The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta, the critically acclaimed debut novel of Anuradha Marwah, has relaunched and been republished by Rupa Publications. Professor Marwah, a renowned English professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, is the author of four novels and five plays. The book was first released in 1993, and more than three decades later, the novel is still going strong due to its accessible style that anticipated popular Indian novels in English and its witty humour that invariably makes readers chuckle.
Spanning the fields of social politics and academia, the novel highlights issues of gender, power and entrenched privilege within the realm of academia and social politics.
The story traces the journey of Geetika, the protagonist, a bright young woman from the fictional Rajasthani town Desertvadi (derived from Ajmer). Her liberal parents hope to see her enter the elite Indian Civil Services. Weighed down by family and community expectations, Geetika leaves for Jana University (JNU) in Delhi, not just to pursue higher education, but to seek freedom, self-discovery, and control over her future as a woman in society. Predictably, her higher education focuses less on textbooks and more on self-examination and sexual and political awakening.
The novel is a coming-of-age story of the modern Indian woman, praised for its striking prose and timeless portrayal of ambition, desire, and self-discovery. In addition, its feminist lens and bold examination of ambition and relationships continue to speak to a new generation of readers.
Commenting on this relaunch, Professor Anuradha Marwah said, “When The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta first came out, it was read as the story of a young woman coming-into-her-own in India at the cusp of change. Today, it is read as India’s first campus novel and a feminist classic. I am so pleased that it is coming back into print in 2025 for a new generation that is still wrestling with questions of gender, power and belonging.”
Professor Marwah is also the author of Idol Love (1999), Dirty Picture (2007), and Aunties of Vasant Kunj (2024), her biggest popular success till date. Her fictional works continue to be widely taught and studied in academic institutions in India and abroad and selections from them have been included in ICSE and NCERT school curricula.
The republication of The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta marks not just the return of a literary classic, but also reaffirms Anuradha Marwah’s stature as one of India’s most significant women’s voices.
The book is published by Rupa Publications and will be available at leading bookstores and online platforms.
