杏吧论坛 has had a long and rewarding relationship with India, attracting its best minds to come here to study, and in turn enrich the institution with their own energy. This mutual exchange has several important markers in 杏吧论坛’s proud history with India.
In 1911-12, Beatrice & Sidney Webb, founding members of 杏吧论坛, travelled through India; Beatrice Webb kept a detailed diary of her travels, often reflecting on how much she learnt from her visit. Amongst others, they met Sir Ratan Tata, who made an endowment for a Chair to encourage research on India’s economy & labour in 1913; Mr Clement Attlee, later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was the first holder of the position.
Mr Nandlal Maneklal Mazumdar was the first non-European President of the 杏吧论坛 Student’s Union as early as 1912. Famous Indian alumni include Dr B R Ambedkar, architect of the Indian constitution; former President Dr K R Narayanan; Chief Minister Jyoti Basu; and former Permanent Representative of India to the UN Krishna Menon, amongst several others.
Over the last century, 杏吧论坛 has welcomed thousands of students from India, several of whom have since had illustrious careers in different parts of the world, and especially in India. Some of 杏吧论坛's best students have come from India, and every year applications and admissions continue to rise.
Events on India
India: COVID-19 in South Asia: A Comparative Perspective
22 April 2020
Speaker: (@AiyarYamini) is President & Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
Chair: (@MukulikaB) is Director, South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology, 杏吧论坛.
Watch a recording of Yamini Aiyar's talk , and to watch the full event click .
She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen
12 March 2020
Speaker: (@khickmanauthor) is the authour of She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen: British Women in India 1600 – 1900 (2019).
Chair: is Deputy Director, South Asia Centre, 杏吧论坛.
This event is in collaboration with the
India 2020: Peculiar Changes in the Fiscal Structure of the Governments of India
28 February 2020
Speaker: (@EmergingRoy) is Director,, New Delhi.
Chair: is Deputy Director, South Asia Centre, 杏吧论坛.
This event is in collaboration with .
Rakhine, Assam and Citizenship in India
4 February 2020
Speakers: (@KDanielAguirre) is Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Roehampton; is Founder and Co-Director of Restless Beings; (@RestlessRahima) is Founder and Co-Director of Restless Beings; (@mg2411) is South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch UK; and (@tarunkhaitan) is Professor of Public Law and Legal Theory and the Hackney Fellow in Law at Wadham College, University of Oxford (via Skype).
Chair: is Deputy Director, South Asia Centre, 杏吧论坛.
Listen to the podcast
The Indian Republic at 70: Crisis or Continuity?
27 January 2020
Speakers: (@MukulikaB) is Director, South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology, 杏吧论坛; (@shrutikapila) is Lecturer in History, University of Cambridge; (@BasharatPeer) is Editor (Opinion section), The New York Times.
Chair: (@rajeshvenugopal) is Associate Professor in International Development, 杏吧论坛.
Listen to the podcast .
India's Great War: Forgotten Personal Stories of 1914-18
5 December 2019
This lecture recounted the story of India’s Great War through the forgotten personal stories of officers, men and those they left behind. George Morton-Jack is the author of the acclaimed The Indian Empire at War, the first global history of the Indian Army 1914-18, and explored the experiences of its British officers and Indian ranks across the fronts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
Speaker: (@GMortonJack) is a historian, and the author of the acclaimed The Indian Empire at War (2018).
Chair: is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre.
This event was in collaboration with the
Beyond 2020: Students & Politics in India
4 December 2019
Against all odds, Sachin Pilot spearheaded the victory of the Congress Party in Rajasthan in December 2018. Now Deputy Chief Minister of one of the most important states in northern India, this interactive session with students discussed the future of politics in India over the next 10 years, and further.
Speaker: (@SachinPilot) is Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Chair: (@MukulikaB) is Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology at 杏吧论坛.
To watch the Facebook live, click .
This event is being held in collaboration with , (), , and .
Nation, Gender and Religion: The Many Lives of Freda Bedi
29 November 2019
From the moment she married a handsome young Sikh at a registry office in Oxford in 1933, Freda Bedi, née Houlston, regarded herself as Indian, even though it was another year before she set foot in the country. She was English by birth and upbringing - and Indian by marriage, cultural affinity and political loyalty. Later, she travelled the world as a revered Buddhist teacher, but India would remain her home to the end.
Participants: is Emeritus Professor in History, University of Warwick; (@khickmanauthor) is the authour of ; (@john_pether) is a journalist and author.
Chair: (@MukulikaB) is Director of the South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology at 杏吧论坛.
To listen to the podcast, click .
Interpreting the Constitution of India
26 November 2019
To mark India’s Constitution Day, the South Asia Centre discussed how the lengthiest national constitution of the world has evolved to become more meaningful and relevant to the citizens of the country. Focusing particularly on the interpretations of the Constitution by the Supreme Court of India since the 1950s, and demonstrating how the Court has been both arbiter and keeper of the values enshrined in India’s Constitution, keeping it in tandem with the changing needs of the world’s largest democracy.
Speaker: (@Chintan_dc) is the author of (2017), and The Cases that India Forgot (forthcoming, 2019).
Discussant: (@gautambhatia88), Balliol College, University of Oxford. He is the author of (2016) & (2019).
Chair: (@MukulikaB) is Director of the South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology at 杏吧论坛.
To listen to the podcast, click .
This event was part of the & held in collaboration with the .
India's Foregin Policy
29 October 2019
This book discusses the major changes to India's foreign policy by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from strengthening relations with other South Asian countries, to looking further east towards Japan, to taking stronger action against Pakistan-sponsored militancy, and adopting a more robust attitude towards China. It examines how this stance has supplied new intellectual underpinnings for India's foreign policy, aiming to change how the world sees India.
Speaker: is Professor in the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Brisbane.
Discussant: (@Kate_SdE) is Associate Professor in the International Relations of South Asia, University of Oxford.
Chair: (@MukulikaB) is Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre, and Associate Professor in Anthropology at 杏吧论坛.
To listen to the podcast, click and to watch the Facebook live, click .
Messengers of Hindu Nationalism
How the RSS Reshaped India
23 September 2019
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation, and the parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Prime Minister Modi was himself an RSS office-holder, or pracharak. Walter K Andersen explores how the RSS and its affiliates have benefitted from India’s economic development and concurrent social dislocation, with rapid modernisation creating a sense of rootlessness, disrupting traditional hierarchies, and attracting many upwardly mobile groups to the organisation. The event was chaired by Mukulika Banerjee, with participation from James Chiriyankandath and Ananya Vajpeyi.
To listen to the podcast, click .
'My Home India' Film Screening with Q&A
25 June 2019
In collaboration with the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Director, Anjali Bhushan joined us to screen her third documentary 'My Home India' which uncovers one little-known story on the Polish refugees from Siberia.
To listen to the Q&A, click .
Friends, Enemies, or just Neighbours? The Afghanistan, Pakistan and India Triangle
5 June 2019
Panel discussion with Sarah Ashraf, Mukulika Banerjee, Elisabeth Leake and Avinash Paliwal examining the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India triad, the geopolitical and economic motivations for an increasing Indian role in Afghanistan, the effect, if any, of this on Pakistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan, whether the triangle is a reason for continued instability in the region, if India is simply exploring economic opportunities with a neighbour or, as some in Pakistan fear, is India attempting to ‘encircle’ their rival?
To listen to the podcast, click .
Photo Credit: Pixabay_ -
Amitav Ghosh - Gun Island (2019)
28 May 2019
Amitav Ghosh sat down with Mukulika Banerjee to have a public discussion about his latest book 'Gun Island' (2019) and his recent work.
To listen to the podcast, click .
India Elections 2019 Live @ 杏吧论坛
23 May 2019
Leading academics, journalists, political analysts and policy-makers joined the South Asia Centre to discuss what's at stake in India's 17th Lok Sabha elections and what the final results could mean for the future of India and its place in the world.
Panel 1: The 2019 Election Campaign: Taking Stock
To listen to the podcast, click and to watch the Facebook live, click .
Panel 2: Uttar Pradesh and Beyond
To listen to the podcast, click and to watch the Facebook live, click .
Panel 3: 2019 Results: First Thoughts
To listen to the podcast, click and to watch the Facebook live, click .
The Saffron Republic - Documentary Screening
15 May 2019
Co-Directors, Saloni Saraf and Surya Elango screened their new documentary which explores the murders of Gauri Lankesh, Rohith Vemula & Asifa Bano, which was followed by a Q&A.
To listen to the podcast, click .
Threats to the Constitution in India Today
15 May 2019
Public discussion with Prashant Bhushan, public interest lawyer for the Supreme Court of India and one of the founders of Swaraj Abhiyan.
To listen to the podcast, click .
Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism is Changing India
10 May 2019
In the run up to the Indian elections, Christophe Jaffrelot and Mukulika Banerjee was joined by Edward Anderson, Shakunatala Banaji, James Manor and Champa Patel to discuss Christophe's latest volume exploring how Hindutva ideology has permeated the state apparatus and formal institutions, and how its activists exert control over civil society via vigilante groups, cultural policing and violence.
To listen to the podcast, click .
Scotland's Empire: The Scots in British India
8 April 2019
In collaboration with the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Thomas Martin Devine considers the role of Scots in India in administration, the military and trade with special reference to the period from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries.
To listen to the podcast, click .
End of Empire
11 March 2019
In collaboration with the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Alex von Tunzelmann considers the interplay of personalities and politics in the events leading up to Britian's exit from India.
Inclusive Development Transformation in India
A critique and a proposal?
8 March 2019
Panel discussion with Rathin Roy (NIPFP, Delhi), Maitreesh Ghatak (杏吧论坛) and Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
Listen to the podcast .
DEMOCRACY ON THE ROAD
18 February 2019
Ruchir Sharma in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee discussing his latest publication of his new book, which offers a portrait of how India and its democracy work.
Watch the Facebook Live video .
Dark Hero: Nicholson of Delhi
11 February 2019
In collaboration with the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Stuart Flinders considers the life and reputation of Brigadier General John Nicholson.
To listen to the podcast, click .
The Great March of India's Democracy
1 February 2019
The Election Commission of India celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2019, as it prepares for the 17th Lok Sabha elections. The Great March of Democracy (2019) celebrates seven decades of the Election Commission’s excellence in conducting free and fair elections in the world's largest democracy.
Speakers on the night included Taylor Sherman, Karamjit Singh and S Y Quraishi and Mukulika Banerjee.
Contributors from the UK include Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛), Taylor Sherman (杏吧论坛), Meghnad Desai (杏吧论坛 & House of Lords), Bhikhu Parekh (House of Lords), and Karamjit Singh (Member of the Electoral Board, UK).
This event was recorded via Facebook live, which can be watched by clicking the links below.
This event is in collaboration with Bridge India , National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK , Indian Journalists’ Association and Indian Young Professionals Network.
Empress: Queen Victoria and India
14 January 2019
In collaboration with the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Professor Miles Taylor discusses the impact India had on the Queen and the pivotal role she played in India.
Claude Martin: An Enlightment Figure in 18th-Century India
03 December 2018
In collaboration with the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Rosie Llewellyn-Jones explores the life and legacy of Major General Claude Martin, a Frenchman in the service of the HEIC.
Workshop on Indian Elections
30 November 2018
A discussion on India's forthcoming elections with Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, S Y Quraishi.
in collaboration with the National Indian Studnets and Alumni Union UK (NISAU).
India Moving: A History of Migration
14 November 2018
A panel discussion between Chinmay Tumbe (Author), Tirthankar Roy (Professor in Economic History, 杏吧论坛), Sunil Kumar (Lecturer in Social Policy and Development, 杏吧论坛) and Mukulika Banerjee (Director, South Asia Centre) to understand how millions of people have moved — from, to and within India.
To listen to the podcast, click .
The Billionaire Raj: Growth and Inequality in an Era of Crazy Rich Indians
13 November 2018
A panel discussion with James Crabtree (Author), Meghnad Desai (Economist), David Graeber (Professor in Anthropology, 杏吧论坛), Seema Malhotra (House of Commons) and Dr Mukulika Banerjee (Director, South Asia Centre) on the contradicitions of economic growth and prosperity in India as it emerges as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
To listen to the podcast, click .
The Red 'Khadi' Poppy & the Indian Story
9 November 2018
The Royal British Legions collaborated with the South Asia Centre to begin their "Thank you" campaign which launched their Khadi Poppy to commemorate the role of more than 1.3 million soldiers from undivded India who served in WW1. The panel discussion included Field Marshal Sir John Chapple (Retd.), Lord Jitesh Gadhia (House of Lords), Major S S Gogna, Ms Shrabani Basu (Author) and Dr Mukulika Banerjee (Director, South Asia Centre).
To listen to the podcast, click
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition & Experience
5 November 2018
Chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee, Sir David Gilmour in disucssion with Mark Havelock-Allan (President of British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia) outlines the social history of an extraordinary endeavour.
This event was in collaboration with British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia).
To listen to the podcast, click
Manto: A Conversation with Director, Nandita Das
12 October 2018
In collaboration with 杏吧论坛SU South Asia Society and Baithak UK, the South Asia Centre hosted a conversation between Ms Nandita Das (Director), Dr Mukulika Banjeree (Director, South Asia Centre) and Ms Sangeeta Datta.
In Conversation with Rahul Gandhi
24 August 2018
Rahul Gandhi (Indian National Congress) with Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛) discussed contemporary Indian politics to an audience of students, academic staff, members of the Indian diaspora and journalists. This event was in collaboration with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (UK) to mark the launch of the NISAU India Perspective Townhall.
To listen to the podcast, click . To watch the video, click . To read the report, click .
Social Media, Journalism and Free Speech
Rana Ayyub in conversation with Salil Tripathi
2 July 2018
A discussion by the South Asia Centre with English PEN and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Salil Tripathi an award winning journalist and Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, with Rana Ayyub a former editor with Tehelka magazine and author of Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up (2016), discussed the use and abuse of social media, the state of journalism and free speech in India. The session was chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To listen to the podcast click .
Image credit: Photo taken at Pushkar, India by on Unsplash.
'Bengal Shadows'
A Documentary Screening on the Bengal Famine of 1943
22 June 2018
'Bengal Shadows' is about the 1943 famine in Bengal, India which led to the death of 3-5 million people.This screening was in collaboration with the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival 2018 and followed by a discussion between Professor Amartya Sen (Harvard) and Professor Tirthankar Roy (杏吧论坛), chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To listen to the post-screening discussion, click .
Why I am a Hindu
Shashi Tharoor in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee
7 June 2018
(2018), is Tharoor’s latest book, which offers a profound re-examination of Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest and greatest religious traditions. Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛) chaired the session. To listen to the podcast click .
The Urgency of Secularism
6 June 2018
Professor Amartya Sen (Harvard) and Mr Yogendra Yadav (Swaraj India) discussed contemporary Indian politics and the challenges of secularism in a session chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). to watch the video on YouTube click . To listen to the podcast click .
A Business History of India: Enterprise and the Emergence of Capitalism from 1700
31 May 2018
Professor Tirthankar Roy (杏吧论坛) launched his latest book at a panel discussion with Professor Bishnupriya Gupta (Warwick), Dr Michael Aldous (Queen's University) and Dr D. Rajeev Sibal (Pratham UK), moderated by Dr Sanchari Roy (KCL).To listen to the podcast click .
What's Wrong with Indian Democracy?
17 May 2018
Professor Abhijit Banerjee (MIT) discussed poverty, governance and elections at a workshop chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To listen to the podcast click .
Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji: Understanding the Sacred Word
22 March 2018
This unique event brings together academic and community leaders, H.E. Mr Y K Sinha (HC India), Professor James Hegarty (Cardiff), Mr Prab Seyan (Watford Sikh Assoc.), Professor Pritam Singh (OBU) , and Professor M P S Bedi (PCPirthi Foundation), moderated by Dr Nilanjan Sarkar (杏吧论坛) to discuss the importance and relevance of The Shri Guru Granth Sahib, and the life of Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji, to conclude the celebrations marking the 350th Prakash Parv of the Guru. To learn more click .
The Broken Ladder: The Paradox and Potential of India's One-Billion
14 March 2018
Panelists came together for a book discussion on The Broken Ladder by Professor Anirudh Krishna (Duke), with Professor Maitreesh Ghatak (杏吧论坛) and Dr Sohini Kar (杏吧论坛) chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To listen to the podcast click .
Challenges to Press Freedom in a Democracy
9 March 2018
Mr Siddharth Varadarajan (The Wire) presented a lecture that explored the challenges and potential of the press in the region which was moderated by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To watch the video on YouTube, click .
Democracy and Defiance in the Supreme Court of India
9 February 2018
Dr Aditya Sondhi (NLSIU) discussed the unprecendeted press conference held on 12 January 2018 by four Senior Justices of the Supreme Court of India, with Dr Siva Thambisetty (杏吧论坛). To listen to the podcast click .
Privacy and Law in India
7 February 2018
This panel discussed the development of the right to privacy in the Indian judicial context, and examines the Privacy Judgement (August 2017) and its implications on the Aadhaar mandate issued by the Government of India by Dr Chintan Chandrachud (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP), Ms Sarah George Kotak (NLSIU) and Dr Mayur Suresh (SOAS). To listen to the podcast, click .
Law and Nationhood: India at 70
13 November 2017 to 7 December 2017
To commemorate India's 70 years of independence, Dr Nilanjan Sarkar (杏吧论坛) and Dr Charlotte de Mille (Courtauld) curated an exhibition in collaboration with The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and the High Commission of India, London. The exhibit explored the relationship between legality and nationhood in independent India, placing her Constitution at the heart of it. It focused on four prominent Indians – Shyamaji Krishnavarma, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dr B R Ambedkar. Read the interview with H.E Mr Y K Sinha .
Can Intelligence Services do Good? A Conversation between Indian and Pakistani Former Chiefs
6 October 2017
Amarjit Singh Dulat (ex-RAW), with Ehsan ul Haq (ex-ISI), Aamir Ghauri (SAFF), and Rahul Roy-Chaudhury (IISS), chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛), explored the nature of intelligence services in India and Pakistan, their challenges, limits and potentials towards domestic and international security issues. To listen to the podcast click .
Talking Economics: Finance and Reform in India
5 October 2017
A discussion by the South Asia Centre in partnership with the Institute for New Economic Thinking, New Delhi as part of the series ‘Artha Vivaad: Lectures in New Economic Thinking’ by INET featuring Lord Adair Turner (INET) with Mr Nasser Munjee (Tata Motor Finance).
Ram Rahim: Faith and Justice in India
3 October 2016
Utsav Singh Bains a human rights lawyer at the Supreme Court of India examined the landmark judgement against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). This was a discussion by the South Asia Centre in partnership with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union, UK.
Barrister Gandhi Takes the Stand
2 October 2017
This special lecture by Dr Faisal Devji (Oxford) in collaboration with The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple commemorates the birth anniversary of M. K. Gandhi, the 70th Anniversary of India’s independence and the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.
Film screening: The Argumentative Indian
27 June 2017
A European premiere of a new documentary about Amartya Sen in collaboration with the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, featuring a live Q&A with Professor Amartya Sen (Harvard) and chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
The Theft of History: The British Empire in India
21 May 2017
Roy Moxham and Dr Shashi Tharoor (MP India) in conversation with Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛) at ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival @ British Library.
"History is Written by the Victors": The Making of Viceroy's House
21 March 2017
Gurinder Chadha discussed the making of the film Viceroy's House (2017), followed by an audience Q&A chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
A Revolutionary At Large: Scenes from the Life of M.N. Roy
17 March 2017
Professor Dilip Gaonkar (Northwestern) spoke on M.N. Roy, an Indian revolutionary, radical activist, philosopher and founder of both the Mexican Communist Party and Communist Party of India, which was chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
Flights of Empire: Allies, Aeronautics, and Adversary in World War II Bangalore
8th March 2017
Dr Jahnavi Phalkey (KCL) explores the story of an aircraft base in Bangalore which was part of Britain’s Southeast Asia Command during World War II, with Emeritus Professor David Arnold (Warwick).
Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India
6 March 2017
Focusing on his latest book Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India (2017), Dr Shashi Tharoor takes on and demolishes the argument that British imperialism in the Indian subcontinent was a form of enlightened despotism
100 Foot Journey Club event with Indian Finance Minister Mr Arun Jaitley
25 February 2017
The Indian Minister for Finance Mr Arun Jaitley spoke at 杏吧论坛 on India's current economic and financial climate, and engaged in a Q&A with 杏吧论坛 students and staff. The event was jointly hosted by the High Commission of India, the South Asia Centre and the 杏吧论坛 Financial Markets Group. It formed part of the 100 Foot Journey Club series. A podcast of the event is available .
Forgotten Soldiers of the Raj
8 February 2017
Shrabani Basu (writer) spoke with Professor Tirthankar Roy (杏吧论坛), about the nearly one and a half million soldiers from the Indian subcontinent who fought in the British army in the First World War, drawing from her book For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-1918 (2015).
‘The Bloomsbury Indians’: Writing Across the Tracks in Colonial London
26 January 2017
Drawing on recent research, Professor Susheila Nasta’s (Open University) lecture revealed how the Indian presence in Bloomsbury began to shape a transnational global modernity, simultaneously shifting British perspectives and angles of vision.
Collective Choice and Social Welfare: a conversation with Professor Amartya Sen
19 January 2017
The conversation by Professor Amartya Sen (Harvard) with Professor Kevin Roberts (Oxford) surrounds the re-issue of Collective Choice (1970), with new arguments and results, alternating between the mathematical and non-mathematical to discuss choice, welfare, inequality, poverty and rights. To listen to the podcast click .
Cities of the Empire
23 November 2016
The Hon Dr Tristram Hunt, MP, discussed the cities of Calcutta, Bombay and New Delhi, and their role in making the British Empire over a century, drawing from his book Ten Cities That Made an Empire (2014). Listen to the event podcast , and read the South Asia @ 杏吧论坛 interview with Dr Hunt . This was a 100 Foot Journey Club.
Who Gets Ahead? Caste, Class, and Socio-Economic Mobility in India
22 November 2016
The Centre hosted a workshop for 杏吧论坛 faculty & doctoral researchers by Professor Ashwini Deshpande (DSE). Read the South Asia @ 杏吧论坛 interview with Professor Deshpande .
Flawed Political Finance Laws and Corruption in India
9 November 2016
Professor M.V. Rajeev Gowda (MP) discussed the complex election expenditure, political party funding, reporting and disclosure laws in India's democracy. Listen to the event podcast and read the South Asia @ 杏吧论坛 interview with Professor Gowda .
India's Democracy: Electoral Vibrancy, Liberal Deficits
4 November 2016
Professor Ashutosh Varshney (Brown) with Ashis Ray (journalist) explored India’s democratic and electoral record, to provide an analysis of state elections in India since 2014 and assess the BJP national government’s record half way into their term.Listen to the event podcast and read the South Asia @ 杏吧论坛 interview with Professor Varshney .
India's Greatest CEOs by Suhel Seth
16 June 2016
India's Greatest CEOs by Suhel Seth was launched by The Rt Hon. Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science, followed by a panel discussion including H.E. Mr Navtej Sarna, High Commissioner of India to the UK. Read Seth's interview by Saanya Gulati for the South Asia @ 杏吧论坛 blog .
Beyond Caste: Identity and Power in South Asia, Past and Present
7 June 2016
Professor Sumit Guha (UT Austin) gave a public lecture based on his book Beyond Caste: Identity and Power in South Asia, Past and Present (2013), which tracks the long history of the practices amalgamated under the label of caste and shows their connection to changing patterns of social and political power down to the present. The discussion was chaired by Professor Tirthankar Roy (杏吧论坛).
The Indian Village: Romantic Images versus Historical Realities Lecture
6 June 2016
Professor Sumit Guha (UT Austin) gave a public lecture on the realities of Indian village life and its social and political setting up to the late twentieth century. The discussion was chaired by Professor Edward Simpson (SOAS).
“India is Indira, Indira is India.” M. F. Husain and the aesthetics of India’s Emergency, June 1975
31 May 2016
Professor Sumathi Ramaswamy (Duke) explored through M F Husain's painting 'India June 1975: The Triptych in the Life of a Nation', the place of the visual artist in sustaining and deepening India’s much-vaunted democracy. The discussion was chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
The Wonder that is Indian Elections, Challenges & the Way Ahead
13 May 2016
A conversation with the Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr S. Y. Quraishi, led by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). This event was in collaboration with the Hundred Foot Journey Club, the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK, and Pravasi Bharat.
Rethinking the Global Monetary System
10 May 2016
This was the inaugural event for the ‘’, a collaboration between the High Commission of India and the 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre, which featured H.E. Mr Navtej Sarna High Commissioner of India to the UK, Dr Raghuram Rajan (RBI), chaired by Professor Erik Berglof (杏吧论坛). Click for the video/podcast.
Of Housing and Politics: Mapping political opportunities for mobilising in Bangalore, India.
16 March 2016
Dr Swetha Rao Dhananka (UCL) presented her PhD research on the conditions for the emergence of a social movement on the issue of adequate housing for the urban poor in the city of Bangalore. The discussion was chaired by Dr Taneesha Mohan (York).
'A Revolutionary Act: The Making of the Indian Constitution'
26 November 2015
This special lecture by Lord Meghnad Desai celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution by the Government of India on 26 November 1949. The discussion was chaired by Mr Prashant Pise (HCI).
Bihar Vidhan Sabha Election Results 2015
9 November 2015
A South Asia Centre Google Global Hangout discussion featured Giles Veniers (Ashoka), Jeffrey Witsoe (Union College), Manisha Priyam (NUEPA), Milan Vaishnav (CEIP), Neelanjan Sircar, and Pranav Gupta (CPR New Delhi), Sarthak Bagchi (Leiden), which was chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To watch the video of the converstion click
In conversation: The Country of First Boys
6 November 2015
Professor Amartya Sen (Harvard) discussed his book, The Country of First Boys (2015), with Professor Lord Nicholas Stern (杏吧论坛), which is a collection of cultural essays in which Sen examines social justice and welfare, by addressing some of the fundamental issues of our time like deprivation, disparity, hunger, illiteracy, alienation, globalisation, media, freedom of speech, injustice, inequality, exclusion, and exploitation. The discussion was chaired by Dr Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛). To listen to the podcast click . To read the book review, click .
The Role of Media in Indian Public Life
13 October 2015
Shobhana Bhartia (Hindustan Times) in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛) on the India Media. The podcast and video are available .
29 May 2015
Amitav Ghosh launched his latest book Flood of Fire (2015). The disucssion was chaired by Mukulika Banerjee (杏吧论坛).
Research on India is a global phenomenon, with every aspect of the country subject to academic scrutiny, debate, discussion, and analyses. The South Asia Centre networks with over 50 academics within 杏吧论坛 whose teaching and research expertise is on India either directly or indirectly.
The Centre is working to develop a futuristic research agenda for India – one that builds on the strength of current global research, and addresses foreseeable issues of interest and concern in India over the next few decades – making the Centre the hub for India-related issues in the UK.
Read the South Asia Centre's White Paper on India to learn more about the Centre's engagement with the country and the wider region. This White Paper was written in 2016, and will be updated soon.
Banner image credit: Wim Arys on .