Dr Pravar Petkar is an academic and policy researcher whose work explores how political communities establish democratic legitimacy, govern themselves through constitutional institutions, and project their identities and interests internationally. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Edinburgh, an MA (Cantab) in Law from Clare College, University of Cambridge, and an LLM in Public Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His academic research focuses on constitutional legitimacy, constituent power, sovereignty, and participatory and deliberative democracy, with particular expertise in the constitutional system of the United Kingdom.
Pravar is Head of the Strengthening Democracy Desk at the International Centre for Sustainability, a London-based think-tank, where he leads research on democratic institutions and reform, political participation, and the relationship between democracy and sustainable governance. His policy work spans the UK, India and the USA, examining electoral and parliamentary reform, the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging technologies for democratic governance, and the resilience of representative institutions. His research also extends to international relations, particularly India’s emergence as a global power and the role of culture and civilisational identity in shaping its foreign policy.
Bridging academic research and public policy, Pravar has authored and co-authored reports on participatory democracy in the digital age, parliamentary scrutiny in the UK and India, and India’s positioning as a civilisational-state. He regularly contributes commentary on contemporary democratic and geopolitical developments and has presented his research at academic conferences and policy events, participated in panel discussions, and convened public conversations bringing together researchers, policymakers and practitioners. He also serves as a Co-Editor of the IACL-AIDC Blog, a platform for international scholarship and debate on constitutional law.
