The performing arts sector in Kerala is a major area signifying the cultural value of the state and it acts as an essential component in promoting artistic identity of India. However, these section of the economy faces serious multifaceted issues which affects the livelihood of these people in the state. The major affecting part is the employability of performing arts graduates in Kerala which is mainly due to financial constraints, changing preferences of audience and also a transition from traditional to modern market driven economy. the present study focusses on the employment challenges and opportunities of performing arts graduates in Kerala by taking the key institutions offering graduate courses in performing arts in Kerala and also examining the employment trends, income pattern and job satisfaction of these performing arts graduates. The study findings point to the need and role of government intervention, skill enhancement programmes and integration of digital platforms to improve the career opportunities.

Keywords: Employability, Classical Dance Graduates, Performing Arts, Career Opportunities, Barriers to Employment, Cultural Employment, Performing Arts Education, Job Market Analysis

The influence of economic reforms on economic growth is mainly channelled through the financial sector. This paper analyses the dynamic causal relationship between financial development and economic growth in India during the period 2000 to 2023 applying the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. A comprehensive financial development index for India is constructed by applying the principal component analysis over six indicators of the depth, access and efficiency of the financial system in India viz. broad money supply, domestic credit to the private sector by banks, gross domestic savings and credit to government-owned enterprises and stock market turnover ratio. The ARDL estimates show that financial development and trade openness influence economic growth positively both in the short and long runs, but the short-run effect is less than the long-run effect. The effect of trade openness implies that import-led growth is harmful to the Indian economy. The estimated error correction coefficient suggests that any divergence from the long-run relationship in the short-run is adjusted by around 37% in the following period indicating a slow pace of adjustment of the Indian economy to shocks.

Keywords: Financial development, economic growth, economic reforms, dynamic causality, autoregressive distributed lag estimation.

Corruption seriously challenges economic growth, especially in developing countries like Namibia. While many studies have explored its impact, few have examined the issue within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. This study analyses the relationship between corruption and economic growth in Namibia using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model with annual data from 2000 to 2022. The findings show that corruption significantly negatively affects economic growth, measured by GDP per capita. Although investment in education and healthcare appears to support growth, the effect is not statistically significant. On the other hand, infrastructure investment has a more dynamic influence, while foreign direct investment (FDI) unexpectedly shows a negative correlation with growth contrary to common assumptions. Unemployment, however, does not show a meaningful impact. These results highlight the need for stronger governance, transparency, and well-targeted investments in key sectors to build economic resilience. Aligning anti-corruption strategies with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) can help Namibia drive sustainable development and institutional stability. The study concludes with policy recommendations to combat corruption and support long-term economic progress.

Keywords: Corruption, Economic Growth, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ARDL modelling
JEL Codes: O55, C22, D73.