Best Paper Award for Dr. K. Chandra Shekar, Assistant Professor, CDS
Dr. K. Chandra Shekar, Assistant Professor at the Centre has won the Best Paper Award at the 2nd International Conference on Finance for Development, jointly organised by the National Institute of Banking Management (NIBM), Pune and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur.
The award was conferred for the research paper titled “Impact of Digitalisation on Financial Inclusion and Firm Performance of Informal Sector in India: Pre and Post COVID Analysis”, co-authored with Dr. K. Vidyarani, CDS. The conference was held on 19–20 June 2026 at NIBM, Pune.
CDS congratulates Dr. K. Chandra Shekar and Dr. K. Vidyarani on this significant academic achievement and wishes them continued success in their research endeavours.
Prof. C. Veeramani, Director of Centre for Development Studies, has been appointed as a member of the Expert Committee on State Finances constituted by the Government of Kerala.
Shri K. M. Chandrasekhar, former Chairman of CDS, serves as the Chairman of the committee.
The Government of Kerala has recently constituted the Expert Committee on State Finances to prepare a White Paper on Kerala’s financial condition. The committee was announced by the Chief Minister Shri V. D. Satheesan on 19 May 2026.
The committee comprises:
- Shri K. M. Chandrasekhar — Chairman
- Shri K. R. Jyothilal — Convener
- Prof. C. Veeramani, Director, Centre for Development Studies — Member
- Prof. D. Narayana, former Director, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation & former Faculty, CDS — Member
The committee has been entrusted with preparing a detailed White Paper on Kerala’s fiscal and financial position. Its mandate includes assessing:
State debt, Revenue deficit, Borrowings, Welfare expenditure, Infrastructure liabilities, Financial commitments of previous governments
The committee will also suggest measures for improving fiscal management and ensuring long-term financial sustainability in the State.