Dr Apala Vatsa

Dean, IILM School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Dr. Apala Vatsa is not your typical academic. Inspired by the timeless wisdom of John Keating from the “Dead Poets Society,” she believes in the power of poetry, beauty, and love to infuse meaning into our lives. As a firm advocate for seizing the day and pursuing one’s dreams, Dr. Vatsa’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of education and intellectual exploration.

Born in a small town in eastern U.P., Dr. Apala Vatsa traversed cultural and geographical boundaries in pursuit of her passion for learning. She embarked on a journey fueled by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, embracing the richness of diversity at every turn. For Dr. Vatsa, education and humor are the twin pillars that illuminate life’s path. Inspired by the timeless wisdom of Groucho Marx, she embraces the mantra: “I’m not crazy about reality, but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.”
As the Former Dean and current Co-ordinator of the IILM School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at IILM University, Gurugram, Dr. Vatsa continues to inspire and empower the next generation of thinkers and leaders. Through her teaching and research, she seeks to instill a sense of curiosity, empathy, and resilience in her students, encouraging them to embrace life’s challenges with humor and grace.
At the heart of her scholarly pursuits lies a deep commitment to understanding the complexities of multiculturalism and its intersection with contemporary challenges. In 2017, she made waves in the academic world with her popular book, “Multiculturalism and Terrorism,” published by Glimmer Publishing in the United Kingdom. Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Dr. Vatsa delves into the intricate relationship between cultural diversity and the global phenomenon of terrorism, offering fresh perspectives on how embracing multiculturalism can foster peace and understanding in society. Her scholarly contributions extend far beyond the written word as is evident in the many conferences she has presented papers at.
With a doctoral thesis focused on the politics of the death penalty in independent India and an M. Phil dissertation exploring multiculturalism in post-7/7 Britain, Dr. Vatsa’s work delves into the complexities of diversity and its implications for society. Driven by a passion for political theory, multiculturalism, human rights, Islam, and women’s issues, Dr. Apala Vatsa continues to push the boundaries of knowledge and inspire others to embrace diversity, empathy, and understanding in an increasingly complex world.

Qualification

Ph.D., Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
– Topic: The Politics of Death Penalty in Independent India
M.Phil, Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
– Topic: Multiculturalism in the face of Terror: Debates on Minority Accommodation in Post 7/7 Britain
M.A., Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
– Major: Political Science
BA (Hons), Lady Sriram College of Women, Delhi University, New Delhi
– Major: Political Science

IILM University
apala.vatsa@iilm.edu

Professional Achievements

Published a book on ‘Multiculturalism and Terrorism’ with Glimmer Publishing, United Kingdom, 2017.
Published a paper on “Women in Diaspora and Multiculturalism” in Journal for Diaspora Studies, September 2015.
Published a paper “Understanding Power Within Islam: Does Iqbal’s Khudi provide a suitable Beacon’ with IIIAC 2018.
Upcoming chapter on “Love Jihad” in Rujuta Chincholkar-Mandelia and Moiyattu Banya’s book titled, Gender and World Societies, due Spring 2023.
Content Writer for a Module on Second Wave Feminism for UGC-E Pathshala, 2017.
Published a paper on ‘Do Income Levels Affect the Scope of Justice in India: An examination of the Death penalty discourse?’ with Lex Jura journal, 2019.
Fading Impact of the ‘Rarest of Rare’ Doctrine: has the Baton passed to the ‘Public Opinion’ Approach?, 5 (2) IJLMH Page 710 – 726 (2022).
Privacy and Surveillance: A Marriage made in Neo-Liberal Heaven. International Journal of Advanced Legal Research [ISSN (O): 2582-7340], 2022.
Death Penalty In Independent India: Is This Irreversible Punishment Arbitrarily Imposed? Published in Lex Humanitaire, Volume III Issue I (2022), Pages 33-40.
Published a paper on the Undeserved Indignity: Making a Case for Muslim Dignity in the Journal of Informatics Education and Research, ABDC listed, April 2024.

Paper Presentations

Presented a paper titled “Women in a Multicultural Diaspora: Dilemmas Of Gender and Culture” in the International Conference on ‘Women in the Indian Diaspora’, organised by the Organisation for Diaspora Initiatives- Women Network (ODIWNET) in collaboration with CAS- Jawaharlal Nehru University and India International Centre on 10th and 11th January 2014 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
Presented a paper titled, “The undeserved Indignity: Making a case for Muslim Dignity” in the International seminar on human dignity, organized by Jamia Milia Islamia University on 23rd and 24th February 2015.
Presented a paper titled, “Dignity And Democracy” in the Fourth Young Scholars’ Conference, organized by Centre For Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University on 3rd and 4th March 2016.
Presented a paper on ‘Understanding Power Within Islam: Does Iqbal’s Khudi provide a suitable beacon?’ at the India International Islamic Academic conference, on 8-9 October, 2016.
Discussant for two paper presentations (Gender and Mobility; Jan Sunwai) at the CPS Young Scholars Conference, JNU, 7-8 March, 2017.
Presented a paper on ‘Reclaiming the Raped Body: Learning from Pawan Amara’, at the Centre for Historical Studies’ Young Scholar’s Conference, JNU, 9-11 March, 2017.
Presented a paper on ‘Sustainable Development and Gender’ at Centre for Population Studies, JNU, 3 March, 2018.
Presented a paper on ‘Privacy and Development’ at Jamia Milia Islamia University, March 2018.
Presented a paper on ‘Dalit Capitalism’ at Anveshan Conference, organised at Ambedkar University, 28-29 July, 2018.
Presented a paper on ‘Islamic Psychology’ at SIO Conference at India Islamic Centre, Delhi, 2018.
Presented a paper on ‘Dignity of Raped women’ at Young Scholars Congress in Kerela University, March 2019.
Paper presented in Central University of Kashmir, on the theme of ‘Social Justice: A Mirage or Reality in Plural Societies’, June 2019.
Presented a paper on ‘The Ultimate Price of Poverty: How Income Levels Affect the Scope of Justice in India’, at the Indian Society for International Law, New Delhi, September 2019.
Presented a paper on Legal Education: Can it serve to make democracy more sustainable?, at PRME, February 2022.
Presented a paper on “The Talibanization of Kabul: Afghan Women Losing Their Hard Won Rights” at the International Seminar on ‘Relevance of the United Nations in the context of Talibanization of Afghanistan and ensuing humanitarian and economic crisis’, on 25th February 2022, organised by Amity University, Madhya Pradesh.
Presented a paper at the International conference on the “Role of Indian science in the freedom movement”, on 28 February 2022, organized by JNU and Vigyan Prasar, on the topic ‘Intellectual Colonialism: can one Reclaim the Right to think in one’s native language?’
Presented a paper at the National conference for Law and Economics organized by the University School of Law and Legal Studies, GGSIP University New Delhi, on the theme of ‘Welfare Economics in India: Constitutional Principles and Political Will at odds’ on 6 March 2022.
Presented a paper at the National Conference on the theme of Incarceration: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Policies and Implications for Practice organized by the Department of Psychology, Christ University, Delhi NCR in collaboration with India Vision Foundation, on 11th March 2022.
Presented a paper titled “Media in a (un) democratic State” at the International conference on Media for the Future, organized by Knowledge Steez Edu Hub on 31st July, 2022.
Panellist for Book Discussion on ‘Ganga Ratan Bidesiya’ organised by Sub-Himalayan Research Institute, Poornia, Bihar, August 6, 2022.
Presented a paper titled “The Raging Female: Contextualizing woman’s angst in ‘Bulbbul’ through Butler and Arendt ” at the International Conference on Language, Literature, and Humanities organised by St. John’s College and Cape Comorin, August 2022.
Presented a paper on the “The Gendered Impact of COVID-19” at CUSAT, Kochi, Kerala on 26th January 2024.
Presented a paper on “The undeserved indignity: making a case for muslim dignity”, at the Future trends in Business: innovation, sustainability, technology and growth, organised by GNIOT, Greater Noida, March 14-15th, 2024.

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