Aarushi Kalra, a PhD student in Economics at Brown, whose research interests include Political and Development Economics, will offer a new undergraduate seminar in summer of 2021.  Kalra's current research deals with the causes and effects of communal tensions in India, with a focus on factors that lead to the production and propagation of hate speech on social media. She is co-founder of Bahujan Economists, a platform for students in Economics from under-represented communities. Prior to Brown, she completed her MA in Economics at the Delhi School of Economics, worked at the Center for Development Economics, and taught Quantitative Methods at the Institute of Economic growth, all in New Delhi. Undergraduate students interested in South Asia are encouraged to consider joining Kalra for SAST 0730. 

SAST 0730: Economic and Human Development in South Asia
This course takes stock of Economic and Human Development achieved in modern South Asia and discusses pertinent public policy issues across countries in an interdisciplinary framework. Following cross-country comparisons of various development indices, we will question the contribution of neo-liberal reforms in agricultural and industrial sectors in improving people’s lives. We will draw upon the rich histories of struggles for economic rights and dignity, led by women, as well as caste and minority groups. We will also explore inequalities in income, wealth, access to health and education, as well as attempts to remedy these by way of social policy. Finally, we discuss the rapidly changing natural and political environments, as we shift our focus to communal tensions and climate change in this region.

DIAP Courses: Race, Gender, Inequality (DIAP)
T 4pm-6:30pm in Friedman Hall 108