The talk will be delivered by Dr. Rashmi Barua, Assistant Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
18 November, 2022, Bengaluru: The Office of Research and Publications (R&P) at IIM Bangalore will host a seminar titled: ‘Access to Clean Water & the Role of Information and Transaction Costs: Field Experimental Evidence from India’ at 4:00 pm on 24th November 2022 (Thursday), at Classroom K21. The talk will be delivered by Dr. Rashmi Barua, Assistant Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, from the Economics area.
Abstract: In a rural region of India where groundwater is heavily contaminated with a hazardous naturally occurring compound, the researchers worked with the state government agencies to implement a cluster RCT to study the reasons behind the lack of demand for water quality. They study the constraints households with young children and pregnant mothers face in accessing clean water: is it the lack of information on water quality or is it a combination of information and the transaction costs associated with applying for water via a government private tap water connection program? The results indicated that the information campaign alone was sufficient to successfully increase awareness and knowledge of arsenic and its ill effects as well as awareness of alternative water supply schemes implemented by the state government. However, to translate this increased awareness into actual change in behavior and outcomes related to water safety, the transaction cost treatment was salient. In particular, the researchers found large effects on demand for improved water quality and adoption of water safety practices. Most notably, the transaction cost treatment led to an increase in breastfeeding (planned) duration among (pregnant) mothers.
About the speaker: Dr. Rashmi Barua teaches at the Centre for International Trade and Development (CITD), Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi). Prior to that, she worked at the School of Economics, Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Economics and Planning Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi. Her research spans across the economics of education and labor markets with specific interest in early childhood human capital investments (health and education), female labor supply and economics of crime. More recently, she has worked on financial education among international migrants. Most of her research has been a mix of methodological contributions, including randomized evaluations, and empirical applications that are guided by sound economic theory. She earned her PhD in Economics from Boston University.
Webpage link: https://www.jnu.ac.in/content/RBarua
The talk will be delivered by Dr. Rashmi Barua, Assistant Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
18 November, 2022, Bengaluru: The Office of Research and Publications (R&P) at IIM Bangalore will host a seminar titled: ‘Access to Clean Water & the Role of Information and Transaction Costs: Field Experimental Evidence from India’ at 4:00 pm on 24th November 2022 (Thursday), at Classroom K21. The talk will be delivered by Dr. Rashmi Barua, Assistant Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, from the Economics area.
Abstract: In a rural region of India where groundwater is heavily contaminated with a hazardous naturally occurring compound, the researchers worked with the state government agencies to implement a cluster RCT to study the reasons behind the lack of demand for water quality. They study the constraints households with young children and pregnant mothers face in accessing clean water: is it the lack of information on water quality or is it a combination of information and the transaction costs associated with applying for water via a government private tap water connection program? The results indicated that the information campaign alone was sufficient to successfully increase awareness and knowledge of arsenic and its ill effects as well as awareness of alternative water supply schemes implemented by the state government. However, to translate this increased awareness into actual change in behavior and outcomes related to water safety, the transaction cost treatment was salient. In particular, the researchers found large effects on demand for improved water quality and adoption of water safety practices. Most notably, the transaction cost treatment led to an increase in breastfeeding (planned) duration among (pregnant) mothers.
About the speaker: Dr. Rashmi Barua teaches at the Centre for International Trade and Development (CITD), Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi). Prior to that, she worked at the School of Economics, Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Economics and Planning Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi. Her research spans across the economics of education and labor markets with specific interest in early childhood human capital investments (health and education), female labor supply and economics of crime. More recently, she has worked on financial education among international migrants. Most of her research has been a mix of methodological contributions, including randomized evaluations, and empirical applications that are guided by sound economic theory. She earned her PhD in Economics from Boston University.
Webpage link: https://www.jnu.ac.in/content/RBarua