Publications & Resources
Our faculty, students and researchers work together everyday to contribute to a better world by grappling with urgent problems we are facing in India. We conduct rigorous work to produce high quality learning resources and publications to contribute to public discourse and social change. Here, we feature a sample from our work for everyone to access. You can explore featured resources, policies, and the latest publications from the University.
To explore all the work of our University, please visit our publications repository.
List of Publications & Resources
Article
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Abstract
Biological invasions pose substantial economic threats globally, yet detailed cost assessments for many Global South nations, especially in Africa, remain scarce. This study presents the first comprehensive breakdown of the potential economic costs of biological invasions in Morocco. The researchers identified 343 invasive alien species, comprising approximately 1.11 percent of the country’s biodiversity. Using the InvaCost database, they retrieved cost estimates for 137 species with available records. They calculated the mean annual cost per species, adjusted these values both socio-economically (using World Bank Purchasing Power Parity) and climatically (via Köppen climatic regions), and extrapolated them based on species prevalence in Morocco. This yielded an estimated annual economic impact ranging from USD 1.14 billion (conservative adjusted value) to USD 5.13 billion (maximum scenario). Across all estimations, damage costs consistently exceeded management costs by one or two orders of magnitude. Despite challenges in extrapolating cost data from other regions, this study underscores the urgent need for more research and for targeted management and policy interventions to minimise the spread of invasive species and reduce their economic toll. Proactive measures in Morocco, coupled with international collaboration, will be critical to mitigating this socio-ecological crisis and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Authors: Jazila El Jamaai, Ahmed Taheri, Liliana Ballesteros-Mejia, Danish A. Ahmed, Alok Bang, Christophe Diagne, Franck Courchamp and Elena Angulo
Links
Rural growth and distribution. Two narratives from the PLFS 2017 – 2023
in Azim Premji University
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Abstract
This paper investigates a striking puzzle in recent rural India: individual real wages have shown weak or stagnant growth for large segments of the labour force, while house hold per-capita incomes have risen materially and, in many cases, faster among lower deciles. Using microdata from the Periodic Labor Force Survey(PLFS)2017 – 2023, wedocu mentthese contrasting patterns and reconcile them. First we undertake a simple decompo sition that separates (i) average real wage per earner, (ii) the number of earners per house hold, and (iii) household size. Our empirical analysis shows that demographic and labour supply adjustments — chiefly an increase in earners per household driven by rising labour force participation and expanded non-farm employment — accountforthebulkofobserved gains in household per-capita income even as individual real wages remain subdued. Dis tributional analysis reveals that percentage growth has been relatively progressive (lower deciles recording larger proportional gains), but absolute level gaps persist and, in many cases, widen. We further disaggregate decile income by occupational category and find that lower deciles have seen significant shifts from casual work to self-employed status. Since the latter category provides, on average, higher incomes, this can partially explain muchof the observed progressivity of household income growth.
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Abstract
This issue of Learning Curve examines everyday challenges in India’s public education system, including rising household costs and persistent underfunding of teachers that affect access and learning. It highlights practical responses from the field, such as community libraries in Karnataka, a decentralised demonstration-based teacher professional development initiative from Madhya Pradesh, and inquiry-based learning through Bal Shodh Melas from the Uttarakhand experience. It also engages with policy debates, clarifying misconceptions around competency-based assessment and offering practical alternatives to the ongoing school consolidation and merger debate.
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Introduction to the Special Issue on Managing and Understanding Synanthropic Primates
in Springer Nature
Article
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Abstract
This Special Issue arises from the 2023 International Primatological Society symposium “Abundant Primate Populations: Challenges & Strategies for Coexistence.” The motivation for organising the symposium was to share information and stimulate discussion on how primatologists defined and understood “overabundance” in primate populations, the factors contributing to it, and methods for accurately estimating and modeling populations. This symposium contributed to the growing body of work showing that human-primate coexistence is a global challenge and perceived as problematic by some people who live alongside primates. In this Special Issue, the researchers explore key aspects of synanthropy, including cases where communities view primates as kin and actively engage with them, case studies of sites where a long history of coexistence has recently increased in conflict, the physiological and behavioral changes primates experience from living in close association with people, and strategies designed to foster sustainable coexistence. In this Special Issue, the researchers examine four key topics associated with synanthropy: 1) The dynamics that emerge when humans and synanthropic primates share spaces; 2) Sites with a long history of human-primate coexistence that has recently become conflict; 3) Primate physiological and behavioural change as a result of living alongside humans; and 4) Strategies to promote coexistence.
Authors:
Pebsworth, P. A., Dore, K. M., Hansen, M., Anand, S., & Zinner, D.
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