The project examines the underlying changes in economic and social conditions in Nepal and their relationship to the political transformation that is taking place. The focus is on ''identity politics''; how caste, class, regional and ethnic identities at the individual and household level reflect the changing economic and social conditions, and how these in turn feed into politics at the local and national level. The analysis will contribute to the ongoing debate on state restructuring, in particular the federalization of Nepal.

The project is a collaboration between CMI and a group of researchers at Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tribhuvan University (TU) led by Professor Chaitanya Mishra.

Publications from the TU group:

Special issue on identity politics: Contributions to Nepalese Studies. Vol 42, issue 1, January 2015. Articles by: Tulsi Ram Pandey, Mira Mishra, Madhusudan Subedi, Tika Ram Gautam, Chudamani Basnet and Dinesh Prasain.

Other publications:

Mishra, Mira (2019). "Livelihoods, households and womanhood in Nepal" in Lindsey, L. and Najafizadeh, M. (eds.). Women of Asia: Globalization, Development and Social Change. Routledge.

Mishra, C. (2015):  The Mahesh Chandra Regmi Lecture 2014. What Led to the 2006 Democratic Revolution in Nepal?

Subedi, M. (2013). " Some theoretical considerations on caste". Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology7: 51-86.

Subedi, M. (2014). " Changes in livelihood and caste relations in Udipur". Himalayan Journal of Sociology and Anthropology. 6: 86-102.

Subedi, M. (2016). "Caste in South Asia: From Ritual Hierarchy to Politics of Difference". Politeja. 40(1): 319-339.

Subedi, M. (2016). "Caste/Ethnic Dimensions of Change and Inequality: Implications for Inclusive and Affirmative Agendas in Nepal". Nepali Journal of Contemporary Studies. 16(1-2): 1-16.