Indian-American professor Shailaja Paik has been awarded an $800,000 (Rs 6,71,41,400) MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant for her groundbreaking research on Dalit women and their multifaceted experiences. The prestigious fellowship is given annually to individuals with extraordinary achievements and potential.

The MacArthur Foundation praised Paik for shedding light on the enduring nature of caste discrimination and the systemic forces that perpetuate untouchability. 

"Through her focus on the multifaceted experiences of Dalit women, Paik elucidates the enduring nature of caste discrimination," the Foundation said in its announcement.

Who is Shailaja Paik?

Paik, a distinguished research professor of history at the University of Cincinnati, is also affiliated with the university's Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Asian Studies departments. 

Her work provides new insights into caste domination and explores how gender and sexuality are used to deny Dalit women dignity and personhood. 

Her recent research focuses on the lives of women performers in Tamasha, a bawdy folk theatre tradition practiced predominantly by Dalits in Maharashtra.

Based on this research, Paik published a book titled The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India, critiquing the narrative of Dr BR Ambedkar, India's foremost caste abolitionist.

The MacArthur Fellowships, often referred to as "genius" grants, are awarded across various fields such as academia, science, arts, and activism. The recipients are chosen anonymously and cannot apply or lobby for the grant, which is spread over five years without any conditions.

Paik, herself a Dalit, grew up in a Pune slum and was inspired by her father's dedication to education. After completing her master's degree from Savitribai Phule University in Pune, she pursued her PhD at the University of Warwick in the UK. She has also served as a visiting assistant professor of South Asian history at Yale University.

Past MacArthur Fellowship program awardees

Since the MacArthur Fellowship program began in 1981, it has recognized 1,153 individuals, including notable figures such as writers Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Ved Mehta, economists Raj Chetty and Sendhil Mullainathan, and poet AK Ramanujan.

IANS