what steers my purpose. ​

​

In the secluded Adivasi hamlets of Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, Basanti Devi grapples with her
husband’s alcoholism. She turns to a faith healer, not out of ignorance but desperation, when
dava (medicine) is scarce, dua (prayer) becomes the only recourse. At the heart of her story lies a
yearning for good health and an aspiration for accessible, acceptable, and quality healthcare.

Over the past four years as a policy researcher and evaluation specialist in public health, I have
immersed myself in India's diverse landscapes, from conflict-prone Kakopather, Tinsukia in
Assam to the coastal expanse of Kasargod, Kerala. My values and Dr. Abhay Xaxa’s poem
remind me that the people I meet are not my data points. Their lived realities, aspirations, and
struggles cannot be reduced to simplistic statistical significance.

That is not to say measurement is unimportant. As a researcher, I am only as strong as my
instruments, believing that what cannot be measured cannot be managed. Yet, empiricism must
be bold in reimagining its methods, moving beyond status-quoist practices to shift power back to
participants, ensuring they have agency over their narratives and data.

While I ordinarily identify as a policy researcher, I resonate deeply with Esther Duflo’s notion of
the “Economist as Plumber.” Like plumbing, development work is intricate and unpredictable.
Despite well-intended policies and programs, real-world complexities demand constant
adaptation, a tinkering approach, a jugaad (makeshift) mindset, to navigate the messiness of
human systems.

​

As I embark on my odyssey through the labyrinths of global public health, I seek to confront its
most intractable challenges and forge novel synergies, guided by the enduring ethos: "To strive,
to seek, to find, and not to yield."