Purushottam Agarwal

Purushottam Agarwal is a historian of ideas and literature, author of path breaking studies of Kabir - Akath Kahani Prem Ki: Kabir ki Kavita aur Un ka Samay, Kabir, Kabir: The Life and work of Early Modern Poet Philosopher. His anthology Who is Bharat Mata — a selection from Nehru’s writings and speeches about history, culture and the idea of India has been widely appreciated for its insightful analysis.  He served as member, Union Public Service Commission of India from 2007 to 2013. Earlier  he was chairperson, Centre of Indian Languages, JawaharLal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has  been a visiting professor at the Faculty of Oriental studies, Cambridge University (UK) and at EL Colegio de México, and is a British Academy fellow at Wolfson college University of Cambridge. He has also delivered several talks across the country. He is currently working on a book about ethics in public life.