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The @ComparativeEcon 5th ACES Political Economy Summer School (Aug 12–14, Kathmandu 🇳🇵) is now accepting applications from PhD students in economics and related fields. This 3-day summer school will expose participants to cutting-edge research in political economy, economic history, and development economics, and offer students a unique opportunity to interact with leading scholars including Prof. Farzana Afridi (ISI Delhi). To apply, please submit a two-page research outline on a specific topic and a CV to Brian Deutsch, Coordinator of Membership Services, at briandeutsch@pitt.edu. ⏳ Deadline: April 15, 2026 🔗 acesecon.org/conferences/20…

In a new op-ed in @livemint  titled “Why India requires a specialized institution for transition finance,” Abhinav Jindal and Shweta Rai, examine the structural challenges in financing India’s low-carbon transition. The authors note that long payback periods, policy uncertainty, and financing mismatches make transition projects hard to fund. A dedicated institution could help by providing patient capital, sharing risks, and better aligning finance with India’s climate goals Read more: livemint.com/opinion/online…

🚨 Applications Open: ODI Fellowship Scheme 2026–2028 The ODI Global Fellowship Scheme is now accepting applications from postgraduate economists and statisticians interested in working in public sector institutions across low- and middle-income countries. Fellowship Details • Duration: 2 years • Salary: approx. £32,600 (Year 1) and £34,600 (Year 2) net of tax • Includes housing allowance Read more here: theeconomicmisfit.com/2026/03/08/app…

PhD students presenting or hoping to present at the RES 2026 Annual Conference (6–8 July, University of Newcastle) can apply for travel funding via the RES Scholars Fund. Deadline is 31 March. Details: bit.ly/3PDheWi Programme & registration: bit.ly/4saJGgA

Recently, @raavi_aggarwal was invited by @iiserbhopal to deliver a lecture on “Negative health effects of carbon prices can outweigh climate benefits in developing countries,” based on joint work with Leonard Missbach, E. Somanathan, Jan Christoph Steckel, and Thomas Sterner. The study shows that higher prices of cleaner fuels like LPG and electricity can push poorer households toward biomass, worsening indoor air pollution. In countries like India, these health costs can outweigh climate benefits, highlighting the need for more inclusive policy design. Read more: efdinitiative.org/publications/n…

#SERI-D Conference 2026 • ~50 participants • 10 shortlisted papers • 10 discussants • 2 days Grateful to everyone who made it possible. Looking forward to many more thoughtful discussions and collaboration like this. @SERI_Network @AhdUniv @LEADatKrea @cecfee

We are delighted to welcome Abhinav Jindal as a Member of CECFEE. Abhinav Jindal is Senior Faculty at the Power Management Institute (PMI). An energy economist with over two decades of experience in the power sector, his work spans electricity markets, climate finance, energy transition, and policy design for emerging clean technologies. We look forward to his contributions as CECFEE expands its research on climate, energy, and environmental policy in India. Please join us in warmly welcoming Abhinav to the CECFEE community! #CECFEE #ClimateEconomics #EnergyTransition #PolicyResearch

Recent research on Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) led by @nitskar & E. Somanathan continues to gain media attention. Journalist @mridulasee recently covered the study in @the_hindu. The study finds that the perforation of Antidepredation Squads (ADSs) is associated with a 200% increase in the elephant death rate. The article notes that these findings raise important questions about the effectiveness of commonly used interventions to mitigate HEC. The coverage highlights why careful evaluation of conservation policies is critical for designing interventions that protect both wildlife and human communities. Read the full article: thehindu.com/sci-tech/energ…

| CECFEE in the News | A new study analysing two decades of organised crop-guarding to deter elephants from entering farms has found a counterintuitive outcome: villages with active monitoring recorded 2–3 times more elephant deaths, writes Manish Chandra Mishra in @MongabayIndia about a recent CECFEE paper. Led by @nitskar and E. Somanathan, the study examines the impact of Antidepredation Squads (ADSs) on human and elephant mortality in Sonitpur. It is among the first extensive empirical analyses to rigorously evaluate organised crop-guarding interventions in the context of wildlife conservation and human–elephant conflict. The findings point to the importance of a broader cultural shift towards rigorous evaluation in conservation practice. As Sekar notes, conservation interventions need systematic assessment to understand their real impacts. Reflecting on the data, Somanathan observes “It’s not surprising that the signal was not clear in the case of human deaths since they are a rare outcome. The fact that it was in the case of elephant deaths is a surprising finding.” Coverage in Mongabay India: india.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-… Paper: isid.ac.in/~cecfee/public…

Rising temperatures are affecting students’ ability to learn. In an article published in The Policy Edge, Benston John, E. Somanathan, and Rohini Somanathan highlight evidence that heat exposure reduces concentration, lowers test performance, and makes poorly ventilated classrooms unsafe. Investing in climate-resilient school infrastructure could significantly improve learning outcomes. This article is based on a recent working paper by the authors. Read more: policyedge.in/p/when-heat-en…

Applications for the NRF's 2027 Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme are open. Full details about the call and how to apply are available in the Framework and Application Guides on the NRF Connect as well as the NRF's website here: nrf.ac.za/funding/nrf-ca…

Dr. @TanuGupta_ recently delivered a lecture at @IITJammu Manthan series on Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), using the ongoing DP-WEE project's Skilling study, (in which she is a collaborator) as an illustrative example. The 10-month RCT examines how combining vocational training with digital skills can strengthen women’s work opportunities and entrepreneurship. Learn more: digitalplatformsandwomen.ifmrlead.org/resources/

Following the SERI-D Conference 2026, @InclusionIndia @SERI_Network @YaleEGC @AhdUniv and DP-WEE project under @LEADatKrea are co-organizing a half-day mentoring workshop for women PhD students titled, "Navigating the Economics Job Market: Mentoring Workshop for Women" on 7th March 2026. As part of the multi-year Women-in-Leadership (WiL) in Economics Initiative, the workshop is designed to support emerging women scholars as they prepare for the academic job market.

The 5th edition of SERI Doctoral Conference is set to convene 10 outstanding PhD papers from across the nation. On 6–7 Mar'26, leading econ faculty will engage as discussants, offering rigorous feedback and critical insights. Explore full lineup⬇️ @AhdUniv @LEADatKrea @cecfee

MANTHAN Series | Chapter 12 The Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) Department at IIT Jammu proudly presents the 12th chapter of the MANTHAN series: “Smart Skilling: Experimental Evidence on Vocational Training Design” by Dr. Tanu Gupta.

In a recent article in @Ideas4India , Farzana Afridi analyses trends in self-employment in India, highlighting structural challenges and proposing policy measures to strengthen skilling, formal credit access, and legal support. Read the interesting piece here: ideasforindia.in/topics/macroec… #SelfEmployment #LabourMarkets #EconomicPolicy #DPWEE @LEADatKrea

Call for Papers! We are seeking articles on urban social sustainability that unearths and provokes thought, theory and crisis/opportunity.

The Annual Conference-2026, opens with a session on how policy signals drive market shifts, examining how macroeconomic decisions shape growth outcomes. The session is chaired by Prof. Ram Singh, Director, DSE and Member, Monetary Policy Committee, @RBI @Sabya_K @RamSinghEcon

Very happy to have presented my work on carbon pricing and indoor air pollution @AshokaUniv with great comments and fun interactions! Thanks so much to the department for inviting me.

On 25 Feb, @raavi_aggarwal was invited by @AshokaUniv to present an #EfD study (co-authored with Leonard Missbach, E. Somanathan, Jan Christoph Steckel & Thomas Sterner) on "Negative health effects of carbon prices can outweigh the climate benefits in developing countries". Using data from 6 countries, the research shows that in 4, higher fuel prices can push households toward biomass, raising indoor air pollution - where health costs outweigh climate benefits. Read more: efdinitiative.org/publications/n…