Department of Sociology (AWARDED UGC-SAP DRS-I, 2016)

Tezpur University

Profile

Area of Interest

Sociology of Development, Sociology of Governance, Research Methodology  Sociology of Health and Illness, Sociology of Religion

Education

2014, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Tezpur University

2006, MPhil, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi

2003, M.A, Department  Sociology from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

 

Courses Taught

Sociology of Development, Sociology of Governance,  Economic Sociology

 Research Methodology, Sociology of Health and Illness, Sociology of India

 Industrial Sociology,  Classical Sociological Theory

 

 

Publications

Books:

Coedited with Dev Nath Pathak (2019) Investigating Developmentalism: Notions of Development in the Social Sphere, New York, Palgrave Macmillan 

 Sociology of Development. Centre for Open and Distance Learning, Tezpur University. 

 Governance and Child Rights. Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights and Governance, CID, Tezpur University and UNICEF, Assam.

Refereed Publications:

2019, “India Steps Up to Strengthen Maternal Health and Achieve SDG 3” in Global Policy, July 2019, Online ISSN:1758-5899

2019, Co - authored,“Violation and Vulnerability of Human Rights in the Context of Tea Garden Workers in Assam with Special Reference to Social Protection Schemes” in NIU International Journal of Human Rights, Vol-6, ISSN- 2394 – 0298

2015, Das, Amiya Kumar et al., “Undermining Adivasi Interests” in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol-50, No-1, pp. 25-26, (ISSN- 0012-9976)

2014, “Developing Inter-Sectoral Synergies: Re-defining State-NGO Relations in the Field of Education” in Jamia Journal of Education, Vol-1, No-2, pp. 12-21.(ISSN-2348-3490) 

Chapters in Books:

2019, Governance and Government. In: Farazmand A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham.

2019, New Governance and Neoliberalism. In: Farazmand A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham.

2019, coauthored with Dev Nath Pathak “Introduction: Developmentalism—On a Trope of (Dis) Enchantment” in Devnath Pathak and Amiya Kumar Das (Ed) Investigating Developmentalism: Notions of Development in the Social Sphere, New York, Palgrave Macmillan. pp 1-34, ISBN-978-3-030-17442-2

2019, coauthored with Rabindra Ray “The Danger of Development Today: An Inevitable Polemic” in Devnath Pathak and Amiya Kumar Das (Ed) Investigating Developmentalism: Notions of Development in the Social Sphere, New York, Palgrave Macmillan. pp 37-51, ISBN-978-3-030-17442-2

2018, “The Magic called Elections: Polls, Performance and Citizenship” in Devnath Pathak and Sasanka Perera (Ed) Performative Communication: Culture and Politics in South Asia, New Delhi, Routledge.pp 136-151, ISBN-978-1-138-10346-7

Book reviews:

2020, Deepak Mehta and Rahul Roy (Eds), Violence and the Quest for Justice in South Asia, Vol-69, No-1. Pp 126-128. ISSN 0038-0229

2018, Deepak K. Mishra: Internal Migration in Contemporary India. Delhi: Sage, 2016 in Indian Journal of Human Development, Vol- 12, No-1.pp 118-120. ISSN 0973-7030.

2018, Deepak K. Mishra: Internal Migration in Contemporary India. Delhi: Sage, 2016 in Indian Journal of Human Development, Vol- 12, No-1.pp 118-120. ISSN 0973-7030.

2018, Mihir Shah and P. S. Vijayshankar (eds.): Water: Growing understanding, emerging perspectives, Hyderabad, Orient Blackswan, 2016 in Sociological Bulletin. Vol- 67, No- 3. pp 365-367. ISSN 0038-0229. 

2018, Sanjoy Hazarika: Strangers No More: New Narratives from India’s Northeast, New Delhi, Aleph Book Company, 2018 in The Book Review, Vol- 42, No - 7,pp  20. ISSN- 0970-4175.

2016, Martha C. Nussbaum:  Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Princeton and Oxford, MA: Princeton University Press, 2012 in Journal of Human Values. Vol- 22, No -1, pp 68-69. ISSN 0971-6858.

2016, Mukulika Banerjee: Why India Votes. New Delhi and Oxon: Routledge, 2014, in Society and Culture in South Asia. Vol- 2, No-1, pp 144-146. ISSN 2393-8617. 

 Open, Distance and E-Learning Modules

2019, ‘Module IV, UNIT-XIVNation and Nation Building’ in MSO-103 Sociology of India. MA in Sociology, Centre for Open and Distance Learning, Tezpur University. 

2017, ‘Module IMargin, Marginality and Marginalization – Concept and Meaning in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, ‘Module IX: Nation Building Process and Marginalisation in India in the Paper    P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, Co-author, ‘Module X: Development Dynamics and Regional Marginalisation in India in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, Co-author, ‘Module XI: From Class to Identity Politics in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, Co-author, ‘Module XII: Caste System and Identity in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, Co-author, ‘Module XIII: Religion and Identity politics in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, Co-author, ‘Module XIV: Tribal Identity and Politics in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2017, ‘Module XVIIEngaging with Diversity. - Pluralism in India in the Paper P-10: Media and Margins under the subject Media and Communication Studies of e-PG Pathshala. 

2015, ‘Module XVIIIRisk and Reflexivity: Anthony Giddens in Paper P-02: Contemporary Social Theory of e-PG Pathshala. 

2015, ‘Module XIXRisk Society and Reflexive Modernisation: Ulrich Beck in Paper    P-02: Contemporary Social Theory of e-PG Pathshala. 

 

 

Seminar/Conference/Workshop attended

 

Presentation in Seminar, Conference and Colloquium  

2019, 24-26, March, “Citizenship and the (E) state: Narratives from the Margin” paper presented at ICSSR-NERC First Annual Social Science Congress on “Citizenship, Ethnicity and Nation State in North-East India” in collaboration with Department of Sociology at Tezpur University.

2019, 15-16, March, “Interrogating the Idea of Marginality in the Context of Assam” paper presented in a National seminar on ‘Marginalization and Marginality in India with a focus on North Eastern Region: Multiple Contexts for State Intervention’ organised by  Dr. Ambedkar Chair, Tezpur University in collaboration with Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change & Development (OKDISCD) and  Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur at OKDISCD, Guwahati.

2018, 05-06, December, Concept note on “ Identity Politics in the Contemporary Times” Presented a paper in the International Seminar on “Identity Politics Reconsidered” under UGC-SAP (DRS-I), Department of Sociology, Tezpur University.

2018, 16-20, July, “Interrogating Indigenous Knowledge and Modernity in Northeast India” in the panel “ OP:100-  Imagination and knowledge production”   at 18th IUAES World Congress “ World of Encounters: The Past, Present and Future of Anthropological Knowledge”, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil organised by International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA)

2018, 16-20, July, “Documenting the Body: Discourse on Developmental State and Citizenship in India” presented a paper in the panel on “ OP: 068- Encountering Deceptions of Development(s): Exploring the Practices and Knowledge in the Global South” convened a panel along with Abel Polese and Anna Romanowicz at the 18th IUAES World Congress “ World of Encounters: The Past, Present and Future of Anthropological Knowledge”, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil organised by International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA)

2017, 24-25 February, “Culture, Consumption and Climate Change: Issues, Concerns and Challenges” paper presented at UGC- SAP National Seminar on Climate Change and Society organised by the Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University. 

2016, 27-30 December, “Ethnicisation of Electoral Politics in Northeast India” paper presented in the RC- Ad hoc 3: Ethnicity and Minority Studies at 42nd All India Sociological Conference on the theme Rethinking Sociological Traditions of India organised by Indian Sociological Society and Department of Sociology, Tezpur University. 

2016, 27-30 December, “Performative Electoral Democracy in India: Thinking Aloud on Conceptual Trope in Political Sociology”  in the  RC 01: Theory, Concept and Methodology at 42nd All India Sociological Conference on the theme Rethinking Sociological Traditions of India organised by Indian Sociological Society and Department of Sociology, Tezpur University. 

2016, 01-02 December, “Food and Sexuality in India: Social and Regional Imaginaries” paper presented at a National Seminar on National Seminar on ‘Food Cultures of India’ organised by Department of Cultural Studies, Tezpur University in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) at Tezpur University. 

2016, 04-09 May, “On In(Formal) Governance and In(Formal) People in Northeast India” paper presented in the panel 391 at the IUAES 2016 Inter-Congress, “World Anthropologies and Privatization of Knowledge: Engaging Anthropology in Public”, oraganised by the International Union of Ethnological and Anthropological Sciences and Institute for Anthropological Research along with KULA, Slovenian Ethnological and Anthropological Association, Croatian Anthropological Society at Dubrovnik, Croatia.

2016,17-18 March, “Elections as Carnival: Power, People and Politicians in Northeast India” paper presented at the two day National Seminar on ‘Electoral Politics, Peoples’ Rights and Regime’s Response in Northeast India’  in the Department of Political Science, Gauhati University Sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi. 

2016,17-18 March, “Tragedy of PRIs and Predicament of Rural Governance in Assam” paper presented at the two day National Seminar on ‘State and Representative Institutions in North East India’ in the Department of Political Science, Gauhati University Sponsored by UGC-SAP (DRS-II). 

2016, 09-12 March, “(G)overnance and Development: Myth of Devolution in India” paper presented at the four day International Seminar on ‘Governance, Development and the State in Contemporary Times’ in the Department of Sociology, Tezpur University,  Sponsored by: UNICEF, Guwahati MACRONEI-MAKAIAS, Kolkata. 

2016,19-20 February, “Interrogating Dalit Capitalism: Illusion or Reality” paper presented at the two day ICSSR & UGC-SAP National Seminar on “Elusive Equality: Mapping Social Hegemony in India” in the Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad. 

2015, 15-17 July, “The Myth of Good Governance and Less Government: A Reflection on Democracy in India” paper presented in the panel P9-07 at the IUAES 2015 Inter-Congress, “Re-imaging Anthropological and Sociologic Boundaries”, oraganised by the International Union of Ethnological and Anthropological Sciences and Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University at Thammasat University. Bangkok, Thailand. 

2015, 27-28 March, “Modern Food Processing and Its Relevance in Vernacular Society” paper presented at the two day National Seminar cum Workshop on ‘Innovative  Prospects in Food Processing: Integration of Engineering and Biological Sciences’ organised by the Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Tezpur University, Assam sponsored by Ministry of Food Processing Industries and NABARD.

2015, 13-14 February, “Conflict, Identity and Development in Northeast India” paper presented at the two day national colloquium on Conflict Management and Peace Initiatives in Northeast India at the Don Bosco Socio Technical Institute, Tezpur  co-organised by Don Bosco Socio Technical Institute, Tezpur and Tezpur University.

2015, 20-21 January, “Polls, Performance and Citizenship: An Exploration in India’s Northeast” paper presented at the two day International seminar on “Performative Communication: Culture and Politics in South Asia” in the Centre for culture, media and governance, Jamia Millia Islamia co-organized by Department of Sociology, South Asian University & Centre for Culture Media & Governance, JMI In association with Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi.  

 

Conference, Seminar and Workshop Organized

2019, 25-26, September, organised an International Seminar on “Locating Neighbourhoods in the Global South” in collaboration with UNICEF, Department of Sociology, Tezpur University.

2018, 05-06, December, organised an International Seminar on “Identity Politics Reconsidered” under UGC-SAP (DRS-I), Department of Sociology, Tezpur University.

2018, 16-20, July, “Encountering Deceptions of Development(s): Exploring the Practices and Knowledge in the Global South” convened a panel along with Abel Polese and Anna Romanowicz at the 18th IUAES World Congress “ World of Encounters: The Past, Present and Future of Anthropological Knowledge”, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil organised by International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA)

2016, 04-09 May, “Alternative or imagined development(s)? Exploring the gap between theory and practices of governance in the global south: actors, dynamics and resistances” convened a panel at the IUAES 2016 Inter-Congress, “World Anthropologies and Privatization of Knowledge: Engaging Anthropology in Public”, oraganised by the International Union of Ethnological and Anthropological Sciences and Institute for Anthropological Research along with KULA, Slovenian Ethnological and Anthropological Association, Croatian Anthropological Society at Dubrovnik, Croatia.

2016, 09-12 March, organised an International Seminar on “Governance, Development and the State in Contemporary Times” along with Dr. Kedilezo Kikhi, supported by UNICEF, Guwahati and MAKAIAS, Kolkata. 

2015, 15-19 December, organised an “Executive Programme on Evaluation Methods” at Tezpur University in partnership with UNICEF, Guwahati and Planning and Development Department, Government of Assam. 

2015, 12-18 October, organised a Workshop on ‘Memory Studies, Sources and Historical Analysis’ in the Department of Sociology, Tezpur University.

2015, 21-27 September, organised a Workshop on “Research Methodology in Social Sciences” along with Ms. Nandarani Choudhury and Dr. Kedilezo Kikhi at the Department of Sociology, Tezpur University Sponsored by ICSSR-NERC, Shillong, Meghalaya. 

2015, 15-17 July, “Discourses on Development and Governance: Merging Contours of Sociological and Anthropological Paradigms” organised a panel (P9-07) at the Inter Congress of IUAES 2015 - Re-imagining Anthropological and Sociological Boundaries (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences) at Thammasat University, Bangkok, THAILAND. 

 

 

Acted as a Resource Person

2020, 19th June, Delivered a special talk in the panel on ‘Special Vulnerability of Women Migrant Workers’ in the 4th Regional Consultation on “Reviewing laws related to Inter-State Women Migrant Workers” organised by NCW, New Delhi and NLUJA, Guwahati, Assam .

2020, 18th June, Delivered a talk on ‘Fear as Contagion: Understanding the Political Economy of COVID19’ in the International Webinar on ‘Humanitarian Perspective of the Pandemic’ organised by Assam Down Town University, Guwahati, Assam. 

2020, 19th – 20th May, Delivered a talk on ‘Re-Imagining Bio-politics During Pandemics: Issues and Challenges of Health Care System in India’ in the Online National Symposium on COVID 19 and Indian Political Landscape: Re-examining the Indian Democratic System organised by Department of Political Science, Vasanta College for Women, Varanasi.

2020, 3rd – 4th February, Delivered a talk on “ Rethinking Social Fault lines in Post-Colonial Times” in the Workshop on  Reading and Writing about the Lives in Northeast India organised by Department of Sociology, Tezpur University

2019, 1st -10th April, Delivered two talks on “Qualitative Approaches in Social Science Research” and “Developing Questionnaire and Schedule” in the Workshop on Research Methodology in Social Sciences organised by Department of Geography, Cotton University, Guwahati with support from ICSSR. 

2018, 19th -20th March, Delivered a talk on “Exploring the Governance Conundrum in Northeast India”  in the National Seminar on Writing Tribes in Northeast India: Past, Present and Future organised by Tribal Studies Centre, Assam University Diphu Campus and Omeo Kuma Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati at Diphu, Karbi Anglong, Assam

2017, 15th -16th September, Delivered a key note address on “ Panchayati Raj Institution and Rural Development in Northeast India” in the UGC sponsored National Seminar on Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Development: Prospects and Challenges in Northeast India  organised by Department of Political Sciences, HCDG College, Nitaipukhuri, Sivasagar, Assam. 

2017, 28th – 29th March, Delivered a talk on “ Understanding Society through the Prism of Numbers” in the Workshop on Statistics in Society Organised by Department of Statistics, Gauhati University, Assam   

2016, 15-24 February, Delivered a talk on “Focus Group Discussion and Mixed Methods” in the ten days research methodology workshop organised by Department of Education, Tezpur University, Assam. 

2015, 21-27 December, Delivered a talk on “Governance and Child Rights” in an Orientation Programme for faculty members for the course of Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights and Governance organised by the Centre for Inclusive Development, Tezpur University and UNICEF, Guwahati. 

2015, 15-19 December, Delivered a talk on “How to Conduct Group Work” at the ‘Executive Programme on Evaluation Methods’ in the Tezpur University in partnership with UNICEF, Guwahati and Planning and Development Department, Government of Assam.

2015, 21-27 September, Delivered a talk on “Doing Fieldwork” in a Workshop on Research Methodology in Social Sciences organised by the Department of Sociology, Tezpur University and Equal Opportunity Cell, Tezpur University, Sponsored by ICSSR-NERC, Shillong, Meghalaya. 

2015, 22 June, Delivered a talk on “ Governance and Workers issues in Tea Gardens of Assam”  at the Labor Resource Centre, The University of Massachusetts Boston, USA

 

Ongoing Projects

2020-2021, Principal Investigator, “Evidence Generation on Social Protection Schemes to Support Policy Action and Monitoring Mechanisms for Vulnerable and Marginalised Communities of Assam” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

2020-2021, Principal Investigator, “Evidence Generation on Social Protection Schemes to Support Policy Action and Monitoring Mechanisms for Vulnerable and Marginalised Communities of Assam” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

Completed Projects

2019-2020, Principal Investigator, “Mentoring programme for SIPRD training on Child and Women friendly GPs in Assam” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

2019, Process Evaluation of Capacity Building Programme of State Institute of Panchayat & Rural Development (SIPRD) in Assam supported by UNICEF Guwahati and SIPRD, Govt. of Assam, India 

 

2018-2019, Principal Investigator, “Vulnerability Analysis of Marginalised Communities in Riverine Islands of Assam” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

2018-2019, Process Evaluation and Concurrent Monitoring of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) in Assam supported by UNICEF Guwahati and Directorate of Social Welfare, Govt. of Assam, India 

 

2018-2019, Principal Investigator, “Developing and Field Testing of Entitlement Assessment Tool Modules and Documentation” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

 2017-2019, Co-Principal Investigator along with Dr. Veda Yumnam “An Assessment of Conflict as A Social Determinant of Health in The North-East Region of India”  funded by Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi. (Ongoing) 

 

2016-2017, Principal Investigator, “Documentation of Case studies on GPDP and Social Protection Schemes for Tea Garden Workers in Assam” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

2014-2015, Co-coordinator along with Ms. Nandarani Choudhury in a project titled “Developing Child Friendly Panchayat in 3 Gram Panchayat of Balipara Block in Sonitpur District” supported by UNICEF, Guwahati.

 

2013-2014, Co Principal Investigator along with Dr. Kedilezo Kikhi “Status Report on Children and Women in the Tea Gardens of ATCL, Assam” Supported by UNICEF, Guwahati. (September 2013 – February 2014) 

 

2013, October, Principal investigator, ICSSR NERC, Shillong funded research project on “Sociological Study of the Panchayat Elections and local level politics: A Micro-level Study in North-east India” 

 

2012, August, Principal investigator, ICSSR NERC, Shillong funded research project on “Sociological study of the electoral politics: A Micro-level Study in Northeast India”.

 

2010, March, Co-ordinated with Prof. M N Karna, ICSSR-NERC, Shillong funded research project on “Ethnography of the Electoral Process: A Micro-level Study in Northeast India”.

 

 

 

 

 

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