Exclusive Online Interview with Fulbright-Nehru Fellow Ms. Sayari Misra-Senior Research Fellow at IIT Jammu: Pioneering Research at the Intersection of Technology and Social Sciences

Details: Written by: Ajmer Alam Wani; Category: INTERVIEWS/PROFILES; Published: 30 November 2023

JAMMU: In an exclusive online interview conducted by Ajmer Alam Wani, Editor in Chief of JK Monitor (www.jkmonitor.org), Ms. Sayari Misra, a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, shares insights into her groundbreaking journey and the prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship she has been awarded. This conversation delves into Ms. Misra's remarkable achievements, her journey as a research scholar, and her upcoming Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship.

Ms. Sayari Misra has made history as the first doctoral candidate from IIT Jammu to be selected for the prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship. This coveted fellowship is renowned for fostering intercultural relationships and mutual understanding between India and the United States.

As part of this fellowship, Ms. Misra is set to spend nearly a year at some of the top institutions in the United States, including Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Minnesota, and Michigan State University. She will be associated with one of the four universities mentioned.

Expressing her gratitude for this unique opportunity, Ms. Misra emphasizes the significance of representing IIT Jammu and her country as a cultural ambassador. The Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship not only provides her with a platform to enhance her ongoing research but also facilitates collaboration with prominent researchers in her field.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to enhance my research, learn from, and work with some of the most prominent researchers working on similar topics," says Ms. Misra. She sees this fellowship as a chance to contribute to the global academic discourse and to bridge the gap between technology and social sciences.

Ms. Misra's research journey at IIT Jammu has been marked by a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Her ongoing doctoral research explores novel technological approaches to enhance her study, aiming to make it globally relevant. The intersection of technology and social sciences, according to Ms. Misra, opens up a myriad of opportunities, and she is enthusiastic about exploring these collaborations to contribute meaningfully to both domains.

The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship, with Ms. Sayari Misra as a principal nominee for the 2024-25 academic cycle, reaffirms the recognition of her dedication and the importance of her research.

As the interview unfolds, readers will gain valuable insights into Ms. Misra's academic journey, her aspirations, and the transformative impact she aims to make in her field. Stay tuned for an enlightening conversation that promises to shed light on the intersection of technology, social sciences, and international collaboration.

For the detailed interview, read the questions and detailed answers below till end.

Research Methodology:

In your research on social relationships through water resource stress in the Indian Sundarbans, could you elaborate on the specific methodologies employed to understand the nature and role of social relationships within the local community?

Ans:. My study is primarily ethnographic, a descriptive study of a particular human society that is based almost entirely on fieldwork and requires complete immersion of the researcher in the culture and everyday life of the people being studied. I have spent considerable time in remote villages of the Indian Sundarbans trying to understand the complex issues of water resource stress, the social relationships between the community members, and how these social relationships are key to addressing water resource stress in this region. The study uses a mixed methodology approach. I use qualitative data collected through key-informant interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Participatory Rural Appraisal including village mapping, resource mapping, social mapping, and transect walks, and quantitative data collected through household surveys. These approaches have been crucial in understanding various aspects of availability and accessibility to basic amenities like water and sanitation, perceptions of climate change, degree of climate vulnerability, and the essence of strong social relationships in these remote communities of the Indian Sundarbans.

Cyclonic Storms and Coping Strategies:

Given the aftermath of severe cyclonic storms in the Indian Sundarbans, can you shed light on the predominant coping strategies adopted by the local community in response to water resource stress? How did social relationships influence these choices?

Ans: In the immediate aftermath of severe cyclonic storms, in the Indian Sundarbans, most agricultural land and freshwater sources are flooded with saline water from the rivers. So, addressing the problem of freshwater scarcity is primary. The problem, however, is very complex. The primary coping strategy adapted to address that is to boil the water, but it is also subject to the availability of gas and firewood. Also, water logging and lack of sanitation facilities can cause serious water-borne infections.

The situation, therefore, is tedious in these regions. Connectivity to the mainland is disrupted during this time, so the villages have to mostly fend for themselves, as no relief or aid is able to reach them. Thus, the community members have to depend on each other for survival. This is where the role of social relationships becomes most important. People depend on their strong bonding ties to share water resources, food, and shelter.

Bridging social ties with members of nearby villages is extensively useful in rescue and relief efforts in the immediate. It is important to understand that addressing the water resource stress in the aftermath of a cyclonic storm is largely impacted by the level of disaster preparedness, which involves building and strengthening embankments and cyclone shelters, acquiring and storing rations and relief kits, developing rescue and rehabilitation plans, all of which is about collective decision-making processes, which again, is based on the relationships between community members.

Climate Change and Vulnerabilities:

Your paper on 'Climate Change and Associated Vulnerabilities' discusses the impact of relief tourism on the Sundarbans. Could you delve deeper into the identified vulnerabilities and how relief tourism exacerbates or alleviates these vulnerabilities?

Ans: The Indian Sundarbans is a liminal space where land and water are always in transition. What is there today may not be there tomorrow. Additionally, severe impacts of climate change can be seen in frequent and severe cyclonic storms, rising sea levels, and saline water incursion into freshwater bodies and agricultural lands, jeopardizing the life and livelihood of the people. In recent years, the Sundarbans were ravaged by three cyclonic storms, Bulbul (2019), Amphan (2020), and Yaas (2021), all at the same time of a raging pandemic: COVID-19.

Many migrants returned to their villages, without any source of livelihood. This put more pressure on the already limited and fast-diminishing resources of the Indian Sundarbans. Many people had to revert to the forest to collect honey, crabs, firewood, wax, etc., to survive, increasing incidences of man-animal conflict, especially with the Royal Bengal Tiger. Looking at existing literature, a lot of focus is given to the Sundarbans for its importance as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This often results in the narratives of the local people being subdued by the need for conservation in this region. Many such conservation strategies are often in direct conflict with the source of livelihood for many in this region. Thus, the threefold problem of cyclones, COVID-19, and conservation results in the people of the Indian Sundarbans being extremely vulnerable and dependent on external aid.

So, we cannot say relief or aid is unimportant for this region. Similarly, tourism in the Sundarbans is also essential to its economy. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a new form of tourism wherein people were traveling to many villages of the Indian Sundarbans amidst a nationwide lockdown under the guise of providing relief to these villages. It increased the chances of infection (which in these regions would become deadly due to the lack of proper health infrastructure) and significantly increased plastic pollution. Plastic water bottles, masks, PPE kits, and other biomedical wastes were discarded carelessly and blocked drainage systems. As the provision of relief happened to be secondary, and tourism during the lockdown was the primary goal, those in most need of relief and aid received nothing and were not benefitted in any way.

Role in Dr. SY Quraishi's Book:

Assisting Dr. SY Quraishi (Former Chief Election Commissioner of India) in his book on family planning is an intriguing involvement. How did your research and data compilation contribute to challenging the narrative surrounding the 'Muslim rate of growth' and promoting the idea of planned population for the benefit of all communities?

Ans: During the book's development, we focused on basing our arguments on data compiled from various sources such as the NFHS, Census, and other official records. We saw that the total fertility rate of the Muslims was marginally higher than that of the other communities. Lack of education, access to health infrastructure, family planning and reproductive health services, early marriage age, and significant unmet need for family planning are some of the reasons that affect the TFR. Perceptions regarding family planning and reproductive health also affect TFR.

Teaching Experience:

As a lecturer for BSW and MSW courses, how do you integrate your research experiences into your teaching methodologies, especially in subjects like Citizenship, Governance, and Civil Society, Economics and Social Policy, and Social Work Research and Statistics?

Ans: Throughout my academic journey, I have had the opportunity to learn from some amazing teachers who always focused on making even the most difficult concepts fun and interesting to learn. They would always use practical and real-life examples to explain complex concepts. As a lecturer, my primary goal was to make the subject interesting and develop enthusiasm among my students to know more about it. I focused on garnering proactive participation in the learning process and often gave them some fun activities based on the topics discussed in class. Most of my assignments were designed such that they had to explore further and build an understanding of the concepts in a way that was easy and suitable for them. Lastly, my learnings and research experiences were especially useful in drawing practical relevance to the subjects I taught.

Community Engagement:

Your involvement in sessions on Menstrual Hygiene Management in schools is noteworthy. How do you believe such initiatives contribute to broader societal changes, and what challenges did you encounter during these sessions?

Ans:. It is very important to talk about menstrual hygiene and management. During my field visits, however, I noticed that there was a reluctance to talk about menstrual health among school-going girls. We also conducted the sessions with mothers and saw just as much reluctance to discuss their menstrual hygiene practices. So, it was very challenging to make them more comfortable talking about menstrual health and hygiene practices. Most of these girls and women still use cloth for two reasons: one, they cannot afford sanitary pads, and two, problems associated with disposal. These problems are much larger than the scope of the sessions I conducted. Also, there are lots of superstitions associated with menstrual blood, and dispelling such superstitions without hurting the sentiments of these women was especially challenging.

Publications and Presentations:

With various papers accepted and presented at international conferences, can you highlight the key findings or arguments from one of your papers, perhaps the one titled 'The Race for Water: A Case Study of a Village in Paschim Bardhaman'?

Ans: The main argument of my paper was that certain demographic characteristics, such as caste, class, gender, etc., often result in some people faring better than others when it comes to accessing basic amenities like water and sanitation facilities. Hence, there are some winners and losers in the race for water, and my paper strived to point it out using the case study of a village in Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.

Ongoing Projects:

You're working on several ongoing projects, including the Tribal Project with IIT Jammu and the ITLDE project in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Could you discuss the objectives and expected outcomes of these projects?

Ans: To put it briefly, the ITLDE project covers Higher Education Institutions in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It identifies the barriers to Integrated Teaching Learning and Digital Education in these institutions and explores possible solutions. It is a large-scale project covering 31 Higher Educational Institutes in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, funded by IIT Jammu. This study is coordinated by my supervisor, Dr. Sayantan Mandal, and seeks to bring context-specific solutions to integrate technology and teaching learning in higher education. The study also seeks to bring evidence-based policy recommendations for ITLDE integration in the HEIs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Tribal Project titled ‘A literary, socio-cultural and linguistic study of Tribal World: Setting up Gujjar and Bakerwal Repository’ in collaboration with the Tribal Research Institute, Jammu & Kashmir seeks to build an extensive repository of the unique culture, traditions, socio-economic aspects and language of the Gujjar and Bakerwal community of Jammu & Kashmir.

Integration Challenges in Digital Education:

Ms. Misra, considering your research focus on Integrated Teaching Learning and Digital Education, could you elaborate on the specific challenges faced by Higher Education Institutions in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh when integrating digital technologies into their teaching methods? Furthermore, how do these challenges vary across different institutions, and what insights have you gained regarding the adaptability of such integration in diverse educational settings within the region?

Ans: During the ITLDE project, we visited many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Many of these HEIs are located in remote areas. Extreme weather conditions, difficult terrain, loss of internet connectivity, and lack of proper infrastructure are some challenges these HEIs face. So, based on the geographic location and infrastructure availability, the degree of these challenges and the adaptability of ITLDE in diverse educational settings within the regions differ.

Navigating Cultural and Linguistic Complexity:

In your role as a Research Team Member involved in the Literary, Socio-Cultural, and Linguistic Study of the Tribal World, particularly focusing on Gujjar & Bakerwal communities, how did you navigate the intricate cultural and linguistic dynamics during the data collection and documentation process in districts Rajouri and Reasi? Additionally, could you shed light on any unexpected findings or unique insights that emerged during this study and how these findings contribute to the broader understanding of tribal communities in the region?

Ans:. One of the primary challenges I experienced during the project was my lack of understanding of the language. Thankfully, I had research team members around me to explain and translate things I did not understand. We also had resource persons from the Gujjar & Bakerwal community who helped us extensively to build rapport with the local community members and easily navigate the cultural and linguistic dynamics. I feel that the people of the Gujjar and Bakerwal community were really welcoming to the Tribal Research team, and it was an enriching experience.

As a part of the Tribal Research Team, our goal was to understand the socio-educational status of Gujjar & Bakerwal women. We found that most of the women of the Gujjar & Bakerwal community are illiterate. In contrast, those pursuing education, especially those in higher education, face a lot of stigma and often have to drop out of school. One of the most prominent reasons why women are uneducated is poverty. However, lack of proper infrastructure and connectivity, extreme weather, and difficult terrain are also some of the reasons why the women of this community still remain educationally disadvantaged.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Research:

As a Senior Research Fellow engaged in collaborative projects with the Tribal Research Institute, Jammu & Kashmir, could you discuss the dynamics of interdisciplinary collaboration in your research endeavors? Specifically, how did the collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu, and the Tribal Research Institute influence the research methodologies and outcomes? Were there any notable challenges or successes in bridging the gap between technological research and the socio-cultural focus of the tribal study, and how did these experiences shape your approach to future interdisciplinary projects?

Ans:. There is a shift in research towards more interdisciplinary projects as it opens novel avenues to explore both technological research and socio-cultural research. Our objective with the Tribal Project was to create an extensive online repository that documents the beauty and uniqueness of the cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic aspects of the Gujjars and Bakerwals so that in itself was an amalgamation of technology and socio-cultural research. Moreover, throughout the data collection, analysis, and interpretation process, we focused on taking an interdisciplinary approach to enhance the novelty of the study.

As a research scholar at IIT Jammu, I am more open to exploring such collaborative interdisciplinary ventures. For my ongoing doctoral research, I am exploring novel technological approaches that can further enhance my study and make it relevant globally, as collaboration between technology and social sciences offers many novel opportunities in both domains.

Collaborative Work:

Collaborating on papers like 'Social Networks, structural holes, and deviant behavior' and 'Spread of fake news amidst a pandemic like Covid-19' suggests interdisciplinary work. How do you manage collaboration across different fields, and what challenges do you face?

Ans: It is very exciting to be able to explore interdisciplinary collaborations. Globally, social science research is shifting towards a more interdisciplinary approach, and it offers novel opportunities to look at various social phenomena and concepts from a completely different perspective. However, this also poses a significant challenge in understanding the scope of the study and not getting overwhelmed with all the possibilities. So, it is very important to have a clear understanding of the research objectives, scope, and expected outcomes of the study.

Resubmission of Paper on Social Discrimination during COVID-19:

Reworking the methodology for the resubmission of the paper on 'Social Discrimination and Journey of Stigma during COVID-19' indicates a meticulous approach. What specific changes are you making, and how do you address feedback from the editorial committee?

Ans: We are striving to enhance our methodological framework based on the feedback of the editorial committee. Addressing feedback from the editorial committee is bittersweet: sometimes, although your paper is rejected, you get extensive feedback on improving it further. Constructive criticism is crucial to producing quality research, so I always take a very positive approach to the feedback from the editorial committee.