Research & Publications Office to host seminar on effects of inheritance laws on migration on 30 July
The session will be delivered by Prof. Sounak Thakur, IIT Kanpur
16 July, 2026, Bengaluru: The Office of Research & Publications at IIM Bangalore will host a research seminar titled ‘Land, Law and Leaving: How Inheritance Reforms Shape Male Migration Patterns’, to be delivered by Prof. Sounak Thakur, IIT Kanpur, on 30th July 2026, in Classroom K-21, at 4.00 PM.
Abstract:
Structural transformation typically features rural-urban migration. Therefore, barriers to migration impede structural transformation. We study the effect of a gender-progressive amendment to Indian property inheritance laws on migration and occupational choice. Husbands of treated women are more likely to migrate and work in services rather than agriculture. Treated women are not more likely to inherit ancestral land but may receive higher education and dowries. Higher dowries may ease liquidity constraints, enabling husbands to migrate. Our findings indicate that gender-progressive amendments may have beneficial macroeconomic consequences, far beyond the original intent of the legislators.
Speaker profile:
Sounak Thakur, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He is an Applied Microeconomist with a focus on studying families in the context of developing countries. He studies intra-household decision-making and behavior, particularly as they relate to fertility choices and human capital formation in the context of developing countries. His current research interests include studying the long-term demographic consequences of technological change and unpacking the black-box of migration costs that have been shown to reduce productivity in less developed country settings. He draws upon a range of techniques, including calibration and reduced form econometric methods for causal inference.
Webpage link: https://sites.google.com/view/sounakthakur/home
Research & Publications Office to host seminar on effects of inheritance laws on migration on 30 July
The session will be delivered by Prof. Sounak Thakur, IIT Kanpur
16 July, 2026, Bengaluru: The Office of Research & Publications at IIM Bangalore will host a research seminar titled ‘Land, Law and Leaving: How Inheritance Reforms Shape Male Migration Patterns’, to be delivered by Prof. Sounak Thakur, IIT Kanpur, on 30th July 2026, in Classroom K-21, at 4.00 PM.
Abstract:
Structural transformation typically features rural-urban migration. Therefore, barriers to migration impede structural transformation. We study the effect of a gender-progressive amendment to Indian property inheritance laws on migration and occupational choice. Husbands of treated women are more likely to migrate and work in services rather than agriculture. Treated women are not more likely to inherit ancestral land but may receive higher education and dowries. Higher dowries may ease liquidity constraints, enabling husbands to migrate. Our findings indicate that gender-progressive amendments may have beneficial macroeconomic consequences, far beyond the original intent of the legislators.
Speaker profile:
Sounak Thakur, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He is an Applied Microeconomist with a focus on studying families in the context of developing countries. He studies intra-household decision-making and behavior, particularly as they relate to fertility choices and human capital formation in the context of developing countries. His current research interests include studying the long-term demographic consequences of technological change and unpacking the black-box of migration costs that have been shown to reduce productivity in less developed country settings. He draws upon a range of techniques, including calibration and reduced form econometric methods for causal inference.
Webpage link: https://sites.google.com/view/sounakthakur/home