Professor Nirmala Rao, OBE
BA (Delhi), MA MPhil (JNU), PhD (London), AcSS
Overview
Directorate
Pro-Director (Learning & Teaching)
- Name:
- Professor Nirmala Rao, OBE
- Email address:
- nr22@soas.ac.uk
- Telephone:
- 0207 898 4120
- Fax:
- 0207 898 4019
- Address:
- SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG - Building:
- Russell Square: College Buildings
- Office No:
- 106
Biography
Nirmala is Pro-Director (Learning and Teaching). She was formerly at Goldsmiths College where she held a similar post as Pro-Warden for Academic Affairs. She took her first degree in Economics at Delhi University and received her MA and MPhil from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
She came to the UK in the late 1980s and went on to complete her PhD at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. In 1994 she joined the Politics Department at Goldsmiths College. She was elected as an Academician of the Academy of Learned Societies in the Social Sciences in 2003.
She has published extensively in the field of urban governance and has served as an advisor to a range of bodies including the UK Audit Commission and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). She currently serves as Trustee of the Learning from Experience Trust.
Current Committee Membership
Ex officio member of:
- Governing Body
- Academic Board
- Academic Development Committee (Chair)
- Executive Board
- Honorary Degrees & Fellowships Committee
- Research & Estates Committee
- Resources & Planning Committee
- School Promotions Panel
Charities
- Trustee of the Learning from Experience Trust
Teaching
Research
Nirmala Rao has published widely in the fields of urban governance and public policy and is currently undertaking research on the ways in which the ideas of local democracy evolved in the conversations between India and England in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Another stream of research concentrates on comparative studies of city governments. Nirmala was elected as an academician of the Academy of Learned Societies in the Social Sciences in 2003.
Publications
Authored Books
Rao, Nirmala (2013) Reshaping City Governance: Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, London. Routledge. (Forthcoming)
Rao, Nirmala (2007) Cities in Transition: Growth, Change and Governance in Six Metropolitan Areas. Routledge.
Rao, Nirmala and Pimlott, Ben (2002) Governing London. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rao, Nirmala (2000) Reviving Local Democracy: New Labour, New Politics? Bristol: Policy Press.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken (1997) Local Government Since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell.
Rao, Nirmala (1996) Towards Welfare Pluralism: Public Services in a Time of Change. Dartmouth.
Rao, Nirmala (1994) The Making and Unmaking of Local Self-Government. Dartmouth.
Edited Books
Rao, Nirmala and Berg, Rikke, eds. (2005) Transforming Local Political Leadership. Palgrave.
Rao, Nirmala, ed. (2000) Representation and Community in Western Democracies. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Book Chapters
Rao, Nirmala and Bergstrom, T. and Gianolli, A. (2012) 'Strong leadership and local democracy: rivals or potential allies?' In: Schaap, Linze and Daemen, Harry, (eds.), Renewal in European Democracies: Puzzles, Dilemmas and Options. Wiesbaden: VS Verlaf fur Sozialwissenschaft, pp. 119-144.
Rao, Nirmala (2009) 'From Committees to Cabinets: the Transformation of English Local Government.' In: Reynaert, H. and Steyvers, K. and Delwit, P. and Pilet, J-B, (eds.), Local Political Leadership in Europe. Town Chief, City Boss or Loco President. Brugge: Vanden Broele, pp. 285-306. (Comparative local politics, vol. 3)
Rao, Nirmala and Berg, Rikke (2005) 'Institutional Reforms in Local Government: A Comparative Framework.' In: Rao, Nirmala and Berg, Rikke, (eds.), Transforming Local Political Leadership. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan, pp. 1-14.
Rao, Nirmala (2005) 'From Committees to Cabinets and Leaders: the British Experience.' In: Berg, Rikke and Rao, Nirmala, (eds.), Transforming Local Political Leadership. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan, pp. 42-58.
Rao, Nirmala (2003) 'Local Government.' In: Hollowell, Jonathan, (ed.), Britain in 1945. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 194-210.
Rao, Nirmala (2000) 'Representation Under Strain: the British Experience.' In: Rao, Nirmala, (ed.), Representation and Community in Western Democracies. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 51-67.
Rao, Nirmala (2000) 'The Changing Context of Representation.' In: Rao, Nirmala, (ed.), Representation and Community in Western Democracies. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 1-9.
Rao, Nirmala (1999) 'The Statutory Sector.' In: Hudson, Bob, (ed.), The Changing Role of Social Care. New York: Jessica Kingsley.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken (1999) 'Revitalising Local Democracy.' In: Jowell, R., (ed.), British Social Attitudes: the 19th Report. Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 45-64.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken (1997) 'Public Attitudes to Local Government.' In: New Perspectives on Local Governance: Reviewing the Research Evidence. York: York Publishing, pp. 118-157.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken (1995) 'Faith in Local Democracy.' In: Jowell, Roger, (ed.), British Social Attitudes: the Twelfth Report. Aldershot: Dartmouth, pp. 91-118.
Rao, Nirmala (1994) 'Continuity and Change: Responses to pressures for Institutional Reform.' In: Borraz, Olivier, (ed.), Local Leadership and Decision-Making: A study of France, Germany, United States and Britain. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, pp. 81-92.
Articles
Rao, Nirmala (2009) 'Projections of Empire: India and the Imagined Metropolis.' Asian Affairs, 41 (2). pp. 161-177.
Rao, Nirmala (2006) 'Modernising Local Government.' Economic Affairs, 26 (1). pp. 18-24.
Rao, Nirmala (2006) 'Introducing the New Government of London.' Local Government Studies. Special Issue: The New Government of London, 32 (3). pp. 215-221.
Rao, Nirmala (2006) 'Guest Editor.' Local Government Studies, 32 (3).
Rao, Nirmala (2005) 'The Representation on Women in Local Politics.' Policy and Politics, 33 (2). pp. 323-339.
Rao, Nirmala and Pimlott, Ben (2005) 'Metropolitan Miasma: Blurred Accountabilities in the Governance of London.' London Journal, 29 (2). pp. 33-44.
Rao, Nirmala (2002) 'Labour and Education: Secondary Reorganisation and the Neighbourhood School.' Contemporary British History, 16 (2). pp. 99-120.
Rao, Nirmala (2002) 'London Metropolis Redux.' GeoJournal, 58 (1). pp. 3-9.
Rao, Nirmala (2002) 'Options for Change: Mayors, Cabinets or the Status Quo?' Local Government Studies, 29 (1). pp. 1-16.
Rao, Nirmala (1999) 'Representing the People? Testing Assumptions About Local Government Reform.' Public Administration, 77 (2). pp. 257-271.
Rao, Nirmala (1998) 'Representation in Local Politics: A Reconsideration and Some New Evidence.' Political Studies, 46 (1). pp. 19-35.
Rao, Nirmala (1998) 'Recruitment to Local Politics: Pathways and Barriers.' Policy and Politics, 26 (3). pp. 291-305.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken and Lynn, Peter and Hurrell, Philippa (1994) 'Place, Personal Characteristics and Councillor Roles: A Multivariate Analysis of Survey Data.' Policy and Politics, 22 (1). pp. 31-42.
Monographs
Rao, Nirmala (2007) The New Council Constitutions: Outcomes of the Local Government Act 2000. Project Report. London: Department of Communities and Local Government.
Rao, Nirmala and Grayson, Lesley and Young, Ken (2007) Improving the Representativeness of Councillors: an International Literature Review. Project Report. Department of Communities and Local Government.
Rao, Nirmala and John, P. and Gains, F. and Goodwin, M. and Richardson, L. and Evans, E. (2007) Improving the Representativeness of Councillors: Learning from Five High Performing Local Authorities in England. Project Report. London: Department of Communities and Local Government.
Rao, Nirmala and Bromley, C. and Stratford, N. (1999) Revisiting Public Perceptions of Local Government Finance: A Decade of Change? Project Report. London: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Rao, Nirmala and Courtney, J and Finch, K and Young, K (1998) The Impact of Releasing People for Council Duties. Project Report. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Rao, Nirmala (1995) Competition, Contracts and Change: The Local Authority Experience of CCT. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala and Young, Ken (1994) Coming to Terms with Change: The Local Government Councillor in 1993. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala (1993) The Role of Housing Associations in Community Care. Project Report. The National Federation of Housing Associations.
Rao, Nirmala (1993) Managing Change: Councillors and the New Local Government. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala (1991) Developments in Local Government. Project Report. Constitutional Reform Centre.
Rao, Nirmala (1991) From Providing to Enabling: Local Authorities and Community Care Planning. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala (1990) Educational Change and Local Government: The Impact of the Education Reform Act. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala (1990) The Changing Role of Local Housing Authorities: An Interim Assessment. Project Report. Policy Studies Institute for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Rao, Nirmala (1990) Black women in public housing: a report on the housing problems of black women in the London boroughs of Wandsworth and Southwark. Project Report. London Race and Housing Research Unit, Runnymede Trust.
