Doctoral Students

Akhil Mythri adopts a multidisciplinary approach to climate change research spanning the physics, ecology and economics of climate change. At NIAS, he works with the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Programme of the School of Natural Sciences and Engineering. He has a background in both the natural and social sciences, with an MSc in Physics from the University of Mysore, Mysuru and an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Earlier, he worked with the computational biology group at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai where he did his MSc dissertation in stochastic nonlinear dynamics. He has worked as project assistant at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore studying observed and projected trends in bioclimatic variables in forest biomes of India. He has earlier been at NIAS as project associate, working on the preparation of India’s Third National Communication to the UNFCCC, and analyzing the global mitigation pathways used in the Sixth Assessment of the IPCC. Prior to joining NIAS as a PhD scholar, he worked briefly in the Monsoon Dynamics lab at Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, studying energetics-based approaches to modeling the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and the monsoons.

Akhil’s doctoral research focuses on land use change and climate change, with both science and policy  components:

1. The representation of carbon fluxes due to land use change in earth system models: evaluating  its accuracy and formulating methods for its improvement,

2.  The development of future land use scenarios based on the principle of equity, prioritizing the developmental needs of the Global South. 

His areas of research interest also include climate change impacts in the Himalayan mountain region, development of early warning systems for flood and heat extremes, and Global South perspectives in international climate change negotiations.

Apart from formal academic and research training, he has had extensive on-ground fieldwork experience in Karnataka and in Uttarakhand Himalaya, working with social movements and grassroots organizations. Along with working on climate change, Akhil enjoys mountaineering and has trained at the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Arunachal Pradesh.

Mr. Prasanna Khanvilkar is a doctoral student in the School of Humanities at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), conducting research on donative patronage during the early historical Western Deccan. He holds a Master's degree in Ancient Indian Heritage Culture & Archaeology from Deccan College Post-Graduate Research Institute, Pune. His professional experience includes serving as a Research Assistant in the Department of Palaeography, Epigraphy & Numismatics at the Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida (Formerly National Museum Institute), and working as a research intern on the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology project on "Scientific Investigation, Digital Documentation and Conservation of Petroglyphs of Konkan."

His research interests include Ancient Indian History and Culture, ancient and medieval Indian scripts, and environmental archaeology.

Paavana P. Varma is a doctoral student in the School of Natural Sciences and Engineering. She is working with the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Programme. Her research explores the concept of charisma in conservation, examining how narratives about nature and species shape human perceptions, ethics, and relationships with the environment. Her research interests include environmental humanities, conservation narratives, human–nature relationships, affect studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to the Anthropocene.

Rupsa Karmakar is a PhD student at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (School of Humanities), Bengaluru, whose research involves archaeometallurgy, indigenous smelting, the history and the processes of metal crafting technology, ethnoarchaeology, and preservation of both tangible and intangible heritages in India. She holds an M.Sc. In Anthropology with a specialization in Paleoanthropology-Prehistoric Archaeology and a B.Sc. in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta.

Manikranth Chakravarthula is a doctoral student at the Conflict Resolution and Peace Research Programme, School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. He holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from Hindu College, University of Delhi. His research interests centre on political violence and peacebuilding in South Asia, with a focus on Indian approaches, state responses, and the role of civil society in negotiating state-society relations in conflict and post-conflict contexts

Suhas M. is a PhD student at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (School of Humanities), Bengaluru, whose research applies remote sensing and multi sensor geospatial techniques to the documentation, monitoring and conservation of India’s built heritage. He holds an M.Tech in Remote Sensing & GIS (IIRS-ISRO) and a B.E. in Civil Engineering and has worked on digital documentation projects for sites such as Srirangapatna, Raya Gopura (Melukote) and Pattadakallu.