About Prof. Chandrakala Padia

Distinguished Political Theorist, Academic Administrator and Institutional Leader

Profile Overview

Professor Chandrakala Padia is an eminent political theorist with a distinguished academic career spanning more than four decades. She has contributed significantly to higher education through teaching, research, academic leadership and institution building. She is widely respected for her scholarship in Modern Indian Political Thought, Western Political Thought, gender studies and India’s rich intellectual and philosophical tradition.

She superannuated as Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and has held some of the most prestigious academic positions in the country, including Chairperson of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla; Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner; and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, BHU.

Her work has been widely reviewed nationally and internationally, and she is regarded as one of the leading scholars working on Bertrand Russell’s political philosophy, Gandhian thought and feminist perspectives in social sciences.

44+
Years of University Teaching
26
Ph.D. Theses Supervised
2
Books Authored
10
Books Edited
70+
Research Publications

Research Specialization

Primary Fields

Indian Feminism
Modern Indian Political Thought
Western Political Thought
Indian Intellectual Tradition
Third World Feminism
Feminist Methodology
Women and social justice

Special Associated Academic Interests

Human Rights and Multiculturalism
Political Philosophy
Value Education
Cross-cultural civilizational dialogue

Personal Information

Date of Birth

13 May 1954

Educational Attainments

M.A. Political Science – First Class First (Two Gold Medals)
Ph.D. in Political Science
Post-Doctoral Research – University of Texas, Austin (USA)
Post-Doctoral Research – McMaster University, Hamilton (Canada)

Family

Spouse: Late Dr. Ram Gopal Padia (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India)
Children: Two sons, both medical professionals and hospital directors

Brief Profile of Outstanding Academic Achievements

  • First Woman Chairperson of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla (2014–2018), breaking a historic gender barrier and steering nationally significant research on India’s intellectual traditions
  • Vice-Chancellor, Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner — led comprehensive academic and administrative reforms with special emphasis on value-based education
  • Former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University — guided interdisciplinary research and curriculum innovation
  • Head, Department of Political Science, Banaras Hindu University — mentored generations of women and first-generation scholars into academia and public life
  • Director, Centre for Women’s Studies & Development, BHU — strengthened gender studies, feminist research and women’s empowerment initiatives on campus
  • Director, Centre for Integrated Rural Development, BHU — promoted inclusive development with a focus on women, children and marginalized communities
  • Visiting Professor at leading global institutions including the Universities of Chicago, Toronto, McMaster and Stockholm, contributing to international dialogue on gender, democracy and Indian political thought
  • Recipient of prestigious international fellowships: Fulbright (USA), Salzburg (Austria), Indo-French Fellowship (France) and Shastri Indo-Canadian Fellowship (Canada)
  • Member, Central Advisory Board of Education (Government of India) and the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO — contributing to national education policy and higher education reforms
  • Chaired and served on several UGC and NAAC peer review committees for assessment, accreditation and academic autonomy of universities across India
  • Completed 8 major national research projects and 3 international collaborative projects on political thought, human rights, feminism and social justice

Promotion of India’s Knowledge Systems and Intellectual Tradition

Throughout her academic life, Prof. Padia has consistently worked toward strengthening India’s civilizational knowledge systems, value education and ethical orientation in social sciences. She has been associated with several institutions that promote Indic thought, culture and education.

  • Founder Member – International Forum for India’s Heritage
  • Core Member – Malaviya Mulya Anusheelan Kendra (Centre for Value Education), BHU
  • Member Secretary – Geeta Samiti, Banaras Hindu University
  • Organized discourses of eminent spiritual teachers and thinkers across India
  • Established value-education initiatives at MGS University, Bikaner
  • Delivered keynote addresses on India’s intellectual heritage in universities worldwide
Explore Academic Career View Positions Held