Seminar by Prof. Nishith Prakash, Northeastern University

06 April, 2026, Bengaluru: The Office of Research and Publications (R&P) will host a seminar on, ‘Debiasing Law Enforcement Officers: Evidence from an Expressive Arts Intervention in India’, to be led by Prof. Nishith Prakash, Public Policy area, Northeastern University, at 2.30 PM on 23 April 2026.

Abstract:
Biases among state agents can undermine public service delivery and restrict access to justice, particularly for marginalized groups. This study examines whether reshaping police officers’ attitudes toward gender-based violence (GBV) improves real-world policing outcomes. In partnership with the Government of Bihar, India, the researchers implement a clustered randomized controlled trial across 419 police stations and approximately 2,500 senior officers serving 42 million citizens. The intervention a three-day expressive art–based training, uses role play, perspective-taking, and experiential learning to address gender norms, empathy, and technical skills related to GBV cases.

Six months post-intervention, treated officers show significant improvements in attitudes, including reduced victim-blaming, higher empathy, and enhanced legal knowledge. These translate into improved workplace behavior and culture, with junior female officers reporting lower harassment and anxiety. One year later, victim audits reveal better police responses, including reduced case dismissal and more appropriate support. The study also finds persistence of individual-level improvements despite officer transfers, along with positive spillovers among untreated peers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that implicit biases among frontline state agents are malleable and that immersive behavioral training can drive sustained institutional improvements.

Speaker Profile:
Prof. Nishith Prakash is Professor of Public Policy at Northeastern University with a joint appointment in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Department of Economics, and Co-Director of the Global Action for Policy Initiative. His research focuses on development economics, particularly human capital, gender, and institutional reform in low- and middle-income countries. Using large-scale field experiments and administrative data, his work generates policy-relevant evidence and has informed interventions in collaboration with organizations such as the World Bank.

He serves as Co-Editor of Economics of Education Review and Associate Editor of the Journal of Development Economics, and is affiliated with global research networks including BREAD, CESifo, and IZA. He is also co-founder of the Association for Mentoring and Inclusion in Economics (AMIE), reflecting a broader commitment to expanding access and strengthening the academic pipeline in the field. He earned his PhD from the University of Houston and has held visiting positions at leading institutions such as University of Connecticut, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Columbia University, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Webpage Link: https://www.nishithprakash.com/