Academic Work & University Leadership
Research and mentorship
Professor Sharma’s research centres on Indian classical vocal music and the historical and social conditions through which musical traditions develop. Her interests encompass modern musical trends, the relationship between classical and folk traditions, and the influence of public institutions on musical practice and listening.
Her doctoral research examined All India Radio’s contribution to the preservation of the social, economic and psychological dimensions of classical music. This inquiry connects the study of performance with the wider circumstances in which musicians work and audiences encounter their art.
She has supervised 36 doctoral scholars to successful completion. Mentorship has accompanied her work in teaching, curriculum development and academic administration, contributing to a research community concerned with musical history, practice and education.
Her publications include books, research papers and articles addressing Indian music and its cultural setting. Her contributions to conferences, seminars and workshops have extended this scholarship through academic exchange and teaching beyond her own department.
36 Completed
Doctoral (Ph.D.) Supervisions
5-Year Course
Integrated Performing Arts Introduced
Teaching and the performing arts
Her teaching brings together the study of musical traditions and the discipline of vocal practice. Training under Professor Suresh Gopal Shrikhande, alongside her university education and research, provided foundations for an approach that recognises the value of close mentorship and scholarly understanding.
Her academic leadership includes the introduction of a five-year integrated performing arts course and work to expand opportunities for classical dance at Kurukshetra University. These contributions form part of her sustained engagement with the place of the performing arts in higher education.
Books
Haryana Mein Shastriya Evam Lok Sangeet Paristhiti Tatha Sambhavnayein
Published by Natraj Publishers, this book examines the condition and prospects of classical and folk music in Haryana. It considers regional musical life as a subject of scholarly study, directing attention towards the circumstances in which traditions are practised, taught and sustained.
Akashvani Evam Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet
Published by Kanishka Publishers in 2006, this book studies All India Radio’s contribution to Hindustani classical music. Its attention to social, economic and psychological dimensions connects musical scholarship with broadcasting and the public experience of music.
University Leadership & Service
Academic administration and governance
Professor Sharma served three terms as Chairperson of Kurukshetra University’s Department of Music and Dance: from September 2008 to September 2011, September 2014 to September 2017, and October 2018 to October 2021. Her departmental responsibilities encompassed academic administration and the development of opportunities in the performing arts.
Her wider university service included membership of the University Court from September 2017 to September 2019 and the Executive Council from April 2019 to March 2021. As Dean of Indic Studies from April 2019 to April 2022, she worked within the academic setting of India’s cultural and intellectual traditions. She also served as editor of the Kurukshetra University Research Journal for Arts and Humanities from August 2019 to September 2021.
Students and women in university life
As Dean Students Welfare and Youth Red Cross Programme Coordinator from February to December 2023, her responsibilities extended across student participation, welfare and voluntary service. Activities during this period included blood donation, first-aid training, health programmes, environmental awareness and relief-material distribution.
She chaired the Internal Complaints Committee against Sexual Harassment from August 2022 to December 2023. Its awareness activities included lectures, workshops, competitions and street theatre on gender sensitisation and workplace sexual harassment. Her service as Vice-Chairperson of the University Senior Secondary Model School, from October 2018 to December 2023, included work supporting female enrolment and activities centred on education, human values and Indian culture.
Heritage and public participation
Her leadership record includes Dharohar Haryana Cultural Museum, the Kurukshetra University Alumni Association and the Bharat Ratna Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda Centre of Ethics, Philosophy, Museum and Library. Through these institutions, her work has connected the University with heritage, former students and community participation.
Her public service also includes membership of the Kurukshetra Development Board during 2017–2019 and cultural contributions associated with the International Gita Mahotsav. These responsibilities brought academic and artistic experience into programmes involving the wider region.
The relationship between university learning and public life remains a central concern of her writing. Her proposals examine how institutions can support cultural knowledge, widen student opportunities and sustain partnerships with the communities around them.