Completed Projects:

NABARD Project Report: The Rural Development Infrastructure Index Including Physical, Social and Institutional Dimensions

Maharashtra, the second most populated state in India, is known for its highest contribution to the GDP of the country but has at the same time been troubled by the high degree of regional disparities. This has been identified by the Fact-Finding Committee Report (1984), the Indicators and Backlog Committee Report (1997) and more recently the Report of the High-Level Committee on Balanced Regional Development Issues in Maharashtra (2013). Given this backdrop, in January 2018, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) granted the project to Symbiosis School of Economics (SSE), department of the Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, to develop and create the Rural Development Infrastructure Index (RDII) for the districts of Maharashtra. The study has developed and created a Composite Infrastructural Index, comprising the Physical Infrastructure Index (PII), the Social Infrastructure Index (SII) and the Institutional Infrastructure Index (III), for the 33 districts of Maharashtra. The study has helped in identifying the laggard or the aspirational districts, as termed by Niti Aayog (March 2018), with respect to each of the indices as well as the composite index. The study also throws light on the relative performances of the eight agriculture divisions of the State and identifies the aspirational district in each of the regions. Further, district-wise report card has been prepared highlighting the performances of each district on the 28 parameters identified – 12 for PII, and 8 each for SII and III. While we have proposed that certain indicators require global benchmarking, other indicators will be required to inch closer to those, ranked as the best performing districts in the State or the country. This will help the districts to accurately identify the most critical issues that need to be addressed with astute grass-root strategizing and planning.

Collaborated Project between Symbiosis School of Economics and Pune Municipal Corporation

The first year MSc students at SSE are required to undertake a two months internship/ project work as a part of their course design. Apurva Yadav and Surendar Kaur were selected to intern with SSE and in these two months they worked in collaboration with Poonam Mehta, Deputy Collector, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) who is a livelihood development specialist, appointed by the PMC for implementation of BSUP (Basic Services for Urban Poor) projects in the city. The students undertook a project wherein 2500 houses being made under JnNURM BSUP Scheme, for slum rehabilitation in Pune was to be analyzed. The project required the students to undertake a study of opportunities available for livelihood enhancement for people who are displaced from their earlier slum dwellings.

After mapping the area through field visits, 400 factories and industries were contacted by our interns to analyze the market requirements and absorption of labor for employment opportunities. Six sectors were examined for training and entrepreneurial activities especially for girls. The study took into consideration the proximity of the workplace, the gravelling costs, travel time required and availability of institutes for training, and the fee charges for the rehabilitated slum dweller. The market requirement for these particular jobs and small businesses were also mapped. Two functional business plans were targeted that women can undertake by forming self-help groups. A proper cost-benefit analysis was done for the same. The faculty of SSE, NGOs, Urban economists and PMC officials were involved in the project. The ideas and business plans were presented at PMC office to Smt. Poonam Mehta which were greatly appreciated and would be implemented in the coming years.

Teach for India Programme

The Symbiosis School of Economics collaborated with Teach For India to do its first education landscape survey in Pune. This survey studies the education landscape of Pune by conducting an extensive research on the economic, educational and governmental landscape in the city. This report acts as a strong source of input for designing Teach For India’s five year strategies on expansion, partnerships, placements and development activities in Pune.

In 2008, Teach To Lead was formally established as a not-for-profit organization with a mission to create a movement of leaders who will work to eliminate education inequity in the country. Teach For India which functions as a project for Teach To Lead has about 128 fellows in Pune and currently impacts approximately 4882 students in 126 classrooms across 38 English Medium Schools (both PMC and Private schools).

The students from SSE were involved in carrying out primary and secondary data research and analysis by going to different government offices and visiting various low income English Medium schools in Pune to collect data. During this exercise they were also able to interact with various people which increased their exposure to the field of research and also instilled in them a feeling of doing their bit for the community.