

Widely recognized as a research and teaching department, the Humanities and Social Sciences at BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus, was established in 2004. Since its inception the department, which also hosted the management stream but was later merged into the department of Economics, has long been known for its innovations and excellence in teaching and research. The department is dedicated to recruiting faculty members from newer research areas alongside traditional disciplines. It provides support and autonomy to the individual teachers to develop their areas and introduce new courses, particularly in interdisciplinary areas. The expertise of the faculty members range from Shakespearean studies, literary theory, ecocriticism, film studies, meta-cognitive studies, tourism studies to developmental studies, disaster management, environmental social sciences, maritime studies, qualitative psychology, mental health and professional ethics.
The department aims at enriching the knowledge and awareness of students in various areas of humanistic and socio-scientific studies and enhancing their creative and critical thinking skills thereby enabling them to become well-rounded human beings, committed to the society, and to excel in their professional and personal lives.
* To promote critical thinking and value-oriented learning in humanities and socio-scientific studies
* To foster a transformative learning experience and a culture of inquiry
* To nurture a holistic learning environment which augments creative and cognitive capacities
* To enhance the aesthetic appreciation of arts and literatures
* To be a center of excellence in Humanities and Social Sciences
* To impart experiential learning enabling socio-political awareness
The strength of the Research Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Goa, is in the diversity of expertise of the faculty members. The faculty members are engaged in cutting edge research that are socially, culturally and politically relevant and contemporary. The publications of the faculty members are evidence for their research.

Ph.D. Topic - Sea Ports & Economic Development and The Case Study of Sagarmala & India's Maritime Infrastructure Movement
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof M Behera, Prof Geeta and Prof R. P Pradhan
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Impact of Culture on Learning English as a Second Language
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Basavadatta Mitra,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Shalini Upadhyay, Prof. Pushp Lata
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Effect of metacognition skill training on informal learning among white-collar workers
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Aswini S and Prof. Nilanjana
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Communal Riots and Memory Politics
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Amitendu Bhattacharya,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Cognitive focused strategies and Dementia
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Nilanjana Goswami,
Co. Supervisor -
Aswini S,
DAC Members - Prof. Rayson Alex and Prof. Reena Cheruvalath
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Mohan Kumar Bera,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Sayantani Sarkar, Prof. Shalini Upadhyay
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Nilanjana Goswami,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Sayantani Sarkar, Prof. Solano Da Silva
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Assessing the potential for developing nature-based solutions around Pandanus ecosystem in Goa
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Saranya G Nair
DAC Members - Prof. Reena Cheruvalath and Prof. Harikrishnan N. B.
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Geetha Bakilapadavu,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Hemant Rathore
DAC Members - Prof. Rajeev Chaturvedi and Prof. Mohan K. Bera
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Diverse Pasts and Unequal Presents: Navigating Adivasi Identities in the Landscape of Jharkhand
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Mohan Kumar Bera,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Harikrishnan Gopinadhan Nair and Prof. Geetha B.
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Social representations and everyday socio-legal experiences of sexual violence among women survivors in Goa: A critical constructivist grounded theory exploration
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
DAC Members - Dr. Aswini S., Prof. Sailaja Nandigama
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Mohan Bera, Prof. Kunal Korgaonkar
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Aswini S., Prof. Hareesh A.G.
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - “Assessment of climate change risks, vulnerabilities and development of adaptation strategies to Semi-Arid Region of India”
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Mohan Bera, Prof. Nilanjana Goswami
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - The Emotional Geographies of Goan Poetry
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Geetha Bakilapadavu,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. K. A. Geetha and Prof. Sayantani Sarkar
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Sayantani Sarkar,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Reena Cheruvalath, Prof. Nilanjana Goswami
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Aswini S,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Reena Cheruvalath, Prof. Nilanjana Goswami
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
DAC Members - Prof. Aswini S., Prof. Rajneesh Choubisa
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Review and Analysis of India's Free Trade Agreements
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Arfat Ahmad Sofi
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Solano Jose Savio Da Silva,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr. Sayantani Sarkar and Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Mangroves and Climate Resilience
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Dr. Solano Jose Savio Da Silva,
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Fiscal Decentralisation as a strategy of improving Ecnomic and political Governance in Botswana
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Co. Supervisor -
Dr. Mohan Kumar Bera,
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Hareesh A.G,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Reena Cheruvalath, Prof. Aswini S.
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Antecedents and outcomes of artificial intelligence adoption for crisis and issue management: the socio-technical system theory perspective
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Aswini S,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof Reena and Prof Bidisha
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Vulnarablity and Resilience in Rural Agricultural Communities
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Nilanjana Goswami,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Nilak Datta,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Solano Da Silva & Prof. Mohan Kumar Bera
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Negotiating Nation and Citizenship: An Ethnographic Study of Tibetan Youth-in-Exile in India
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr. Mohan Kumar Bera and Dr. Shalini Upadhyay
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - The Performative Politics of Ethnocultural Nationalism in India
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr. Anitendu Bhattacharya & Dr. Rayson K Alex
Ph.D. Status - Completed


Ph.D. Topic - Unearthing Silenced Histories: A Reinterpretation of Enslavement and Freedom in Colonial Goa Through the Lens of the Poskim
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr. Nilak Datta & Dr. Solano Da Silva
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Topic - The Politics of Performance in the Goan Mando
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Nilak Datta,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Solano Jose Savio Da Silva,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Lakshmi Subramanian,
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Sayantani Sarkar,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. K. A. Geetha and Prof. Hareesh A. G.
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Urban Literary Culture of 1950-60’s India: Mohan Rakesh & the Nayi Kahani Movement
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Nilak Datta,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr Sayantani Sarkar, Dr Shalini Upadhayay
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Livelihood Diversification amidst Economic Insecurity: Kaibartas of Assam
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Solano Jose Savio Da Silva,
Co. Supervisor -
Dr. Sayantani Sarkar,
DAC Members - Prof Lakshmi Subramanian & Dr Mohan Kumar Bera
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Topic - Disaster Health in Low-Lying River Islands (Char Lands) of the Ganges-Padma System, India
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Mohan Kumar Bera,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. R Raghunathan & Dr. Sayantani Sarkar
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Sayantani Sarkar,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Hareesh A.G,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Geetha Bakilapadavu,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing


Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Sayantani Sarkar,
Co. Supervisor -
Dr. Solano Jose Savio Da Silva,
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing


Ph.D. Supervisor -
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Topic - An inquiry into the effects of regimes of morality on the experience of freedom as an authentic self-expression among queer individuals in India
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Prabhu Venkataraman
DAC Members - Dr. Solana Jose Savio Da Silva and Prof. Sailaja Nandigama
Ph.D. Status - Completed


Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing


Ph.D. Topic - Crisis Communication Strategies in Tourism: A Case of Goa Tourism during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Shalini Upadhyay,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Prof. Sangeeta Sharma (Pilani), Prof. R P Pradhan
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Amitendu Bhattacharya,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Completed


Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Punit Parmananda (IIT Bombay)
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Topic - Maritime Governance & Blue Economy: Framework Analysis for India’s Comprehensive National Maritime Policy & Prospects
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. R P Pradhan,
Co. Supervisor -
DAC Members - Dr.Mohan Bera & Dr.Arafat Sofi
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Amitendu Bhattacharya,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Ongoing

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Reena Cheruvalath,
Co. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. Bidisha Banerjee,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Supervisor -
Prof. K.A.Geetha,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Ph.D. Topic - Literary and Cultural Studies
Ph.D. Supervisor -
Geetha Bakilapadavu,
Co. Supervisor -
Ph.D. Status - Completed

Guest Speake Dr. Sunil Kumar Ambrammal

Admission Open for Ph.D. Programmes, Second Semester 2025-26
Two-day seminar by Prof. G. Aloysius

Talk by Prof. Lakshmi Subramanian on “Sonic Nationalism in India”

Guest Speake Prof. Subhash Kamlkar

Young Researchers’ Conference(YRC) 2026

Guest Speake Prof. Ambati Nageswara Rao

Guest Speaker Raj Bhandare

Workshop on Sound Production by Jithu George

Book Release The River Mhadei: The Science and Politics of DiversionEditors: Peter Ronald deSouza | Solano Da Silva | Lakshmi Subramanian
Guest Speake Dr. Sunil Kumar Ambrammal
17 October, 2025Admission Open for Ph.D. Programmes, Second Semester 2025-26
10 October, 2025Two-day seminar by Prof. G. Aloysius
10 October, 2025Talk by Prof. Lakshmi Subramanian on “Sonic Nationalism in India”
1 October, 2025Guest Speake Prof. Subhash Kamlkar
29 September, 2025Young Researchers’ Conference(YRC) 2026
24 September, 2025Guest Speake Prof. Ambati Nageswara Rao
24 September, 2025Workshop on Sound Production by Jithu George
17 September, 2025Sessions on the Philosophy of Research
3 September, 2025Round Table Discussion “Collaborative Teaching-Learning Method: Issues Policy and Practice”
6 June, 2025Workshop on “Collaborative Teaching-Learning Process.”
9 May, 2025An Interaction with a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar, Ms. Mayukha Dyta
25 April, 2025Fulbright Public Lecture by Ms. Mayukha Dyta, Ohio Wesleyan University, Ohio, USA
23 April, 2025Invited guest talk by Prof. Krithika Srinivasan
27 March, 2025A Conceptual Model: Multisensory Marketing and Destination Branding

DEPTH, SURFACE AND MOVEMENT: THE INDIAN OCEAN ENVIRONMENT, HISTORY AND HUMAN AGENCY
Conference on Role of forest ecosystems in meeting SDGs and Climate Goals in South Asia
International Conference on ‘Region/Nation/Trans-Nation: Literature-Cinema Interface’
Climate Resilience Planning in the Forest Sector in Meghalaya
Rethinking Popular Genres: Technology, Class Radicalism and Biopower
Who owns Minerals? How could they be managed? The Goenchi Mati Proposal
The “Frontier” and the American Imagination: A Retrospective View
Interpersonal communication as a tool for effective hospital administration
Universities at the Crossroads and the Humanities at a Dead-End: What is the Way Forward?
Superfunds Fictionalized: An Eco-cosmopolitan Approach to Animal’s People by Indra Sinhaa
Akanksha N. Padmakumar
Area: Philosophy
Supervisor: Prof. Reena Cheruvalath
E-mail: h20190900@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Mitra Gireesh
Area: Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi
E-mail: h20190903@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Akash Sadanand Naik Salgaonkar
Area: Philosophy
Supervisor: Dr.Hareesh A.G.
E-mail: h20200188@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Aparna Sharma
Area: Gender studies
Supervisor: Prof. Lakshmi Subramanian
E-mail: h20200187@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Harsha S
Area: Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Bidisha Banerjee
E-mail: h20200190@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Srishti
Area: Education
Supervisor: Prof. Geetha B
E-mail: h20200189@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in

Mr. Vijay Lamani
Office Assistant
Tel: +91-832-2580-224
Email: vijay@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in & humanities.office@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Office address: A-304, Dept. of Humanities & Social Sciences BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar - 403726. Goa.

Mr. Sameer Shivram Redkar
Technician
Tel: +91-832-2580-224 / +91 9930076897
Media Lab (Language lab): CC-122/1
Email: sameerr@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, NH 17B, Zuarinagar, Goa - 403726

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