arXiv subjects

Saannidhya Rawat

Publications and source records attributed to Saannidhya Rawat.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Does Local Urban Governance Status Matter? Evidence from India

We exploit quasi-random variation around the multi-threshold criteria used to classify Census Towns (CTs) and focus on settlements near the thresholds that are likely to obtain statutory recognition. Using a local fuzzy regression discontinuity design and a multi-threshold criteria, we show that meeting the CT eligibility in 2001 raises the probability of statutory recognition by 2011. Instrumenting statutory recognition with CT eligibility, we estimate the effects of ULB status on local public goods provision: government schools increase by 13.86 (primary), 7.72 (middle), and 4.89 (secondary) units, healthcare infrastructure expands by 2.53 hospitals and 3.00 family welfare centers, and financial access deepens with 4.09 cooperative banks and 2.84 agricultural credit societies. Community amenities also improve, while sports infrastructure declines by 5.71 facilities, consistent with reallocation of urban land. The corresponding reduced-form estimates are directionally consistent and indicate that crossing the CT eligibility frontier improves public goods provision. Our findings indicate that timely municipalization of emerging urban areas can expand provision of public goods.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2024

GPT takes the SAT: Tracing changes in Test Difficulty and Math Performance of Students

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is crucial for college admissions but its effectiveness and relevance are increasingly questioned. This paper enhances Synthetic Control methods by introducing "Transformed Control", a novel method that employs Large Language Models (LLMs) powered by Artificial Intelligence to generate control groups. We utilize OpenAI's API to generate a control group where GPT-4, or ChatGPT, takes multiple SATs annually from 2008 to 2023. This control group helps analyze shifts in SAT math difficulty over time, starting from the baseline year of 2008. Using parallel trends, we calculate the Average Difference in Scores (ADS) to assess changes in high school students' math performance. Our results indicate a significant decrease in the difficulty of the SAT math section over time, alongside a decline in students' math performance. The analysis shows a 71-point drop in the rigor of SAT math from 2008 to 2023, with student performance decreasing by 36 points, resulting in a 107-point total divergence in average student math performance. We investigate possible mechanisms for this decline in math proficiency, such as changing university selection criteria, increased screen time, grade inflation, and worsening adolescent mental health. Disparities among demographic groups show a 104-point drop for White students, 84 points for Black students, and 53 points for Asian students. Male students saw a 117-point reduction, while female students had a 100-point decrease.

econ.EM↗

arXiv2019

Relationships between different Macroeconomic Variables using VECM

Through this paper, an attempt has been made to quantify the underlying relationships between the leading macroeconomic indicators. More clearly, an effort has been made in this paper to assess the cointegrating relationships and examine the error correction behavior revealed by macroeconomic variables using econometric techniques that were initially developed by Engle and Granger (1987), and further explored by various succeeding papers, with the latest being Tu and Yi (2017). Gross Domestic Product, Discount Rate, Consumer Price Index and population of U.S are representatives of the economy that have been used in this study to analyze the relationships between economic indicators and understand how an adverse change in one of these variables might have ramifications on the others. This is performed to corroborate and guide the belief that a policy maker with specified intentions cannot ignore the spillover effects caused by implementation of a certain policy.

econ.GN↗