Research

This study examined intergenerational income mobility in India from 2004-05 to 2011-12 using the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS) data. We derived intergenerational elasticities from quantile regression and rank-rank analysis. Our research found a slight increase in income mobility. Great Gatsby Curves showed manufacturing states had higher income mobility, while other states had lower mobility. Directional rank mobility analysis revealed distinct patterns among Hindu castes and Muslims. Muslims experienced the lowest upward and downward mobility. Hindu castes saw a rise in downward mobility during 2011-12.

I examine the relationship between construction activities and air pollution in India using district-level data. By employing the distance from a district headquarters to the nearest point on the Golden Quadrilateral highway as an instrumental variable (IV), my study finds that a 1% increase in construction sector employment leads to a significant rise in average NO2 emissions, substantially exceeding national regulatory limits. The primary driver of these emissions is construction equipment. While a clear causal relationship is established for NO2, no such association is found for SO2, PM2.5, or PM10 emissions. These results contribute to the literature on sectoral impacts on air quality and have important implications for environmental policy in rapidly urbanizing countries, underscoring the need for targeted regulations in the construction sector to mitigate air pollution in India.