Dr. Puja Pal is an Associate Fellow at the V. V. Giri National Labour Institute, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. She obtained her Ph.D., M.Phil and M.A. in Economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and completed B.A. (Honours) Economics from Miranda House, University of Delhi. Prior to joining her present institution, Dr. Pal served as an Assistant Professor at the G. B. Pant Social Science Institute, a research institute affiliated with the University of Allahabad. She has also worked as an Assistant Professor (Ad-hoc) at Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi. Her research interests broadly encompass labour and employment issues, with a specific focus on the gig and platform economy, social protection, and development economics. She has been actively engaged in designing and conducting capacity-building, workshop and training programmes on these themes.
As Co-Director, Dr. Pal has undertaken Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Collaborative Empirical Research Project titled ‘Exploring the Socio-Economic Impact of Jal Jeevan Mission on Marginalized Communities in UIttar Pradesh and Maharashtra: A Comprehensive Study’. She has also been awarded an ICSSR Minor Research Project (2024-25) on ‘Sustainability of Digital Jobs: Assessing the Role of Gig-Platform Economy in Enhancing Youth Livelihood’. Additionally, as convener, she received ICSSR grant to organise a Two-Day National Seminar on ‘Political Economy of India’s Development Challenges: Celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence’ in 2023.
Dr. Pal has published extensively in the form of journal articles, book chapters, and scholarly commentaries with reputed academic publishers. Most recently, she co-edited the book on ‘India’s Political Economy at 75: Opportunities and Challenges of Development’, published in 2026 by Springer Nature. In addition, she regularly contributes opinion pieces, commentaries, and analytical blogs on contemporary socio-economic issues. She has delivered invited lectures at several reputed institutions and universities. Dr. Pal has also presented her research at numerous national and international conferences.
