Pratap Bhanu Mehta is an Indian academic and political theorist, currently serving as the Laurence S. Rockefeller Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton University. He has held prominent positions, including Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University and President of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in New Delhi. His academic journey includes faculty roles at Harvard University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and NYU School of Law.
Mehta’s scholarly work encompasses political theory, Indian constitutional law, and international relations. He is the author of The Burden of Democracy and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution. His research delves into the complexities of democracy, governance, and institutional design, with a focus on India’s political landscape. Mehta has served on the editorial boards of the American Political Science Review and the Journal of Democracy. His policy experience includes being a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Lyngdoh Committee on university elections and contributing to various reports for the Government of India and international agencies. Additionally, he has been involved with the World Economic Forum’s Council on Global Governance and the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre.
Mehta’s insights into India’s approach to multilateralism are reflected in his co-edited volume Shaping the Emerging World: India and the Multilateral Order, which examines India’s role in global governance and its evolving foreign policy strategies. His work continues to influence discussions on democratic practices and India’s position in the international order.