Events
PSC Brown Bag Seminar: Niharika Singh
PSC’s Brown Bag seminar series typically convenes Mondays at noon, at ISR Thompson Room 1430, and on Zoom.
Niharika Singh from Notre Dame joins us April 7, 2025.
Gender Dynamics in Entry into Competitive Careers: Evidence from Indian Civil Services
Abstract: We examine gender dynamics in entry into the Indian civil services, where placement depends upon succeeding in a highly competitive examination process. Using a unique dataset that covers the universe of applicants and their placement outcomes to civil service jobs in Tamil Nadu over eight years, we construct a cohort of first-time applicants and uncover several new facts about gender differences in participation and performance. Women constitute a majority of the applicant pool and perform better on average than men in their first attempt, though men are more likely to become top-scorers. Since success is rare in the first attempt, we examine reapplication behavior and performance over time. Women are more likely than men to ever reapply, but less likely to make consecutive attempts and to keep reapplying. Conditional on reapplication, women’s performance is similar or better than men’s; nevertheless, women are not necessarily more likely to become top-scorers. In the absence of the prevailing gender quota, these gender differences contribute to gender gaps in entry into the bureaucracy. Drawing on multiple data sources, including surveys and an information experiment with applicants, we provide evidence that marriage market pressures and lower household support significantly contribute to women’s declining participation and success over time.
Niharika Singh is an Assistant Professor of Economics at University of Notre Dame. She is a development and labor economist, working primarily in South Asia and the U.S. Her current projects cover topics related to job search and recruitment, unions and worker collective action, and gender.
https://umich.zoom.us/j/954186
Meeting ID: 954 1861 0585
Passcode: 818420
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Meeting ID: 954 1861 0585
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Meeting ID: 954 1861 0585
Passcode: 818420