Faculty
faculty

Faculty


Soumendra Mohan Patnaik (M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D)
Professor & HEAD
    Area of Interest
  • Anthropology of development
  • Tribal studies
  • Kinship
  • Globalization studies
  • Anthropological Theories
  • Research methodology

Prof. Patnaik has been teaching Social Anthropology for more than two decades. He was a Fulbright –Nehru Visiting Lecturer at VT Institute for Policy and Governance /Urban Affairs and Planning Virginia Tech University, USA (August 2011 to Jan 2012). He was also visiting faculty to many universities both home and abroad. He is currently the President of Indian Anthropological Association. He now heads a commission on Policy and Governance in the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES). Currently he is the Convener of Research Committee, Rural, Peasants and Tribal Commission. He is also the Director of Publication of Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society. He is a member of Editorial Board of the Asian Anthropology, a journal published by the Hongkong Anthropological Society. He is the Chairman, Governing board of Lakshmibai College, University of Delhi; Treasurer/member, Governing Board of Shaheed Rajguru College for Applied Sciences for Women, University of Delhi.
Professor Patnaik is also former Vice Chancellor of Utkal University, Odisha (2017-2020).
To read his CV, click here
Email: smp_du@yahoo.com



Prakash Ranjan Mondal (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Professor
    Area of Interest
  • HumanGenetics: Human variations with
    genomic studies (Molecular Anthropology)
  • Human nutrition
  • growth & development
  • Forensic Anthropology and Dermatoglyphics

Prof. P R Mondal was trained in Anthropology in University of Kolkata and University of Delhi with a specialization in Physical Anthropology. Prior to joining Department as an assistant professor, he has worked as research assistant in an Indo-German Project and then in Nutrition Foundation of India. He teaches papers on Primatology, Human origins & variations, Paleoanthropology and Molecular Anthropology, Dermatoglyphics to undergraduates and postgraduates.
To read his CV, click here
Email: prmondal1@rediffmail.com



Manoj K. Singh (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Archaeology of India
  • Paleoanthropology

Prof. Manoj Kumar Singh received his training in Anthropology from Gossner College, Ranchi and University of Ranchi. He earned his doctorate in Archaeology from University of Delhi in 2002 and has subsequently been teaching archaeological anthropology and paleoanthropology at Department of Anthropology in University of Delhi as an assistant professor. He has also been serving as deputy proctor of University of Delhi since 2013. Dr. M.K.Singh has been recently elected as the President of the Section of Anthropological and Behavioural Sciences at the 108th Session of INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS.
To read his CV, click here
Email: mksinghanthro@rediffmail.com



K N Saraswathy (M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D)
Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Molecular Anthropology
  • Genome Diversity
  • Molecular Medical Genetics

Prof. K N Saraswathy completed her postdoctoral research in Molecular Genetics from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA. Prior to joining the department in 2002, she worked at Amity institute of biotechnology. She currently teaches papers on Population Genetics, Biochemical Genetics, Human Biological Diversity, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity, Techniques in Human Genetics to Undergraduates and postgraduates. She has also been the principal and co-principal investigator in several projects in the field of molecular and genetic anthropology based in the molecular anthropology laboratory in the Department.
To read her CV, click here
Email: knsaraswathy@yahoo.com



Benrithung Murry (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Demography and Human genetics

Prof. Benrithung Murry was trained in anthropology in North Eastern Hill University, Nagaland University and University of Delhi with a specialization in physical anthropology. Prior to joining the department in 2004 as a lecturer, he worked in the capacity of Research Officer at Law Research Institute, Gauhati High Court and as Guest Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology, North Eastern Hill University. He has also served as the Resident Tutor in Jubilee Hall, University of Delhi during 2008-2009. He teaches papers on Human Evolution and Variations, Human Genetics, Demography and Biodiversity and also supervises research students.
To read his CV, click here
Email: benrithungmurry@yahoo.co.in



R. P. Mitra (M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D)
Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Tribal and Peasant Studies
  • Culture and Development
  • Crime against women
  • Mental Health
  • Ecology and Development

Prof. R. P. Mitra was trained in social anthropology at University of Delhi and teaches Introduction to Social anthropology, Social Institutions, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity of India, Tribe and Peasantry in India, Psychological Anthropology, Anthropological Theories, Religion and Symbolism and Ecological anthropology to undergraduates and postgraduates. Prior to joining the department as an assistant professor in 2003, he has worked as a research fellow in Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS). He has completed a research project on Evaluation of Conservation-cum Development Plan for the Bharia community of Madhya Pradesh. (Period: 2008-2010)funded by Department of Tribal Welfare, Government of Madhya Pradesh and currently investigating a project on Crime against women in India (Period: 2011 – Ongoing) funded by BPRD, Ministry of Home Affairs. Government of India.
To read his CV, click here
Email: rp_mitra@yahoo.co.in



Avitoli G Zhimo (M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Visual Anthropology
  • Anthropology of Law
  • Tribal studies




Dr. Avitoli G Zhimo has been teaching social anthropology at the University of Delhi since January 2009. She received her Master’s degree, M.Phil degree and PhD from the University of Delhi. She teaches Media Anthropology; Development Anthropology; Gender and Society; Tribal cultures of India; Anthropological Theories; Visual Anthropology; Social Institutions. She had worked extensively among the Naga tribes exploring the politics of conversion and the dynamics of customary law. She had also attempted to capture the changing realities among Naga tribes in the era of globalization. Her research papers had been published in reputed peer-reviewed journals. She was instrumental in reviving Visual Anthropology Lab in 2018. Her ethnographic films and photo-essays have featured in international platforms like the IUAES Congress 2020 (Croatia),Photo Oxford Festival 2021 (United Kingdom), Visual Ethnography journal(Italy). Currently she is also holding the position of Joint Director, Centre for Tribal, University of Delhi. Full CV
Email: agzhimo@anthro.du.ac.in



Vipin Gupta (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Associate professor
Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance “Intermediate fellow”
    Area of Interest
  • Epidemiology and Public Health
  • Genomic and Epigenomic Epidemiology
  • Cardio-metabolic Traits
  • Maternal and Child health
  • Molecular Anthropology


Dr. Vipin Gupta has research interest in lifecourse epidemiology, public health, genomics and social epidemiology. He is the recipient of the prestigious Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance “Intermediate Fellowship” award in Public health. He has received the Excellence Award for In-Service Teachers in 2021 by University of Delhi for his outstanding service and contributions in research. He is also the director of GaRBH cohort ("Gestational Route to Healthy Birth") which is an ongoing longitudinal study on metabolomics of maternal and child health. He has been teaching in the Department of Anthropology since 2013, and introduced Epidemiology and Public Health in M.Sc. curriculum and established the laboratory of “Public Health & Genomics” in the department. From the last 14 years, he is consistently involved in large scale studies in genetic epidemiology of cardiometabolic traits. To date he has received research grant of INR ~8 crores from different funding agencies, like, DBT, ICMR, UGC, SERB, and Wellcome Trust, UK. He has published 80 research articles in reputed national and international journals with >20,000 citations and h-index of 26. In collaboration with LSHTM, UK, he has established a large inter-generational cohort i.e. “Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study” (APCAPS), and developed a Dry blood spot based large bio-bank for National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR. He has also initiated “COPD genetics Consortium” in collaboration with leading Indian pulmonologists. He has conducted a variety of anthropological fieldworks in different caste and tribal populations and has fair experience of running consortiums in India.
To read his CV, click here Email: drvipiing@gmail.com



Naorem Kiranmala Devi (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Associate professor
    Area of Interest
  • Molecular Anthropology
  • Genome Diversity
  • Molecular Medical Genetics
  • Public Health
  • Demography

Prior to joining Department of Anthropology as an Assistant Professor in 2013, Dr. Kiranmala worked as a research officer in the INCLEN Trust International, New Delhi. She teaches papers on Paleoanthropology, Primate Biology, Biochemical Genetics, and Human origin and variation in addition to supervising students of M.Phil and PhD.
To read her CV, click here
Email: kmaladevi@gmail.com



Chakraverti Mahajan (M.Sc. Hons., Ph.D.)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Socio-cultural Anthropology
  • Political Anthropology
  • Urban Anthropology
  • Anthropology of India

Chakraverti Mahajan is Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Delhi. Dr Mahajan completed has Masters and PhD from Panjab University, Chandigarh. His doctoral work explores the impact of armed conflict on Hindu-Muslim relations in Jammu and Kashmir. He has been teaching in Delhi for a decade and was Charles Wallace Fellow (2021-22) at the Queen's University, Belfast, UK. Currently he is working on an Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) funded project on Social and Mental Health of Border Communities in Jammu and Kashmir and has just completed a collaborative project on Infertility and Psychological well-being funded by the National Commission for Women (NCW). His research on Jammu and Kashmir has been recognised by peers and professional bodies. Dr Mahajan was recently awarded Professor M N Srinivas Memorial Prize (2022).
Email: cmahajan@anthro.du.ac.in



Mitashree Srivastava (M.Sc., D.Phil)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Religion and religious identities in South Asia
  • Anthropology of Tourism
  • Buddhist identity and related discourses
  • Ecology and Development


Dr. Mitashree Srivastava is an assistant professor of social anthropology. She was educated and trained in social anthropology at University of Allahabad. Her thesis explored the evolution of Bodh Gaya as a sacred complex focusing on the Study of religion emphasizing narrative and discourse analysis in relationship to constructions of religious identities in South Asian globalizing contexts. She has perennial interest in finding out the significance of trans-nationalization in shaping up experiences and interpretations of what constitutes "authentic" Buddhist identity / Collection, description, and analysis of Narrative histories and testimonials of becoming Buddhist in order to explore the relationship between religious experience and identity formation in 21st century South Asia. She currently teaches Anthropology of Religion, Politics and Economy, Human Ecology: Social -Cultural Dimensions, Ecological Anthropology, Anthropology of Development, Anthropology of Religion and Symbolism and Anthropological Theory, Psychological Anthropology.
To read her CV, click here
Email: msrivastava@anthro.du.ac.in



Shivani Chandel (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Human growth and development
  • Kinanthropometry and Ergonomics
  • Physiology
  • Occupational Health


After completing her doctorate in anthropology from University of Delhi in 2012, Shivani Chandel joined the department as an assistant professor in 2013. She has recently completed a project titled “Occupational health of farm workers of Uttar Pradesh” funded by University of Delhi Research council. She teaches papers on Introduction to biological anthropology, biological diversity in Indian population, human ecology: biological dimensions, human growth and development, physiology, kinanthropometry and ergonomics and medical anthropology to Undergraduates and Postgraduates.
To read her CV, click here
Email: vs.shivani@gmail.com



Moiranthem Kennedy Singh (M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Development Anthropology
  • Microfinance & Microenterprise Generation in Development Intervention
  • Human Resource
  • Development
  • National Land Record Management Programmes
  • Action Research
  • Research Methodology
  • Anthropological Theories

Dr. M. Kennedy Singh was educated in Manipur University and University of Hyderabad. He has previously worked as a consultant faculty in National Institute for Micro Small and Medium Entreprise, Hyderabad, Govt. of India and faculty member in Centre for Rural Studies, NIAR, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration Massoorie before joining Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi as an assistant professor. He currently teaches papers on Research Methodology, Urban Anthropology, Anthropological theories of Society and Culture, Anthropological Theory, Reading of Ethnography, Indian Tribes, Psychological Anthropology, Material Culture.
To read his CV, click here
Email: mknd2000@gmail.com



Durga Rao Pedada (M.A, M.Phil, Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Forest environment
  • Livelihoods
  • Health
  • Education
  • Ethno-medicine
  • Development

Dr. Durga Rao Pedada had his early training in Anthropology at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India. Prior to joining the present assignment at University of Delhi as Associate Professor, he served as Assistant Professor at Asmara College of Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Eritrea; Associate Professor in the School of Humanities at Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India; and Professor and Head in the Department of Social Anthropology at Bule Hora University, Ethiopia. His areas of interest include: Forest Environment, Livelihoods, Health, Education, Ethno- Medicine and Development. He has been teaching Anthropological Theories, Anthropological Research Methods, Urban Anthropology, Anthropology of Economic Systems and Pastoral Society, Development Anthropology, and Medical Anthropology to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has supervised 6 doctoral Theses, in addition to several Masters Dissertations. He is member of many academic bodies and editorial Board Member of National and International Journals.
Email: draopedada@anthro.du.ac.in



Dannarapu Venkat Prasad (Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Ecological Anthropology
  • Traditional Knowledge System
  • Natural Resource Management
  • Tribal Studies

Dr. D.V. Prasad obtained his Doctorate from Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad. He was awarded University Grants Commission’s Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in 1998. Previously he worked as Assistant Anthropologist (Cultural) in Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India at Port Blair and Mysore during 2003- 2011. He also taught the students at the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak in the capacity of Assistant Professor from 2011 to 2023. Being a student of human science, he carried out anthropological research in tribal and rural villages of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Goa. Till date, he successfully completed six major and two minor projects on impact of Tsunami, Jarawa subsistence, Traditional Knowledge System of Nicobarese, cultural pluralism, Syncretism, Livelihoods Patten of Baiga, Management of Sickle Cell Anemia, and Evaluation of CSR Projects of SECL. Dr. Prasad Awarded Smt. Rajalakshmi Misra Memorial Medal 2009 for Excellence in Anthropological Research by Anthropological Association, Mysore.
Email: dvprasada@gmail.com



Ramesh Sahani (MSc, Ph.D)
Associate Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Biological Anthropology
  • Hunter-gatherer study
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Molecular Anthropology
  • Human growth and Nutrition
  • Social Impact Assessment
  • Nutrition and diseases

Ramesh Sahani joined Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi on 29-05-2023. Prior , he was associated with the Deptt. of Anthropology , Panjab University (10 years )and Anthropological Survey of India for more than 20 years. He served at different offices of Anthropological Survey of India, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Shillong, Meghalaya. He himself feels proud to work among the hunter-gatherer tribes of Andaman and Horticulturist of Car Nicobar Island. Though, his specialization is biological, but also worked in Cultural Anthropology and other emerging field such as social impact assessment, molecular anthropology, cognitive sciences, etc. He got his Anthropological training from Calcutta University, Dr. Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya and Gauhati University. He completed his Ph.D work under the supervision of Prof. Bapukan Chaoudhoury of Gauhati University. He completed more than 10 research project during his tenure at the Survey as Co-PI and PI. At Panjab University he was also involved as co-PI in four Social Impact Assessment Projects and one as PI. The remarkable contribution of his research is " Particularly Vulnerable ---- an Overview" which crossed more than13000 reads and another article “Major Famines in India during British Rule: A Referral Map” just going to cross 10000 read on researchgate. One of his paper “Nutritional and health status of Jarawas----- was cited in current Anthropology. At present ( 14-06-2023) his goggle citation is 347 with 7 h-index and 6 i-10 index.
Email: rameshrksahani1966@gmail.com



Meenal Dhall (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Assistant Professor
    Area of Interest
  • Physiological Anthropology
  • Human growth and development
  • Public health and Epidemiology
  • Nutrition
  • Physical activity

Dr. Meenal Dhall is presently an Assistant Professor in Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi. She did her doctoral degree in 2013 on pattern of physical activity and metabolic syndrome among adults of Delhi. She was University Teacher Assistant during her Phd in Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi. She has received post graduate diploma in public health nutrition from PHFI, Delhi in 2011. She has been actively working on public health problems especially obesity and cardio metabolic disease; nutritional status, physical activity and its related health outcome among different populations. She has seventeen international and national publications in this field.
To read her CV, click here
Email: mdhall@anthro.du.ac.in



Suniti Yadav (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Assistant professor
    Area of Interest
  • Public health
  • Epidemiology


Dr. Suniti Yadav was trained in Biological Anthropology at University of Delhi. Prior to joining the Department of Anthropology in 2020, she worked as Scientist at ICMR Headquarters in Division of Non- Communicable Diseases. She was involved in various National Task force projects including epidemiological (India Hypertension Control Initiative, National Heart Failure Registry etc), clinical trials in Stroke (Indian Stroke Clinical Trial Network – INSTRuCT), Stroke Care Pathway (Mobile Stroke Unit in North-east India). She was also awarded the ICMR-Research Associate in the Pulmonology. She currently teaches papers on Sports and Nutritional Anthropology, Neuroanthropology, Primate biology and behavior and Population studies. Her research interest lies in the areas of public health and epidemiology, ‘omics’ studies in cardiovascular science, neuroscience and pulmonology. She is an expert and mentor for Initiative for Research and Innovation in STEM (IRIS) National Fair which is a public- private partnership program funded by DST, GOI. She is also a Grands Awards Judge at the Virtual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2021. She is also involved in All AIIMS Academia (AAA) aimed to develop convergence between cardiology departments at AIIMS hospitals across the country with basic science researchers. Email – suniti_2004@yahoo.com



Abigail Lalnuneng (M.Sc., Ph.D)
Assistant professor
    Area of Interest
  • Biological Anthropology
  • Bio-cultural Anthropology
  • Applied Anthropology
  • Human Ecology and Adaptation
  • Public Health
  • Non-Communicable Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Biostatistics
  • Women's Rights and Education


Dr Abigail Lalnuneng is an anthropologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Delhi, India. Before joining the University of Delhi in February 2023, she was a senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Royal Thimphu College, Bhutan. During her engagement at the Royal Thimphu college, she also taught in the Department of Environmental Management, Political Science and Sociology, and Sports and Health Sciences. From 2015, 2018-2021, she taught in the Department of Anthropology, at Sikkim University, India. She was also briefly engaged as a Sports Scientist (anthropometrist) under the Sports Authority of India, Department of Sports, Government of India. She also trained people, teams and organisations on Scrum methodology and project management at the Knowledge Academy, United Kingdom. She earned a gold medal in MA/MSc Anthropology and received her PhD from the Department of Anthropology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India in 2019. Her research addresses the biocultural correlates of obesity, hypertension, and other health challenges among the indigenous/tribal communities of Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, Northeast India, and has published articles and book chapters based on this research. Email –