Akshay Mangla is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science, where he specializes in the political economy of developing countries with a regional focus on South Asia. Currently, he is interested in how states enforce policies on behalf of politically weak and marginalized actors, especially in places facing poor governance and entrenched social inequality. He also maintains a strong secondary interest in political philosophy, particularly theories of the state and civil society.
Akshay’s dissertation examines recent policies to universalize primary education in India. It analyzes subnational variation in policy implementation to explain when and how the state delivers primary education effectively. The project involves extensive fieldwork in multiple states and administrative districts of India, building on prior research he conducted with UNICEF on child labor in the carpet industry. Previously, Akshay completed a research project examining how multinational firms in the garment industry govern labor conditions in supplier factories located in Bangalore and New Delhi.
Akshay’s research is supported by the American Institute for Indian Studies and the National Security Education Program. Prior to joining MIT, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in philosophy and B.S. in finance, and he earned a Masters with Distinction from the University of Oxford.
email: amangla@mit.edu