Samar K. Datta

Bio: Samar K. Datta is an academic researcher from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. The author has contributed to research in topics: Property rights & Joint Forest Management. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 13 publications receiving 63 citations.

Evolving an effective management information system to monitor co-management of forests.

Abstract: The failure of the Joint Forest Management programme since 2000 to sustain the growth in afforestation achieved during the 1990s is a cause for concern. This paper looks at the necessity of developing an effective management information system that can contribute meaningfully to the resilience of a jfm system. Identifying four scenarios that differ in terms of the relative contribution of the community and the State in the management process, it offers a schematic structure of an mis.

The impact of microfinance on women empowerment: Evidence from Eastern India

Abstract: This paper contributes to the empirical literature on the women empowerment effects of microfinance. Using data on women borrowers of a large microfinance institution in Eastern India, we examine the effect of access to microfinance by female borrowers on four dimensions of women empowerment, namely (1) whether the borrower manages the microfinance backed enterprise, (2) influence over decision making on credit related issues, (3) influence over decision making on expenditure related issues, and (4) influence over decision making on children related issues. We find that greater access to microfinance as measured by longer duration of treatment is associated with no or negative empowerment effects on the economic dimensions of empowerment i.e., enterprise management, credit related decisions, and expenditure related decisions; but an increase in empowerment in terms of child related decisions, implying a rebalancing of influence between men and women within the household along traditional gender lines.

On Ethical Violations in Microfinance Backed Small Businesses: Family and Household Welfare

Abstract: The microfinance business model focuses largely on lending to the woman in the household, rather than the man. The belief is that women are more trustworthy borrowers than men, and that lending to women may have increased social impact. Yet in several cases, women do not have control over the loan backed business despite being the borrower of record. Such takeover of the business by the man constitutes an ethical violation. We find that high dependency ratios in the family are correlates of such ethical violations. Further, we also find that ethical violations have a significant economic cost, consistent with prior scholarship in the family-business domain. While access to microfinance increases household welfare, this beneficial impact reduces by over 50% in the presence of an ethical violation. Our results suggest that microfinance lenders need to move beyond the traditional role of just being a lender to providing advice on issues like family planning, and money management, and enforcement, thus moving closer to the solidarity economy paradigm of integrating savings and credit into broader canvases of social relationships and social structures.

Joint Forest Management: Experience and Modeling

Abstract: The experience with Joint Forest Management (JFM) in different countries has varied considerably, succeeding in limiting deterioration of the forest in some cases but not in others. Inequality within the forest community has also had a tendency to increase. The purposes of this chapter are (1) to review relevant literature on JFM, (2) to develop a multi-purpose model that could be used to identify conditions that can influence the likelihood of success of JFM in improving the welfare of those living and working in forest communities as well as making forest use more sustainable, and (3) to highlight the role of forest externalities and institutional conditions in analyzing the effects of JFM, and (4) to suggest applications and extensions that could provide valid policy implications tailored to specific circumstances. Although highly simplified, the model is designed so as to be flexible enough to deal with a wide variety of settings in rural areas of developing countries and yet at the same time specific enough to provide some policy conclusions. Even the present highly simplified model demonstrates general conclusions about the efficacy of JFM cannot be drawn without very specific empirical knowledge concerning the behavioral and technological parameters in the model.

An Institutional Economics Approach to the Problems of Small Farmer Credit in India

Abstract: This paper applies the tools of institutional economics – especially those pertaining to informational asymmetry and transaction costs - for studying the credit problems of small farmers in India, who, in spite of a vast network of credit institutions developed over a long period of time under government ownership and/or control, are alleged as not getting a share of formal sector credit commensurate with their statistical dominance. It uses data collected by the Agro-economic Research Centers and Units under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India from a carefully selected sample of 700 borrower households across the country over a period of three years (1997-1998 to 1999-2000) to provide a preliminary explanation of the various dimensions of a credit package in terms of variation in borrower’s village, household and other loan attributes.

Micro-credit initiatives for equitable and sustainable development : who pays?; a case study of the Grameen Bank Program in rural Bangladesh

Abstract: Abstract There is a growing acknowledgement that micro-credit programs have potential for equitable and sustainable development. However, my anthropological research on the micro-credit program of the Grameen Bank shows that bank workers are expected to increase disbursement of loans among their members and press for high recovery rates to earn profit necessary for economic viability of the institution. To ensure timely repayment in the loan centers bank workers and borrowing peers inflict an intense pressure on women clients. In the study community many borrowers maintain their regular payment schedules through a process of loan recycling that considerably increases the debt-liability on the individual households, increases tension and frustration among household members, produces new forms of dominance over women and increases violence in society.

Ultrasmall Targeted Nanoparticles with Engineered Antibody Fragments for Imaging Detection of HER2-overexpressing Breast Cancer

Abstract: 606 Objectives: To design and characterize ultrasmall (HD: ~7 nm) core-shell hybrid silica nanoparticles that are functionalized with anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) single-chain variable fragments with high tumor targeting efficiency, low liver accumulation, and efficient renal clearance. Methods: Azide-functionalized scFv fragment (25-kDa) was generated based on Trastuzumab, using a variable light/heavy chain (VL-linker-VH) construct. Aminated PEG-NH2-Cy5-C’ dots (C’ dots: Cornell Prime dots, 6.6 nm) were first prepared and reacted with dibenzocyclooctyne-PEG4-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester (DBCO-PEG4-NHS ester) to form DBCO-PEG-NH2-Cy5-C’ dots. Afterwards, p-SCN-Bn-deferoxamine (DFO-NCS) was added and reacted with remaining amine groups to form DFO-DBCO-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots. Subsequently, DFO-DBCO-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots were mixed with anti-HER2 scFv-azide, yielding DFO-scFv-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to assess targeted delivery, penetration, and distribution of as-synthesized nanoimmunoconjugates in HER2-expressing BT-474 and HER2 non-expressing MDA-MB-231 cells, as well as xenografted / orthotopic tumor models. Pharmacokinetic analyses, radio-dosimetry, stability, and acute toxicity studies were also conducted. Results: Anti-HER2 scFv containing an azide functionalized non-natural amino acid at position HC44 was selected for subsequent C’ dot bioconjugation studies. 89Zr-DFO-scFv-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots were synthesized by integrating five functional moieties (i.e., encapsulated Cy5 near-infrared fluorescent dye, PEG stealth layer, Click Chemistry DBCO, 89Zr-chelated DFO and scFv fragment) into a single particle platform, while maintaining overall particle sizes to ~7.3 nm. The numbers of Cy5, DBCO, DFO and scFv per C’ dot were estimated to be approximately 1.9, 22, 6.6 and 1.4, respectively. Flow cytometry with BT-474 cells showed a significant concentration-dependent increase in median fluorescence intensity, 6-7 times higher than that of MDA-MB-231. For in vivo work, DFO-scFv-PEG-Cy5-C9 dots were radiolabeled with 89Zr and systemically injected to non-tumor-bearing or BT-474 tumor-bearing mice for assessment of biodistribution, radio stability, whole-body clearance, and in vivo HER2-targeted uptake. Cardiac and bladder activities were clearly observed in all groups at 2 h p.i. by PET imaging. The accumulation of 89Zr-DFO-scFv-PEG-Cy5-C’ dots in BT-474 tumors was estimated to be 8.2±1.1 %ID/g and progressively rose over the next 24-48 hours, with an average maximal value of 13.2±2.9 %ID/g (n=5). In the two control groups, similar particle activity trends were found for major organs/tissues, noting significantly lower tumor uptake values (~5 %ID/g) (n=5). Statistically significant specific enhancements in target-to-background ratios were achieved for the targeted group in BT-474 models, noting maximum tumor-to-liver and tumor-to-muscle ratios of 2.5±0.5 and 12.0±3.4, respectively. Both Cy5 widefield microscopy and autoradiography confirmed significant penetration of targeted particles throughout BT-474 tissue specimens. Similar target enhancement was demonstrated in orthotopic BT-474 models. Finally, no acute toxicity or histopathology was observed. Conclusions: Taken together, the foregoing data demonstrate that we have successfully overcome key in vivo barriers to improving target-specific delivery, penetration, accumulation, and retention of nanoimmunoconjugates in HER2+ breast cancer models using a renally-clearable particle imaging platform. The successful design and demonstration of such a clinically-promising, ultrasmall nanoimmunoconjugate for detection of HER2-expressing breast cancers serves as the foundation for staging, risk stratification, treatment planning, and next-stage targeted therapeutic developments.

Integrating agency and resource dependence theory : firm profitability, industry regulation, and board task performance

Abstract: Boards of directors are key governancemechanisms in organizations and fulfill twomain tasks:monitoringmanagers and firm performance, and providing advice and access to resources. In spite of a wealth of researchmuch remains unknown about how boards attend to the two tasks. This study investigates whether organizational (firm profitability) and environmental factors (industry regulation) affect board task performance. The data combine CEOs' responses to a questionnaire, and archival data from a sample of large Italian firms. Findings show that past firm performance is negatively associatedwith board monitoring and advice tasks; greater industry regulation enhances perceived board task performance; board monitoring and advice tasks tend to reinforce each other, despite their theoretical and practical distinction.

The empirics of microfinance: what do we know?

Abstract: Microfinance has received a lot of attention recently, both from policy makers as well as in academic circles. Two of the main topics that have been hotly debated are explaining joint liability group lending and its implications for reducing information asymmetries, and the trade-off between the financial sustainability and outreach of microfinance programmes. This Feature contains three novel empirical contributions providing new insights with respect to why and how joint liability group lending works. It also contains the first large-scale systematic analysis of the trade-off between financial performance and outreach of microfinance institutions.

Loan demand and rationing among small-scale farmers in Nigeria.

Abstract: The credit market serving agriculture in Nigeria is encumbered by operational and administrative inadequacies and the discriminatory tendencies of financial institutions. The government has implemented policies to redress the situation, but small-scale farmers have not benefited from these incentives to any reasonable degree. This makes it imperative to examine the factors circumscribing loan demand and the various rationing mechanisms. To this end, this study seeks to (1) examine the nature of risks facing small-scale farmer-borrowers in Nigeria, (2) analyze the demand for agricultural credit by farmers and highlight the key determinants of this demand, (3) ascertain the extent to which farmers are credit rationed and the factors influencing the emerging rationing scenarios, and (4) suggest policy measures to address the problem of agricultural credit rationing and enhance the demand for credit. The study employs primary data obtained from 1,200 small-scale farmers through a survey conducted in 2013 across the six geopolitical zones of the country. Methodologically, the study extends the analysis of credit rationing beyond quantity rationing and presents explicit econometric models for analyzing the determinants of three types of credit rationing: quantity rationing, risk rationing, and price rationing. The seemingly unrelated regression model is employed to ascertain the determinants of credit rationing. The results show that there is a higher probability that farmers will be rejected than that they will be given a loan amount lower than what was requested. We find that gender, geographical location, and marital status have no statistically significant effect on the probability that farmers will be quantity rationed. To address the credit rationing challenges and improve demand for loans by small-scale farmers, we urge banks to mobilize their resources to train potential borrowers and establish loan-monitoring committees at the grassroots level to serve as insurance against the risk of loan default.