India's Domestic Politics and the Democratic Reckoning with Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Adam Bubanich Announcement
Location
District of Columbia, United States
Subject Fields
South Asian History / Studies, Public Policy, Political Science, Asian History / Studies, Area Studies

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies invites you to our Lecture Series, which highlights policy-relevant, innovative, and original scholarship about Asia.

Indian democracy is under enormous strain. Democratic norms and long-standing institutional foundations are facing a slew of challenges. As India enters a pandemic-ridden 2021, how seriously are its democratic traditions and politics threatened and what are countervailing forces?

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies proudly hosts Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Former Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University; former President of the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi; and a leading scholar and commentator on Indian politics, for the first virtual edition of our Sigur Center Lecture Series. Mehta will share his commentary and then turn to a conversation with the moderator, Deepa Ollapally, Associate Director of the Sigur Center, before turning to audience Q&A.

The webinar begins at 10am EST / 8:30pm IST, check your local time by selecting the event date and your time zone. Registered guests will receive an email with instructions for joining Webex 24 hours prior to the event. Registration closes at 10:00am EST on January 13. This event is on the record, open to the public, and will be recorded. Media inquiries must be sent to gwmedia@gwu.edu in advance. If you need specific accommodations, please contact gsigur@gwu.edu with at least 3 business days' notice.

This event is free, open to the public, and will be recorded. @GWUSigurCenter

 

Pratap Bhanu Mehta is a Professor of Political Science and former Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University, New Delhi. He was previously President of the Centre for Policy Research. He has also taught at Harvard University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the Global Faculty Program at New York University's Law School. He is a contributing editor at The Indian Express. An eminent public intellectual, he has published widely on political theory, India's social transformation, and international affairs. His most recent publications include The Oxford Handbook to the Indian Constitution (co-edited with Madhav Khosla and Sujit Choudhary); and Non-Alignment 2.0 (with Srinath Raghavan, Sunil Khilnani, et al). He received the 2010 Malcolm S. Adishehshiah Award and the 2011 Infosys Prize for Social Sciences - Political Science. Mehta holds a BA (first class) in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University and a PhD in Politics from Princeton University. @PBMehta

Deepa M. Ollapally is the Associate Director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, Director of the Rising Powers Initiative, and Research Professor of International Affairs. She is currently working on a funded book, Big Power Competition for Influence in the Indian Ocean Region, which assesses the shifting patterns of geopolitical influence by major powers in the region and drivers of these changes. Ollapally's recent publications include co-edited volumes Worldviews of Aspiring Powers (Oxford University, 2012) and Energy Security in Asia and Eurasia (Routledge, 2017). She has received major grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, MacArthur Foundation, and the Ford Foundation for projects related to India and Asia. She is a frequent commentator in the media, including appearances on CNN, BBC, CBS, and Reuters TV. She holds a PhD from Columbia University. @DeepaOllapally

Contact Information

Helen Jiang, Program Coordinator, Sigur Center for Asian Studies

Contact Email
gsigur@gwu.edu