Transforming Institutional Justice for Caste-Based Discrimination and Violence

This Post-Doctoral Fellowship aims to transform institutional responses to caste-based discrimination and violence by translating the findings of my doctoral research as follows: 1. Monograph Publication To consolidate my doctoral thesis entitled ‘In the Interests of Justice: Cases of Caste Violence in the Supreme Court of India’ into a monograph with a leading publisher in the field. My doctoral research critically examines how the Indian judicial framework addresses caste-based violence, highlighting its limitations in delivering justice and the systemic challenges faced by the oppressed communities. Transforming the thesis into a book will inform scholars, practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers, thereby influencing institutional reform and policy change. The timeline for the book proposal, already in progress, and the plan to secure provisional interest from a publisher through mentor and supervisor networks are detailed in the case for support, planned activities, and workplan. 2. Collaborative Blog Series To publish collaborative blog-series commissioned by Oxford Human Rights Hub. Building on the core themes of my doctoral thesis, the blogposts will explore caste within the international human rights law and its implementation. Co-authored with scholars and practitioners specialising in caste issues, the series will diversify the dissemination of my research, enhance my scholarly profile, expand my academic network, and foster interdisciplinary dialogue by bringing my work into conversation with other disciplines. 3. Stakeholder Engagement To actively engage with International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), a prominent global advocacy organisation addressing caste-based discrimination in South Asia and diaspora. This engagement will include participation in events at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and the EU Human Rights Forum in Brussels, allowing effective dissemination of my research findings to key national and international stakeholders. These interactions will enable me to gain valuable insights into how caste-based discrimination is addressed in global policy spaces and how stakeholders engage with multilateral institutions and influence policy decisions, while scoping out the international advocacy and policy processes on caste issues. 4. Develop Funding Proposals To develop competitive funding proposals with IDSN for conducting socio-legal research on caste-based discrimination in Nepal. Caste system is widespread across South Asian countries. Building on my doctoral research on caste violence in India, my next focus is Nepal, where the legal framework fails to recognise caste as an aggravating factor in crimes and remains limited to civil rights violations, due to political instability that has hindered legal reform despite persistent caste-based discrimination. These proposals, targeting ESRC, Leverhulme Trust or Nuffield Foundation, will expand the geographical and thematic scope of my research. Leveraging IDSN’s strong connections with domestic organisations and stakeholders in Nepal, this work will investigate how national legal institutions can more effectively address caste-based discrimination. 5. Advanced Research and Knowledge Exchange Training To utilise advanced research training offered by the Doctoral Training Partner South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) and Middlesex University, the host institution to enhance my research skills in data management, ethical practices, qualitative data analysis, and knowledge transfer, and to collaborate with the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), an interdisciplinary and cross-departmental centre that investigates and provides cutting-edge analysis on social and public policy issues, with a particular emphasis on social justice. Additionally, to co-produce innovative and accessible digital outputs that communicate my research findings through creative methodologies with the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries to reach wider audiences.