Education

• Ph.D in Development Studies - University of Mysore - 1995
• M.D.P (Masters in Development - University of Mysore - 1987 Planning and Management)
• Bachelor of Science - University of Mysore - 1984
• Certificate Course (French) - University of Mysore

Doctoral Titles

• "Urban- Rural Divide and Agrarian Contradictions - A study of Karnataka's Farmers' Movement" February 1995.

Present Occupation

• Associate Professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), April,2001.

Research Experience

• Principal Researcher with Andres Parrado and Vishnu Govindswamy on an exploratory project titled A View from Below: Mapping Functions, Finances & Functionaries in rural India, supported by the Fifth State Finance Commission, GOTN, 2015-16.
• Principal qualitative researcher with Dr. Vijayendra Rao and Nethra Palaniswamy from the World Bank on World Bank social Observatory sponsored evaluation and research on Pudhu Vazhvu Project in 40 panchayats in 10 districts in Tamilnadu, June 2013-14.
• Principal researcher in Karnataka and India project coordinator of the cross comparative research study on 'Informal Institutions, State and Public Action in Asia' with research partners from Pakistan and Rajastan, funded by the Centre For the Future State, Institute of Development Studies, U.K., November 2005 - 10.
• Principal researcher with Dr. Vijayendra Rao and Dr. Jeff Hammer from the World Bank on World Bank sponsored research on Deepening Democracyin 200 villages in 5 districts in north Karnataka, June 2007-09.
• "Formal & Informal Local Governance in India" Funded by the Centre For the Future State, Institute of Development Studies, U.K., Dec 2001- March 2005. Detailed note on the project available here
• CONSULTANT - "Evaluation/Impact Study of Four Training Projects for Farm Women In India" funded by Danida, with the Centre for Development Research Copenhagen, Denmark, Nov 2002 - February 2003
• CONSULTANT - "Women's Access & Rights to Land In Karnataka" with Rural Development Institute (RDI), Seattle, USA, 2001
• PROGRAMME OFFICER - Initiated and executed action research on "Decentralisation in Mysore District" with the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, funded by the Ford Foundation, New Delhi, 1998-2000.
• CONSULTANT - "Finances of PRIs in Karnataka - A case study of Mysore ZP", with PRIA, Delhi, 1999.
• CONSULTANT - "Gender Constraints for Gram Panchayat Women Members", with SEARCH, Bangalore,1999.
• RESEARCH ASSOCIATE - "Farmers' Movements and Organizations in India, Taiwan & Thailand" with Dr. Staffan Lindberg, Lund University, Sweden & Dr. Stig Toft Madsen, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen,1998-2000.
• CONSULTANT - "Panchayati Raj in Karnataka and the Ford Foundation's 'Governance' Programme" - with Prof. James Manor, IDS, Sussex, September 1997.
• LOCAL LEAD CONSULTANT - "Bangalore Urban Poverty Alleviation Project" - Team member of the Review mission with Ms. Sue Phillips and Dr. Richard Slater, University of Birmingham, for evaluation and recommendation of the second phase of the Dutch funded Project - October - November 1997.
• PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER - "Comparative study of European Aid for Poverty Reduction in India" - in Collaboration with European researchers from Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan - May 1997.
• RESEARCH ASSISTANT - "Sustainable Management of Scarce agricultural Resources: Water and Land - The case of Southern Karnataka" with Prof. Steen Folke, Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen, Denmark - 1993 -95.

Area of specialisation

Governance and Civil Society; Democratic Decentralization; Local governance; Informal Institutions; Women's empowerment and political participation. Social movements; and Development and Political communication.

Special Skills

Trained in Participatory Research methodology.

Visiting Fellowships, Guest Faculty And Awards

1. Visiting Faculty for Summer School for Future Leaders in Development jointly conducted by Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University- and IIM-Udaipur, India , 2016-17
2. Guest Faculty for Duke University's Global Studies Abroad(GSA) India programme, 2010-15
3. Visiting Fellow , University of London, May 2014
4. Visiting Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, March- April 2009 and May -June 2010.6
5. Visiting Scholar at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, September 2009 - June 2010
6. Awarded the ICSSR-ESRC UK Scholar Exchange award for March - April, 2009
7. Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, U.K, July 2004- August 2004
8. Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies, Johannesburg, South Africa, October-November 2003.

Recent Memberships

International

1. Member of the Expert team on local governance for South- South Exchange programme to Timor Leste to help the Government of Timor Leste with drafting of Suku law, Sept 2014.
2. Member of UNIFEM's expert advisory group for their flagship publication Progress of World's Women, 2009-10.
3. Member of the Advisory Group on Customary Governance and Democracy Building: Exploring the Linkages, IDEA, Sweden, 2009-10.

State

1. Member of State Level Coordination Committee for Panel Studies, 2017
2. Member of the review committee and advisory group for mentoring Dept of Evaluation and Applied Research, GOTN, 2014
3. Member of the advisory group to design P Tracking pilot, Planning &Development, GOTN 2015
4. Member of the TNSPSC committee to setting question papers and assessing answer scripts, 2012

Academic

1. Member of Academic Council, MIDS 2015-2017
2. Member- Ph.D coordination and course work committee. 2016-2017
3. Member of Board of Studies in Agri-Business Management, University of Mysore, 2015-2017
4. Member of Board of Studies in Agri-marketing, University of Mysore, 2013-2015
5. Member of Board of Studies, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Mysore, 2011-2014
6. 2014Member of Board of Studies, Anthropology, University of Madras, 2011

Articles

1. 'The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of a Randomized trial to Deepen Democracy' with Kabir Malik and Dr. Vijayendra Rao, submitted to World Development, Accepted for publication on 30th May 2017
2. 'Thalladum Madhuvilakku Kolgai' a Tamil article on Prohibition published in Kalachuvudu, Vol 28, Issue 7, June 2016.
3. 'The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of a Randomized trial to Deepen Democracy' with Kabir Malik and Dr. Vijayendra Rao, submitted to American Political Science Review under revision, 2015
4. 'Retrospective Impact Evaluation of the Pudhu Vazhvu Project: A Policy Note' - with Nethra Palaniswamy and Smriti Sakhamuri, April 2015
5. 'The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of a Randomized tnorial to Deepen Democracy' with Kabir Malik and Dr. Vijayendra Rao, Policy Research Working Paper, 6958, The World Bank, June 2014.
6. 'Globalization, Distance and Disease: Spatial Health Disparities in Rural India' with Anirudh Krishna, Millenial Asia, Vol. 4, No. 1, April 2013.
7. 'Ambiguous Institutions: Traditional Governance and Local Democracy in Rural India' with Mick Moore, Journal of Development Studies, Vol 46, Issue 4, 603, 2010.
8. 'Informal Institutions' A Key Issues Guide prepared on Informal Institutions for Eldis.org Click here to follow the link, 2009
9. 'Rivalry or Synergy? Formal and Informal Local Governance in Rural India', Development & Change, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 401-21, May 2007.
10. 'Ambiguous Institutions: Traditional Governance and Local Democracy in Rural India' with Mick Moore, IDS Working Paper 282, Brighton: IDS, May, 2007
11. 'Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka', Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 42 No. 8: 667-673, 24 February 2007
12. 'Rivalry or Synergy? Formal and Informal Local Governance in Rural India', IDS Working Paper No. 226, June 2004.
13. 'Interfaces in Local Governance: A Study in Karnataka', MIDS Working Paper no., 2004
14. 'Delegation to Devolution : Karnataka' with V.K. Natraj, MIDS Working Paper no.184, February 2004
15. 'Interfaces in Local Governance' - Article in EPW, 19-25th Oct 2002, Vol.XXXVII, No.42
16. "Women's Access & Rights to Land in Karnataka" - with Jennifer Brown and Renee Gioverelli, RDI Reports on Foreign Aid and Development # 114, Rural Development Institute, USA, April, 2002
17. 'Governance & Media - Use of Radio in Disseminating information On Participatory Governance In Mysore District' - A Process report submitted to The Ford Foundation, 2000

Contribution to Books

1. "From Panchayats to Parliament" in Ajay K. Mehra (ed) The Indian Parliament and Democratic Transformation, Routledge: New Delhi, 2017 forthcoming
2. "Pluralism in Practice: Stories of political bargaining and negotiations from rural south India', presented at the 4th Global conference eon Pluralism, Citizenship and Inclusion, organized by the Inter-disciplinary. Net, 31st October - 2nd November, 2008, Salzburg, Austria, accepted for publication as book chapter in both e-book and hard copy.
3. 'Formal Perception of Informal Justice: Village Councils and Access to Justice' first author with Anirudh Krishna in Amita Singh and Naseer Aslam Zahid(eds.), "Access to Justice: The Great Betrayal in Governance" Vol II, , Printice Hall of India, November, 2008.
4. 'Addressing Land rights in Karnataka' second author with Jennifer Brown and Renee Gioverelli in " Gender Discrimination in Land Rights", Sage Publishing House, New Delhi, February, 2009.
5. 'Devolution: An Evolutionary Perspective'(co-author)in "Agricultural Development, Rural Institutions And Economic Policy: Essays in honour of Professor A Vaidyanathan" Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Febraury, 2009.
6. 'Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka', in Ravi Kanbur, Vijayendra Rao and Gopal Kadekodi (eds), Development in Karnataka: Challenges of Governance, Equity and Empowerment, Academic Foundation, 2008.
7. 'Selection by Custom & Election by statute - Interfaces in Local Governance in Karnataka' in Niraja Gopal Jayal, Amit Prakash and Pradeep Sharma (eds) "Local governance in India: Decentralisation and Beyond ", Oxford University Press, New Delhi, February 2006
8. 'Political Communication For Participation : Linking Local Governance& Rural Citizens through Radio In Karnataka ' in Kiran Prasad (ed.)"Political Communication: The Indian Experience" B.R.Publishers, New Delhi, 2003.

Monographs ad Reports

• "A View from Below: Mapping Functions, Finances & functionaries in rural India"- Report prepared for the Government of Tamilnadu as part of the 5th State Finance Commission.
• Institutionalising Gendered Governance through empowerment: A qualitative Evaluation of Pudhu Vazhvu Project - A Project report submitted to the GOTN.
• Delegation to Devolution - A Comparative Perspective [Co-author], MIDS, June 2006, Chennai.

Current Research Projects

• Principal Researcher and project coordinator of the Tamilnadu Household Panel survey - a collaborative research project between Madras Institute of Development Studies, Survey Research Centre, University of Michigan and Department of Economics and Statistics, GOTN, supported by GOTN, 2015-19
• Principal Researcher with Dr. Vijayendra Rao and Smriti Sakhamuri from the World Bank social Observatory on using P Tracking for developing Village Development Plans in Tamilnadu, in collaboration with the department of Rural Development and State Planning Commission, 2015-2017.

Recent Presentations

1. Tamilnadu Household Panel survey - A conceptual framework- at the Tamilnadu Household Panel Survey workshop, August 11th & 12th, 2016
2. 'The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of a Randomized Trial to Deepen Democracy in Rural India', presented at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, May 2015.
3. "A Note on Informal Authorities" E discussion/workshop on 'Informal authorities - Unusual Actors in Local Government', organized byDecentralization and Local Governance Network, sponsored by SDC, April, 14th and 15th, 2015.
4. "Decentralization in India", presented at the Roundtable on 'Local Governments and Customary Institutions' organized jointly by The World Bank and the Government of East Timor, Dilli, East Timor, 9th September, 2015
5. 'The Anatomy of Failure: An Ethnography of a Randomized Trial to Deepen Democracy in Rural India', presented at the conference on 'Making Impact Evaluation Matter: Better Evaluation for Effective Policies and Programmes, jointly organized by 3ie, Asian Development Bank and Philippines Institute of Development Studies, 3-5th September 2014, Manila, Philippines.
6. "Role of Informal Local Governance Institutions in Local Governance" organised by DLGN E discussion/workshop on 'Civic engagement in local governance: beyond the usual suspects?', organized by Decentralization and Local Governance Network, sponsored by SDC, June 7th- 8th, 2014.
7. "Death of a Dream: The story of Karnataka's Farmers' movement", presented a seminar on 'State and Society: Violence, Health and Food Security', jointly organized by Purdue University & IIT, Chennai, 13-14th March 2013
8. "From Panchayats to Parliament: Exploring Interfaces", presented at a conference on 'The Indian Parliament and Democratic Transformation', organized by India International Centre and Centre for Public Affairs, New Delhi, 9-11th April, 2013
9. "Customary village councils in the governance of panchayats in Karnataka" presented at a workshop on Local Governance and decentralized service delivery in the 12th Plan, jointly organized by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Institute of Social Sciences and the World Bank, New Delhi, August 25-26th, 2011
10. "The Variable burden of History: Non-State dispute Resolution in three Regions of South Asia"( joint paper with 4 other authors) presented at the 'Access to Justice and Security: Non-state Actors and the Local Dynamics of Ordering' organized by Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen, 1-3 November, 2010.
11. "Can Governance and Accountability be improved? Evidence form Karnataka, India" presented at international conference on 'Reinventing Governance: Breaking down silos and Improving collaborations', organized by the Centre for the study of Conflict, Collaboration and Creative Governance, University of Colorado, 8-10,October, 2010, Boulder, USA.
12. "From Rivalry to Synergy - Innovative Democratic Institutions and Customary Governance in Karnataka, India", presented at the international conference on 'Customary Governance and Democracy Building: Exploring the Linkages' jointly organized by IDEA, Sweden and UN Economic Commission for Africa, 15-16th September, 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
13. "Role of customary Village councils in Local Governance" presented at an international conference on 'Customary Governance and Democracy Building', organized by International IDEA, Sweden, and IIAS, Shimla, 22nd -23rd May 2009, Shimla, India
14. "Local-level Governance and Post-Conflict Peace Building in Fragile States", presented at the symposium on 'Sustainable Peace Building: Regional Approaches and Pivotal States' organized by Centre for Sustainable Development and International Peace, Josef Korble School of International Studies, University of Denver, 11th - 13th November, 2009, Vail, Colorado
15. "Pluralism in Practice: Stories of political bargaining and negotiations from rural south India', presented at the 4th Global conference eon Pluralism, Citizenship and Inclusion, organized by the Inter-disciplinary. Net, 31st October - 2nd November, 2008, Salzburg, Austria.
16. "From Rivalry to Synergy? The Changing Role of Traditional Leaders and Customary Village councils in the Context of Decentralization" presented under SPURS/IDG Lecture Series, organized by Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT, Cambridge, 15th September, 2008.
17. "The Changing Role of Traditional Leaders and institutions in the Context of Decentralization" presented under the South Asia Decentralization Series, organized by SAR Multisectoral Decentralization Group, The World Bank, Washington D.C., 15th November, 2007.
18. 'Informal Institutions and state capacity in Karnataka' presented at the Workshop on the 'Informal Institutions and State Capacity', Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, 19th -23rd March, 2007
19. 'Informal Institutions and state capacity: India' presented at the Workshop on the 'Politics of State Capacity', Institute of Development Studies, UK, 16-18 January 2006
20. 'Decentralisation and Informal Governance: Describing India' presented at the Workshop on 'Informal Institutions and State effectiveness' organised by the DRC for the Future State, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, UK, 22-25th June, 2005.
21. 'How can poor people mobilize to influence public policies? - Evidence from Karnataka' presented at the conference on 'New Challenges in State Building', organized by the Institute of Development Studies, London, 21st June 2005
22. 'Dynamics of Local Governance in Karnataka' presented at the conference on 'Development in Karnataka: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective' jointly organized by Institute of Social Economic change, Bangalore, Cornell University and the World Bank, Bangalore, 10-12th June, 2005
23. 'Formal and Informal Local Governance in Karnataka, India- Emerging Patterns'- presented at the Synthesis meeting of the DRC for Future State, organized by the Centre for Policy Studies, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23rd-26th, 2005.
24. 'Use of Radio in Development Communication' - presented at the Symposium on 'Information and Communication Strategies for Grassroots Development', organized by School of Information and Communication Studies, University of Madras, Chennai, 4-5th March 2005.
25. 'Women's Rights and Access to Land in Karnataka' paper presented at the workshop on 'Gender Discrimination in Land Ownership', Centre for Rural Studies, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, 5th -6th February 2004
26. 'Women's Rights and Access to Land in Karnataka' Paper presented at Symposium on the Protection of Rural Women's Land Rights and Attainment of New Breakthroughs in China's Rural Reform, organized by China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), Haiku, Hainan, China , January 2003.
27. "Local Governance and the Role of Traditional Leadership in South Africa" - Presentation at the Centre for Policy Studies, Johannesburg, S. Africa, 7th Nov 2003.

Available on request