Programs
- M. Tech. in Automotive Engineering -Postgraduate
- B. Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology and Integrated Systems Biology -Undergraduate
Director of the Manasa Centre for Cultural Studies, Shivamogga
Rajendra Chenni is a distinguished literary critic, bilingual writer, and scholar-activist. Formerly Professor of English at Kuvempu University, he currently serves as the Director of the Manasa Centre for Cultural Studies, Shivamogga. An accomplished author, he has published 21 books in Kannada and 7 in English, with scholarly interests spanning cultural studies, literary theory, modernism, and contemporary politics.
Prof. Chenni is widely recognised as a scholar-activist, with sustained engagement in movements promoting communal harmony, environmental consciousness, and social justice. His writings have made significant contributions to the understanding of Karnataka’s history, culture, and political formations, and his critical essays regularly appear in leading academic journals and literary magazines.
Among his most influential works is State Matters (Manipal University Press), a path-breaking study of the Karnataka unification movement and Kannada sub-nationalism. His book Traditions of Modernity offers a major comparative analysis of literary modernism in Anglo-American and Kannada traditions. His recent scholarly work includes essays on Joseph Conrad, Rabindranath Tagore and nationalism, Progressive Kannada poetry, the poetry of H. S. Shivaprakash, as well as critical reviews of works such as The Icon and The Citizens Under Siege.
During his long and impactful tenure as Head of the Department of English at Kuvempu University, Prof. Chenni played a pivotal role in introducing innovative curricula and interdisciplinary research areas in English studies. He has delivered lectures and keynote addresses at several leading academic and literary institutions across India.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to literature and cultural studies, Prof. Chenni has received numerous prestigious honours, including: