I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School at the Stone Program in Wealth Distribution, Inequality and Social Policy and a Democracy Affiliate at the Ash Center at the Kennedy School. I hold a doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Princeton University and a Bachelors in Engineering Degree from Delhi University.
My research agenda is broadly focused on two main questions that seek to understand the implications of social and information inequality in multi-ethnic democracies:
a) How does social inequality shape political behavior and policy framing?
This question motivates my dissertation project, my work on status, aspirations and political behavior of poor minorities in unequal societies. I also study how right-wing populists frame policy choices in response to social inequality.
b) How does information inequality shape institutional and political outcomes for market actors and consumers?
This question motivates my work on the political economy of information flows under populism, how business responds to populists in power, and how transparency in information flows can strengthen regulatory capacity.
My research agenda is multi-disciplinary and policy relevant. I study countries with high income and social inequality, including India, United States, Brazil.
My dissertation project explores how right-wing populists in India, United States and Brazil attract increased support from poor and minority voters. I use multimethod research including qualitative interviews, survey experiments, qualitative and quantitative coding of political communication, observational analysis and case studies.
Before the doctoral program at Berkeley, I worked in International Development in South Asia including with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group and with the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
At Berkeley's Political Science Department, I have been a member of the Department's Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as a representative for Women in Political Science (WIPS) for the academic year 2020-21. I have been a graduate student instructor for undergraduate departmental courses on quantitative research methods, American politics and comparative politics. I am an Associate at the Center on the Politics of Development at Berkeley, and a Fellow for Berkeley's Economy and Society Initiative (BESI). My dissertation committee included Paul Pierson, Thad Dunning, Steve Vogel, Jennifer Bussell and Alison Post, and at SNF Agora center, I worked with Steven Teles and the Center for Economy and Society on political economy barriers to infrastructure building in democracies.
