Economic Growth, Economic Performance and Welfare in South Asia

This volume brings together frontline research on the prospects for rapid economic development in South Asia by leading academics and public policy experts. It reviews recent macroeconomic performance in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and examines three emergent challenges for the Indian economy: devising a policy response to climate change, attaining the millennium development goals and restructuring state level finances. The book then analyzes financial sector reforms and development of information and communications technology (ICT) firms and privatization policy in India and the South Asian approach to free trade arrangements and multilateral trade. It studies issues related to foreign perceptions of South Asian development including governance and foreign direct investment flows into India and Nepal. Finally the book studies the impact of the structural composition of economic growth on poverty in India, the evolution of inequality in India and elements of a strategy for poverty reduction in South Asia.

'The volume makes for reading which is both entertaining and thought provoking. The book would be of interest to researchers and policy makers in the field of development economics and regional economic cooperation.' - Abinash Dash, South Asia Economic Journal

MOHAMMED ALAUDDIN School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia TALET ANWAR Joint Director, Research Department, State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan PREMA-CHANDRA ATHUKORALA Division of Economics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University (ANU), Australia SRI BHAGWAN DAHIYA Maharshi Dayanand University, India ANIL DEOLALIKAR Department of Economics, University of California at Riverside, USA DILIP DUTTA School of Economics and Political Science, University of Sydney, Australia DESH GUPTA Faculty of Management, University of Canberra, Australia STEPHEN HOWES Senior Economist, World Bank, India SISIRA JAYASURYA Department of Economics, University of Melbourne, Australia SIMRIT KAUR Reader, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India PRANAV KUMAR Policy Analyst, CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment, India WARWICK J. MCKIBBEN Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, ANU, Australia; The Lowy Institute for International Policy, Australia and The Brookings Institution, USA PRADEEP S. MEHTA Secretary General of CUTS-International, India RINKU MURGAI Economist, Development Research Group, World Bank, India MILIND SATHYE School of Business, University of Canberra, Australia ANNA SEKHAR School of Economics and Political Science, University of Sydney, Australia KISHOR SHARMA School of Management, Charles Sturt University, Australia NARAIN SINHA University of Jaipur, India GANESH THAPA Regional Economist, Asia and Pacific Division, IFAD, Italy PETER WARR Division of Economics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, ANU, Australia SHYAMAL KRISHNA SHRESTHA Institute for Integrated Development Studies, Kathmandu, Nepal PREM JUNG THAPA Economics Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Australia MARINA WES Foreign Investment Consultant, World Bank, Delhi, India