Prof. Chetan Basavaraj Singai

Prof. Chetan Basavaraj Singai

Ph.D., National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc, Bengaluru
Professor & Dean

Prof. Chetan Basavaraj Singai

Ph.D., National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc, Bengaluru
Chetan.s@chanakyauniversity.edu.in
Education policy, research methodology, legal and regulatory governance, space law and policy, constitutionalism, sustainable development, national security and international relations.

My research journey is driven by a conviction that law, governance, and public policy, when informed by rigorous scholarship and grounded in lived realities, can catalyse transformative societal change. Over the last two decades, my work has examined how governance systems particularly in education can be redesigned to uphold constitutional values, promote institutional excellence, and ensure equitable access to opportunities. My scholarship continues to investigate how constitutional principles, legislative frameworks, and policy design interact in shaping effective governance systems.

As Chief Consultant to the Drafting Committee of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, I was privileged to contribute to one of India’s most significant policy reforms in recent decades. This experience deepened my understanding of the constitutional, legal, and regulatory dimensions of policymaking in a complex federal democracy, while sharpening my focus on implementation challenges and pathways for reform.

My academic and policy interests span comparative public policy, higher education governance, and regulatory reform, with an emphasis on institutional autonomy, accountability, and the role of law in enabling systemic transformation. I also explore the intersections of governance and sustainability, particularly in environmental and resource management policies, recognising that governance must respond to the pressing demands of sustainable development at the local, regional and global levels.

Internationally, I have collaborated with researchers and institutions across Europe, North America, and Asia, contributing to cross-country studies on law and policy in higher education, regulatory innovation, and the globalisation of education systems. These collaborations have reinforced my belief that comparative perspectives in law and governance enrich domestic policy debates, offering alternative frameworks and actionable solutions.

Beyond academic publishing, I view research as a public responsibility. I actively engage with policymakers, civil society, and the media to translate scholarly insights into accessible and actionable knowledge. Whether writing on internationalisation of higher education, constitutionalism, or environmental law, my aim is to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and public policy action.

Looking forward, my research quest is to explore how legal and governance frameworks can be reimagined to foster trust, ensure justice, and enhance institutional resilience ultimately contributing to a governance ecosystem that strengthens democracy, empowers citizens, and prepares societies for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Chetan B. Singai is Professor and Dean at the School of Law, Governance and Public Policy, Chanakya University, Bengaluru. With over 15 years of experience in academia, policy advisory, and governance research, his work spans law, higher education governance, public policy, and sustainability. He served as the Chief Consultant to the Drafting Committee of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, contributing to one of India’s most significant education reforms.

Recipient of the Social Justice Medal from the Chief Justice of India, Dr. Singai has been recognised for his contributions to advancing equity and justice in governance. He is an Erasmus Mundus Scholar and has held prestigious visiting faculty appointments, including with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Europe.

His research focuses on the intersections of constitutional values, legal frameworks, and policy design, with emphasis on institutional autonomy, accountability, and systemic reform. Internationally, he has collaborated with leading universities and think tanks across Europe, North America, and Asia.

An active public intellectual, Dr. Singai regularly writes for national and international platforms, bridging academic research and policy action to create governance systems that are just, inclusive, and future-ready.

  • Ph.D., 2018, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc campus, Bengaluru
  • European Masters in Lifelong Learning Policy and Management, 2009, Joint Degree from University of London, UK; University of Deusto, Spain and University of Aarhus, Denmark
  • M.Phil., 2007, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
  • MA in Political Science, 2004, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

  1. A. Ramaprasad, C. Singai, and T. Syn, “Building a chip manufacturing workforce: India’s higher-education imperatives,” 2024.
  2. C. Singai, G. Dixit, and K. Reddy, “The gambit of geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific: A critical analysis,” J. Contemp. Politics, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 107–114, 2023.
  3. C. Singai, “Governance and public policy in India: Gandhian perspective,” in Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance, Singapore: Springer Nature, 2022, pp. 67–78.
  4. R. Kempegowda and C. Singai, “Reforms in legal aid and awareness with regard to the aged in India: A case for an inclusive approach,” Jindal Global Law Review, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 253–276, 2022.
  5. R. A. Shahjahan, P. E. Bylsma, and C. Singai, “Global university rankings as ‘sticky’ objects and ‘refrains’: Affect and mediatisation in India,” Comparative Education, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 224–241, 2022.
  6. C. Singai and S. Kumari, State and Political Obligation. Delhi: MPP House, 2021. Available: https://www.ebcwebstore.com/product/state-and-political-obligation-by-chetan-singhai-and-sweta-kumari?products_id=99104416
  7. K. Rajashree, C. Singai, and S. A. Shimray, “Advancements in legal education in India: Challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research,” Asian Journal of Legal Education, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 66–78, 2021.
  8. M. Anilkumar, S. Kashyap, S. G. Mitra, D. Neogi, A. Ramaprasad, A. Sanjeev, C. Singai, S. D. Sreeganga, and N. K. Thodika, “The pathways to manage air pollution,” Current Science, vol. 120, no. 8, pp. 1295–1302, 2021.
  9. N. K. Thodika, S. Janagam, S. T. Kaniyampady, A. Ramaprasad, A. Shetty, and C. Singai, “A model of cost and time-effective disease screening for non-communicable diseases in India,” in Proc. HEALTHINF 2021, pp. 312–319.
  10. N. Inamdar, P. V. Poojary, and P. Shetty, Contours of India-EU engagements: Multiplicity of experiences. Manipal: Manipal Universal Press, 2021.
  11. S. Kashyap, M. Anilkumar, A. Ramaprasad, A. Sanjeev, C. Singai, and N. K. Thodika, “Silos to systems for solid waste management,” Current Science, vol. 119, no. 7, 2020.
  12. M. Anilkumar, A. Ramaprasad, C. Singai, and S. D. Sreeganga, “An ontological analysis of space policy and law: India’s Space Activities Bill of 2017,” Astropolitics, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 183–198, 2020.
  13. S. Kashyap, A. Ramaprasad, and C. Singai, “An ontological analysis of challenges involved in urban solid waste management,” in Sustainable Environmental Geotechnics, vol. 89, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Cham: Springer, 2020, pp. 107–113.
  14. M. Anilkumar, C. Singai, and A. Ramaprasad, “A systematic assessment framework for higher-education institutions,” in Proc. 6th Int. Conf. Higher Education Advances (HEAd’20), Valencia, Spain, May 2020, pp. 527–534.
  15. M. Anilkumar and C. Singai, “India needs a comprehensive space policy,” Current Science, vol. 118, no. 4, pp. 522–523, 2020.
  16. V. Acharya, B. Halanaik, A. Ramaprasad, T. K. Swamy, C. B. Singai, and T. Syn, “Transboundary sharing of river water: Informating the policies,” 2020.
  17. V. Acharya, B. Halanaik, A. Ramaprasad, T. K. Swamy, C. B. Singai, and T. Syn, “Transboundary sharing of river water: Informating the policies,” River Research and Applications, pp. 1–10, 2019.
  18. C. Singai, “Public and private dichotomy: An empirical insight into the university governance in India,” in Education and the Public Sphere: Exploring the Structures of Mediation in Post-Colonial India, London: Routledge, 2019, pp. 74–92.
  19. B. C. Simeon-Fayomi, B. S. Chetan, and O. S. Oludeyi, “Soft skills for young adults: Circuit in the formal, non-formal and informal models,” Online Submission, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 99–112, 2018.
  20. L. Doyle, R. Egetenmeyer, C. Singai, and U. Devi, “Professionalisation as development and as regulation: Adult education in Germany, the United Kingdom and India,” International Review of Education, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 317–341, 2016.
  21. L. C. Lima, P. Guimarães, N. Thouma, and C. Singai, “Adult learning and education policies in Germany, Portugal and Sweden: An analysis of national reports of CONFINTEA VI,” in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in Europe and Beyond, Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2016, pp. 29–65.
  22. A. Ramaprasad, C. B. Singai, T. Hasan, T. Syn, and M. Thirumalai, “India’s national higher education policy recommendations since independence,” J. Educ. Plan. Adm., vol. 30, pp. 5–24, 2016.
  23. C. Singai, G. Gioli, E. Riemer, K. D. Regmi, S. Mastrokoukou, and S. Singh, “Knowledge economy and demographic change: Comparative case study of Europe and South Asia,” in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in Europe and Beyond, vol. 67, 2015.
  24. A. Singh, C. B. Singai, S. Srivastava, and S. Sivam, “Inclusive water governance: a global necessity. Lessons from India,” Transition Studies Review, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 598–608, 2009.
  25. C. B. Singai, “An enquiry into the reasons for lack of participation in learning among individual adult learners: A case study of India,” EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 141–152, 2010.
  26. C. Singai, Railway reforms in India: A transition from regulation to privatization. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010. https://www.amazon.in/Railway-Reforms-India-transition-Privatization/dp/3639249488

Popular Writings

  1. C. Singai, “Higher Education Commission Bill explained: Why the higher education reforms matter for India,” Deccan Herald, Aug. 5, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/why-the-heci-bill-matters-for-higher-education-in-india-3665136
  2. C. Singai, “Can India’s higher ed systems move from control to trust?,” University World News, Jul. 29, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250728174538675
  3. C. Singai and G. Dixit, “We need to secure India’s geospatial data,” Deccan Herald, Jun. 15, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/we-need-to-secure-india-s-geospatial-data-3587224
  4. C. Singai and G. Dixit, “Prepared for the Blitz: India’s air power in a volatile neighbourhood,” The Geopolitics, May 10, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://thegeopolitics.com/prepared-for-the-blitz-indias-air-power-in-a-volatile-neighbourhood/
  5. G. L. Shanbhag and C. B. Singai, “India in Asia Power Index 2024: The missing dimensions,” The Sunday Guardian, Nov. 3, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://latest.sundayguardianlive.com/business/india-in-asia-power-index-2024-the-missing-dimensions
  6. C. Singai and T. R. Kumaraswamy, “Realigning the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) to National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020),” University World News, Sep. 11, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2024091010552880
  7. K. Reddy and C. Singai, “A series of strategic maneuvers in the South China Sea: Unfolding tensions and alliances,” The Geopolitics, Sep. 4, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://thegeopolitics.com/a-series-of-strategic-maneuvers-in-the-south-china-sea-unfolding-tensions-and-alliances/
  8. K. Reddy and C. Singai, “Strategic transformation of the Indo-Pacific: Powerful and stable maritime space,” The Geopolitics, May 15, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://thegeopolitics.com/strategic-transformation-of-the-indo-pacific-powerful-and-stable-maritime-space/
  9. C. Singai, “Reversing the ‘brain drain’ to ‘brain gain’ in higher education: India’s soft power politics,” Policy Milieu, Jan. 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://policymilieu.wordpress.com/2023/01/16/reversing-the-brain-drain-to-brain-gain-in-higher-education-indias-soft-power-politics/
  10. S. Tukdeo, C. Singai, and A. T., “AICTE guidelines aim to make engineering education more inclusive – but may perpetuate inequalities,” Scroll.in, Apr. 2021. [Online]. Available: https://scroll.in/article/990996/new-guidelines-aim-to-make-engineering-education-more-inclusive-but-may-perpetuate-inequalities
  11. C. Singai, “Protecting and promoting the environment: A case for environmental education in India,” Policy Milieu, Jun. 5, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://policymilieu.wordpress.com/2021/06/05/protecting-and-promoting-the-environment-a-case-for-environmental-education-in-india/
  12. R. Machaiah and C. Singai, “The ecotourism problem that arises with proposed changes to the Forest Act,” The Wire Science, Sep. 4, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://science.thewire.in/law/proposed-amendments-forest-conservation-act-1980-nonforest-purposes-ecotourism-guidelines/
  13. C. Singai and T. R. Kumaraswamy, “Make university management system user-friendly,” Deccan Herald, Dec. 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/make-university-management-system-user-friendly-1173301.html
  14. C. Singai, “Constituent Assembly (debates) and the making of the Indian Constitution,” Policy Milieu, Nov. 26, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://policymilieu.wordpress.com/2020/11/26/constituent-assembly-debates-and-the-making-of-the-indian-constitution/
  15. C. Singai, S. D. Sreeganga, and A. Ramaprasad, “Importance of diplomacy in science and technology for managing COVID-19,” Science Policy Forum, Oct. 24, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://thesciencepolicyforum.org/articles/ramaiah-webinar-on-diplomacy-for-science-technology-for-managing-covid-19/
  16. C. Singai, K. V. Manoj, and N. Erinjingat, “Make anti-defection law stringent, effective,” Deccan Herald, Aug. 24, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/make-anti-defection-law-stringent-effective-876964.html
  17. C. Singai, “African students in India ‘Internationalization at home’,” Diplomatist, Dec. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://diplomatist.com/2019/12/29/african-students-in-india-internationalization-at-home/

Project 1:

  • Title: A Comparative Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Experiences in India, Chile, and the USA
  • Duration: 2021–2022
  • Granting Agency: Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India
  • PIs/Co-PIs: Principal Investigator – Dr. Chetan Singai; Co-PI – Ajay Chandra and Sree Ganga
  • Purpose: To analyze governance models, implementation frameworks, and challenges in COVID-19 vaccine rollout across three countries.
  • Short Description: Cross-country comparative analysis of vaccine distribution, public health governance, and socio-political factors.
  • Status: Completed
  • Grant Amount: 8 lakhs
  • Project ID: 2021-5856

Project 2:

  • Title: A World-Class Higher Education System for Karnataka: Mapping and Analyzing the Knowledge Ecology
  • Duration: 2020–2021
  • Granting Agency: Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), Department of Higher Education, Government of Karnataka
  • PIs/Co-PIs: Principal Investigator – Prof Arkalgud Ramaprasad and Principal Co-Investigator – Dr. Chetan Singai
  • Purpose: To identify strengths, gaps, and pathways for building a world-class higher education ecosystem in Karnataka.
  • Short Description: Comprehensive policy-oriented research mapping the knowledge and institutional ecosystem of higher education in Karnataka.
  • Status: Completed
  • Grant Amount: 18 lakhs

Project 3:

  • Title: Scientometric and Ontological Mapping of Solid Waste Management
  • Duration: 2019–2021
  • Granting Agency: National Science & Technology Management Information System (NSTMIS), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India
  • PIs/Co-PIs: Principal Investigator – Dr Shwetmala Kashyap; Principal Co-Investigators – Prof Arkalgud Ramaprasad and Dr. Chetan Singai
  • Purpose: To map the research landscape and knowledge production in the field of solid waste management.
  • Short Description: Scientometric and ontological analysis of publications, research trends, and knowledge networks in solid waste management.
  • Status: Completed
  • Grant Amount: 15 lakhs

Project 4:

  • Title: Education, Social, Health and Economic Status of Manual Scavengers in Karnataka – An Empirical Study
  • Duration: 2017–2018
  • Granting Agency: Department of Social Welfare, Government of Karnataka
  • PIs/Co-PIs: Principal Investigator – Dr. Chetan Singai
  • Purpose: To study the multidimensional status of manual scavengers and propose rehabilitation measures.
  • Short Description: Empirical research highlighting the challenges faced by manual scavengers and recommending policy interventions.
  • Status: Completed
  • Grant Amount: 24 lakhs

Project 5:

  • Title: Social, Health and Economic Status of Paurakarmikas in Karnataka – An Empirical Study
  • Duration: 2016–2017
  • Granting Agency: Department of Social Welfare, Government of Karnataka
  • PIs/Co-PIs: Principal Investigator – Dr. Chetan Singai
  • Purpose: To document and analyze the living and working conditions of Paurakarmikas.
  • Short Description: Empirical study of socio-economic conditions and health challenges of urban sanitation workers in Karnataka.
  • Status: Completed
  • Grant Amount: 28 lakhs

  • Social Justice Medal: Conferred by the Chief Justice of India for contributions to equity, justice, and governance.
  • Erasmus Mundus Scholarship: Awarded for academic excellence and participation in the European Union’s prestigious mobility and joint degree programme.
  • DAAD Visiting Faculty Fellowship German Academic Exchange Service award for teaching and research engagement in Europe.
  • Exemplary Service Award-2021. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, KA, India.
  • Member, International Political Science Association (IPSA).
  • Member, Comparative and International Education Society (CIES).

  • Chief Consultant (2017-2020). Committee to Draft the National Education Policy (Chaired by Padma Vibhushan Dr K Kasturirangan), Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi.
  • Chief Consultant and Convenor (2021-2023). TS, Committee to Draft the National Curriculum Framework-2023, NCERT, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi.
  • Honorary Visiting Faculty, Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (May 2022 – present).
  • Adjunct Faculty, Centre for European Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed-to-be-University), Manipal, Karnataka (June 2019 – Present)

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