Editorial

There are two papers analysing the export relating to technology and fisheries sector. The first paper ‘Technology Exports and Global Value Chain Linkages: A Comparative Sectoral Study of India’ by Areej Aftab Siddiqui and Kashika Arora studies comparative performance of a high-technology (electronics and hardware) and low-technology (textiles and clothing) sectors. The study presents an empirical insight into the relationship of trade, investment and gross value chains. Second paper on ‘Fisheries Exports of India: A Constant Market Share Analysis’ by Mohd Fayaz and Mumtaz Ahmed analyses the performance of fisheries exports of India. Indian exports of fisheries have shown a positive trend of comparative advantage. Competitiveness is the most crucial factor driving change in market shares of Indian fish exports. Social sector such as education plays an important role in development. Debarshi Mandal and Debasish Sarkar in their paper on ‘A Dismal Story of Academic Performance of Primary Students in West Bengal, India’ analyses academic performance of primary students in West Bengal, India. There exists considerable disparity in academic skills between different social groups, males and females and rural and urban students. Another paper ‘Has Social Sector Development Catalysed the Inclusiveness of India’s Economic Growth?’ by Vikram Chadha and Ishu Chadda is an attempt to gauge the impact of social sector development on inclusive growth in India. The result of the study has policy implication in terms of raising public awareness about programmes, community participation, programme design specification to seek awareness and participation. Financial inclusion is yet another focus of economic policy in India. The paper on ‘Determinants of Successful Financial Inclusion in Low-Income Rural Population’ by Yashwant Kumar Vaid et al. examines the determinants that would lead to successful financial inclusion in low-income rural population. Proper use and adoption of technology is found to be important in financial inclusion. The paper ‘An Empirical Analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve for River Water Pollution in Uttar Pradesh’ by Aisha Sheikh and Owais Ibni Hassan attempts to test the environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for river water pollution in Uttar Pradesh. Findings suggest that there is no evidence of an EKC for biochemical oxygen demand, but results validate the existence of an EKC for total coliform.

There are two research notes. Ketan Reddy in the research note on ‘Financial Constraints and Global Value Chains Participation of Indian MSMEs’ studies an important phenomenon of global value chains. The participation of micro- small- and medium enterprises into GVCs is important to understand factors that restrict their participation in supply chains. Jayanta Ghosh et al. in the paper on ‘The Major Factors Influencing on the Growth of Solar energy Usage in India’ explores government policies on participation of local people, finance and climatic condition to be influencing solar energy usages. The book review by Aakruti Hrishikesh Patel of the book Modern Monopolies: What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy by Alex Moazed and Nicholas L Johnson notes the rise of modern monopolies in the 21st century.