Dr Sandeep Shastri is a Political Scientist who is the Pro Vice Chancellor of the Jain University and Director of its Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education (CERSSE). He is also the National Coordinator of the Lokniti network. His research is largely in the field of a) Election Studies b) Federalism; c) Innovation in Teaching; and d) Survey based research. He has to his credit 10 Books, more than 40 articles in Edited Books & over 60 articles in refereed Research Journals, besides more than 200 articles in Op Ed pages of newspapers.

He is associated with several prestigious international research bodies in the field of social sciences and education.. He has been an International Consultant associated with the Forum of Federations for its Federal Democracy Capacity Building Programme in the Sudan, South Sudan and Myanmar. He is on the Executive Committee of two important Research Committees of the International Political Science Association connected to the study of Electoral Systems and Governance. Dr Shastri played a key role in drafting the Karnataka Youth Policy by serving as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Policy. Dr Shastri has lectured extensively across the world and spoken at Universities in more than 30 countries in all the six inhabited continents.

Selected Publications:

Journals/Academic Publications

• Karnataka : The BJP Juggernaut Stumbles Along , MAINSTREAM, 60:34: 11 August 2012. 
• Rise of the BJP as a Ruling Party in Karnataka, Journal of Social Discourse, June 2012 ( co-authored).
• Karnataka : A fresh Setback and New Political Opportunities, MAINSTREAM vol L, May 26, 2012 
• In God We Trust…. Rest strictly Cash!. Mainstream 30 July 2011 
• Karnataka : A Loud Wake Up Call Mainstream 58:40:September 25, 2010 
• Leadership at the state level mattered . Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. 64:39:88-91. 2009
• Karnataka : A Default win for the BJP. Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. 64:39:114-117. 2009
• The Fine Art of Government Formation, Mainstream. Vol. 67:25:June 6, 2009
• Why do Urban Voters Not Register their votes? Mainstream. Vol. 67:21:May 9, 2009 
• Karnataka – The Lotus Blooms ….. Nearly, Economic and Political Weekly, vol 63. no.6, 7-13 Feb 2009, 42-45. 

Articles in Edited Volume

• Party System and Democracy in India : Distinctive features at the National, State and Local Level, in Ajay Mehra (ed), Party System in India : Emerging Trajectories. New Delhi, Lancer, 2013
• Administrative and Political Decentralization in India in Decentralization : The Global Experience, Kestin Duell (ed), Konrad Adenauer Foundation 2013. 
• Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations in the Indian Federal System in Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations in Federal Systems edited by Rupak Chattopadhyay and Rencsh, Ottawa, 2012.
• `Indien: Umfassende Gesetzgebung noch in der Schwebe` in Auf dem Weg zur Inklusion Zur Umsetzung der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention in den G20-Ländern, edited by Helmut Reifeld, Maria Michalk, Andrea Ellen Ostheimer, Thomas Birringer, Regina Atalla, Bruno Gaurier, Takashi Hashimoto, Alexander Lysenko, Caroline Gooding, Janet E. Lord, Sankt Augustin, KAS 2012. 
• Regions within Regions – Negotiating Political Spaces – A Case Study of Karnataka in `Regions within Regions` edited by Ashutosh Kumar, Routledge. 2010 
• Legal Impediments to Rural Development in ADB, Agriculture, Food Security and Development, Oxford 2010.  `Federalism and the Democratization Process` in `Equality in Unity in Diversity for Development` 5th International Conference on Federalism, Theme Papers, Forum of Federations, 2010 

Books

• Karnataka Youth Policy, Government of Karnataka, December 2012 
• Study on Perceptions, Aspirations, Expectations and Attitude of Youth In Karnataka, Karnataka Jnaana Ayoga, Bangalore 2011. 
• Karnataka Politics : The Road taken… The Journey Ahead. Jain University Press. Bengaluru 2011. 
• Electoral Politics in Indian States : 2004 Elections and Beyond. Coedited with K.C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav. OUP.Delhi 2009. 
• Indian Youth in a Transforming World: Attitudes and Perceptions. co-edited with Peter de Souza and Sanjay Kumar. Sage New Delhi CSDS and KAF. 2009

Reports

• ‘Draft Youth Policy, Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of Karnataka, August 2012. 
• Report on Status of Implementation in India of UN Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities, Submitted to Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 31 May 2011
• Perceptions, Aspirations, Anxieties and Expectations of Youth in Karnataka. A Survey Based Report submitted to the Knowledge Commission in Karnataka. Final Report English and Kannada (2 March 2011) Interim Report ( 14 November 2011).
• The Dynamics of Electoral Politics : A Case Study of the Karnataka Assembly Elections 1989, Bangalore, 1990 (Co-authored).
• A Study of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliamentary Systems, Bangalore 1984. 
• Karnataka Assembly Elections 1993: A Post Election Survey, Bangalore 1983 (Co-authored).