Hyderabad Campus
Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy and Governance
BA (HONS) Economics - Banaras Hindu University
MA (Economics) - Aligarh Muslim University
MA ( Population Studies) - IIPS
M.Phil ( Population Studies) - IIPS
Ph. D ( Population Studies) - IIPS
balhasan.ali[at]tiss[dot]ac[dot]in
I am an Assistant Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, where my teaching and research engage with some of the most pressing questions of development, inequality, gender, and demographic change in contemporary India. Trained as a development economist and mathematical demographer, I completed my Ph.D. in Population Studies from the International Institute for Population Sciences, and my doctoral work concerned with conflict between women’s productive and reproductive labour. My academic journey also includes advanced training in economics from Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University.
My interest in demography, labour, and ageing, to reproductive health and household change with a particular focus on gender and social inequalities are driven by my fascination of reading the use of data and demographic tools in various domains that is governed by accuracy, transparency and reliability which often gets overlooked in the calculus of measuring health, development and population dynamic research. I also have engaged in evaluation varying facets of inequalities in health and social domain and in particular maternal health, women work and gender inequalities triggered by socio-economic and cultural attributes.
Before joining TISS, I worked as a Researcher at the ICMR-National Institute of Medical Statistics and the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, where I contributed to interdisciplinary research on public health, labour, gender, and nutrition, monitoring and evaluation, and evidence-based development policy using advanced quantitative and large-scale survey data analysis. At the International Institute for Population Sciences, I worked as an Assistant Professor (Research) under the Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) project, where I was involved in advanced quantitative analysis, and policy-oriented public health research.
My research lies at the intersection of labour economics, gender and demography, health economics, ageing, and social stratification, with a strong emphasis on quantitative methods and policy-oriented analysis. I remain deeply committed to producing evidence-based scholarship that bridges academic inquiry with public policy and social transformation.
My teaching focuses on building strong analytical and quantitative foundations for public policy and social science research. I teach courses in econometrics, statistics, large-scale survey and census data analysis, microdata analytics, and data-driven policy research. Through these courses, I emphasize how statistical reasoning, econometric techniques, and empirical evidence can be effectively used to understand complex social and economic problems and to design informed public policies. My pedagogical approach combines theoretical clarity with hands-on training in real-world datasets such as NSS, NFHS, PLFS, and Time Use Survey.
Selected Awards and Honours
2022 Best Technical Paper award, Demography India
2021 Young Scientist Summer Fellow, IIASA, Vienna, Austria
2021 Fellowship (3 Months), Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council, GoI
2021 Gender Project Travel Grant
2021 Junior Research Fellowship (5 Years), Union Grant Commission, GoI
2021 Fellowship (2 Years), IIPS and GoI
Conferences
[1] Ali Balhasan.“Prevalence and predictors of social cohesion and its association with mental health
in India” in 4th Asian Population Association (APA) Conference-2018, Shanghai, China during
11-14 July 2018.
[2] Ali Balhasan. “Effect of socio-economic inequality on mental health in India: Evidence from
the WHO-SAGE Wave-1” 4th Asian Population Association (APA) Conference-2018, Shanghai,
China during 11-14 July 2018.
[3] Ali Balhasan, Dhillon P, Mohanty SK“Socio-Economic Inequalities in utilisation of maternal
health care in pre and post National Health Mission period in India”16th annual conference of
IASSH‐2018, JNU, New Delhi, India, during 10-12 December 2018.
[4] Ali Balhasan.“Economic Inequalities and Mental Health Problems among Elderly in India,
China, Ghana, Russia, and South Africa: A Decomposition Analysis” in 7th IHEPA annual
conference-2019, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India during January 24- 25, 2019.
[5] Ali Balhasan.“Decomposing Socio-Economic Inequality in the Utilization of Maternal Health
Services in India, 2005-16” in 7th IHEPA annual conference- 2019, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,
India during January 24-25, 2019.
[6] Ali Balhasan.Cointegration and Causality between Fertility and Female Labor Force Participation
in India in International Economic association conference (IEA- 2021)
[7] Ali Balhasan, Marois G, Dhillon P.Puzzling decline of female labor force participation in India
and its prospects: an age-period-cohort approach in International Population Conference
(IPC2021)
[8] Ali Balhasan.Not beyond gender: the nexus between family composition and women’s participation
in domestic activity or labour force in India in International Population Conference (IPC-
2021)
[9] Ali Balhasan.“Motherhood Penalty: the role of childbearing on Indian women’s working life
span” in 63rd Indian Labour Economics Conference (ISLE-2023)
[10] Ali Balhasan.“Gender Divide in Paid and Unpaid Work among Muslim Women: Evidences from
Indian Time Use Survey” in International Interdisciplinary Series of Conferences
Workshops
[1] Gender Analysis of Health: Workshop for researchers using large scale data set” during 10th -
15th October, 2019 at IIPS, Mumbai, India.
[2] ”Advanced Methods in Large Scale Data Analysis” during 7th - 9th December, 2018 at JNU, New
Delhi, India.
[3] “Applied Econometric Methods” organised by Geo-Spatial Mapping Project, IIPS, Mumbai.
[4] Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Machine Learning, NIT Hamirpur
[5] “IZA/FCDO ONLINE Short Course on Research Skills for South Asia” to be held online on
September 14-15, 2021
[6] “Introduction to RDemographic and spatial analysis: April 5-9,2021” conducted by Max Plank
Institute for Demographic Research and IIPS
Professional Member
[1] Life Member, IHEPA
[2] Life Member, IIPSAA
[3] Life Member, IASSHA
Session Chair
[1] Chaired Session on ”Diversity and social change” in the Annual Conference on Cultural Diversity
and Development On 21 March 2023 Organised by Centre for Public Policy, Habitat
and Human Development, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai
Invited Talks/Seminar/Lectures
[1] Invited seminar talk on ”Demographic Dividend in India: Opportunities and Challenges” in
the Department of Economics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Referee for Journals
PlosOne, BMC Public Health, BMC Women’s Health, Huminities and Social Science Communication,
Applied Economics, Journal of Development Policy and Practice
Demography
Gender and Labour
Economics of Ageing
Health Inequality
Time Use
Care Work
Maternal and Child Health
Data Analytics and Survey Research
Research Articles
[1] Ali, B., (2024). The puzzling decline of female labour force participation rate in India:
An age period cohort approach. Journal of Development Policy and Practice. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/24551333251406786
[2] Ali, B., Prasad, A. B., Dhillon, P., Shaban, A. (2024). Sustaining the Tradition in Multigeneration
Families: Women’s Time Use and Unpaid Domestic Work in India. Journal of Family and
Economic Issues, 1-22. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10834-024-09974-8
[3] Ali, B., Dhillon, P., Muthusamy, S., Mishra, U.S. (2023). Understanding Female Labour
Force Participation and Domestic Work in India: The Role of Co-residence and Household
Composition. Journal of Development Policy and Practice, 8(2), 162-193. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/24551333231165355
[4] Marois, G., Zhelenkova, E., Ali, B., (2022). Labour Force Projections in India Until 2060
and Implications for the Demographic Dividend. Social Indicators Research, 1-21. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-022-02968-9
2
[5] Ali, B., Dhillon, P. (2022). Cointegration and Causality between Fertility and Female Labour
Force Participation in India. Demography India, 51(1), 126-143.
[6] Kundu, S.,Ali, B., Dhillon, P. (2023). Surging Trends of Infertility and its Behavioural Determinants
in India. Plos One. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289096
[7] Pal, I., Ali, B., Dhillon, P., Pandey, N. (2021). Factors Determining Paid and Unpaid Work in
Young Adults: Evidence from a Cohort Study in Bihar, India. The Indian Journal of Labour
Economics, 64(1), 133-153. DOI: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41027-020-00298-3
[8] Purkayastha, N., Dhillon, P., Ali, B., Hazarika, J. (2022). Changing Patterns of One-Person and
One-Couple-Only Households in India. Journal of Population Ageing, 1-19.
[9] Ali, B., Chauhan, S. (2020). Inequalities in the utilisation of maternal health care in rural India:
Evidences from national family health survey III IV. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-13. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08480-4
[10] Ali, B., Dhillon, P., Mohanty, S. K. (2019). Inequalities in the utilization of maternal health care
in the pre-and post-National Health Mission periods in India. Journal of biosocial science, 1-15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932019000385
[11] Ali, B., Debnath, P., Anwar, T. (2020). Inequalities in utilisation of maternal health services in
urban India: Evidences from national health family survey-4. Clinical Epidemiology and Global
Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2020.11.005
[12] Mondal, N. A., Ali, B., Sk, M. I. K. (2020). Has Muslim got benefited from the national health
mission? A situational analysis of maternal health services in India. Ethiopian Journal of Health
Sciences, 30(5).
[13] Sk, M. I. K., Ali, B., Biswas, M. M., Saha, M. K. (2022). Disparities in three critical maternal
health indicators amongst Muslims: Vis-a-vis the results reflected on National Health Mission.
BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1-11.
[14] Bansal, A., Dwivedi, L. K., Ali, B. (2022). The trends of female sterilization in India: an age
period cohort analysis approach. BMC women’s health, 22(1), 1-12.
[15] Mondal, N. A., Kannaujiya, A. K., Ali, B. (2020). Quality of Life of Elderly in Rural Murshidabad
(West Bengal). Social Science Spectrum, 5(1), 42-49.
[16] Ali, B., Mondal, N. A., Biswas, M. M. (2019). Measuring and Decomposing Inequalities in
Mental Disorders among Elderly in Five Low-and Middle-Income Countries:
Book Chapters
[1] Ali B, Mondal NA (2026). Landholdings in Uttar Pradesh: inequalities among socio-religious
groups in “Muslim in Uttar Pradesh: A discussion on development, security, and inclusion” Shaban
A, Khan A, Kundu A Motkuri V (Ed.)
[2] Ali B (2026). Inequalities in Land Holding in Rajasthan: A Socio-Religious Construct in “Muslim
in Rajasthan: An Examination of Rising Insecurity, Vibrant Diversity and Acute Poverty”
Shaban A, Khan A, Kundu A Motkuri V (Ed.) (Forthcoming)
3
[3] Ali B (2026). Employment, Unemployment, and Wage Inequality in Rajasthan: A Socio- Religious
disparity in “Muslim in Rajasthan: An Examination of Rising Insecurity, Vibrant Diversity
and Acute Poverty” Shaban A, Khan A, Kundu A Motkuri V (Ed.) (Forthcoming)
[4] Ali B (2026). Faith in the Margins: Economic Struggles and Socio-Religious Exclusion in Bihar’s
Labour Market
In Media
[1] Ali, Balhasan, Atul Kriti, Bhabya The Telanagana Today, Big energy, bigger risks — opening
up India’s nuclear power.
[2] Ali, Balhasan, Tasneem Khan The Telanagana Today, Beyond ‘too few’ and ‘too many’ —
India’s demographic paradox.
[3] Ali, Balhasan, U S Mishra The Indian Express, India has a growing older population. We must
focus on productive ageing.
[4] Ali, Balhasan, Governance Now, Poll-bound Bihar faces unique development challenge.
[5] Ali, Balhasan, The New Indian Express, Population growth: Neither too many, nor too few.
[6] Ali, Balhasan, The New Indian Express, Waqf must hold up promise of development.
[7] Ali, Balhasan, Singh Rachna, Gudakesh The Wire, Turning Gray into Gold.
[8] Ali, Balhasan,Arora Ishika Governance Now, How to improve India’s crèche system.
[9] Ali, Balhasan, Singh Rachna, The New Indian Express, Fertility decline: A success story or
cause for concern?
[10] Ali, Balhasan, Singh Rachna, Governance Now, Her turn to lead: Confronting gender inequality
in politics
[11] Ali, Balhasan , Sharma, Vaishnavi, Governance Now,Ctrl+Alt+Heal: Women’s wellness revolution
with digital health
[12] Ali, Balhasan , Sharma, Vaishnavi, ABP Live, Women Have A Role in India’s Economic Future.
No Demographic Dividend Without Gender Equity
[13] Ali, Balhasan, The Quint, India’s Dalit Muslims: Will Policymakers Take Note of Forgotten
Lower Caste?
[14] Ali, Balhasan , Mishra U S, The Statesman, Our children deserve better
[15] Ali, Balhasan , Ghani Akbar, The Daily Gaurdian, Unheard voices: The invisible Muslim
women in development
[16] Ali, Balhasan, Mishra U S The New Indian Express, Only strategy of 3 I’s can tackle menace
of child labour that still looms large in India
[17] Ali, Balhasan, ThePrint, Islam’s Syedwad more toxic than Hinduism’s Manuwad. Denying SC
quota to Pasmandas is unjust.
NA
Basic Econometrics for Public Policy
Advance Econometrics for Public Policy
Data Science-Policy Concentration Area
Decision Modelling for Public Policy
Advance training in large scale survey and census
Basic Statistics for Development Data
Close
Search
2026 All Rights Reserved.