The Department of Economics, SRM University–AP, invites faculty members, researchers, scholars, and students to the December edition of the SRMAP Economics Virtual Seminar Series.
The session will feature Dr Shampa Bhattacharjee, Associate Professor, Shiv Nadar University, Institute of Eminence, who will present research examining the relationship between demonetization and child health outcomes in India.
The seminar will explore the broader implications of a major economic policy intervention and its effects on household welfare and child health. The discussion will provide an opportunity to understand how economic policies can have consequences extending beyond financial and macroeconomic indicators to social and health outcomes.
Speaker: Dr Shampa Bhattacharjee, Associate Professor, Shiv Nadar University, Institute of Eminence
Title: Demonetization and Child Health: Evidence from India
Date: December 16, 2026
Time: 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Mode: Online via Zoom
Abstract: This paper analyses the impact of the 2016 Indian demonetization episode on infant mortality. The demonetization policy rendered approximately 86% of circulating Indian currency invalid as legal tender, resulting in substantial cash shortages in the following months. People could exchange old notes for new ones at banks. Thus, the effects of demonetization are expected to be more pronounced for districts with lower access to banks. To identify the health effects of demonetization, we use a previous bank branch expansion policy that created a discontinuity in access to banks at a predetermined policy cutoff. Using a difference-in-discontinuities design, we compare infant mortality before and after demonetization across districts with differing levels of bank access near the policy threshold. Our findings indicate that rural households residing in districts with greater access to banks near the threshold experienced significantly lower infant mortality.
The seminar will bring together members of the academic community for an engaging discussion on economic policy, household welfare, and health outcomes in India.