The introduction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in India has injected hope for augmented economic growth in recent future. The motive behind establishment of SEZs was mainly to fuel rapid economic growth, provide world class infrastructure and employment, promote exports, increase foreign exchange reserves and attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The main objective of the paper is to investigate whether the enactment of SEZ policies had any impact on inflow of FDI among Indian states.

This discussion paper by Arka Roy Chaudhuri and E Somanathan discusses the potential of biometric identification to facilitate cash transfers in India.

A primary explanation for variation in contract structure is the extent to which contracting parties make investments specific to their transaction. Investment decisions are typically endogenous in contract choice, however, frustrating attempts at causal verification. I analyze the impact of a major environmental regulation, the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, on coal procurement strategies of U.S. utilities. I exploit a key feature of the Amendment's design to define a difference‐in‐difference model that is arguably less susceptible to endogeneity concerns.

This paper finds that previous conclusions that a uniform lump-sum estate tax could provide annuity income were reached by not including the bequest income that households receive. We argue that since agents leave behind bequest, they should also receive bequest income from their parents. Moreover, the differential timing and sizes of bequest income will generate unequal wealth effects even with the actuarially fair annuity markets.

This paper examines the welfare angle of Pay As You Go (PAYG) type social security under differential mortality among different income groups. Empirical evidence suggests that agents who have low income tend to start working earlier and have shorter longevity than those with middle or high income.