Doctoral Programmes

Antariksh Pasricha is a PhD scholar at NIAS working with Dr. Deepti Navaratna. His work brings together music, technology, and the study of the human brain. With academic training in Computer Science and Hindustani music, and over five years of experience as a music educator, he brings both analytical and creative perspectives to his research. His primary interest in music perception developed through his experience of teaching, where he became fascinated by how the same piece of music could be perceived, interpreted, and experienced so differently by different listeners and students. This curiosity gradually led him to explore the role of individual experience, learning, and culture in shaping musical perception.

 A trained vocalist and guitarist, he often experiments with bringing the melodic phrasing and nuances of Indian ragas to the guitar- an experience that has further deepened his interest in how musical ideas are perceived and expressed across different musical contexts. His doctoral research focuses on the perception of continuous and microtonal pitch in Indian classical music, particularly phenomena such as shruti, meend, and other forms of pitch movement. He is interested in combining behavioural, computational, and neuroscientific approaches to understand how the brain, musical experience, and cultural learning shape our perception of music.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antariksh-pasricha/

Email: antariksh.pasricha@nias.res.in, antariksh.pasricha@gmail.com

Anirban Ghosh is a PhD Scholar in the School of Humanities at NIAS under the program of Heritage Science and Society with the supervision of Dr. S. Udayakumar. 

He is a young archaeologist and an early-career researcher who is enthusiastic about the past for a better future. 

He has academic training in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Archaeology, along with a UGC-NET JRF in Archaeology; his research interests include ethnoarchaeology, traditional performance traditions, archaeology, heritage, and the study of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. He has field experience with the Archaeological Survey of India, including archaeological excavation, documentation, and heritage-related work, and has published research on Indian theatre, dramaturgy, and cultural history.

Ammu Muraleedharan is a PhD Scholar at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, at the School of Natural Sciences and Engineering. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from the Regional Institute of Education (NCERT), Mysuru, and a Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences from the Central University of Punjab. She qualified for UGC–Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Education in June 2025. She also worked as a Post Graduate Teacher at various schools in Karnataka.

Her research interests lie at the intersection of science education, environmental education, and climate change, with particular emphasis on the classroom transaction of environmental issues in school settings

Sangeeth is a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Sciences at NIAS. His current research is on knowledge, technolgy and development discoruses in Keralam. His research interests lie broadly in science and society studies, development studies, political economy, and political ecology. He holds an M.Sc.(Hon.s) in Physics, a B.E.(Hon.s) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, an M.A. in Political Science, and an M.A. in Development Studies.

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.