Essays in Applied Micro-econometrics

Abstract

Three essays in applied micro-econometrics form this thesis. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the thesis. Chapter 2 examines the effect of extending post-study work rights on international graduates' performance in the labour market and migration outcomes. We exploit a 2013 Australian reform that extended temporary graduate visa durations from 18 months up to four years for university-qualified international students. In the first stage, a difference-in-regression discontinuity design leverages the sharp 5 November 2011 eligibility cut-off to identify the causal effect on 'incumbent' students who could not anticipate the change. In the second stage, a classic difference-in-differences analysis compares 'entrant' cohorts-university versus non-university students who came before and after the reform-to capture adjustments in enrolment and post-graduation behaviour. We find that longer work rights boost short-term retention among incumbents but leave earnings, occupational status and firm-level productivity unchanged and reduce three-year visa survival. Entrants respond by shifting towards university-level programs and higher-status occupations, though wage gains are muted. These mixed results underscore the trade-offs in designing temporary migration pathways for talent selection and retention.

Chapter 3 utilises district-level data on narrow-margin electoral victories as an instrument for female incumbency. The paper uncovers how the election of women legislators alters crime-reporting dynamics in India. Exploiting multiple state election cycles and close-win randomisation, I show that female incumbents lead to a rise in reported offences against women-driven mostly by increased familial offences. Survey evidence confirms that underlying crime incidence does not change, pointing to a genuine reporting effect rather than a rise in victimisation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger reporting gains in Congress-ruled states and those without legacies of historical disadvantage. Mechanism checks suggest that women's leadership improves public confidence in politicians and increases the probability of obtaining membership of economic and political groups. Our findings highlight the underappreciated role of gender representation in empowering survivors and strengthening justice-sector responsiveness.

Chapter 4 evaluates the intergenerational effects of the 1956 Hindu Succession Act amendments-designed to grant daughters equal inheritance rights-on children's educational effort. Merging data from the India Human Development Survey with a state-level difference-in-differences framework, we compare siblings born to mothers who married before versus after the reform across non-reform and reform states. We document that children of reform-exposed mothers increase their in-school study hours, with older children and those of literate mothers additionally boosting out-of-school study time. Mechanism tests point to shifts in marriage-market bargaining, pre-marital parental investment and household wealth as channels. We find no evidence of heightened son preference or changes in state-level dropout rates. The results demonstrate how women's property rights reforms can translate into tangible human-capital gains for the next generation. Show more