DR VIKAS GUPTA, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI

Dr. Vikas Gupta teaches in the Department of History, University of Delhi. Dr. Vikas Gupta is Advisory Editorial Board Member of Contemporary Education Dialogue published by Sage. Dr. Vikas Gupta is also associated with many organizations. For instance, he is Organizing Secretary of the All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) which is formed of its 80+ member organizations and numerous fraternal and associate organizations across the country and which is striving for fully and directly state funded common education system from KG to PG. Dr. Vikas Gupta is a member of the Board of Trustees of Kishore Bharati, which has been a pioneering organization in the field of learner centric and socially contextualized transformative learning process and environment conservation. Dr. Gupta is an Executive Member of Indian Social Science Academy. He is also the Joint Secretary of SAMBHAVANA, an organization working for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The German Historical Institute and Charles Wallace Trust for India provided to Dr. Vikas Gupta fellowships for archival studies in the UK in the year 2015. Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) awarded him a two-year project on “Inequality and Education in Modern India” in October 2014. ICHR had also awarded Dr. Vikas Gupta with a grant in 2008 enabling him to go to UK for collecting certain archival documents on colonial education.

His broad area of academic research includes historical and contemporary aspects of education in modern India with special focus on curricular knowledge, social inequalities, state policies and school practices. Besides this, he is interested in the history of language, nationalism and community relations in South Asia; and in the history of modern France: he has been teaching courses on these issues to Post-Graduate students.

Dr. Vikas Gupta jointly published with KM Shrimali and others a book on Teaching History from Aakar in 2013. He has co-edited a volume with Rama Kant Agnihotri and Minati Panda Modernist Transformations and Educational Inequality in India which is in print from Orient Blackcswan. Beside these, he has contributed many book chapters in different volumes and articles in leading journals as shown in the following list of publications. He has delivered lectures at different internationally and nationally renowned educational institutions as mentioned in the following list of conference presentations.

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

  • Vikas Gupta, (2019), ‘Combating educational inequality: competing frameworks’, in Jyoti Raina (Ed.), Elementary Education in India: Policy Shifts, Issues and Challenges, Routledge, pp. 249-284.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2019), ‘Some Aspects of the Rights and Laws of Disabled Persons in India Since Independence’, Inclusive, Vol. 1, No. 15 (July).
  • Vikas Gupta,(2018), ‘Bhaurao Patil’s Educational Work and Social Integration’, Inclusive, Vol. 1, Issue 12. (January). http://www.theinclusive.org/posts/2018-01-spart-04.html
  • Vikas Gupta, (2017), ‘Cultural Marginality and Reproduction of Stereotypes: An Insider’s View on Practices of School’ in Manoj Kumar Tiwary, Sanjay Kumar and Arvind Mishra (Eds.), Social Diversity, Inclusive Classroom and Primary Education in India, New Delhi: Orient Blackswan.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, ‘Macaulay se Pare’, in Hariday Kant Dewan, Rama Kant Agnihotri, Arun Chaturvedi, Ved Dan Sudhir, and Rajni Dwivedi, (Ed.), Macaulay, Elphinstone Aur Bhartiya Shiksha, New Delhi: Vani Prakashan.
  • Vikas Gupta (2016), ‘Flawed and Inegalitarian Framework of School Education in Draft National Education Policy 2016’, RECONSTRUCTING EDUCATION for Emancipation, Vol. 2, Nos. 2, 3 & 4, (July-October-December), P 18.
  • Vikas Gupta(2016), ‘Politics of the Guarded Agenda of New Education Policy’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. L1, No. 42, October 15th, PP 59-69.
  • Vikas Gupta(2016), ‘Combating Educational Inequalities and The Judgment of Allahabad High Court’, Janata, Vol. 71, No. 10, April 3rd, PP 6-13.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, Review of Deepak Kumar, Joseph Bara, Nandita Khadria And Ch. Radha Gayathri, Education in Colonial India: Historical Insights. New Delhi: Manohar, 2013, The Indian Historical Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 1–4.
  • Vikas Gupta (2015), ‘yah hai samaveshikaran ka’ (Instrument of Inclusion), Hastkshep, Weekly Supplement of Hindi Daily Rashtriya Sahara, (Saturday), 29th
  • Vikas Gupta (2014), “Changing Discourses on Inequality and Disparaty: From Welfare State to Neoliberal Capitalism”, in Ravi Kumar, (Ed.), Education, State and Market: Anatomy of Neoliberal Impact, Aakar, pp 19-57.
  • Madhu Prasad and Vikas Gupta (2013), ‘Delhi University’s Struggle in Defense of Higher Education’, Reconstructing Education, Volume 2, No. 2, April-June.
  • Vikas Gupta (2013), “Discourse and Politics of Home-Based Education”, Reconstructing Education, (Joint Issue), Vol. 1, Issue 4, (Sept-Dec.), 2012 & Vol. 2, Issue 1, (Jan-Mar), pp 11-16.
  • M. Shrimali, Vikas Gupta, et al (2013), Teaching History, New Delhi: Aakar Publishing.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2012), “Pluralism Versus Contest of Identities”, Seminar, No. 638, (Oct.), 2012, pp 30-36.
  • Vikas Gupta (2012), “Indology”, a Unit in the Study Material for IGNOU, (M.A. level course in Translation Studies).
  • Vikas Gupta (2011), “Is social Science Social? Problematizing Classroom Learning”, Proceedings of NUEPA Global Conclave of Young Scholars of Education, January 27-29th.
  • Vikas Gupta (2011), “Political Economy of Language Education: Questions of Social Diversity and Disability”, International Journal of Research & Development, Vol. I, No. I, (Autumn), pp 3-11.
  • Vikas Gupta (2010), “A Critique of the Semester System”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XLV: No. 9, pp 18-20.
  • Vikas Gupta (2010), “Neo-liberalism, Neo-conservatism and the Inequalities in Education”, (Michael W. Apple’s Lecture Compiled with Notes and References), Mainstream, Vol. XLVIII: No. 8, (Feb.), 33-36.
  • Vikas Gupta (2007), “Social Agenda of Colonial Education: Textbook Discourse In the Mid- Nineteenth Century”, Indian History Congress Proceedings, 68th Session, 1113-1123.

MEMBERSHIP OF EDITORIAL BOARDS

  • Advisory Editorial Board Member, Contemporary Education Dialogue.

PROJECTS AND ASSIGNMENTS

  • Organized an International Conference on ‘Modern Transformations and the Challenges of Inequality in Education in India’ on November 27th-29th, 2014 in Delhi, India.
  • Project Director, “Inequality and Education in Modern India: A Study of Structures, Agency and Curricular Knowledge in 19th and 20th Centuries”, Research Project of the Department of History, Delhi University, Sponsored by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), 2015-2016.
  • Trans-National Educational Research Group on Education and Poverty, Max Weber Foundation granted Fellowship on a research project on Inequality And Education In Modern India: A Study Of Structures, Agency And Curricular Knowledge (April to July 2015).
  • Delhi University granted R&D and Doctoral Research Grant in 2015 for a project on the theme “Contradictions and Inequities within Colonial Framework of Curricular Knowledge in India”.
  • Delhi University granted R&D and Doctoral Research Grant in 2014 for a project on the theme “Homogeneity and Heterogeneity in the Structure of Modern Education in India: a Socio-Historical Perspective on the Interplay of Inequality and Education in 19th and 20th Centuries”.
  • Delhi University granted R&D and Doctoral Research Grant in 2013 for a project on The “Role and Influence of Raja Shiva Prasad and Dr. John Murdoch in the Field of Education in India”.
  • Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) provided Study and Travel Grant in the year 2008 for collecting source material from Britain for the project “Colonial Curricular Knowledge and its Social Dimensions during Late Nineteenth Century”.
  • Participated as a resource person in the preparation of a report on “Pluralism and Education”, (2010), submitted to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India by Deshkal in collaboration with UFID, UNICEF and World Bank.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INVOLVEMENT

  • Organizing Secretary, All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE), which is a nation-wide network of a large number of organizations of teachers, students, trade-unions and social workers striving for the universalization of education of an equitable quality within the framework of ‘common school system based on the concept of neighborhood schools’.
  • Member, Executive Committee/Board of Trusties, Kishore Bharati, which has a long history for work to promote innovative and scientific learning in schools and which has taken up other social issues, such as water conservation.
  • Member, National Executive, Indian Social Science Academy.
  • Joint Secretary, SAMBHAVANA Organization working for the rights of persons with disabilities.
  • Served as the Member of the core committee of Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC), University of Delhi.
  • Served as member of the Library Committee, Website Committee, Accessibility Committee and Seminar Committee constituted by the Department of History, Delhi University.
  • Served as Member of the Social Science Faculty, University of Delhi.

COURSES PRESENTLY TEACHING OR PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT IN THE UNIVERSITY

  • “History of Modern Education in India: Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century”. (M.A. Final Year).
  • “Language, History and Nationalism in South Asia”. (M.A. Final Year).
  • “Historians and Their Methods”. M.Phil. Course Work.
  • “History of Modern France 1760s-1815”. (M.A. Previous Year).
  • “Communalism in Modern India”. (M.A. Final Year).
  • “Economy and Society in India Circa 1750-1850”. (M.A. Final Year).

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  • Vikas Gupta, (2020), ‘Juxtaposing the Historiographical Framework of National Education with the Educational Discourse of the Freedom Struggle’, Chairman’s Address to the Research Committee on ‘Archaeology, History and Culture’ of the XLIII Indian Social Science Congress, Jan 17-21, 2020, Bengaluru.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2020), ‘Zaka Ullah: A 19th Century Endeavor for Establishing Rapprochement in Language and Knowledge’, Plenary Lecture delivered in the 43rd Indian Social Science Congress, Bengaluru Central University, 17th to 21st January 2020
  • Vikas Gupta, (2020), Discussant in the International Conference on Mapping the Global Legacy of the Mahatma: Reflections on Politics, Religion and Culture, Organized by Department of Political Science, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, 24-25 January 2020.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2019), ‘Nav Udaarvaad kaa prabhaav: badhti vishamta aur garibon se door hoti hue shiksha’, 7th Professor Vinodanand Singh Memorial Lecture, organized by Professor Vinodanand Sigh Smriti Samiti, Muzzafarpur, Bihar, 15th June 2019.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2019), ‘A critical look at the New Education Policy: Interaction with Scientists’, talk organized by Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangaluru, 8th January 2019.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2019), ‘Education and the Praxis of Social Emancipation in Phule’s work’, Paper presented at the National Symposium-cum-Workshop on ’ Critical Pedagogy and Phule’s Writings’, organized by the Department of Education (CIE), Delhi University ( Under the aegis of IASE, MHRD), 7th-8th March 2019.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2018), ‘Historical Tregectory and Contemporary Politics of Public Education’, Keynote Address delivered in the national seminar organized by DIET, Bageshwar, Uttrakhand on 14th and 15th November, 2018.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2017, ‘Colonial State and the Formation of Modern Teacher in India’, (Plenary Lecture Delivered in XLI Indian Social Science Congress on the Focal Theme “Our University Education System : A Critical Appraisal” Held, on December 18th to 22, at Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Vikas Gupta, (2017), ‘Schooling, Social Justice and Egalitarianism: Transnational Historical Survey and Neoliberal Trends’, Paper presented at the International Conference on “Educational Policy Shifts in Neo-Liberal Times: Core Concerns and Critical Issues”, Organized by Gargi College, Delhi University on 14-15 September.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, ‘The Pedagogy of Ordering in Colonial India, Teacher and the Challenges: Perspectives from Four Educationists of 19th and early 20th Century’, paper presented in a conference on teacher education, organized by Ambedkar University (Delhi) and Azim Premji Foundation, New Delhi: 23-25th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, ‘National Policy on Education, 2016’, lectured delivered in a seminar organized by the American India Foundation, New Delhi, 24-26 April.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, participated in the PANEL DISCUSSION CUM INTERACTIVE SESSION on ‘Progressive Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)’, organized by Satyawati College, Delhi University: 17th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, ‘Human Rights and Disability Laws in India’, lecture delivered in a seminar on Human Rights organized by the Department of Political Science, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi: 8th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2017, ‘rights of disabled and disability laws in India’, lecture delivered in a workshop on ‘Laws and Rights’, Organized by The Department of Political Science, Gargi College, Delhi University, New Delhi: 4th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2016, ‘Commentary on Chapter 3 of the RPWD Act 2016 Pertaining to the Issues of Education’, lecture delivered in the National Consultation on ‘the RPWD Bill 2016’, organized by People’s Action for Change & Empowerment (PACE) and Centre for Accessibility in Built Environment (CABE), New Delhi: 29-30 December.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2016, ‘ Secular Education and the Dynamics of the Intervention of a Religious Agency in Colonial India: Dr. John Murdoch of the CVESI’ in the panel discussion on ‘Education in Colonial India: Regions, Actors and Texts’ at 7th International Conference of the Comparative Education Society of India (CESI) on the theme ‘Comparative Educational Destinies: Vision, Dilemmas and Challenges’ , Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati : 19th-21st November.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, ‘Conceptual Framework and vision for policy formulation on education’, lecture delivered in the consultations organized by the Delhi Education Society, New Delhi: 12th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, ‘WTO-GATS and Indian Higher Education’, lecture delivered in a seminar organized by All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) and Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Banaras: 28th
  • 2015: ‘Modernity, Inequality and Education in Colonial India:A Study Of Structures, Ideas, Interventions And Interlocutors—An Outline’, Paper presented at the Colloquium of Transnational Research Group on Education and Poverty in India (TRG), Max Weber Foundation, London, July.
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, ‘Structural Aspects of the nature of Education and Curricular Knowledge in Colonial India’, Planary Lecture delivered in the XXXVIII Indian Social Science Congress on the theme of ‘Knowledge Systems, Scientific Temper and the Indian Peoples’, Visakhapatnam: 29th March–2nd
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, ‘Higher Education at Crossroads’, lecture delivered in the National Convention organized by CCATD, New Delhi: 3rd
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, ‘Concepts of Secularism, Scientific Temper and Right to Equality versus the Proposals for Value Education in India’, lecture delivered at IIIT (Hyderabad): 28th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2015, series of 14 lectures on the broad themes of “Historiographical Trends in the Indian Freedom Struggle, Communalism, Economic History, Education and Contemporary Challenges”, delivered at Mahadev Desai Gram Seva Mahavidyalay, Gujrat Vidyapeeth, Sadra: 19-24th
  • Vikas Gupta, 2014, ‘Education in India: Policy-Reform- Implications’, lecture delivered at the National Workshop organized by the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), New Delhi: 22nd August.
  • 2013: ‘Remapping Policy for Universalization of Equitable Quality Inclusive Education’, National Seminar organized by the Department of Social Work, St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, Meghalaya, June 7th-8th.
  • 2013: ‘Issues and Challenges in Elementary Education in north India: Some Major Concerns’, lecture delivered in a seminar on ‘North India Educational Issues’, organized by Students’ Islamic Organization of India (SIO), New Delhi, 28th
  • 2013: ‘Lessons from the History of Colonial Education in India: Implications for Reconstructing Education in Our Times’, Paper Presented in a Seminar on ‘Education for what and for whom?’ Organized by OKD Institute of Social Change and Development (Guwahati, Asam), April 11-12.
  • 2013: ‘Changing discourseson inequality and disparity: From welfare state to neoliberal capitalism’, Paper presented in a conference on Mapping Changes and Transformations in Educational Systems and Discourses–Issues, Possibilities and Strategies, Organized by South Asian University, New Delhi, on March 21st-22nd.
  • 2012: ‘Cultural Diversity, Pluralism versus Contest of Identities in Modern Education’, Paper presented in the National Convention on Cultural Diversity and Development organized by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, New Delhi, August 29 & 30.
  • 2012: ‘Reforms in contemporary Indian Education: RTE and Its Impact’, paper presented in a Seminar organized by Students’ Islamic Organization of India (SIO), in New Delhi, on June 21st.
  • 2012: ‘Vision of Education and two Years of RTE: Any Hope for Fundamental Change?’ paper presented in a workshop organized by Rachnatmak Shikshak Mandal (Uttarakhand), at Lohaghat, (May 25-26).
  • 2012: ‘Education of Disadvantaged and Disabled, paper presented in a seminar on Right to Education and Common School System, organized by Arajpatrit Prarambhik Shikshak Sangh (Bihar) in collaboration with All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE), at Patna (28-9 April).
  • 2012: ‘Disability and Higher Education: Challenges and Possibilities’, lecture delivered at the annual festival Pahal’12, organized by the Enabling Unit, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, (March 24).
  • 2011: ‘Higher Education: Problems, New Attacks and Alternatives’, lecture delivered in the National Council of All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE), at Panvel, Maharashtra, (December 9-11).
  • 2011: ‘Education as Birth Right’, lecture delivered in the National Workshop organized by Usuf Meher Ali Centre (Yuva Biradari) and Youth for Solidarity, at Bharat Sevashram Sangh, New Delhi, (December 3).
  • 2011: ‘Exclusionary Politics of the RTE Act and the Dogma of Normal’, Paper presented in the international conference on ‘Structures Of Exclusion’, Organized By the Indian Formation Research Society, at the University of Delhi, (November 23-25).
  • 2011: ‘Exclusionary politics of Right to Education Act’, paper presented in the Disability Colloquium, organized by SAMBHAVANA Organization at the University of Delhi, (November 6).
  • 2011: ‘Challenges of Secondary and Primary education in India, some major Concerns’, lecture delivered In the workshop on ‘National Education Agenda’, organized by Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO), at University of Delhi, (September 16-18).
  • 2011: ‘Education of Disabled: Perspective of Recognizing Universality of Difference’, paper presented in the Annual National Conference on Disability, Organized by EOC, at the University of Delhi, (March 3-5).
  • 2011: ‘Disability as Perspective and Politics of Equal Rights: Education, Awareness, Accessibility and Employment’, lecture delivered in the Seminar Organized by EOC, at Dayal Singh College, University of Delhi, (February 7).
  • 2010: ‘Institutionalization Of Knowledge and The School Community Divide: Colonial and Post-colonial Experience’, Paper Presented in ‘The National Consultation on Inclusive Classroom, Social Inclusion/Exclusion and Diversity: Perspectives, Policies and Practices’, Organized by Deshkal in collaboration with UNICEF and others, at India International Center, New Delhi, (September 7-8).
  • 2010: ‘Hinduising India through Colonial Education’, Paper Presented in the International conference on ‘Hindu Organizations in Education, Health and Development Work’, organized by the Indic Studies Project in collaboration with Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, at Tinmurti, New Delhi, (March 2-5).
  • 2009: ‘Problems and Possibilities of Scientific Engagement with History in Schools’, paper presented in ‘Second Peoples Education Congress: Symposium on Science Education in India’, at JNU, Delhi, (December 12-13).
  • 2009: ‘Pedagogic Oppression and Cultural Marginality in the School Education’, Paper presented in the ‘Consultations and Network Building on Classroom Curriculum, Pluralism and Social Inclusion: Voices from the Margin’, Organized by Deshkal Society in collaboration with UNICEF, at J.P. Naik Centre for Education and Development, Pune, Maharashtra, (July 22-23).
  • 2008: ‘Paradox of Colonial Education: Textbook Discourse in the Late Nineteenth Century’, paper presented in a conference on ‘Knowledge Production and Pedagogy in Colonial India’, SOAS, University of London, (November 13-15).
  • 2007: ‘Beyond Curricular Frames: Plurality versus Majoritarianism in Schools’, paper presented in the Conference on ‘Muslims: Ground Realities and Challenges for Inclusive Education’, at the Department of Education, University of Delhi, (March 14-15).
  • 2007: ‘Social Agenda of Colonial Education: Textbook Discourse in the Mid Nineteenth Century’, paper presented in the Indian History Congress, at Delhi University, (28-30 December).
  • 2007: ‘School Education, Pluralism and Marginality: Comparative Perspectives’ (participated as Discussant for M. Murali Krishna, ‘Marginalization of Dalits: Role of Oppressive Pedagogic Practices in Indian Schools: A Dalit Perspective’): International Conference Organized by Deshkal Society at the India International Center, New Delhi, (14-16 December).

CONTACT:

Email: vikashistorydu@gmail.com and vikasedu@gmail.com