Popular Press

I write regularly for the popular media in a variety of outlets such as News Nine, Firstpost, HT Mint, The Wire, and Swarajya among others.

Behavioural Economics / Behavioural Science

• Tagat, A., Kapoor, H. (2024 Apri, 3) How has Daniel Kahneman’s work in psychology withstood the test of time?. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/kahneman-tversky-psychology-attention-measuring-happiness/article68019391.ece

• Tagat, A & Kapoor, H (2022, March 03). Double Jab: Why tackling vaccine hesitancy is still important for India’s fight against COVID-19. News9. Retrieved from https://www.news9live.com/health/covid-19/why-tackling-vaccine-hesitancy-is-still-important-for-indias-fight-against-covid-19-156893?infinitescroll=1

• Tagat, A & Balaji, A (2022, January 18). Indians flout traffic rules because ‘everyone does it’. Road safety should be a public good. The Print. Retrieved from https://theprint.in/opinion/indians-flout-traffic-rules-because-everyone-does-it-road-safety-should-be-a-public-good/805637/

• Tagat, A. (2021, October 11). Squid Game: How behavioural Economics explains characters actions in Netflix hits. News Nine. Retrieved from https://www.news9live.com/art-culture/netflix-squid-game-korean-behavioural-economics-psychology-characters-decisions-125504 

• Tagat, A., & Kapoor, H. (2021, August 27). How Nudges can be Sinister. Psychology Today. Retrieved from
  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dark-creativity/202108/how-nudges-can-be-sinister

• Tagat, A. & Singh, S. (2021, August 18). Is your broking app making you trade more than you'd set out to? Bloomberg Quint. Retrieved from
  https://www.bloombergquint.com/markets/is-your-broking-app-making-you-trade-more-than-youd-set-out-to

• Tagat, A., & Singh, S. (2021, June 17). The House always wins, but online, it wins big. The Wire. Retrieved from
  https://science.thewire.in/health/india-online-gambling-dark-patterns-mental-health-behavioural-science/

• Tagat, A., & Khandelwal, A. (2021, April 14). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Govt must take cue from global examples, roll out targeted information campaigns. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/india/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-govt-must-take-cue-from-global-examples-roll-out-targeted-information-campaigns-9526381.html

• Tagat, A. & Kapoor, H. (2020, October 5). A case for decentralized nudging. Featured in Dispatches from the Behavioral Scientists Fighting Coronavirus in the Global South (Saldanha, N. & Ghai, S.) in Behavioral Scientist. Retrieved from https://behavioralscientist.org/dispatches-from-the-behavioral-scientists-fighting-coronavirus-in-the-global-south/#asia-middle-east

• Tagat, A. (2020, May 14). Experiments and Non-WEIRD preferences across cultures. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/non-weird-science/202005/experiments-and-non-weird-preferences-across-cultures

• Tagat, A. (2020, April 28). India's perception of coronavirus response: Nearly 50% respondents find govt action adequate but trust is dwindling, says survey. Firstpost. Retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/health/indias-perception-of-coronavirus-response-nearly-50-respondents-find-govt-action-adequate-but-trust-is-dwindling-says-survey-8306111.html

• Tagat, A. (2020, March 20). How Pokémon GO can still manage to keep gamers engaged in the pandemic times. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/how-pokemon-go-can-still-manage-to-keep-gamers-engaged-in-the-pandemic-times-8171901.html

• Tagat, A. (2019, July 15). Opinion: India's cautious adoption of behavioural economics. Livemint. Retrieved from: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-india-s-cautious-adoption-of-behavioural-economics-1563215954563.html

• Tagat, A. (2018, October 19). A game theory take on sexual harassment. Livemint. Retrieved from https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/utOFEQrsE2XT2QQlsfw9yI/Opinion--A-game-theory-take-on-sexual-harassment.html

• Misra, P. & Tagat, A. (2018, August 14). War and peace in economics. Pragati. Retrieved from https://goo.gl/MvQYVY

• Tagat, A. (2018, July 10). Economic preferences across states in India. Livemint. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2updVEY

• Tagat, A. (2018, February 14). Improving tax compliance in India. HT Mint. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/0iPxGGQ2A0NlWS7ECxfL0M/Improving-tax-compliance-in-India.html

• Tagat, A. (2017, October 11). Nudging economics forward: The Richard Thaler way. HT Mint, p. 19. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/vHIslxuXUWkfcivec0l5TK/Nudging-economics-forward-the-Richard-Thaler-way.html

• Menon, S., & Tagat, A. (2016, March 8). Nudging India forward: Setting up a nudge unit. Mint. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Politics/nlDZwTwdUE1nZqPRxORHeJ/Nudging-India-forward-Setting-up-a-nudge-unit.html

• Rao, S., & Tagat, A. (2016, February 23). Nudging India forward: The case for a nudge unit in India. Mint. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/bjzB67qBSiPHgw67szrhvL/Nudging-India-forward-The-case-for-a-nudge-unit-In-India.html

• Rao, S., & Tagat, A. (2016, February 17). India's nudge unit: An idea whose time has come. Mint. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/DAzJfdnfgHFOXdKWPI68QM/Indias-nudge-unit-An-idea-whose-time-has-come.html

• Kapoor, H., & Tagat, A. (2015, December 20). Bigg Boss: Television's biggest social experiment? Mint on Sunday.

Development / Policy

• Tagat, A. & Kapoor, H. (2021, November 09). The value of data in understanding children's education in India. News Nine. Retrieved from
  https://www.news9live.com/education-career/the-value-of-data-in-understanding-childrens-education-in-india-132435

• Tagat, A. & Kapoor, H. (2021, November 05). Learning matters: Socio-emotional skills and educational outcomes in India. News Nine. Retrieved from https://www.news9live.com/education-career/learning-matters-socio-emotional-skills-and-educational-outcomes-in-india-132091

• Das, A., Nagarajan, H., & Tagat, A. (2021, December 16). Repositioning the objectives of financial inclusions in India. The Hindu BusinessLine. Retrieved from https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/repositioning-the-objectives-of-financial-inclusion-in-india/article37967981.ece

• Tagat, A., & Chakraborty, A. (2021, September 30). Human Capital: Need for State-Level approach. The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved from https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/human-capital-need-for-state-level-approach/article36718968.ece 

• Tagat, A. (2021, April 8). COVID-19 Impact: Indian households spent more on food, less on healthcare during first lockdown. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/india/covid-19-impact-indian-households-spent-more-on-food-less-on-healthcare-during-first-lockdown-9504801.html

• Tagat, A., & Chakroborty, A. (2021, April 7). India must strengthen ICDS, midday meals to tackle the paradox of falling nutrition outcomes amid rising GDP. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/india/india-must-strengthen-icds-midday-meals-to-tackle-paradox-of-falling-nutrition-outcomes-amid-rising-gdp-9497261.html

• Anchal, K., & Anirudh, T. (2020, January 09). How does India protest? A look at trends in demonstrations across the country over the past three decades. Firspost. Retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/india/how-does-india-protest-a-look-at-trends-in-demonstrations-across-the-country-over-the-past-three-decades-7883351.html

• Tagat, A. (2019, November 14). Opinion: The smell of danger. Livemint. Retrieved from https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-the-smell-of-danger-11573711890113.html

• Jha, R.,  Nagarajan, H., & Tagat, A., (2019, September 23). How Do Vertical Fiscal Transfers Affect the Revenue-Raising Abilities of Local Governments in Rural India? Austaxpolicy: Tax and Transfer Policy Blog. Retrieved from: https://www.austaxpolicy.com/how-do-vertical-fiscal-transfers-affect-the-revenue-raising-abilities-of-local-governments-in-rural-india/

• Menon, S., & Tagat, A. (2019, February 21). Social norms keep Indian women out of labour market; focus on behaviour change, non-cognitive skills could bring turnaround. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/india/social-norms-keep-indian-women-out-of-labour-market-focus-on-behaviour-change-non-cognitive-skills-could-bring-turnaround-6128591.html 

• Tagat, A. (2019, January 4). Impending hazards: The case of farm loan waivers. Livemint. Retrieved from https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/FGYsi8tgaUPCf8M4mrsViM/Opinion--Impending-hazards-The-case-of-farm-loan-waivers.html 

• Tagat, A. & Kapoor, H. (2017, January 24). MGNREGS and changing household decision-making: How the scheme has led to women empowerment. Firstpost. Retrieved from http://www.firstpost.com/business/mgnregs-and-changing-household-decision-making-how-the-scheme-has-led-to-women-empowerment-3217514.html

• Tagat, V. & Tagat, A. (2015, June 2). How do we fund our farmer producer organisations? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://swarajyamag.com/economy/how-do-we-fund-our-farmer-producer-organizations/

• Tagat, A. (2014, November 6). Jugaad: The state of published research in India [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://swarajyamag.com/featured/jugaad-the-state-of-published-research-in-india/

Pokémon GO

• Tagat. A. (2018, July 27). Gotta do it all: Looking back at two years of Pokemon Go and its future. Firstpost. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2mU5Chi 

• Tagat, A. (2017, July 16). The endurance of Pokémon Go. Mint on Sunday. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/6w7V1ygo7aYuannyLkGgxM/The-endurance-of-Pokmon-Go.html

• Tagat, A. (2016, July 24). Behavioural science and Pokemon Go. Mint on Sunday. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/RTNl9tnGLItwwLU4LuvRAN/Behavioural-science-and-Pokmon-Go.html

India's Budgets

• Tagat, A., & Khandelwal, A. (2021, February 5). Has healthcare finally received the importance it deserves in the Union Budget? The Bastion. Retrieved from https://thebastion.co.in/politics-and/healthcare/has-healthcare-finally-received-the-importance-it-deserves-in-the-union-budget/

• Tagat, A., & Kapoor, H. (2019, February 8). Talking About the Budget. Pragati. Retrieved from https://www.thinkpragati.com/opinion/7042/talking-about-the-budget/ 

• Tagat, A. & Kapoor, H. (2017, February 16). This government puts its money where its mouth is. HT Mint, p. 17. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/vbAnMLTDYB4MjS926Rg7DP/This-government-puts-its-money-where-its-mouth-is.html

• Tagat, A., & Kapoor, H. (2016, March 1). Jaitley's budget speech: Which words used more, which ones left out? Swarajya. Retrieved from http://swarajyamag.com/economy/jaitleys-budget-speech-which-words-used-more-which-ones-left-out

• Tagat, A., & Kapoor, H. (2015, May 7). The budget speech: What does it really say? Swarajya. Retrieved from http://swarajyamag.com/economy/the-budget-speech-what-does-it-really-say/