Title of Webinar: Confronting Caste and its Intersections in Learning Spaces
Logistics
Date: 02 October 2026
Time: 10.30 am EST/ 8.00 pm IST
Location: Online on Zoom (Link to be sent after signing up)
Sign Up: Here
More about our speakers
Wajda Tabassum
Wajda Tabassum is a research scholar who has recently submitted her PhD thesis at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, where she also completed her MPhil with distinction. An alumna of Jamia Millia Islamia and IGNOU, she has over six years of academic and project experience in education, sociology, caste, gender, minority studies, and public policy.
She is currently working as a Research Assistant at Inderprastha Engineering College, Ghaziabad, and has previously contributed to projects with the Giri Institute of Development Studies (ICSSR, Govt. of India), the National Commission for Minorities, Stanford University, Global Logic Pvt. Ltd. (Google ODC), and the Education Technology & Management Academy. Her publications include A Learner-Centric Curriculum for Equity and Inclusion (Routledge India, 2023), Muslim Women’s
Empowerment through Higher Education (2025), and Advanced Sociological Perspectives on Education (2022).
Her research and writings highlight themes of migration, Islamic feminism, caste and social stratification, global education, and minority empowerment, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach and commitment to inclusive scholarship.
Shadab Anis
Shadab Anis, holds a M.Phil and PhD from National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi. His PhD attempts to investigate whether a fair opportunity of quality education and livelihood is spread evenly in the context of those living in the city's informal settlements. He completed Bachelors from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and holds double master's degree in Social Sciences from University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, respectively.
He has worked as a Research Associate at CETE, TISS Mumbai, SEWA Bharat, and the Language and Learning Foundation, New Delhi. Currently he is doing freelance work based out of Nancy, France.
Geetha M
Geetha M is a PhD Candidate at the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. With more than a decade of experience spanning across education, gender & labour in teaching, programme implementation, research and grassroots education initiatives, her work focuses on equity, access and educational transformation in India.
She began her journey in education as a Teaching Fellow with Teach For India, where she taught children from underserved communities and helped build community-led learning spaces. During her work at RV Educational Consortium, she lead a four-year participatory action research project on whole-school improvement. She worked closely with schools, teachers, communities, and education departments to strengthen inclusive learning practices, teacher development, and school processes. Her previous publications and conference presentations engage with language teaching learning practices, teacher beliefs, and governance in education.
She is also the cofounder of Haadibadi Community library in Bangalore that creates access to reading and creative learning opportunities for children and youth from marginalized communities. She was recognized as an Emerging International Voice for the Library Movement by the Goethe-Institut and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Her doctoral research lies at the intersection of policy, regulation, privatisation and teacher workforce dynamics. She is currently affiliated at Michigan State University as a Fulbright Nehru Doctoral scholar.
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The event is hosted by the Global Anti-Caste Thought Graduate Working Group, Global Asias, Rutgers University and co-hosted by Rutgers Anti-Caste Collective, previously referred to as Fatima Ambedkar Birsa Periyar Phule Savitribai Students and Workers Association, Rutgers University.