The Environmental Studies Fellowship
The Environmental Studies department offers a fellowship of up to Rs 10,000/- for original research in the field of environment and/or environment-society relations. This is offered twice a year: Winter Fellowship and Summer Fellowship. ES minors and concentrations will be given preference for consideration for this grant. The fellowship is advertised by the department usually in early December and early April for winter and summer breaks, respectively. The email id for the grant is environmentalstudies@ashoka.edu.in.
Previous Recipients of the Fellowship Included:
- Krishanu Kashyap (ASP 2023-24) – Major: Sociology & Anthropology – Winter Fellowship 2024
Research Question – “how to read and understand the life-worlds of Charuas, people who live in the chars (river islands of Assam), through the help of things that constitute the fluvial world—boats, embankments, and state infrastructure, among others”.
Supervisor: Prof. Mitul Baruah
- Ananya Samhita (UG-2025) – Major: Physics Minor: EVS – Winter Fellowship 2024
Research Question – “to investigate immediate and long-term repercussions of the oil spill originating from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) refinery unfolded amidst the intense flooding by Cyclone Michaung, on the health and income of over 20,000 residents, predominantly inland fishers from eight villages along the Buckingham Canal, Ennore Creek, and the Kosasthalaiyar River in North Chennai”.
Supervisor: Prof. Bikram Phookun
- Nimra Jeelani (UG-2025) – Major: English Minor: Political Science – Winter Fellowship 2024
Research Question – “to comprehensively investigate the impact of the Sonipat landfill on the local community, children, ecology, and water resources. The primary question centers on understanding the multifaceted repercussions of the landfill’s presence”.
- Ishika (UG-2023) – Major: Political Science Minor: EVS – Summer Fellowship 2022
Research Question – “I am arguing through this paper that marginalised communities on the basis of caste, class, income, etc. endure greater exposure to environmental contamination than the more privileged communities”.
Supervisor: Prof. Aniket Aga
- Soham S Kacker (UG-2022) – Major: Biology Minor: EVS – Summer Fellowship 2022
Research Question – “on the relative effects of dispersal-colonisation abilities versus habitat-dependent factors on the regeneration dynamics in degraded oak forests in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand”.
Supervisor: Prof. Ghazala Shahabuddin
- Aishwarya Sunaad (UG -2021) – Major: Sociology & Anthropology Minor: Economics – Winter Fellowship 2021
Research Question – “explores the tenuous relationship between the upholding of cultural practices and the environment, particularly wildlife conservation, in the face of the Bellada Kuppe Mahadeshwara jaatre, a local festival that is celebrated annually in the Hedeyala range of the Bandipur National Park in a designated core area 7 kilometres inside the forest”.
Supervisor: Prof. Mitul Baruah
