Dr. Anurag Asawa is an accomplished economist and academic leader with 18+ years of experience in teaching, research, and institutional administration. He is currently serving as Professor at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune (2023–Present), where he leads research initiatives, supervises doctoral scholars, and plays a key role in curriculum development and academic governance.

Previously, he served as Associate Professor at the Gokhale Institute (2020–2023) and Assistant Professor at the same institution (2007–2020). He has also held positions as Assistant Professor and Coordinator at the Central University of Rajasthan (2012–2013) and served as Visiting Faculty across multiple departments at MDS University, Ajmer (2004–2007), teaching microeconomics, statistics, econometrics, managerial economics, and quantitative techniques.

Research & Publications

Dr. Asawa has developed a multidisciplinary research profile spanning labour economics, migration studies, social security, gender and employment, tribal welfare, development economics, microfinance, and sustainable development. His research output includes more than 30 peer-reviewed journal publications in reputable journals such as the Journal of Indian School of Political Economy, Indian Journal of Economics, Anvesak, Airth Vijnana, and Social Science Spectrum. His publications address critical policy issues including female labour force participation, pension universalisation, social security benefits, alcohol consumption patterns, WASH inclusion, and disability economics. He has authored one book titled "Seasonal Migration: A Temporal Analysis (with special reference to Sugarcane Cutters in Maharashtra)", published by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in 2016.

Research Projects & Funding

Dr. Asawa has successfully led multiple externally-funded and institutional research projects. His ongoing projects include a compendium of tribal statistics in Maharashtra (sponsored by the Tribal Research and Training Institute), a climate-resilient village development project in Mulshi Taluka (funded by Praj Industry), and the Human Development Report of Aurangabad District. His completed projects encompass evaluation studies on educational sub-plans (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Shiksha Abhiyan), tribal migration analysis, district strategic planning across Maharashtra, assessment of backward communities, demographic and socio-economic surveys for the Pune Municipal Corporation, gold loan studies, agricultural consumer surveys, irrigation feasibility studies, and affordable housing research. These projects have been funded by prominent organizations including the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, Manappuram Finance Limited, and various government agencies.

Teaching & Academic Contributions

Dr. Asawa has taught extensively across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the Gokhale Institute and visiting institutions. His current teaching includes "Introduction to the Theory of Econometrics," "Research Methodology," and "Interplay between Economic Theory and Data" for BSc and MSc students. He serves as Faculty Coordinator for Analytical Project Work, guiding 120 TY BSc students annually and mentoring them through research projects utilizing national datasets including the Periodic Labour Force Survey, National Sample Survey, and Time Use Survey. He has supervised more than ten master's theses and co-supervised approximately eight additional dissertations. His postgraduate teaching encompasses statistics, basic econometrics, advanced econometrics, research methodology, and qualitative and quantitative research methods across multiple MSc programmes. He has also taught visiting courses at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Symbiosis International University, Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management, and the Central University of Rajasthan, covering subjects such as managerial economics, business statistics, financial econometrics, and political economy.

Research Supervision & Doctoral Guidance

Dr. Asawa has demonstrated exceptional strength in doctoral research supervision. Six students have successfully received PhD degrees under his supervision, with their theses addressing microfinance in India, inflation dynamics, alcohol prohibition policy, human resource development in Indian Railways, universalisation of pensions, and value premium in stock markets (completed years 2015–2026). He is currently guiding eight doctoral research scholars at the Gokhale Institute, whose research interests span decentralised planning, monetary policy, self-employment inequity, female labour force participation, urban sustainability, disability economics, and the purple economy.

Faculty Development & Professional Engagement

Dr. Asawa is deeply engaged in faculty development and professional capacity building. He has served as resource person and instructor in numerous ICSSR-sponsored research methodology courses, delivering lectures and practical sessions on regression analysis, limited dependent variable models, logit and probit estimation, hypothesis testing, sampling techniques, data analysis, and econometric modelling across multiple universities and institutions. He has conducted extensive workshops and training programmes on econometrics, research methodology, data analysis using SPSS and STATA, quantitative techniques, and qualitative research methods for faculty members and doctoral scholars at universities and colleges nationwide. His contributions include more than 100 resource person engagements spanning ten years, including summer schools on econometrics, winter schools, capacity building programmes for SC/ST scholars, and faculty development programmes. He is an active speaker at national and international conferences, having delivered keynote addresses and invited lectures on econometrics, labour economics, AI/ML in social sciences, research methodology, women's labour force participation, statistical modelling, and globalisation at leading institutions.

Scholarly Contributions & Conferences

Dr. Asawa has presented more than 40 research papers at national and international seminars and conferences, including the Indian Society of Labour Economics Annual Conferences, Indian Econometric Society conferences, International Conferences on Sustainable Development, Applied Economics and Finance, and specialized seminars on gender, disability, social security, and sustainable development. His presentations address labour market dynamics, migration patterns, social security provisions, gender equity, and inclusive development. He serves as session chair, co-chair, and discussant at major academic conferences, demonstrating his recognition as a subject expert and thought leader in his field.

Editorial & Review Responsibilities

Dr. Asawa serves on the editorial boards of multiple peer-reviewed journals, including Arth Vijana (Gokhale Institute), Amity Journal of Economics (Amity University), and several Springer Nature publications (SN Business and Economics, SN Social Science, Humanities and Social Science Communication). He regularly reviews manuscripts for leading academic journals published by John Wiley, Sage Publications, Emerald Publishing, and specialized journals in economics and social sciences, ensuring research quality and academic rigor.

Leadership & Institutional Contributions

Dr. Asawa has held significant leadership and administrative positions at the Gokhale Institute. He has served as Controller of Examinations, Co-Chair of the Executive Council, Co-Chair of the Finance Committee, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. He chaired the New Education Policy (NEP) Committee and served as the nodal officer for implementing NEP 2020. He is Co-Chair of the Admission Committee (2025–27) and holds membership in the Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Board of Studies, Board of Management, and multiple institutional committees including those for library operations, building maintenance, and research coordination. He has also served as BSc Economics Programme Coordinator and chaired committees for digital infrastructure development and project consultancy rules. Beyond his institution, he holds leadership roles at the national level, serving as member of the Subcommittee on SNA 2025 under the Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics (ACNAS), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, and as member of validation and technical committees under the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Maharashtra. He serves on multiple Boards of Studies at leading universities and academic committees at Symbiosis International University, Central University of Rajasthan, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, and other institutions.

Awards, Honours & Professional Memberships

Dr. Asawa has received recognition for his academic excellence, including the "Best Professor in Econometrics" award from Business School Affaire & Dewang Mehta National Education Awards (2017). He was awarded the Centrally Administered Doctoral Fellowship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) for his PhD work (2003–05). He is professionally affiliated as a Life Member of the Indian Econometric Society and Life Member of the Rajasthan Economic Association (REA), and holds membership in the Input-Output Research Association (IORA). He serves on the selection committees of multiple universities and has worked as a subject expert and evaluator for research proposals and academic programmes at premier institutions.

Eligibility for Best Professor Award

Dr. Anurag Asawa's profile demonstrates exceptional contributions across teaching, research, and institutional leadership. His 18+ years of academic experience, 30+ peer-reviewed publications, authored book, multiple externally-funded research projects, supervision of six completed PhDs with eight currently underway, extensive faculty development work, leadership in academic governance, and recognition through national awards collectively exemplify the calibre of an outstanding professor. His work spans policy-relevant research areas including labour economics, social security, gender equity, tribal welfare, and sustainable development, with demonstrated impact on PhD scholar development and institutional capacity building. His engagement as a member of national advisory committees, his active participation in curriculum design, and his contributions to faculty development across the country further underscore his scholarly standing.

Dr. Anurag Asawa is eligible for consideration for the Best Professor Award in Scientific Laurels, in recognition of his sustained contributions to higher education, research excellence, doctoral mentorship, institutional leadership, and professional service to the academic community.