Desi Academia Podcast

In this episode of DAP, Megh, Vatsal, Aditya, and friend of the pod Sumaira talk about their post-doctoral lives. In this rant session, we discuss the uniqueness of this title, why this job treats us like trainees, who trains and builds a postdoc, and what there is to build. We also talk about the problems in academia, our backup plans, and much more. Join us for a freewheeling conversation, and i...

In this episode of DAP, Megh and Vatsal are joined by Dr. G. V. Pavan Kumar. Dr. Kumar is a Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India. In his own words, he is a student of science, its history, and its philosophy. In this episode, we talk about a very important and often ignored aspect of science: the philosophy of science. Join us as Dr. Kumar ans...

We are joined by friend of the pod, Hassaan Saleem as we talk about the anti-SciComm grift economy in the physics and mathematics space, why billionaires need everyone to know that they are mathematics/ physics geniuses, Cosmism and the falsifiability of science. We ask Hassaan why he keeps fighting with people on Twitter, and discuss ways to escape belief systems. Recommendations: The Contrarian:...

Aman Bhargava is a UI/UX designer by training, who found his calling in data visualisation. He works for Revisual Labs ,  an information design agency based in India that specialises in data storytelling and design. In today’s episode we talk about his journey from an R stats and plotting class at Shrishti School of Design to building a career creating high-impact data graphs for clients like Reut...

In this new episode of DAP, Megh and Vatsal are joined by Dr. Robin Sharma. A friend of the pod, Dr. Sharma is a creator of science-based Digital Learning Environments (DLEs). He studies the effects of such DLEs on academic achievement, attitudes, and acceptance. He has more than seven years of professional experience in Ed. Tech. at international non-profits, the video game industry, and of cours...

We are joined once again by Ajay and Harsha, as we discuss the major tech breakthroughs of 2025 and the major theme of this progress: AI. Recommendations and References: ⁠It’s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot The MIT List Anthropic Coverage: Trump orders government to stop using Anthropic in battle over AI use Trump Orders Government to Stop Using Anthropic After...

In this episode of DAP, we are joined by Dhruti, a long-time listener and a friend of the pod. She takes us through her academic journey, studying botany and zoology as part of her undergrad program in Bangalore to researching microbial populations of the soils in Australia for her PhD studies. We talk about her love of birds and spiders and how that contributed to her scientific journey, document...

This is Desi Academia Podcast's Golden Jubilee, and we are so glad you have been with us on this journey! For this special episode, we bring on friend of the podcast Saurabh, and talk to him about his academic journey as a mathematician. He takes us through his remarkable journey as a researcher in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Israel, and Switzerland. Saurabh tells us about what it mean to “encoun...

We are joined again by Harsha , to discuss the difficult reality of life in the sciences and how to pivot when the academia and funding the system fails. Harsha shares his learnings from his experience being asked to 'master out' of his PhD program, how he reconciled with academia, found a community to do impactful work, and how he views 'science for the sake of science’. We discuss th...

In this episode of DAP, Vatsal and Megh are joined by a friend of the pod, Dr. Rituparna Patgiri. She shares her experiences teaching sociology to STEM graduates. Most importantly, she shares her teaching and mentorship philosophy. We discuss the different roles of a teacher, what it takes to teach sociology, and how to distinguish between opinions and empirical studies. Recommendations: Recommend...

Aditya, Megh, and Vatsal are back to discuss their major life changes in 2025. Vatsal shares his shift from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to fibrosis, the scientific and ethical training needed to work with live human doner tissue, and the challenges navigating the visa system in Canada. We also discuss the challenges of postdoc onboarding, HR in academia (or the lack thereof), 9-5 life after...

We continue this season with another friend-of-the-pod Professor Indranil Dutta, as we discuss Megh's dissertation defense and thesis writing experience, and the value of a supportive research experience. Recommendations: Megh The Rosie Project Indranil TV show: Orbital Parts Unknown Kitchen Confidential Vatsal Anthony Bordain’s ‘No Reservation’

It's season 10 (Yes, we can't believe it either!) and the OG gang (Megh, Aditya, and Vatsal) gets together after a very long time to vent about all things academia. In this episode of Desi "postdoctoral" podcast, we catch up with Aditya and discuss how academia has been treating him over the past year or so. We talk about what's going on in our lives, things plaguing academia...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to explain your research to an immigration and customs officer? Today, Manan and Sumaira join us to discuss their work on trans-continental poetry and periodicals respectively, what it means to study the history of Islamic communities and literary traditions in Western Academia, the different aims and focii of sociology, anthropology, literature, religious stu...

We have a thought-provoking discussion on how to fight for research ethics with Dr. Achal Agarwal. We discuss different kinds of unethical behaviour in academic publishing, how retractions happen, and the institutional reform needed to uphold academic standards. Learn more about the Indian Research Watch https://irw.co.in Recommendations Achal Freakonomics Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy Course:...

Join us in this episode of DAP as we talk about the research of Professor Deepak Modi . Prof. Modi is an independent researcher at the ICMR National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health. To conclude this pride month, he gives us a masterclass on the biology and genetics of human reproduction and fertility. We talk about his cutting edge research that involves 'organs on a ch...

In this episode of DAP, Megh, Harsha and Vatsal are joined by Dr. Shannon Philip . Dr. Philip is an Assistant Professor in the Sociology of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the relationship between masculinities, femininities and sexualities in cities of the Global South. In this riveting conversation, Dr. Philip takes us through his academic journey and...

Its pride month 2025 and DAP is back with a new episode. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Ketaki Chaukhani. Dr. Chowkhani is an Assistant Professor at Manipal Centre for Humanities where she teaches India’s first ever course on Singles Studies. Join us in this riveting conversation where she explains what is single studies or "singleism" and her research that attempts to understand boyhood, se...

In this episode, we are joined by Amit Kaushik, A PhD candidate in the Integrative Conservation and Anthropology, University of Georgia. We talk about his pre-doctoral experiences with wetland conservation in Delhi, GIS work in Ladakh, and human-tiger interactions in Madhya Pradesh. Amit tells us how he found himself in an interdisciplinary program, living his dream to work with wolves with a fund...

In this special episode, the hosts of Small India Radio (SIR) Podcast Group: Raj, Nishant, Megh, Vatsal, Richa, and MV; talk about their professional experiences in education and workplaces. We talk about how we got here: our degree choices and motivations, experiences growing up in different parts of India, exposure, and moving away from home. We discuss the impact of Liberalisation and 2014, cre...

In this episode of DAP, Hassaan joins Megh and Vatsal. Hassaan is a Ph. D. student at the University at Albany, studying Theoretical Physics. Specifically, he is working on problems in String Theory and Quantum Field Theory. Hassaan also has an amazing YouTube channel called "Phymaths," where he makes videos about all things related to theoretical physics and mathematics. In this episode, Hassaan...

In this special episode, friends of the podcast Ajay and Harsha join Megh to discuss the MIT Tech review, 2024. We discuss major innovations in GenAI, biotech, astronomy, and sustainable technology. We also consider the impact of the defunding of scientific bodies in the US and the deregulation of BigTech, and whether the innovations of 2024 will have a chance to scale. Recommendations and Referen...

In this episode of DAP, Megh, Vatsal, and a friend of the pod, Dr. Harish Prakash, are joined by Dr. Vivek Nityananda . Dr. Nityananda is an outstanding behavioral ecologist and a senior lecturer at Newcastle University. His multidisciplinary research aims to understand animal behavior by combining psychology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and ecology. Join us as Dr. Nityananda discusses his...

In this episode of DAP, we are joined by Professor Mamta Saxena , associate professor at the State University of New York (Oswego). We learn about the field of Human Development and Sibling Studies, and it's relationship with other fields in social sciences. Professor Saxena tells us about her PhD journey, and ongoing research projects. Recommendations Megh All that we imagine as light Vettaya...

This episode, we are joined by Professor Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal ( @ranjodhd ), from the Digital Humanities Lab, University of Basel. We learn about his transition from engineering to literature, and how his foundation in STEM education contributes to his work in science and technology studies. We discuss his work on how science is shaped by narratives and capital, and how technical experts and sci...