Meet Our New Faculty and Staff | January 2025

Faculty

Ms. Diya Deviah,
Assistant Professor – Law

Diya has previously taught at NLS from July 2022-June 2024 including courses in Legal Theory, Private Law and Philosophy, Legal Methods, Family Law, Reading, and Writing across undergraduate, graduate and PACE programmes.

She is also a founding Co-Director of The Writing Centre at NLSIU. At The Writing Centre, she collaborates on curriculum development, designs and conducts workshops and provides individualised sessions on writing for students, at The Writing Studio.

She has a deep interest in history and the politics, assumptions and limits of archival inquiry. Her interest in archives is also shaped by a commitment to cultivating an archival imagination that transcends disciplinary silos, and to public engagement with source criticism beyond the university. She is currently working on a multi-lingual, traveling exhibition on Archiving Feminist Democracies in South Asia which will launch in March 2025.

She has a BA (Hons) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, an LLB from Jindal Global Law School, and an MPhil in Law from the University of Oxford.

She can be reached at .

Administrative Staff

Mr. S Dominicraj,
Assistant Manager – Operations

Dominicraj has over seven years of professional experience in civil engineering. His portfolio includes supervising campus infrastructure maintenance, leading civil works for the Ministry of Railways, and managing projects for the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). He previously served as Estate Manager at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, and as Senior Executive (Civil) at the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited—a joint venture between the Government of Karnataka and Indian Railways. He has also been instrumental in executing large-scale infrastructure projects as Executive Engineer at Italian-Thai Development Cementation India Limited, Mumbai.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from Anna University, Chennai.

He can be reached at .

Research Staff

Ms. Anusha George,
Project Assistant, QAMRA

Anusha has over two years of experience in the NGO sector. She has contributed to projects that focus on community empowerment, capability building, and social inclusion. She is passionate about working towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society, contributing to sustainable development and social protection efforts, and working towards a future where every individual has access to the opportunities they deserve.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in Labour Studies and Social Protection, both from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati.

She can be reached at .

Ms. Gauri Mahajan,
Project Associate, QAMRA

Gauri Mahajan is a Project Associate at QAMRA. They previously worked at the Initiative for Health Equity, Advocacy, and Research (iHEAR) hosted at Sangath, where they conducted participatory, qualitative research with queer, trans, and disability communities. Gauri’s research interests include queer kinship and friendship. They are particularly interested in exploring the everyday lived experiences of queerness across diverse intersections, how support systems are navigated, and alternative systems of care are fostered.

Gauri holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Studies and Research (Psychology) – both from Ashoka University.

They can be reached at .

Ms. Shashikala R,
Trainer, CRY Project, Centre for Child and the Law

Shashikala’s career in education and child welfare began in 2010 when she joined the Centre for Child and the Law at NLSIU as an Assistant Village Education Coordinator under the Universalization of School Education initiative. During her tenure from 2010-2017 at CCL, she worked on implementing educational projects, particularly focusing on the field extension office at Bidadi. Shashikala worked with School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs) and Bala Vikasa Samithi, and helped organise Anganwadi training sessions. She was also involved in initiatives such as Shikshana Grama Shaba, Makasa Meetings, Samudhayadatta Shale, and monthly gatherings at schools and Anganwadis, ensuring effective community participation and development.

Shashikala has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysore.

She can be reached at .