Personal Information

Dr. Neha Arora

Assistant Professor

M.A, NET, Ph.D

nehaarora@curaj.ac.in

8239860962

Dalit Studies, Disability Studies, Literatures of the Margins

Educational Qualification:

  • PhD (“From Margin to Mainstream: A Selected Study of Literature on Dalits”) from University of Lucknow, March 2012.
  • UGC-NET in English, 2007.
  • MA in English from University of Lucknow, 2005.
  • BA (English, Economics, Education)from University of Lucknow, 2003.
  • Intermediate (English, Hindi, Physics, Chemistry, Biology) from St. Fidelis College, Lucknow, 2000.
  • High School from St. Fidelis College, Lucknow, 1998

Work Experience:

  • Working as Assistant Professor of English at Central University of Rajasthan since May 2012.
  • Worked as Lecturer at Karamat Hussain Muslim Girls’ PG College, Lucknow, February 2010 - May 2012.
  • Worked as Lecturer at MRPSP Girls’ PG College, Barabanki, September 2006 – January 2010.

 

PhD SUPERVISION

S.NO

NAME OF THE SCHOLAR

TITLE OF THESIS

STATUS

1

Thokchom Nirmala Devi

Arambam Somorendra’s Dramas: A Window to the Realm of Reality

 

Awarded, 29/October/2018

2

Balveer

Re-contextualizing the Culture, History and Identity of Rajasthan

Submitted 7 January, 2021

Awarded 20/January/2022

3

Sucheta

Transnational African Diaspora, Hybridity and Identity Formation in Select Works of Chimamanda Adichie and Sefi Atta

Submitted 11 January, 2021

Awarded 25/January/2022

4

Irona Bhaduri

The Struggle Undaunted: Constructing a New Spectrum in the “Making of Modern Burma”

 

Submitted 13 January, 2021

Awarded 15/September/2021

 

5

Chandra Prabha Mahawar

Asserting Dalithood: Emerging Voices in Dalit Literature

Joined August 2019

6 Rishav Dutta Translation and Engagement: Reading the Adivasi Resistance in English Translation Joined September 2021
7 Saurabh K Choudhary Challenging Exclusion, Writing Life: An Intersectional Study of Select Indian Disabled Women's Writings Joined September 2021

 

INVITED LECTURES/ TALK DELIVERED:

  1. Plenary Talk at a National Seminar on Postcolonial Voices in English Literature, D.P. Bhosale College, Koregaon in collaboration with ELT@I, Satara Chapter (3 December, 2022) on ‘Dalit Voices in Indian English Literature’.
  2. Raiganj University, West Bengal (22, 23, 25 & 26 November, 2021) on ‘Dalit Literature, Writings and Activism’.
  3. DAATH VOYAGE lecture series, 23 November, 2020, on ‘Our History Too Matters: Re-Writing History’.
  4. At NAAS College, Madurai Kamaraj University, 2 September, 2020, on “Breaking Barriers, Creating Milestones”.
  5. At Periyar University PG Extension Centre, 16 June, 2020, on ‘The Word/World of Dalit Literature’.
  6. GNOSIS lecture series, 17 May, 2020, on ‘Registering Resistance, Celebrating Dalithood: Reading Contemporary Dalit Activism’.
  7. At Midnapore College, West Bengal, 16 May, 2020, on ‘Yes, We Talk Differently: Reading Gender in Dalit Literature’.
  8. At Raiganj University, West Bengal, 29 January – 2 February, 2018, PG (Romantic & Victorian literature) and PhD Course Work (Comparative Literature & Translation Studies).
  9. At R.K. Patni College, Kishangarh, 29 July 2017 on “Persuasive Writing”.
  10. At R.K. Patni College, Kishangarh, 15 Dec 2016 on “How to write CV and prepare for Interview”.
  11. At Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University from November 10-14, 2014, to M.A 1st& 3rd Semester on Literary Theories, Modern German Drama in English Translation, and Romantic Novels.
  12. A Seminar Talk on Dalit Literature at Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University from November 14, 2014

 

SESSIONS CHAIRED AT SEMINARS/ CONFERENCES:

  1. At a National Conference on ‘Disability Studies: Theory and Practice’ organized by NIT Meghalaya. (18 November, 2023)
  2. At 4th International Conference on ‘Exploring Crisis in Literary and Cultural Studies’ organized by New Literaria and CURaj. (20 October, 2023)
  3. Facilitator at a Group Discussion on ‘Inclusive Education’ at a Symposium on ‘Disability and Inclusion: A Way Forward’ organized by Department of Social Work. (17 March, 2023)
  4. At an International Conference on ‘Disability and the Everyday: Interdisciplinary Perspectives’ organized by CURaj-IDSC. (8-18 February, 2023)
  5. At an International Conference on ‘Gender, Culture and Society’ organized by New Literaria in collaboration with University of Rome and Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur. (28 November, 2022)
  6. At an International Conference on ‘Language, Literature, and Humanities’ organized by St. John’s College of Arts and Science, Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with Cape Comorin Publisher. (21 August, 2022)
  7. At an International Conference on ‘Postcolonial Studies’ organized by A V College, Kanyakumari in collaboration with Cape Comorin Trust. (27 November, 2021)
  8. At an International Conference on ‘Contemporary Trends and Development in Cultural Studies and the Humanities’ organized by New Literaria in collaboration with University of Rome and Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur. (24 October, 2021)
  9. At HERSO International Conference on ‘Environment, Literature & Culture’, Navi Mumbai, 11 September, 2020.
  10. At an International Conference on ‘Re-Thinking the Postcolonial: Texts and Contexts’, organized by New Literaria Journal and Assam University, 25 September, 2020.
  11. At a National Seminar on “Media and Subalterns in India” organized by the department of Culture and Media Studies, Central University of Rajasthan, 16-17 March, 2017.
  12. At HERSO International Conference on ‘Literature, Culture and World Peace’, Navi Mumbai, 23-24 September, 2016.
  13. At “Trajectory of Indian Diaspora, Culture and Ethnicity” organized by University of Lucknow, 20-21 March, 2015.
  14. At “Globalism and the New Literatures” organized by Indian Society for Commonwealth Studies (ISCS) in collaboration with Osmania University Centre for International Programmes, Hyderabad, 3-5 February, 2014.
  15. At “Interdisciplinary Negotiations in Performing Arts: Indo-Global Praxis” organised by Indian Society for Theatre Research at Central University of Rajasthan, 8 -11 January, 2014.
  16. At “Voices from the Margin: Society, Culture and Exclusion” organised by Central University of Jharkhand, 20-22 February, 2013.

 

  • MA DISSERTATION SUPERVISED:

S.NO

NAME OF THE STUDENT

ENROLLMENT NO.

TITLE

1

Guni Vats

2013MAEN005

Tracing ‘Her’ Footsteps: Advent of Modernism in India through Ismat Chightai

2

Alisha Baglari

2013MAEN002

Reconsidering the Dynamics of Widow Treatment in Vrindavan in the Select Novels

3

Vijay Gupta

2014MAEN025

Reinterpretation of the Interpretation: Understanding Dalit Duniya under the Canopy of Translation

4

Balveer

2015MAEN006

Voice of Meera: Revisiting the Bhakti Age

5

Megha Manju Promodu

2016MAEN010

Tritya Prakriti: A Retrospect on Mythologies and Folklores in the Light of Queerness

6

Merin John

2017MAEN007

Animal Symbolism in Caste Based Films

7

Nishtha Mahawar

2019MAEN012

‘Shifting Narratives of Indian Sex Workers’: Examining the domain of life writing

 

8

Khushi Khandelwal

2020MAEN018

Re-visiting Awadh, Remembering the Begum: New Discourse on Tawaifs

 

9

Kunal Mukherjee

2020MAEN019

Representation of Bihari Stereotypes in the Select Works of Amitava Kumar

 

10

Leon Jose

2020MAEN021

Indian Adaptation of Shakespeare: Examining the cultural and Psychological Sphere

11

Maya Rani Majhi

2020MAEN022

Crossing Threshold and Intransigence in Selected Fictions of Krishna Sobti

12

Mohammad Faris

2020MAEN023

Ecological Consciousness in Animation Movies: Analysis of Moana, Frozen II, Wall-E and The Lorax

13

Himansh

2021MAEN015

Dalit Women Voices: Revisiting the Unsung Warriors of 1857

14

Khushi Shekhawat

2021MAEN018

Marginalization and Resistance: Understanding the Santhal Worldview in Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar;s Selected Works

 

 

  • M.Phil/ Ph.D THESIS EVALUATION:

S.NO

NAME OF THE SCHOLAR

TITLE OF THESIS

UNIVERSITY

YEAR

1

Sreevidya Surendran

The Anatomy of Trauma: Structures of Interpretation and Representation

EFLU, Hyderabad

 

2

Swati Rahul Gade

Suffering and Exploitation in the Poetry of Imtiaz Dharker

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University

2019

3

Kapil K Gajbhiye

Muliebrity in the Fiction of Paule Marshall and Shashi Deshpande: A Comparative Study

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University

2019

4

Amol Chokha Indurkar

Critical Study of Social Problems as Reflected in the Novels of Aravind Adiga

Gondwana University, Gadchiroli

2019

5

Naresh Kumar

Emergence of New Cultural Identities in the Novels of Chetan Bhagat

NIILM University, Kaithal

2021

6

Rekha Rani

Presentation of the Magic Realism in the Selected Novels of Chitra Banerjee Divakauni

NIILM University, Kaithal

2022

7

Nomesh N Meshram

A Thematic and Structural Study of Agha Shahid Ali’s English Ghazals

Gondwana University, Gadchiroli

2022

8

Sonia Awasthi

Plays of Mahesh Dattani and Rana Bose: A Comparative Study

Lucknow

2022

9

Ekta Chahal

Treatment of Gandhian Values in the Selected Novels of Nayantara Sahgal

NIILM University, Kaithal

August 2022

10

Pratibha

‘Self’ and Society in the Selected Stories of Jhumpa Lahiri and Bharati Mukherjee: A Postcolonial Study

(Ph.D Pre-submission, extended abstract)

Guru Kashi University, Bathinda

August 2022

11

Shivani Rana

PhD registration synopsis evaluation

Banasthali Vidyapeeth

September 2022

12

Anil M R

Encounters with Subaltern Disability and Social Exclusion: A Comparative Study of Select Fictions and Films

Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala

March 2023

13

Sugandha Agnihotri

Quest for Identity and True Love in the Select Writings of Kamala Das

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishi University, Lucknow

August 2023

14

Ruchika

Representation of Motherhood in the Select Novels of Jahnavi Barua, Avni Doshi, Jerry Pinto and Manu Joseph

PhD registration synopsis evaluation

Banasthali Vidyapeeth

September 2023

S. No. Authors Title of Article Journal/Conference Details Journal/Conference Publication Year
1 Arora N Going Back to the ‘Roots’ in Search of One’s Identity Impressions, XIII(II), 1-12. Journal 2019

Attended

NATIONAL SEMINARS/ CONFERENCES:

  1. “Caste, Gender and Disability: An Intersectional Reading of Sumitra Mehraul’s Toote Pankhon se Parwaz Tak”. Co-presented at a National Conference on ‘Disability Studies: Theory and Practice’ organized by NIT Meghalaya. (18-19 November, 2023)
  2. “Rejecting the ‘Rejected Body’, Naturalizing Disability: A Study of Indian Disabled Women Writers”. Co-presented at a National Conference on ‘Embodied Identities: The Body in Cultural Spaces’ organized by Farook College, Calicut. (21-22 February, 2023)
  3. “Resistance, Reconciliation, and Healing: An Intersectional Reading of Shivani Gupta’s No Looking Back: A True Story”. Co-Presented at a National Seminar on ‘Disability in North East’ organized by Arya Vidyapeeth College in collaboration with Bodoland University, Kokrajhar. (28-29 November, 2022)
  4. “Tawaifs: Distorted Facts, Silenced Her-Story”. Presented at a National Conference on “Celebrating Unheard Voices of Charismatic Women in Indian Writing in English” organized by IIT Roorkee in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Govt. Of India. (3-4 December, 2021)
  5. “Urban Spaces, ‘New’ Dalits and Counter Narratives: A Reading of Yashica Dutt’s Coming Out as Dalit”. Presented at the National Seminar on ‘Rethinking Social Exclusion: Issues and Perspectives’ organized by Sikkim University in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research. (15-16 November, 2021)
  6. “Dalit Liberation Movement: Forging New Identity, Re-Building Society” on Transforming Society through Literature and Social Movements at S S Jain Subodh PG College, Jaipur, 6-7 September, 2019.
  7. “Public Women: Looking Beyond the Voyeuristic Glass” on Women as Critical Partners in an Egalitarian Society (AIU Seminar) at NorthCap University, Gurugram, 8-9 March, 2018.

INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS/ CONFERENCES:

  1. “Caste/ndemic: Crisis of Caste-based (Un)touchability in the Times of Corona”. Co-presented at an International Conference on ‘Crisis in/and South Asian Literature in English’ organized by Tezpur University, Assam. (14-16 December, 2023)
  2.  “Period Crisis in Rural India: Deciphering Menstrual Hygiene in Padman”. Co-presented at 4th International Conference on ‘Exploring Crisis in Literary and Cultural Studies’ organized by New Literaria and CURaj. (19-20 October, 2023)
  3. “Negotiating Marginalization, Asserting the ‘Self’: A Critical Reading of Life Narratives by Indian Disabled Women”. Co-presented at an International Conference on ‘Recent Trends in Literature and Linguistics’ organized by Sophia Girls’ College, Ajmer. (10-11 March, 2023)
  4. “Changing the World, Writing New Stories: Understanding Dalit Women Empowerment in Contemporary Times”. Presented at an International Conference on ‘Trends and Future Possibilities in Humanities and Social Sciences’ organized by DIT University, Dehradun. (10-11 November, 2022)
  5.  “Marginalization of Sex Workers: A Comparative Study of Sex Work/ers in Kerala and Rajasthan”. Co-Presented at an International Conference on ‘Language, Literature, and Humanities’ organized by St. John’s College of Arts and Science, Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with Cape Comorin Publisher. (20-21 August, 2022)
  6. “’Our Labour, Our Work’: Reading Resistance in the Life Narratives of the Sex Workers”. Co-Presented at an International Conference on ‘Resistance, Reconciliation, and Healing’ organized by Assam University, Diphu Campus. (11-12 July, 2022)
  7. “Curetting Recipes, Cooking Resistance: Reading Cultural Assertion in Dalit Food”. Presented at an International Conference on ‘Contemporary Trends and Development in Cultural Studies and the Humanities’ organized by New Literaria in collaboration with University of Rome and Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur. (22-24 October, 2021)
  8. “Jal, Jangal, Jameen – Reading the ‘Eco-War’ in Mayilamma: The Life of a Tribal Eco-Warrior”. Presented at an International Conference on ‘Fourth World Literature’ organized by Nesamony Memorial Christian College and Cape Comorin Trust India. (9-11 September, 2021)
  9. “Talking Life/ Writing Life: Reclaiming Aborigine Identity in Sally Morgan’s My Place”. Presented at an International Conference on ‘Re-Thinking the Postcolonial: Texts and Contexts’, organized by New Literaria Journal and Assam University. (25-27 September, 2020)
  10. “Flight from/ Fight against Sexual Colonialism in Meena Kandasamy’s When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife”. Presented at an International Conference on Gender Studies. (16-18 September, 2020)
  11. “Ecological Crisis and the Tribal Mantra ‘Everything is Connected’”. Presented at an International Conference on Environment, Literature and Culture organized by Higher Education & Research Society, Mumbai. (11-12 September, 2020)
  12.  “Contextualizing Dalit Literature: Defying the Existing, Anticipating New”. Presented at the 19th MELOW Conference on Connections/Disconnections Literary Traditions, Continuities & Disruptions organized at Panjab University, Chandigarh. (21-23 February, 2020)
  13. ‘My Land, My Rights: Celebrating Adivasis Protest in Plachimada’”. Presented at an International Conference on Tribal Philosophy organized by Tribal Research Institute, Ranchi. (17-19 January, 2020)
  14.  “Let’s Talk Depression: Confronting the ‘log kya kahenge’ Attitude in Gauri Shinde’s ‘Dear Zindagi’”. Presented at an International Conference on Deglobalising Disability: Texts and Contexts organized by University of Lucknow, in collaboration with IDSC and PYSSUM. (21-23 October, 2019)
  15. “(Un)translating Gender in Chughtai’s ‘Chowthi ka Jowra’ on Cultural Translation and Gender: Performatory Ethics of a Translator, at the III Annual International Conference of Caesurae Collective Society, 13-15 September, 2019.
  16. “Reading Dalit Culture of Punjab in Madhopuri’s Changiya Rukh” on Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature and Culture, at Andhra University, 14-16 March, 2019.
  17. “Begum Jaan: A Gendered Prism to Re-view Partition” on ‘Women and Sectarian Violence in South Asia: Fiction and Reality’, at Central University of Gujarat, 9-10 November, 2017.
  18. “Dalit/ Dirty Politics: Is India Shining?” on ‘The Cultures of New India’, at Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow, 17-18 February, 2017.
  19. “The Silencing of the ghungroos: Hearing ‘her-story’ in Ruswa’s Umrao Jan Ada” at 16th MELOW Conference on ‘Distortions and Erasures: Literature as History; History in Literature’, Chandigarh, 3-5 March, 2017.
  20. “Being Man/Becoming Woman: Gender Ambiguity in A. Revathi’s The Truth About Me” at IACLALS Conference on ‘Right to Write: The Culture of Literary Controversies and Controversial Literatures’ organised by Kakatiya University, Warangal, 22-24 January, 2016.
  21. “Revolt of 1857: From Sham-e-Awadh to Sham of Awadh” at HERSO International Conference on ‘Literature, Culture and World Peace’, Navi Mumbai, 23-24 September, 2016.
  22. “Dalit Women as ‘Body’: Re-defining Dalit Patriarchy” at Cast(e)ing Gender in dalit Literature by the network, ‘Writing, Analysing, Translating Dalit Literature’organised at Savitri Bai Phule University, Pune, 14-15 December 2015.
  23. Desi Soil, Borrowed Spring”: Locating Bangla Dalit Sahitya on the Map of Bhasha Literature’ at XII Annual International Conference of Rajasthan Association for Studies in English, on‘Evolving Facets of Translation: Comparative Perspectives, Adaptation, and Popular Culture’ organised by CURaj, 23-24 November 2015.
  24. Homeland’s Gate: Exploring the Issue of the Re-turn / Return of the Natives in Okigbo and Rubadiri’s Seminal Poems” at IACLALS Conference on ….. organised by BITS Pilani Goa Campus, 12-14 February 2015.
  25. “Questioning the Boundaries and Resisting the Politics of Exclusion in the Aboriginals of Australia” at ‘Fourth World Literature & Culture’ organised by Higher Education & Research Society, Pune, 12-13 September 2014.
  26. “Apartheid: The Hyphenated Existence in Athol Fugard’s ‘Blood Knot’” on Globalism and the New Literatures organized by Indian Society for Commonwealth Studies (ISCS) in collaboration with Osmania University Centre for International Programmes, Hyderabad, 3-5 February, 2014.
  27. “From Qubool Hai to Talaq, Talaq, Talaq: A Journey of Muslim Women in Indian Cinema” in a Conference on Literature, Language and Communication: An Essential Trident at AMITY University, Lucknow, 9-10 December, 2013.
  28. “When Dalit Women Write…What Dalit Women Write…” at IACLALS conference, 7-9 February, 2013.
  29. “The Unheard Scream or The Voice of the Missing Girls?” in a conference on Voices from the Margin: Society, Culture and Exclusion at Central University of Jharkhand, 20-22 February, 2013.

INVITED LECTURES/ TALK DELIVERED:

  1. Raiganj University, West Bengal (22, 23, 25 & 26 November, 2021) on ‘Dalit Literature, Writings and Activism’.
  2. DAATH VOYAGE lecture series, 23 November, 2020, on ‘Our History Too Matters: Re-Writing History’.
  3. At NAAS College, Madurai Kamaraj University, 2 September, 2020, on “Breaking Barriers, Creating Milestones”.
  4. At Periyar University PG Extension Centre, 16 June, 2020, on ‘The Word/World of Dalit Literature’.
  5. GNOSIS lecture series, 17 May, 2020, on ‘Registering Resistance, Celebrating Dalithood: Reading Contemporary Dalit Activism’.
  6. At Midnapore College, West Bengal, 16 May, 2020, on ‘Yes, We Talk Differently: Reading Gender in Dalit Literature’.
  7. At Raiganj University, West Bengal, 29 January – 2 February, 2018, PG (Romantic & Victorian literature) and PhD Course Work (Comparative Literature & Translation Studies).
  8. At R.K. Patni College, Kishangarh, 29 July 2017 on “Persuasive Writing”.
  9. At R.K. Patni College, Kishangarh, 15 Dec 2016 on “How to write CV and prepare for Interview”
  10. At Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University from November 10-14, 2014, to M.A 1st& 3rd Semester on Literary Theories, Modern German Drama in English Translation, and Romantic Novels.
  11. Also a Seminar Talk on Dalit Literature.

Organized

  1. Academic

Organizing Committee Member

CURaj-IDSC International Conference on ‘Disability and the Everyday: Interdisciplinary Perspectives’, 8-10 February 2023.

Co-convener of the International Conference

XII Annual International Conference of Rajasthan Association for Studies in English, on ‘Evolving Facets of Translation: Comparative Perspectives, Adaptation, and Popular Culture’ organised by CURaj, 23-24 November 2015.

Convener

  • International Conference on “Moving Beyond the Margin: The Politics of Exclusion and Assimilation” organized by CURaj, 15-16 November, 2018.
  • International Conference on “Moving Beyond the Margin: The Politics of Exclusion and Assimilation” organized by CURaj, 15-16 November, 2018.

Co-ordinator:

  • Organised an Invited Talk by Prof. Sharankumar Limbale on “Poetics of Resistance”, 23 March, 2018.
  • Co-organised an event, “Mulakat-e-Faiz”, 26 March, 2018, under the Literary Club.
  • Organizing Member in Rajasthan Science Congress, 13-16 October, 2018.
  • NCW "National Education Policy"  on 20th October 2020 
  • Co-ordinated a webinar on Gender Based Violence, 11 January, 2021.
  • Co-ordinated TLC online course, 3 – 9 February, 2021.
  • Organizing Committee, International Conference on ‘Disability and the Everyday: Interdisciplinary Perspectives’, in collaboration with IDSC. (8-10 February, 2023)