This paper employs time series econometric methods to investigate the interplay between CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and economic growth in South Asian countries from 1980 to 2019. Utilizing the Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) bound test and Error Correction Model, the study identifies a significant long-run relationship among CO2 emission per capita, energy consumption per capita, and GDP per capita in Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. Notably, a negative association between GDP growth and emissions in the long run is observed in these countries. The findings highlight challenges in balancing economic growth and mitigating climate change impacts. The paper advocates for prioritizing energy efficiency through green energy adoption and cross-border trades of renewable energies. Targeting policymakers and researchers, the research draws on data from World Development Indicators and U.S. Energy Information Administration. In summary, the study unveils both long and short-run relationships, some unidirectional and others bidirectional, among the variables across the seven South Asian countries. Keywords: energy consumption, CO2 emission, cointegration, and causality.
The Labor market dynamics of Nepal is strange one. Historically, the state provided caste to people based on their occupation. This established a foundation for caste-based discrimination in the country, as certain professions came to be viewed as superior while others were seen as inferior. This paper aims to determine the extent to which discrimination in Nepal's labor market among individuals of different castes is influenced by structural factors compared to compositional factors. This paper is based on the economic theory of discrimination based on the work of Gary Becker and uses Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to find the wage gap between the privileged and underprivileged caste group. Data from the third round of the nationally representative Nepal Labor Force Survey (NLFS), conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2018, is used. The findings reveal that returns to education varies among the different caste groups. The study also indicates that the Brahmin-Chhetri community enjoys higher wages compared to other groups, with a substantial portion of this difference attributable to labor market discrimination. The wage gap between the Brahmin-Chhetri and Dalit groups is the highest, reflecting the stark socioeconomic disparities between the highest and lowest caste groups. Keywords: Caste-based Discrimination, Employment, Wage Inequality, Oaxaca-Blinder Decomposition, JEL: J3, J4, J7
There is a great deal of literature focused on answering the questions surrounding the cause of conflict. At the heart of efforts to understand the state's role in the onset or escalation of conflict lies a crucial question: Does the marginalization of certain groups by the state contribute to the onset or intensification of conflict? This study seeks to quantitatively explore the various factors that led to the decade-long Maoist revolution in Nepal, focusing particularly on why the conflict erupted in the mid-Western hills and if there is any relationship between the state’s discriminatory approaches that caused variance in conflict intensity across the nation. The data for counts of killings by the government and by the Maoist insurgents in each district are obtained from the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC). The data for various socio-economic variables are obtained for Census 2001 and the data for access to facilities is taken from the first round of Nepal Living Standard Survey 1998. Negative binomial regression model is used to estimate the total casualties predicted by state marginalization. The results highlight that inadequate state investment in educational infrastructure correlates with higher conflict intensity. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing state marginalization as part of broader conflict prevention strategies. Keywords: marginalization, Maoist, insurgency, conflict, violence