Ather Hassan Dar

Ather Hassan Dar is an applied microeconomist specializing in development economics. His research combines large-scale observational data with advanced causal inference methods to answer policy-relevant questions in developing countries, particularly India. His primary interests lie at the intersection of education, health, and the economics of crime, while his secondary interests include gender, labour, environmental, and family economics. 

His current work examines the economic consequences of exposure to various forms of violence, analyzing its effects on outcomes such as human capital accumulation, social capital, and fertility preferences. He also studies how household-level shocks arising from policy interventions or natural events shape education, health, and broader economic well-being. Through rigorous empirical methods, Ather contributes to evidence-based policymaking and development discourse.

Ather Hassan Dar has over five years of research experience. Before joining UPES, he served as a Teaching Assistant at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where he supported teaching and research activities across undergraduate and postgraduate economics courses.

Applied Microeconomics; Development Economics; Economics of Education; Health Economics; Economics of Crime and Conflict; Environmental Economics; Labour Economics; Gender Economics; Family Economics.

Ather views teaching as a transformative process that nurtures curiosity, encourages independent thought, and empowers students to apply economic reasoning to real-world challenges. He integrates theoretical frameworks with case studies and empirical data analysis to accommodate diverse learning styles. His goal is to equip students with the analytical skills and confidence to think like economists and contribute meaningfully to society.

Introduction to Economics; Introduction to Mathematical Economics; Applied Statistics and Econometrics; Program Evaluation; Game Theory; Market Design; Behavioural and Experimental Economics.

• Ather Hassan Dar received the University Gold Medal for standing first in the B.A. (Hons.) Economics examination in 2017. 
• He was also awarded the Muzammil Towel Gold Medal for securing the highest marks in Economics in the same year. 
• He has received travel grants from INET-YSI, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Dean of Academic Affairs at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, the Department of Economic Sciences at IIT Kanpur, and Indian Statistical Institute Delhi. 
• He was also the recipient of the Sir Syed Global Scholar Award for 2016–17 and qualified UGC-NTA NET in June 2019 with a percentile score of 99.55.

Ather Hassan Dar has published research in reputed academic journals. His recent paper, Early-life Exposure to Weather Shocks and Learning Outcomes in India, appeared in the Journal of Environmental Management in 2025. He also co-authored The Efficiency of Indian Banks: A DEA, Malmquist and SFA Analysis with Bad Output, published in the Journal of Quantitative Economics in 2021. 

He has presented his work at major academic forums including Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Presidency University Kolkata, University of Technology Sydney, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi School of Economics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and Indian Statistical Institute Delhi. His scholarly work reflects a strong commitment to empirical rigor and policy relevance in development economics.

ather.dar@ddn.upes.ac.in