Anil Varughese

– BA in Philosophy (University of Madras, India)
– MA in Politics (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India)
– PhD in Political Science (University of Toronto, Canada)

Professor Varughese’s research agenda spans three broad thematic areas, with special reference to the global south: 1) political communication and political behavior, 2) governance and democratic deepening, and 3) social policy. Broadly, his research seeks to understand how public policy can be harnessed to create equity-enhancing outcomes in the developing world. One facet of his research examines political communications in electoral and non-electoral contexts and its impact on political behavior of various political actors (voters, candidates, political parties, media) in India. Another examines the ways in which the distribution of political and economic power in poor democracies impedes or facilitates egalitarian social policy. A third facet explores governance challenges in the digital era and their impact on democratic practice in the global South, particularly South Asia.

• Varughese, A., Schwartz, S., & Sheen, N. (2022). “Sitting with myself by myself:” Indian Students in Canada during the pandemic. Comparative and International Education, 51(1), 57-74.
• Varughese, A. M. & Semetko H.A. [eds] Journal Special Issue on Political Campaigning in India. South Asian History and Culture, 13(3).
• Varughese, A. M. & Semetko, H. A. (2022). “Political Campaigning in India: Changing Contexts of Political Communication” South Asian History and Culture, 13(3), 267-284.
• Ray, S., & Varughese, A. “Economic voting in multi-level contexts: Evidence from Kerala and West Bengal in India.” Electoral Studies, 73(102378): pp. 1-14 (October 2021) Elsevier
• Varughese, A. “Faith revival and issue framing in Kerala’s 2019 campaign.” South Asian History and Culture, pp.1–19 (September 2021) Taylor & Francis
• Varughese, A., Saikia, P., & Sattineni, T. R. “Maximum campaigning in Andhra Pradesh: from padayatra to Facebook and YouTube.” South Asian History and Culture, pp.1-20 (July 2021) Taylor & Francis
• Arabaghatta Basavaraj, K., Saikia, P., Varughese, A., Semetko, H. A. & Kumar, A. “The COVID-19–Social Identity–Digital Media Nexus in India: Polarization and Blame.” Political Psychology, 42(12774): pp.1-18 (July 2021) Wiley-Blackwell.
• Varughese, Anil, and Chithra Purushothaman. “Climate Change and Public Health in India: The 2018 Kerala Floods.” World medical and health policy 13(1): pp.16–35 (March 2021) Wiley-Blackwell.
• Sakaguchi, K.,Varughese, A. & Auld, G. “Climate Wars? A Systematic Review of Empirical Analyses on the Links Between Climate Change and Violent Conflict.” International Studies Review 19(4): pp. 622–645 (December 2017) Oxford Journals – CRKN.

• Varughese, A., “Globalization and Culture Wars: The Case of India” in Ali Burak Guven and Richard Sandbrook (ed.) Civilizing Globalization: A Survival Guide. revised and expanded edition. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2014. 93-105.
• Varughese, A., “Globalization vs. Cultural Authenticity: Valentine’s Day and Hindu Values” in Richard Sandbrook (ed.) Civilizing Globalization: A Survival Guide. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003. 53-58.

• New study finds how Kerala-Bengal decided who to vote for between Centre and state in 2019 (The Print, Sep 2021)
• Four FPA Researchers Awarded SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants (FPA News, Feb 2021)
• Insight Development Grant 2020: Political campaigning and vote choice in digital India (FPA News, Aug 2020)
• 4,600+ Jurists, Scholars, Actors, Artists, Writers Condemn UP Police’s Charges Against The Wire (The Wire, Apr 2020)
• Canada ‘takes Sikh extremism seriously’ memo to Freeland said before India trip (National Post, May 2019)
• Indian elections: Will India’s ‘divider in chief’ win again? (The Conversation, May 2019)
• India’s new citizenship act legalizes a Hindu nation (The Conversation, Dec 2019)