Dr. Rana currently holds the position of assistant professor at the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, which is a Constituent Institute of the University of Allahabad situated in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. Recently, he completed an ICSSR-sponsored project and two consultancies funded by the National Data Innovation Center, National Council of Applied Research (NCAER) in New Delhi, and the Center for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He currently spearheads one project funded by the Uttar Pradesh Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and one consultancy from the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Alongside his research duties, Dr. Rana instructs doctoral, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, and MBA in Rural Development students at the institute. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Census Data Research Workstation and currently oversees its operations. Previously, he authored a significant policy document for the Uttar Pradesh government, influencing policy decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before his current role, Dr. Rana served as a postdoctoral researcher at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea, contributing to the "India Policy Insights" project with a fellowship from the Geographical Insights Lab at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA. Additionally, Dr. Rana gained postdoctoral research experience at the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai, India, where he contributed to a project focusing on data quality assessment of large-scale surveys in India. He earned his M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Population Studies from the Center for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He also holds a Master’s degree in Population Studies from the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai. Dr. Rana began his academic journey with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Geography from T.M. Bhagalpur University in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.

Dr. Rana's scholarly contributions are extensive, encompassing nearly forty research papers in peer-reviewed journals, four book chapters, one book review, and various short communications and media articles focusing on population health and development. Moreover, he has presented over twenty research outcomes in national and international seminars and conferences, earning travel awards from globally reputed organizations and organizing committees. Dr. Rana actively engages in the academic community by volunteering to review research articles for approximately 25 international journals. His career objective is to continue his pursuit of self-enrichment in an academic and research capacity, channeling his energies positively to deliver exemplary services to his institution, policy-making, and society.