Research

This paper examines how political representation for historically marginalized communities shapes local economic activity and environmental stewardship. Leveraging the quasi‑random rotation of chairperson reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) across 5,000 village councils in Karnataka, India, over five election cycles (1994–2010), I estimate causal effects on satellite‑measured night‑time lights and forest cover. SC/ST-led councils see higher local economic activity but lower forest cover, with larger effects under ST leadership. These patterns reveal trade‑offs between development and conservation and point to the need for policies that enable marginalized leaders to pursue development without depleting the natural resources their communities depend on.

This paper examines the impact of women’s leadership in village councils on forest conservation in rural India. Using randomized reservations for women chairs and vice-chairs in Karnataka's village councils from 1992 to 2010, we analyze changes in forest cover using satellite data. Forest cover shows the greatest improvement when both positions are held by women over multiple election terms, emphasizing the importance of sustained leadership and multiple positions of power. However, such instances occur less frequently than expected under randomization, raising questions about structural and societal barriers to real power transfer.

This paper investigates the link between exposure to high temperatures and particulate matter and self-reported mental health in India. Using data from a massive nationwide survey, we find that environmental stressors are predictive of poorer mental well-being. Interestingly, harms from particulate matter exposure are lower on hot days, suggesting an adaptive spillover effect.