Raghbendra Jha was an Indian economist and an academic who was a professor emeritus in the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University.
[5] Jha was a fellow of the World Innovation Foundation[6] and the Research School of Asia and the Pacific at Australian National University.
[11] In 1999, he explored the tax efficiency of fifteen major Indian states from 1980–81 to 1992–93, revealing a moral hazard problem with central grants.
[12] His research findings indicated no convergence in tax efficiency rankings over time, recommending adjustments in central grant formulas to incentivize states.
[15] In his research on agricultural growth, Jha examined the grain market and proposed a method to analyze the Bid-Ask Spread of wholesalers, shedding light on production and consumption patterns.
His research also explored various aspects, including the roles of fiscal authorities, the impact of trade shocks, and the costs and risks associated with asset development and infrastructure.
[21] Moreover, his research on India revealed a decrease in corruption with economic growth, emphasizing the positive impact of the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005.
His analysis has shed light on the evolution, structure, and determinants of rural poverty in India, offering policy recommendations for improving anti-poverty strategies.
[25] Additionally, he examined the impact of public works programs and food subsidies on poverty and undernutrition in rural India, emphasizing the significance of implementation, targeting, and coverage.