PhD Students

I have completed my B.A.in History and M.A in archaeology from the University of Calcutta and MPhil in archaeology from Deccan College and Post Graduate institute Pune. I have hands-on training in handling archaeological samples from various premier laboratories in India and abroad. Last year, I worked as a visiting researcher at Archaeological Research Laboratory, University of Stockholm, Sweden. My research interest centres around the field of protohistory, ceramic archaeology, archaeological sciences, survey methods, geoarchaeology, and ethnoarchaeology. In my doctoral programme I aim to use the biomolecular components lying in the organic residue as a tool to understand the economic and subsistence practices associated with a protohistoric and technological traditions of a number of sites.

A graduate and postgraduate in English Literature from the University of Delhi, Ankita is pursuing her second year in Doctoral Studies in the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences here at IIT Gandhinagar. Her areas of interest include theories of Indian aesthetics, literature, and philosophy. She is currently working on the history and varied aspects of the reception of the Indian classical theatre, Ku?iya??am.

I completed my BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and attained a Master of Social Work- Community Organization and Development from Manipal University. My area of interests lies in tribal development studies, inequality, and marginalized communities.

Anupam is a physicist by training and a Social Epidemiologist by choice. Anupam’s recent works include the inquiry of psychosocial wellbeing and ageing of middle-aged to older queer adults in India, psychosocial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic across social groups in India, intimate partner violence in the aftermath of natural disasters in India, and effects of reservation-based discrimination in Indian institutions. His papers on these topics have been published in reputed journals such as PLoS ONE and Ageing International (Springer). He loves solitary walking during his leisure.

Anusmita Devi is a doctoral student in the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences. With a formal training in Sociology during her undergraduate program in the Delhi University and postgraduate program in Jawaharlal Nehru University, her broad areas of research interests span across social gerontology, gender studies, popular media, culture studies, diaspora, and migration. Her current doctoral research explores the questions of body, beauty, gender subjectivities and later life identities through an analysis of media representation of older adults in post-liberal India and a cross-national comparative analysis of subjective experiences of age and aging bodies.

Aparna works in the field of Cyberfeminism, where she pursues an interdisciplinary approach spanning network analysis and feminist ethnography to study contemporary new media and social network activism. Aparna completed her Masters in English Language and Literature from Madras University and her Bachelors in English from Delhi University. She has presented papers at national and international conferences on topics related to cyborg feminism and feminist science fiction films.

An avid writer by passion and a researcher by education, I am a Ph.D. student in Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. My research focus is Science Communication. I have worked as a Senior Project Associate (Writer and Editor) in External Communications at IITGN (2019-20). I completed my M.Tech (2016-18) in Biological Engineering from IITGN, and my B.Tech in Biotechnology from Amity University (Lucknow, U.P.). I believe that crisp discussions among researchers and academicians from different disciplines with each other and with the common public will eventually facilitate the advancement of all. This is what attracted me to my current area of research in the first place.

Arindam Goswami is a doctoral student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. He has a Masters degree in English and American Literature from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. His research interests include Studies of Indian Travel Narratives and Indian English Literature.

My research interests include areas of Social Anthropology, Sociology of Ageing and Population studies. Currently, I am working on Social Ageing, Intergenerational Relationships and Caring Responsibilities among Indian families. I have received my Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from University of Delhi (Hansraj College), where I worked on the socio-cultural aspects of the ‘Bhil’ tribal community in Udaipur. Moreover, I have specialized in Social Anthropology (MA) from Queen’s University of Belfast (United Kingdom). My MA research focused on the Indian Immigrants in the UK and worked on developing care models within the community. I have also worked as an independent researcher with the Indian Community Centre (Belfast) and ArtsEkta.

I have an Honours degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi, awarded in the year 2014. I did my Masters in Public Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad in 2016. I have worked as a Research Intern with the World Wide Fund for Nature, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, and Centre for Science and Environment. Following my Masters, I was placed in PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) and worked as a Development Apprentice in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Subsequently, I was offered a position of Assistant Manager in Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group. My current research focuses on climate-induced migration in Western Himalayas. I am interested in travel and photography. In my spare time, I like to read. I am currently juggling between 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, A Man Called Ove, and Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels.

Bhavna’s research focuses on lived experiences, body-embodiment and environment from a socio-anthropological lens. An Alumni of MSU Baroda and CUG, Gandhinagar, Bhavna has been exposed to a variety of learning opportunities in research studies on adolescents, youth, maternal and reproductive health, tribal studies and has also taught and tutored papers in sociology at Navrachana University, Vadodara and University of Auckland, New Zealand. She holds UGC-NET Certificate in Sociology and was awarded with ICMR fellowship for Social Sciences in 2014. In her spare time you will see her gardening, baking and volunteering.

Camellia has completed her BA in English honours from Jadavpur University in 2015 and MA in Environment and Development, School of Human Ecology from Ambedkar University, Delhi in 2017. She has attended a certificate course in summers 2017 on Trade, Development and Environment from London School of Economics. She also worked as a Research Assistant at Ambedkar University Delhi. Her research interests include Human Ecology, biodiversity conservation and climate crisis. Her doctoral research focuses on Human-Nature Interactions in the Indian Sundarbans from the lens of political ecology under the larger discourse of Climate disaster.

Dalia completed BA English from Stella Maris College, Chennai and graduated from IIT Gandhinagar with MA Society and Culture. For her master’s dissertation she worked on life histories to understand reconciliatory mechanisms among the Ilankai Tamil Diaspora in the United States of America (2019). For her doctoral project she continues to work on conflict and accountability in post-war Sri Lanka. Her research interests are the civil war of Sri Lanka, Memory and Narrative, Enforced disappearances and conflict-driven spatial identities.

I completed my Bachelor’s in Sciences from the Department of Geography at Presidency University where I also continued with my MSc in Geography. As a student of social and human geography I developed a keen interest in studying and understanding various social process in the context of space and environment. I joined IIT Gandhinagar as a Master’s student in the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences in the year 2018. Since then, my research interests has been around the idea of ethnicity and how indigenous cultures and traditions define and shape the identity of various communities. I joined PhD in the year 2021 and am currently working on inter-ethnic relationships in the eastern Himalayan hinterlands.

Completed Master’s in Public policy, law and Governance from Central university of Rajasthan. Currently working on Higher education among tribal women in Rajasthan, focusing on freedom and mobility. Research interest, Higher education,Public Policy and tribies and gender.

I am a doctoral student in Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. My area of interest lies both in the Socio-political history of the tribal world and the nationalist discourse embedded within the same. I am also interested in studying complex social system of tribes with Christianity and nationalism alongside the constituent assembly debates. I have a B.A. in History from Indraprastha College For Women, University of Delhi and an M.A. in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi.

Jerene works on culinary texts, with an aim to understand the formation and preservation of regional and religious based community cuisines. She has done food centered ethnographic studies in Dalit hamlets in (North Malabar) Kerala, government schools in villages in Gujarat and among the Malayali migrants in Ahmedabad, examining varied aspects of casteism, food policies (women and child development) and migration through the material culture of food. She is interested in taste and class identity construction, and the cultural politics of food.

I am a Ph.D. student at IITGN. I completed my B.A. in Economics and later pursued an M.A. in History. I am currently researching on the Food History of Maharashtra. I am a professionally trained German and Mandarin language teacher and taught for five years before joining the doctoral program. Apart from History and learning languages, I love reading mythology and courtroom dramas. I am an avid baker and love to cook. Stand-up comedy and movies are my all-time favorites.

A ‘Romantic’ at the core, Manoj is a doctoral student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology – Gandhinagar. He is a casual newsreader at All India Radio in Delhi. Manoj has taught in both government and private academic and non-academic institutions. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Honours and Master’s degree in English from the University of Delhi. In his M. Phil in English from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, Garhwal University in Uttarakhand, Manoj submitted his dissertation titled “A Poststructuralist study of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.” He has also qualified the UGC NET. He also holds a post-graduate diploma in Radio and TV Journalism from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi.

Hi, This is Manas. I have graduated in History from Visva Bharati in 2016 and completed my Master’s in the same subject in 2018 from University of Hyderabad. I have a wide range of research interests. However, to narrow it down, I am more inclined towards Subaltern Histories and the History of Medicine. My hobbies include playing football and watching movies. I also have immense interest towards Astronomy. It is extremely difficult to name a particular book as my favourite read. However, If I have to name one, I will choose, “Pale Bule Dot- A Vision of the Human Future in Space” by Carl Sagan.

A professional social worker and public health researcher, Nilesh Vilas Thube is a doctoral student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar. His doctoral study focuses on Climate Change Impact on Vulnerable Communities in Health Perspectives in Gujarat state. He has a M.Phil degree in Planning and Development from IIT Bombay. His undergraduate and master’s degree both completed in Social Work (Medical and Psychiatric social work). Prior to joining IIT Gandhinagar, he worked at Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG) as a research consultant and contributed in several health research projects in urban, rural and tribal settings of Gujarat. He was also placed as a Research Fellow for Ahmedabad based project by University of Boon, Germany which largely focused on water and sanitation. His broad area of experience and research interests span across different aspects of Social Epidemiology such as malaria outbreak, heat wave impacts, diabetes prevalence, maternal health, sanitation, health education, social factors for communicable and non-communicable diseases, health and environment.

I have done MA and M.Phil in English language and literature. Currently, a research scholar in the field of gender studies. Research intersts include gender studies, specifically transgender studies and transgender life narratives.

MA from School of Arts & Aesthetics, JNU. BA (H) in History from St. Stephen’s College (DU) Research interests- Theatre and performance studies, Cinema studies, Philosophy

Prashant is a doctoral student in Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. He has a Masters degree in English and American Literature from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. His research interests include Latin American Studies, Mysticism and Comparative Philosophy. In his doctoral research, he is investigating the works of two Latin American writers, Jorge Luis Borges and Octavio Paz.

Poorva is a doctoral student from the Archeological Sciences Centre in the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences. She completed her MA in A.I.H.C. and Archaeology from Deccan College, Pune. She has participated in excavations and explorations of archaeological sites in India as a part of her training. Her research interests include Art History, Indology, and Iconography. She is currently working on the art traditions of the Chalukyan and Hoysala dynasties as a part of her doctoral program.

I’m Saurabh, a doctoral student at IITGN. I earned my first Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from CSJMU Kanpur. Later, I pursued another Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Archaeology and Ancient History from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. My research interests include archaeozoology, environmental archaeology, and prehistoric cultural transitions. I have hands-on experience with collagen fingerprinting or ZooMs as a biomolecular approach to species identification of animal bones and mineralogical analysis of ceramics using XRD, SEM, and other novel methods.

Senkathirvanan completed his master’s in climate change and sustainability studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. After completing his master’s, he worked as a research assistant at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore. He enrolled as a PhD student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar in 2022. Dr. Ambika Aiyadurai is guiding him with his doctoral thesis. His research primarily focuses on Community-Based Forest Management and Governance in North-East India through the lens of Political Ecology. He is also passionate about travelling, listening to songs & stories, watching movies, photography, adventure activities, and engaging in action-oriented research on issues related to Social and Environmental Justice.

Sohini has received her degree in Bachelor of Arts in English from Banaras Hindu University in 2017 and her degree in Master of Arts in English Literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad in 2019. She is currently a first year PhD student in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research interests include Indian English Literature, regional literature and rural narratives. In her copious free time she enjoys reading books and watching films, web series and documentaries. She has a knack for travelling and loves simple conversations over a cup of tea.

I am from Jharkhand. I did my Bachelor’s from Ranchi Women’s College, and Master’s from Central University of Jharkhand in English Literature. My research interests include Tribal Literature, African Literature, Anthropology of Death, Cultural Anthropology.

Susanna G. is a doctoral student in Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. She is a public health researcher focusing her research in the area of digital innovations in health. She is also interested in Health Policies, Health Economics, and Health Equity Research. Susanna graduated from University of Kerala in 2013 with BSc in Nursing and she also holds a master’s degree in public health from JIPMER, Puducherry.

Swati Joshi is pursuing her doctoral studies in Medical Humanities in the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. Prior to joining IITGN, she worked as a Lecturer of English Literature at St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad. She has published in Synapsis: A Health Humanities Journal, Medical Humanities|BMJ, ATINER, etc. Her research interests lie in questions around Medical Ethics, Narrative Medicine, Care, Gender Studies, Reproductive Health, etc.

Tanisha is a doctoral student in Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar. She has done her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in History from Presidency University, Kolkata. Having a keen interest in history, culture and politics, Tanisha is interested in cultural history and art history. She is currently working on history of Partition of 1947 and the aftermath of it. She is also a trained dancer and loves to dance and visit museums.

I am a professional social worker (Master of Social Work) graduated from Pondicherry University, Puducherry in the year 2017. The broad area of my research interest is ‘Sustainable Development’ which can be narrowed down to Indigenous Livelihood, Environment, Social Exclusion, and Inclusive Policies, Youth and Child Development, Women Empowerment, and other areas which fall under development sector. It was through my internship at NERCORMP – III (North-Eastern Community Resource Management Project – Churachandpur) that I developed the interest to do extensive research on indigenous livelihood and environment. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar.

I have completed my M.Phil in English Literature from The University of Burdwan in the year 2019. My research interests include border studies, feminist and postcolonial literature(s). I like poetry, fiction and movies. My favourite authors include Margaret Atwood, Art Spiegelman, Joe Sacco, Sadat Hasan Manto, Khaled Hosseini, Haruki Murakami, and Franz Kafka, to name a few.

Ungka received her Master’s degree in Archaeology and Heritage Management from DIHRM in 2016. In 2017, she joined the Institute of Archaeology, ASI, for a Postgraduate Diploma. She has also worked as a Research Assistant with the Directorate of Archaeology, Assam, for the World Heritage Project, Charaideo, in 2020- 2021. She has done archaeological fieldwork in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Western UP; including excavation in the site of Barnawa, Uttar Pradesh, Alichinga Tengani, Assam, and Charaideo, Assam. She has participated in lithic, bead-making, and epigraphy workshops and structural and chemical conservation training. Her research interests revolve around megalithic traditions, and she is currently working on the ethnoarchaeological aspect of it for her PhD in Arunachal Pradesh. She has developed an interest in archaeomalacology while at the Institute, which she intends to pursue further.

Researcher in the field of Linguistic Anthropology. Masters in Linguistics from JNU. Worked with Central Institute of Indian Languages as a resource person for langauge documentation. Currently working on language ideologies and how they operate in creating and negotiating linguistic identities and associated discourses. Areas of research interest: Language endangerment and revitalisation, Plurilingualism, Pragmatics, Language structure.