Dissertations
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This community hosts the full text of all LLM and MPP dissertations submitted at NLSIU. The collection serves as an institutional record of postgraduate research and is made available exclusively to the NLSIU community. Access to these dissertations is restricted and limited to authorized users within the University.
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Item Exploring the effect of farmer social networks on information access for sustainable agriculture in Haryana(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2023-10-18) Dalal, Tamanna; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorThis dissertation investigates the role of farmer networks in promoting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Haryana. The research objectives are to understand the composition, structure, and centrality of farmer networks, explore the influence of sociocultural attributes on farmers' positions within the network, examine the role of bridging ties in shaping social networks, and identify gaps in sustainable agriculture policies regarding information dissemination. Through Social Network Analysis and qualitative insights from questionnaires, the study addresses these objectives. The findings reveal that well-connected individuals within social networks, particularly farmers from upper castes, play a crucial role in disseminating information and influencing agricultural practices. Engaging farmers from Other Backward Caste (OBC) and General categories as intermediaries and bridges between different segments of the community can enhance knowledge exchange. Empowering farmers from Scheduled Castes (SC) through inclusive participation and tailored initiatives improves information flow to marginalized groups. Strengthening collaborative networks through farmer groups and cooperatives facilitates knowledge sharing and supports sustainable practices. Policy recommendations include targeted information dissemination, specifically targeting well-connected individuals within the network. Bridging caste divisions by involving farmers from OBC and General categories as intermediaries is recommended. Efforts should be made to empower farmers from Scheduled Castes through inclusive initiatives. Strengthening collaborative networks through platforms like farmer groups and cooperatives is crucial. Policy interventions should improve infrastructure, provide targeted extension services, and develop capacity-building programs. Additionally, prioritizing on-farm demonstrations within villages is recommended to bring knowledge closer to farmers and enhance engagement. In conclusion, this dissertation contributes to understanding the role of farmer networks in promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Haryana. The findings inform policy recommendations to enhance information dissemination, bridge social divisions, and empower marginalized farmers. By implementing these recommendations, policymakers can foster sustainable agricultural development and improve the adoption of sustainable practices in the region.Item Challenges faced by the low-fee private school owners in complying with the formal regulatory framework : perspectives from a comparative study of two large Indian states(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2023-10-18) Ali, Sidra; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorThis thesis addresses the research gap in the understanding of the regulatory framework governing low-fee private schools in India. While existing literature provides a macro-level analysis of the regulatory structure, there is a lack of micro-level examination of how these regulations specifically affect low-fee private schools and the individuals operating them. This research aims to fill this gap by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory frameworks in two major Indian states, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Furthermore, interviews with private school owners were conducted to gather insights on the challenges they face in complying with the regulations and to identify areas that require reconsideration. The findings of this study will contribute to recommendations for modifying the regulatory framework to ease the compliance burden on low-fee private schools. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory dynamics in the low-fee private school sector in India. Keywords: Low-fee private (LFP) schools, LFP school owners, Regulatory framework, Regulatory compliance.Item Collective action and the right to adequate housing : the impact of resettlement on community mobilisation to access public services(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2023-10-18) Singaravelu, Naresh; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorOver the next two decades, India alone is expected to add over 40 crore people to its cities. However, a significant share of the urban population continues to live in informal settlements without adequate access to basic services. As the world gets increasingly urbanised, nation states face a daunting task in upholding the right to adequate housing, enshrined in various international covenants. At the same time, with the ever-increasing commodification and contestation of land, governments, especially in the Global South, have resorted to en-masse evictions and resettlement to the urban periphery as the preferred mode of fulfilling the two-pronged challenge of providing public housing to the urban poor and fulfilling the demands of the neoliberal world order. On the other hand, despite living in informal settlements, literature has widely covered how the urban poor have used a combination of horizontal community mobilisation and vertical clientelist strategies to guarantee access to basic services. In an era of decentralised governance, collective action has emerged as a vital precursor to fulfilling the right to adequate housing. This study sought to examine the impact of resettlement on collective action to access uninterrupted piped water supply at Perumbakkam, one of the largest public housing sites in Tamil Nadu, at Chennai’s periphery. Through interviews of residents at the site, the study identified several major factors that impede the extent of collective action, which include structural barriers in the form of high-rise buildings and high population density, lack of livelihood opportunities, social fragmentation, breakdown of political patronage, and ineffective decentralisation. The study argues that the policy decision of involuntary peripheral resettlement is the key underlying factor that precludes successful community mobilisation at the site, and thus, the right to adequate housing. In light of the findings, it is imperative upon the government to enact a comprehensive resettlement and rehabilitation policy to ensure adequate representation and participation of those impacted, and explore alternative mechanisms such as in-situ upgradation of settlements.Item Exploring the relationship between social housing and livelihood development : a qualitative study of life mission in Kerala(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2023-10-17) Nampoothiry, Aravind J; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorAffordable housing and livelihood development are separate age-old questions that various academics and policy practitioners have explored individually or together over the years. Various solutions to the challenges in these areas have been formulated by policymakers from various ideological backgrounds. This study explores how an affordable housing program by the government where the state takes not just the provision of affordable housing but also allied services such as education, healthcare, social protection, and financial support results in a change in the livelihood outcomes of the beneficiaries. Through a qualitative study based on the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method, this study identifies the challenges faced by the beneficiaries of the program in formulating a sustainable livelihood strategy to identify the most actionable challenges. Rather than focusing on a top-down study where the researcher looks for challenges based on a pre-set checklist, the PRA method ensures that it is ultimately the beneficiaries that guide the researcher in identifying the challenges that matter to them. The key findings from this study are that this model of affordable housing provision has had a noticeable impact on livelihood outcomes, and the main challenges for the beneficiaries are access to markets and lack of proper training. The way forward in this particular case would be creating market networks between a Rural Non-Farm Economy (RNFE) and the tourism sector and equipping the beneficiaries with skills demanded by the market.Item Measuring complexity of conditions that facilitate female participation in MGNREGA : a case of north Karnataka(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-12-01) Balaji, Srinidhi; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorOver the last decade, rural women have experienced more job-losses than rural men as well as urban men or women (Kannan et al. 2019). There has been an unprecedented job-loss of about 24.8% for rural women between 2011-12 and 2017-18. Specifically in Karnataka, their Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) has declined from 61.7% to 28.2% between 2011-12 and 2017-18. In this context, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) proves to be a vital source of financial security and empowerment for women in rural Karnataka (Jose 2021). It is important to note here that in Northern regions of Karnataka, there is a stark inequality in the percentage of women participating in MGNREGA at the block level. Therefore, in this study, we will attempt to ascertain the combination of administrative or macro level conditions that explain this inequality using a set theoretic research method called qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). To do this, we have identified plausible conditions using literature and available secondary data — which include land holding, political influence, presence of union operations, worksite facilities, and help from trained mates. We will then create a truth table as a means of representing the presence or absence of desirable conditions. Based on this, we will ascertain the intersection of conditions, represented through the means of combinations, that explain high and low female participation in the scheme. Lastly, we will speak to block-level administrators, union members, workers, and mates in North Karnataka to understand if their experience aligns with our findings.Item Understanding housing deprivation as an aspect of multi-dimensional poverty in small and medium sized urban settlements(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-12-01) Das, Sourav; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorItem Online teaching in schools during the pandemic : a study of challenges and responses in Delhi(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-12-01) Grover, Shivi; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorThe pandemic sparked numerous concerns regarding its direct and indirect impacts on education. Learning losses have been one of the most prevalent sources of concern. While the concern worldwide was on the learning crisis and making education accessible to students little attention was paid to the changing roles of teachers. Teachers had to adapt according to the changing needs of remote teaching and learning. While the world at large was busy citing concerns about students they missed how quickly and rapidly teachers adopted the virtual mode of teaching. Despite facing extreme challenges and with minimal support they tried their best to bridge the learning gaps. This study focuses on understanding the challenges teachers faced when they were forced to transition virtually in a short span of time. The study also covers the training sessions that were provided to teachers by the government and school authorities and the effectiveness of the training modules. The study also highlights the need for additional support in the form of devices, internet and psychological support that was required by teachers at that time. For better understanding of the situation parents, students, teachers and government officials were interviewed and their experiences form the major part of the study. The study aims to highlight important lessons that can be learned from the response of government and school authorities. The study underlines the need for a sustainable policy mandate and going beyond a mere crisis management response.Item Transit oriented development and people : a study of the socio-economic patterns emerging in the transit influence zone of Anand Vihar metro station(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-12-01) Dubey, Saumya; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorTransit-Oriented Development in India is a fast-growing phenomenon with over 14 major cities in the country adopting it in their city Master Plans and other emerging cities planning to adopt it in the coming years. The prevalence and popularity of TOD as a planning tool is gaining traction but its implications in the Indian scenario, including most of the developing world, are unmapped. The current disposition is compelling a rushed implementation of TOD, throttling into uncharted territory. This research attempts to conduct a brief socio economic study of one such TOD influence zone in the wide and dense network of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation at the Anand Vihar Metro Station. The outcomes reveal the presence of certain patterns of homogenisation in the TOD Influence Zone, characterised by economic factors such as income levels, property values, occupation etc. The study also indicates towards a scarcity of government interventions in the sphere of TOD vis-a-vis equity and inclusivity. It is therefore recommended that TOD be implemented not merely as an urban planning strategy, but also as a policy paradigm that encourages environmental, economic, and social sustainability.Item Karnataka ecotourism policy : exploring efficacy through a comparative study of Saavanadurga and Skandagiri(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-11-30) Guruhari, Satyamitran; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorEcotourism as a mechanism to minimise the ill effects of irresponsible tourism, and simultaneously promote environmentally friendly conservation practices, has been around for decades now. Despite this, the existing policies on the subject leave far too much to be desired, with scope for green washing causing more damage to the environment than several conventional tourism practices. It is in this context that the study attempts to analyse Karnataka’s Ecotourism policy and its efficacy. It begins by unpacking the key takeaways from the National Strategy and Roadmap for Sustainable Tourism, and the Ecotourism policies of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha. It thereafter conducts a comparative analysis between the aforementioned policies to identify sections of importance, and to provide the Karnataka Ecotourism policy with a template to follow for revamping and refining the aspects that have scope for improvement. It then analyses the implementation of Karnataka’s policy in the locations of Saavanadurga and Skandagiri through primary research in order to ascertain site specific interventions that could help improve the efficacy of the policy. The research concludes by providing some context specific recommendations to strengthen Karnataka’s Ecotourism policy.Item Empowering participatory local governance on early childhood development in Delhi and Karnataka(National Law School of India University, Bangalore, 2022-11-30) Sharma, Radhika; Prof. Sony Pellissery, - SupervisorThe concept of base unit was introduced by the Alliance for Right to Early Childhood Development (ECD) to lay out an institutional service provision mechanism for young children. It is rooted in democratic citizen participation at the local level and accountability of those at highest levels of authority. In other words, it aims to forefront people’s participation in the planning and implementation of young child-related services, while empowering and providing them with the space to question the authorities in case there is any inadequacy. 2019 onwards, two members of the Alliance — Mobile Creches (MC) and Centre for Child and the Law (CCL) at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore -decided to put the concept of base unit into action, in Delhi and Karnataka, respectively. While, in Delhi, the project was implemented in the urban settings of Shahabad Dairy and V.P. Singh Camp (74" Constitutional Amendment), in Karnataka the same was done within the rural structure of the Ramanagara district (73" Constitutional Amendment). This dissertation has examined this very implementation while delving into the various nuances of the process right from concept development. It has also discussed the various systemic and programmatic challenges that have affected this process, ending with recommendations for a more sustainable approach, and a scalable outcome.