Rashmi Doraiswamy
Rashmi Doraiswamy studied Russian language and literature at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her doctoral thesis was on Mikhail Bakhtin, the Russian philosopher. She is Professor at the Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Her writings on literature and cinema have been published in prestigious Indian and foreign publications. She has participated in national and international seminars on cultural issues and has served on several statutory and non-statutory film festival and critics juries in India (including the national award critic, documentary and feature film juries) and abroad. She was the recipient of the National Award for the Best Film Critic in 1994. She was awarded the MAJLIS research fellowship in 1999 for a project entitled ‘Changing Narrative Strategies of Hindi Cinema’. She has lectured and written extensively on cinema, literature and cultural issues. For many years she was on the Guest Faculty of the Mass Communication and Research Centre at JMI where she taught a course on Film Appreciation. She was Coordinator of the UGC Central Asian Studies Programme at the Academy of International Studies since it was set up in 2007 to 2016. She has organized and been co-organiser of workshops, international and national conferences, many of which have been on Russia, Central Asia, Eurasia and Soviet Union. She was invited by the Japan Foundation to participate in a 15-day group tour of film institutions in Japan in October, 1999. She was invited by the administration of the President of the Russian Federation to attend the Russian Literary Meeting at PFU, Moscow on 21 November 2013. She was also invited by the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan to the 3rd Issyk Kul Forum, in October, 2018. She was International Observer for the Presidential Elections in Uzbekistan in December 2007 and 2015. She delivered the Presidential Address at the Indian History Congress in the Section ‘Countries Other than India’ in December 2017 at Jadavpur University. She was Honorary Deputy Director of the Academy of Third World Studies from October 2005 to May 2007. She has been Officiating Director of the AIS since August 2015.
Mahavir Singh
Professor Mahavir Singh has been Director/ Counsellor, Indian Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Suva in the Republic of Fiji Islands.(January 2006-January 2009); Director, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (Ministry of Culture, Govt.of India) appointed with the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister of India. (January 2000- December 2005); Director, Eastern Zonal Culture, Kolkata (Ministry of Culture, Govt.of India -Additional Charge); Professor of History, Centre for Archival Studies, Dept. Of History, Pondicherry (Central) University, Pondicherry, (July 1998 – December 2000); Coordinator of UGC Centre for Nehru Studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, 2000; Reader in History, Centre for Archival Studies, Dept. of History, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, (July 1990 – June 1998) and Assistant Archivist, National Archives of India, New Delhi, December 1982 – June 1990. Professor Singh retired as Dean, School of Law, Justice and Governance and Dean, School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida. Professor Mahavir Singh completed his M.A in Modern Indian History from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, 1978 and did a Post – Graduate Diploma in Archives- keeping from National Archives of India, 1979. His M.Phil. dissertation was on the topic “Soviet Perceptions of Indian Political Developments : 1947 – 1955” from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 1982 and his Ph. D thesis was on the topic “Soviet View of Indian National Congress” from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 1986. Professor Singh has several publications, both international and national to his credit. Professor Singh has been/is associated with several academic institutions in varied capacity, they include: Secretary-General, Indian Society for Central Asian Studies, New Delhi ; Association of Commonwealth Archives and Records Managers, London; Member of British Scholars Alumni Association, London; Life Member of Indian Association for Canadian Studies, New Delhi, and was local Secretary of XIV International Conference on Canadian Studies ; Member, Indian Historical Records Commission, Govt. of India, New Delhi ; Life Member, Indian History Congress, New Delhi ; Member, Board of Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi(w.e.f.25.01.2012)
Sharmila Mitra Deb
Sharmila Mitra Deb is an Associate Professor, Department of Political Science Loreto College, Kolkata. She received her M.A., B.Ed. and M.Phil degree from the University of Calcutta. She has 28 years of teaching experience and her area of specialization is Indian politics. Her M.Phil dissertation was on The Origin and Develpoment of the Concept, Hindu Rashtra. She has extensive experience in teaching Indian Politics, Comparative Politics and Western Political Thought. She has co-edited a book titled Indian Democracy: Problems and Prospects (Anthem, South Asia).She has been Head of Department from 2003-2008 and 2013-2018; Bursar of the College from 1998-2013; and currently NAAC coordinator. With her wide experience in teaching and administration she is now taking particular interest in quality enhancement in higher education and encouraging youth centric educational programmes. She recently presented a paper on Ethics in Education through Healthy Practices.
