Dr. Rajnish Saryal | Political Science | Research Excellence Award

Associate Professor of Political Science | Panjab University | India

Dr. Rajnish Saryal is a political scientist whose scholarship explores the intersections of climate politics, environmental governance, development policy, and the ethical foundations of ecological action within South Asian contexts. His research advances critical perspectives on India’s climate diplomacy, environmental justice, and the ideological dimensions shaping national and global responses to sustainability challenges. Drawing from comparative politics, international relations, and normative theory, he examines how material structures, cultural traditions, and religious worldviews influence environmental policy frameworks and public discourse. He has contributed significantly to debates on energy transitions, carbon markets, and the governance of environmental risks, engaging with both institutional mechanisms and grassroots movements. His academic work includes publications in internationally recognized journals across themes such as climate leadership, environmental ethics rooted in Indic traditions, the politics of secularism, developmentalism, human rights violations linked to ecological degradation, and the evolving landscape of global environmentalism. He also provides scholarly service to the academic community through editorial responsibilities and peer review for prominent international journals in political science and area studies. His book chapters investigate regional cooperation, constitutional environmentalism, and justice-oriented approaches to development, while his conference contributions reflect a sustained engagement with global dialogues on climate change, governance, rights, and sustainability. Through his teaching, research, and intellectual collaborations, Dr. Saryal has established a multidisciplinary profile that integrates political theory, environmental studies, and international policy analysis, contributing to deeper understandings of how societies negotiate climate imperatives and moral responsibilities in an era of ecological transformation.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publication

Saryal, R. (2025). Energy policy of India: Development trajectories and climate action. Social Sciences & Humanities Open.

Saryal, R. (2025). India’s climate diplomacy: The role of ideational dimensions and material structures for climate leadership. The Round Table.

Saryal, S., & Saryal, R. (2023). Environmental crisis and religion: An analysis of textual source and practices of Sikhism. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary.

Datta, S., Saryal, R., & Saryal, S. (2023). ‘Trishul vs Cross’: Hindutva, Church, and the politics of secularism in Christian-majority states of North-east India. Modern Asian Studies.

Saryal, R. (2022). Beyond environmental science: Climate action in Hindu religion and Sant Mat tradition. International Social Science Journal.