Sevanti Ninan is a columnist based in New Delhi writing on media for The Hindu and the Hindustan and founder-editor of The Hoot.org, a South Asian media watch website. She began her career at the Hindustan Times and has been development correspondent, special correspondent, and magazine editor at the Indian Express.
Jeffrey is a political anthropologist who studies caste empowerment and national politics in Bihar Province, in southern India. He has done research on the impact of globalization and state policies on rural economic development and on caste and ethnic conflict created by electoral politics in India. He earned his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Rob Jenkins is a Professor of Political Science, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). Formerly, he was a Professor of Political Science at Birkbeck College, University of London. His research in the area of Indian politics and political economy has covered a range of topics – from local-level anti-corruption movements to India’s engagement with the World Trade Organization.
Chandra Bhan Prasad is widely regarded as the most important Dalit thinker and political commentator in India today, advocating on behalf of the more than sixteen percent of India's population who have historically been regarded as untouchable by orthodox Hinduism.
Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa is the author of two books – Military Inc, Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy and Pakistan's Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99: In Search of a Policy – on defense decision-making and political-economy of the military. She has 17 years work experience in research, consulting, teaching, and running public sector projects with a particular focus on defense decision-making, defense economics, arms procurement and production, and revolution in military affairs (RMA) in South Asia.
Chander J. Daswani is a linguist with a Ph.D. from Cornell University. He has taught at the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Pune. He was for a decade Professor and Head, Department of Non-Formal Education, NCERT, New Delhi. He has worked closely with the Government of India, and with UNESCO, on matters related to language, literacy and education. Prof. Daswani is a member of the National Council for the Development of Indian Languages, Government of India.
Harish Damodaran is a journalist who has worked for more than 16 years as a reporter and editorial analyst with the Press Trust of India and The Hindu Business Line. Currently Senior Assistant Editor at The Hindu Business Line, Damodaran has specialized in agri-business and commodities coverage -- a job which, besides involving tracking of price movements and harvest sizes of grains, oilseeds, pulses, sugar and dairy products, has given him ample opportunities to travel, observe, study and learn from people and things on the ground.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta is Vice Chancellor of Ashoka University. Previously, he was President of the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, one of India’s leading think tanks and earlier Associate Professor of Government and Social Studies at Harvard University. He has also been Visiting Professor of Government at Harvard University and Professor at NYU Law School’s Global Faculty.
Rishikesha T. Krishnan is a Professor in the Corporate Strategy & Policy Area and Jamuna Raghavan Chair Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), India. His research interests are in the areas of strategy, innovation and competitiveness. At IIMB, he is currently the Chairperson of Research & Publications. He was earlier the Chairperson of the Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGP) at IIMB.
