Maharashtra’s Shailaja Paik Becomes First Dalit to Receive Prestigious US ‘Genius’ Grant

US-based historian and author Shailaja Paik has made history as the first Dalit to be awarded the highly esteemed MacArthur Fellowship, valued at $800,000, commonly referred to as the ‘genius grant.’

“Dalits have given their blood and lives, and I hope non-Dalits will stand with Dalits and fight caste, gender, and racial discrimination in and beyond South Asia,” Paik told ThePrint over email from Cincinnati, US. “It [the fellowship] is a fantastic reminder of the contributions of Dalit Studies, as well as me, a Dalit woman scholar, has made to the different fields of knowledge as well as the global conversation on social justice and human rights.” 

The fellowship, awarded to outstanding intellectual and creative talent to expand the scope of their work, will allow Paik “to devote the much-needed time” to research and writing, and to collaborate with colleagues working on caste and social justice “in different parts of the world”.

Born into a poor Dalit family in rural Maharashtra, Paik grew up in a one-room house in a slum area of Pune’s Yerawada. Her father was the first Dalit man from his village to earn a bachelor’s degree. Paik graduated from Savitribai Phule Pune University and completed her PhD at Warwick University, UK, with the help of a Ford Foundation grant. She now teaches history at the University of Cincinnati.

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Shailaja Paik: Pioneering Dalit Feminist Scholar Wins Prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant

Shailaja Paik, a groundbreaking historian and author, focuses her research on Dalit studies, gender, and sexuality in modern India. Her work has significantly expanded the study of Dalit feminist thought, drawing from interviews and diverse sources in English, Marathi, and Hindi. Paik highlights the daily lives and struggles of Dalit women, shedding light on their resilience against discrimination. With limited documentation of Dalit history in mainstream academia, Paik is now establishing an archive of her research.

The MacArthur Foundation praised Paik’s work, stating that she brings new insights into caste oppression and its intersection with gender and sexuality. Her recognition includes a no-strings-attached $800,000 grant, awarded over five years to creative innovators. Previous Indian recipients include mathematician Subhash Khot and bioengineer Manu Prakash.

Paik’s first book, Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India, focused on the struggles of Dalit women in Maharashtra to access education in the 20th century. Her second book, The Vulgarity of Caste, explored the stigmatized world of Dalit Tamasha performers and the state’s attempts to reshape their public image.

Reflecting on her journey, Paik said she is deeply grateful for the fellowship, acknowledging her challenging path to success. “I contribute to global histories by highlighting how Dalit women resist and rise again,” she told the MacArthur Foundation.

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