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Private tutoring participation is increasing in several developing countries, and this expansion has attracted the interest of scholars spanning disciplines of economics, sociology and history. This paper presents a theoretical model of private tutoring demand. The model incorporates the household and school characteristics in a developing country context and demonstrates the source of gender gaps in access to private tutoring. Using a recent database from India and employing a hurdle model approach, the paper also provides estimates of the drivers of private tutoring participation and spending for pre-secondary students. Our results indicate evidence of gender gaps in private tutoring access, and that the socio-economic profile of a student is positively correlated with tutoring demand. Further, school quality indicators are negatively correlated with tutoring participation, suggesting that students at 'better' schools rely less on tutoring. Overall, the findings suggest that tutoring demand is influenced by a mix of demand-side (household, community drivers) and supply-side (school quality and learning environment) factors. The results bring into focus the equity implications of tutoring growth and the need to improve school quality in order to reduce the dependence on private tutoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the informal channels of the job search process through migrant networks in the urban labour markets in developing countries. Using a novel approach and nationwide sample survey, we measure various aspects of migrant networks such as size, diversity, efficiency and experience content and estimate their effect on probability of employment. Our findings suggest that migrant stock (having experience content) has an inverted-U relationship with the probability of finding a job for a migrant. The share of employed workers in a migrant network (efficiency) and different origin identity (diversity) positively affect the employment outcome through weak ties. Further, the migrant network effect is more active in larger cities as compared to smaller urban areas. The implications of this study indicate towards the importance of non-market informal channels in job searches and the need for integrating labour markets to harness the benefits of larger positive network externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using non-parametric methods and India Human Development Survey 2004–2005, this study analyses the effect of urban proximity in terms of distance and connectivity on spatial pattern of land-use and development in the context of rural India. We find that, in urban surroundings, rural areas have diversified economic activities, intensive agriculture with higher spending on various inputs, higher economic wellbeing in terms of wages, income and consumption expenditure. We also document that transport and tele-connectivity are important for improved rural-urban linkages and changing rural landscape. These findings suggest that urban settlements are keys to development and inclusive growth in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is extensive evidence linking air pollution exposure to physical health. Less is known about the mental health impacts of poor air quality, especially in developing countries. We use data from India and estimate the causal impact of air pollution exposure on feeling sad, experiencing cognitive difficulties, and feeling unable to control and cope with important things in life. We instrument for air pollution exposure using the annual number of nighttime thermal inversions and show that air pollution exposure in the previous calendar year significantly worsens mental health in the current year. We examine potential mechanisms and find that air pollution exposure negatively impacts self-reported physical health, worsens respiratory conditions, and increases the likelihood of experiencing sleeping difficulties. Accounting for mental health impacts of pollution exposure is critical to accurately estimating the true health costs of air pollution and designing optimal environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extended family household, in which multiple generations or married siblings of a family live together, is common in developing countries. We conducted a series of public goods experiments in such households in five villages in rural North India to shed light on decision-making efficiency within this household structure. In this experiment, we offered household members the choice to receive either a lower amount over which they have private control or a higher payout that becomes a common resource. We measure efficiency as the degree to which individuals are willing to forego personal rewards for larger, collective rewards. We find that relationships within extended households are not equally efficient, with the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law particularly problematic. Supplementary survey and qualitative evidence points to the role of decision-making power, with young, married women lacking the power to assert their preferences in extended households and resorting to actions that reduce the overall efficiency of the household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of recent studies have investigated the relationship between child labour and physical health. However, there has been little empirical evidence that child labour affects children's emotional and behavioural development. This study departs from existing literature by examining the mental health impacts of child labour in Vietnam and India, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The potential endogeneity of child labour is addressed by using rainfall as the instrument. The findings show that children engaged in child labour suffer from mental health issues as measured by peer problems and reduced prosocial behaviour in both countries. There is a significant gender difference in the impact of child labour in India. Finally, doing household chores, an accepted social and cultural work in developing countries is found to be associated with the better mental health of children in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]