School of Social and Political Science

Research interests

PhD Research

My research explores how beneficiaries of state welfare systems in India perceive the question of privacy of the information that they share with the State. In order to provide welfare benefits, the State collects a large amount of personal information, which in the absence of a data protection framework, is susceptible to misuse. While the Indian Supreme Court recognised a fundamental right to privacy of citizens in 2017, the Indian State has argued that privacy is an elitist concern and cannot be upheld at the cost of the dignity of the masses (as attained through access to basic necessities). My research is interested in finding out if citizens who are part of the “masses” do indeed concern themselves with the privacy of their information. 

Specifically, I explore this question through participant observation and interviews in New Delhi with the beneficiaries of the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), a Health Information System (HIS) designed to provide care for pregnant women and children up to the age of 5. Reproduction is a particularly politicised sphere in India with access to reproductive healthcare being stratified by social location such as caste/religious/class belongings. With the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mechanisms in welfare services, as modes of interaction with the State evolve, the question of how beneficiaries perceive and conceptualise the question of the control and use of their information becomes even more pertinent.

Supervisors

Dr. Kaveri Qureshi, Dr. Jeevan R. Sharma, Dr. Marlee Tichenor

Background

MPhil in Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

M.A in Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

B.A (Hons) in Political Science, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi