Faculty Profile

Masters Degree, M.Phil and PhD in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Dr Dhar was a Fellow (Junior) at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi (2009-10) and a Project Associate Fellow with the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) in New Delhi (2008-09). She has been a Guest Faculty at the GRS, University of Delhi (2009-10). She has also worked as a consultant with the UKIERI- British Council and with various NGOs.

Her doctoral thesis examined historical development and contemporary issues of identity-cultural politics, class politics and state-civil society relations taking case studies of cultural organisations of Assam. Her research interests centers on Identity and Inclusion, Peace and Conflict, Public Goods and Development, Gender Violence, and Material Culture. She focusses on the developmental and political issues of North-east India and has been researching on the region from the beginning of her academic career. She is associated for research purpose with the North East Forum of Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK), AUD since its inception. She is developing a project on Water Democracy and Gender in collaboration with faculty working on Researching Delhi at School of Development Studies (SDS), AUD.

RESEARCH PROJECT AND CONSULTATION

• Managing Student Diversity in Higher Education, on panel of authors to prepare modules and consultation for Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education(CPRHE)- National University of Educational Planning and Administration(NUEPA), 2017 (Publication forthcoming)
• Exploring the Cross- cultural Creation of Khasi Attires in Assam- Meghalaya in collaboration with faculty working on Material Culture, Creation and Use: Perspectives from Inside the Community, project supported by North East Forum- Centre for Community Knowledge, AUD, 2011-12 ( Paper published in edited book, 2015 and other forthcoming).
• Tribal integration and Development since 1980s: State policies on linguistic-tribal minorities of Assam, project under fellowship at Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), 2009-10 (Report submitted to NMML, 2010)
• Indian and Foreign Educational collaboration in a project supported by UK-Indian Education Research Initiative-British Council. (Report: ‘Foreign Education Providers in India: Report on Collaborative Arrangements’, 2008, http://www.ukieri.org)
• Environmental, Health and Hygiene Awareness through School Children in YAP II (Report: Survey Report- School Health and Hygiene Programme under PPA and Components, 2007, 2008 & 2009)
• Gender and Migration Issues, project supported by UNDP-TAHA in association with Damini: Centre for Social Action and Research (Report: Impact of Migration on Women, 2007)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Member, Indian Political Science Association
• Member, Development Studies Association: The Professional Association for Development Research and Knowledge

AWARDS/ DISTINCTIONS

• ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship 2003-05
• Graduate Scholarship from Assam Government in 1993-96

• ‘Assamese Identity and the Ethnic Dissent: Asom Sahitya Sabha at the Crossroads’ in Dilip Gogoi ed. Unheeded Hinterland: Identity and Sovereignty in Northeast India, Routledge, Oxon and New York, 2016:144-162
• ‘Weaving and Wearing Ka Jainsem Dhara: Exploring the Cross Cultural Creation of Khasi Attires in Dharitri Narzary Chakravarty and Surajit Sarkar ed. Objects, Identities, Meanings: Insiders Perspectives from North East India, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi, 2015: 19-35
• ‘Gender Violence and Public Protest: The New Face of Indian Activism’ in The Indian Journal of Political Science, Special Issue, Vol. 76 Issue 3, July-September, 2015: 501-514
• ‘Assam Through the Prism of Reorganisation Experience: Fragmentation of Identities and Political Disintegration’ in Sudha Pai and Asha Sarangi ed. Interrogating States Reorganization: Culture, Identity and Politics in Contemporary India, Routledge, New Delhi, 2011:282-303
• Book review of Michaela Martin, ‘The management of university-industry partnerships in Eastern Asia: Report of an IIEP/ESMU Distance Education Course 2nd-5July 2002’ in Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, Vol 21, No3, July 2007
• ‘Assam’s Ethnic Diversity and Need for Institutional Reform’ in Journal of Peace Studies, Vol.12, Issue 1, Jan-Mar 2005: 62-72

CONFERENCE PAPERS (SELECTED)

• “Politics of the Peripheral State: Locating Assam in the Asian Landscape” presented in International Convention of Asia Scholars held on July 20-23, 2017 at Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Chiang Mai, Thailand
• “My Daughter to India’s Daughter: Silence and Protest over Violence” presented in International conference on Elimination of Violence against Women held on November 25, 2016 at Aberystwyth University, Mauritius
• “Ka Jainsem Dhara: Weaving Borders and Cultures” presented in International Conference on Oral Traditions: Continuity and Transformations, North East India and South East Asia organised jointly by Centre for Community Knowledge of Ambedkar University Delhi(AUD) and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage(INTACH), held on February 1-4, 2016 at Shillong
• “The Social Significance of Ka Jainsem Dhara: Perspectives on the Costumes of the Khasi Community presented in International Seminar on Textiles, Collections, Communities, Culture and Trade held on January 9-10, 2016 at KR Cama Oriental Institute, Mumbai
• “Gender and Conflict Prevention: Activism of Women's Peace Brigade” presented in International Conference on Gender, Conflict and Security: Perspectives from South Asia, organised in collaboration with UN Women, held on April 23-24, 2015 at South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi
• “Gender Violence and Public Protest: The New Face of Indian Activism” presented in National Conference on Re-inventing Politics in India, organised by Indian Political Science Association held on October 25-27, 2015 at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
• “Decentralised Governance and Rethinking Gandhian Peace: Women as Change Agents” presented in International Conference on Gandhi, Gram Swaraj and Democratic Decentralisation held on 27-29 November, 2014 at Kerala Institute for Local Administration(KILA), Thrissur, Kerala
• “On the Borders: An Array of Security Threats in North-east India” presented in International Conference on Social Science held on November 22-23, 2013 at University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
• “State and its Margins: Revisiting Boundaries in North-east” presented in National Seminar on Neo-Liberal State and its Challenges held on December 20-21, 2011 at Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati
• “Development and Human Security in a Conflict Scenario: Challenges in the North-East India’ presented in National Seminar on Development, Conflict and Democratic Governance: India’s experience in the North East, organised in association with Council for Social Development- New Delhi, held on June 9-10, 2011 at North Eastern Regional Centre, ICSSR, Shillong
• “Social service, Missionaries and Tribals in Assam” presented in Seminar on Health and Healing Practices in Colonial India: Continuity and Change held on March 24-25, 2011 at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi
• “Assam through the Prism of Re-organisation Experience: Fragmentation of Identities and Political Disintegration” presented in International Seminar on Interrogating States Reorganisation: Culture, Identity and Political Economy in Independent India’ held jointly on September 25-26, 2008 at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and Jawaharlal Nehru university, New Delhi
• ‘The Voice For and Against a Composite Assamese Society: Assertions by Asom Sahitya Sabha and Ethnic Polarisation” presented in Symposium on Ethnic Assertion in Multicultural Society: Challenges towards a Composite Assamese Identity held on February 20-21, 2008 at Cotton College, Guwahati
• “Assam’s Ethnic Diversity and Need for Institutional Reform” presented in International Conference on Citizenship and Governance: Issues of Identities, Inclusion and Voice organised by PRIA, held on February 12th -14th, 2003 at New Delhi