From demonetisation in India to turbulence in the Chinese stock market and the ripples in the global financial markets created by Brexit, 2016 has been a dramatic year with implications for all the South Asian economies. Catch up with the most popular posts from our anti-corruption series, as well as our most read economics analyses.
Demonetisation and information poverty: Insights from slum areas in Bangalore and Mumbai
Drawing on her ongoing fieldwork in slum areas of Bangalore and Mumbai, LSE alumna and lecturer Silvia Masiero argues that information poverty increases hardship for the poor and vulnerable facing demonetisation. She observes, however, that the unbanked poor are those who hold the most valuable information about the real effects of the Government’s move towards a cashless economy.
The Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement: Full steam ahead for India and Sri Lanka?
Earlier this month it was announced that India and Sri Lanka plan to sign the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement – which will extend and deepen the existing bilateral Free Trade Agreement – by the end of the year. LSE alumna Piumi Gamanayake reviews the design and success of the Free Trade Agreement to date and how the new Agreement aims to move economic relations forward.
“Can we do better?” Raghuram Rajan on rethinking the global monetary system
On 10 May the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India gave a talk at LSE. He made the case for a new approach to global monetary policy that considers international responsibilities not just domestic mandates. Sonali Campion presents a summary of the event.
How not to control corruption, Pakistani style
Pakistan has struggled with high levels of corruption since independence and efforts by consecutive governments have done little to curb it. Feisal Khan writes that although tackling the problem is not an impossible task, no Pakistani government has ever had the political will to enforce long-lasting solutions.
Corruption is both a symptom of the basic structures of capitalism, and a technology that supports them
As leaders gather in London for a landmark Anti-Corruption Summit hosted by David Cameron, Andrew Sanchez draws on his research in India to argue the project to eliminate criminal practices that flourish at the margins of capitalist economies is based upon a fundamental misconception. He writes that far from operating at the fringes of the state and economy, corrupt actors are usually enmeshed within the very structures of capitalism.
You can catch up with all this year’s Economy and Anti-Corruption articles via the archives here and here. The podcast and video of Dr Raghuram Rajan’s LSE talk can also be found here.
Cover image: Dr Raghuram Rajan speaking at LSE. Image copyright: LSE
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