Date: 29th November 2006
Time: 12:30 p.m. onwards
Calling all Edmund Phelps and Amartya Sens in the making!
Script a short essay on an economic issue of our choice. If your work is among the best essays received by us, you shall be invited to present a paper on the same before our panel of economists. This shall be followed by an objective test to access your familiarity with the subject and finally a short personal interview. If you succeed in proving your mettle in each stage of the competition, you shall be our new Budding Economist.
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Rules and Regulations
· This is a multi-stage competition with elimination at each stage. For the first two stages, participants will have to work in teams of two individuals representing their college. In the final two stages, the competition shall be between individuals.
· In Round I, participants are required to submit a short essay of about four hundred words on one of the four economics based topics suggested by us. The same should be mailed in to us at the earliest on blisspoint2006@gmail.com. The best twelve teams will be invited to the next round. The last date for submitting entries is 24th November 2006
· In Round II, the teams will be required to present a paper on the same topic as their essay before our panel of judges. Participants shall be provided LCD projectors for the same
Time limit: 15 minutes
· 12 minutes for presentation
· 3 minutes for interjection
The best six teams shall move on to the next round.
· In Round III, the teams will be split up into individual participants. These twelve participants will be required to take an objective written test. The test will judge the participants on their grasp of economic concepts, particularly in the areas of statistics, microeconomics and macroeconomics. The best six individual participants shall move on to the final round.
· In Round IV, our panel of judges will interview the participants. The format for the same is entirely the discretion of the panel. The Budding Economist shall be chosen after this final round.
Time: 12:30 p.m. onwards
Calling all Edmund Phelps and Amartya Sens in the making!
Script a short essay on an economic issue of our choice. If your work is among the best essays received by us, you shall be invited to present a paper on the same before our panel of economists. This shall be followed by an objective test to access your familiarity with the subject and finally a short personal interview. If you succeed in proving your mettle in each stage of the competition, you shall be our new Budding Economist.
-------------------------------------------------
Rules and Regulations
· This is a multi-stage competition with elimination at each stage. For the first two stages, participants will have to work in teams of two individuals representing their college. In the final two stages, the competition shall be between individuals.
· In Round I, participants are required to submit a short essay of about four hundred words on one of the four economics based topics suggested by us. The same should be mailed in to us at the earliest on blisspoint2006@gmail.com. The best twelve teams will be invited to the next round. The last date for submitting entries is 24th November 2006
· In Round II, the teams will be required to present a paper on the same topic as their essay before our panel of judges. Participants shall be provided LCD projectors for the same
Time limit: 15 minutes
· 12 minutes for presentation
· 3 minutes for interjection
The best six teams shall move on to the next round.
· In Round III, the teams will be split up into individual participants. These twelve participants will be required to take an objective written test. The test will judge the participants on their grasp of economic concepts, particularly in the areas of statistics, microeconomics and macroeconomics. The best six individual participants shall move on to the final round.
· In Round IV, our panel of judges will interview the participants. The format for the same is entirely the discretion of the panel. The Budding Economist shall be chosen after this final round.
Topics for Essays & Presentation
1. The tug of war between the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission over more resources for Plan projects worsened, with deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia saying he was keen on getting more money for the Eleventh Plan rather than belt-tightening to meet deficit targets. The finance ministry on the other hand does not want to slip on the deficit target laid out under the FRBM Act.
What do you feel? Should the Deputy Chairman have his way with more funds as urgently needed for development issues or should the finance minister, arguing that fiscal prudence is the need of the hour, have his way. Prepare a presentation supporting your views.
2. Recent weeks have seen considerable debate on the cost and efficacy of special economic zones that has put the two Cabinet ministers - P Chidambaram (Finance Ministry) and Kamal Nath (Commerce Ministry) - furiously at loggerheads over the SEZ policy. The Union commerce ministry claims that SEZs will bring an additional investment of Rs 100,000 crore and will create 500,000 additional jobs. The finance minister on the other hand claims that the tax exemptions will cost the government Rs 158,000 crore.
You are perturbed about the effects that SEZs will have on the Indian economy. Prepare a presentation clarifying your stand on the SEZ issue and defend your stand by bringing the advantages/disadvantages to the forefront.
3. The setting up of a six-member panel headed by former RBI deputy governor SS Tarapore, to draw up the road map to capital account convertibility (CAC) has brought the issue once again to the front-burner. Should India embrace full CAC? Prepare a presentation arguing whether India should pave the way for greater, and ultimately, full Capital Account Convertibility or not.
4. There has been considerable debate on the feasibility of using foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had repeatedly suggested using foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure financing. You are required to prepare a presentation giving your views on this issue. Take a stand on the desirability of utilizing foreign exchange reserves for augmenting the much-needed infrastructure, and through your presentation, convince the judges on your stand.
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Prize Categories
1. The tug of war between the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission over more resources for Plan projects worsened, with deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia saying he was keen on getting more money for the Eleventh Plan rather than belt-tightening to meet deficit targets. The finance ministry on the other hand does not want to slip on the deficit target laid out under the FRBM Act.
What do you feel? Should the Deputy Chairman have his way with more funds as urgently needed for development issues or should the finance minister, arguing that fiscal prudence is the need of the hour, have his way. Prepare a presentation supporting your views.
2. Recent weeks have seen considerable debate on the cost and efficacy of special economic zones that has put the two Cabinet ministers - P Chidambaram (Finance Ministry) and Kamal Nath (Commerce Ministry) - furiously at loggerheads over the SEZ policy. The Union commerce ministry claims that SEZs will bring an additional investment of Rs 100,000 crore and will create 500,000 additional jobs. The finance minister on the other hand claims that the tax exemptions will cost the government Rs 158,000 crore.
You are perturbed about the effects that SEZs will have on the Indian economy. Prepare a presentation clarifying your stand on the SEZ issue and defend your stand by bringing the advantages/disadvantages to the forefront.
3. The setting up of a six-member panel headed by former RBI deputy governor SS Tarapore, to draw up the road map to capital account convertibility (CAC) has brought the issue once again to the front-burner. Should India embrace full CAC? Prepare a presentation arguing whether India should pave the way for greater, and ultimately, full Capital Account Convertibility or not.
4. There has been considerable debate on the feasibility of using foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had repeatedly suggested using foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure financing. You are required to prepare a presentation giving your views on this issue. Take a stand on the desirability of utilizing foreign exchange reserves for augmenting the much-needed infrastructure, and through your presentation, convince the judges on your stand.
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Prize Categories
Budding Economist Rs. 2,500
Best Presentation Rs. 2,000
II Best Presentation Rs. 1,500
Finalist (5) Rs. 1,000 each
For Registration and Queries; Contact
Shruti Mehrotra 9818672806
Ravi Saraogi 9911051320
Tania Jacob 9891556707
Gaurav Chiplunkar 9871989440
