An autonomous research institute under the Ministry of Finance

 

Past projects

Public Spending, Governance, and Regional Disparity in Sustainable Development: A District-Level Analysis in Assam

  • Start date March, 2022
  • Completion date Feb., 2024
  • Sponsor Indian Council of Social Science Research
  • Project leader Bhabesh Hazarika
  • Focus
    Among the various axes of inequalities in India, regional disparity has gained importance in recent times. Not only is Assam less developed than other mainstream Indian states, but there are also wide disparities within the state. Assam has been active in terms of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing SDG-aligned Vision Documents, adopting customized State Indicator Frameworks, and creating SDG cells and dedicated institutional structures. However, the North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 2021-22 reveals that there has been a considerable disparity in the status of SDGs across the districts in Assam. It is, thus, crucial to understand what drives such inter-district divergences – to know why some districts have better outcomes while others have poor SDG achievements. Does an increase in public expenditure directly impact improving SDG outcomes, especially at the district level? What role does good governance play in explaining such variation? The proposed study attempts to analyse the role of public expenditure and quality of governance in explaining the divergence of SDGs achievement across districts, which has important implications for policy prescriptions. This is crucial as the district is the implementing unit when it comes to social sector spending. Moreover, the fiscal space of Assam is weak due to stagnation in revenue. In such a situation, good governance and quality public spending would be critical in bridging the widening developmental gaps.

Evaluation Report of Compliance to Provisions of Sikkim FRBM Act for the fiscal year 2020-21

  • Start date Jan., 2022
  • Completion date May, 2023
  • Sponsor Government of Sikkim
  • Project leader Pratap Ranjan Jena

Revising Manual for Indian Public Finance Statistics

  • Start date Jan., 2020
  • Completion date May, 2023
  • Sponsor Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
  • Project leader H. K. Amar Nath
  • Other faculty Manish Gupta, Srihari Nayudu
  • Focus
    In view of the recent changes in Central transfers to states, Central support to states’ budgets, tax structures (introduction of GST) and discontinuation of Plans, the contents of Indian Public Finance Statistics (IPFS) need changes. There is a need to discontinue certain sections while others needs restructuring. The study would: 
    examine the chapters/sections/tables which can be discontinued; 
    examine where additional information needs to be included in the context of recent developments;  
    suggest additions or deletion in the existing table formats; and 
    prepare a format and fill in the data for two years.
     

Child Protection Public Expenditure Review – Odisha

  • Start date Feb., 2022
  • Completion date March, 2023
  • Sponsor UNICEF
  • Project leader Lekha Chakraborty and Amandeep Kaur
  • Focus

    The study conducts the PER of child protection schemes within the macro-fiscal framework of Odisha, analysing the fiscal space of the state and the budgetary allocation for the child budgets with special reference to child protection schemes. To conduct OECD evaluation, using the criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, and sustainability of the child protection schemes and programmes, through identified NIPFP-UNICEF matrices (M1 (desk review of administrative documents), M2 (review of literature), and M3 (stakeholder consultations in the field), to analyse the planning and budgeting process for the delivery of child protection schemes at the state, district, and local levels, and identify the gaps in the flow of funds, implementation structure, inter-departmental convergence, and the accountability mechanisms.


Research Study on “Rationalisation of Explicit Subsidies at State Level by NIPFP

  • Start date Aug., 2022
  • Completion date March, 2023
  • Sponsor NITI Aayog
  • Project leader H K Amarnath

Economic Assessment and Emerging Fiscal Scenarios in Madhya Pradesh

  • Start date March, 2022
  • Completion date Jan., 2023
  • Sponsor Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (AIGGPA), Bhopal, Government of Madhya Pradesh
  • Project leader Pinaki Chakraborty
  • Other faculty Amet Sapre
  • Focus
    This note presents a summary assessment of the emerging economic scenarios and fiscal performance of Madhya Pradesh in recent years and in particular after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The note covers a brief assessment of the state economy, fiscal performance in terms of revenues, expenditures and debt, the emerging fiscal space in a post-Covid situation and a way forward for fiscal consolidation.

Third Party Evaluation of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)

  • Completion date Jan., 2023
  • Sponsor Ministry of Education
  • Project leader Sukanya Bose
  • Other faculty R. Kavita Rao