Punjab Newsline, Bathinda-
In a significant academic achievement, eight faculty members of the Central University of Punjab (CU Punjab), under the mentorship of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, have been recently awarded prestigious research grants by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), amounting to a total of ₹1.07 crore. The grants have been sanctioned under ICSSR’s research project schemes aimed at promoting high-quality social science research addressing contemporary societal challenges.
The awardees include Dr. Renu Sharma (Department of Geography), Dr. Pritam Chand (Department of Geography), Dr. Shahila Zafar (Department of English), Dr. Bali Bahadur (Department of Sociology), Dr. Smriti Rai (Department of Law), Dr. Sukhdev Singh (Department of Library & Information Sciences), Dr. Lalhmangaihi Chhakchhuak (Department of Sociology), and Dr. L.T. Sasang Guite (Department of Geography).
The sanctioned projects cover diverse and socially relevant domains, including tribal welfare, sustainable tourism in fragile ecosystems, digital culture and identity, diaspora contributions, climate-induced migration, and knowledge documentation. Key focus areas include outcomes of PM-JANMAN among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); sustainable tourism infrastructure in hazard-prone mountain ecosystems; linguistic hybridity, identity, and digital culture; mapping the contribution of the Ravidassia diaspora to Punjabi society; climate-induced migration and coastal crises in India; documentation of scholarly literature on Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur in Punjabi, Hindi, and English; maternal health empowerment; and spatial analysis of health determinants, outcomes, and healthcare resources, with specific studies in Mizoram and Meghalaya.
Congratulating the faculty members, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari stated, “This achievement underscores the growing research strength and academic vibrancy of the University. These projects reflect our strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research addressing socially relevant issues and generating evidence-based insights for policy formulation, governance, and community-level interventions. The diversity of themes highlights our commitment to addressing pressing societal challenges through impactful, policy-oriented research aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.”
Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kiran Hazarika also congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to undertake high-quality research that generates meaningful, socially relevant solutions and results in publications in high-impact journals.
Director (Research & Development) Prof. Anjana Munshi stated, such externally funded projects significantly strengthen the University’s research ecosystem and open avenues for meaningful collaborations.