ISJS is pleased to announce that Dr. Muthu V. Prakash has joined the institute as Joint Director. He is an accomplished scholar of Tamil language and literature who has worked on various projects in the field.

As part of the team, Dr. Prakash will introduce novel projects in the studies of Tamil Jainism. His experience and expertise will significantly strengthen ISJS’s mission to advance the study of Jainism and its intersections with Tamil heritage.

Bio: Muthu V. Prakash is a scholar in Tamil classical texts and grammar. He has previously worked at the French Institute of Pondicherry on diverse projects ranging from Tamil mathematics and famine studies to the Atlas of Meanings in Medieval South India, where he used epigraphic records to trace the transformation of meanings across place and time. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Assistant Professor of Tamil at the University of Texas, Austin, where his interdisciplinary approach to Tamil literature offered fresh perspectives on ancient society, culture, and language. His contributions to the field include several published articles and books, and in recognition of his scholarship, the Government of India honored him with the “Young Scholar of Tamil Award” in 2017.

ISJS warmly welcomes Dr. Prakash to the team.