Efficiency studies relating to the Indian life insurance companies have so far used static one-period data envelopment analysis (DEA) models for the purpose of comparison of performance. A major weakness of the static framework is that the efficiency results are not inter-temporally comparable. In order to overcome this problem, the present study uses a dynamic slacks-based DEA model proposed by Tone and Tsutsui (2010) for performance evaluation of 15 in-sample life insurance companies for a seven-year period (2005–2006 to 2011–2012). The unique selling point (USP) of the present approach is that unlike the conventional static DEA models, the present framework, by using a link variable, connects the observed years and thereby creates a common benchmark. The results reveal significant fluctuations in mean technical efficiency over the period of observation.

The purpose of this empirical study is to evaluate and explain the fiscal performance of Indian states from 2009-10 to 2014-15 using a network DEA approach. While previous research has compared India's fiscal and developmental performance at the sub-national level, this study departs from the extant literature by evaluating state-wise performance at a disaggregated level. The states are first compared based on their tax mobilization and then evaluated in terms of development spending and overall financial performance. Censored regression analysis is also used to explore the impact of outstanding liabilities on GDP ratio, Gross Capital Formation, and GDP growth rate. The results indicate a positive association between efficiency scores and GDP growth rate and log of Gross Capital Formation. However, the linkage between efficiency and the outstanding liabilities ratio is negative. These findings suggest the need for a balanced approach to government spending to avoid the recurrence of the debt crisis in the future.