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Conference 2012
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
Neera Chandhoke
Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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
N R Madhava Menon
Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair on Parliamentary Studies, Upper House of Indian Parliament, New Delhi, India
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
Susan Hangen
Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, Ramapo College, New Jersey, USA
Pramod Bhatta
Researcher, Martin Chautari, Kathmandu, Nepal
Lunch 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Panel 3
Chair
Gérard Toffin, Senior Researcher, CNRS, Paris
Ajay Gudavarthy
Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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
Mara Malagodi
Senior Teaching Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London, UK
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
Ashwini Deshpande
Professor of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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
Anand Teltumbde
Professor of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
Khyam Bishwakarma
Freelance Development Consultant, Kathmandu
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
Ram Bahadur Chhetri
Professor, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya
Visiting Professor of Political Science, Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Debipriya Chatterjee
Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy, Department of Africology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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
Sara Shneiderman
Assistant Professor of Anthropology & South Asian Studies, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
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
Om Gurung
Head of Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
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
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
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
Mara Malagodi
Senior Teaching Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London, UK
Debipriya Chatterjee
Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy, Department of Africology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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
Ajay Gudavarthy
Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
Hilary Silver
Professor of Sociology, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA
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
Kåre Vollan
Director, Quality AS and Electoral Expert, Norway
Sara Shneiderman
Assistant Professor of Anthropology & South Asian Studies, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
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
Glenn C Loury
Merton Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA
Alpa Shah
Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
Anand Teltumbde
Professor of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India