My writing brings together academic scholarship and public engagement across questions of caste, higher education, belonging, knowledge production, and social justice. Through academic publications, book reviews, and public essays, I engage with contemporary debates on universities, institutional life, reading practices, and everyday exclusion and resistance.
Sharma, V. “(Re)Imagining Resistance: Study Circles, Reading, and the Politics of Belonging on a University Campus in India.” Under Review.
Alfiler, C. A., Pfaff-Czarnecka, J., & Sharma, V. “Mothers and Morals in Educational Mobilities: Insights from the Asian Global South.” Under Review.
2026
Sharma, V. Book Review: N. Sukumar, Caste Discrimination and Exclusion in Indian Universities: A Critical Reflection. Bedside Books, The Sociological Review. May 2026. [Read ↗]
2025
Sharma, V. Book Review: Amy T. Y. Lai, In Defense of Free Speech in Universities: A Study of Three Jurisdictions. Contemporary Education Dialogue, 22(2), 345–349. [Read ↗]
2024
Sharma, V. Book Review: Untold Stories of the Undesirables. Economic and Political Weekly, 59(19), 26–28. [Read ↗]
2023
Sharma, V. “Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway: An Epistemological Challenge to Childcare Norms.” Economic and Political Weekly, 58(42), 65–66. [Read ↗]
2022
Sharma, V. Book Review: Tom Barnes, Informal Labour in Urban India: Three Cities, Three Journeys. Review of Development and Change, 27(1), 122–124. [Read ↗]
2020
Sharma, V. Book Review: Mukul Sharma, Caste and Nature: Dalits and Environmental Politics. Journal of Sociology, Jadavpur University, 11(11), 219–224. [Read ↗]
2026
Sharma, V. “भोजपुरी को ‘अश्लील’ कोई कैसे कह सकता है? सांस्कृतिक स्मृतियों से बाज़ारू चकाचौंध तक!” [How can Bhojpuri be called ‘Obscene’? From Cultural Memories to Commercial Glitz!] Translated by Shishu Ranjan. द वायर/ The Wire. 2 Aug 2026. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Who Gets to Call Bhojpuri Vulgar? From Cultural Memory to Commercial Hook.” The Wire. 9 Jul 2026. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Why Reading has Become a Threat to the Right-Wing Authoritarian State.” The Wire. 25 May 2026. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “We Need Critical Readings on Campuses. DU Notification and Azim Premji University Violence Stand Against That Spirit.” The Indian Express. 27 Feb 2026. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Universities Need to Remain Sites of Dissent.” The Wire. 18 Feb 2026. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “UGC’s New Equity Rules May Fall Short of Real Social Justice.” The Indian Express. 28 Jan 2026. [Read ↗]
2025
Sukumar, N., & Sharma, V. “The Attack on the CJI and the Shadow of Caste.” The Indian Express. 2 Oct 2025. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Why Ban on Sci-Hub and Libgen Stands Against the Efforts of Decolonisation.” The Indian Express. 2 Sep 2025. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “For a Successful Digital Revolution, India Needs to Fix the Institutional Neglect Plaguing Our School System.” The Indian Express. 7 Aug 2025. [Read ↗]
Ganesh, G., & Sharma, V. “Student Suicides in Universities Are Often a Product of Institutional Violence. We Must Take a Stand.” The Indian Express. 21 Jul 2025. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Indian Universities Have a Caste Problem. A Bit of Empathy Will Go a Long Way.” The Indian Express. 15 Jul 2025. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Rituals of Selection: UGC’s New Draft and Politics of Faculty Recruitment in Indian Universities.” Doing Sociology. 23 Mar 2025. [Read ↗]
2023
Sharma, V. “Why Collaboration between Varsities and Private Industry Will Be a Catastrophe for Social Justice Projects in Higher Education Research.” The Mooknayak. 21 Dec 2023. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Belonging, ‘Performance’ and Everyday Exclusion in IITs: A Critical Note on Student Suicides.” Doing Sociology. 21 Sep 2023. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Campus, Constellation, and Caste: Dalit-Bahujan Students and the Unending Battle of Belonging.” Live Wire / The Wire. 13 Apr 2023. [Read ↗]
2022
Sharma, V. “Rethinking Public University: The Moral Crisis of Higher Educational Institutions in India.” Live Wire / The Wire. 30 Sep 2022. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Hurdang: A Production of Hatred Against the Caste-Based Reservation System.” Live Wire / The Wire. 21 Jul 2022. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Production of Saffron Pedagogy and Its Implications.” Mainstream Weekly, 60(21). 14 May 2022. [Read ↗]
2021
Sharma, V. “The Missing Solidarity in Deepa P. Mohanan’s Battle.” Live Wire / The Wire. 19 Nov 2021. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Karnan: A Powerful Cinematic Projection of Dalit Assertion and Anger.” Round Table India. 1 Jun 2021. [Read ↗]
Sharma, V. “Debate: How Exclusive Are the Faculties of Institutions of Higher Education?” Live Wire / The Wire. 7 Jan 2021. [Read ↗]