Richard completed his Bachelors in History from Loyola College, Chennai. Before coming to Oxford he also worked as a Research Intern and Research Assistant at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA). Richard has a wide variety of interests relating to Contemporary India, from International Relations to internal politics and he has a long-standing association with the on-going tribal movements in areas of central and eastern India. He chose the MSc in Contemporary India for its wide ranging curriculum. It was the first such degree in the world and now offers India-focused courses in Anthropology, Political Economy, Human Development, International Relations, Anthropology, Politics and Research Methods.