Education is one of the powerful instruments of social change and mobility in caste structured Nepalese society. The thesis investigates the sociocultural mediation of school learning of 'untouchable' children to explore the impact of legislation and policy in achieving social change for those ethnic minorities who suffer a legacy of social, cultural and economic deprivation within a hierarchical caste structure.

Nepal’s national education strategies have sought equitable access and high quality education for all primary children. Progress towards Education For All (EFA) was examined through secondary data using trend analysis with regard to access, participation, equity and exclusion at primary level. Original research investigated learning outcomes in basic reading and arithmetic using an Annual Status Education Report (ASER) type survey. Quantitative methods were used to isolate factors showing high association with access and quality of education. A first analysis employed the Ordinary Least Square method with univariate and multivariate levels of estimation of student performance at school level. A second analysis applied Logistic Regression (univariate and multivariate level) to estimate the key predictor variables at an individual student level. In both analyses the models were employed at three levels of significance. Findings showed inequitable or non-inclusive enrolments and substantial disparities in access and participation particularly in ethnic minorities. There are major quality concerns: from the ASER type testing the majority of rural primary school children were unable to carry out basic number recognition and computation or simple reading in the Nepali language. This was particularly the case for girls and those from the lowest economic quintile. At school level, factors of student attendance, student teacher ratio, textbooks, and school location were statistically significant in relation to learning outcomes, however teacher training and qualifications were negative beta coefficients. At individual level, student characteristics and family factors such as gender, parental education, annual income and parental support were the most important in relation to student performance. Large disparities persist between geographic regions and underserved social groups with a disproportionate impact on girls, the poor and the most vulnerable ethnic minorities. Major hurdles remain to secure satisfactory outcomes for all in primary education in Nepal and achieve the EFA goals of universal quality primary education by 2015.

Insider dealing on the basis of inside information has been identified as an action against the principle of equal access to information for all those who need such information to make investment decisions. This thesis examines the regulation of insider dealing in financial markets. It analyses in particular the problem of the regulation of insider dealing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the shortcomings of this regulation and how it can be improved. The primary objective of the thesis is to offer reasonable recommendations for the reform of insider dealing in the UAE. There have been controversies regarding whether insider dealing should be regulated, the basis of such regulation and the form in which the law should intervene. This thesis has attempted to provide its own approach to the problem of insider dealing. This approach forwards the proposition that allowing insider dealing on the basis of inside information is against the principle of equal access to information and it is detrimental to market transparency. Based on this proposition, the thesis investigates the shortcomings of the current regulation of insider dealing in the UAE. Following this the applied study, which consists of a questionnaire and interviews conducted in the UAE, provides a clearer picture of the current regulation in the country. The study aims at measuring opinions and attitudes of investors and other experts towards the basis and effectiveness of the regulation of insider dealing in local markets in the UAE. This is followed by a legal comparative study. This is both a ‘macro-comparison’ and a ‘micro-comparison’ between the regulation of insider dealing in the jurisdictions of the US, the UK and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The ‘macro-comparison’ draws conclusions from comparing the broader systems of regulation in the three jurisdictions. The ‘micro-comparison’ concentrates on a functional comparison between the specific rules related to insider dealing. The legal comparative study is combined with the information generated by the applied study. Together these provide solutions (represented as recommendations) for the reform of the UAE larger system of regulation, and amendments to the rules related to insider dealing.