Sunday, August 5, 2012

Development Economics (MA) Lecture Notes-1: Introduction to the Subject and Course


Formal Lectures 1 and 2: Date 6th August 2012
Topic: Introducing the Subject and Course outline to Students

Venue: Room No-104 Faculty Offices

(All the articles cited here will be supplied by the Class Teacher)

Dear Students, in the first couple of classes, I will know more about you and shall let you know more about the course. Whatever, I have discussed with you is outlined as below.

(1)   About the Students of the batch: I would like to know more about you so that I can plan my modules and decide on topics for the guest lecturers. Here, I would like to know more about your personal (academic) background, professional engagement  of your family, academic orientation towards issues, things that attract you, your hobbies, your extracurricular interests, your hobbies and your career plans after pursuing your masters degree.

(2)   Course Evaluation Process: You have a centralised written examination system for the course along with an internal assessment process which is a continuous evaluation process through  assignments and class performance. The centralised written examination system will hold two examinations. One, in the month of September (last week) with 30 marks. Second, the final examination in November with 50 marks. The internal assessment will be done through four assignments of 4 marks each and 4 marks for your performance in classroom and off-classroom activities.
(3)    Group Discussion: The group discussions we shall have today on different issues areas below. My purpose is to gather your views on the following on the basis of your past education.
                                          i.    Logic (deductive, Inductive)
                                         ii.    Dialectics
                                        iii.    Materialism
                                        iv.    Leakages: corruption forms and effects
                                         v.    Growth and Development
                                        vi.    Drivers of growth
                                       vii.    Sectors of growth
                                      viii.    Poverty and inequality
                                        ix.    Population and Development
                                         x.    Education and development
                                        xi.    Health and development
                                       xii.    Role of State in Development
                                      xiii.    Role of Market in Development
                                     xiv.    Migration and Development
                                      xv.    Resource Allocation
                                     xvi.    Economic Wellbeing
                                    xvii.    Major Data Sources

(4)   The Four  Assignments through the Semester are
                                          i.    Assignment-1: Group Assignment (All Students in a group)
Revisiting empirics of economic growth; Relevancy of exogenous growth models in contemporary world.
Task: The students are required to go through the literature and on the basis of data available through World Development Indicators (WDI-2012) study the relations. The outcomes of the exercise is to be presented in a class seminar. (Knowledge of elementary econometrics such as OLS required to complete the task) 4 Marks

                                         ii.    Assignment-2: Individual Assignment
Demographic Transitions: All the students are required to write the assignment in the form of an article to be published on http://lokkatha.com
In this assignment, students are to study the population data on one country and prepare a write up on the demographic transition of that country. Each student will have different countries to work on.
The task would involve data mining, analysis and presentation skills through excel (or any other spreadsheet) and some skills in graphics.
Data Source: Student Collected
Sample Assignment by Previous Year Students: Republic of China: A Demographic Profileby Pooja (MA Economics, 2011 Batch)

                                        iii.    Assignment-3: Individual Assignment
Inequality: All the students are required to write the assignment in the form of an article to be published on http://lokkatha.com
In this assignment, students are to study the data on inequality in one Indian State and prepare a write up on inequality of that state vis-à-vis the country. Each student will have different states to work on.
The task would involve data mining, analysis and presentation skills through excel (or any other spreadsheet) and some skills in graphics.
Data Source: NSSO
Sample Assignment by Previous Year Students: Inequality: A Comparative Analysis ofIndia and Uttarakhand by Charu Kaur (MA Economics, 2011 Batch)

                                        iv.    Assignment-4: Group Assignment (4 groups with 2 students in a group)
This assignment would involve a review of literature by 4 groups to be written and presented by the group in class seminar. The broad topics are as under.
(a)   Agricultural Market in India
(b)   Labour issues in India
(c)   Credit Markets in Agriculture
(d)   Land Relations (Contracts / Ownerships) in India

No comments:

Post a Comment