PRASANT KUMAR PANDA is currently working as Professor in the Department of Economics, School of Management, 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.. He has a Ph. D in Economics from Pondicherry University. He has undergone training in public economics and policy at National Institute of Public Finance Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi.  He was a K.N. Raj Fellow at Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum during Jan-Feb, 2019. His area of interest in teaching and research includes Public Economics and Public policy, Fiscal Policy, Decentralization and fiscal transfers, State fiscal management,   Applied Statistics and Econometrics, Health Care financing, and Health Economics. He has also taught at Central University of Tamil Nadu in various capacities like Assistant Professor and Associate professor .  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, and Central University of Orissa. 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 CUTN for two terms. Besides, he has worked as Professor In-Charge (Academics) and academic coordinator of the Central University. He has also served as member of the Academic council, Executive council, and the Court of Central University of Tamil Nadu. He was the chairperson of Board of studies of Dept of Economics at Central University for several years and he is the member of BOS  of several Universities and Autonomous colleges .

He has published his work both in national and international journals by reputed publishers. To his credit he has published 47 research papers and he is the editor/co-editor of four books in the area of Public finance, Health and human development. He is the editor of Vision: Journal of Indian Taxation. He has presented 47 research papers in national international conferences and delivered invited talks/chaired sessions in 55 occasions.   He has Completed Five Extramural Research projects funded By UGC, NCRI, MGNCRE (MHRD), ICSSR and Ministry of Finance (CTRPFP). He is a life member of the Indian Econometric Society (TIES) and Indian Association for Research in National Income and Wealth (IARNIW).