Ambiya has successfully completed her pre-submission viva voce for her PhD thesis titled “Essays in Economics of Education and Inclusion” under the supervision of Devi PrasadDash. She is currently on the academic job market.

Job Market Paper

Title: Does Financial Inclusion Impede Corruption? A New Perspective Across Economies

Abstract: Financial inclusion has been recognized as a major driver in reducing corruption by introducing transparency and accountability in the financial system. Using a comparative approach across economies-Low, Middle, and High- this study analyzes the true effects of financial inclusion, whether controlling corruption levels or creating rent-seeking opportunities. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating role of education, rule of law, and internet usage in mitigating corruption levels. The data is examined over 10 years, from 2011 to 2021. We employed econometric methods, including Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS) with Fixed Effects and Quantile Regression. To empirically examine the dynamic panel data model, we applied the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). To ensure the reliability of the results, we used an alternative proxy for corruption (CPI). The results revealed an inverse relationship between financial inclusion and control of corruption across the three income levels (Low, Middle, and High ): including the marginalized populace in the formal financial system reduces control of corruption. The findings highlight the importance of structural and institutional factors. The authors observed that education, digital adoption, and strong legal frameworks play a crucial moderating role in attaining the benefits of financial inclusion.

Email- ambiya.1@iitj.ac.in

Website- https://sites.google.com/iitj.ac.in/ambiya