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Higher Education and Prosperity: From Catholic Missionaries to Luminosity in India

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  • Amparo Castelló‐Climent
  • Latika Chaudhary
  • Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay

Abstract

This article estimates the impact of completed higher education on economic prosperity across Indian districts. To address the endogeneity of higher education, we use the location of Catholic missionaries circa 1911 as an instrument. Catholics constitute a very small share of the population in India and their influence beyond higher education has been limited. Our instrumental variable results find a positive effect of higher education on development, as measured by light density. The results are robust to alternative measures of development, and are not driven by lower levels of schooling or other channels by which missionaries could impact current income.

Suggested Citation

  • Amparo Castelló‐Climent & Latika Chaudhary & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay, 2018. "Higher Education and Prosperity: From Catholic Missionaries to Luminosity in India," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(616), pages 3039-3075, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v:128:y:2018:i:616:p:3039-3075
    DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12551
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    Cited by:

    1. Mark Dincecco & James Fenske & Anil Menon & Shivaji Mukherjee, 2022. "Pre-Colonial Warfare and Long-Run Development in India," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(643), pages 981-1010.
    2. Chanda, Areendam & Kabiraj, Sujana, 2020. "Shedding light on regional growth and convergence in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    3. Priyaranjan Jha & Karan Talathi, 2021. "Impact of Colonial Institutions on Economic Growth and Development in India: Evidence from Night Lights Data," CESifo Working Paper Series 9031, CESifo.
    4. Hai-Anh H. Dang & Trung X. Hoang & Ha Nguyen, 2021. "The Long-Run and Gender-Equalizing Impacts of School Access: Evidence from the First Indochina War," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(1), pages 453-484.
    5. Sascha O. Becker & Jared Rubin & Ludger Woessmann, 2023. "Religion and Growth," Monash Economics Working Papers 2023-15, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    6. Sascha O. Becker & Jared Rubin & Ludger Woessmann, 2020. "Religion in Economic History: A Survey," CESifo Working Paper Series 8365, CESifo.
    7. Calvi, Rossella & Mantovanelli, Federico G., 2018. "Long-term effects of access to health care: Medical missions in colonial India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 285-303.
    8. Tarun Jain & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay & Nishith Prakash & Raghav Rakesh, 2022. "Science education and labor market outcomes in a developing economy," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 741-763, April.
    9. Prettner, Klaus & Seiffert, Sebastian, 2018. "The size of the middle class and educational outcomes: Theory and evidence from the Indian subcontinent," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 14-2018, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    10. Priyaranjan Jha & Karan Talathi, 2023. "Trade liberalization and local development in India: evidence from nighttime lights," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 61-83, July.
    11. Remi Jedwab & Felix Meier zu Selhausen & Alexander Moradi, 2022. "The economics of missionary expansion: evidence from Africa and implications for development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 149-192, June.
    12. Fenske, James & Kala, Namrata & Wei, Jinlin, 2021. "Railways and cities in India," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 559, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    13. Pushkar Maitra & William Yu, 2021. "The Long Shadow of Infrastructure Development: Long Run Effects of Railway Construction in Colonial India," Monash Economics Working Papers 2021-01, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    14. Jain, Tarun & Mukhopadhyay, Abhiroop & Prakash, Nishith & Rakesh, Raghav, 2018. "Labor Market Effects of High School Science Majors in a High STEM Economy," IZA Discussion Papers 11934, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Jedwab, Remi & Meier zu Selhausen, Felix & Moradi, Alexander, 2021. "Christianization without economic development: Evidence from missions in Ghana," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 573-596.
    16. John Gibson & Susan Olivia & Geua Boe‐Gibson, 2020. "Night Lights In Economics: Sources And Uses," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 955-980, December.
    17. Martina Cioni & Giovani Federico & Michelangelo Vasta, 2021. "Persistence studies: a new kind of economic history?," Department of Economics University of Siena 859, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    18. Sinha Roy,Sutirtha & Van Der Weide,Roy, 2022. "Poverty in India Has Declined over the Last Decade But Not As Much As Previously Thought," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9994, The World Bank.
    19. Chanda, Areendam & Cook, C. Justin, 2022. "Was India’s demonetization redistributive? Insights from satellites and surveys," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    20. Becker, Bastian & Schmitt, Carina, 2023. "License to educate: The role of national networks in colonial empires," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    21. Samira S. Abraham & Gianandrea Lanzara & Sara Lazzaroni & Paolo Masella & Mara P. Squicciarini, 2023. "The Spatial Drivers of Discrimination: Evidence From Anti-Muslim Fake News in India," Working Papers wp1180, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    22. Fenske, James & Kala, Namrata & Wei, Jinlin, 2021. "Railways and cities in India," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1349, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    23. Fenske, James & Kala, Namrata & Wei, Jinlin, 2023. "Railways and cities in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    24. Elsayed, Ahmed & Shirshikova, Alina, 2023. "The women-empowering effect of higher education," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

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