CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

Organization: Bharat Ki Soch (BKS) Think Tank

Location: New Delhi, India

Position Levels: Senior Research Fellow (SRF) | Research Fellow (RF) | Junior
Research Fellow (JRF)

Engagement: Full-time

About the Organization

Bharat Ki Soch is a premier research institute dedicated to translating ancient Indian
administrative, economic, and strategic wisdom into contemporary public policy and
governance frameworks.

Thematic Research Pillars

To advance our specialized research agenda, BKS invites applications across six core
research domains:

1. Governance

2. National Security

3. Economy, Commerce and Finance

4. Environment and Sustainability

5. Agriculture and Food Security

6. Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing

Overview of Roles & Responsibilities

Selected candidates will conduct rigorous interdisciplinary research at the intersection of
classical texts and modern policy. Core responsibilities include:

• Applied Research: Analyzing primary historical sources and classical texts to
address current policy challenges within the chosen domain.

• Academic Output: Publishing thematic overviews, policy briefs, critical literature
reviews, and sourcebook compilations.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Convening expert roundtables, academic
conferences, and public outreach programs with policymakers and domain
specialists.

Qualifications & Specialization Pathways

Given the interdisciplinary nature of our work, BKS seeks specialists who possess either
deep domain expertise with a strong focus on historical sources OR classical/historical training with
explicit specialization in one of our research pillars.

1. Senior Research Fellow (SRF)

• Role Focus: Research leadership, project management, high-impact publication,
and institutional engagement.

• Academic Qualifications: Ph.D. required through one of the following
specialization pathways:

○ Domain Pathway: Ph.D. in a discipline corresponding to the target pillar
(e.g., Public Policy/Governance, Strategic Studies, Economics,
Environmental Science, Agricultural Studies, Public Health) with
demonstrated research in historical/classical frameworks.

○ Classical/Historical Pathway: Ph.D. in Ancient History, Indology, or
Classical Languages (e.g., Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil) with a doctoral thesis
or published research directly focused on the chosen pillar domain.

• Experience & Competencies:

○ Minimum 5+ years of post-qualification research or academic experience.

○ Substantial publication record in peer-reviewed journals or policy
monographs.

○ Native or professional fluency in English and Hindi.

○ Desirable: Proficiency in reading primary source material in classical
South Asian languages.

2. Research Fellow (RF)

• Role Focus: Independent research execution, sourcebook curation, policy
analysis, and workshop facilitation.

• Academic Qualifications & Experience:

○ Ph.D. Entry: Ph.D. in a relevant domain or Ancient History (with pillar-
specific specialization, (e.g., Public Policy/Governance, Strategic Studies,
Economics, Environmental Science, Agricultural Studies, Public Health)
and a minimum of 2 years of post-qualification work experience.

○ Master's Entry: Master's degree in a relevant discipline or Ancient
History with up to 5 years of dedicated research experience aligned with
the pillar.

• Competencies:

○ Working knowledge of classical texts relevant to the pillar.

○ Demonstrated writing portfolio (research reports, policy notes, or
academic publications).

○ Professional fluency in English and Hindi.

3. Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

• Role Focus: Textual extraction, literature synthesis, research drafting, and
program implementation support.

• Academic Qualifications & Experience:

○ Master's degree in a discipline relevant to the target pillar (e.g., Public
Policy/Governance, Strategic Studies, Economics, Environmental
Science, Agricultural Studies, Public Health), Ancient History, or Public
Policy.

○ 0-3 years of relevant research or professional experience.

○ Foundational understanding of ancient Indian texts and institutional
structures.

○ Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Hindi.

Application Procedure

Interested scholars should submit their application package to
contact@bharatkisoch.com.

Application Deliverables:

1. Cover letter indicating the Primary Pillar of application and outlining how your
specialization aligns with the fellowship criteria.

2. Curriculum Vitae including a list of publications and relevant research projects.

3. Ph.D. thesis abstract or a representative academic writing sample.

Ecology at the Crossroads of Climate Change

Chair: Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, former Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

Moderator: Sujata Prasad, former civil servant, author, and curator

Panellists: Mahesh Rangarajan, Professor, Ashoka University; Patricia Mukhim, Editor, Shillong Times; Neha Sinha, author and wildlife conservationist and Dr Yogesh Jain, Founder, Jan Swasthya Sahyog, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.

Seeds of Resilience: Women, Family Farms, and the Future of Nutritious Food Systems

Panellists: Heenaben Dave, Vice President, SEWA; Karthik Laxman, Researcher; Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, India Country Director, GAIN; Purnima Menon, Director, Strategy and Partnerships, IFPRI; Meenakshi Chodhary, SEWA

Release of the IIC Quarterly: Autumn 2026
Edited by K.E. Priyamvada, Editor IIC

To be released by N.N. Vohra, Life Trustee, IIC

Guardians of the Grasslands: Pastoralism, Mobility and Ecology

Chair: Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India

Panellists: Sushma Iyengar, Lead curator, Living Lightly Exhibition of Centre for Pastoralism (CfP); Ajay Dandekar and Anita Sharma, Assistant Professors, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University and Sunil Harsana, environmental activist.

Architecture, Urban Landscapes and the Future of Cities

Chair: Ashok Lall, Eminent architect and educator
Moderator: Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, India

Panellists: A.G.K. Menon, urban planner and architect and Shruti Narayan, Managing Director of Regions and Mayoral Engagement at C40 cities

The Written Word and Social Progress: How Kerala Achieved 100% Literacy
Keynote Speaker: Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of the Travancore Royal Family

Speakers: Venu Vasudevan, Former Chief Secretary, Kerala; T.K Manoj Kumar, former Secretary, Govt of India; Resmi R., Registrar, University of Kerala; Parvathy S., Director, State Archives of Kerala

The World within the Word
Poetry Reading Session on Nature 
Curated by Malashri Lal and Apoorvanand

Verses from Hindi, English and 6 regional languages

Chief Guest: Ashwajit Singh, Trustee, IIC

TALKS, DISCUSSIONS, POETRY READINGS

Wildlife Conservation in Contemporary India

Panellists: Mike Pandey, Indian Film maker and Conservationist; Dipankar Ghose, Senior Director, Biodiversity Conservation at WWF-India; and Purnima Devi Barman, Wildlife Biologist.

Moderator: Bahar Dutt, Environmental editor and columnist.

This will be preceded by screening of short films by Mike Pandey

The Nature (Prakriti) With Its Five Sensory Attributes and the Emotional World of Raga

Hindustani Vocal Recital by Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, renowned Indian classical vocalist, an exponent of the Patiala-Kasur Gharana.

Accompanied with Pandit Yogesh Samsi on Tabla and Ajay Joglekar on Harmonium

(Collaboration: ITC-Sangeet Research Academy)

Chief Guest: K.N Shrivastava, Director, IIC