XKDR Newsletter - Issue 17
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XKDR Newsletter - Issue 17
Why gig work matters • Competitive exams in India • Rise of the Indian firm • A conversation with Vitalik Buterin • Indian Legal System Reforms Seminar #3
OP-ED & COMMENTARY
Labour Force Participation (LFP) is low in India and this is not consistent with a sustained long-term development path. The gig economy can bring some considerable gains in this direction, especially for the women, and the old, write Maitreesh Ghatak and Ajay Shah, in their article in the Business Standard. They compare it to urban employment guarantee schemes and discuss the forthcoming challenge of balancing its benefits for the Indian state.
In their article in the Business Standard, Ajay Shah and Nitin Pai write about the negative impact of India's competitive entrance examination model, particularly the IIT JEE. They argue that the test preparation for these exams focuses on rote memorization and test preparation rather than genuine understanding and critical thinking. Further, it also restricts the entry for households and kids who cannot afford to spend lakhs of rupees on coaching classes. The authors propose a two-part solution to address this issue: first, a broad exam to filter for genuine capability, followed by a random allocation of seats in elite academic institutions like the IITs.
VIDEOS AND PODCASTS
New episodes of Everything is Everything, the weekly YouTube show by Ajay Shah and Amit Varma, are out.
Ajay Shah speaks with Akshay Jaitly on Trilegal’s Tune In Podcast on The Rise of the Indian Firm. They discuss the evolution and transforming nature of Indian firms and their role as a key driver of economic growth.
In Episode 342 of The Seen and the Unseen, Ajay Shah and Amit Varma speak to Vitalik Buterin. They discuss more than cryptocurrencies - education, political philosophy, liberty, and the inevitability of death.
EVENTS
We hosted a Field Workshop on Public Procurement with the Chennai Mathematical Institute on the 1st of September and our Third monthly seminar on Indian Legal System Reforms on the 8th of September. The videos of the presentations and talks will be out soon on our YouTube channel.