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Conference 2012

  • Inequality and Affirmative Action
  • Radio Programme
  • 21 July: Mixed Panels

18-20 July 2012: Inequality and Affirmative Action: Situating Nepal in Global Debates 8.30 – 9.30 am

18-20 July 2012

Hotel Shanker, Kathmandu
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Inequality and Affirmative Action: Situating Nepal in Global Debates
Sponsored by the British Academy UK-South Asia Partnership Scheme and organised jointly by the Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, and Social Science Baha with additional support from Goldsmiths, University of London; Yale University; Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF) (SIRF is funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nepal and managed by SNV in Nepal), and Open Society Foundations, New York. The organising team of the conference consists of: Om Gurung (Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University); Alpa Shah (Goldsmiths, University of London); Sara Shneiderman (Yale University); Mukta Singh Lama-Tamang (Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University); and Deepak Thapa (Social Science Baha).

There is general recognition of the need to address inequality due to marginalisation and exclusion resulting from various historical and social processes. The conference will provide a venue for an exchange of ideas and frank discussions on inequality and affirmative action among academics, policy-makers and activists. The conference is being organised at an opportune moment since Nepal is undertaking an exercise in constitution-drafting and state restructuring meant to lead towards a more equitable future.

This conference will conclude the three-year British Academy UK South-Asia Partnership Project ‘Inequality and Affirmative Action in South Asia: Current Experiences and Future Agendas in India and Nepal’, which has fostered an interdisciplinary partnership between scholars in Nepal, India and the UK since February 2009. These scholars have worked together to analyse historical and contemporary debates on affirmative action in India, and their implications for emerging policies on affirmative action in Nepal.

In particular, the conference will seek to understand and inform the debate on affirmative action by generating theoretical and empirical frameworks of analysis under five themes: 1) the incongruity between and complements of democratic ideals and affirmative action to address inequalities; 2) the historical and contemporary processes leading to exclusion and marginalisation, and inventing new classificatory processes to map the existing terrain of exclusion and marginalisation; 3) the debate on eligibility for and extent of affirmative action; 4) an understanding of various country experiences of design and delivery of affirmative action measures; and 5) reconciling the seemingly controversial and at the same time incontrovertible need for affirmative action in Nepal.

The first two days of the conference will be a by-invitation-only event in which the discussions will be carried out in an academic setting. The evenings will be devoted to two keynote addresses to which a larger group will be invited.

The third day of the conference will comprise three or four open plenary sessions around the themes identified for the conference to which invitations will also be sent to a select group of politicians, senior bureaucrats, civil society leaders, the media, and representatives of development agencies. The event will also be publicised through various media and will be open to the public.

 

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

(Admission to this part of the conference is by invitation only.)

18 JULY, 2012

Inaugural programme: 8.30 – 9.30 am

Welcome

  • Dr Mukta Singh Tamang, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

Highlights of the British Academy UK South-Asia Partnership Project ‘Inequality and Affirmative Action in South Asia: Current Experiences and Future Agendas in India and Nepal’ & the conference ‘Inequality and Affirmative Action: Situating Nepal in Global Debates’: Dr Alpa Shah, Goldsmiths, University of London

Remarks

  • Prof Ganesh Man Gurung, Chair, University Grants Commission

Remarks

  • Chief Guest, Honourable Bijay Kumar Gacchedar, Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal

Remarks by the Chair

  • Prof Om Gurung, Head of the Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

18 July | Panel 1 10 am – 12 pm

Chair

Chaitanya Mishra, Professor, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University 

Marc Galanter, John and Rylla Bosshard Professor of Law and South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison and LSE Centennial Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science

Locating Affirmative Action in the Concept of Equality
Neera Chandhoke
Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Inequality and Affirmative Action in Nepal: Issues and Challenges
Krishna B. Bhattachan
Senior Lecturer, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Dilli Ram Dahal
Professor, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Equalizing Opportunities: Case for an Equal Opportunity Commission
N R Madhava Menon
Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair on Parliamentary Studies, Upper House of Indian Parliament, New Delhi, India
Affirmative Action and Political Representation across Time, Groups and States: Testing Claims for and against with Cases of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Mahendra Lawoti
Professor of Political Science, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Break 12 – 12:30 pm

Panel 2 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Chair

Madan Pariyar, former Chair, State Restructuring Commission

Diversifying and Decentralizing the State: Affirmative Action as a Potential Tool for Empowering Local Communities
Susan Hangen
Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, Ramapo College, New Jersey, USA
Beyond Affirmative Action: Overcoming Social Inequalities in Higher Education
Pramod Bhatta
Researcher, Martin Chautari, Kathmandu, Nepal

Lunch 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Panel 3

Chair

Gérard Toffin, Senior Researcher, CNRS, Paris

Can We De-Stigmatise Reservations in India?
Ajay Gudavarthy
Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
Breaking Hierarchy, Making Identity: Social Classification and Challenges for Affirmative Action in Nepal
Mukta Singh Tamang
Lecturer, Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

Break 3:30 – 4 pm

Panel 4 4 – 5 pm

Chair

Krishna Hachhethu, Professor, Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University

Legal Equality between Recognition and Redistribution: Constitutional Drafting and Adjudication in India and Nepal
Mara Malagodi
Senior Teaching Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London, UK
Affirmative Action and Power Sharing Instruments: Possible Electoral Arrangements for Nepal
Kåre Vollan
Director, Quality AS and Electoral Expert, Norway

Break 5 – 5:30 pm

Keynote Presentations 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Discussant

Bandita Sijapati, Social Science Baha & Nepā School of Social Sciences and Humanities

Moderator

Hari Sharma, Social Science Baha and Nepa School of Social Science and Humanities

Caste Discrimination and Exclusion: Assessment of Affirmative Action as a Remedy
Ashwini Deshpande
Professor of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
The Simple Economics of Affirmative Action Policies
Glenn C Loury
Merton Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA

19 July | Panel 1 9 -11 am

Chair

Laurie A. Vasily, Director, Fulbright Commission Nepal

Ashwini Deshpande, Professor of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

Pursuing Equality in the Land of Hierarchy: Positive Discrimination Policies in India
Anand Teltumbde
Professor of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
Affirmative Action in Nepal: What Does It Mean for Dalits at the Grassroots Level?
Khyam Bishwakarma
Freelance Development Consultant, Kathmandu
Design and Delivery of Affirmative Action for Gender and Inter-caste Equality in Nepal
Meena Acharya
General Secretary, Tanka Prasad Acharya Memorial Foundation, Kathmandu

Panel 2 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Chair

Michael Hutt, Professor of Nepali & Himalayan Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies

Chaitanya Subba, former Member of National Planning Commission

‘Women and Men Are the Two Wheels of the Chariot’: Rhetoric and Realities of Quotas for Women in Politics and Governance in Nepal
Ram Bahadur Chhetri
Professor, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Affirmative Action and Women in India
Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya
Visiting Professor of Political Science, Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Can Affirmative Action Policies Succeed in the Presence of Social Marginalization?
Debipriya Chatterjee
Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy, Department of Africology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Caste-based Discrimination and Discourse of Affirmative Action: Perspectives of Successful Dalits in Surkhet
Uddhab Pyakurel
Lecturer, Kathmandu University, Nepal

Lunch 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Panel 3 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Chair

Pitamber Sharma, former Vice-Chair, National Planning Commission

Disentangling ‘Ethnic Federalism’ and Affirmative Action
Sara Shneiderman
Assistant Professor of Anthropology & South Asian Studies, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
Subject Citizen Identity and Class: Contesting Dimensions of Social Inequality and the Implication of Affirmative Action for Change
Tulsi Ram Pandey
Associate Professor, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Break 3:30 – 4:00 pm

Panel 4 4 – 5 pm

Chair

N R Madhava Menon, Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair on Parliamentary Studies, Upper House of Indian Parliament, New Delhi, India

Implication of Rescheduling Indigenous Peoples for Affirmative Policy in Nepal
Om Gurung
Head of Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
A Step Back from Ethnic and Indigenous Rights
Alpa Shah
Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK

Break 5 – 5:30 pm

Keynote Presentations 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Discussant

Mukta Singh Tamang, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

Moderator

Hari Sharma, Social Science Baha and Nepa School of Social Science and Humanities

Designing Affirmative Action for Nepal: A Tour of the Choices and Problems
Marc Galanter
John and Rylla Bosshard Professor of Law and South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and LSE Centennial Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
Social Inclusion and Affirmative Action: Conceptual and Policy Distinctions
Hilary Silver
Professor of Sociology, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA

20 July | Panel 1 9 – 11 am

Public Panels (Participation to these events is open to all.)

Respondent

Gagan Thapa, Former Member of the Constituent Assembly

Moderator

Hari Sharma, Social Science Baha and Nepa School of Social Science and Humanities

Legal Equality between Recognition and Redistribution: Constitutional Drafting and Adjudication in India and Nepal
Mara Malagodi
Senior Teaching Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London, UK
Can Affirmative Action Policies Succeed in the Presence of Social Marginalization?
Debipriya Chatterjee
Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy, Department of Africology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Diversifying and Decentralizing the State: Affirmative Action as a Potential Tool for Empowering Local Communities
Susan Hangen
Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, Ramapo College, New Jersey, USA

Break 11 – 11:30 am

Panel 2 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Respondent

Pratyoush Onta, Martin Chautari

Moderator

Ram Bahadur Chhetri, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

Can We De-Stigmatise Reservations in India?
Ajay Gudavarthy
Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
Social Inclusion and Affirmative Action: Conceptual and Policy Distinctions
Hilary Silver
Professor of Sociology, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA
Locating Affirmative Action in the Concept of Equality
Neera Chandhoke
Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

Break 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Panel 3 2:30 – 4:30 pm

Respondent

Prashant Jha, Journalist

Moderator

Basanta Thapa, Social Science Baha and Himal Association

Affirmative Action and Power Sharing Instruments: Possible Electoral Arrangements for Nepal
Kåre Vollan
Director, Quality AS and Electoral Expert, Norway
Disentangling ‘Ethnic Federalism’ and Affirmative Action
Sara Shneiderman
Assistant Professor of Anthropology & South Asian Studies, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
Affirmative Action and Women in India
Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya
Visiting Professor of Political Science, Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

Break 4:30 – 5 pm

Panel 4 (Special session with policymakers) 5 – 7 pm

(Participation to this part of the conference is by invitation only.)

Moderator

Om Gurung, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

The Simple Economics of Affirmative Action Policies
Glenn C Loury
Merton Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA
A Step Back from Ethnic and Indigenous Rights
Alpa Shah
Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
Pursuing Equality in the Land of Hierarchy: Positive Discrimination Policies in India
Anand Teltumbde
Professor of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Radio Programme 'Inequality and Affirmative Action'

Schedule of Radio Programme

Locating Affirmative Action in the Concept of Equality
Episode: 01
Author: Neera Chandhoke
Social Inclusion and Affirmative Action: Conceptual and Policy Distinctions
Episode: 02
Author: Hilary Silver
Caste Discrimination and Exclusion: Assessment of Affirmative Action as a Remedy
Episode: 03
Author: Ashwini Deshpande
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