Prior to joining the PhD programme at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), recognised by the University of Madras, Swati Dutta completed an MPhil in Applied Economics at the Centre for Development Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2008–2010) and an MSc in Economics, with first-class first position, from Vidyasagar University (2004–2006). She worked as ‘project linked personnel’ in the ‘Construction and Analysis of Regional Variation of Social Development Indices in India’ project, sponsored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, in the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, for the period May 2007 to July 2008. Her broad area of research includes development economics, with a special emphasis on human development, economic growth, regional disparity and multidimensional poverty with reference to Indian states.