This paper estimates the causal impact of electing criminally accused politicians and their nature of criminality on crime in India. We exploit the quasi-random variation in the outcome of close elections between candidates with and without criminal accusations to instrument the share of...

This paper estimates the causal impact of electing criminally accused politicians and their nature of criminality on crime in India. We exploit the quasi-random variation in the outcome of close elections between candidates with and without criminal accusations to instrument the share of...

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the largest and most ambitious public works program for poverty alleviation, adopted by Government of India since independence. It was implemented in year 2006, starting with the first phase of 200 most backward districts in...

This paper analyses the role of technology in reducing heat-induced labor productivity losses. Forthis, we use a field experiment in India which randomized the use of productivity-augmenting digitalmode versus classic paper-and-pen mode for conducting 2000 household surveys. Combining...

Open Defecation has been linked to various public health issues and has gained significant policy attention. Investing in adoption of better sanitation has also been advocated on the grounds of providing women with privacy and protection from potential harassment. Nonetheless, previous research...

While there is a growing literature on the electoral effects of targeted government transfers, we know far less about voter responsiveness to aggregate monetary policy shocks. We analyze the effect on voter behavior and subsequent electoral consequences of such an aggregate economic shock –-...

We analyze the electoral consequences of India's 2016 ‘demonetization': a unique policy that unexpectedly made 86% of the currency-in-circulation redundant overnight, and led to severe cash shortages in the subsequent months. We leverage a discontinuity in the number of bank branches arising...