Vaidik Chakraborty, Ph.D Email & Phone Number

I hold a PhD and Mphil in Economics from JNU, and a Master's degree in Economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. During my academic career, I have gained a solid foundation in economic theory, econometrics, and statistical analysis. Also, through multiple research undertakings vis-à-vis research projects, writing dissertations, and, my recently completed Ph.D. thesis, I have been able to hone my skills in the implementation of research methodologies, analysis of complex data structures and presentation of relevant findings. I have worked on multiple on-field projects. During my Master’s I served as a ‘Research Intern’ with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (Kolkata), for which I worked on-field, studying the dissemination of digital payments. In my PhD, I focussed my work on topics of Poverty, Inequality and Human Development based on mathematical modelling, secondary data analysis (NFHS 4 and 5), and identifying patterns of spatial and cluster associations.After my PhD submission, I got the opportunity to work as a ‘Senior Research Analyst’ at the Institute of Economic Growth, where I worked on the Wellcome Trust project on “Economic and Health Impact Assessment of Heat Adaptation Action: Case Studies from India”. I held multiple responsibilities in the project, from sample design, preparation of questionnaires, engagement with field teams, and other stakeholder engagement processes. I also undertook secondary data analysis of NFHS and NSS data, to analyze HRIs and mortality impacts (specifically, neo-natal and under-5 mortality) due to extreme temperatures. Presently, I am working with Dr. Sajitha Bashir, ex-Advisor World Bank, at Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust on a multi-national project on “Kerala’s School Education System: Gearing-up for Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability”. Here, I am working on determining patterns of student movement in threshold grades across categories of schools, analyzing entry barriers based on social categories and poverty levels, and area density positioning of these schools based on multiple covariates. To conclude, what sets me apart is my diverse background, albeit my on-field experience, my depth on topics related to climate change and human development, and my proficiency in using various data analysis tools and software (including Stata, R, and Geospatial software like Geoda and ArcMap) to translate complex data structures (including cross-sectional, time-series, panel, spatial and satellite imagery), into understandable and actionable insights.