Saurabh Kaushik
Ph.D., Sikkim University, GangtokResearch Fellow, Subhas Chandra Chair of International Relations
Saurabh Kaushik
Ph.D., Sikkim University, GangtokMy research trajectory is defined by a commitment to understanding the complex interplay between transboundary natural resources conflict and cooperation, regional and subregional integration, and non-traditional security threats in South Asia. Positioned at the intersection of International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Sustainability, my work seeks to bridge the gap between technical economic and environmental analyses and the socio-political realities of regional security. By integrating interdisciplinary mixed-method approaches, I examine how natural resource management and infrastructure development serve as both drivers of tension and conduits for sub-regional integration.
A central pillar of my research explores the nuances of transboundary resource diplomacy, particularly in the Eastern Himalayas. During my doctoral and fellowship work at Sikkim University, I conducted evidence-based studies on hydropower development cooperation between India and Bhutan. This research involved mapping environmental changes at major project sites using remote sensing indices in QGIS, alongside executing psychosocial surveys to capture the attitudes and perceptions of citizens regarding the socio-economic and governance aspects of these large-scale energy projects. This multi-methodological approach allowed for a deeper understanding of how grid interconnections and water resources management impact domestic perceptions and bilateral relations.
In parallel, my work engages with emerging frameworks for biodiversity conservation and environmental governance. My recent efforts have focused on the feasibility of “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures” (OECMs) in transboundary landscapes between India and Nepal. This involves evaluating legal frameworks and conducting consultations with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to identify enabling conditions for inclusive conservation. My research also extends to human security and the dynamics of displacement in the region. I have conducted research on the differing state responses to refugees and returnees from Burma, investigating their conditions and social mobilization, and the resulting policy implications for India’s borderlands. I have also investigated the restructuring of security sectors in transitioning democracies like Nepal.
Going forward, I aim to develop an integrated research agenda that systematically addresses the existing research gap in the strategic imperatives of energy and water security in South Asia and the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) sub-region. I am particularly interested in how sub-regional power trade and cultural-economic integration can serve as catalysts for long-term peace. Through my work, I seek to contribute to both academic scholarship and policy-oriented discourse, providing data-driven insights to foster resilient and cooperative diplomatic outcomes in South Asia and beyond.
Saurabh Kaushik is Research Fellow at the Subhas Chandra Chair of International Relations, Chanakya University, Bengaluru. A researcher and academic specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies, he recently served as the Project Lead and Research Associate at The Himalaya Initiative, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), where he directed feasibility assessments for transboundary conservation measures in the Eastern Himalayas. His professional background includes experience as a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at RPD College of Arts and Commerce, Belagavi and Director of Research and Development at the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA), Kathmandu.
He holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Sikkim University (2026). He earned his M.A. in Diplomacy, Law & Business from O.P. Jindal Global University (2016) and his B.A. in Political Science from Madras Christian College (2013). He is a recipient of the UGC Senior Research Fellowship (2019) and the Junior Research Fellowship (2017) and was honoured with the Dean’s Award for Excellence from the Jindal School of International Affairs.
His research focuses on transboundary natural resources conflict and cooperation, subregional integration and non-traditional security threats with a regional focus on South Asia. Possessing technical expertise in geospatial analytics and mixed-method tools and techniques, he has published research on security sector reforms, refugee movements and regional integration in South Asia.
- Ph.D., 2026, Sikkim University, Gangtok
- M.A. in Diplomacy, Law & Business, 2016, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Delhi NCR
- B.A. Political Science, 2013, Madras Christian College, Chennai
- Diploma in Human Resource Management, 2013, Madras Christian College, Chennai
- Secondary and Senior Secondary Education, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun
Journal Articles
- “Returnees and Refugees from Burma to India: Conditions, Mobilization, State response”, Focus No.19, South Asian Democratic Forum, Aug. 2016. ISSN: 2406-5633.
- “Security Sector Restructuring in Nepal – A case for ‘hybridity’”, The Discussant, a Journal of Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice, Volume–VI, No.1, Jan.–Mar. 2018, pp. 39– 46. ISSN: 2250-3412.
Book Chapters
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Returnees and Refugees from Burma to India: Differing State Responses”, in H. Srikanth and Munmun Majumdar, eds., Linking India and Eastern Neighbours: Development in the Northeast and Borderlands, Sage, 2021, pp. 210-228. ISBN: 978-9391370725.
Academic Presentations
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Natural Resource Governance: Exploring the Case Study of Transboundary Water Resources”, National Seminar on Good Governance in the 21st Century, Pachhunga University College, Aizawl, 12 February 2020.
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Moving towards Energy Security: Sub-regional Power Cooperation and Trade in the BBIN Region”, International Conference on “Revitalizing BIMSTEC: Promoting Peace through Cultural and Economic Integration”, Sikkim University, Gangtok in collaboration with ICSSR-New Delhi and ICSSR-NERC, Shillong, 14 –15 March 2019.
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Returnees and Refugees from Burma to India: Conditions, Mobilization and State Response”, International Seminar on “Northeast India and its neighbours: New Directions”, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya, 27–28 March 2018.
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Facing the Dragon: India’s Territorial Disputes with China in Sikkim – From Nathu La to Doklam”, National Conference on “Regional and Global Dynamics in India-China Relations”, Department of Political Science, Don Bosco College, Maram, Manipur, 21–22 September 2017.
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “China’s Military Modernization: Implications on Regional Security”, National Conference on “India and its Neighbours: Changing Trajectories of Relations”, Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College and Indian Council for World Affairs, Chennai, 21 February 2012.
Honours/Fellowships
- Awarded the University Grants Commission Senior Research Fellowship (2019)
- Awarded the University Grants Commission Junior Research Fellowship (2017)
- Awarded Dean’s Award for Excellence, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University (2015)
- Awarded the Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People (2009)
Special Trainings and Certifications - Professional Certificate Course on “Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing”, Integrated Institute for Advanced Research and Information (IIARI), August–December 2021.
- Faculty Development Programme on “Data Analysis Using SPSS” with A+ Grade, Teaching Learning Centre, Ramanujan College, New Delhi and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers’ and Teaching, Ministry of Education, September 2021.
- ICSSR Sponsored “Ten Days Research Methodology Course in Social Sciences”, Department of Management, Sikkim University, September 2020.
- GIS Training Program, Department of Geography, School of Earth Sciences, Central University of Karnataka and State Institute of Urban Development, September 2020.
- UGC SAP DRS II “Ten-Day Methodology Workshop on ‘Development Policy Research’”, Department of Economics and Politics, Visva-Bharati University, September 2019.
- Kaushik, Saurabh, “Changing Paradigm of Biodiversity Conservation”, Sikkim Express, 2025.
URL: https://sikkimexpress.com/news-details/changing-paradigm-of-biodiversity-conservation–the - Kaushik, Saurabh, “The SAARC conundrum”, The Kathmandu Post, 2016.
URL: https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2016/03/27/the-saarc-conundrum - Kaushik, Saurabh, “Power of nonviolence”, The Kathmandu Post, 2016.
URL: https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2016/02/28/power-of-nonviolence - Kaushik, Saurabh, “Is economics driving world politics or is it the other way round?”, AIDIA Research Articles, 2016.
URL: https://aidiaasia.org/public/old/research-article/is-economics-driving-world-politics-or-is-it-the-other-way-round.html - Kaushik, Saurabh, “Sub-Regional Cooperation in South Asia: A New Lease of Life?”, IPCS Commentary, 2015.
URL: https://www.ipcs.org/focusthemsel.php?articleNo=4839
Qualified UGC-NET for eligibility for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship in International and Area Studies, 2017.
Qualified UGC-NET for eligibility for Assistant Professor in Defence and Strategic Studies, 2018.