Founders and Advisors

The YIF was conceptualised, founded and launched in 2011 in New Delhi, by Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Ashish Dhawan and Pramath Raj Sinha, along with other philanthropists, who since then also became Founders of Ashoka University when it began operations in Rajiv Gandhi Education City in 2014. Pramath served as the Founding Dean of the YIF in its initial years, and continues to teach at the YIF. Professor Rudrangshu Mukherjee started teaching in the YIF from its first cohort comprising 57 Fellows, and went on to become Ashoka’s founding Vice Chancellor. He is the current Chancellor and Professor of History at Ashoka University, and continues to be a key senior advisor to the programme. Professor Somak Raychaudhury, Vice Chancellor and Professor of Physics at Ashoka University, teaches at the YIF while also overseeing the programme.

Ashish Dhawan

Founding Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University
Advisory Council, The Isaac Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance, Ashoka University
Founder and Chairman, Central Square Foundation

BS, Yale University
MBA, Harvard University

Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Founder and Vice-Chairman, Info Edge (Naukri.com)
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

BA, St. Stephen’s College
MBA, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Pramath Raj Sinha

Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University
Founder and MD, Harappa Education
Founder and MD, 9.9 Group
Founding Dean, ISB
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

Somak Raychaudhury

Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Physics, Ashoka University

Ph.D. in Astrophysics, University of Cambridge

Rudrangshu Mukherjee

Chancellor, Professor of History, Ashoka University

D.Phil. Oxford University

Faculty

Several renowned academicians, public individuals and practitioners across various fields teach multi- and inter-disciplinary courses (both core and elective) at the YIF, Ashoka University’s flagship programme. These include both, full-time Ashoka faculty as well as visiting faculty from India and abroad.

Learn more about our faculty

Rudrangshu Mukherjee

Chancellor, Professor of History, Ashoka University

D.Phil. Oxford University

Mekhala Krishnamurthy

Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University College, London

Dipankar Bhattacharya

Head of the Department, Physics,
Sunanda and Santimay Basu Professor of Astrophysics, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Urvashi Butalia

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Publisher and Founder, Zubaan Books

Kathryn Hardy

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

K. VijayRaghavan

Special Invitee - Governing Body, Ashoka University
Chair, Science Advisory Council, Ashoka University

Former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India

Madhavi Menon

Professor of English,
Director, Centre for Studies in Gender & Sexuality, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Tufts University

Arun Kumar Singh

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

MA University of Delhi

Pramath Raj Sinha

Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University
Founder and MD, Harappa Education
Founder and MD, 9.9 Group
Founding Dean, ISB
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

Santosh S. Venkatesh

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology

A. K. Shiva Kumar

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Harvard University

Kenwyn K. Smith

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Yale University

Dwight Jaggard

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology

Jaspreet Bindra

Visiting Faculty, Department of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Founder and Managing Director, Tech Whisperer Limited, UK

KP Krishnan

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Anunaya Chaubey

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Patna University

Jonathan Gil Harris

Professor of English, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Sussex

Ranjan Banerjee

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Carlson School of Management

Ruppal Walia Sharma

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. BITS Pilani

Sanjay Kathuria

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Oxford University

Amit Chaudhuri

Head of Department, Professor of Creative Writing, Ashoka University
Director, Centre for the Creative and the Critical

DPhil in English, Oxford University

Bhismadev Chakrabarti

Visiting Professor of Psychology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Trinity College, Cambridge

Debayan Gupta

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Yale University

Meghna Agarwala

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Columbia University

The YIF Team

The YIF Team comprises the Director, Assistant Director and members across three key functions: Academics and Operations, Learning and Engagement, and, Admissions and Outreach. The YIF Team works with Fellows and various University offices to facilitate the yearlong Fellowship on campus. Several YIF Team members are alumni of the YIF, and a few also serve as Programme Anchors to Fellows.

Karan Bhola

Director, Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University

Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellow, Harvard University
YIF Class of 2014

Chandni Wadhwani

Assistant Director, Young India Fellowship

MSc, Economics, University of Calcutta
BSc, University of Calcutta

Varsha Varghese

Senior Manager, Admissions and Outreach, Young India Fellowship

Economics, St Stephen's College
YIF Class of 2015
Development Studies, Geneva Graduate Institute

Naina Lahoti

Programme Anchor and Manager, Learning and Engagement, Young India Fellowship

Economics, Delhi University

Anuja Sinha

Manager, Outreach and Admissions, Young India Fellowship

Political Science, St Xavier's College

Shruti Bajaj

Programme Anchor and Deputy Manager, Academics, Young India Fellowship

BCom, Kamala Nehru College
YIF Class of 2017
PGP, Development Management, Indian School of Development Management

Nidhi Angurala

Manager, Young India Fellowship

BA, MA, MPhil, English Literature, Delhi University

Sudheer Surendran

Programme Anchor and Deputy Manager, Admissions and Outreach, Young India Fellowship

Computer Engineering, IIITDM Kancheepuram
YIF Class of 2019

Shahambare T

Deputy Manager, Outreach, Young India Fellowship

YIF Class of 2017
MLS Class of 2018

Rakesh Meitei

Executive, Programme Management, Young India Fellowship

Chiranjit Mahato

Executive, Programme Management, Young India Fellowship

Mahima Pahuja

Programme Anchor and Senior Associate, Admissions and Outreach, Young India Fellowship

BSc, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Christ (Deemed to be University)
MSc, International Political Economy, Nanyang Technological University
YIF Class of 2023

Tejasvini S

Programme Anchor and Associate, Learning and Engagement, Young India Fellowship

BA, English Literature, Stella Maris College
MA, English Literature, Stella Maris College
YIF Class of 2023

Saman Waheed

Programme Anchor and Assistant Manager, Learning and Engagement, Young India Fellowship

BA, English Literature and Psychology, Lady Shri Ram College for Women
YIF Class of 2022

Nehal Agarwalla

BA (Honours), History, Lady Shri Ram College for Women
YIF Class 2021
MA, Gender Studies, SOAS University of London

Our Fellows

Fellows are the heart of the YIF. Every year, roughly 100 exceptional individuals from all walks of life, join the programme and engage with its multifaceted elements. They often challenge each other – both in and out of the classroom, and contribute to shaping each other, while being guided and mentored by inspiring individuals across the faculty body, mentors and the larger Ashoka community. Fellows curate several opportunities for peer learning throughout the year.

Meet the Fellows