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Vijayendra Rao

@bijurao.bsky.social
2K followers 201 following 73 posts

Economist who mixes disciplines and methods. www.vijayendrarao.org

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Reposted by Vijayendra Rao
David McKenzie @dmckenzie.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Weekly links are back with calls for many conferences, @bijurao.bsky.social on why economists need to listen to those they study more, of course more discussion on AI's effects as well as on how to design better RCTs with AI, am I replaceable?, and more... blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
blogs.worldbank.org
Weekly links September 4: listening, how to not make your AI RCT useless, many conference calls, and more…
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
bijurao.substack.com/p/music-of-j...
bijurao.substack.com
Music of Janmashtami
Krishna Playing the Flute and other Episodes from the Bhagavata Purana, Malwa, Rajasthan, c.
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
New book (Open Access) - Revolution by Stealth: How Women's Groups Catalyzed a Cultural Transformation in Bihar, Cambridge University Press and UNU-WIDER, 2026. www.cambridge.org/core/element... bijurao.substack.com/p/new-open-a...
bijurao.substack.com
New open-access book: Shruti Majumdar, Vijayendra Rao and Paromita Sanyal, Revolution by Stealth: How women’s groups catalyzed a cultural transformation in Bihar, Cambridge University Press, 2026
Thanks for reading!
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In this essay in In Devolopment, I reveal myself as an anthropology spy in Economics 🙂 and explain the implications of the approach for research - particularly in development Economics. indevelopmentmag.substack.com/p/why-econom...
indevelopmentmag.substack.com
Why Economists Don’t Listen: Tales From an Anthropology Spy in Economics
In 1993, I was sitting on a mud floor with a small group of women in a village in Karnataka, trying to start a conversation about their lives.
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Reposted by Vijayendra Rao
Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @buffett.northwestern.edu · 31/07/2026
Vijayendra "Biju" Rao ( @bijurao.bsky.social ), former World Bank economist & Buffett Distinguished Practitioner-Scholar in Residence, shares why he decided to teach our Elliott Scholars the importance of bringing people into policy in our new Buffett Q&A: buffett.northwestern.edu/news/2026/bu...
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Reposted by Vijayendra Rao
EADI @eadi.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🎧 New "Innovating Methods" Podcast out! 🎙️ @keetieroelen.bsky.social ( @oucsgd.bsky.social ) is joined by @bijurao.bsky.social who shares insights about the increasing importance of LLMs and a call to move beyond the quantitative and qualitative data distinction. open.spotify.com/episode/3p3X...
open.spotify.com
Ep. 06 - Reflexive Economics and The Use of Mixed Methods, with Biju Rao
Innovating methods in international development research · Episode
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Our @voxdev.bsky.social blog about our recent EJ paper that develops a new method to analyze open-ended qualitative interviews with large samples without using LLMs (which we show can have extremely biased results with data like ours).
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Why is intergroup hate rising across societies, all at once? Our new paper, “The Cycle of Hate, and What We Can Do About It,” argues this it’s a self-reinforcing 10 reason cycle. We offer a diagnostic framework, and review the evidence on interventions. documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
documents1.worldbank.org
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
New publication in The Economic Journal “Qualitative Analysis With Large-N: A New Method with An Application to Aspirations in Bangladesh.”https://academic.oup.com/ej/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ej/ueag005/8417166?redirectedFrom=fulltext Also available here vijayendrarao.org/wp-content/u...
vijayendrarao.org
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Video of my farewell public lecture at the World Bank on ‘Policy for the People.’ Honored to have Deon Filmer chair, with insightful discussant comments from Nandini Krishnan & Robin Mearns. Grateful for all the warmth. youtu.be/_UzbwmOL80o
youtu.be
Policy for the People
YouTube video by Development Research Group
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
After 25 years at the World Bank’s Development Research Group, I’ll give my farewell talk — Policy for the People — on Nov 18 at 12:30 PM ET. Honored to be joined by Nandini Krishnan, Robin Mearns & Deon Filmer. 🎥 worldbank.org/en/events/2025/11/18/policy-for-the-people
worldbank.org
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Some news: After 26 years in the World Bank’s Development Research Group, I have decided that it’s time for me to move on.
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Reposted by Vijayendra Rao
Center for Global Development @cgdev.org · 08/08/2025
This year's #ABCDE2025, themed “Development in the Age of Populism,” sparked discussions on trade and geopolitics, poverty reduction, & more. Following the conference, @eeshani.bsky.social shares what we learned—and didn’t—about populism & poverty in LMICs: www.cgdev.org/blog/populis...
cgdev.org
Populist Rhetoric, Poverty Realities: Lessons from ABCDE 2025
There is no easy escape from the deepening populist retrenchment around the world. But let’s not forget that development is measured not by how fast an economy grows, but rather by the improvements to...
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
My cousin Rama Ranee changed my life—introducing me to yoga, meditation, and fieldwork in rural India. For 35 years, she’s transformed a barren patch near Bangalore into a biodiverse, biodynamic sanctuary. This stunning film by Good Food Movement captures her journey. youtu.be/W1XA-KOgKoA?...
youtu.be
She turned a barren wasteland into a forest farm in Bengaluru
YouTube video by Good Food Movement
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Why do people feel worse even as their countries grow richer? In an age of populism, we need to ask what policy misses when it focuses solely on growth. A thread on our paper: Is There an Underside to Economic Growth? 👇 📄 documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati...
documents.worldbank.org
Is There an Underside to Economic Growth ? A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Malaysia
This paper sheds light on a Malaysian paradox that may have lessons for the rest of the world. Despite high gross domestic product growth with concurrent sharp reductions .
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Development folks (usually of a particular vintage) who are prone to making Denmark comparisons - note that you can fit six Denmarks in Delhi, five in Jakarta, four in Cairo….
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
“Using Large Language Models for Qualitative Analysis can Introduce Serious Bias”, paper with Julian Ashwin and Aditya Chhabra published in Sociological Methods and Research journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Instead of “nudging” people to get them to do what YOU think is good for them, “boost” their agency so that they are better able to think and act for themselves. Wonderful paper from Behavioral Public Policy that encapsulates what many of us have been thinking. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
Moving from nudging to boosting: empowering behaviour change to address global challenges | Behavioural Public Policy | Cambridge Core
Moving from nudging to boosting: empowering behaviour change to address global challenges
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
My essay is on VKRV Rao, who developed the first set of national income estimates for a poor country, founded the Delhi School of Economics, and laid the intellectual foundations of IDA, the concessional funding arm of the World Bank azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/indian-econo...
azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in
V.K.R.V. Rao
Institutional Builder Extraordinaire By Vijayendra Rao
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Indian economists have been central to development thinking from the early 19th century. This amazing collection of biographical essays on distinguished Indian economists of the past is really worth reading azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/distinguishe...
azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in
Distinguished Indian Economists
Swaying Minds and Shaping the Modern Indian Economy
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
This is Pt Mallikarjun Mansur singing the beautiful and uncommon raga - Yamani Bilawal which is a combination of ragas Yaman and Bilawal youtu.be/JUXfF8iEDOQ?.... The bandish is Ale Re, Kituve Gaye Loguva.
youtu.be
Mallikarjun Mansur Raga Yamani Bilawal
YouTube video by Pokri Poki
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Thinking of posting Indian classical music videos here like I do on Twitter. Is there any interest in this?
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Michael Woolcock and I have written a (very) short paper on “Ten Consequential and Actionable ‘Social’ Contributions to the Theory, Practice, and Evaluation of Development” largely drawing on our own work over the last 20 years. Comments welcome documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
documents1.worldbank.org
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
James Ferguson helped me understand how The World Bank works. His The Anti-Politics Machine is a must-read for anyone in development. RIP 🙏🏾https://stanforddaily.com/2025/02/19/james-ferguson-professor-of-anthropology-and-former-department-chair-dies-at-65/
stanforddaily.com
James Ferguson, professor of anthropology and former department chair, dies at 65
James “Jim” Ferguson played a pivotal roles in the department's history and will be remembered for his remarkable character, kindness and contributions to the field.
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Is there an underside to Economic growth? In this paper we study the case of Malaysia which was one of the stars of the “East Asian Miracle”, combining high growth rates with sharp reductions in poverty and inequality. documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati...
documents.worldbank.org
Is There an Underside to Economic Growth ? A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Malaysia
This paper sheds light on a Malaysian paradox that may have lessons for the rest of the world. Despite high gross domestic product growth with concurrent sharp reductions .
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Really appreciate this thoughtful deep dive into my paper “Can Economics Become More Reflexive” by the polymaths and podcasters Amit Varma and Ajay Shah in their acclaimed videocast series Everything is Everything. Paper is here: documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati... youtu.be/STCkMMvVxuQ?...
youtu.be
What Economics Can Learn | Episode 75 | Everything is Everything
YouTube video by Everything is Everything
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
In a new paper, "Is there an Underside to Economic Growth? A Mixed-Method Analysis of Malaysia" we show why people may be unhappy with the economy despite great macro and micro trends. Quantitative data hides realities that qualitative interviews can reveal. documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati...
documents.worldbank.org
Is There an Underside to Economic Growth ? A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Malaysia
This paper sheds light on a Malaysian paradox that may have lessons for the rest of the world. Despite high gross domestic product growth with concurrent sharp reductions .
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Reposted by Vijayendra Rao
Ranil Dissanayake @scepticalranil.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
New CGD blog alert! The global extreme poverty line is on its last legs. But the problem is there is no really good alternative to it. www.cgdev.org/blog/global-...
cgdev.org
The Global Poverty Line: Past, Present and Future
It is easy to forget how young the global poverty line still is. In this blog Ranil Dissanayake explores three sets of challenges in the measurement and use of the international poverty line, and cons...
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 09/11/2024
Calling early-career researchers: Applications are now OPEN for CIFAR Azirieli Global Scholars, a unique opportunity to transform your research and accelerate your career. Join us in the Boundaries, Membership & Belonging Program cifar.ca/research-pro... Apply by Nov. 20 cifar.ca/next-generat...
cifar.ca
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Program - CIFAR
Support and training for the research leaders of tomorrow.
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 12/09/2024
Had the absolute pleasure of engaging in a four hour conversation with Amit Varma for his Seen and Unseen podcast where we did a deep dive into my work and my life. Amit is such a good interviewer that he even got me to sing a bit. seenunseen.in/episodes/202...
seenunseen.in
Episode 392: Biju Rao Won’t Bow to Conventional Wisdom | The Seen and the Unseen
He’s an economist who cares more about people than numbers — and he thinks his field needs more sociology and anthropology in it. Vijayendra (Biju) Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 392 of The Seen and…
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 17/08/2024
Terrible ideas that have come back because the generation that suffered their downside has passed on: Price Controls, Structural Adjustment, Dictatorship, Genocide.
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 24/02/2024
Interesting Large-N qualitative study on the aesthetics of experimental practice. Suggests that a critical ethnography of the processes by which experiments and RCTs in Economics/Poli Sci/Public Health are conducted would generate some valuable insights www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Beauty in experiment: A qualitative analysis of aesthetic experiences in scientific practice
A growing literature in philosophy of science focuses on the role of aesthetics in scientific practice, with the experiment recently recognized for it…
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 01/02/2024
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 30/11/2023
Does democracy work? How does it compare to rule by unelected bureaucrats? For some answers to this hard to analyze question see our working paper on "The Added Value of Local Democracy: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India," documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati...
documents.worldbank.org
The Added Value of Local Democracy: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India
Governments across the world have increasingly devolved powers to locally elected leaders. This paper studies the consequences of local democracy, exploiting a natural .
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 09/11/2023
"Using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Qualitative Analysis Can Introduce Serious Bias," World Bank working paper with JulianAshwin & AdityaKChhabra documents.worldbank.org/en/publicati... This extends our work on Large-N Qual Analysis blogs.worldbank.org/impactevalua... o
documents.worldbank.org
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 30/10/2023
Crazy that Habermas - who is now more an invocation than a person - has just published another book at the age of 94 revisiting his idea of the public sphere in the age of social media www.wiley.com/en-us/A+New+...
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Video of the talk given by the sociologist Michele Lamont on her book “Seeing Others” at the World Bank which is about the centrally important topic about how to build a more empathetic, less divided world. Michael Woolcock and I were the discussants. www.worldbank.org/en/news/vide...
worldbank.org
Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How it Can Heal a Divided World
Acclaimed Harvard sociologist Michèle Lamont makes the case for reexamining what we value to prioritize recognition—the quest for respect—in an age that has been defined by growing inequality and...
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 22/10/2023
Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur sings a Durga Stuti - Devi Durge - composed by Ustad Alladiya Khansaheb in the morning raga Sukhiya Bilawal - a blend of ragas Sawani and Bilawal. Pt Rajshekhar Mansur provides beautiful vocal accompaniment youtu.be/Sn22MLBjMmQ?...
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Vijayendra Rao @bijurao.bsky.social · 10/10/2023
News: www.reuters.com/business/fin... Views: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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