Atharva Mehendale holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Management from Bangalore, and a Master’s degree in International Affairs (Diplomacy, Law and Business) from the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU). His research work focuses on international migration and mobility, urban politics, informal sector studies, and grassroots-led community development. He is particularly interested in the intersection of urbanisation, migration & gender. His master’s dissertation explored the political economy of internal migration and the Covid-19 migration discourse in India. He has been involved in a number of research projects in New Delhi, Haryana, Assam and Meghalaya. In the northeast, he extensively researched on livelihoods, community development, internal displacement and patterns of human trafficking. As a Research Assistant with the Centre for Migration & Mobility Studies at JSIA, he mapped aspirations and socio-economic mobility of seasonal and permanent migrants in Sonipat, Haryana.

He was presented with an award for his contribution to research initiatives and publications by JGU in 2020; and for his contribution to institution building in recognition of his stint as one of the Board members of Diplomania, and a student representative of the Committee on Gender Sensitisation Against Sexual Harassment (COGSASH) in 2019.

Atharva has been associated with the North India & Afghanistan Zone of United Religions Initiative, a San Francisco based global grassroots network. ‘Community Chronicles’, an edited collection of grassroots initiatives and anecdotes authored by him was published in two volumes in August and October 2020 respectively. The books explore how not-for-profit organisations and civil society institutions navigate through the ideas of urban poverty, education, peri-urban development and the politics of exclusion; and the role that grassroots organisations play in community development and peace-building processes.

Outside of work, Atharva is passionate about travelling around cosmopolitan urban centres. A metro ride in the city, he thinks, is a cure for boredom, heartache, and any other ailment. He is curious about understanding the complexities and idiosyncrasies of crowded bazaars, urbanism, everyday life, and queer identities in Delhi. When he is not working, he is trailing smells, noises and momos around the city.