Dr. Nidhi S. Sabharwal is Associate Professor at the Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education (CPRHE) at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, India. Dr. Sabharwal is holding the position of Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Education Studies at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. She has previously been the In-Charge of the CPRHE/NIEPA and also served as the Director of the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies. Dr. Sabharwal is the recipient of the SRHE Accolade for Contribution to the Field of Higher Education Research, an internatiional award from The Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) (https://srhe.ac.uk/accolade-winners/#1721742400841-ce1653a8-9061).

She has conducted extensive research on the development concerns of the poor, especially the scheduled caste groups. She has studied inter-group inequalities across human development indicators, focusing on the role of caste- and gender-based disadvantages in market and non-market institutions; diversity and discrimination within higher educational institutions, Mid-Day Meal and Anganwadi programmes; and social protection & affirmative action policies. She has also studied excluded groups in other countries, such as the Burakumin in Japan. She has published books and articles related to equity and inclusion and presented papers at international conferences. Her current research focuses on access, college readiness, student diversity and equity in Higher Education.