cv

Last updated: 2 June 2025

General Information

Full Name Shantanu Kulshreshth
Contact Email kulshreshtha.shantanu@gmail.com
Phone (61)0420521253
Address 221 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC 3053
Website http://shantanukul.phd.sh
Languages Hindi (Fluent), English (Fluent), French (A2 French Standard), Urdu (Intermediate)

Education

  • 2021-2025
    PhD, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
    University of Melbourne
    • {"Funded under ARC Project"=>"Youth and the Politics of Liberalism in India."}
    • Supervisors: Prof. Craig Jeffrey (Principal Supervisor) and Prof. Jane Dyson (Co-Supervisor)
  • 2020-2021
    M.A (Hons.) by Research, Department of Political Science
    Ashoka University
    • Thesis title: The Revolution Will Be Tweeted: Bhim Army and Social Media Mobilisation.
    • CGPA: 3.82/4
  • 2019-2020
    PGD in Liberal Arts (Young India Fellowship)
    Ashoka University
    • Recipient of Rosey Blue Foundation Scholarship.
    • CGPA of 3.68/4
  • 2016-2019
    Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Department of Political Science
    University of Delhi, Kirori Mal College

Research Employment

  • 2021-2024
    Research Associate (Remote)
    Sparx Centre for Livelihood Research
    • Prepared a handbook on Indian Politics and Governance.
    • Prepared reports and briefs on unemployment, labour, youth, and agricultural incomes in India.
  • 2021-2022
    Research Associate
    Centre for Policy Research (New Delhi)
    • Managing the Uttar Pradesh taskforce to coordinate interdepartmental research before the 2022 elections.
    • Undertaking independent fieldwork based research on political families and local political economy.
  • 2021
    Research Affiliate
    Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (Geneva)
    • Working with Professor Shalini Randeria on the 'Everyday State in India' at the Graduate Institute, Geneva
  • 2020-2021
    Research Assistant
    Trivedi Centre for Political Data (Sonipat)
    • Compiling caste data for MLA Candidates in Madhya Pradesh from 1962-2018.
    • Working on enhancing parameters for publicly available electoral data with the Lokdhaba project.

Selected Publications

  • 2024
    'Kaam: Youth, Religiosity, and the cultural production of good work in a North Indian Madrasa'
    • Environment and Planning D: Society and Space (Online first). DOI: 10.1177/02637758241302198
  • 2023
    'Social Media Is the Second Ambedkar": Bhim Army and Social Media Mobilisation in North India'
    • South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 46 (5): 934-55. DOI: 10.1080/00856401.2023.2216514
  • 2023
    'The State Is the Biggest Goonda": Civic Masculinity, Radical Victimhood, and Power in Bhim Army Discourse'
    • South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, no. 31. DOI: 10.4000/kjzb
  • Under Review
    'Love, Sex, and Other Drugs: Youth, Islam, and the everyday poetics of Infrastructures in North India'
    • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
  • Under Review
    'Becoming serious young men: Joblessness, platform enterprising, and the contradictory production of Amazon reselling in North India'
    • Geoforum

Scholarships and Awards

  • 2021-2025
    • Melbourne Research Scholarship, University of Melbourne
  • 2019-2020
    • Rosey Blue Foundation Scholarship
  • 2019
    • Excellence in Debating, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi
  • 2016
    • International Award for Young People-Gold Standard, Duke of Edinburgh Foundation

Selected Grants

  • 2022
    Miegunyah International Scholarship
    Russel and Mab Grimwade Miegunyah Fund, University of Melbourne
    • To support international conference presentations.
    • Value: AUD$10,000
  • 2023
    RDU Initiative Grant
    Research Development Unit, University of Melbourne
    • To support the creation of UoM South Asia Graduate Researchers' Collective (with Nishtha Tewari, Avishek Jha).
    • Value: AUD$9,000
  • 2024
    Caldwell Graduate Humanities/Social Sciences Scholarship
    Caldwell Trust and Queen's College Melbourne
    • Value: AUD$5,200
  • 2024
    Event Support Grant, South Asia Forum Conference
    Chancellery Global, Culture and Engagement & School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne
    • With Nishtha Tewari, Avishek Jha.
    • Value: AUD$5250
  • 2020
    Charpak Scholarship
    Campus France-French Embassy of India
    • To pursue research at CNRS-Sciences Po.
    • Value: EUR€4,500

Teaching Portfolio

  • 2024-ongoing
    Sessional Senior Tutor - Fertility, Mortality, and Social Change
    University of Melbourne
    • Tutored, graded assignments, and independently supervised research projects for ~60 students across three tutorial sections (Level 2, ~100 students, 72 contact hours).
  • 2024
    Sessional Tutor - Local Sites, Global Connections
    University of Melbourne
    • Tutoring for small group seminars, supervising research projects, and grading assignments (Level 3, ~20 students, 18 contact hours).
  • 2024
    Casual Tutor - Human Geography (at-large)
    Queen's College Melbourne (for University of Melbourne)
    • Employed by Queen's College Melbourne (Level 1-3).
  • 2021
    Teaching Assistant - Party Politics in India
    Ashoka University
    • Graded assignments, provided individual feedback. Independently conceptualised, designed, and delivered workshops on Data Visualisation and Digital Ethnography (Postgrad, ~100 students, 30 contact hours).
  • 2021
    Graduate Teaching Assistant - Electoral and Party Politics in India
    Ashoka University
    • Delivered two lectures: "Beyond Dalit Parties: Bhim Army Mobilisation", and "Internet and New Forms of Electoral Mobilisation". Graded assignments, provided individual feedback (Level 3, ~60 students, 40 contact hours).

Academic Service

  • 2024
    Co-convener and organiser, South Asia Forum Graduate Research Conference
    University of Melbourne
  • 2024-Ongoing
    Elected At-large Board Member, Geographies of Religion and Belief Systems Group
    American Association of Geographers (AAG)
  • 2023-Ongoing
    Co-Convener, University of Melbourne South Asia Forum
    University of Melbourne
  • Ongoing
    Peer Reviewer
    SAMAJ and Journal of South Asian Development
  • 2024-2025
    Academic Committee Member, Queen's College Graduate Students Club
    Melbourne
  • 2019-2021
    Co-founder, Queer Infoline, India
    (along with Centre for Studies in Gender and Sexuality, Ashoka University)

Academic Interests

  • Youth Studies
    • Youth and politics in South Asia
    • Young people's navigations of social change, unemployment, and Hindu Nationalism in India
    • Youth religiosity and cultural production of work
    • Youth masculinities and inter-gender sociality
  • Political Mobilisation & Ethnography
    • Social media and political movements (e.g., Bhim Army)
    • Dalit youth movements and discourse
    • Infrastructures and everyday poetics in North India
    • Ethnographic fieldwork methods
  • Economic Anthropology & Platform Studies
    • Joblessness and platform enterprising (e.g., Amazon reselling)
    • Contested mobilities and education policy for young Muslim women
  • South Asian Studies
    • Queer(ing) South Asia in Australia
    • Politics of Uttar Pradesh
    • Indian elections and party systems

Other Information

  • Certifications: Key Concepts and Critical Thought (Awarded by St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi)
  • Memberships: American Association of Geographers (AAG), South Asian Studies Association of Australia (SASAA), Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG), Graduate Researchers' Collective - South Asia Forum