Anupam Suman

Thesis Title:

Evolution and Interaction of Jyotiḥśāstra through Yātrā Texts

[With critical edition, translation and commentary on Bṛhadyātrā of Varāhamihira]

Supervisor(s):

Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics & Fellow, All Souls College

Biography

Anupam is a former Indian Civil Servant with 15 years of experience in senior administrative roles within public governance. His expertise spans diverse domains, including revenue administration, finance, taxation, policymaking, program management, sustainable development, urban planning, smart cities, tourism, art and culture, and municipal reform. In 2019, Anupam transitioned from his civil service career to pursue higher academic goals.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Anupam is actively engaged in political governance and reform. He is also offering project-based consultancy within his areas of expertise. He is dedicated to cultural preservation in form of working with India's manuscript libraries, where he focuses on the preservation and enhancement of ancient texts, particularly those related to mathematical sciences.

Currently, Anupam is one of the trustees of the Oxford Sanskrit Text Society. This organisation is dedicated to fostering and promoting the understanding and appreciation of a comprehensive range of Sanskrit texts, encompassing Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain intellectual traditions, in both their original Sanskrit form and modern translations.

Educational Background

MPhil Classical Indian Religion; University of Oxford, 2024

[Subjects studied: Advanced Sanskrit; Philosophy and History of Classical Indian Religions; Research MPhil Topic: Two Theories of Human Destiny: The Metaphysics of Karman and the Exact-Science of Jyotiḥśāstra]

MA Cultural Astronomy and Astrology; University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2022

[Modules studied: Introduction to Cultural Astronomy; History of Astrology; Researching Contemporary Cosmology; Sacred Geography; Astral Religion; Heavenly Discourses. Dissertation: Is Everything Determined? Drawing on the case study of Nāḍī Astrology as a Discourse between Fate and Freewill.]

MSc Social Policy and Development;, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2017

[Modules studied: Concepts of Social Policy and Development; Role of State in Social Policy and Development; Basic Education for Social Development; Foundations of Health Policy; Urban Revolutions; International Housing and Human Settlements: Conflicts and Communities.]

BA Mathematics (Honours), History, Geography; Patna University, 1998

Research Interests

History of Marthematical Sciences, Ancient Exact-Sciences, Cultural Astronomy, Religion and Philosophy, Indology, Public Policy, Development Studies