Tulsi Patel is Professor of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi.She has recently been Rotating Chair, India Studies at Heidelberg University, Germany for a full semester (2005 06). An Honorary Research Associate at the Department of Sociology, University of Manchester (2001 04), she has also undertaken teaching assignments at the London School of Economics and the Royal Holloway College of the University of London (1996 97). Professor Patel has previously taught at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and Miranda House (University of Delhi). Her areas of interest