Dr. Nisha Velappan Nair

Dr. Nisha Velappan Nair is an assistant professor at the School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an M.Phil. in Development Studies (Economics) from the School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University. She has a Masters degree in Economics. She is a recipient of the UGC Dr. S Radhakrishnan Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics.

She authored a book titled “Fiscal Decentralisation and State Finance Commissions.” Her research articles have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals like the Asian Journal of Women’s Studies (Taylor & Francis), Sage Open, India Journal of Gender Studies (Sage), Economic & Political Weekly (EPW), Man and Development, Gandhi Marg, etc. Her research publications and areas of interest are Development Economics, Development Issues, Women and Development, Decentralization and Planning, Local Finance, Local Level Planning, and Gandhian Economics. She has done two post-doctoral research projects, one with a UGC fellowship and the other with M.G. University funding. M G University PDF is titled ‘Financial Devolution to Local Bodies in Kerala: A study of continuity and change in the Reports of the State Finance Commissions’. The UGC Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post-doctoral Fellowship (Economics) is titled ‘Political Economy of Decentralised Planning in Gram Panchayats of Kerala’.

She is the Assistant Editor of the UGC care-listed quarterly journal Gandhi Marg, India’s topmost journal in Gandhian Studies, published by the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. She is the Member of the Editorial Advisory Board Discover Global Society Journal (Published by Springer). In addition, she has presented papers at several international and national seminars. She has also reviewed articles for international journals published by Taylor & Francis like Development in Practice, International Journal of Public Administration. She was the part of the research team that conducted a study on Need based Devolution to Rural Local Bodies in Tamil Nadu in December 2021 for the Tamil Nadu Sixth State Finance Commission.

She prepared content material for Sree Narayana Open University, Kerala titled ‘Adikara Vikendrikaranavum Pradesika Bharana Nirvahanavum – Keralathile Susthira Vikasanam’, ( Sustainable development in Kerala ), 2021. She has a google H index of 4.