Breaking the silence on caste in academia

Breaking the silence on caste in academia

From Between the Lines by Institute of Development Studies

August 26, 2025 · 54 min · Season 7 · Episode 7

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of caste hierarchies on academia and knowledge production, featuring insights from anti-caste scholars and activists.

Caste isn’t just a South Asian issue — it shapes who speaks, who listens, and who is heard in academic and development spaces worldwide. In this episode of Between the Lines, we confront how caste hierarchies continue to influence the production of knowledge, access to opportunity, and the experience of being in higher education. Hosted by Chandni Sai Ganesh, MA Gender and Development alum at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), this conversation brings together anti-caste scholars and activists Aarti Rajput, Ritu Kochar, and Priyanka Samy. They speak about the silences, exclusions, and resistances that define their journeys in the UK and global academic contexts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guests: Aarti Rajput, Ritu Kochar, Priyanka Samy

Topics covered

  • caste
  • academia
  • knowledge production
  • higher education
  • social justice

Keywords

  • caste hierarchies
  • academic spaces
  • development
  • exclusions
  • resistances

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Between the Lines

Places: UK

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