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Vandana Sharma

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Dr. Vandana Sharma ‘Diya’
Vandana Sharma
Born 8 June 1981
Chandigarh, India
Nationality Indian
Residence Delhi, India
Alma mater Annamalai University
Occupation Academician, Researcher, Animal rights activist, Social media influencer
Employer Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi
Known for Scholarly work on Advaita Vedanta, Darśanśāstra, Environmental ethics, and Indian knowledge traditions

Dr. Vandana Sharma ‘Diya’ (born 8 June 1981) is a distinguished Indian scholar of Indian philosophy, researcher, author, and academician. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi. A specialist in Darśanśāstra, Vedantic, and Upanishadic philosophy, her academic work focuses on exploring the contemporary relevance of India’s classical philosophical traditions in addressing modern intellectual, ethical, and social concerns. Beyond her academic tenure, she is an advisory member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Early life and family background

Vandana Sharma was born on 8 June 1981 at the Army Base Hospital in Chandigarh to traditional Brahmin parents, Smt. Sudha Sharma (Prashar Gotra) and the late Shri Subhash Chandra Sharma (Vashishtha Gotra). She was raised primarily by her mother and maternal grandparents, Col. Tribhuvan Nath Sharma (Spolia), a distinguished Indian Army officer, and Smt. Kamla Sharma (Spolia), a veteran journalist. She credits her upbringing and family values for shaping her early discipline and intellectual pursuits.

Sharma is an Executive Member of the Brahman Samaj of India. Professionally and philosophically, she considers the prominent Indian philosopher and former Chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), Prof. S. R. Bhatt, as her academic guru. She has also acknowledged the guidance of family mentor Prof. Anurag Mishra and Jyotishacharya Mrityunjay Sharma as major influences in her life and interests in ancient Indian sciences.

Education

Sharma received her early schooling in Delhi at the Rukmani Devi Jaipuria Public School in Civil Lines. She initially pursued vocational training in the hospitality sector, graduating with a B.Sc. in Hotel Management and Tourism from the Surya Institute of Hotel Management and Technology in Pondicherry.

Shifting her focus toward humanities and classical heritage, she subsequently completed her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Philosophy, Religion, and Culture from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu. She went on to earn her Ph.D. from the Department of Philosophy at Annamalai University for her doctoral dissertation titled “Adi Shankaracharya’s Advaita Vedanta: A Viable Solution to Environmental Disharmony.” During her doctoral studies, she was supported by a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) granted by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR). Her thesis, which investigated classical environmental ethics through the lens of non-dualism, was later formally published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers and received official commendation from the former Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.

She carried out her post-doctoral research at the Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, centering her research on the Prakaran Granthas of Adi Shankaracharya under a fellowship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).

Additionally, Sharma holds an Advanced Diploma in Advaita Vedanta as well as academic certifications in the Mandukyopanishad and Ishavasyopanishad from the Chinmaya Mission Foundation in Ernakulam, Kerala. She also completed formalized training in Yoga from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in New Delhi.

Career and academic achievements

Sharma specializes in Indian Darśana, Vedantic philosophy, and environmental ethics. She worked as a Residential Researcher focusing on the Atharvaveda at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) in Shimla. She has also served as a specialized researcher documenting historical and cultural data regarding the Kedarnath Dham under the Government of India’s Dwadash Jyotirlingam Project.

Her monograph, Environmental Consciousness and the Nine Schools of Indian Philosophy, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, has been curated into global library systems including Yale University, the New York Public Library, and Hong Kong Baptist University. A detailed profile of her research contribution was compiled in The Panorama of Indian Philosophers and Thinkers (ISBN 9788180431722) published by the Sanchi University of Buddhist and Indic Studies under the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2023.

Sharma has regularly been invited to deliver guest lectures and research papers globally, presenting at institutions such as the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (USA), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), White Tower (Greece), and Amity University. She represented India officially at the international World Congress of Philosophy platforms held across Greece (2013), China (2018), and Rome (2024).

Outside her mainstream research, she acts as an Advisory Member for the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and participates in mainstream public panels discussing cultural identity, Uniform Civil Code arguments, and Ekatmavāda (the philosophy of oneness).

Awards, honors and fellowships

Awards

  • Swami Pranavananda Philosophy Book Award (2019 and 2025) – Conferred by the Indian Philosophical Congress and the Asian-African Philosophical Congress for her publications, including the study on Prashnottara-Ratna-Malika.
  • Shri K.S. Nagar Puruskar (2024–25) – Conferred by the Akhil Bhartiya Darshan Parishad at the Aryabhatt Sabhagar for her book Nature’s Wisdom: Indian Philosophical Insights.
  • Letter of Appreciation – Awarded by the Dharmic Leela Committee for her public contributions to the Bharatiya Gyan Parampara and Pashu Seva (animal welfare).

Academic fellowships

  • Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), Ministry of Education (2017)
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF), Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education (2020)
  • Residential Research Fellowship, Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla (2022)

Notable works

Sharma has authored and edited over eight books and contributed more than 38 research papers to national and international peer-reviewed journals. Her primary books include:

  • Śani: A Comprehensive Study of Saturn in Global Traditions, Original Publishing, Delhi, 2025. ISBN 9781527541122.
  • Environmental Consciousness and the Nine Schools of Indian Philosophy, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, London, 2023. ISBN 9781527541122.
  • Nature's Wisdom: Indian Philosophical Insights, Chaukhamba Sanskrit Prakashan, Varanasi, 2022. ISBN 978819274434.
  • Śaṅkara Vedānta for Environmental Harmony, Motilal Banarasidass Publications, Delhi, 2021. ISBN 9789391759698.
  • Ādi Śaṅkarācārya’s Praśnottara Ratna Mālika, Original Publishers (LLP), New Delhi, 2020. ISBN 9788184542240.

See also

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