Prof. Shreekant Gupta

SHREEKANT GUPTA

 

EDUCATION

Post-doctoral research in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachsetts, USA

Ph.D. Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

Dissertation Committee: M. Cropper, T. Schelling (Nobel Laureate), W. Oates and W. Evans

M.A. Economics, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi

B.A. (Honours) Economics, Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi

 

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2026-                Professor Emeritus, Department of Humanities, Delhi Technological University

2003-2024        Professor, Department of Economics, University of Delhi

2008-2010        Associate Professor, LKY School of Public Policy, NUS (on leave from Delhi University)

2007-2008        Visiting Senior Fellow, Department of Economics, NUS (on leave from Delhi University)

2006-2007        Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi (on deputation from Delhi University)

1997-2003        Associate Professor, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi

1995-1997        Fellow (and Head, Environmental Policy Cell) National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi

1993-1995        Environmental economist, Environment Department, World Bank, Washington D.C.

1991-1993        Doctoral Scholar, Resources for the Future, Washington D.C.

1989-1991        Instructor, Department of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park

1986-1989        Research/Teaching Assistant, Department of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park

1983-1986        Assistant Director, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India (Indian Economic Service cadre)

 

ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS

Executive Director, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics (2019-2020 and 2023).

Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi (2006-2007). (Equivalent to Additional Secretary, Government of India). 

Assistant Director, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India (1983-1986).

 

HONOURS/AWARDS
2020-2022	President, Indian Society for Ecological Economics (unanimously elected)
2019-2022	Lead Author, IPCC 6th Assessment Report (nominated by Govt. of India)
2011-2014	Coordinating Lead Author, IPCC 5th Assessment Report (nominated by Govt. of India) Recognition Nobel Peace Prize
2002	Fulbright Occasional Lecturer, Council for International Exchange of Scholars
2001-2002	Fulbright Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
2001 summer	Shastri Fellow, Queen’s University, Canada.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

1. Books

Environmental Policies in Asia: Perspectives from Seven Asian Countries, co-edited with Jing Huang, World Scientific, Singapore (2014). See front matter and book review here and here.

India and Global Climate Change: Perspectives on Economics and Policy from a Developing Country (co-edited with M. Toman and U. Chakravarty), Resources for the Future Press, Washington D.C. (2003) [reprinted by Oxford University Press India] See book review here.

India: Mainstreaming Environment for Sustainable Development. Asian Development Bank, Manila (2001).

 

(ii) Special Issues (Editor)

Gupta, Shreekant (ed.) 2020. Pandemics, COVID-19 and India [special issue]. Indian Economic Review, 55 (Suppl 1). https://link.springer.com/journal/41775/volumes-and-issues/55-1/supplement

Sinha, U.B., Banerji, A., Gupta, S. & Meenakshi, J. V. (eds). 2019. 65 years of Indian Economic Review: Selected Papers [special issue]. Indian Economic Review, 54 (Suppl 1).

 

(iii) Refereed papers (selected)

“Climate Change, Weather Anomalies, and Agricultural Productivity in India,” with L. Bhandari and Ramandeep and M. Sharma. Economic and Political Weekly (Vol. 60,  Issue No. 50, 13 Dec, 2025).

“Environmental backsliders, repeat offenders and capital markets evidence from India,” with B. Goldar, S. Dang and O.F. Baris. Economics Letters (Volume 256, October 2025, 112603).

“Carbon Pricing through Emissions Trading in Asia and the Pacific: Comparative Analysis and Way Forward,” with S. Basu-Das and S. Gupta. Asian Development Bank Background Paper, ADB, Manila (2024).

“Health and economic impact of air pollution in the states of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019,″ with multiple co-authors, Lancet Planetary Health, 5(1):e25-e38, (January 2021).

“Has economics caught up with climate science?" Ecology, Economy and Society, 3(1)11–30 (2020).

“Evaluating policy success of emissions trading schemes in emerging economies: comparing the experiences of Korea and Kazakhstan,” with P. Howie, H. Park and D. Akmetov, Climate Policy, 20(5):577-592 (2020).

“Environmental enforcement and compliance in developing countries: Evidence from India,” with S. Saksena and O.F. Baris, World Development, 117:313-327 (2019).

“Impact of Climate Change on the Indian Economy: Evidence from Food Grain Yields,” with P. Sen and S. Srinivasan, Climate Change Economics, 5(2):1-29 (2014).

“Measuring the performance of water service providers in urban India: implications for managing water utilities,” with S. Kumar and G. Sarangi, Water Policy, 14(3):391-408 (2012).

“Poverty and the environment: Exploring the Relationship Between Household Incomes, Private Assets, and Natural Assets," with U. Narain & KVT Veld, Land Economics, 84:148-167 (2008).

“Poverty and resource dependence in rural India,” with U. Narain and KVT Veld, Ecological Economics, 66(1): 161-176 (2008).

“Do Stock Markets Penalise Environment-unfriendly Behaviour? Evidence from India,” with B.N. Goldar, Ecological Economics, 52(1): 81-95 (2005).

“Paying for Permanence: An Economic Analysis of EPA’s Cleanup Decisions at Superfund Sites,” with G.V. Houtven and M.L. Cropper, RAND Journal of Economics, 27(3): 563-582 (1996).

 

(iv) Book chapters (selected)

“India Environment: The Challenge of the Balance,” in The Hoover Institution’s Annual Survey of India: 2026. Sumit Ganguly (ed.) Stanford University (2026).

“The Environmental Challenge to Economic Growth” with A. Swamy in Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia: Part 2. L. Chaudhary, T. Roy, A. Swamy (eds.) Cambridge University Press (2026).

“Introduction and Framing,” with M. Grubb and co-authors in Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press (2023). doi: 10.1017/9781009157926.003

“Integrated Risk and Uncertainty Assessment of Climate Change Response Policies,” with H. Kunreuther in Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, O. Edenhofer et al. (eds.), Cambridge University Press (2015).

“Environmental Policy and Governance in a Federal Framework: Perspectives from India,” in Environmental Policies in Asia: Perspectives from Seven Asian Countries, J. Huang and S. Gupta (eds.), World Scientific, Singapore (2014), pp. 15-42.

“Income poverty and dependence on common resources in rural India” with U. Narain and KVT Veld, in Nature’s Wealth: The Economics of Ecosystem Services and Poverty, Pieter J.H. van Beukering, et al. (eds.), Cambridge University Press (2013), pp. 273-284.

 

(v) Working Papers/Commissioned Reports

“Climate Change and Crop Yields in India,” with S. Gupta and G. Datt. Department of Economics, Monash University, Monash Economics Working Papers no. 2026-04.

“Discretionary Enforcement and Strategic Compliance,” with O.F. Baris and E, Araral Jr. Centre for Development Economics Working Paper No. 255, December 2025

“Does Climate Change Make Foodgrain Yields more Unpredictable? Evidence from India,” with S. Verma and P. Sen, CESifo Working Paper No. 8161, CESifo, Munich, 2020.

“Environmental performance and capital markets: evidence from India,” with B.N. Goldar and S. Dang, Centre for Development Economics Working Paper 303, 2019

“Community-oriented City Development Plans,” with P. Datta Dey, NIUA Working Paper 2006-02, National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, November 2006.

‘Looking Back to Look Ahead - Background Paper on CDP Appraisals,” with P. Datta Dey, U. Raghupathi and S. Thakur, NIUA Working Paper 2006-01, National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, November 2006.

“India’s Firewood Crisis Re-examined,” with U. Narain, and KVT Veld, N. Chopra and S. Singh, RFF Discussion Paper 06-25, Resources for the Future, Washington D.C., April 2006.

‘Resource Use Efficiency of U.S. Electricity Generating Plants During the SO2 Trading Regime: A Distance Function Approach,” with S. Kumar, Working Paper 17/04, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, 2004.

“Environmental Benefits and Cost Savings Through Market-Based Instruments: An Application Using State-Level Data from India,” Working Paper 2002-005, MIT Centre for Energy & Environmental Policy Research.

“Economic Approaches for Addressing Vehicular Pollution: Issues and Prospects for India,” Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Transportation, Land use and the Environment, Harvard University and Central Institute for Road Transport, Pune, December 2001.

“Survey Instrument for Village-level data on Poverty and the Environment,” with U. Narain, and KVT Veld, RFF Project on Poverty and the Environment in India, Resources for the Future, Washington D.C., January 2002.

“Survey Instrument for Household-level data on Poverty and the Environment,” with U. Narain, and KVT Veld, RFF Project on Poverty & the Environment in India, Resources for the Future, Washington D.C., September 2001.

“Climate Change Program Study: India Country Review,” Report submitted to Global Environment Facility, Washington D.C., May 2001.

“Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalisation and Policies for Sustainable Management  of Natural Resources: A Case Study of India's Automobile Sector,” Report submitted to Economics and Trade Unit, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, October 1999.

“Implementing Market-Based Instruments in India,” Report submitted to Environmental Resources Management Inc., U.K., October 1997.

“Environmental Excise Duties for Eco-Friendly Vehicles,” Report submitted to Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 1997.

“Report of the Task Force to Evaluate Market-Based Instruments for Industrial Pollution Abatement,” Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, January 1997

 

COURSES TAUGHT (PH.D., MASTERS AND UNDERGRADUATE)

Economic Applications for Public Organisations (Masters)

Economics of Climate Change (Masters)

Environment and Development (Masters)

Environmental Economics (Masters, Undergraduate)

Environmental and Natural Resource Policy (Masters)

Indian Economy (Undergraduate)

Managerial Economics (Masters)

Macroeconomics (Undergraduate)

Microeconomics (Masters, Undergraduate)

Money and Banking (Undergraduate)

Public Economics (Masters and Undergraduate)

Research Methods in Public Policy (Ph.D.)

Statistics (Undergraduate)

Statistical Techniques for Public Policy/Econometrics (Masters)

Sustainable Development and Environmental Governance (Masters)

 

MEMBERSHIPS OF EXPERT GROUPS, COMMITTEES AND BOARDS

Member, Academic Council, TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), 2022-2026.

Board of Scholars, Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi, 2003-present.

Member, Academic Council, University of Delhi, 2023-2024.

Senate Member, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIITD), 2013-2018.

Founding Member, Board of Trustees (three terms), Clean Air Asia, Manila, 2007-16.

Member, Governing Body, Centre of Excellence, National Academy Customs, Excise & Narcotics (NACEN), 2017.

Member, Expert Group on National Air Quality Index, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 2014.

Expert Member, National Screening Panel, Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative (OSI) 2012-13, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) January 2013.

Member, Steering Committee for review and revision of Regional Plan-2021 for NCR (National Capital Region), National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), 2012-13.

Chairman, Study Group on Economic Activity and Fiscal Policy, for review and revision of Regional Plan-2021 for NCR, National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), 2012-13.

Member, Sub-Group on Equity, Consultative Group on Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 2012.

Member, Organising Committee and Director CTW6 (Concurrent Thematic Workshop 6) on “Urban Green Space: Policy, Planning, Finance and Governance”, 1st Biennial International Congress on Urban Green Spaces (CUGS), New Delhi, March 5-7, 2012.

Member, Working Group on Urban Transport for 12th Five Year Plan, Planning Commission, 2011.

Chairman, National Selection Committee, Fulbright-Nehru Masters Fellowship for Leadership Development, 2011.

Member, Working Group on Urban Transport for 11th Five Year Plan, Planning Commission, 2006.

Member, National Selection Committee, Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, 2006.

Member, National Selection Committee, Fulbright Visiting Lecturer Fellowship, 2002, 2003.

Member, ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) Expert Committee on Economic Affairs, 2005-06.

Founding Trustee, Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi, 1997-2003.

Member, Economic Options Committee of Montreal Protocol, UNEP, 1998.

Member, Task Force to Evaluate Market Based Instruments for Industrial Pollution Abatement, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 1995-97.

Member, Steering Committee to Implement the Montreal Protocol, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 1995-97.

Member, Working Group on Environment for the Ninth Five Year Plan, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 1996.

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE)

European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE)

American Economic Association (AEA)

Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE), Life Member, Past Vice-President and President

 

EDITORIAL BOARD BOARD/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Climatic Change, 2021-present

Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting, 2023-present

Indian Economic Review, 2019-2024

Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 2015-2023

Environment and Urbanisation, Asia, 2016-present

Singapore Economic Review, 2010-16

Journal of Developing Areas, 2001-16

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