BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government is all set to partner Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), co-founded by Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, for targeted intervention in a set of social sectors including poorest of the poor through policy formulation and evaluations based on experimental research.
This is the first comprehensive partnership J-PAL would have with an Indian State after the Banerjee-Duflo duo was conferred the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, simply known as the Nobel Prize for Economics.
Reliable sources in New Delhi said J-PAL is going to work in at least eight districts of the State including the KBK region on improvement of poorest of the poor, women as well as nutrition.A memorandum of understanding would be signed between the State Government and J-PAL on October 31 when top brass from the poverty action lab’s South Asia office such as Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal and Sobhini Mukherjee could remain present.
The partnership with a prestigious research centre like J-PAL is being done under Odisha Government’s 5T Initiatives which look at transformative action.
The State which has put in years of efforts in lifting a substantial chunk of the population out of poverty line through food security measures and raising human development index using a bouquet of welfare-based models is looking to up its actions by collaborating with J-PAL which has worked on targeted interventions through field-based trials.
“J-PAL would take large variables from the districts it would work on and match them with those in existing research models to devise the evaluation and policy formulations. It is known for conducting comprehensive house-to-house survey to chalk out its research models,” sources informed.
The Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT)-based J-PAL, known for its experimental research studies or randomised controlled trials, has worked extensively in Africa as well India and its evaluations have helped improve outcomes of social sector initiatives.
Earlier in September, J-PAL had inked a pact with National Health Mission of Haryana Government to improve its health outcomes through better programme implementation. In 2014, Tamil Nadu Government had tied up with the poverty action lab for implementation of various schemes in poverty alleviation, health as well as education sectors.
After the Banerjee-Duflo duo along with Michael Kremer won the Nobel, Chhattisgarh Government also had believed to have approached J-PAL for collaboration. However, Odisha Government managed to get first in line for the partnership.
Research-based policy
Partnership, a 5T initiative of Govt
MoU to be signed by Govt and J-PAL on Oct 31
Pacts already inked with Haryana, TN
J-PAL is known for its experimental research studies