Rahul Sapkal is a doctoral candidate with the European Doctorate Program in Law and Economics at University of Hamburg (Germany), Erasmus Rotterdam University (The Netherlands) and University of Bologna (Italy). His thesis, titled 'How Law And Law Enforcement Affect Labour Markets In Developing Countries', will be defended on October 13, 2016. Sapkal examines and investigates the impact of labour market and non- labour market institutions on the Indian labour market.
Prior to joining the PhD program, Mr. Sapkal has received his Master’s degree in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Economics from University of Mumbai. Mr. Sapkal has worked as a research associate with International Labour Organization, New Delhi, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai on a project title “Women's Work, Maternity and Public Policy in India”. Mr. Sapkal has more than three years of empirical research work experience with Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Centre for Enquiry Into Health and Allied Themes and International Labour Organization.
His doctoral dissertation examines and investigates the impact of labour market and non- labour market institutions on the Indian labour market. In general, some of its most important findings are of interest for other developing countries as well. It engages with the critical debate on the potential adverse effects of protective labour laws. Many scholars have looked sceptically on their effects as a bottleneck to labour market flexibility and economic development. To address the concerns which have been raised, this dissertation empirically investigates three research questions that are interlinked with each other. These three essays investigate the economic effects of labour market and non labour market institutions on labour market outcome in India. The first two research questions deal with the assessment of labour market institutions that have direct implications on the Indian labour market. The third research question deals with the assessment of non-labour market institutions that has indirect implications on the labour market mediated through changing the bargaining position of a woman within a family.
His dissertation attempts to contribute to the discipline of labour law and economics through conducting empirical analysis of labour law in India. The study sheds light on the functioning of law and lawlessness, which might be of general interest for understanding labour markets in developing countries.