Mayur Helia
PhD studentResearch Overview
My research explores caste, surveillance and resistance among sanitation workers in South Asia. It is an interdisciplinary study: a combination of social sciences, and science and technology. I am interested in exploring the role of surveillance in the creation and reproduction of sanitation labour in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial South Asia.
Qualifications
MPhil in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (2020-23)
Master’s in Social Work, Specialization Dalit and Tribal Studies and Action from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (2015-17)
Bachelor’s in Art, Major in Political Science from Wilson College, Mumbai (2012-15)
Career Details
Motor Loader (sanitation worker) in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai (2010-23)
Research Assistant in the UK Aid funded Project “Getting on Grid: The Politics of Public Service Formalization in Urban India” (2017-19)
Research Assistant in The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia on the Project Studying Whatsapp and Electoral Politics (2019-20)
Additional Information
Media coverage:
- BBC news-
- Indian Express-
- India Today-
Short Documentary link:
Podcast link: (Also available on other platforms like spotify, prime music, google)