Do Women C(r)ash Out of the Work Force? Evidence from an Unconditional Cash Transfer Scheme in India (with Shreya Bhattacharya)
Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MLBY), a large-scale unconditional cash transfer program targeting 21-65 year old women in low income households in Maharashtra, India. With an estimated annual cost of INR 33000 crore (approximately $3.5 billion), the program currently serves 2.53 crore (25 million) women and is one of the largest direct benefit transfer initiatives at the state level. We exploit temporal and spatial variation in the introduction of the scheme, by comparing post-2024 outcome paths in Maharashtra to those of a weighted combination of other Indian states that did not implement similar schemes over the same period. Leveraging district-level indicators from multiple datasets, we use a synthetic control design that approximates Maharashtra’s pre-intervention trajectory on key outcomes such as women’s labor market participation, economic well-being, and time use. Our results contribute to a growing literature on the welfare effects of unconditional cash transfers in low- and middle-income settings, with implications for scheme design, targeting efficiency, and state-level fiscal sustainability.
Yes, They Can Read! Harnessing Social Annotation Tools to Facilitate Student Engagement in Upper-Level Economics Courses [Pedagogy Paper] (Under Review)
Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of social annotation activities using Perusall across three upper-level economics courses over six semesters. Students were provided with a framework for reading empirical economics papers and completed weekly collaborative annotations. The framework builds on existing pedagogical approaches but expands them to address elements particularly important in upper-level economics courses: applying theoretical foundations, identifying heterogeneity in results, evaluating mechanisms, and connecting findings to policy implications. Implementation across undergraduate courses such as Development Economics, Economics of Global Poverty, and Women in Economics demonstrates the framework's flexibility across different substantive areas. Observations suggest sustained student engagement throughout the semester, improved quality of classroom discussions, and students' increased ability to connect concepts across readings. The paper provides detailed guidance on assignment design, reading selection, and practical implementation for instructors interested in adopting similar approaches.
Lights On for Safety: Evaluating the Linkages Between Electrification and Violence Against Women (with Narbadeshwar Mishra & Sayli Javadekar) [SUBMITTED]
Abstract: Globally, one-third of women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. While various interventions addressing IPV have been studied, the role of infrastructure remains understudied. We examine how India's large-scale rural electrification program (RGGVY) impacts IPV. Exploiting the program's phase-wise implementation, we use a difference-in-differences approach with two sources of variation: geographic rollout of the program and women's marriage timing relative to electrification. Using comprehensive data from the National Family Health Survey, program implementation reports, National Crime Records Bureau, and India Human Development Survey, our preliminary findings suggest that electrification increased the probability of women being subjected to controlling behavior, emotional abuse, and physical violence by their spouses. We explore mechanisms, including media access, labor force participation, fertility decisions, and marital sorting, to understand these results. Our results provide evidence that changes to fertility, including the desired number of children between spouses, could explain our results.
Presentations: Southern Economic Association conference (2024), the International Association for Feminist Economics conference (2024), Eastern Economic Association (2025), Towson International Development Economics Symposium (TIDES) (2025), 4th Gender and Economics Workshop (2025), Amitava Bose Memorial Annual Workshop (2025), BITS-Hyderabad (2025), IIT-Hyderabad (2025)
Does Paternal Exposure to an Industrial Disaster affect Early Life Health Investments of Children (with Sarthak Agarwal and Somdeep Chatterjee) (Revise and Resubmit)
Abstract: While direct exposure to industrial disasters can adversely impact individuals' physical and mental health outcomes, little is known about the intergenerational effects of these health hazards. In this paper, we exploit how men's exposure to a catastrophic industrial disaster in India, the 1984 Bhopal Gas Disaster, affected their children's breastfeeding outcomes. Using the 4 th round of the National Family Health Survey, our results indicate a significant decrease in breastfeeding, including a reduced likelihood of being breastfed within an hour of birth and for three months after birth. We also find that such reduced breastfeeding in turn necessitates complementary feeding practices and feeding support from health workers. The effects persist independent of the mother's exposure. We postulate the underlying mechanism to be the compromised health of the fathers and lack of paternal support before delivery. Our paper is one of the very few that contribute to the scant literature on the long-lasting intergenerational effects of exposure to industrial disasters.