S K Sasikumar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by S K Sasikumar
India-Developing a knowledge base for policymaking on India-EU migration This project is co-finan... more India-Developing a knowledge base for policymaking on India-EU migration This project is co-financed by the European Union and carried out by the EUI in partnership with the Indian Council of Overseas Employment, (ICOE), the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Association, (IIMB), and Maastricht University (Faculty of Law). The proposed action is aimed at consolidating a constructive dialogue between the EU and India on migration covering all migration-related aspects. The objectives of the proposed action are aimed at: Assembling high-level Indian-EU expertise in major disciplines that deal with migration (demography, economics, law, sociology and politics) with a view to building up migration studies in India. This is an inherently international exercise in which experts will use standardised concepts and instruments that allow for aggregation and comparison. These experts will belong to all major disciplines that deal with migration, ranging from demography to law and from economics to sociology and political science. Providing the Government of India as well as the European Union, its Member States, the academia and civil society, with: 1. Reliable, updated and comparative information on migration 2. In-depth analyses on India-EU highly-skilled and circular migration, but also on low-skilled and irregular migration. Making research serve action by connecting experts with both policy-makers and the wider public through respectively policy-oriented research, training courses, and outreach programmes. These three objectives will be pursued with a view to developing a knowledge base addressed to policy-makers and migration stakeholders in both the EU and India. Results of the above activities are made available for public consultation through the website of the project: http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/
Managing international labour migration from India: Policies and perspectives S.K. Sasikumar
Despite the substantial benefits generated by the migration flow between India-GCC migration flow... more Despite the substantial benefits generated by the migration flow between India-GCC migration flow, many challenges remain to ensure a fairer distribution of the profits. Much has been written on the abuses of migrant workers throughout the migration cycle, but less is known about labour demand, its relationship to skills and the impact of the recruitment process on these aspects. Lack of information regarding qualifications, skills, wages and how demand will evolve inhibits informed decision-making by public and private institutions as well as by migrant workers. This results in lost opportunities or mistakes with training investment in both source and recipient countries. Additionally, there is no system of mutual recognition of educational attainment and acquired skills based on comparable standards for low-skilled or semi-skilled occupations. This report addresses some of these issues, with a special focus on the role of skills in India, including skills training, certification, ...
The paper addresses issues related to the promotion and sustenance of international labour migrat... more The paper addresses issues related to the promotion and sustenance of international labour migration from India on the one hand and protection of migrant workers on the other. It reveals that labour migration flows from India since 1990s have not only registered impressive growth in respect of the traditional destinations like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Gulf countries but also have diversified and expanded to newly emerging migrant destinations in continental Europe, Australasia, East Asia and South-East Asia. The paper observes that a pro-active migration policy framework will further cement these trends. The paper provides a detailed evaluation of the Emigration Act, 1983, the most important policy instrument governing the migration of Indian workers for overseas employment on a contractual basis. It argues that that the Act needs to be reoriented so that it provides a legislative basis for better protection and welfare of the migrants on the ...
Economics, Management, and Financial Markets, 2010
The implementation of the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organization... more The implementation of the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) renders both threats and opportunities to India’s Textile and Clothing (T&C) industry in the wake of liberal international trade in the sector. Firms acquire greater international competitiveness through various cost cutting and efficiency enhancing strategies. The question we try to ponder on is, what route does Indian firms take to join the international export market in T&C. Empirical analysis, using Tobit estimation techniques, supported the view that increasing the share of low cost labour was an important route through which export performance of the Indian firms in T&C was enhanced. Further, the use of this means to perform better in the international market aggravated in the period after the implementation of the ATC. On the other hand, capital and technology based factors did not have any perceptive effect on the export performance of Indian firms in the international mar...
This study reviews the emerging structure of employment services in India, with specific focus on... more This study reviews the emerging structure of employment services in India, with specific focus on the nature, role and outcomes of partnerships in delivering employment services and active labour market policies (ALMP). The relevance and performance of the National Employment Service (NES) of the Government of India, designed to mitigate labour market mismatches, enhance skills and increase employment opportunities, had been waning over the years. The NES is currently undergoing dramatic changes in its structure. In this revamped employment service set-up, partnerships between the public and private sectors play a key role. After delineating the background for the establishment of the refashioned NES through the National Career Service (NCS), this study traces the nature of the partnerships that are evolving, and the lessons learnt.
Widening income inequality across the world in recent years has emerged as a core concern in deve... more Widening income inequality across the world in recent years has emerged as a core concern in development policy discourses. A persistent decline in labour share has been visible in many developed and developing economies since the 1980s, including India. Declining labour share in terms of wages and emoluments portends widening income inequality, demand constriction and slowdown of economic growth. The study analyses the patterns, trends and determinants of declining labour share in organized manufacturing in India. It undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the trends and patterns in factor payments in the organized manufacturing sector, while long-term trends are explored across dimensions such as states, size classification and industrial classification.
The Indian Journal of Labour Economics
While the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 on incomes and livelihoods of people around the world w... more While the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 on incomes and livelihoods of people around the world will take some time to become known and understood, it is already clear that those who are in manual, mostly low-wage, occupations are among the worst-hit workers. This paper uses data from a sample survey of migrant workers to come up with useful parameters for estimating the potential losses from possible retrenchment of migrant workers due to the pandemic. The paper employs a simple estimation model using parameters derived from data collected from a KNOMAD-ILO survey of low-skilled migrant workers in the India-Saudi Arabia migration corridor, conducted during 2016-2017. An important finding is that the aggregate losses that low-skilled Indian workers in Saudi Arabia are likely to incur due to COVID-19-related retrenchment may be as high as 21% of their expected earnings. Adding recruitment costs can push up their losses to 36% of expected or potential earnings, while the aggregate remittances to their families could drop by USD 2 billion.
National Productivity Council of India, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has stimulated an unprecedented surge in digitalisation, which has in turn ma... more The COVID-19 crisis has stimulated an unprecedented surge in digitalisation, which has in turn massively accelerated the growth of the digital platform economy. The increasing significance of digital platforms is apparent as millions of people turn towards them for work, livelihood, trade, information and entertainment. This paper is an attempt to situate the growth and diversification of digital platforms in the post-pandemic economic scenario. The paper delineates the theoretical underpinnings of digital platforms with a focus on definition, characteristics and typology. It highlights the emerging trends in the overall digital economy and traces the potential future contours of digital platforms. The paper also discusses key labour market issues with respect to the digital platform economy as well as some major policy imperatives to situate platform work within the frame of a brighter future of work.
Minimum Referral Wages for International Migrant Workers from India: An Assessment, 2016
In the absence of minimum wages in countries of destination, the Government of India instituted m... more In the absence of minimum wages in countries of destination, the Government of India instituted minimum referral wages to regulate the wages of Indian migrant workers employed in different occupations. The rationale for introducing the concept of
minimum referral wages is that it ensures Indian migrant workers are
not placed in disadvantageous positions by the unilateral fixing of
wages – which might be much lower than the prevailing wages in the
host country as well as in India – by foreign employers.
This technical report adopts a comparative approach to assess the
functioning of the minimum referral wage system in the context of
migration flows from India to three selected destination countries in
the Gulf region - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. It
concludes with policy recommendations.
India-Developing a knowledge base for policymaking on India-EU migration This project is co-finan... more India-Developing a knowledge base for policymaking on India-EU migration This project is co-financed by the European Union and carried out by the EUI in partnership with the Indian Council of Overseas Employment, (ICOE), the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Association, (IIMB), and Maastricht University (Faculty of Law). The proposed action is aimed at consolidating a constructive dialogue between the EU and India on migration covering all migration-related aspects. The objectives of the proposed action are aimed at: Assembling high-level Indian-EU expertise in major disciplines that deal with migration (demography, economics, law, sociology and politics) with a view to building up migration studies in India. This is an inherently international exercise in which experts will use standardised concepts and instruments that allow for aggregation and comparison. These experts will belong to all major disciplines that deal with migration, ranging from demography to law and from economics to sociology and political science. Providing the Government of India as well as the European Union, its Member States, the academia and civil society, with: 1. Reliable, updated and comparative information on migration 2. In-depth analyses on India-EU highly-skilled and circular migration, but also on low-skilled and irregular migration. Making research serve action by connecting experts with both policy-makers and the wider public through respectively policy-oriented research, training courses, and outreach programmes. These three objectives will be pursued with a view to developing a knowledge base addressed to policy-makers and migration stakeholders in both the EU and India. Results of the above activities are made available for public consultation through the website of the project: http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/
Managing international labour migration from India: Policies and perspectives S.K. Sasikumar
Despite the substantial benefits generated by the migration flow between India-GCC migration flow... more Despite the substantial benefits generated by the migration flow between India-GCC migration flow, many challenges remain to ensure a fairer distribution of the profits. Much has been written on the abuses of migrant workers throughout the migration cycle, but less is known about labour demand, its relationship to skills and the impact of the recruitment process on these aspects. Lack of information regarding qualifications, skills, wages and how demand will evolve inhibits informed decision-making by public and private institutions as well as by migrant workers. This results in lost opportunities or mistakes with training investment in both source and recipient countries. Additionally, there is no system of mutual recognition of educational attainment and acquired skills based on comparable standards for low-skilled or semi-skilled occupations. This report addresses some of these issues, with a special focus on the role of skills in India, including skills training, certification, ...
The paper addresses issues related to the promotion and sustenance of international labour migrat... more The paper addresses issues related to the promotion and sustenance of international labour migration from India on the one hand and protection of migrant workers on the other. It reveals that labour migration flows from India since 1990s have not only registered impressive growth in respect of the traditional destinations like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Gulf countries but also have diversified and expanded to newly emerging migrant destinations in continental Europe, Australasia, East Asia and South-East Asia. The paper observes that a pro-active migration policy framework will further cement these trends. The paper provides a detailed evaluation of the Emigration Act, 1983, the most important policy instrument governing the migration of Indian workers for overseas employment on a contractual basis. It argues that that the Act needs to be reoriented so that it provides a legislative basis for better protection and welfare of the migrants on the ...
Economics, Management, and Financial Markets, 2010
The implementation of the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organization... more The implementation of the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) renders both threats and opportunities to India’s Textile and Clothing (T&C) industry in the wake of liberal international trade in the sector. Firms acquire greater international competitiveness through various cost cutting and efficiency enhancing strategies. The question we try to ponder on is, what route does Indian firms take to join the international export market in T&C. Empirical analysis, using Tobit estimation techniques, supported the view that increasing the share of low cost labour was an important route through which export performance of the Indian firms in T&C was enhanced. Further, the use of this means to perform better in the international market aggravated in the period after the implementation of the ATC. On the other hand, capital and technology based factors did not have any perceptive effect on the export performance of Indian firms in the international mar...
This study reviews the emerging structure of employment services in India, with specific focus on... more This study reviews the emerging structure of employment services in India, with specific focus on the nature, role and outcomes of partnerships in delivering employment services and active labour market policies (ALMP). The relevance and performance of the National Employment Service (NES) of the Government of India, designed to mitigate labour market mismatches, enhance skills and increase employment opportunities, had been waning over the years. The NES is currently undergoing dramatic changes in its structure. In this revamped employment service set-up, partnerships between the public and private sectors play a key role. After delineating the background for the establishment of the refashioned NES through the National Career Service (NCS), this study traces the nature of the partnerships that are evolving, and the lessons learnt.
Widening income inequality across the world in recent years has emerged as a core concern in deve... more Widening income inequality across the world in recent years has emerged as a core concern in development policy discourses. A persistent decline in labour share has been visible in many developed and developing economies since the 1980s, including India. Declining labour share in terms of wages and emoluments portends widening income inequality, demand constriction and slowdown of economic growth. The study analyses the patterns, trends and determinants of declining labour share in organized manufacturing in India. It undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the trends and patterns in factor payments in the organized manufacturing sector, while long-term trends are explored across dimensions such as states, size classification and industrial classification.
The Indian Journal of Labour Economics
While the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 on incomes and livelihoods of people around the world w... more While the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 on incomes and livelihoods of people around the world will take some time to become known and understood, it is already clear that those who are in manual, mostly low-wage, occupations are among the worst-hit workers. This paper uses data from a sample survey of migrant workers to come up with useful parameters for estimating the potential losses from possible retrenchment of migrant workers due to the pandemic. The paper employs a simple estimation model using parameters derived from data collected from a KNOMAD-ILO survey of low-skilled migrant workers in the India-Saudi Arabia migration corridor, conducted during 2016-2017. An important finding is that the aggregate losses that low-skilled Indian workers in Saudi Arabia are likely to incur due to COVID-19-related retrenchment may be as high as 21% of their expected earnings. Adding recruitment costs can push up their losses to 36% of expected or potential earnings, while the aggregate remittances to their families could drop by USD 2 billion.
National Productivity Council of India, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has stimulated an unprecedented surge in digitalisation, which has in turn ma... more The COVID-19 crisis has stimulated an unprecedented surge in digitalisation, which has in turn massively accelerated the growth of the digital platform economy. The increasing significance of digital platforms is apparent as millions of people turn towards them for work, livelihood, trade, information and entertainment. This paper is an attempt to situate the growth and diversification of digital platforms in the post-pandemic economic scenario. The paper delineates the theoretical underpinnings of digital platforms with a focus on definition, characteristics and typology. It highlights the emerging trends in the overall digital economy and traces the potential future contours of digital platforms. The paper also discusses key labour market issues with respect to the digital platform economy as well as some major policy imperatives to situate platform work within the frame of a brighter future of work.
Minimum Referral Wages for International Migrant Workers from India: An Assessment, 2016
In the absence of minimum wages in countries of destination, the Government of India instituted m... more In the absence of minimum wages in countries of destination, the Government of India instituted minimum referral wages to regulate the wages of Indian migrant workers employed in different occupations. The rationale for introducing the concept of
minimum referral wages is that it ensures Indian migrant workers are
not placed in disadvantageous positions by the unilateral fixing of
wages – which might be much lower than the prevailing wages in the
host country as well as in India – by foreign employers.
This technical report adopts a comparative approach to assess the
functioning of the minimum referral wage system in the context of
migration flows from India to three selected destination countries in
the Gulf region - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. It
concludes with policy recommendations.