RESEARCH

Research Interests

Development Economics, Health and Sanitation, Education, Poverty and Inequality, Labour Economics, Political Economy, Public Policy.

Research as Post Doctoral Fellow

As a postdoctoral fellow, I worked on a project that aims to measure the social networks relevant for and the social drivers behind behavior related to sanitation and open defecation in the states of Bihar and Tamil Nadu (both rural and urban). I am still working on the project. The project is supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The principal investigator of the project was Prof. Cristina Bicchieri, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Program at the University of Pennsylvania and Prof. H.P. Kohler, Professor of Demography, University of Pennsylvania. Website: https://pennsong.sas.upenn.edu/

Other research

A significant part of my current research examines ways to strengthen cognitive, non-cognitive, and mental health outcomes among school-going adolescents in rural India. Specifically, I am working on teacher-led interventions to enhance 21st-century skills and studying the impact of government initiatives to integrate AI learning into school curricula. My other works include analysing the social and political constructs of health-seeking behaviour and environmental issues. The geographical area of interest is primarily India with some focus on other South Asian countries such as Bangladesh and African countries, including Mali, Ethiopia and Guinea, among others.

Publications

Journals (Peer-reviewed)

1.  “Social Homogeneity and Spread of Pandemic: Evidence from India”, Economics and Human Biology, Volume 59 (Upasak Das, Udayan Rathore, Prasenjit Sarkhel) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2025.101541

2. “Unfulfilled Promises-The Reality of Cash Transfers in Andhra Pradesh’s Tribal Areas.” Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 60, Issue 31, 2025 (Chakradhar Buddha, Upasak Das, Diego Maiorano) https://doi.org/10.71279/epw.v60i31.41570

3. “Having trees on farms improves dietary quality in rural Malawi”, Conservation Letters, (Charlotte Mackenzie Hall, Bowy Den Braber, Emilie Vansant, Johan A. Oldekop, Upasak Das, David Fielding, Judith F. M. Kamoto, Laura Vang Rasmussen) https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13061

4.     "Higher local Ebola incidence causes lower child vaccination rates". Scientific Reports, Volume 14, Issue 1, 2024 (Upasak Das and David Fielding) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51633-3

5.     “Missing’ Women in Economics Academia: Evidence from India” Feminist Economics, Volume 30, Issue 2, 2024 (Ambrish Dongre, Karan Singhal, Upasak Das) https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2024.2322951

6.     "Duration of exposure to inheritance law in India: Examining the heterogeneous effects on empowerment". Review of Development Economics, Volume 37, Issue 3 November 2023  (Shreya Biswas, Upasak Das, and Prasenjit Sarkhel) https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13080

7.      "Unlocking the Role of Social Norms: How They Shape Women’s Public Toilet Usage in India". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, November 2023 (Karan Babbar, Upasak Das, Sania Ashraf, Alex Shpenev and C. Bicchieri) https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.23-0220 

8.     "Fuelling down after a lockdown: Effects of the first COVID wave on clean fuel usage in India". Energy Economics.  (Upasak Das, Shreya Biswas and Samarul Islam)  doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106940 

9.     "Does More Schooling Imply Improved Learning? Evidence from the Kanyashree Prakalpa in India", Economics of Education Review, Volume 94, June 2023 (Upasak Das, Prasenjit Sarkhel) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102406

10.  "Reducing delay in payments in welfare programs: Experimental evidence from an information dissemination intervention", World Bank Economic Review, Volume 37, Issue 3, August 2023 (Upasak Das, Amartya Paul, Mohit Sharma) https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad011

11.   "Solving it correctly: Prevalence and Persistence of Gender Gap in Basic Mathematics in rural India", International Journal of Educational Development Volume 96, January 2023 (Upasak Das, Karan Singhal) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102703

12.   "Women as pioneers: Examining their role in decision making on toilet construction in India", Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Volume 24, Issue 1, August 2022 (Upasak Das, Jinyi Kuang, Sania Ashraf, Alex Shpenev, Cristina Bicchieri) https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2022.2111410

13.   "Are High-Altitude Residents More Susceptible to Covid-19 in India? Findings and Potential Implications for Research and Policy", International Journal of Health Services, Volume 52, Issue 4, June 2022 (Sushmita Chakraborty, Upasak Das, Udayan Rathore, Prasenjit Sarkhel), https://doi.org/10.1177%2F00207314221104887

14.   "Examining norms and social expectations surrounding exclusive breastfeeding: Evidence from Mali", World Development, Volume 153, May 2022 (Cristina Bicchieri, Upasak Das, Samuel Gant, Rachel Sander), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105824 

15.   "Social beliefs and women’s role in sanitation decision making in Bihar, India: An exploratory mixed method study", PLoS ONE, Volume 17, Issue 1 January 2022 (Sania Ashraf, Jinyi Kuang, Upasak Das, Alex Sphenev, Eric Thulin, Cristina Bicchieri), 17(1): e0262643. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0262643

16.   "Adding fuel to human capital: Exploring the educational effects of cooking fuel choice from rural India", Energy Economics, Volume 105, January 2022 (Shreya Biswas and Upasak Das) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105744  

17.   "Love Thy Neighbour? Perceived Community Abidance and Private Compliance to COVID-19 Norms in India", South Asia Economic Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, November 2021 (Upasak Das, Prasenjit Sarkhel and Sania Ashraf) https://doi.org/10.1177/13915614211053928 

18.  "On willingness to pay for Covid-19 vaccines: a case study from India", Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, Volume 17, Issue 12, November 2021 (Upasak Das, Udayan Rathore and Rupayan Pal) https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.1989918

19.   "Health consequences of patriarchal kinship system for the elderly: Evidence from India", Journal of Development Studies, Journal of Development Studies, Volume 58, July 2021 (Udayan Rathore an Upasak Das), https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2021.1939863

20.  "Evidence of Low Willingness to Pay for COVID Vaccines", Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 56, Issue 8, July 2021 (Upasak Das, Rupayan Pal and Udayan Rathore) https://www.epw.in/journal/2021/28/commentary/evidence-low-willingness-pay-covid-19-vaccines.html

21.   "Norms and Social Network–Centric Behavior Change Intervention (Nam Nalavazhvu) for Improved Toilet Usage in Peri-Urban Communities of Tamil Nadu", JMIR Research Protocols,  Volume 10, Issue 5, May 2021 (with S. Ashraf, C. Bicchieri, M.G. Delea, K. Chauhan, J. Kuang, A. Sphenev, E. Thulin) 10.2196/24407 

22.  “Rural employment guarantee programme in India and its impact on household educational decisions: A focus on private coaching", Journal of International Development, Volume 33, Issue 6, August 2021 (single authored), https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3546

23.  "Women are more likely to expect social sanctions for open defecation: evidence from Tamil Nadu India:, PLoS ONE, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2020 (with J. Kuang, E. Thulin, S. Ashraf, A. Sphenev, M.G. Delea, P. McNally, C. Bicchieri), 15(10) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240477

24.  "Awareness, Risk Perception, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Communities of Tamil Nadu, India", International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Volume 17, Issue 19, September 2020 (with J. Kuang, S. Ashraf and C. Bicchieri), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197177 

25.  "Sanitation Practices during Early Phases of COVID-19 Lockdown in Peri-Urban Communities in Tamil Nadu, India", The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 103, Issue 5, November 2020 (with S. Ashraf, J. Kuang and C. Bicchieri), https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0830

26.  "Bias in the perceived prevalence of open defecation: Evidence from Bihar, India", PLoS ONE, Volume 15, Issue 9, September 2020 (with J. Kuang, E. Thulin, S. Ashraf, A. Sphenev, M.G. Delea, P. McNally, C. Bicchieri), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238627

27.  "COVID-19 and the case for global development", World Development,  Volume 15, Issue 9, September 2020 (with colleagues from GDI) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105044

28.  “Towards conceptualization of a household educational indicator: Incorporating externalities”, Social Indicators Research, Volume 150, July 2020 (Upasak Das and Udaya S. Mishra) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-020-02301-2 

29.  “Revisiting the Role of Private Schooling on Children Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Rural India”, South Asia Economic Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2, July 2019 (Karan Singhal and Upasak Das) https://doi.org/10.1177/1391561419853678

30.  “Post-Clientelistic Initiatives in a Patronage Democracy: the distributive politics of India's MGNREGA”, World Development, 117, Volume 117, May 2019 (Upasak Das and Diego Maiorano) (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X19300178?dgcid=author)

31.   “Explaining the Superior Education Outcomes of Kerala: The Role of State Activism and Historical Endowment”, Oxford Development Studies, Volume 47, Issue 2, July 2019 (Udayan Rathore and Upasak Das)(https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2018.1539471)

32.  “Accuracy of Targeting under the Rural Employment Guarantee Programme: Comparison between West Bengal and Rest of India”, Journal of International Development, 31(2), Volume 31, Issue 2, March 2019 (single authored)(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jid.3400)

33.  “Decentralisation, clientelism and social protection programmes: a study of India’s MGNREGA”, Oxford Development Studies, 46(4), Volume 31, Issue 2, March 2019 (Diego Maiorano, Upasak Das and Silvia Masiero),(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13600818.2018.1467391?journalCode=cods20)

34.  “The “Discouraged Worker Effect” in Public Works Programs: Evidence from the MGNREGA in India” World Development, 100, Volume 100, December 2017 (Sudha Narayanan, Upasak Das, Chris Barrett and Yanyan Liu) (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X17302528)

35.  “Dynamics of Marriage and Female Labour Participation: The Case of India”, Artha Vijnana, Volume 57, Issue 2, 2015 (Rajnish Singh and Upasak Das)(http://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/40932)

36.  “Does Political Activity and Affiliation Affect Allocation of Benefits in the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Evidence from West Bengal, India”, Volume 67, March 2015 (single authored) (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14003039)

37.  “Can the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Reduce Short-Term Migration: Evidence from West Bengal, India”, Journal of Development Studies, Volume 43, Issue 3, March 2015 (single authored) (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220388.2014.989997?journalCode=fjds20)

38.  “Rationing and its Implication on Accuracy of Targeting in India: The Case of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act”, Oxford Development Studies, Volume 43, Issue 3, May 2015 (single authored) (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13600818.2015.1042445)

39.  “Increasing Compulsion to Work for Wages: Old Age Labor Participation and Supply in India over the Past Two Decades”, Journal of Population Ageing, Volume 8, June 2015 (Ashish Singh and Upasak Das) (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12062-015-9121-3)

40. “MGNREGA Works and their Impacts: A Study of Maharashtra”, Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 50, Issue 13, March 2015, special article (Krushna Ranaware, Upasak Das, Sudha Narayanan and Ashwini Kulkarni) (http://www.epw.in/journal/2015/13/special-articles/mgnrega-works-and-their-impacts.html)

41.   “Employment Guarantee for Women in India: Evidence on Participation and Rationing in the MGNREGA from the National Sample Survey”, Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 49, Issue, 46, November 2014, special article (Sudha Narayanan and Upasak Das) (http://www.epw.in/journal/2014/46/special-articles/women-participation-and-rationing-employment-guarantee-scheme.html)

42.  “Household Headship and Academic Skills of Indian Children: A Special Focus on Gender Disparities”, European Journal of Population, Volume 29; April 2013 (Ashish Singh, Sarthak Gaurav and Upasak Das) (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10680-013-9288-3)

43.  “How Inclusive has Regular Employment been in India? A Dynamic View”, European Journal of Development Research, Volume 25, April, 2013 (Ashish Singh, Upasak Das and Tushar Agarwal) (http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ejdr/journal/v25/n3/abs/ejdr201317a.html)

44.  “Awareness about Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: some evidences from West Bengal, India”, Economics Bulletin, 32(1), Volume 32, Issue 1, January, 2012  (Upasak Das, Ashish Singh and Nitay Mahanto) (http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2012/Volume32/EB-12-V32-I1-P50.pdf)

Edited chapters in books

1. “MGNREGA Works and their Impacts: A Study of Maharashtra” (Krushna Ranaware, Upasak Das, S. Narayanan and Ashwini Kulkarni), In Jean Drèze (Eds.) Social Policy, Orient Black Swan, New Delhi.

2.  “Quality of Social Science Research in India” (with A.S. Ray, M. Parameshwaran, M. Agarwal, S. Ghosh, U.S. Mishra, Upasak Das and V. Abraham) In S. Thorat and S. Verma (Eds.) Social Science Research in India: Status, Issues and Policies, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

3.  “Inclusiveness of Information Access in Agriculture: Evidence from India” (Upasak Das and A. Chakraborty), In Manmohan Agarwal, Jing Wang and John Whalley (Eds.) Economic growth, Employment and Inclusivity: The International Environment, World Scientific, Singapore

4.  “Public works programme in India: An evaluation of the rural employment guarantee programme in West Bengal” (Upasak Das and I. Kumar), In Manmohan Agarwal, Jing Wang and John Whalley (Eds.) Economics of China and India, Cooperation and Conflict, World Scientific, Singapore

5.  “Accuracy of Targeting and Implications of Rationing in Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Evidence from West Bengal, India”, In A. Moktan (Eds.) Contemporary Issues in Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development in India, Volume I, Department of Economics and Politics, Visva-Bharati, New Delhi Publishers (single-authored).

6.  “Shift of Rural Work Force from Farm to Non-Farm Employment: Some Determinants” (Upasak Das and U. Rathore) In M.P. Bezbaruah, B. Goswami and Mandal, R. (Eds.) in Indian Agriculture after Green Revolution: Changes and Challenges, Routledge.

     Official reports (externally funded projects)

1.  “Policy report of Uttar Pradesh Heat Wave Action Plan 2024”, report submitted to Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India, 2024, Details: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/impacts/involved-in-policy-report-of-uttar-pradesh-heat-wave-action-plan-/

2. “The COVID-19 Pandemic, Post-pandemic Challenges and Poverty Dynamics in Bangladesh: Evidence from a Longitudinal Household Survey”, report submitted to “COVID-19 Learning, Evidence and Research Programme (CLEAR)” in Bangladesh, managed by the IDS, University of Sussex and funded by the FCDO, (https://sanemnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-COVID-19-Pandemic-Post-pandemic-Challenges-and-Poverty-Dynamics-in-Bangladesh.pdf)

3. “e-governance for better governance”, report submitted to Administrative Reforms Commission, Government of Kerala, January 2021 (with Anirudh KC and Shihas Abdul Razak) (https://arc.kerala.gov.in/sites/default/files/inline-files/e-Gov.%20full%20report.pdf)

4. “Combating Corruption through Mobile Phones in Telangana”, Endline report submitted to Tata Trust, July 2019 (with Anuradha De, Mohit Sharma and Amartya Paul)

5. “Social Norms and Sanitation in India”, Phase 2 project report submitted to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), 2018 (with C.Bicchieri, H.P. Kohler, Delea, M., S. Ashraf,  A.Shpenev, E.Thulin, P.Mcnally and J.Kuang). (Available at https://repository.upenn.edu/pennsong/17/)

6. “Combating Corruption through Mobile Phones in Telangana”, Baseline report submitted to Tata Trust, June 2018 (with Anuradha De, Mohit Sharma and Amartya Paul)

7. “Social Norms and Sanitation in India”, Phase 1 project report submitted to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), 2018 (with C.Bicchieri, H.P. Kohler, S. Ashraf,  A.Shpenev, E.Thulin, P.Mcnally and J.Kuang) (Available at https://repository.upenn.edu/pennsong/16/)

8. “Quality of Social Science Research in India”. The report has been submitted to Indian Council for Social Science Research (with Amit S. Ray; M. Agarwal, M. Parameshwaran, S. Ghosh, U.S. Mishra and V. Abraham), 2016. (https://www.icssr.org/publication/social-science-research-india)

9. “MGNREGA Works and their Impacts: A Rapid Assessment in Maharashtra”, Report submitted to the Government of Maharashtra in September 2014 (with Krushna Ranaware, Sudha Narayanan and Ashwini Kulkarni).

Working Paper (institutional)

1.      Sharma, M., Das. U, Negi, T., Parti, N. and Chandra, R. (2025). Enhancing students' wellbeing through app-based teacher-led interventions: experimental evidence from India. GDI Working Paper 2025-080 , The University of Manchester (https://pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/1004876211/GDI_WP_2025-80_2_.pdf)

2.     Biswas, S., Das U. and Garg, S. (2024). Growing with greener pastures: Examining the role of graduate politicians on forest cover in India. Working Paper 463, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi (https://iegindia.org/upload/publication/Workpap/WP463.pdf)

3.     Chowdhury, S.M., Das, U. & Saha, S. (2023). Did the COVID-19 pandemic necessarily escalate intimate partner violence? Results from a national-level survey in India. The Sheffield Economic Research Paper Series (SERPS), University of Sheffield, No.  2023024 (https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/206952/1/Binder2023024.pdf)

4.     Das, U., Pal, R., Rathore, U., & Saha, B. (2023). Rein in pandemic by pricing vaccine: Does social trust matter?  Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India, IGIDR working paper WP-2023-008 (http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2023-008.pdf)

5.   Biswas, S. & Das U (2020). What's the worth of a promise? Evaluating the longer-term indirect effects of a programme to reduce early marriage in India'", (Shreya Biswas, Upasak Das, GDI Working Paper 2020-055 , The University of Manchester, (https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/gdi-working-papers/2020-055/)

6.    Rathore, U., Das, U. & Sarkhel, P. (2020). Birds of a feather flock together? Diversity and the spread of Covid-19 cases in India", (Udayan Rathore, Upasak Das and Prasenjit Sarkhel), GDI Working Paper 2020-053 , The University of Manchester, (https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/gdi-working-papers/2020-053/)

7.   Das, U., Paul, A. and Sharma, M. (2021). Can information campaigns reduce last mile payment delays in public works programme? Evidence from a field experiment in India, UNU WIDER Working Paper 21/2021 https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2021/955-6

8.   Das, U., Paul, A. and Sharma, M. (2021). Using information and technology to improve the efficacy of welfare programmes: evidence from a field experiment in India" (Upasak Das, Amartya Paul and Mohit Sharma), GDI Working Paper 2020-049, The University of Manchester (https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/gdi-working-papers/2020-049/)

9.   Das, U., Paul, A. and Sharma, M. (2021). Using information and technology to improve the efficacy of welfare programmes: evidence from a field experiment in India”. CDS Working Paper 497. Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, India (Upasak Das, Amartya Paul and Mohit Sharma) (https://cdswebsitecoin.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/wp497.pdf)

10. Das, U. and Sarkhel, P. (2020). Does more schooling imply improved learning? Evidence from a Conditional Cash Transfer programme in India", (Upasak Das and Prasenjit Sarkhel), GDI working paper 2020-045, The University of Manchester (https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/gdi-working-papers/2020-045/)

11.   “Using Information and Technology to Improve Efficacy of Welfare Programs: Evidence From a Field Experiment in India” (Upasak Das, Amartya Paul and Mohit Sharma), CORD working paper 2, Collaborative Research and Dissemination, August 2019 (https://www.cordindia.com/almora_img/paper-2019.pdf).

12.   “The “Discouraged Worker Effect” in Public Works Programs: Evidence from the MGNREGA in India” (Sudha Narayanan, Upasak Das, Chris Barrett and Yanyan Liu), 1633. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). (http://ebrary.ifpri.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15738coll2/id/131152)

13.   “The “Discouraged Worker Effect” in Public Works Programs: Evidence from the MGNREGA in India” (with Sudha Narayanan, Upasak Das, Chris Barrett and Yanyan Liu), IGIDR working paper WP-2016-027, November, 2016 (http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2016-027.pdf)

14.   “Quality of Social Science Research in India” (with Amit S. Ray, M. Parameshwaran, M. Agarwal, S. Ghosh, U.S. Mishra, Upasak Das and V. Abraham), CDS Working Paper 470, April 2016 (http://cds.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WP470.pdf)