Quantum Computing is an emerging and disruptive technology impacting various sectors of the economy including finance. Unlike the present computers which work on bits that exist as either 0 or 1, quantum computers encode information as quantum bits that exist as a superimposition beyond those two states. This feature makes it way more powerful than today’s supercomputers. In this context, the present paper discusses the concept of quantum computers, its extraordinary features that differentiate it from classical computers and examines the futuristic applications of quantum computing in various spheres of the financial sector such as banking, insurance, stock markets, and cryptocurrency. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to put forward several dimensions ranging from operational and routine applications such as fraud detection, data handling and processing, and risk profiling to advanced and sophisticated functions such as targeted prediction, Monte Carlo optimization, quantum bitcoin, trading optimization, and pricing of financial derivatives. Additionally, a cross-country analysis is carried out with respect to their allocations and achievements towards Quantum Computing with a special focus on India’s progress in this field. Quantum Computing is still at its nascent stage but has a promising role to play in the field of finance.

As an outbreak of a virus in Wuhan province of China has led the world face several challenges simultaneously in terms of good governance, health infrastructure, unpreparedness for disasters and more. As the declaration of the virus as a pandemic disease, it is likely to cause acute, short-term fiscal shocks, and long-term damage to economic growth. Travel sector being one of the most affected sectors by the pandemic is unlikely to recover early because the post-recovery period depends on the level of hysteresis and institutional efficiency in facing critical events. Studies show epidemic crises affect tourism demand differently as the impact of SARS (2001-2004) had an important impact on travel industry of countries as compared to the impact of Avian flu (2002-2006). But covid-19 pandemic being different, poses different challenges for travel sector globally making its recovery difficult. The global economic impacts of the pandemic are yet to be understood, but there is a unanimous agreement of a global recession due to the pandemic especially in tourism and hospitality sectors.

This paper primarily focuses on the need of students to take education loans in India and the burden created on them due to several factors, one of them being the weak education system. Through our analysis, we found that the government intervention in the Education system through its expenditure policies is way below the standard. This makes the Indian Education System weak, leading to students opting to go abroad or join Private Universities in India and thus raising the demand for an education loan. We conducted a sample survey which helped us in reaching various conclusions. One of them being the high per subject expenditure for secondary school level education which ultimately leads to an overall high population expenditure on education for pursuing higher education as well i.e. for under-graduation or post-graduation, education loan becomes a necessity. In this paper, we have tried to consider all such parameters which direct the student to opt for an education loan and its various implications. Besides, we have also analysed the terms and conditions of sanctioning education loans in India and the consequences when such loan is not repaid.

This paper focuses on analysing the role played by Monetary and Fiscal policies during the pandemic caused by COVID-19. The paper highlights the impact of countrywide lockdown on different sectors of the Indian economy, ranging from agriculture to financial sector, and the corresponding monetary and fiscal measures adopted to avoid the disruptions in economic activities. Furthermore, the economic performance of the country is analysed during the financial year 2020-21, highlighting the V-shaped recovery, revenue and expenditure patterns, inflation and employment, and social infrastructure. Comparative analysis is done between India and three other countries, namely China, United Kingdom and United States of America, in terms of the policies and measures adopted during the pandemic and how successful these have been in tackling the situation.

In the recently published Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 report, India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries and is in the ‘serious’ hunger category with a score of 27.2. The reason for recording hunger worldwide is to ensure that the world achieves “Zero Hunger by 2030” - a Sustainable Development Goal of the UN by raising awareness and understanding of the hunger problem, match levels of hunger among countries, and draw global attention to those areas of the world where hunger levels are alarming. This paper analyzes India’s position highlighting various dimensions of the hunger index, thereby comparing it with other countries. It examines the reasons and suggests some ways to tackle the mounting problem of hunger in India.

This paper seeks to identify and analyse various causes behind the prominence of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in Indian commercial banks by using time series data from 2001 to 2019. We undertake Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis to determine the impact of certain macroeconomic factors on NPAs. We also study the impact of bank-specific factors like ownership and internal management. We then identify various recovery mechanisms introduced till date and explore their efficacy in addressing the issue. Finally, we discuss how technological upgradation, managerial reforms, asset reconstruction mechanisms and revamp of the debt-laden agriculture sector can serve as the way ahead.

Economic development of nations has always been considered a socially determined concept, yet it is commonly measured in material terms. Socio-political scenarios are, however, the cardinal identity of a country and may be possible determinants of not just economic growth but also citizens’ individual social and emotional development. For the purpose of this paper, the authors will focus majorly on three types of political leanings i.e., left-wing, right-wing, and center-left. This paper attempts to establish the relationship, if any, that exists between where governments identify on the political spectrum and the economic growth that occurs during their governance. Further, we will try to investigate the existence of a similar correlation between political leanings and human development. The idea of development being measured only by economic growth has long become redundant and how citizens feel, living in a particular country is also an important aspect of its success. Thus, how political leanings affect all aspects of development is the fundamental question that our research seeks to answer. Throughout this paper, we try to establish our argument using two countries that stand widely apart on the political spectrum currently- India and the United States of America. The authors will attempt to integrate these two countries into a model where we research a possible relationship between their economic and social development and the political leanings of governments and end it on a general note where we can establish a conclusion applicable in a wider sense.

Stock market crashes have been occurring for centuries now. Some affected a single economy while some had drastic effects on the global economy. There exists a significant dissimilarity between the crashes of 17th century, 18th century and the conventional i.e., 20th and 21st century crashes. This paper studies the major stock market crashes that have happened since 17th century. A detailed analysis of each crash is undertaken to source out the major reasons behind such crashes. All the crashes are studied along with the macroeconomic and microeconomic variable prevalent at that time. Along with this, the financial market maturity and technological developments were taken into consideration to draw out the difference between earlier and conventional crashes. The paper then critically contrasts the reasons of different crashes and conducts a panel data analysis to determine whether stock market centuries in the earlier centuries a result of sentiments and the conventional crashes are a result of fundamental dysfunctions.

Women are always thoughtful, productive, skillful and perform their work with love, passion, and spirit. Active participation of women has been low due to the disparity in the workplace. The motive of this paper is to highlight, the major challenges faced by working women in India like sexual harassment, gender pay gap, dual career, discrimination at times of pregnancy, and harassing them mentally. This study shows how women workers are more discriminated than men. And to overcome these biases, workplaces must go along with acts & laws and should provide better transport facilities, crèche facilities, and effective work-life balance. To empower women, an organization must follow certain policies and activities.

Today, climate change stands as the greatest threat to humanity. Melting glaciers, ever-rising temperatures, escalating sea levels, and radical weather patterns are nothing but a wake-up call for us to shun our insatiable quest for economic motives and take rigorous measures to prevent the unprecedented catastrophe that our actions might bring on future generations. To devise a strict plan-of-action in line with the same, the Kyoto Protocol (1997) established the mechanism of Carbon Credit Trading which integrated economic motives with sustainability efforts towards carbon reduction. This paper aims to establish an understanding of the framework while assessing the feasibility of the climate change solution by critically analysing the functioning of the system through the years 2005-20, and highlighting the bottlenecks that severely impaired its efficacy. This is followed by a discussion on the alternate replacement mechanisms rolled-out by the Paris Agreement to remedy the deficiencies in the existing systems.

Subsidies had evolved as an important component of Indian agriculture system over the years. After independence, India’s population was growing at a faster rate in order to fulfil the food requirement for the masses, food production was given the highest priority. The government played a proactive role, it incentivized farmers through various kinds of subsidies to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. The rapid progress in food production is credited to the Green Revolution. But this journey had deepened some environmental issues. The objective of this paper is to study the environmental impact of agricultural subsidies mainly fertilizer and power subsidies in India. This paper analyses the work of various researchers.