Rikhia Bhukta
Research Fellow at IIT Kanpur
I am a fourth year PhD student in the Department of Economic Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. My research interest lies in development economics, applied econometrics and policy evaluation. More specifically, I am interested in studying the driving factors behind economic and social progress of marginalised communities in India, like women and marginalised castes. I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
Publications
Community Electrification and Women’s Autonomy (Link)
Co-authored with Debayan Pakrashi, Sarani Saha and Ashish Sedai.
Abstract: This study examines the effects of community-level electrification on women’s social autonomy in India using panel household survey, administrative and satellite data spanning over two decades. Using flexible difference-in-difference estimators, we find that higher community-level electricity hours improve women’s autonomy captured via reduced incidence of sexual violence against women, improved mobility, fertility choices, and access to health care. Results are robust to use of night-time luminosity as an alternative indicator for community electrification, most recent data on electrification and alternative longitudinal estimation techniques. A heterogeneity analysis shows that the effects are stronger in rural areas, where women’s autonomy is more restricted. We identify four main channels of the impact: paid employment, education, exposure to mass media and safety.
Working Paper
1. Does Financial Inclusion Mitigate Social Exclusion? (Link) (Under Review) (with Debayan Pakrashi, Sarani Saha and Ashish Sedai.)
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of financial inclusion in reducing social exclusion. Utilizing a quasi-experimental setup involving a 2005 Reserve Bank of India policy incentivizing bank branch openings in underbanked districts, we employ regression discontinuity design analysis with data from three nationwide surveys and censuses. Our findings reveal significant consumption increases and poverty reduction among marginalized castes compared to non-marginalized castes, narrowing caste-based welfare inequality. We also observe enhanced social inclusion for marginalized castes. Three channels—informal finance, business finance, and the labor market—are found to contribute to the welfare gains of marginalized castes. Our results withstand various RD design checks. In conclusion, this study underscores the role of inclusive formal banking sector in mitigating deep-rooted social norms like caste-based discrimination within society.
Awards: Best Paper Award at 2nd Global Conference on Caste, Business and Society at University of Bath (June 18-20, 2024)
Media Coverage: IHDS Newsletter (July, 2023)
2. Signing for Safety: Can Mandatory Marriage Registration Reduce Domestic Violence? (Link)(with Debayan Pakrashi, Sarani Saha and Ashish Sedai.)
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of a mandatory marriage registration policy on domestic violence in India using a difference-indifference model. Our analysis also explores how mandatory registration can mitigate polygamy and child marriage. Event study analysis shows that the tangible impacts of the policy only emerge after the implementation of anticorruption measures in public service delivery. However, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that the policy primarily benefits non-poor and non-marginalized groups, leaving vulnerable populations underserved. Thus, mandatory marriage registration is crucial in combating domestic violence but must be integrated into broader initiatives to reduce corruption and enhance inclusivity.
3. Digital Finance and Gendered Labor Reallocation (Link) (with Sandhya Garg and Ashish Sedai)
Abstract: This study examines how digital financial services (DFS) drive labor reallocation in India, leveraging nationally representative data and a two-stage least squares approach.
For men, DFS facilitates a shift from agricultural self-employment to formal wage employment. For women, it reduces unpaid labor, promoting entry into formal work and increasing financial autonomy through expanded access to banking, mobile money, and the internet. Both genders experience increased time spent in paid work and earnings. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of DFS in transforming labor markets and advancing gender equity.
Work-in-Progress
1. From Knowledge to Action: The Power of Goal-Setting and Monitoring for Sustained WASH Practices (with Debayan Pakrashi, Dil Rahut, Ashish Sedai and Tetsushi Sonobe)
Randomized Control Trial (ongoing). Funded by: Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI).
2. Banks and Inequality: Evidence from a Nationwide Branch Authorization Policy (Under Review) (with William Crowder, Mahmut Yasar and Ashish Sedai)
3. Does Bank Expansion Reduce Domestic Violence? Causal Evidence from India
(Review and Resubmit) (with Chandan Kumar Jha, Swarup Joshi and Ashish Sedai)
Education
Pursuing Ph.D. in Economics from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India
Supervisors: Dr. Sarani Saha (IIT Kanpur)
Dr. Ashish Sedai (University of Texas at Arlington)
Area of interest: Impact Evaluation, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics
2021–Present
(Coursework CPI: 10/10)
2018–2020
(CPI: 10/10)
M.A. in Economics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
Achievements:
- Received the ’Best Girl Graduate’ medal for excellent academic performance (2015-2020) in Jadavpur University
- Secured rank 1 in M.A. (Economics) examination(batch of 2020) in Jadavpur University
- Secured rank 1 for scoring highest among all the PG courses in the Faculty of Arts, Jadavpur University
- Secured AIR 2 (JRF) in UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) in Economics; Eligible as Junior Research Fellow and for Lectureship in India (Summer, 2019)
B.A. in Economics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
Achievements:
- Secured rank 1 in B.A. (Economics) examination (batch of 2018), Jadavpur University
- Secured rank 1 for scoring highest among all the UG courses in the Faculty of Arts, Jadavpur University
2015–2018
(CPI: 9.83/10)
Teaching
Teaching Interests
Primary: Microeconomics, Program Evaluation, Applied Econometrics, Development Economics, Econometrics
Secondary: Resource and Environmental Economics, Labor Economics, Health Economics and Policy, Mathematical Economics
Teaching Experience
1. Tutorship
a. Microeconomics-I (Spring 2024-25): My responsibilities included conducting problem solving and doubt clearing classes, making question papers for examinations and checking answer scripts.
b. Microeconomics: Theory and Applications (NPTEL Online Course, 2022): My responsibilities included preparing and distributing lecture slides, managing the online portal of the course and preparing question papers.
2. Teaching Assistantship
a. Quantitative Methods (Spring 2021-22) (Under Prof. Joydeep Dutta)
b. Mathematical Analysis for Economics (Fall 2022-23) (Under Prof. Joydeep Dutta)
c. Applied Probability and Statistics (Spring 2022-23) (Under Prof. Joydeep Dutta)
d. Microeconomics II (Fall 2023-24) (Under Prof. Sarani Saha)
e. Labor Economics (Spring 2023-24) (Under Prof. Sarani Saha)
f. Microeconomics I (Fall 2024-25) (Under Prof. Sarani Saha)
Conferences
2023:
- Australian Development Economics Workshop (ADEW) (June 8-9, 2023) (Recipient of Travel Grant from the organizing committee)
- Sustainable Energy Transitions Initiative (SETI) Annual Workshop (June 15-16, 2023) (Virtual)
- 18th Annual Public Policy Conference at Center for Public Policy (CPP) at IIM Bangalore (August 22-24, 2023) (Selected as a bonafide student to receive travel and accommodation grant)
- International Conference on Empirical Economics hosted by Pennsylvania State University at Altoona (USA) (August 5, 2023) (Virtual)
- 12th Young Economists Conference organized by Chamber of Labor Upper Austria at Linz (October 6-7, 2023) (Received travel grant from Young Scholars Initiative (YSI))
- IGC/EGC Conference on Firms, Trade, and Development at London School of Economics (October 19-20, 2023) (virtually connected to Yale University) (Fully Funded by International Growth Centre (IGC))
- Middle Eastern Universities Development Economics Conference (MEUDC) at NYU Abu Dhabi (November 6-8, 2023) (Received travel and accommodation grant from NYUAD)
- CESP Golden Jubilee Conference at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (December 11-13, 2023) (Received travel and accommodation grant from JNU)
- Winter School at Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi (December 14-16, 2023) (Received accommodation grant)
- Annual Conference on Economic Growth and Development at ISI Delhi (December 18-20) (Received travel and accommodation grant from ISI-D)
- Annual Conference on Contemporary Issues in Development Economics at Jadavpur University, Kolkata (December 21-22, 2023)
- Conference on Issues in Economic Theory and Policy at Presidency University, Kolkata (December 27-28, 2023)
2024:
- Annual Meeting of the Econometrics Society (AMES) at IIT Delhi (January 13-14, 2024)
- Pacific Conference for Development Economics (PacDev) at Stanford King Center on Global Development (March 9, 2024) (Fully funded by Stanford King Center on Global Development)
- 2nd Global Conference on Caste, Business and Society at University of Bath (June 18-20, 2024) (Presented virtually)
- Workshop on Banking and Finance in Emerging Markets at Bank of Finland, Helsinki (August 19-20, 2024) (Fully funded by Bank of Finland)
- Workshop on Southeast Asia Economic Development in the Post-Pandemic Era at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (September 12-13, 2024) (Presented virtually)
- 6th World Bank/IFS/ODI Public Finance Conference on Driving Progress: Public Finance and Structural Transformation at Washington, DC (September 26-27, 2024) (Presented by co-author)
- Jobs and Development Conference 2024 at Cairo, Egypt (October 8-9, 2024) (Organized by UNU-WIDER, ILO, World Bank and JPAL-MENA) (Received Travel and Accommodation Grant from German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ))