She was the first Dean of Faculty & Research at Ashoka and was the Principal Academic Advisor before succeeding Pratap Bhanu Mehta to become the 3rd Vice-Chancellor.
She is a professor of English Literature and specializes in John Milton, with an added interest in the History of Science.
She handed over the charge of Vice-Chancellorship of Ashoka University to Indian Astrophysicist Somak Raychaudhury on 1st January 2023.
[2] During her tenure, Sarkar made several appearances in the media, writing op-eds and giving one-on-one interviews to key publications.
She is the founder President of the Centre for Studies in Romantic Literature[6] and continues to direct its international conferences.