NEPALESE ECONOMY | KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY | SEM III 3
FEEN: Development Economics Library
Welcome to our comprehensive, open-access repository. Here you will find critical economic texts, lecture series on structural change, impact evaluation methodologies, and a profound deep dive into the economic history of Nepal.
Part I: Foundational Economic Texts
1. Economics of Development (7th Edition)
Authored by Perkins, Radelet, Lindauer, and Block, this is a comprehensive and industry-standard textbook exploring global patterns of development. This critical text covers the measurement of economic growth, the delicate balance between states and free markets, and the fundamental roles of population dynamics, education, health, and macroeconomic policies in shaping developing nations.
Access via Google Drive2. Development Economics by Debraj Ray
Debraj Ray provides a rigorous theoretical framework for understanding developing economies. This text dives deep into the mathematical and theoretical mechanisms of poverty traps, the nuances of rural credit markets, agricultural tenancy, and the inherent economics of inequality and underdevelopment.
Access via Google Drive3. Economic Development (13th Edition)
Authored by Todaro & Smith, this is the leading textbook in the field, presenting economic theory in the context of critical policy debates. It provides a balanced introduction to the requisite theory driving policy issues, recent research, and specific country case studies, helping students map theory directly to real-world outcomes.
Access via Google Drive4. Why Nations Fail
A groundbreaking book by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson that answers the ultimate question: why are some nations rich and others poor? The authors argue that it is not geography, disease, or culture that explains the divergence, but rather the nature of a nation's political and economic institutions—specifically whether they are inclusive or extractive.
Access via Google Drive5. The Wealth of Nations
The foundational classic of modern economics by Adam Smith. This magnum opus introduces the concepts of the "invisible hand," the division of labor, and the fundamental mechanisms of free markets and capital accumulation that built the modern industrialized world.
Access via Google DrivePart II: The Economic History of Nepal
6. Chapter 1: Isolation, Isolation and Isolation
Explores the early historical context of Nepal's economy. This chapter details Prithvi Narayan Shah's conquest of the Kathmandu Valley and its highly strategic role as a monopoly trade hub between the fertile plains of India and the northern plateaus of Tibet.
Access via Google Drive7. Chapter 2: Mixed Economy of the 1950s
Examines the turbulent period after the fall of the Rana regime in 1951. It highlights the dualistic nature of the economy, the massive complexities of operating a dual currency system with the Indian Rupee, and the founding of the Nepal Rastra Bank to stabilize monetary policy.
Access via Google Drive8. Chapter 3: The Landowning Elite & Plains of Discontent
A deep dive into traditional land tenure systems in Nepal (raikar, kipat, birta, jagir) that concentrated wealth in the hands of the aristocracy. This is paired with "Plains of Discontent," which details the Rana family's rise, their exploitation of the Tarai forests for timber wealth, and the archaeological rediscovery of Lumbini.
Access via Google Drive9. Chapters 4 & 5: The Disappointing Private Sector & The Business of Development
These chapters critically assess the stagnation of Nepal's private sector, the overwhelming prevalence of micro-enterprises, and missed historical opportunities for industrialization. It also fiercely critiques the arrival of foreign aid in the 1950s and how Nepal became overly dependent on a self-sustaining international "development industry."
Access via Google Drive10. Chapter 8: Emergence of the Remittance Economy
Analyzes the historical and modern migration of Nepali workers. With stagnant GDP growth from the 1950s to the 1970s, this chapter explains how demographic pressures forced out-migration, creating the massive diaspora that fuels Nepal's current remittance-dependent economy.
Access via Google DrivePart III: Core Development Economics Lectures
11. Topics 1 & 2: Economic Development & Structural Change
Covers the history of economic thought from ancient civilizations to modern times, including demographic transition models. It breaks down structural change theory—how economies evolve from agrarian-based to industry and services—with specific applications to Nepal's economic trajectory.
Access via Google Drive12. Topic 3: Agricultural Transformation & Growth in Nepal
Explores agriculture's crucial shift from a passive sector to a primary engine of economic progress. It features global data on female landownership and specifically evaluates Nepal's declining agricultural GDP share against its persistently high labor force employment and ongoing land fragmentation issues.
Access via Google Drive13. Topic 4: Poverty & Income Inequality
A rigorous mathematical look at measuring inequality via size distribution, the Gini Coefficient, and the Kuznets Curve. It defines absolute poverty, international poverty lines, and breaks down the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) regarding health, education, and living standards.
Access via Google Drive14. Topics 5 & 6: Financing Development & Globalisation
Details international trade models (like Vent-for-Surplus), balance of payments, and the severe impact of the 2008 global recession on developing nations. Furthermore, it covers the risks and rewards of global economic integration and the current state of privatization in the developing world.
Access via Google DrivePart IV: Impact Evaluation & Sustainable Economies
15. Topic 7: Impact Evaluation & The Mathematics of Evaluation
A deep dive into the econometrics and methodologies used to scientifically evaluate policy effectiveness. This includes the mathematics behind causal inference, selection bias, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD), and Difference-in-Differences (DiD).
Access via Google Drive16. Circular Economy & Literature Review (2015-2020)
Contrasts the traditional "take-make-dispose" linear economy with the regenerative circular economy model. Includes an academic literature review summarizing the evolution of the concept and tracks Nepal's current progress across the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Access via Google Drive17. World Agricultural Production, Resource Use, and Productivity
A comprehensive 2024 report by the USDA tracking global agricultural data from 1961 to 2020. It highlights the immense power of Total Factor Productivity (TFP), the shift of agricultural dominance to the Global South, and the concerning recent slowdown in global productivity growth.
Access via Google DrivePart V: Historical Precedents & Global Case Studies
18. Ancient Wisdom: Code of Hammurabi & Fan-Li Golden Rules
A fascinating look at some of the earliest recorded rules governing commerce and society. Features L.W. King's translation of the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, alongside the timeless "Golden Rules" and business pitfalls formulated by ancient Chinese advisor Fan Li.
Access via Google Drive19. UNDP: Addressing Human Poverty & Key Case Studies
Real-world applications of development theory. Features a 2006 UNDP report on pro-poor policy reforms in the Asia-Pacific region, paired with critical analyses of global social movements, the destabilizing impact of corruption, and political lessons for establishing interim governments.
Access via Google Drive
Comments
Post a Comment