Prof. Surya Subedi award presented to the book ‘Nepal’s Dalits in Transition’
LONDON:- The prestigious ‘Subedi Prize for the Study of Nepal 2025’—established to encourage outstanding research and publications related to the study of Nepal—has been awarded to the book ‘Nepal’s Dalits in Transition’.
According to a decision announced on Friday by the UK-based Royal Asiatic Society, the jury has unanimously decided to award the prize to the book *Nepal’s Dalits in Transition*, edited by social anthropologist Professor David Gellner and researcher Dr. Krishna Adhikari.
The judges have evaluated the book as a significant contribution to the fields of Dalit studies and Nepal studies, as well as to broader sociological and anthropological discourses on social inequality and hierarchical structures. It is noted that the book—by bringing together the research of various scholars, including Dalit authors and researchers—presents a systematic and comprehensive study of the contemporary situation of the Dalit community in Nepal.
According to the Royal Asiatic Society, this book will serve as an important reference material for academic researchers, policymakers, political leaders, and readers interested in social issues in Nepal.
In addition to specifically commending the contributions of the book’s editors, Gellner and Adhikari, the judges have also highly valued the contributions of the other authors featured in the volume. The book includes articles and studies by researchers such as Arjun Bahadur, Tilak Bishwakarma, Steve Folmar, Raksha Ram Harijan, Samriddhi Kharel, Ramprasad Mainali, Purna Nepali, Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka, Krishna Shrestha, Manoj Suji, and Ramesh Sunam.
The jury commended the publisher, noting that the book was published in Nepal by Vajra Books, which helped expand its reach among Nepali readers.
Professor David Gellner is an Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. Having first arrived in Nepal in 1975, he has spent over four decades studying and researching the religion, society, and culture of Nepal.
Similarly, Dr. Krishna Adhikari is a researcher affiliated with the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He has led various international research projects concerning caste, class, and culture, as well as the dignity of the Dalit community. He is also the founder of the Centre for Nepal Studies UK, based in the United Kingdom.
Established in 2022, this award—named after Dr. Surya Prasad Subedi, a Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds in the UK—aims to encourage outstanding research and publications concerning Nepal at an international level.
