This dissertation presents three studies on development economics in India. Each uses quasi-experimental methods to estimate a causal effect that standard measurement misses or that policy design failed to anticipate.
The first essay evaluates the Kanyashree Prakalpa (KP), a conditional cash transfer program in West Bengal that pays girls Rs 25,000 to remain unmarried until 18. Using difference-in-differences with NFHS-5 (2019-21) data, I find the program increased marriage likelihood by 4-6 percentage points for girls aged 16-17. Early motherhood rose by 4 percentage points. Education gains were limited to Grades 7-9. KP-exposed brides married better-educated husbands with smaller age gaps, indicating families captured the program's value through improved matches rather than delayed timing. The results show that modest transfers conditional on marital age can backfire when marriage norms are strong and verification is weak.
The second essay examines five decades of...