Welcome
I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My research examines the politics of exclusion and the unmaking of citizenship in South Asia, with a particular focus on India. I ask why fully enfranchised citizens are excluded from public goods and services, and through what mechanisms this exclusion is enacted. I treat bureaucratic encounters between citizens and the state as a primary site where the substantive content of citizenship is progressively unmade and democratic erosion accumulates. This work contributes to scholarship on democratic backsliding by tracing how erosion takes hold through routine administration, well before it registers in elections or formal institutions.
I use a multi-method approach that combines interviews, archival research, and political ethnography with computational text analysis using keyATM. My research has been supported by the American Political Science Association, the National Science Foundation (Law and Science Dissertation Grant), the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize, and the P.E.O. International Scholarship.
I hold an M.Phil. in Latin American Studies and an M.A. in International Relations and Area Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a B.A. (Hons.) in History from the University of Delhi, India.
Research
Peer-reviewed articles
Sharma, Y., & Singh, S. (2023). Shaheen Bagh and the politics of protest in the anti-CAA movement in India. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 7(1), 10.
Working papers
Singh, S. (2026). Time as statecraft: Forced evictions and urban politics in contemporary India. Under review.
Singh, S. (2026). Deferred by design: Courts, time, and the undoing of socio-economic rights in India.
Policy writing
Singh, S. (2019, September 12). Food security in South Asia and the need for regional consensus-building. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
Public scholarship
Podcast host, interview with Dr. Mayur Suresh on Terror Trials, New Books Network (2023).
Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Departments of Politics and Legal Studies,
UC Santa Cruz
- Politics: Power, Principle, Process, and Policy, Winter 2022
- U.S. and the World Economy, Spring 2022
- International Law, Fall 2022
- Comparative Politics, Winter 2023, Spring 2025, Winter 2026
- Theories of International and World Politics, Spring 2023
- Civil Liberties, Fall 2023
- Governing the Golden State, Winter 2024
- American Politics, Winter 2025
- Modern Political Thought, Fall 2025, Spring 2026
- Introduction to the Legal Process, Summer 2026
Selected student comments
Comparative Politics (POLI 60), Winter 2026
“I loved the feedback I got on my exam responses — super in-depth and constructive without being degrading. I always felt like I knew exactly which areas to improve after hearing back... Easily one of the best TAs I've had; she always made me feel respected and heard.”
“Shatakshi was an amazing lecturer whose background experience made her well equipped to answer questions and provide insightful explanations. She was always prepared and excited to teach the topics at hand.”
“The discussion sections led by this TA were especially engaging and provided unique insight into what was being taught in the course. She showed strong dedication to improving our understanding.”
Contemporary Political Theory (POLI/LGST 105D), Fall 2025
“Shatakshi Singh was the best TA I have ever had.”
“It was hard to not be engaged — just spend 30 seconds in a classroom with her and you'll be interested.”
“She kept it real, I appreciate that. Very great at explaining concepts and thinkers clearly and in a way that was digestible.”
Modern Political Thought (POLI/LGST 105C), Spring 2026
“She offered really nice feedback that greatly improved my confidence. Shatakshi was so kind and funny, and I truly loved having her as a TA.”
“One teaching practice I found particularly helpful was the way the TA used slides to facilitate discussion — rather than simply presenting information, she encouraged us to work in groups to interpret key concepts.”
“I enjoyed how interactive our sections were; they allowed us to directly engage with class material and draw connections across the authors we'd read.”
American Politics (POLI 20), Winter 2025
“I appreciate that the TA separated class time into two halves — one where we worked with our peers on an activity, and the other half was the TA explaining the topic in depth. She gave more detail about the concepts than in lecture.”
“She gave test-taking strategies and connected material to a main thematic concept in the class, which helped me succeed on the midterm.”
“When giving mini lectures or going over key topics, Shatakshi was really thorough.”
Fieldwork
Between 2022 and 2026, I conducted 12 months of fieldwork across six informal settlements, or “slums,” in New Delhi.
Data
Delhi Eviction Events Database
An original event dataset of more than 185 eviction and demolition episodes across Delhi, assembled from news reporting, court records, and civil society monitoring. Each entry records the date and location, the agency carrying out the eviction, whether it went ahead or was stayed by a court, the number of households and people affected, and any associated litigation, along with notes on notice periods, service cuts, and who was found eligible for rehabilitation.
Available on request.
Housing and Public Services Judgments Corpus
A corpus of court judgments from Delhi on slum evictions, rehabilitation, and residents’ access to public services. I analyze it with keyATM, a keyword-assisted topic model, to trace how courts frame residents’ claims and the state’s justifications for exclusion over time.
Contact
Send me a message using the form below, and I will reply by email.
CV
Available on request.