Dr Suryodaya Sharma, Assistant Professor, Psychology, SIAS is presenting his paper titled “Caste Prejudice and Persisting Inequality in India: Role of Social Identity and Belief Systems” at the 53rd Annual conference on South Asia at University of Wisconsin, Madison. The paper is part of a panel ‘Critical Perspectives on Structural Inequality: Explorations in Psychology of Caste’ in the conference.
Vikas Kumar Choudhary, Faculty Teaching Associate, Krea-CWP presented a paper titled “Theorising Mnemonic Injustice: Caste, Politics and Memory” at the Conference Theorizing Justice, jointly organised by Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai in association with Dr B R Ambedkar Centre for Economics and Socio-Legal Research, Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University.
Wellbeing Week 2025, organised by the Office of Inclusive Learning Support (ILS), at Krea University, marked the World Mental Health Day with a series of events centered on reflection, learning, music, and holistic wellness. Ranging from mental health awareness for support staff, community yoga, and live music, to academic talks, nature-based activities, and inclusive education workshops, the week fostered a campus-wide commitment to holistic wellbeing and belonging.
The Wellbeing Week began with Wellbeing in Focus, for the support and security staff at Krea University. The session aimed to raise awareness about mental health and overall wellbeing among these essential members of our campus community.
To ensure the discussion was accessible and engaging, it was conducted in local languages — Tamil and Telugu. Led by Rakhi Rai, Senior Manager, Office of Student Life (OSL), and Aparna Raghavan, In-house Mental Health Counsellor, the session offered valuable insights into the importance of mental health, emotional balance, self-care, and seeking support when needed. They emphasised that mental wellbeing is just as important as physical health and shared simple, practical strategies for managing stress, building positive relationships, and maintaining a healthy mindset both at work and in daily life.
Input by Dhruvi Dhombe, IMBA Cohort of 2023-28
Students came together to share their reflections, doodles, and thoughts on wellbeing, adding their voices to a vibrant collective mural.
Filled with music and movement, Soul Jams brought energy and rhythm to the entrance of the JSW Academic Block. Part of the Feel It Live series, the session featured artists Shivansh, Goutham, and Marvel, who curated a setlist that blended 1990s Bollywood classics with contemporary songs.
The performance stood out for its participatory spirit, with people singing, clapping, snapping, and keeping the beat. As the evening progressed, the atmosphere became more collective, with performers and listeners moving together in rhythm. Marking World Mental Health Day, the event created space for joy, expression, and ease, setting a vibrant tone for the days ahead.
Input by Trishna Saha, SIAS UG Cohort of 2023-27
Following the musical start to Wellbeing Week, a calming Community Yoga session was held on Monday, 13 October. Led by Shikha Joshi, a certified Yoga Teacher, Therapist, and Face Yoga Expert, the session reflected her holistic approach to mind–body wellness.
Titled “Fear of Social Death: Youth Suicidal Distress and ‘Love Problems’ in Rural India”, this online talk by Dr Varnica Arora, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Stonehill College, was convened by Dr Akanksha Adya, Assistant Professor, Psychology, SIAS.
Dr Arora discussed how love, heartbreak, and social expectations intersect with youth mental health in rural India. Drawing on case studies and fieldwork, she highlighted how emotional distress, stigma, and community pressures shape young lives. These experiences were tied to identity, belonging, and social acceptance within restrictive social structures.
The interactive format encouraged students to share thoughts, ask questions, and reflect on perceptions of mental health in India, especially rural contexts. A particularly impactful segment explored how “love problems” are culturally framed and their intersection with caste as both personal and social struggle.
Input by Pranvi Khare, SIAS Cohort of 2023-27
This interactive session explored how movement, play, and teamwork can support mental wellbeing. Using basketball as a lens for resilience, connection, and stress release, the session fostered a supportive environment where students could recharge, reflect, and take away practical tools for their mental health.
The week continued with a reflective and engaging session hosted by HerCampus Krea in collaboration with ILS and MoCC. The event brought students together to discuss topics with the help of prompts related to mental health, balancing academics, and self-care. The interactive session included thought-provoking conversations, followed by fun games like ‘Heads Up’ using the Emotions and Feelings deck, and a round of Pictionary centered on self-care and emotional expression. The session fostered a sense of community while placing student wellbeing at its core.
Input by Sia Bubna, IMBA Cohort 2023-28
The week brought yet another invigorating and immersive experience with Digital Detox: Nature Walk with Emden. Avid nature enthusiasts, bird watchers and photographers amongst students and staff – actively participated in the walk – soaking in the natural beauty of the lush green campus. This experience was further enriched with Emden’s unparalleled knowledge of and passion to explore the flora and fauna in Sri City, even as the participants left with takeaways aplenty.
An online workshop for teaching and non-teaching staff focused on understanding neurodivergence, specifically Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Facilitated by Kripa Ramasubramanian, a special needs educator and rehabilitation professional, the session introduced key characteristics of these conditions and offered practical strategies to support neurodivergent students. It aimed to build awareness and equip faculty with inclusive teaching approaches for equitable learning.
The Peer Support Volunteers, in collaboration with ILS, hosted the Wellbeing Fair 2.0 on 29 October. The campus came alive with colours, music, and laughter as students gathered to celebrate wellness, creativity, and community. A variety of clubs, societies, and students set up stalls that made the evening truly special. These included Rangasthala (Theatre), Layam (Music), Navyata (Fashion), Aikyatha (Social Outreach), Syahi (Literary Arts), the Cyber Club, and the Economics Society. Each stall brought something unique, from interactive games to creative displays that reflected the energy and spirit of the student community.
The fair also highlighted the importance of kindness and care beyond campus. A student-led stall sold mental well-being posters to raise funds for the refugees in Palestine and Sudan, while Aikyatha organised a stall with delicious pastries and refreshing sharbats to support donation drives for humanitarian causes. Throughout the evening, students enjoyed a mix of relaxing and joyful activities, including karaoke, mindful journaling, mood boards, wellbeing check-ins, wellness reminders, and fun games. There were also stalls selling charms and jewellery, adding a touch of retail therapy and creativity to the experience.
The atrium was filled with warmth, happiness, and a sense of solidarity as students described the fair as a comforting pause amidst their busy schedules, a moment to unwind, reconnect with friends, and reflect on their well-being.
Input and Images by Trishna Saha, SIAS UG Cohort of 2023-27
Wellbeing Week 2025 unfolded through a range of experiences fostering reflection, inclusion, and a shared commitment to holistic wellness across campus.
Dr Salwa Yahya, Post-Doctoral Fellow, The Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences has published an article titled Interpretivism and Ethnography: Positionality and Data Analysis in the journal Studies in Indian Politics.
Dr Preeti Sampat, Associate Professor, Sociology & Social Anthropology, SIAS delivered a talk at a panel at Gokhale Education Society’s N.B.Thakur Law College, Nashik, on ‘Landed Property and Exclusion: Gender, Caste, Environment and Liberalism’.
Dr Joya John, Assistant Professor, Literature, SIAS participated in a virtual symposium titled, Minor Literature, Major Stakes: Hindi’s Political Worlds on October 10–11, 2025 organized by New York University & Vanderbilt University.
Dr John’s paper was titled, ‘Hindi in Local, Global, and Planetary Frames: Environment, Climate Change, and the Affordances of Hindi’. The paper analysed how state discourse stymies the language of environment communication and what challenges new global or planetary discourses of climate change pose for Hindi. The presentation was a set of observations based on the work of environmentalist Anupam Mishra, climate translations and contemporary Hindi fiction and poetry.
Dr Chirag Dhara, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies, SIAS delivered an invited talk on 14 October 2025 at the National-Level Pre-COP 30 Workshop organised by the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The title of the talk was ’Reconceptualization of climate responsibility and implications for climate finance’.
The workshop was organised by Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD), Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), and United Nations Global Compact Network (UNGCN). The purpose of the workshop is to inform India’s negotiating positions on climate change at the Conference of Parties 30 (COP 30) in Brazil in November.
Dr Sabah Siddiqui, Assistant Professor, Psychology, SIAS, delivered a talk at Vidyashilp University for the VU Lecture Series titled ‘The Unconscious Life of Ageing’.
Professor Sivakumar Srinivasan, Dean – Research and Professor, Physics, SIAS has penned an article in The Hindu titled 2025 physics Nobel Prize: the magic of quantum pervades all scales. Professor Srinivasan writes about how even though the laureates’ experiments were conducted in the mid-1980s, the ideas continue to spur research activities in many domains. He also sheds light on how their work emphasises the importance of basic research. Though the work’s original motivation was not quantum computing, its impact on the field amply demonstrates how basic research can foster technological innovations.
Dr Sambaiah Gundimeda, Associate Professor, Politics, SIAS recently penned an article titled Debating Uniform Civil Code: the making of Article 44 in the Constituent Assembly of India published by Indian Law Review.
Abstract
Should a secular state accommodate personal laws in a religiously diverse society? Must legislation reforming personal and cultural practices rest on the consent of affected groups? These questions animated the Constituent Assembly’s deliberations on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Initially conceived as a mechanism to harmonize personal laws, the UCC soon became a site of constitutional contestation over secularism, gender justice, and cultural autonomy. Proponents advanced it as essential to civic equality and national integration, while critics warned of majoritarian homogenization and emphasized the need for preserving plural legal traditions and community assent. The Constituent Assembly ultimately located the UCC within the non-justiciable Directive Principles, signalling a compromise between legal uniformity and pluralist accommodation. Revisiting these debates, this article argues that the democratic legitimacy of personal law reform rests not on equality or uniformity alone, but on inclusive deliberation, negotiated consent, and institutional patience within a plural constitutional order.
