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.

Using high-resolution geo-coded information on individuals linked to the spatial locations of cement factories across India, this study examines how proximity to industrial air pollution affects health outcomes. Exploiting variation in residential distance from cement plants, I find that individuals living within 0–5 kilometers of a factory experience significantly worse health relative to those living farther away. The primary pollution channel is elevated exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a pollutant heavily emitted during cement production and known to have strong respiratory and cardiovascular impacts.

The results show substantial heterogeneity by gender: women experience larger declines in respiratory function, higher incidence of chronic cough, and greater fatigue, while men exhibit stronger effects on cardiovascular markers, including elevated blood pressure and higher self-reported chest discomfort. Overall morbidity also rises near cement plants, with increases in asthma prevalence, bronchitis, eye irritation, and general activity limitations. These findings highlight the substantial local health burden imposed by cement manufacturing and underscore the need for tighter emissions regulation and targeted health interventions in communities located near large industrial polluters.