Chandan Kushwaha

Faculty Advisor: Aakansha Natani
Research Areas: Digital Governance; Rural Sociology/Development Studies; Science and Technology Studies; Social Justice; Land Tenure and Property Rights
Email: chandan.kushwaha@research.iiit.ac.in
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My academic background includes Master's degrees in both Spanish (from Jawaharlal Nehru University) and Political Science (from the University of Hyderabad), and I've explored diverse fields like history, philosophy, political thought, and international relations. Beyond academics, I've gained valuable experience working in various roles related to Spanish language and culture, including as a Spanish teacher, translator, and interpreter. Before joining PhD, preparing for the UPSC-CSE examination gave me a broad understanding of governance, economics, and public policy. I'm also a recipient of the UGC-NET JRF in Political Science. Outside of my academic work, I enjoy travelling, hiking, and exploring new cultures, as well as spending time with family and friends, and reading on diverse topics of national and international importance.

Current Research

Research Statement: As a PhD scholar at IIIT-Hyderabad, looking at the intersection of digitalisation, governance, and social justice; my current research focuses on digital public infrastructure and how government initiatives like the SVAMITVA Scheme are impacting rural communities in India. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges these communities face in navigating bureaucratic processes, I'm motivated to understand whether digital interventions are truly empowering or inadvertently marginalising them further. I use frameworks like techno-liberalism and tech-solutionism to critically examine the ethical and political implications of digital governance on marginalised populations. At the Human Science Research Centre, I hope to contribute to important conversations about technology, governance, and social change, using social science methods to analyse the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation in India.