Penn Calendar Penn A-Z School of Arts and Sciences University of Pennsylvania

India's Tribal Populations

This research project seeks to analyze the causal factors driving the growth of the Maoist insurgency in India since 1990. The core support base of the insurgency has been India’s tribal population (“Scheduled Tribes”). This study is an empirical analysis based on micro-data on the spatial location of each incident of Maoist-related violence, the socio-economic profile of that area, and agro-climatic variables of the region. Nearly three years were spent in developing a database of all Maoist incidents. The econometric analysis finds that changes in vegetation cover are negatively and causally related to the intensity of violence. The first research paper was published in January 2013. CASI is currently working on a second paper examining the impact of income-support government programs on the intensity of violence.

Publications

Shivaji Mukherjee. "Colonial Origins of Maoist Insurgency in India: Long Term Effects of Indirect Rule," CASI Working Paper Series No. 13-01. January 2013

Aditya Dasgupta. "Quiet Revolution: The Political Logic of India’s Anti-Poverty Programs," India in Transition. April 7, 2014

 

Research Affiliates


Kishore Gawande

Professor and Roy and Helen Ryu Chair of Economics and Government

Texas A&M University

 

 

Shanker Satyanath

CASI 2006-2007 Visiting Scholar

Associate Professor of Politics

New York University