Dr. Banhishihka Ghosh

Scientific researcher at the Centre for Cultural Inquiry

Curriculum vitae

Banhishikha Ghosh teaches and writes across the disciplines of sociology, anthropology and gender studies. She completed her Bachelors in Sociology from Presidency University and Masters in Sociology from CSSS, Jawaharlal Nehru University. During her Bachelor’s and Master’s programs she conducted ethnographic research with trans communities in several states of India (West Bengal, Kerala and New Delhi). Subsequently, she joined the pre-doctoral M. Phil program of CSSS, Jawaharlal Nehru University and conducted archival research in the National Archives of India as a part of her dissertation.  She submitted her MPhil dissertation on administrative debates surrounding the identification of gender non-conforming individuals as Criminal Tribes in Northern India. From 2019-2022 she was a Swiss Government Excellence PhD Scholar (ESKAS) and lecturer under the chair of Prof. Dr. Johannes Quack at the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK), University of Zurich. Her doctoral research project analysed how dynamic gender and intimate practices of queer communities problematize and subvert heteronormative social and state institutions in South Asia. In the summer semester of 2022, she was a visiting research fellow at the Department of Sociology at University of Connecticut.  Her post-doctoral research project explores the interactions between the state and queer citizens in the light of recently introduced legislations and social welfare schemes in India.

Research Interests

  • Gender and Sexuality
  • State-citizen relationships
  • Queer Kinship and Intimacy
  • Queer civil society activism
  • Sexual Health
  • Geographical Focus (South Asia, India)

Post-Doctoral Research Project

Citizenship from below: the role of Queer Voices in negotiating E- Governance

Banhishikha’s research project analyses the diverse repertoires which gender non-conforming communities articulate in order to get access to digitally administered social welfare and health programs in India. It further examines the role of digital welfare service management schemes in addressing problems related to discrimination, exclusion and inequality for gender non-conforming communities. During the last few decades there has been an enhanced visibility and activism of gender non-conforming groups, with concomitant legislations and judicial activisms in favour of them in India. Simultaneously the state governments across different regions in India have also introduced several welfare programs to reduce health, social and economic disparities and inequities which such groups are subjected to. A unique factor in these digitally administered schemes is the simultaneous implementation of a “government at your doorstep” program which aims to reach out to such communities by organizing physical camps in their neighborhoods. The aim of many of these social welfare schemes is to increase the access of resources and state benefits to gender non-conforming groups, amongst other marginalised communities/groups, heighten their visibility, provide social security and recognition. This project takes up three programs administered and implemented digitally by the government of West Bengal, that aim to provide better access to health, ration and self-employment generation services. In doing so, she problematises the visions of social cohesion and inclusivity imagined and furthered by the state and investigates the response gender-conforming communities to them. She explores the diverse modalities through which gender non-conforming communities employ to question the vision of social cohesion propounded by the state. She also demonstrates how such communities build substitute networks of support and mediation to access these benefits. Through the use of digital mediums gender non-conforming communities appropriate and reuse technologies and generate new visions of solidarity with local, regional and international gender conforming communities. Thus, this project sheds light onto how digitally administered social welfare schemes become crucial of forging new connectivity’s between gender conforming groups, as they have a growing cognizance of their own confined and captive state of citizenship, and a mounting desire to come out of it by forging kinship and solidarity. The creation of alternative networks of support to enhance life chances indicate a qualitative shift in their strategies, and arrival of a new phase of queer movement where militant activism, collective struggle for justice and community care are given equal importance.

Publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and books

Grants for organising Conferences and Workshops

  • 2022, PhD workshop: Decolonial approaches to gender and sexuality studies, Junior Researcher’s Grant, ISEK
  • 2021-2022, South Asia Conference, Lecture, and Workshop Series (co-organiser), Graduate Campus Grant, University of Zurich
  • 2021, PhD workshop: Un-doing Ethnography during a pandemic, Junior Researcher’s Grant, ISEK
  • 2020, PhD workshop: Doing Ethnography during a pandemic, Junior Researcher’s Grant, ISEK

Scholarships and Fellowships

  • 2022, Visiting Fellow Scholarship to the University of Connecticut, Graduate Campus, University of Zurich
  • 2020, Field Research Grant, Graduate Campus, University of Zurich
  • 2019, Swiss Government Excellence PhD Scholarship, Federal Commission for Scholarships, Swiss Confederation
  • 2017, MPhil-PhD Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), University Grants Commission, India
  • 2016, UGC Masters (PGIGS) Fellowship, University Grants Commission, India

Awards

  • 2018, T.K. Oommen Award, Highest CGPA in Masters Batch of 2016 Sociology, CSSS/SSS, JNU.
  • 2016, University Gold Medal, First rank in Bachelor’s amongst all Arts, Humanities and Social Science courses, Presidency University (Conferred by Hon’ble President of India: Shri Pranab Mukherjee)
  • 2016, Nirode Baran Bakshi Memorial Prize, First Class First in Bachelors amongst all courses, Presidency University.
  • 2016, Dr. Syamal Kumar Chattopadhyay Memorial Fund, First Class First in Bachelors amongst all Undergraduate courses, Presidency University.
  • 2016, Prof. Anil Kumar Bhattacharya Memorial Prize, Frist Class First in Faculty of All arts, Presidency University. 
  • 2016, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Gold Medal, Scholastic Record UG Major, Presidency University. Certificate & Gold Medal.
  • 2016, Department of Sociology Foundation Commemoration Prize, First Position in Faculty of Arts, Presidency University. Certificate & Book Prize
  • 2015, Bholanath Das Memorial Medal, First Class First in BA 1ST year in all Arts, Presidency University. Gold Medal
  • 2015, Shyamal Kr. Chattopadhaya Memorial Prize, First Class First BA 1st and 2nd year, Presidency University, Certificate & Book Prize
  • 2015, Arun Kr Ray Memorial Prize, First Class First in BA 1st and 2nd year, Presidency University, Certificate & Book Prize
  • 2015, Department of Sociology Foundation Commemoration Prize, First Position in B.A 1st and 2nd year, Certificate & Book Prize
  • 2013, Certificate of Merit and Award, Record Marks at ICSE: 94.5%, Burdwan Municipality, West Bengal.  Certificate, Book Prize and Trophy