Prithiraj Borah

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Dr. Prithiraj Borah is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. He completed his Post-Doctoral research and doctoral studies in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

He held the position of Assistant Professor of Sociology within the School of Social Sciences and Languages at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, from Feb 2023 to May 2025. His scholarly interests encompass plantation politics, with a particular emphasis on trade union and student union dynamics.

Additionally, his research extends to tribal and Adivasi studies in contemporary South Asia. Dr Borah has published numerous scholarly articles in prestigious academic journals, including Economic and Political Weekly, as well as in Springer, Brill, and Taylor and Francis publications.

In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he was conferred the Zubaan-Sasakawa Peace Foundation research grant in 2020. Furthermore, he served as principal investigator for a research initiative funded by the Indian Foundation for the Arts during 2023-2024.

Education

  • October 2021  :  PhD in Sociology from IIT Bombay
  • June 2015 – June 2013  :  MPhil in Sociology from Sikkim Central University
    Master’s from IIT Guwahati
  • June 2011  :  Graduation from Cotton College, Guwahati University

Courses Taught

  • Sociology of Law
  • Sociology
  • Sociology of Labour and Industry
  • Food, Culture and Society

Select Publications

  • Borah, Prithiraj & Rowena Robinson. (Accepted and upcoming 2026). ‘Adivasi students in Assam: Activism and representation inside/outside university politics’. In Minorities on Campus: Discrimination, Equality and Politics of Nationalism in Indian Higher Education, edited by Ashok Kumar Mocherla and Sariya Cheruvallil- Contractor. London: Oxford University Press.
  • Borah, Prithiraj & Baruah, Juri. (2026). ‘Witches, lagari and activism: solidarity networks in tea plantations in Assam. Journal of Gender Studies. (Taylor and Francis) https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2026.2621754
  • Borah, Prithiraj (2024). “Rise of Populism and Right-wing politics in Assam.” In Encyclopedia of New Populism and Responses in the 21st Century. London: Springer.
  • Borah, Prithiraj (2022). “Tales from Assam’s tea gardens: When humour becomes resistance in everyday life-world of labourers”. In Humour and the Performance of Power in South Asia: Anxiety, Laughter and Politics in Unstable Times, edited by Sasanka Perera and Dev Pathak. New Delhi: Routledge.
  • Borah, Prithiraj, and Rowena Robinson (2021). “Mai-baaps and Minis: Spatiality, Visuality and Materiality in Assam’s Tea gardens”. In Materiality and Visuality in Northeast India: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, edited by Tiplut Nongbri and Rashi Bhargava. Singapore: Springer.
  • Borah, Prithiraj & Rowena Robinson (2022). “Adivasi Mahasabhas: Locating gender in the adivasi movements in Assam”. Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 57 (49) pp 32- 38.
  • Borah, Prithiraj (2021). “Insanity and colonial knowledge: A study of ‘tea-coolies’ in Tezpur Lunatic Asylum, 1879-96.” (Commentary) Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 56(73) pp 11-15.