Bishnu N Mohapatra (born 16 July 1960) is a political scientist,poet,educator,and academic. He is a professor of politics and the founding director of the Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Krea University. He was also the first dean of the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences (SIAS) at Krea. [1] He is a political commentator on society,governance,policy,and culture. [2]
Mohapatra's research interests are diverse and include identity politics,democracy,minority rights,urban politics,civil society,governance,social exclusion,and social capital. [3] He is currently researching cities and their multiple imaginings in history and is initiating a collective research project to understand the conceptual universe embedded in India’s Bhasa literature. [1]
Bishnu Mohapatra was born in Odisha,India. He spent his formative years in Odisha's rural hinterlands,especially in the coastal and tribal parts of Odisha. He completed his schooling from Cuttack. [4] Mohapatra holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi,an MPhil in Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University,and a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford. [1]
He has taught politics for over twenty-five years at the University of Delhi,Jawaharlal Nehru University,and Azim Premji University. He later held visiting appointments at institutions such as Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris,the National University of Singapore,the University of Kyoto in Japan,and the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore. [5] He has served as the Local-Global Governance Program Officer at the Ford Foundation's South Asia office in New Delhi. [6]
Bishnu Mohapatra was invited to anchor the project of the World Humanities Report (WHR) for India/ South Asia initiated by UNESCO and CIPSH (The International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences,Paris) and coordinated by CHCI (Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes) at the University of Wisconsin,Madison,in 2019. [7]
The World Humanities Report,anchored by Bishnu Mohapatra,provides an overview of the humanities' role in South Asia. The report includes thirteen critical essays and twelve video conversations,highlighting the humanities' presence in various forms and languages across the region. It emphasizes the humanities' ability to critically interrogate social practices,despite challenges such as limited public policies,economic resources,and social status. [8]
In his writings,Mohapatra highlights the challenges faced by minority communities in asserting their rights especially educational status of Muslims and decline of Urdu in North India and the role of the state in protecting these rights. [9] He argues that Indian state and civil society organizations often prioritize cultural rights over the socio-economic needs of the Muslim community. The authors argue that it is crucial for civil society to advocate for the socio-economic rights of Muslims to ensure their well-being and inclusion in society. [9] [10] [11]
Mohapatra is also an Odia poet and translator. [12] He has authored five poetry books and translated two volumes of Pablo Neruda’s poetry into Odia. A volume of his poetry in English translation,"A Fragile World," was published in 2005. His poetry has also been translated into Hindi (Buddha aur Aam,2022). [13] [12] [2]
His book,"Ranapare Jahan" (The Moon on Stilts),is a collection of Odia poetry. This book explores themes of love,life,and politics,blending them seamlessly into his poetic expressions. [14]
Books
Interrogating Social Capital:The Indian Experience (Co-edited With Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya,Niraja Gopal Jayal,and Sudha Pai),2004;Sage Publications,New Delhi,