Other links:
Other links:
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ashoka University
PhD in Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
MPhil in Development Studies, University of Cambridge
MA in Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
BA (Honours) in Economics, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University
Apurva Bamezai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Ashoka University. She previously held a Postdoctoral Visiting Fellowship at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was affiliated with the Center for the Advanced Study of India and the Penn Development Research Initiative.
Apurva’s research examines political selection, bureaucracy, and public goods provision, with a regional focus on India. Her current agenda centers on rural local government, with ongoing projects examining pathways into local electoral politics, peer networks among politicians, and the effectiveness of gender quotas. Her research has been supported by J-PAL’s Governance Initiative, the International Growth Centre, and awards at the University of Pennsylvania such as the Presidential Graduate Fellowship and the Sobti Family Fellowship, among others.
Before her doctoral studies, Apurva spent over eight years in development research and public policy, conducting mixed-methods evaluations of Indian government programs and frontline service delivery in social protection, nutrition, and early childhood education. She also holds graduate degrees in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Delhi University.
Peer-Reviewed Articles:
Bamezai, Apurva, Siddharth George, Siddharth Hari, and M. R. Sharan. Learning to Govern: The Impact of Politicians’ Peer Networks. Journal of Development Economics, accepted in the pre-results review track. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4664964.
Menon, Purnima, Apurva Bamezai, Ali Subandoro, Mohamed A. Ayoya, and Victor M. Aguayo. Age-appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices Are Associated with Child Nutrition in India: Insights from Nationally Representative Data. Maternal & Child Nutrition 11(1):73–87, 2015.
Under Review:
Amar, Priyadarshi, Apurva Bamezai, and Rithika Kumar. Missing from the Middle: Patriarchal Constraints and the Invisibilization of Women in Everyday Governance. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5200785.
Policy Writing:
Bamezai, Apurva and M. R. Sharan. The Particulars of Social Policy in India: Evidence, State Capacity, and Policy Design. Ideas for India, 12 September 2018.
Research Grants:
2023–2024. International Growth Centre, Fostering Peer Learning Among Local Elected Representatives ($82,000).
2022–2023. J-PAL Governance Initiative, Fostering Peer Learning Among Local Elected Representatives ($169,510).
2022–2023. The Weiss Fund, Fostering Peer Learning Among Local Elected Representatives ($93,427).
2022. Penn Development Research Initiative Graduate Student Research Grant ($2,000).
2023. Browne Center for International Politics Research Grant, University of Pennsylvania ($1,500).
2024. Political Science Department Graduate Research Grant, University of Pennsylvania ($1,500).
2025. University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India and Penn Global, Understanding COVID-19-Induced Excess Mortality in Bihar ($46,000).
Fellowships & Awards:
2024. SAS Dissertation Research Award, University of Pennsylvania ($5,000).
2025. Judith Rodin Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania ($5,000).
2026. Turner Schulman Graduate Fellowship, Center for the Study of Ethnicity, Race and Immigration, University of Pennsylvania ($2,000).
2027. GAPSA–Provost Fellowship Award, University of Pennsylvania ($6,000).
2020–2021. Presidential Graduate Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania.
2020–2021. Sobti Family Fellowship, Center for the Advanced Study of India ($12,500).
2019–2024. Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania.
2011–2012. Cambridge Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.
2011–2012. ETS TOEFL Scholarship (India).
2011–2012. J. N. Tata Scholarship (India).
2008–2010. Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Post-Graduate Studies, Government of India.
POL-1004 Introduction to Indian Politics (Monsoon 2026)
POL-3143 Democracy: Origins, Crises, Resilience (Monsoon 2026)v
