Abstract
The year that passed by was by far the most momentous in terms of the world’s developmental journey in many decades. With economies slowing down across the world, and some prominent ones contracting, the pressure on state budgets has been debilitating. Children have dropped out of school by the millions, pregnant mothers have not been able to get antenatal check-ups done and many the newly unemployed have started sleeping hungry. These pressures on the state and the markets have forced a rethink on public policy and these changes are what academics must work on soon.
The sustainable development goals that did appear achievable by 2030 have been derailed considerably and will require some significant recalibration. Of particular concern will be the elimination of poverty and hunger, where the numbers have gone up this year, breaking a downward trend that we had witnessed in the last five years. For a world that has moved away from steady movement towards globalisation in the 20th century into an inward-looking trade and investment climate in the last few years, the global development agenda now needs to be bootstrapped and brought back to the cooperation that was witnessed during the setting up of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
How should one view sustainability when assessing the success of sustainable development policies? Do such policies have a legacy beyond their lifecycle even if they have limited success? Seeking to provide better insights into the process of policymaking, the first article in this issue analyses the lifecycle of three Australian public policies structured around sustainable development concepts. The study looks at the contexts and factors that led to the formulation and discontinuation of the three policies. Using case studies based on analysis of parliamentary debates, state government’s budget reports, media releases, and stakeholders’ feedback, among others, the authors highlight the need to look beyond the three-dimensional view of sustainability and understand the political dimension as well.
Government of India’s flagship Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme is aimed at supporting the psychological, physical and social development of children. Important services for nutrition support, counselling and cognitive development are delivered to children (0–6 years), as well as lactating and pregnant mothers through a network of almost 1.37 million Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). Based on data from 150 AWCs in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, the next article seeks to develop an AWC Infrastructure Index (AII) that can be applied to support programmatic monitoring and implementation by ICDS. The article also helps understand the association between the index and higher uptake of pre-school education services, and the importance of ensuring investment in AWC infrastructure.
To harness the dividends offered by the transition in India’s demography, the youth need to be healthy, educated and skilled, and gainfully employed. The third article in this issue examines demographic parameters as per socio-religious categorisations (SRC) in the Sachar Committee Report. A further analysis suggests that irrespective of any SRC identity, knowledge and fluency in English is also a dominant discriminatory factor in the country in terms of the ability to earn higher incomes. The insights offered in this article will help initiate targeted policies that can harness the untapped potential of India’s large youth population.
With emerging Asian economies witnessing a structural shift from being factor-driven to efficiency-driven, the next article builds upon the concept of competitiveness as a function of its constituent pillars according to the World Economic Forum. Using case studies of select economies, the author aims to provide an objective understanding of the competitiveness that has contributed maximum to the increased per capita GDP and trade in East Asian economies. The analysis presents policymakers with strategies that can be used while designing manufacturing development strategy for emerging economies.
While widely regarded by the development community and governments alike as having potential to improve food security in the global south, how does inclusive business impact food security among smallholder farmers’ communities? While studying the case of smallholder farmers growing French bean for export in Kenya, the final article shows how several contextual factors, including access to land and water, affect the participation of several farmers and lead to their exclusion. This article makes a case for in-depth analysis of these contextual factors, while formulating and implementing inclusive business models. In addition, the study also highlights how local food security is negatively impacted when food crops are replaced with crops that are meant for export. The findings of this study explain how private sector-led development may lead to higher economic productivity and access to better food but does little to change the structural causes of nutrition insecurity.
As we move into 2021, the need for a global understanding of shared challenges would need to be re-established. Studying global trends in development strategy, given the immense pressure on the economy will be revealing. On the academic front, any forecasts we make will need new models and templates as the existing ones would not be equipped to handle the post-pandemic scenario. As the world struggles to reach to pre-COVID-19 levels of economic and development activity, the need for inputs into development policy becomes more critical than ever before.