Achin Vanaik

Short Biography

Professor Achin Vanaik is a Professor of International Relations and Global Politics in the Political Science Department of Delhi University, Delhi, India. He was formerly an assistant editor in Mumbai for The Times of India (1978–90), a research fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi (1991–1996) and a visiting Professor on two occasions to the Department of Political Science and the Academy of Third World Studies of Jamia Millia Islamia (National Muslim University), New Delhi (1996–1997; 2000–2002). He has authored and/or co-authored five books, edited two books and co-edited two others. These range from studies on contemporary India's politics and economy to matters of religion, secularism, communalism and nationalism to issues of globalization and international politics to matters concerning Indian foreign policy and regional and global nuclear weaponisation and disarmament. In addition, he has contributed chapters to numerous books, and contributed articles to several national and international academic journals. He also contributes regularly to various newspapers.

In Britain he was active in the anti-racist and anti-imperialist movements of the 1960s and 1970s. On returning to India (Mumbai) he was active in the Bombay Union of Journalists (BUJ) and in the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR). On shifting to Delhi in 1991 he has been active on anti-communal and civil liberties issues and is a founder-member of the Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament (MIND) and of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), India.

Professor Vanaik was on the Government of India appointed ‘Expert Committee’ to evaluate the National Literacy Mission (1993–1994) and has been a Fellow of the Transnational Institute (TNI), Amsterdam since 1987 (currently on its Board of Directors). In addition, he was on the Board of Directors of Greenpeace, India (1999–2003). He was a co-recipient along with Praful Bidwai of the Sean MacBride International Peace Prize for the year 2000.