PRASANT KUMAR PANDA is currently working as Professor in Department of Economics, School of Management, Pondicherry University ( A Central University) .  He has served as full time Economic adviser, in the Sixteenth Finance Commission, Ministry of finance, Government of India and contributed immensely to policy making at national level on evolving issues of federal fiscal transfers and State finances. Earlier he has worked as Professor and Head in the Department of Economics, School of Management, and Dean (I/C), College Development Council, Pondicherry University . Prior to joining Pondicherry University, he has worked as Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Professor In-charge (Academics) Central University of Tamil Nadu. Previously, being selected by the Union Public Service Commission, he had worked in UG and PG colleges of Government Puducherry, affiliated to Pondicherry University. He has also taught as visiting/Guest faculty at Orissa University of Agricultural and Technology, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Central University of Orissa and Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR), Bhubaneswar.

 He has a Ph. D in Economics from Pondicherry University. He has completed his master degree in Analytical and applied economics from Utkal University and M.Phil. in economics from Ravenshaw Autonomous College, currently Ravenshaw University . He has undergone training in public economics and policy at National Institute of Public Finance Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi and completed MDP on Nurturing Future Leadership Programme from IIM Rohtak. He was a K.N. Raj Fellow at Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum in 2019. His area of interest in teaching, research and consultancy includes Public Finance and Public policy, Fiscal federalism, Decentralization and fiscal transfers, Fiscal Policy& Debt management, State and local Government finances, Health economics and Impact evaluation of Public sector schemes, Disaster and climate finance , modelling of growth and development indicators and Applied cross-sectional and panel data econometrics.. Being recognized as an Inspired Teacher, he was invited and participated in the prestigious Inspired Teachers’ In-Residence Programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2015. He got first prize for his paper in a programme for South Asian Region Participants at NIPFP, New Delhi in 2008.

He has rich administrative experience. He has worked as founder Coordinator for Dept of economics, Dept of Education and Dept of History at Central university of Tamil Nadu. He has served as Head of the Department of Economics at Central University of Tamil Nadu for two terms. Besides, he has worked as Professor In-Charge (Academics) and academic coordinator of the Central University of Tamil Nadu. He has also served as member of the Academic council, Executive council, and the Court of Central University of Tamil Nadu. At Pondicherry University he has worked as Dean in-charge, College development council, Head, department of Economics, members of the Court and the Executive council, He was the chairperson of Board of studies of Economics, Dept of Economics at Central University of Tamil Nadu and at Pondicherry  University for several years and he is the member of BOS and school Board of several Universities and Autonomous colleges . He has worked as selection committee member of NIT (Puducherry), Delhi University, Viswa Bharati and several Central Universities.

He has published his work both in national and international journals by reputed publishers. To his credit he has published 57 research papers and he is the editor/co-editor of five books in the area of Public finance, Health and human development. He was the chief editor of Vision: Journal of Indian Taxation for 10 years and Executive Editor of Odisha Economic Journal for two years and currently he is the Associate Editor of SN Business and Economics, Springer . He has presented 54 research papers in national international conferences and delivered invited talks/chaired sessions in 85 occasions. He has completed Eight Extramural Research/ consultancy projects funded By UGC, NCRI, MGNCRE (MHRD), ICSSR, NITI Aayog and Ministry of Finance (CTRPFP) on Public finance and Health. He is a life member of the Indian Econometric Society (TIES), Odisha Economics Association and Indian Association for Research in National Income and Wealth (IARNIW).