Benston John

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FACULTY PROFILE

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name: Benston John
Designation: Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Economics
Contact Details benston.john@ststephens.edu


EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Economics February 2026
Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University
M.A. in Economics May 2011
Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University
B.A. (Honours) in Economics May 2009
St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor March 2015 – till date
Department of Economics, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University
Assistant Professor (Adhoc) July 2013 – March 2015
Department of Economics, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University
Guest Lecturer August 2012 – April 2013
Department of Economics, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University
  • Lectured and tutored a course titled ‘Money and Financial Markets’ to third year students of BA (Hons) Economics.
Research Assistant July 2011 – February 2012
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad (Under Prof. Tarun Jain)
  • Worked primarily on a project to evaluate the impact of English Language skills on job market and marriage market outcomes.
  • Helped in developing the questionnaires and also in executing the baseline survey.
  • Helped recruit enumerators and also conducted a 3 day workshop for the enumerators.
  • Also worked on National Sample Survey data.

KEY PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

  • Assistant Bursar, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. September 2014 – May 2016
  • Coordinator, Centre for Economic Research, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. July 2018 – July 2021
  • Teacher Representative (Elected), Governing Body, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. February 2018 – February 2019
  • Member, Committee of Courses and Studies for UG, PG and Research Studies in Economics, Department of Economics, Delhi University. April 2018 – March 2020
  • Working Group Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Revision Committee for LOCF based curriculum revision for the course Development Economics – I (BA Hons Economics), Delhi University.  April 2019 – June 2019
  • Working Group Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Revision Committee for LOCF based curriculum revision for the course Development Economics – II (BA Hons Economics), Delhi University. April 2019 – June 2019
  • Member, Delhi University Committee for formulation of courses for Under Graduate Programme in Economics under UGCF-2022, March 2022
  • Member, Committee of Courses and Studies for UG, PG and Research Studies in Economics, Department of Economics, Delhi University. February 2024 –
  • Research Fellow, Centre for Research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy and the Environment (EfD – India). March 2026 –

 

PUBLICATIONS

WORKING PAPERS

  • “When the Roof Reflects: Heat, Learning, and Adaptation in Early Childhood Settings” (with E. Somanathan and Rohini Somanathan) Working Paper No: 358, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics, December 2025

MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS

  • “Cooling classrooms to protect human capital: Evidence from Kerala’s Anganwadis” (with E. Somanathan and Rohini Somanathan), Ideas for India, April 2026 (reprinted in The Wire, April 2026)
  • “When Heat Enters the Classroom: India’s Most Overlooked Climate Investment” (with E. Somanathan and Rohini Somanathan), The Policy Edge, February 2026
  • “A white roof makes a difference: Cooling classrooms protects early learning” (with E. Somanathan and Rohini Somanathan), Environment for Development (EfD) Blog, February 2026
  • “Covid-19: How the pandemic evolved in Kerala over the ‘Unlock’ phases,” Ideas for India, 29 September 2020
  • “Rising NPAs as a principal-agent problem,” Governance Now, 7 November, 2016

ONGOING WORK

  • Work and Work Out: Education, Peer Effects, and Time Allocation to Exercise, with Mausumi Das (Delhi School of Economics)
  • A Village to Raise a Child? Evidence From POSHAN II, A Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Programme in Rajasthan

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  • Advanced Graduate Workshop, Azim Premji University, Banglore, India (July 2022)
  • Advanced Graduate Workshop, Azim Premji University, Banglore, India (July 2024)
  • 8th Annual CECFEE (Centre for Research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy, and Environment) Research and Policy Workshop, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradhesh, India (November 2024)
  • Winter School 2024, Organised by the Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi, India (December 2024)
  • Third Biennial Conference on Development, Energy, Environment, and Climate Change, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai, India (December 2024)
  • 19th Annual Conference on Economic Growth and Development, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, India (December 2024)
  • 19th Annual Meeting of Environment for Development (EfD), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (October 2025)

OTHER PRESENTATIONS/PANEL DISCUSSIONS

  • Brainstorming Workshop on Heat Adaptation Interventions for Slum Dwellers, Center for Research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy, and Environment (CECFEE), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Delhi and Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), November 2024

FELLOWSHIPS

  • Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), University Grants Commission, June 2012
  • J-PAL Research for Impact Fellow, Cohort of 2022
  • ICMR Research Grant for the study titled “Building Pandemic Resilience in Rural Communities”, March 2022 – March 2025
  • J-PAL Indian Scholars Program : Global Innovation Fund Grant on Climate Change and Health for the study titled “The Impact of Cool Roofs on Energy Consumption, Thermal Comfort and Learning Outcomes: A Pilot Study in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala”, October 2023 – July 2024

COMPUTING SKILLS

Proficient in Stata, LATEX


ACADEMIC REFEREES

Details can be provided on request


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CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
SOCIETIES
The self-motivated and ceaseless activities of over two dozen clubs and societies constitute a very important part of College life and offer a large variety of avenues for self expression. For each subject there is a Society that sponsors extra-curricular lectures and discussion and, in general, tries to stimulate interest in the subject. There are many other academic and cultural society and clubs covering wide range of activities, such as debating, dramatics, mountaineering, film and music appreciation, social service, photography and electronics.
E-CORNER
This section is getting a makeover. We request you to visit tomorrow. Old links will be changed.
INSTITUTIONAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Please complete all application procedures for Undergraduate Courses
on/before 17TH JUNE, 2016
[Click anywhere to close]
All technical related queries can be sent to
it@ststephens.edu
INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE CELL (IQAC)
E-CORNER
error:
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
SOCIETIES
The self-motivated and ceaseless activities of over two dozen clubs and societies constitute a very important part of College life and offer a large variety of avenues for self expression. For each subject there is a Society that sponsors extra-curricular lectures and discussion and, in general, tries to stimulate interest in the subject. There are many other academic and cultural society and clubs covering wide range of activities, such as debating, dramatics, mountaineering, film and music appreciation, social service, photography and electronics.
E-CORNER
This section is getting a makeover. We request you to visit tomorrow. Old links will be changed.
INSTITUTIONAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Please complete all application procedures for Undergraduate Courses
on/before 17TH JUNE, 2016
[Click anywhere to close]
All technical related queries can be sent to
it@ststephens.edu
INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE CELL (IQAC)
E-CORNER