Received Sylff fellowship in 2024
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Chirashree Das Gupta
Current affiliation: PhD Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Rashi Agrawal is a PhD researcher at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her research examines labour, agrarian transformation and state–capital relations in contemporary India, with a focus on Chhattisgarh. Drawing on Marxian political economy and qualitative research, her work explores changing class relations, agrarian economies, labour organisation and the relationship between labour and ecology under neoliberalism. Her doctoral research examines the transformation of Chhattisgarh’s agrarian economy and labour politics, including the role of paddy procurement, rice mills and state-mediated processes of capital accumulation. She has also worked on labour movements and trade unionism and has contributed to public scholarship on labour and social movements in India.
Academic Achievements,Social Engagement Initiative
My research focuses on labour, agrarian transformation, state-capital relations and political economy in contemporary India, with particular attention to Chhattisgarh. I have conducted ethnographic and archival research on labour movements and trade unionism, including work with the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha. My research and public scholarship have appeared in outlets including Third World Quarterly, New Left Review Sidecar, The Quint and Countercurrents. I have also worked as an academic mentor with the National Foundation of India and have been involved in documentation, political education and public-facing research on labour and social movements.
Brief Summary of Support Program Activities
The Sylff Research Grant supports fieldwork for my doctoral research on agrarian transformation, paddy procurement, capital accumulation and labour politics in Chhattisgarh. The research examines the changing relationship between the state, agrarian producers and agro-industrial capital, with particular attention to paddy procurement and rice milling. The fieldwork involves qualitative research with farmers, rice mill owners and workers, alongside documentary and archival research.
