Sandip Sukhtankar

Sandip Sukhtankar is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Virginia, where he has been teaching since 2016. He previously taught at Dartmouth College from 2009-2016. Sukhtankar is a co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics, serves on the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science, is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and an affiliate of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). At J-PAL, he co-directs the Payments and Governance Research Program and serves on the board of the DIGIFI Africa initiative.

His educational background includes a PhD in Economics from Harvard University (2009) and a BA with Highest Honors from Swarthmore College (2000). Prior to his academic career, he worked at NERA, the Brookings Institution, and the Center for Global Development between 2000-2004.

Sukhtankar's research focuses on development economics, political economy, and public economics, with particular emphasis on corruption, governance, and the delivery of public benefits and services. His work often centers on India, where he has conducted extensive field research on topics including women's help desks in police stations, biometric authentication in welfare programs, cash transfers, and corruption dynamics. His research frequently employs experimental methods to evaluate policy interventions.

Sukhtankar's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on governance challenges in developing countries, particularly India. His work spans welfare program design, identity verification systems, gender-sensitive policing reforms, and the economic implications of technology adoption in public service delivery. A notable trend in his research is the examination of trade-offs in program design, such as between fraud prevention and exclusion errors, or between administrative efficiency and program accessibility.

• Board of Reviewing Editors at Science
• Co-editor of Journal of Public Economics
• Research Associate at National Bureau of Economic Research
• Affiliate of Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development

Sukhtankar has served on the review board of J-PAL's Social Protection Initiative and has lectured at J-PAL training events. His research has been supported by J-PAL's Crime and Violence Initiative and Innovation in Government Initiative. He has developed significant partnerships with government entities, particularly in India, including the Madhya Pradesh Police Department, where he evaluated women's help desks in police stations. His work often involves collaboration with government agencies to design and implement evidence-based policy reforms.

Sukhtankar is actively involved in research initiatives focused on improving governance through technology, particularly in the context of welfare programs in India. His current work includes studying interventions to improve female labor force participation among newly recruited women constables in the Madhya Pradesh police force, addressing challenges related to job retention, satisfaction, and performance.