The Rutgers South Asian Studies Program holds a yearly student paper prize competition. Undergraduate papers are expected to be approximately ten to twenty-five double-spaced pages in length, and graduate papers should be approximately twenty to forty pages in length. Submissions may include term papers, chapters from honors theses, or sections of dissertations. The paper can be on any topic in any discipline (or combination of disciplines) related to one or more countries in South Asia or the South Asian diaspora. For example, appropriate topics could include:
- contemporary women’s movements in Sri Lanka;
- religion in ancient India;
- comparative South Asian literatures;
- politics and economics throughout South Asia;
- the Maoist insurgency in Nepal;
- a comparison of language policies in Bangladesh and Pakistan;
- identity among youths in the South Asian diaspora;
- or other subjects related to South Asia.
Students interested in submitting a paper for consideration in the Spring 2023 should download this form and send the form electronically, along with the paper, to Johan Mathew (
We are deeply grateful to the generous anonymous donors who have established the Chakra Endowed Fund to support the Rutgers South Asian Studies Program and to fund this student paper prize.
Click here to view past award winners