Annual Report 2019–20
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National Council of Applied Economic Research Annual Report 2019–20 A E C R N 60 National Council of Applied Economic Research Annual Report 2019–20 NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 i © National Council of Applied Economic Research, 2020 August 2020 Published by Anil K. Sharma Secretary and Operations Director National Council of Applied Economic Research NCAER India Centre 11 Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi 110 002 Tel: +91-11-2345-2686, 6120-2657 [email protected] www.ncaer.org Compiled by Jagbir Singh Punia Coordinator, Publications Unit ii NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 NCAER | Quality . Relevance . Impact he National Council of Applied Economic Research, or NCAER as it is more commonly known, is India’s oldest and largest independent, non- profit,T economic policy research institute. It is also one of a handful of think tanks globally that combine rigorous analysis and policy outreach with deep data collection capabilities, especially for household surveys. NCAER was established in 1956 as a public-private partnership, working with both government and industry. NCAER’s first Governing Body included the entire Phase 1 of the NIC, consisting of a new Cabinet of economics ministers and the office tower, a new conference centre, leading lights of the private sector. These the NIC Plaza and ample underground included names like C. D. Deshmukh, parking, was completed in 2019. Staff J.R.D. Tata, John Matthai, and Asoka shifted to the new office tower, now named Mehta. The Ford Foundation provided the John Matthai Tower after NCAER’s substantial, early financial support, first President, at the end of August 2019. combined with support from the Finance NCAER staff can now enjoy a pleasant, Ministry and Tata Sons. light-filled, ultra-modern facility that would match the facilities of any think Over more than six decades, NCAER’s tank globally. The Library, staff cafeteria, Governing Body has included almost and other facilities continue to operate every prominent Indian economist and from the original A. P. Kanvinde Parisila industrialist, including Dr Manmohan Bhavan, which will be architecturally Singh as a member during 1976–82, and restored in Phase 2 that was slated to start Ratan Tata as President during 1994–98. in early 2020, but will now start in late NCAER’s current Governing Body is 2020 or early 2021 due to the Coronavirus headed by Mr Nandan M. Nilekani, pandemic. This upgrading of NCAER’s the former Chairman of the Unique physical facility is part of a long-term Identification Authority of India, Co- strategy to grow NCAER’s human, social, founder and former CEO of Infosys Ltd, systems, and financial capital. and now the Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys. NCAER has been led since 2011 Our research fits five thematic areas: by its ninth Director General, Dr Shekhar • Growth, macroeconomics, trade, fiscal and Shah, who joined NCAER from the World monetary policy, global finance; Bank where he was last the Bank’s Regional • Economic Adviser for South Asia. The investment climate, industry, infrastructure, the financial sector, labour, NCAER’s iconic campus located in the land, and urban; heart of New Delhi has been home to • Agriculture, natural resources, and the some of the best economists, statisticians, environment; journalists, and corporate minds of India. • Poverty, human development, equity, On July 27, 2013, Prime Minister Dr gender, and consumer behaviour; and Manmohan Singh laid the foundation • stone for the new NCAER India Centre Scientific collection, innovation, and (NIC). curation of economic and social data. NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 iii NCAER faculty generate and analyse NCAER researchers pursue a mix of their empirical evidence to support and inform own and bespoke research for governments public policy choices in these areas. and industry. The institution is also NCAER’s core strengths in primary data supported by long-term research grants collection provide a strong foundation for from international and national donors, its work. In late 2017, NCAER took a core support, and income from NCAER’s major step forward in this direction with endowment. NCAER was among the two the establishment of the NCAER Data largest members worldwide of the Think Innovation Centre. Tank Initiative, receiving competitive core funding from an international donor NCAER regularly brings expertise, consortium during 2010-2019. evidence, and informed debate to the public discussion of important policy As an increasingly networked institution choices with its numerous outreach and with a growing number of overseas and public policy events. The annual India domestic non-resident, visiting researchers, Policy Forum (IPF, now in its 18th year), NCAER maintains extensive research and the Neemrana Conference (which links in India and outside. Some of these celebrated its 21st Anniversary in 2019) include NBER, the Brookings Institution, are both NCAER signature initiatives. the University of Michigan, the University The IPF proceedings are published in of Maryland, Columbia University, the India Policy Forum, one of the highest Stanford University, the London School of citations-ranked economics journals out Economics and Political Science, Oxford of India. NCAER has been publishing University, Australian National University, its refereed, international journal Margin: Monash University, and the Policy The Journal of Applied Economic Research, Research Institute in Tokyo. NCAER’s for over five decades. NCAER adapted links in South Asia include almost all the rapidly to the challenges of outreach major economic think tanks in the region. during the pandemic, switching to virtual platforms that have allowed greater global For further details please visit participation in our events. www.ncaer.org Naming the John Matthai Tower at the NCAER India Centre. iv NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 Contents NCAER | Quality . Relevance . Impact iii The Institution 1 Governing Body 1 Founding Governing Body Members in 1956 2 General Body 2 Director General’s Message 5 Activities 15 NCAER Events 15 NCAER Research Programme 21 NCAER Publications 57 NCAER Research Staff Activities 71 Staff and Resources 93 The NCAER Research and Administrative Teams 93 NCAER Library and Information Services 99 NCAER Finance 101 NCAER Human Resources 102 NCAER Publications 103 NCAER Information Technology 104 NCAER General Services 106 NCAER Accounts 107 Abbreviations and Acronyms 134 NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 v Shifting from Parisila Bhavan to the new NCAER T1 office tower, August 23-26, 2019, now named the John Matthai Tower. vi NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 The Institution Governing Body The Governing Body of NCAER, headed by its President, includes prominent persons from government, industry and academia, and is elected by the General Body of NCAER. The Chief Executive of NCAER is its Director General. The General Body includes all members of the Governing Body, representatives of central government, public sector corporations, corporate houses, other institutions, and individuals. The Governing Body met twice during 2019–20, on August 27, 2019 and on March 9, 2020. The General Body met on August 27, 2019. President Nandan M. Nilekani Non-Executive Chairman of the Infosys Board Bengaluru, former Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India, New Delhi, and Co-Founder and former CEO, Infosys Vice-President Rajendra S. Pawar Chairman and Co-Founder, NIIT Group, and Founder, NIIT University, New Delhi Members Mukesh D. Ambani Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai Surjit S. Bhalla Executive Director for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C. Atanu Chakraborty Secretary, Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi Ashish Dhawan Founder and Chairman, Central Square Foundation, New Delhi Deepak S. Parekh Chairman, HDFC Limited, Mumbai Shekhar Shah Director General, NCAER, New Delhi Secretary Anil K. Sharma Professor and Operations Director, NCAER, New Delhi NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 1 Founding Governing Body Members in 1956 John Matthai J.R.D. Tata Chairman, State Bank of India Chairman, Tata Industries Ltd C.D. Deshmukh Asoka Mehta Union Minister of Finance Member of Parliament T.T. Krishnamachari J.F. Sinclair Union Minister of Commerce and Industry General Manager, Burmah-Shell Oil Storage and Distributing Co. of India V.T. Krishnamachari Ltd Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission N.R. Pillai Secretary-General, Ministry of External Affairs General Body Life Members Donor Members Bimal Jalan Bata India Ltd Subir Gupta DCL Polyesters Ltd D.N. Patodia ICICI Bank Ltd M.S. Verma State Bank of India New Zealand High Commission, New Delhi Institutional and Corporate Members Ordinary Members National Dairy Development Board Agarwal Maheswari & Company National Stock Exchange of India Ltd EPW Research Foundation NIIT Ltd Martin & Harris (P) Ltd Reliance Industries Ltd SidhoMal Paper Conversion Co. (P) Ltd 2 NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 Governing Body meeting on March 9, 2020. NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 3 Naming of the John Matthai Tower. 4 NCAER ANNUAL REPORt 2019–20 DIRECTOR GENERAL’S MESSAGE It is a privilege and pleasure to present by Thursday, August 22, awaiting the this 64th Annual Report of the National professional movers who did a splendid, Council of Applied Economic Research clock-work job of shifting all cartons for fiscal year 2019-20. and IT equipment to their new locations, ready for occupancy on Monday, August With India and the world still in the 26. Tours of the new offices had been grips of the Coronavirus pandemic, it arranged over the previous month, feels strange to be writing about the including mock-ups of the three types of year 2019-20, which was quite eventful, office spaces created on each floor, two in but which seems quite ordinary in the common work areas and one in the comparison to what followed. 2019-20 doored rooms on each floor. ended as the pandemic was taking off. We knew so little of what lay ahead NCAER’s new office quarters are for the Indian economy, the health of one of the most modern, functional, its population, and how NCAER staff buildings of any think tank in India, or would continue to work under the indeed, overseas.