Sampriti Bhattacharjee

Age: 23

Home Town: Kolkata, India

Education: BA Economics - Ashoka University; MSc Population Studies and Health Economics - Gokhale Institute for Politics and Economics

Specific Field Interests: Livelihoods, Education, Maternal and Child Health

Placement: AIF-MANSI, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

Area of Focus: Public Health, Maternal and Infant Health

Fellowship Project: Developing innovative strategies and interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of low-birth-weight babies and addressing both the immediate and long-term consequences among adolescent girls.

Highlights: "Sampriti Bhattacharjee is currently serving as a Banyan Impact Fellow with AIF's MANSI program in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. She holds a Master’s degree in Population Studies and Health Economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and a Bachelor’s degree from Ashoka University. Her academic journey has been deeply anchored in Development Economics, with a particular focus on Maternal and Child Health—a passion that was ignited during her undergraduate studies through various elective courses exploring the intersection of health and economics. Sampriti's research interests have driven her to examine the determinants of child health, particularly within the Indian context. Her thesis, titled “The Role of Birth Order, Birth Spacing, and Son Preference on Stunting: Evidence from India,” allowed her to delve into the complex relationship between health and its broader economic implications. Recognizing the critical influence of maternal health on child outcomes, Sampriti was committed to further exploring the determinants of maternal health. To pursue this goal, she undertook an internship at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), where she conducted research and authored a paper on the “Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on the Uptake of Maternal Health Services in Karnataka.” The intention behind this research was to uncover the reasons preventing women in Karnataka from accessing maternal healthcare and to improve policy interventions that target these barriers. With the same enthusiasm and determination, Sampriti is eager to work towards improving the maternal and infant health conditions of the Santhal community living in Jamshedpur."