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Indian-origin student wins Holden Furber writing prize
The award recognizes the best undergraduate writing on a South Asia-related topic at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 16, Jun 2026
- 14:32 EDT
- 29
Ansh Jakatimath / southasia.upenn.edu
Indian-origin student Ansh Jakatimath was awarded the 2026 Holden Furber Prize by the University of Pennsylvania's Department of South Asia Studies for his paper examining caste dynamics in Indian classical music.
The annual prize recognizes the best undergraduate piece of writing on a topic related to South Asia. Jakatimath received the award for his paper, “The Politics of the Classical: Caste Dominance and the Erasure of ‘Low-Caste’ Contributions in the Musical Consciousness of Modern India.”
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His paper examines how caste hierarchies have shaped the development and understanding of India's classical music traditions, arguing that contributions from historically marginalized communities have often been overlooked in mainstream narratives surrounding the art form.
Jakatimath, whose family traces its roots to North Karnataka, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and South Asia Studies.
At Penn, he served as president of Penn International Impact Consulting, was a member of the PPE Undergraduate Advisory Board, and performed with Penn Masti, the university's South Asian dance team.
Beyond campus leadership, Jakatimath worked on international consulting and development projects through Penn International Impact Consulting and contributed as a sports columnist for The Daily Pennsylvanian. He also completed policy-related work with Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. in partnership with the Center for the Advanced Study of India at Penn.
Named after noted South Asia historian Holden Furber, the undergraduate writing prize is one of the Department of South Asia Studies' longstanding academic honors and is awarded annually for exceptional scholarship related to the region. It carries a reward of $300.
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