Digital Public Infrastructure and the Jeopardy of “Alt Big Tech” in India
Smriti Parsheera
June 10, 2024
In the latest issue of India in Transition, lawyer & public policy researcher Smriti Parsheera examines the rise of digital public infrastructure in India and the new power structures fostered by these infrastructural monopolies.
From April-May, as millions of Indians set out to vote, India in Transition brought you CASI Election Conversations 2024, an interview series featuring IiT Consulting Editor & CASI Spring 2024 Visiting Fellow Rohan Venkat speaking with renowned scholars, reflecting on the factors and dimensions of politics, political economy, and democracy that would define India’s 2024 election.
Read the FULL 8-part series:
Louise Tillin on How Indian Federalism Has Evolved Under the BJP
April 8, 2024
Yamini Aiyar on the BJP’s “Techno-Patrimonial” Welfare Model
April 15, 2024
Rachel Brulé on the Promise and Pitfalls of Gender Quotas in Indian Politics
April 22, 2024
Pavithra Suryanarayan on the BJP, “Social Status,” and Anti-Redistributive Politics
April 29, 2024
Francesca R. Jensenius on Misconceptions About the Indian Voter
May 6, 2024
Sumitra Badrinathan on the Need to Study Misinformation in India
May 13, 2024
Neelanjan Sircar on the Roots of Political and Economic Centralization in India
May 20, 2024
Milan Vaishnav on “Vote-Buying,” Caste Politics, and Debunking Assumptions about Indian Democracy
May 27, 2024
CASI Student Programs
Congratulations to CASI's 2024 Summer Interns and Summer Research Grant recipients!
2024 CASI Summer Research Grant Recipients:
Tanya Vaidya: Penn Arts and Sciences, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science
The Contractualization of the "Sarkari Naukri"
Sage Leland: College'26, Neuroscience
A study of patient digital usage habits, access, and attitudes at a high-volume eye hospital in Southern India
Norah Rami: College'26, English
Literary Freedom and Political Dialogue on Kolkata's College Street
Kshama Mumbai: College '26, Economics
Effect of Dissent Within RBI on Financial Markets
Koyna Tomar: Ph.D. Candidate in History and Sociology of Science
Dairy Democracy: Food and Techno-politics in Modern India, c.1880-1989
Kamalini Hegde: Joint Ph.D. Candidate South Asia Studies and Anthropology
Mapping Agricultural Cooperatives in Karnataka: A Preliminary Exploration
Christopher LaMack: Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology
An Investigation of Small Industry in Colonial Bellary District, 1800-1947
Rushnae Kabir: Ph.D. Candidate in Department of Religious Studies
Popular Islam in India: Love, Gender and Community Formation
2024 CASI Summer Interns:
Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI): Gurgaon, Haryana
Jaymaba Ndiaye: SAS'25, Health and Society
Shristi Mapchan: College'25 Psychology, Minor in Medical Sociology and Chemistry
Siddiqa Faruki: Nursing'26, Global Health
Aravind Eye Care System: Madurai and Pondicherry
Amanda Kossoff: Vagelos Life Sciences & Management Dual-Degree Program'27, B.S. in Economics & B.A. in Biology
Asanti Mergiya: Life Sciences & Management Dual-Degree Program'26 B.S. in Economics, Health Care Management & Policy & B.A. in Biology
Alicia Zhang: College'27, Computational Biology
Hana Matsuda: Engineering'25, Bioengineering
Nitin Seshadri: College'25, Neuroscience
Shivek Narang: College'25, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science with a minor in Healthcare Management
Shahi Exports:
Bedansh Pandey: College'26, International Relations
Iniyaal Raguraj: College'26, Political Science and Computer Science
All Sobti Fellowship Applications Now CLOSED—2024-25 Fellows will be announced soon!
Keep up with student travel funds winners' experiences on the CASI Student Programs Blog!
Questions about CASI Student Programs?
Please contact Juni Bahuguna (Assistant Director, Student & Visitor Programs) at junib@sas.upenn.edu
Upcoming Events
Our events for this academic year have concluded. Thanks to all who participated in-person and/or virtually. The Fall 2024 events program will be announced later this summer.
CASI 2023 Data Seminar Series Videos Available
View the full videos of all 12 seminars in the CASI 2023 Data Seminar Series—hosted by CASI Non-Resident Visiting Scholar Rukmini S. (Independent Data Journalist; Founder of Data For India).
Campus Location
CASI's office is located close to the heart of Penn's campus at the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science & Economics at 133 South 36th Street (Suite 230) Philadelphia, PA 19104-6215.
Please note: CASI is operating on a hybrid schedule.