This thesis presents research that subscribes to the broader theme of the Economic History of South Asia from 1891 to 2009. First, Chapter 2 shows that the Partition induced expulsion of religious minorities reduced school provision in Pakistan. The effect of minorities is explained by their education, occupational structure and their contribution towards local social capital. Then, Chapter 3 examines how areas affected by the Partition fare in terms of long-run agricultural development in India. It finds that areas that received more displaced migrants after Partition perform better in terms of crop yields, are more likely to take up of high yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds, and are more likely to use agricultural technologies. It highlights the superior educational status of the migrants as a potential pathway for the observed effects. Next, Chapter 4 shows that the agricultural productivity shock induced by the adoption of HYV of seeds reduced infant mortality across districts in India. It uses data on the characteristics of children and mothers in the sample to show that it was children born to mothers whose characteristics generally correlate with higher child mortality, children born in rural areas, boys, children born in rice and wheat producing districts and children born in poorer households who benefit more from HYV adoption. Furthermore, Chapter 5 shows that baseline differences in irrigation prior to the adoption of HYV are associated with differences in the growth of yields after adoption. It explores the relationship between irrigation and yields over time to uncover potential mechanisms for the observed relationship. Finally, Chapter 6 empirically investigates the relationship between religious shrines and literacy in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to the Economist, India and China (amongst others countries) are expected to be the leading economies of the 21st century (The Economist, October 2003: 78). Significant FDI has been invested into both these countries - China to a much larger extent than India (2003 - China: US$58 bn; India: US$3.8 bn - Refer to Table 2.2, Table 3.2, and the graph in Appendix 6.4). To the best of the writer's knowledge, there has not been any study comparing the economic and operating environments of these two nations, and the attractiveness of investment in them. The purpose of the project is to conduct a comprehensive study to examine whether equal investment in India would be worthwhile, by comparing the economic and operating environments of India and China. The research methodology included both primary research and secondary data analysis. The primary data were gathered through personal and telephonic interviews, while the secondary data were obtained from books, journals, the financial press, articles, the Internet, and case studies. The interviews comprised a blend of open and closed questions to extract the most accurate responses from interviewees. Six South African companies were interviewed - four operate in India and three operate in China. (One of these companies - SAB Miller operated in both these countries). The companies operating in India were Shoprite Checkers, SAB Miller, Nando's International, and Old Mutual. The countries operating in China were Kumba Resources, SAB Miller, and Barloworld. The research identified several similarities as well as some differences between these Asian nations. In conclusion, the research revealed that China and India are at present seen as the favourite investment destinations by many multinational businesses wishing to expand abroad. Yet both these countries, despite their similarities and the lure of great potential, are very difficult markets to operate in, and require careful planning, analysis and thought before expansion into these countries. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volgens The Economist sal Indië en China (onder ander lande) na verwagting die toonaangewende ekonomiee van die 21ste eeu wees (The Economist, Oktober 2003: 78). Beduidende bedrae in buitelandse direkte investering is in beide hierdie lande belê - tot 'n baie groter omvang in China as in Indië (2003 - China: VS$S8 miljard; lndië : VS$3,8 miljard). (Verwys na tabeI2.2, Tabc1 3.2 en die grafiek in AanhangseI 6.4.) Na die beste wete van die skrywer bestaan daar geen vergelykende studie van die ekonomiese- en bedryfsomgewings van hierdie twee volke, en die aantreklikheid van belegging by hulle nie. Die doel van die projek is om 'n omvattende studie te onderneem om vas te stel of gelyke investering in Indië lonend sal wees deur die ekonomiese en bedryfsomgewings van lndië met die van China te vergelyk. Die navorsingsmetodologie het beide primere navorsing en sekondere dataontleding ingesluit. Die primere data is deur persoonlike en telefoononderhoude versamel, terwyl die sekondere data uit boeke, joernale, die finansiele media, artikels, die Internet en gevallestudies verkry is. Die onderhoude het bestaan uit 'n mengsel van oop en geslote vrae om die akkuraatste reaksies van onderhoudelinge te verkry. Daar is onderhoude met ses Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye gevoer - vier doen sake in Indie en drie doen sake in China. (Een van hierdie maatskappye - SAB Miller - doen sake in albei hierdie lande.) Die maatskappye wat sake doen in Indie is Shoprite Checkers, SAB Miller, Nando's Internasionaal en Ou Mutual. Die maatskappye wat in China sake doen, is Khumba Resources, SAB Miller en BarloworId. Die navorsing het verskeie ooreenkomste asook sommige verskille tussen hierdie Asiatiese nasies geidentifiseer. Ten sIotte, die navorsing het onthul dat vele multinasionale ondernemings wat graag in die buiteland wil uitbrei, China en Indie as die jongste beleggingsbestemmings oorweeg. Tog is albei hierdie lande, ondanks hulle ooreenkomste en die lokmiddel van groot potensiaal, baie moeilike lande om in sake te doen. Dit vereis versigtige beplanning, ontleding en denke voor daar na hierdie lande uitgebrei word.

This thesis examines 'Bottom of the Pyramid' (BoP) capitalism through an empirical study of the off-grid solar power market in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Over the last three decades, the extension and neoliberalisation of capitalism across the Global South has gathered pace. In many countries, including India, there has been a proliferation of businesses serving low-income populations following economic liberalisation, and a resulting growth in what is increasingly been theorised as 'BoP capitalism'; primarily in a literature produced by economics, business, and development scholars. In this literature, the development of capitalism at the bottom of the pyramid through the Global South is predominantly being theorised as a free market story, of formal, regularised businesses succeeding by selling good quality, branded but value- conscious, innovative, and frugal goods and services. Furthermore, the argument is being made that this is 'social capitalism', that formal businesses entering BoP markets can deliver developmental and environmental benefits to low-income populations. New markets for off-grid solar power products that are growing in multiple countries in the Global South provide one significant example of BoP capitalism. Within India, an off-grid solar power market has been developing since the 1990s within a newly liberalised market context. A body of research reports that private businesses are selling good quality and value-conscious solar goods and services to India's poor. This market has been framed as highlighting the potential of BoP capitalism to bring energy and light to India's poor, while also delivering developmental benefits. The contribution of this thesis is to challenge the existing body of literature on BoP capitalism, which tells a story of BoP capitalism through the Global South being developed by formal businesses, according to market dynamics, and sees no place for informal businesses as formal ones develop. Based on ten months of qualitative fieldwork in 2013-2014 in the state of Uttar Pradesh, looking comparatively at formal, regularised and commercialised solar shops and dealerships and at informal, small-scale solar shops, this thesis explores BoP capitalism in the Indian context. This thesis has several main findings. Firstly, it shows how a new group of formal solar shops and dealerships selling good quality, branded, and standardised products, and providing an installation service, after-sales servicing, and formal bank financing are developing the BoP solar market in Uttar Pradesh in a fashion familiar to the wider literature on BoP capitalism. Secondly, it shows how the success of these solar shops and dealerships was not a free market story, but how they are being shaped and supported through state and non-state resources and patronage, and that their growth was often dependent upon informal relationships with rural development banks, which opened-up bank financing options for solar customers and access to government subsidies. Thirdly, it looks at how informal solar shops were successfully selling off- grid solar products, adopting distinctly different business practices to formal solar businesses, and developing the market in a distinctly different way. I trace how informal businesses were not just successful because they were selling cheap and substandard goods, but were also thriving because they were the site of improvised and what I term 'jugaad' products and business practices. Jugaad is a Hindi term, referring to improvised and ingenious innovation and action. This thesis highlights a context of fluid capitalism at the BoP in India, where formal and informal solar businesses are developing the BoP solar market in distinctly different ways, and where state and non- state actors are shaping the market.

This dissertation will explore how gender wage gap and political capacity represented by relative political extraction affect change in economic growth rate of a country. The main argument of the study is that gender wage gap is affecting the labor market by discouraging productive female labor force from entering the labor market. This in turn affects the efficiency and productivity of the labor market reflected in negative economic growth or economic growth potential being compromised. Here the case of Indian economy is examined. The important policy implication of this study is that it could account for the wage differential between genders and it could show how economies are missing out on the labor productivity and in turn negatively affecting the rate of economic growth. Various sociological literatures have dealt in depth with the gender wage gap and its effect on the socio-cultural fabric of a society. While the current study recognizes existence of extensive sociological theories on gender wage gap, the focus is on the economic impact of gender wage gap on the growth rate change of a country. The argument is that gender wage gap negatively affects the economic growth rate change. Economic growth literature have proved beyond doubt that economic and political factor together contribute to the economic growth of a country. Political variables such as political capacity reflects the efficiency of the government in resource extraction, its reach and allocation of those resources extracted. Such an efficient government provides the necessary environment for the economic growth. However, this political variable alone is not enough to increase economic growth of an economy. Rather governments must also possess the economic tools necessary, such as capital stock, human labor and labor force. These economic and political variables together can contribute towards an increased economic growth. How these political and economic factors combine to achieve economic growth of a country? Hence this study looks at both the economic and political variables in a model to see how they affect economic growth.

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The purpose of this dissertation is to establish the extent to which women's membership in self-help groups and their involvement in various activities of these groups, with particular reference to Micro Credit programs, impacted their socio-economic empowerment. The objective is to study the socio-economic empowerment impact factors (evidences) in women members of micro-credit self-help groups in rural India upon the self, the family and the community. / Data selected for analyses was based on an operational model of empowerment that encompassed indicators of purported empowerment at the personal, family and community levels. The working hypotheses in quantitative analyses are that there are significant differences in income, savings, assets, expenditure, basic amenities, as well as attitudinal and behavioral changes in the rural women before and after their group membership. / The qualitative interviews helped to assess the life conditions of the women as the process of empowerment before and after their participation in self-help group micro-credit program. The qualitative interviews were to corroborate the veracity of reported progress from the survey to shed some light on the specific factors that contributed to their empowerment in line with their present quality of life at personal, family and community levels. Hence, the impact of the program is measured as the difference in the magnitude of a given parameter between the pre-and post-SHG situations by comparing the life condition of members before joining the self-help group to their condition three years after joining.

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