Archives: Meet Our India Fulbrighters

Manasa Ramakrishna

Ms. Manasa Ramakrishna is a lawyer specializing in criminal law, constitutional rights, and the death penalty. She has worked at The Square Circle Clinic, NALSAR University of Law (formerly known as Project 39A) where she represented individuals on death row before the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts. Her work with prisoners and their families and the lived realities of the criminal justice system informs her interest in the structural and institutional dimensions of the criminal justice system. She has also contributed to research and strategic litigation at the intersection of criminal and constitutional law.

Manasa graduated from Jindal Global Law School with a BA LLB (Hons) degree in 2020. Thereafter, she worked at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in Mumbai, where she advised on white-collar crime, arbitration, and commercial disputes. This experience sharpened her understanding of institutional processes and accountability, which continues to inform her approach to criminal law.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Manasa is studying criminal law and procedure and constitutional theory. She will engage with interdisciplinary approaches in the United States to deepen her understanding of the criminal justice system. Manasa hopes to build her litigation practice and contribute to rights-based criminal justice advocacy in India.

Blesson Mathew

Mr. Blesson Mathew is a governance and public policy professional working at the intersection of policy, diplomacy, and international development. A graduate of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, with a degree in English and political science, he went on to pursue a master’s in international relations and diplomacy on a Chevening scholarship.

With over a decade’s experience in public policy implementation, Blesson has worked extensively with the Government of India, particularly within the Ministry of Rural Development, driving large-scale development initiatives. He has contributed to India’s foreign policy engagements through his work with the Ministry of External Affairs, including in key divisions such as the G20 Secretariat. During India’s G20 presidency, he played a role in supporting negotiations around the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and was closely associated with the Trade and Investment Working Group and Startup20 engagement track.

Beyond government, Blesson has designed and led global fellowship programmes aligned with India’s Neighbourhood First policy. He has helped establish self-learning ecosystems across Rwanda and other parts of Africa, creating accessible, open spaces for youth-led innovation and skill development.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Blesson is now focused on integrating education policy with diplomacy to drive systemic change in India’s higher education landscape. His long-term vision is to build world-class academic institutions that advance the vision of Viksit Bharat and democratize access to transformative education.

Arthita Banerjee

Ms. Arthita Banerjee is a consultant at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), where she works at the intersection of sustainability and development. Her work focuses on how environmental and social risks are assessed, priced, and managed within large-scale investments across emerging markets. She has advised on over 45 transactions across India and the Asia-Pacific region, working with institutions such as the World Bank – IFC, Green Climate Fund, and major private equity investors. Her sectoral experience spans renewable energy (hydro, solar, wind), transmission infrastructure, data centers, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Arthita holds a BA LLB (Hons) from Hidayatullah National Law University. She is a Fellow of the Women in Climate & Energy Fellowship (WICEF) at EnergyLab, a major climate tech startup accelerator, where she was selected to a global cohort of sixteen and developed a parametric insurance model aimed at improving financial resilience to climate shocks. Her work reflects a broader interest in designing market-based mechanisms that make climate risk more effectively priced and managed.

Arthita was part of ERM’s Foundation Committee, where she supported initiatives advancing women’s livelihoods in the low-carbon economy through Swadhina, a non-profit organization, and mentored first-generation university students through the Bloomberg x Asian University for Women program.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Arthita is pursuing a Master’s in Climate Finance at Columbia University. She is deepening her understanding of how financial systems can be designed to respond to a changing climate, not only by managing risk but by directing capital toward more resilient and inclusive futures.

Aparimita Pratap

Ms. Aparimita Pratap is a lawyer with over seven years of experience, currently working at the intersection of criminal law, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and access to justice for marginalized communities in India. She holds a BA LLB (Hons) from The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (2019).

Aparimita designed and led a legal aid program at the Migration and Asylum Project, a New Delhi-based refugee legal aid center. Her work focused on increasing legal awareness on SGBV, training beneficiaries and creating community structures such as legal aid clinics and women’s groups where beneficiaries could openly discuss violence. She worked on strengthening the capacity of private and state actors to respond to SGBV, training paralegal volunteers, legal aid lawyers, women panchayats, and counsellors across Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

Alongside, Aparimita has represented over 100 survivors and built a network of lawyers to expand legal representation in SGBV cases. She has also used strategic litigation, including before the Delhi High Court, challenging coercive mediation in domestic violence cases. She now has independent practice and continues this work.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Aparimita is focusing on criminal law and trauma-informed, survivor-centric jurisprudence in SGBV cases. She is studying how legal frameworks in the United States protect survivors during investigation and trial and will bring these learnings back to India to challenge gaps in criminal law through litigation and advocacy. She will also continue her work to improve the legal aid system in India.

Abhishek Babbar

Mr. Abhishek Babbar practices as an advocate in New Delhi. His work spans the breadth of public law, with particular emphasis on federalism, affirmative action, minority rights, and election regulation.

Abhishek graduated from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. He has experience across a range of professional settings, including as an associate at a major law firm and as a judicial assistant to former Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul. He also worked on a Netflix series in a creative role. Alongside his practice, Abhishek has been closely involved with the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu & Kashmir, where he authored its annual reports and was later inducted into as a member.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow at Yale Law School, Abhishek is examining how legal frameworks can preserve electoral integrity and secure public trust in election outcomes. After his studies, he aims to contribute to democratic reform in India.

Ajit Singh

Dr. Ajit Singh is Research Associate at the Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam. He obtained his B.Sc. in 2015 from Ewing Christian College, an autonomous constituent college of Allahabad University, Prayagraj and his M.Sc. in 2017 from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He then earned his Ph.D. in June 2022 from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam under the supervision of Prof. Rupam Barman. Dr. Singh is primarily interested in number theory: in particular, partition theory, mock theta functions, modular forms, and harmonic maass forms. His research is deeply influenced by the work of Ramanujan. Dr. Singh has published several research articles in reputable international journals. He has also qualified IIT-JAM, CSIR-UGC NET, and GATE examinations.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research fellow, Dr. Singh has joined the Department of Mathematics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. He is working on arithmetic properties of certain partition and mock theta functions using the q-series manipulations, modular forms, and harmonic maass forms theory. He is primarily focusing on Wang’s and Mahlburg’s conjectures on the mock theta functions and overpartitions, respectively.

Jai Kumar Sharma

Mr. Jai Kumar Sharma is a mathematics teacher at an Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), Nandurbar, a government-run tribal residential school under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. He teaches mathematics to students in Grades 6 – 12, working primarily with first-generation learners from tribal and marginalized communities. He also serves as a Master Trainer for UNICEF India’s TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub) initiative, supporting teacher development and instructional improvement in government schools.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Sharma worked as a Mathematics Faculty member at Physics Wallah Pvt. Ltd., where he delivered concept-based and exam-oriented instruction and contributed to curriculum development and assessment design. He also served as an online Mathematics Tutor with Focus Edumatics Pvt. Ltd., providing one-to-one instruction to U.S. students, and as a Subject Matter Expert with Chegg India Pvt. Ltd., supporting learners across Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and Statistics.

Mr. Sharma holds an M.Sc. from Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University and a B.Ed. from Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University. He is CTET-qualified (2022) and has completed international certifications in online teaching, educational technology, and social-emotional learning from institutions including the University of London, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Colorado.

During his Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) program, Mr. Sharma is observing and participating in secondary mathematics classrooms, collaborating with U.S. teachers, and engaging in professional development on student-centered pedagogy, assessment, and instructional technology. He is understanding how American schools support diverse and first-generation learners through differentiated instruction, project-based learning, and data-informed teaching practices, and developing curriculum resources and teaching strategies that can be adapted to high-need, low-resource school settings in India.

Neel Kamal Mishra

Dr. Neel Kamal Mishra is a secondary school science educator teaching at a government school in Delhi. Originally from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Mishra has over 27 years of experience to the field of education. His students come from underprivileged families, many of whom are the children of daily wage workers. He transforms complex science concepts into interesting, engaging, and accessible lessons that resonate with his students’ lives.

His academic background is both diverse and profound, holding a Ph.D. in History, a B.Sc., and an M.A. in Education. This unique interdisciplinary foundation allows him to approach science pedagogy with a broad intellectual perspective, blending scientific inquiry with educational theory.
Dr. Mishra is a recipient of the Delhi State Award, an honor reflecting his excellence in teaching and commitment to student welfare. Beyond the classroom, he is the editor of a science magazine and a mentor and guide for student-led e-magazines across the state.

Through the FTEA program, Dr. Mishra is exploring how the U.S. and other participating countries integrate innovative science teaching methods that foster curiosity, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills among students. He is committed to fostering an environment of curiosity and critical thinking, ensuring that every learner — regardless of their socio-economic background — has the opportunity to excel in the world of science.

GAGANDEEP KAUR

Dr. Gagandeep Kaur has been teaching science at a government school in Sensra Kalan, Amritsar for nine years. She has a PhD in computer supported cooperative learning from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She works closely with underprivileged learners, striving to make science education accessible and meaningful for all students.

She is actively involved in several national-level educational initiatives, including the NISHTHA program, National Achievement Survey (NAS), Ayushman Bharat Project, and has contributed by recording lectures for the DIKSHA and the NCERT e-PG Pathshala Project. She has participated in national-level workshops conducted by reputed organizations such as CSE, AAETI, Nimli, IIT Bombay, IISc Bengaluru, and NCERT, New Delhi, and presented research papers at national and international conferences and published her work in reputed journals and edited books.

She serves as a resource person and a Block mentor for various STEM seminars, environmental and adolescent training programs, playing a significant role in mentoring educators and school heads. She has acted as an evaluator in the INSPIRE-MANAK program and the RAA science exhibitions. She has received several awards, including the Best Teacher Award, Best TLM Award, and received appreciation certificates from the Honorary Education Secretary, Punjab, in recognition of her efforts in enhancing the quality of education.

Through the Fulbright TEA program, she intends to learn new pedagogical skills and wants to share her knowledge with the whole community of teachers globally for fostering curiosity and critical thinking among young learners across the world.

Shubhrika Pansari

Ms. Shubhrika Pansari is an Assistant Professor in English at the Department of Law, Maharaja Surajmal Institute in New Delhi. She has qualified in the UGC NET three times and teaches literature and communication skills to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has an MPhil in English Literature from Department of English & Culture Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh where she worked on her dissertation titled Feminine Voices in Retelling of Ramayana: A Study of Select Texts. Additionally, she has completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Translation from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

In her academic oeuvre, Shubhrika has presented papers at various national and international conferences. Her research areas include Indian mythology and Indian fiction. She loves mandala art and creates art from waste materials. She in fascinated by the diversity of cultures and loves to curate cultural events.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Shubhrika is teaching Hindi at Mississippi Valley State University. In addition to her teaching duties, she plans to foster a deeper understanding of Indian culture by exchanging knowledge about the diverse social, religious, and regional practices that shape the language. She is working on finding a way to link the East and the West through art and literature. She aspires to utilize her Fulbright experiences to explore new teaching methods amidst the traditional approach of teaching in her own country, and to come up with more hands-on and practice-oriented pedagogies grounded in art and literature.