Mini Chandran

Mini Chandran is a Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK). She holds a PhD from the University of Kerala (1998) and specializes in Classical Sanskrit Aesthetic Theory, Literature and Censorship, Indian Literature in Translation, and Translation Studies.

• PhD, University of Kerala (1998) - Thesis: Literary Censorship in the Twentieth Century
• M.A. (English Literature), Mar Ivanios College, University of Kerala (1985)
• B.A. (English Literature), Government Women's College, University of Kerala (1983)

Her research explores intersections of censorship, translation practices, and Indian literary traditions. Publications include books on Indian aesthetics and literary censorship, alongside chapters analyzing Tamil Sangam poetry, Kāvyaśāstra, and postcolonial translation dynamics. She investigates how translation reshapes cultural identity and addresses power structures in literary production.

Key article themes include:

• Democratization of censorship mechanisms
• Transnational literary spaces
• Indigenous narrative preservation
• Sanskrit-Indian language dialogues
• Religious text adaptations
• Language politics in neocolonial contexts

Scientific awards include:

• Excellence in Teaching Award (IITK, 2022)
• Director's Commendation for Teaching Excellence

She has presented invited lectures on translation theory at IISER Bhopal (2023), Calcutta Comparative Literature Conference (2022), and Punjab University's 75th Independence Lecture Series (2021). Her work bridges academic research with public commentary in outlets like The Indian Express and The Print.