CPPR is hosting the next edition of our Monthly In-house talk Series on August 8, 2019. This month we host Dr Jose Sebastian, Retired Associate Professor, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation.

He will talk about Kerala’s Persistent Fiscal Stress which since the mid- 1980s despite putting in ” above average tax effort” and economic growth comparable to national average has remained a puzzle for all these years. Dr. Sebastian’s pioneering research which recenty appeared in Economic and Political Weekly has convincingly cracked it. Contrary to received wisdom, he shows that Kerala’s fiscal effort has actually slackened over the last 60 years. He goes in-depth into the factors. His research has shown that the revenue and expenditure structures that evolved under the pressures of competitive populism of coalition politics suffer from serious imbalances which have regional and communal dimensions. According to him Kerala finances are in need of a thorough restructuring.