Faculty Profile

• PhD, July 2018, Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Thesis titled: “Politics of Social Movements – A comparative study of the Indigenous movement in Bolivia and the Dalit movement in India”.
• Mphil 2009, Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Dissertation titled: “A study of caste and land relations in Uttar Pradesh and the approach of BSP to the land question”.
• M.A. in 2006, from CPS, SSS at JNU, New Delhi.

• School of Development Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi since July, 2016.
• Department of Political Science, Gargi College (Delhi University) - January 2012 to May 2015.

With primary training in the field of political theory and comparative politics, my research concerns, though still evolving, focus broadly on the normative work in the field of social change and development, social norms, social movements and its political manifestations. I am also, particularly interested in dalit politics and its normative discourse in Indian society. The intersections of caste, class and gender in Indian politics are the core areas in which I intend to further my research. Lately, I am increasingly inclined to study the conditions that leads to the severe sociopolitical marginalization of peoples in a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Historical prejudices as informed and cemented by the widespread social norms and how the same shapes the ongoing social and economic interactions are some aspects which informs my current research interests.

Journal Articles: Peer Reviewed

• ‘What Makes a Nation Hang Together – Ambedkar’s idea of India’, Social Scientist, New Delhi. Volume 50/ Number 7 – 8 / July – August 2022. Pg. 67-76.

• ‘Understanding Dalit Self: Politics and the World View’, Social Scientist, New Delhi. Volume 45, Number 1 – 2 / January – February 2017. Pg. 33-47.

Newspaper Articles and Essays in Web based Journals

• ‘Making Sense of the Nation’, published in Malayalam, May 2021 in Matrubhumi Weekly.

• ‘Modi, BJP and the bid to seize control of Indian Polity’, published April 27^th 2019 in Deccan Herald. Available here https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/comment/modi-bjp-and-the-bid-to-seize-control-of-indian-polity-730980.html

• ‘Swami’s Brahmin pride shows truth about BJP’s politics’, published March 28, 2019 in Deccan Herald. Available here https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/swamys-brahmin-pride-shows-truth-about-bjps-politics-725628.html

•  ‘We don’t want you to be Sc, but you mustn’t be a Dalit either’, published September 2018 in Raiot. Available here http://raiot.in/we-dont-want-you-to-be-sc-but-you-mustnt-be-a-dalit-either/

• ‘The Poverty of Politics and Prerequisites of Anti-Hindutva Front’, published September 2018 in Kafila. Available here https://kafila.online/2018/09/20/the-poverty-of-politics-and-pre-requisites-of-an-anti-hindutva-front-moggallan-bharti/The same article was also carried by SabrangIndia, available here https://www.sabrangindia.in/article/poverty-politics-and-pre-requisites-anti-hindutva-front
• ‘Need to Redefine Dalit Movement’ – An interview with Dalit Feminist, Rajni Tilak, January 2013, Round Table India; available here on http://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6155:need-to-redefine-dalit-movement-rajni-tilak&catid=119&Itemid=132
• ‘The Dalit Movement and its Labyrinth’, 2010; available on http://pragoti.in/node/3929

• ‘On Khap Panchayats and ‘Honour’, 2009; available here on http://www.pragoti.in/node/3647

• ‘Issues of Caste in the Increasingly Class Divided India’, 2008; available on http://www.pragoti.in/node/1481

• ‘Locating Dalits in the ‘Annihilation of Caste’, published July/ August2005, Insight Journal, Vol. 1, No. 9-10. Also available on http://insightjnu.blogspot.in/2005/09/locating-dalits-in-annihilation-of.html

Book Reviews

• Review of, ‘Shanti Parav: Treatise on Peace’, by Des Raj Kali. Translated from the original Punjabi by Neeti Singh, Orient BlackSwan, 2020. The Book Review, Volume XLV, Number 10, October 2021.

• Review titled, ‘Engaging with a ‘Quintessential University Person’, of ‘Conversations with Ambedkar: 10 Ambedkar Memorial lectures, edited by Valerian Rodrigues, Tulika Books and Ambedkar University Delhi, 2019. Economic & Political Weekly, Vol.54, Issue No. 35, 2019.

• Review titled, ‘Analysis of an Elusive Emergency’, of ‘Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi And Democracy’s Turning Point’ by Gyan Prakash, Penguin 2018. The Book  Review, Volume XLIII, Number 4 April 2019.
•  Review titled, ‘A Moving Document of Dalit Struggles in rural Bihar’, of ‘Is This Azadi? – Everyday Lives of Dalit Agricultural Labourers in a Bihar Village’, by Anand Chakravarti, Tulika Books 2018. The Hindu, October 27, 2018.

• Review titled, ‘A Seamless Trajectory’, of ‘The Changing Face of Imperialism: Colonialism to Contemporary Capitalism’, Ed. by Sunanda Sen and Maria Cristina Marcuzzo, Routledge 2018. The Book Review, Volume XLII Number 7, July 2018.

• Review titled, ‘Restoring Dalit Agency In The Politics’, of ‘Dalits and the Making of Modern India’, by Chinnaiah Jangam, OUP 2017. The Book Review, Volume XLII Number 4, April 2018.

• Review titled, ‘Holding a Mirror toa Social Malaise’, of ‘Maid In India: Stories of Opportunities and Inequality Inside Our Homes’ by Tripti Lahiri, Aleph Book Company 2017. The Book Review, January 2018.

• Review titled, ‘Documenting a Fascinating Life’ of ‘Bread Beauty Revolution’, Edited by Iffat Fatima and Syeda Saidain Hameed. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas Memorial Trust in Association with Tulika Books, 2015. The Book Review, Volume XL Number 6, June 2016.

• Review titled, ‘Reminder of A Dark Past’ of ‘The Hour Before Dawn’ by Ajaz Ashraf, Harper Collins, New Delhi.2014. The Book Review, Volume XXXIX Number 9 September 2015.

• Review of, ‘Dalits in Neoliberal India’, Ed. by Clarinda Still, Routledge New Delhi 2014. The Book Review, Volume XXXIX Number 4, April 2015.

• Delivered a talk on ‘Understanding Hegel Philosophy’ to the undergrad students of the Department of Political Science, Gargi College, Delhi University, April 2022.
• Presented paper titled, ‘A just society in India’, at the IIPPE Political Economy Conference “The Pandemic and the Future of Capitalism” as part of the panel on ‘Neoliberalism XIV. Trilemmas of democracy, development and inequality, from 12 – 19th September 2021
• Presented a paper, ‘Postcolonial World:Native Native vs. Settlers and Brahman vs. Dalit – A Comparative Understanding of Bolivia & India’, in Latin America Studies Association Congress, Barcelona, May 2018.
• Presented paper titled, ‘The Problematic of Good Life: Understanding Indigenous People of Bolivia & Dalits in the history of Global Capital’ at Ambedkar University Delhi-Indiana University Joint Symposium cum Workshop August 11-12, 2017.
• Attended an international scholar meet at Brown International Advance Research Institutes, Brown University, Providence - Rhode Island. USA, June 2013. Discussed and worked with other international scholars on a working paper titled, ‘Study of Neoliberalism, Caste and Economic Discrimination in India’.
• Presented paper titled, ‘Dalit social mobility in UP and Punjab’ at Punjab University, Chandigarh, February 2009.

• Completed a project under Seed Money Grant scheme of AUD, titled Enquiring the Origins of Prejudice and its Politics in India.