Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | India
Arjun Prakash is an emerging scholar in labour economics and development policy, currently based at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. Having submitted his PhD thesis and awaiting his defence, he has already demonstrated a strong research orientation and academic maturity. His scholarship is deeply rooted in understanding social structures and institutional dynamics that shape labour market outcomes in contemporary India. Arjun’s work interrogates issues of wage inequality, employment stratification, and workforce segmentation through rigorous empirical methods. With a growing publication record, conference participation across national and international venues, and involvement in teaching and peer-review processes, Arjun brings a balanced profile of research, pedagogy, and academic engagement. His academic journey reflects a commitment to social justice, empirical accuracy, and policy relevance—values that consistently underpin his intellectual contributions.
Professional Profile
Education
Arjun completed his doctoral studies at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kharagpur, specializing in labour market economics. His PhD research, titled Gender and Caste Disparity on Employment and Wages: Evidence from Formal Labor Markets in India, was supervised by Dr. Inder Sekhar Yadav and drew on extensive datasets and econometric techniques. Prior to this, he earned a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Hyderabad, where he began exploring themes around inequality and structural exclusion. His foundational training in economics was acquired during his undergraduate studies at Kerala University. Through these institutions, he developed a robust understanding of economic theory, research methodology, and socio-political frameworks necessary for interpreting complex labour issues.
Experience
During his time at IIT Kharagpur, Arjun worked as a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Econometrics, Public Policy, and Financial Management. In this capacity, he contributed to curriculum support, conducted tutorial sessions, clarified concepts in doubt-clearance classes, and graded student assignments. Additionally, he mentored students and helped foster analytical thinking. Beyond IIT, he also served as a Resource Person at Sree Narayana College, Kollam (affiliated with Kerala University), where he conducted a seminar on research methodology for postgraduate economics students. His experience further extends into academic peer reviewing, having evaluated manuscripts for interdisciplinary journals under the Nature Portfolio, thereby contributing to scholarly quality assurance and editorial processes.
Research Interests
Arjun’s research interests lie at the intersection of labour economics, development studies, and public policy. His work critically examines wage inequality, employment outcomes, and access disparities across gender, caste, and educational qualifications. He employs advanced econometric tools and original datasets to explore these issues, particularly within India’s formal and rapidly digitizing sectors. Additionally, he investigates how social identities and institutional frameworks affect labour market dynamics and the quality of employment. His broader research also spans human capital formation, the impact of technological change on work structures, and the role of education in shaping equitable economic development. Recent work also delves into scientometrics and gender disparities in academic publishing.
Awards and Achievements
Arjun has several notable achievements to his credit. He qualified for the UGC-NET for Assistant Professorship in December 2018. His scholarly contributions have been recognized through publications in reputable journals such as Labour & Industry, Review of Social Economy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Humanities and Social Sciences Communication, and Scientometrics. His paper presentations at prominent academic forums include the American Economic Association (AEA) Annual Meeting, the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), the India Management Research Conference (IMRC) at IIM Ahmedabad, and the Young Scholar Initiative (YSI) Festival at IIT Bombay. He has also presented at globally recognized platforms like the University of California Berkeley-Oxford Human Rights Hub Conference and the Sixth IGIDR Conversation on Research (CoRe), further affirming his engagement with both domestic and international academic communities.
Publications
Writing without Borders: AI and Cross-Cultural Convergence in Academic Writing Quality
Authors: Arjun Prakash, Shruti Aggarwal, Jeevan John Varghese, Joel John Varghese
Journal: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Year: 2025
Breaking Barriers or Reinforcing Stereotypes? A Comprehensive Analysis of the Gender Pay Gap and Glass Ceiling in the Indian Tech Industry
Authors: Arjun Prakash, Inder Sekhar Yadav
Journal: Labour and Industry
Year: 2025
What’s in a Name? Examining the Impact of Upper Caste Surnames on Wages and Employment in the Indian Information Technology Sector
Authors: Arjun Prakash
Journal: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal
Year: 2025
Disparity in Employment in India: Evidence from Engineering Graduates across Social Groups and Gender
Authors: Arjun Prakash, Inder Sekhar Yadav
Journal: Review of Social Economy
Year: 2024
Gender of Gender Studies: Examining Regional and Gender-Based Disparities in Scholarly Publications
Authors: Arjun Prakash, Jeevan John Varghese, Shruti Aggarwal
Journal: Scientometrics
Year: 2024
Conclusion
Arjun Prakash exemplifies the qualities of a socially conscious and empirically grounded economist. His academic trajectory—marked by interdisciplinary engagement, rigorous research, and impactful teaching—positions him as a valuable asset to any academic or policy-oriented institution. By focusing on critical issues such as caste, gender, and institutional exclusion in the labour market, he seeks to bridge the gap between economic theory and social justice. Arjun’s commitment to fostering data-driven policy discourse and equitable labour institutions highlights his potential as a future leader in academia and beyond. As he transitions from doctoral research to full-time academic responsibilities, he remains driven by a vision to contribute meaningfully to the transformation of labour systems and socio-economic policy landscapes.