Smriti Bhargava is a PhD candidate in economics at Clemson University expected to graduate in May 2019. Her research focuses on labor economics, development economics, and applied econometrics with a particular interest in family economics, economics of education, and gender. Her job market paper examines the decline in female labor force participation in India between 1983 and 2011 using a household labor supply model. She has worked as a research associate in India and has taught money and banking at Clemson.

1. SMRITI BHARGAVA
John E. Walker Department of Economics smritib@g.clemson.edu
Clemson University www.smritib.com
228 Sirrine Hall Cell: (864)-634-1426
Clemson, SC 29634-1309 Gender: Female
Education Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Ph.D., Economics, Expected: May 2019
• Fields: Labor Economics, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics
• Special Interests: Family Economics, Economics of Education, Gender
• Dissertation: Wages and Labor Supply in India
• Committee: Curtis Simon (Chair), Chungsung Lam, Aspen Gorry, Devon
Gorry
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, Maharashtra, India
M.A., Economics, May 2011
Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, New Delhi, Delhi, India
B.A. (Honors), Economics, May 2009
Diploma, French Language, May 2007
Job Market
Paper
“Why Did Indian Female Labor Force Participation Decline? Evidence
from a Model of Household Labor Supply”
Between 1983 and 2011, Indian married women’s labor force participation (LFP)
declined from 35% to 24%, even while the economy grew, educational attainment
rose, and fertility fell. To study this decline in LFP, I use India’s National
Sample Survey to construct a unique sample of matched husband-wife pairs.
The economics of household labor supply suggests that the explanation may lie
in rising husbands’ incomes that exert a negative income effect on wives’ LFP.
Two-stage least squares estimates of a model of household labor supply reveal
positive wives’ own-wage elasticities, rising from 0.25 in 1983 to 0.67 in 2011,
and negative cross-wage elasticities, “rising” from -0.54 in 1983 to -0.75 in 2011.
Estimating the model for the period as a whole, trends in wives’ wages imply
an increase in women’s LFP of 8.6 percentage points, and trends in husbands’
wages imply a decrease of 20.8 percentage points, for an overall decline of 12.2
percentage points.
Works In
Progress
“Growth of Wages and Selection Bias in India”
“Effect of Time-Saving Household Appliances on Child and Female Outcomes:
Evidence from India” (with Dr. Amanda Kerr)
“The Effects of Merit Based Aid on Student Achievement: Evidence from an
Indian University” (with Dr. Peter Blair)

2. Teaching
Experience
Graduate Instructor of Record, Clemson University
Money and Banking Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Summer 2017,
Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Summer 2018, Fall 2018
Teaching Assistant, Clemson University
Principles of Macroeconomics (Dr. Scott Baier) Spring 2015, Spring 2016
Principles of Microeconomics (Dr. Andrew Hanssen) Fall 2014, Fall 2015
Family Economics (Dr. Jaqueline Oliveira) Fall 2015
Research
Assistance
Research Assistant, Clemson University
Dr. Jaqueline Oliveira Fall 2013, Spring 2014
Dr. Scott Barkowski Summer 2015
Professional
Experience
Research Associate May 2012- June 2013
India Development Foundation, India
Impact Evaluation Study: MFS II Evaluations (India)
Project for the Dutch Ministry of External Affairs, Netherlands
Research Associate May 2011- April 2012
Institute for Human Development, India
‘Work and Livelihood Pattern of the Poor in Informal Sector’
Porject for the Government of India
Research Intern May- July 2010
Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
“Geothermal Energy- The Step Child”
(Published, Delhi School of Economics Journal 2010)
Awards
and Honors
Graduate Assistantship, Clemson University 2013-Present
Robert E. McCormick Fellowship, totaling $3000 Fall 2018-Present
Institute for Humane Studies Fellowship, totaling $3000 Fall 2018
Third place, Poster Session Spring 2018
Clemson University Graduate Research and Discovery Symposium
Professional Enrichment Grant x5, 2016, 2017, 2018
Clemson University (totaling $4270)
Young Scholars Program x2, 2016, 2017
The Association of Private Enterprise Education (totaling $1750)
Institute for Humane Studies Conference and Research Grant Summer 2015
Skills STATA, LATEX, Palmetto Cluster, Microsoft Office, familiar with R

3. Service
Activities
Treasurer, Association for India’s Development Fall 2013- Present
Volunteer, Oconee Humane Society Jan 2018- Present
Director of Finance, Fall 2015- Spring 2018
Clemson University Graduate Student Government (CUGSG)
Member, CUGSG Finance Committee Fall 2014- Spring 2018
Member, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
Clemson University Initial Grievance Review Board
Secretary, Fall 2015, Spring 2016
Clemson University International Student Association
Member, Clemson University TigerOne Advisory Board Fall 2014, Spring 2015
CUGSG Senator, Economics Department Fall 2014, Spring 2015
Volunteer, National Service Scheme, India 2006-2009
Conferences
and Seminars
John E. Walker Department of Economics Seminars Fall 2014- Present
Southern Economics Association, Washington D.C November 2018
Institute of Humane Studies, March 2018
Moral Foundations of Liberty Conference
The Eastern Economics Association, Boston March 2018
The Association of Private Enterprise Education, Hawaii April 2017
Conference on Economic Growth and Development, India December 2016
Southern Economics Association, Washington D.C November 2016
ESTIMATE, Michigan State University June 2016
Institute of Humane Studies Research Colloquium July 2016
The Association of Private Enterprise Education, Las Vegas April 2016
I.S.E.O Summer School, Italy June 2015
Southern Economics Association, New Orleans November 2015
Professional
Memberships
American Economic Association, Southern Economic Association
References Curtis J. Simon (Advisor)
Professor, Clemson University Phone: 864-656-3966
John E. Walker Dept. of Economics E-mail: cjsmn@clemson.edu
Chungsang Tom Lam
Assistant Professor, Clemson University Phone: 864-656-1124
John E. Walker Dept. of Economics E-mail: tomlam@clemson.edu
Devon Gorry
Assistant Professor, Clemson University Phone: 864-656-3965
John E. Walker Dept. of Economics E-mail: dgorry@clemson.edu
Scott L. Baier
Professor, Clemson University Phone: 864-656-4534
John E. Walker Dept. of Economics E-mail: sbaier@clemson.edu
Last updated: October 9, 2018