiency of a number of estimation procedures. Effect of orthogonality of explanatory variables on the efficiency of various generalised least squares estimators is also examined.

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Working Papers | 1973

Some Implications of Structural Changes Within the Sample

Misra P N

An implicit assumption underlying least squares estimation procedure is that the unknown coefficients remain invariant over sample observations. In actual practice, however, one tends to use larger and larger number of observations without verifying as to whether this assumption holds true for the entire set of sample observations. Present article examines the consequence of ignoring this fact under the framework of a general linear regression model. We find that in the presence of parametric shift within the sample, the least squares estimators are biased as well as inefficient and that the explanatory power of the model is reduced. Theoretical findings are supported by empirical evidence.

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Working Papers | 1973

Corporate Planning Practices in Private Sector Companies in India

Nambudiri C N S

This paper summarises the results of a study of corporate planning practices in private sector companies in India. Even though long term planning is not very widely practised by companies in the private sector, those companies which are practising it have developed some degree of sophistication in this direction. Planning in these companies is characterised by explicit statement of company's objectives and roles specific delineation of sectors for future growth, specific organisational responsibilities for scanning opportunities and detailed operational planning. While companies find many aspects of the plans and planning process as supportive to the process of corporate planning, they found that process of planning had not eliminated the uncertainties of economic policy. Firms have generally found that corporate planning within the framework of national economic planning is both feasible as well as rewarding: The long range goals of economic development presented by the plans is a sufficient justification to undertake long term corporate planning. The study reveals both the uncertainties arising from government regulated as well as the certainties that such revelations provide to companies. In general, the study points to the importance of government and the objectives of national economic development programmes as a significant area for attention of planners.

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