Debalina Chakravarty

@sxuk.edu.in

Assistant Professor in Economics
St. Xavier's University Kolkata

Debalina Chakravarty


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https://researchid.co/debalina

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Energy Economics, Urban Economics
14

Scopus Publications

696

Scholar Citations

10

Scholar h-index

10

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Tribal Rights over Forest Resources: A Critical Appraisal of the Legal Verdicts in India
    Debalina Chakravarty, Aritra Shau
    Economics of Development Looking Through Environmental and Behavioural Lens, 2026
    The tribal people in India have been provided with the legal right to access the village forests which are under the authority of the Gram Sabha and the forest lands controlled by the State Revenue Department and the Forest Department. Due to the lack of conventional rights, many indigenous and tribal communities were forced to be dispossessed of their right to access the forests due to the acts of degradation, diversion for commercial purposes and occupation by industrial organisations. The current study explores how and to what extent tribal rights are protected by the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, introduced by the Government of India. But the data shows that despite the enactment of the FRA which aimed to protect the tribals, the encroachment area in all the states has decreased, except Madhya Pradesh which showed a slight increase for the same after 2012. The likelihood of a legal judgement in favour of tribal rights over forest rights appears favourable. The encroachment area, number of tribal dominant districts, percentage of forest cover area and percentage of forest product earning significantly influence the legal verdicts in favour of tribal rights. The results are intriguing in formulating policies for protecting tribal rights and forest areas simultaneously.
  • Feeding the Divide: Do Nutritional Disparities Drive the Gender Wage Gap in South Asia?
    Gunjan Kumari, Oindrila Dey, Debalina Chakravarty
    Gender Mainstreaming and Development, 2026
    Nutritional inequality across genders plays a significant role in shaping wage disparities. Existing literature on health disparities highlights a strong link between societal inequality and poor health outcomes. However, recent research suggests that access to economic opportunities is a key driver of a nation’s overall health conditions. This chapter explores the impact of gender-based nutritional disparities on income inequality, using the BMI gap between men and women as an indicator. The study estimates this impact while accounting for differences in income per capita, employing a panel data model with data from 1990 to 2021 for six South Asian countries – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The findings underscore the need to address nutritional disparities to reduce income inequality in South Asia. Furthermore, gender inequality, unemployment rates and educational attainment are identified as critical factors influencing wage disparities. From a policy perspective, the study highlights that mitigating nutritional inequality can help narrow the income gap and encourage female labour force participation. Although progress has been made in balancing efficiency and equity in opportunities, continued efforts to address nutritional inequality remain essential.
  • Choice of Clean Cooking Fuel, Peer Effect and Women Empowerment: A Village-Level Study from India
    Debalina Chakravarty, Arpita Banerjee
    Gender in Equality and Social Development Issues of Health Education Environment and Other Sdg Implications, 2025
  • Do commuters intend to avail electric street cars as public transport? Evidence from urban India
    Oindrila Dey, Debalina Chakravarty
    International Journal of Emerging Markets, 2024
    PurposeElectric street car (ESC) is a globally popular clean and safe electric transport system for urban agglomeration. India envisions achieving “all-electric transport” by 2030, yet ESC as a modal transport alternative is not distinct in the policy discussion. The emerging market for electric transportation in urban spaces requires a detailed demand study at the service user level to remove behavioural barriers and design integrated energy planning in developing economies. This paper explores the probabilistic uptake intentions of the daily public transport commuters for ESCs over e-buses from the only Indian city with operational ESCs, Kolkata.Design/methodology/approachUsing a random utility model on primary survey data from daily commuters, the authors identify demographic, psychometric and socio-economic factors influencing probabilistic uptake of ESC over e-buses.FindingsIt estimates that 38% of the commuters demand ESC over e-buses, given the alternatives' comparative details. Factors like frequent availability and technological upgradation would increase the uptake of ESCs.Social implicationsThe study highlights that even though there are infrastructural challenges in the implementation of ESC, so does any other electric transport system; it is worth considering as a decarbonising transport alternative, given the high up-take intension of the users.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to study the demand for ESC in developing economies, identifying the factors which may be considered in the sustainable urban transportation policy perspective.
  • Industry or civil society? Role of institutions in COVID-19 crisis management
    Oindrila Dey, Debalina Chakravarty
    International Review of Economics, 2024
  • Solar microgrids in rural India: A case study of household benefits
    Debalina Chakravarty, Joyashree Roy
    Ecology Economy and Society, 2021
    This study evaluates the benefits that rural households in India derive from dedicated solar microgrid service systems. A case study was conducted in Lakshmipura-Jharla, Rajasthan, a village in western India with significant potential for producing solar energy. In 2013, a private investor set up a solar microgrid in the village and distributed energy-efficient appliances. Its goal was to give poor households access to modern energy services. The study data were collected through a survey conducted among randomly selected households in the village. The survey found that such an electricity provision service had multidimensional benefits: flexible use of the energy service, more effective time allocation among women, more study time for students, improved indoor air quality, and safer public places. Given the initial unmet demand for modern energy in the village, technological interventions supported by policy has helped to expand consumption possibilities and new demand for services has emerged. The household-level frontier rebound effect is estimated to be more than 100%, reflecting a one-and-a-half times increase in the demand for illumination services among rural households. Frontier rebound effect estimates help quantify the benefits of solar microgrids and energy-efficient appliances for households in rural areas...
  • Energy Efficiency: What Has Research Delivered in the Last 40 Years?
    Harry D. Saunders, Joyashree Roy, Inês M.L. Azevedo, Debalina Chakravarty, Shyamasree Dasgupta, Stephane de la Rue du Can, Angela Druckman, Roger Fouquet, Michael Grubb, Boqiang Lin, Robert Lowe, Reinhard Madlener, Daire M. McCoy, Luis Mundaca, Tadj Oreszczyn, Steven Sorrell, David Stern, Kanako Tanaka, Taoyuan Wei
    Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2021
    This article presents a critical assessment of 40 years of research that may be brought under the umbrella of energy efficiency, spanning different aggregations and domains—from individual producing and consuming agents to economy-wide effects to the role of innovation to the influence of policy. After 40 years of research, energy efficiency initiatives are generally perceived as highly effective. Innovation has contributed to lowering energy technology costs and increasing energy productivity. Energy efficiency programs in many cases have reduced energy use per unit of economic output and have been associated with net improvements in welfare, emission reductions, or both. Rebound effects at the macro level still warrant careful policy attention, as they may be nontrivial. Complexity of energy efficiency dynamics calls for further methodological and empirical advances, multidisciplinary approaches, and granular data at the service level for research in this field to be of greatest societal benefit.
  • An advance methodology for estimating the elasticities and rebound effect
    Debalina Chakravarty, Priyanka Chatterjee
    Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Development the Case of India, 2020
    Energy efficiency, one of the thrust areas for sustainable development pathways, is becoming a nationally practiced global strategy. However, it is crucial to consider what proportion of potential energy savings could actually be achieved if one considers “net out rebound effect” from energy efficiency. Energy efficiency literature defines the rebound effect as a change in energy service demand due to changes in energy efficiency due to the end users’ behavioral responses. Any behavioral change due to efficiency improvement might lead to an alteration of the household consumption pattern for all goods and services. There is a wide variety of theoretical and empirical literature attempting to measure rebound effect. The almost ideal demand system model is one of the widely accepted advanced methodology for determining rebound effect through price elasticity. This model is explained here with an example from a rural economy which may help know the steps for deriving rebound effect magnitude. In a nutshell, this chapter provides a theoretical framework followed by an empirical estimation procedure.
  • Where is the hope? Blending modern urban lifestyle with cultural practices in India
    Joyashree Roy, Debalina Chakravarty, Shyamasree Dasgupta, Debrupa Chakraborty, Shamik Pal, Duke Ghosh
    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2018
    Driving economic growth through a low carbon trajectory will be a challenge as well as an opportunity for India in next three decades with a billion plus population. Cities are going to play a major role in this rapidly urbanising India. The scope of this article is to focus on some of the ongoing city-scale actions, which clearly indicate that India can strengthen its response by going beyond its NDCs. A combination of technology penetration, individual behaviour, community actions and policy interventions is driving such experiments. Ongoing investments in infrastructure are targeted towards creation of new facilities as well as modernisation of existing, and traditionally sustainable practices such as public transport, shared mobility, walking, cycling and rickshaw rides. Policies, supplemented by statutory mandates, are trying to command and regulate, nudge and incentivise climate responsive actions. Shifting public preferences towards star-rated household appliances is emerging as a social norm. Increased concern towards local air pollution is also driving changes. Large construction projects are being mandated to comply with building codes. Urban rooftops are facing competing demand from solar panels, organic gardens. Participation in the process of change is thus defining a new urban lifestyle, efficiently and sufficiently, energised by modern energy forms, and is thus paving the way to a new low emission future for India with global mitigation benefits.
  • Can low-carbon urban development be pro-poor? The case of Kolkata, India
    Sarah Colenbrander, Andy Gouldson, Joyashree Roy, Niall Kerr, Sayantan Sarkar, Stephen Hall, Andrew Sudmant, Amrita Ghatak, Debalina Chakravarty, Diya Ganguly, Faye Mcanulla
    Environment and Urbanization, 2017
    Fast-growing cities in the global South have an important role to play in climate change mitigation. However, city governments typically focus on more pressing socioeconomic needs, such as reducing urban poverty. To what extent can social, economic and climate objectives be aligned? Focusing on Kolkata in India, we consider the economic case for low-carbon urban development, and assess whether this pathway could support wider social goals. We find that Kolkata could reduce its energy bill by 8.5 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 20.7 per cent in 2025, relative to business-as-usual trends, by exploiting readily available, economically attractive mitigation options. Some of these measures offer significant social benefits, particularly in terms of public health; others jeopardize low-income urban residents’ livelihoods, housing and access to affordable services. Our findings demonstrate that municipal mitigation strategies need to be designed and delivered in collaboration with affected communities in order to minimize social costs and – possibly – achieve transformative change.
  • The global south: New estimates and insights from urban India
    Debalina Chakravarty, Joyashree Roy
    Rethinking Climate and Energy Policies New Perspectives on the Rebound Phenomenon, 2016
  • Corrigendum to "Rebound effect: How much to worry" [Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 5 (2013) 216-228]
    Debalina Chakravarty, Shyamasree Dasgupta, Joyashree Roy
    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2015
  • Energy Efficiency: Technology, Behavior, and Development
    Joyashree Roy, Shyamasree Dasgupta, Debalina Chakravarty
    Handbook of Global Energy Policy, 2013
  • Rebound effect: How much to worry?
    Debalina Chakravarty, Shyamasree Dasgupta, Joyashree Roy
    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2013

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Feeding the Divide: Do Nutritional Disparities Drive the Gender Wage Gap in South Asia?
    G Kumari, O Dey, D Chakravarty
    2026
  • Choice of clean cooking fuel, peer effect and women empowerment: a village-level study from India
    D Chakravarty, A Banerjee
    Gender (in) equality and social development: issues of health, education … , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 1
  • Industry or civil society? Role of institutions in COVID-19 crisis management
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    International Review of Economics 71 (3), 597-614 , 2024
    2024
  • Do commuters intend to avail electric street cars as public transport? Evidence from urban India
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    International Journal of Emerging Markets 19 (10), 2888-2906 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 4
  • “The Emergence of New-poor in India: Dimensions and Indicators”
    P Sreeja, C Debalina
    Artha Beekshan Journal of Bangiya Arthaniti Parishad (Bengal Economic … , 2022
    2022
  • Solar microgrids in rural India: A case study of household benefits
    D Chakravarty, J Roy
    Ecology, Economy and society–the INSEE Journal 4 (2), 65-93 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • for estimating the elasticities
    D Chakravarty, P Chatterjee
    Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Development: The Case of India, 109 , 2020
    2020
  • 6 An advance methodology for estimating t
    D Chakravarty, P Chatterjee
    Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Development: The Case of India , 2020
    2020
  • An advance methodology for estimating the elasticities and rebound effect
    D Chakravarty, P Chatterjee
    Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Development, 109-125 , 2020
    2020
  • Energy Efficiency: What has it Delivered in the Last 40 Years?
    H Saunders, J Roy, IML Azevedo, D Chakravarty, S Dasgubta, ...
    FCN Working Papers , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 126
  • Contemporary issues in sustainable development
    T Chakraborty, D Mukherjee, S Saha
    CRC Press , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Electric street car as a clean public transport alternative: A choice experiment approach
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    2020
    Citations: 1
  • Will India’s Smart Cities be Climate Resilient? Evidence from Pune, India
    DH Joka
    Indian Institute of Management Calcutta , 2019
    2019
  • Is Electric Street Car a Sustainable Public Transport System in India? A Demand Side Analysis♣
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    2018
  • Governance of climate change: Issues and challenges in South Asia
    A Barua, V Narain, S Vij
    Climate Change Governance and Adaptation, 1-9 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 5
  • Climate change governance and adaptation: case studies from South Asia
    A Barua, V Narain, S Vij
    CRC Press , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 10
  • Governing National Actions for Global Climate Change Stabilization: Examples from India 1
    J Roy, S Dasgupta, D Ghosh, N Das, D Chakravarty, D Chakraborty, S De
    Climate Change Governance and Adaptation, 137-159 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 3
  • Where is the hope? Blending modern urban lifestyle with cultural practices in India
    J Roy, D Chakravarty, S Dasgupta, D Chakraborty, S Pal, D Ghosh
    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 31, 96-103 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 26
  • Conceptualising Indian Smart Cities: Criteria for Being Climate Resilient
    D Chakravarty, R Sarkar
    Working Paper Series , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Analysis of Bicycle Usage in India: An Environmental Perspective
    AK Srivastavaa, S Mishrab, D Chakravartyc
    International Journal of Innovations & Advancements in Computer Science 6 (8 … , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 7

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Rebound effect: how much to worry?
    D Chakravarty, S Dasgupta, J Roy
    Current opinion in environmental sustainability 5 (2), 216-228 , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 146
  • The handbook of global energy policy
    A Goldthau
    John Wiley & Sons , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 138
  • Energy Efficiency: What has it Delivered in the Last 40 Years?
    H Saunders, J Roy, IML Azevedo, D Chakravarty, S Dasgubta, ...
    FCN Working Papers , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 126
  • Can low-carbon urban development be pro-poor? The case of Kolkata, India
    S Colenbrander, A Gouldson, J Roy, N Kerr, S Sarkar, S Hall, A Sudmant, ...
    Environment and Urbanization 29 (1), 139-158 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 90
  • Rethinking climate and energy policies
    T Santarius, HJ Walnum, C Aall
    New perspectives on the rebound phenomenon , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 80
  • Where is the hope? Blending modern urban lifestyle with cultural practices in India
    J Roy, D Chakravarty, S Dasgupta, D Chakraborty, S Pal, D Ghosh
    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 31, 96-103 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 26
  • Energy efficiency: technology, behavior, and development
    J Roy, S Dasgupta, D Chakravarty
    The handbook of global energy policy, 282-302 , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 19
  • Solar microgrids in rural India: A case study of household benefits
    D Chakravarty, J Roy
    Ecology, Economy and society–the INSEE Journal 4 (2), 65-93 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • The global south: new estimates and insights from urban India
    D Chakravarty, J Roy
    Rethinking Climate and Energy Policies: New Perspectives on the Rebound … , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 14
  • Climate change governance and adaptation: case studies from South Asia
    A Barua, V Narain, S Vij
    CRC Press , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 10
  • Analysis of Bicycle Usage in India: An Environmental Perspective
    AK Srivastavaa, S Mishrab, D Chakravartyc
    International Journal of Innovations & Advancements in Computer Science 6 (8 … , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 7
  • Contemporary issues in sustainable development
    T Chakraborty, D Mukherjee, S Saha
    CRC Press , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Governance of climate change: Issues and challenges in South Asia
    A Barua, V Narain, S Vij
    Climate Change Governance and Adaptation, 1-9 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 5
  • Do commuters intend to avail electric street cars as public transport? Evidence from urban India
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    International Journal of Emerging Markets 19 (10), 2888-2906 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 4
  • Governing National Actions for Global Climate Change Stabilization: Examples from India 1
    J Roy, S Dasgupta, D Ghosh, N Das, D Chakravarty, D Chakraborty, S De
    Climate Change Governance and Adaptation, 137-159 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 3
  • Conceptualising Indian Smart Cities: Criteria for Being Climate Resilient
    D Chakravarty, R Sarkar
    Working Paper Series , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 2
  • Corrigendum to “Rebound effect: how much to worry”[Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 5 (2013) 216–228]
    D Chakravarty, S Dasgupta, J Roy
    Current opinion in environmental sustainability 14, 266 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 2
  • Choice of clean cooking fuel, peer effect and women empowerment: a village-level study from India
    D Chakravarty, A Banerjee
    Gender (in) equality and social development: issues of health, education … , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 1
  • Electric street car as a clean public transport alternative: A choice experiment approach
    O Dey, D Chakravarty
    2020
    Citations: 1
  • Feeding the Divide: Do Nutritional Disparities Drive the Gender Wage Gap in South Asia?
    G Kumari, O Dey, D Chakravarty
    2026