RAJAKISHOR MAHANA Permanent Address: At: Adheidwar Po: Sadang Via: Manjuri Road Dist: Keonjhar PIN: 756121, Odisha. Correspondence Address M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Biju Patnaik Medicinal Plants Garden & Research Centre, Phulabad, Jeypore, Koraput, Odisha, PIN: 764 002, India. Ph: +91-6854-231773, Fax: +91-6854-233856(O) Mob: +91-9439098384, Email:rkmahana@gmail.com Research Interest: Anthropology of development (particularly rural and tribal development, poverty, food security, land, livelihood, social exclusion, public policy); post-colonial state; indigenous movements and social power; theories in anthropology; anthropology of violence and social suffering Current Work: Senior Scientist, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Biju Patnaik Medicinal Plants Garden and Research Centre, Phulabad, Jeypore, PIN: 764 002, Odisha. www.mssrf.org Educational Qualification: 2004-2011 PhD in Anthropology from Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, University of Madras. Thesis: Resisting Domination: Conflicts over Development and Tribal Movements in Contemporary Orissa. (Thesis has been submitted on 1 August 2011). 2001-2002 MPhil in Anthropology from Utkal University, Orissa, with 66.25% of marks. Thesis: Bonda Crime and Murder: An Anthropological Study of Conflict and Cohesion. 1999-2001 MA in Anthropology from Utkal University, Orissa, securing First Class First position (Gold Medalist) with 69.60% of marks. Thesis: Kinship Organization among the Santals. 1996-1999 BA in Anthropology (Hons.) and Political Science from Utkal University, Orissa, securing First Class with Distinction (Rank VII) with 76.25% (Hons) and 64.11% (aggregate) of marks. UGC NET: 2003 Qualified the University Grants Commission s National Educational Test (NET) for eligibility for lectureship in Anthropology (UGC Ref. No. 1565/NET-DEC., 2003, Roll No. R600397) in December 2003. Technical Qualification: 2003 Passed Diploma in Computer Application (DCA) covering FUNDAMENTAL, DOS, WIN 98, 2000 and MS OFFICE in Grade A. 1
Research Experience: 8/2011-Present Senior Scientist, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. Working on a project, Alleviation of poverty and malnutrition in agrobiodiversity hotspots at Jeypore, Odisha. 2/2004-8/2011 Doctoral Student, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai: Literature review, attending seminars and conferences, writing research papers, two years of fieldwork (in different phases) among the different tribal communities studying tribal development and movements in Orissa and thesis writing. (Thesis submitted on 1 August 2011) 5/2010-11/2010 Visiting Researcher, Food Security Center, University of Hohenheim, Germany. With the supervision of Prof. Volker Hoffmann of the Department of Social Sciences in Agriculture, I worked on a topic, Confronting the Challenge of Food Security: Development and Politics of Hunger Death in Contemporary Orissa, India. Edited PhD thesis, gave seminar presentations and participated in conferences. 2/2010-5/2010 Team Leader, Renaissance Strategic & Management Services Pvt. Ltd., Bhubaneswar. With the assistance of 10 Field Investigators and two Filed Supervisors, I was responsible for carrying out socio-economic survey of 3500 households in Kashipur block of Rayagada district in Orissa in order to assess the socio-economic needs of the people for planning and implementation of sustainable livelihood programmes. 7/2009-1/2010 Research Associate, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad: Preparing schedules, questionnaire and research guides. Doing fieldwork and taking interview of formal sector innovators mostly scientists, doctors, engineers and academicians and report writing. Editing books and reports and assisting Prof. Anil Gupta in teaching and other research activities. 5/2003-1/2004 Researcher, Academy of Tribal Dialect & Culture, Bhubaneswar: Fieldwork among the tribes like Bondo, Deshia Kondha, Malhar and Jatapu and report writing under the projects Indigenous Cultural Capabilities and Habits and Little Known Tribes of Orissa. Two reports have been published as books. 1/2003-4/2003 Project Supervisor, Anwesha Tribal Arts and Crafts (NGO), Bhubaneswar: Fieldwork among the artisans of four CD Blocks of Rayagada (KBK) district and final report writing under the project Scoping Study for Sustainable Development of Dhokra Artisans sponsored by Traidcraft, U.K. 1/2002-4/2002 Project Supervisor, Anwesha Tribal Arts and Crafts (NGO), Bhubaneswar: Fieldwork among the artisans of Bissama Cuttack and Muniguda CD Blocks of Rayagada (KBK) and final report writing under the 2
Baba Saheb Amebedkar Hastasilpa Vikash Yojana (AHVY) sponsored by Development Commissioner (H), Ministry of Textile, Govt. of India. 9/2001-11/2001 Research Investigator, SC & ST Research and Training Institute, Bhubaneswar: Fieldwork among the Bondas and assistance in report writing in the Project Baseline Survey and Need Assessment of the Bondo Highlanders of Malkangiri district of Orissa sponsored by International Labour Organization. 11/1999-4/2000 Programme Coordinator, Anwesha Tribal Arts and Crafts (NGO), Bhubaneswar: Fieldwork among and rehabilitation of the families affected by the super cyclone in Badamba Block of Cuttack district and Gondia, Odapada, Kamakshyanagar and Bhuban Blocks of Denkanal district of Orissa and report writing. Publication: Forthcoming The politics and poetics of violence: State and marginalization in Kashipur and Kalinganagar, accepted and forthcoming in a book edited by Manoranjan Mahanty. 2011 Producing underdevelopment: The politics of hunger deaths in Kashipur, India, FSC Brief No. 16, Stuttgart: Food Security Center, University of Hohenheim, Germany. https://ew.uni-hohenheim.de/fileadmin/einrichtungen/fsc/fsc_brief_no.16.pdf 2009 Theories in anthropology: An intimate learning with the Other, The Eastern Anthropologist, Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 27-48. 2008 Pain, Politics and Persistence: The Power of Powerlessness. Working Paper, No. 202, Chennai: Madras Institute of Development Studies. 2007 Jatapu Jivanadhara (Jatapu Lifestyle). Bhubaneswar: Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture, Government of Orissa. 2006 Culture and Development: The Third Way, The Eastern Anthropologist, Vol. 59, No. 3-4, pp. 353-67. 2005 Danda Duararu Bishwa Darabara: Premare Banchiba Jibana (Oriya), Review of Ananta Kumar Giri s book Ban Galara Tilachihna (2004), Esana: The Journal of the Institute of Oriya Studies, Vol. LI, December, pp.70-74. 2004 Bonda Parampara O Gyanakousala (Bonda Tradition and Indigenous Knowledge). Bhubaneswar: Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture, Government of Orissa. Seminar/ Conference/ Workshop/ Training: Forthcoming: Objectification of women in development: Victimization vs. empowerment to be presented in the 17th world congress of International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) at Manchester, UK; 5-10 August 2013. 3
Forthcoming: Justifying the Failure of Development Interventions: The Politics of Hunger Deaths in Odisha (India) to be presented in the workshop Poverty and Politics in Middle Income Countries in Cape Town, South Africa, 22-24 November 2012. 2012 Participated in the training programme on Management Development Programme on Driving Individual and Organizational Change organized by KIIT School of Rural Management, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 17-22 September. 2012 Participated in the training programme on Leadership and Team Building organized by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, 1-2 August. 2012 Participated in Training Programme on Nutrition and Anthropometric Orientation organized by National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, 11-22 June. 2010 Participated in the Tropentag 2010, Conference on International Research on Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development organized by the North-South Centre of the ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 14-16 September. 2010 Production of underdevelopment: The politics of hunger death in Kashipur, Orissa, India, presented at Food Security Center, University of Hohenheim, Germany, 22 June. 2010 Resisting domination: Development, displacement and the tribal movements in contemporary Orissa, India, presented in the Department of Social Science in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Germany, 9 June. 2010 Participated in the training programme on Volunteering in Disaster Response organized by The Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, 11-15 January. 2009 The politics of violence and the poetics of resistance: The state and marginalization in Kashipur and Kalinganagar, presented in Social Development and the Human Civilization in the 21st Century: An International Seminar on the Centenary of Hind Swaraj, India International Centre, New Delhi, 12-14 February. 2008 Participated in three weeks Summer Course on Philosophy for Social Sciences and Humanities organized by National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, 2-20 June. 2008 Participated in the Dissertation Workshop for Social Science Scholars on Social and Political Transformations in Contemporary India organized by Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, 27-29 March. 2007 Pain, politics and persistence: Generating an alternative social power, presented at Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, 23 October. 4
2005 Challenges of Tribal Development in India and Role of NGO in Tribal Development, presented at DHAN Foundation, Madurai, 29 September. 2005 Challenges of Tribal Development in India, presented at Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, 30 July. 2004 Culture and Development: The Tribal Perspective presented in the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences held in Kolkata, 12-15 December. Awards/ Medals/ Fellowships: 2010 Visiting Doctoral Fellowship for six months from Food Security Center, University of Hohenheim, Germany. 2007-2008 Research Grant for one year from Malcolm Adisseshiah Trust, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. 2004-2007 Doctoral Research Fellowship for three years from Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi. 2001 Gold Medal from Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar. 2001 Cash Award of Rs. 500/- from Utkal Anthropology Alumni for securing the First Class First position in M.A/ M.Sc. Degree Examination in Anthropology. Extra Curricular Activities: Social activism (specially supporting tribal movements fighting against mega development projects), writing poetry, traveling and knowing about different people, nonprofessional photography Personal Details: Father s Name : Kalandi Mahana, Mother s Name : Taramani Mahana Date of Birth : 12 July 1979, Sex : Male Marital Status : Single, Nationality : Indian Language Known : Oriya, English, Hindi References: i. Dr. Ananta Kumar Giri Associate Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies, 79, Second Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai-600020. Ph:+91-44-24411574/2589, Fax:+91-44-24910872 Email: aumkrishna@yahoo.com / ananta@mids.ac.in ii. Prof. Anil K. Gupta Indian Institute of Management, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad - 380 015. And Co-ordinator, SRISTI and Honey Bee Network, 5
and, Executive Vice Chair, National Innovation Foundation Phone: +91-79-66324927, Fax: +91-79-26306896, 26307341 Email: anilg@iimahd.ernet.in / anilgb@gmail.com iii. Prof. Prasanna Kumar Nayak Chairman, Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneswar. Former Chairman, P.G. Council, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar. Former Director, SC & ST Research and Training Institute, Bhubaneswar. Ph: 0674 2301094 /2300471, Fax: 0674-2300471(O), +91-9437304302 (M) Email: prasannanayak51@gmail.com iv. Prof. Volker Hoffmann Director, Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Schloss, Museumsflügel, 120, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Phone: +49-711-45922646, Fax: +49-711- 45922652 Email: i430a@uni-hohenheim.de / volker.hoffmann@uni-hohenheim.de Place: Jeypore, Odisha Date: 25 September 2012 Signature of the Candidate 6