Temperature and Human Capital in India

We estimate the effects of temperature on human capital production in India. We show that high temperatures reduce both math and reading test scores through an agricultural income mechanism. The roll-out of a workfare program, by providing a safety net for the poor, substantially weakens the link between temperature and test scores. Our results imply that absent social protection programs, climate change will have large negative impacts on human capital production of poor populations in agrarian economies.

Keywords: Climate Change, Human Capital, Workfare, Agriculture

JEL Classification: Q54, O13, H53

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Garg, Teevrat and Jagnani, Maulik and Taraz, Vis, Temperature and Human Capital in India (April 20, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2941049 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2941049