Research

This project studies discrimination and segregation in the rental housing market in Delhi, India. The research combines a survey experiment, newly constructed data on neighborhood amenities and preferences, and a theoretical model of housing markets with discrimination. The goal is to distinguish taste-based discrimination from statistical discrimination and to understand how discrimination shapes urban segregation and housing market outcomes. The framework is also used to study policy counterfactuals for the evolution of cities.

International Growth Center (IGC), STICERD, Hub for Equal Representation

Electricity access is widely viewed as essential for economic development, yet evidence on its causal effects remains mixed. This paper examines the impact of electricity reliability on development outcomes in rural India, focusing on marginalized Scheduled Caste communities in Bihar. I exploit the structure of electricity distribution networks to construct an instrumental variable for electricity supply, using the caste composition of electricity feeders as an instrument for supply hours. The results suggest that more reliable electricity supply primarily affects agricultural production. Villages predicted to receive greater electricity supply exhibit higher shares of irrigated land and greater cropping intensity. Electricity reliability is also associated with increased adoption of clean energy and higher nightlight intensity, indicating greater economic activity. However, the results provide limited evidence of short-run effects on health, education, or non-farm employment. These findings highlight the importance of electricity reliability, rather than access alone, in shaping rural development outcomes.

The Weiss Fund, STICERD

This paper looks at the effect that ideological alignment between different levels of government has on instances of political conflict in India. Using the parliamentary constituency results as an instrument for assembly constituency results, for all of India from 2016-2021, I find that ideological alignment towards the right wing has a significant and positive impact on instances of political conflict. This effect is more pronounced closer to the elections.

This project studies how electoral regulations affect the careers of politicians convicted of electoral crimes in Brazil. Using judge randomization as an instrument for the likelihood of a guilty sentence in electoral crime cases, the research examines the consequences of electoral crime convictions for political survival and career trajectories.

International Growth Center (IGC), STICERD