Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion: Are Democracies mostly Majoritarian?
When: January 26, 2021; 19:00 IST (Tuesday) | REGISTER HERE

Panelists: Dr Trevor Stack (The School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom) and Prof Nicholas Tampio (Fordham University, USA)
Chair and Moderator: Prof Ajay Gudavarthy (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

#EconDevDiscussion

Prof Amita Batra on Regional Trade and Developmental Challenges in South Asia
When: January 27, 2021; 15:00 IST (Wednesday) | REGISTER HERE

Moderator: Prof Utpal K De (North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong)

Special Lecture

Prof Amit Basole (Head, APU Centre for Sustainable Employment (CSE), and Associate Professor of Economics, School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University (APU), Bengaluru) on Urban employment and social policy in the wake of COVID-19
When: January 28, 2021; 17:00 IST (Thursday) | REGISTER HERE

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion and Release of Study Findings of the Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study in Bihar - Life in the Era of COVID-19: Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar & Future Prospects, with the Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3)
When: January 29, 2021; 11:30 IST (Friday) | REGISTER HERE

Opening Remarks: Dr Aparajita Gogoi, (Executive Director, Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), New Delhi)

Moderators: Dr Simi Mehta (CEO and Editorial Director, IMPRI & Fulbright Scholar, Ohio State University, USA) and Ms Madhu Joshi (Senior Advisor, Gender Equity and Governance, Centre for Catalyzing Change)

From our partners

Taiwan Roundtable

Roundtable on Taiwan and Indo-Pacific Partnerships: Regional Trends
by Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University, USA
When: February 4, 2021; 20:00 EST (Thursday) / February 5, 2021; 6:30 IST (Friday) | REGISTER HERE

• '2020 India's eighth hottest year since 1901: Reason? 'Deforestation, growth model'' by Gurinder Kaur | Counterview
  Given the rise in average temperature in the country, the government should generate the required energy from natural sources instead of giving grants to coal-fired power generation projects.
  
• 'Amended essential commodities Act 'legally' allows hoarders to charge exorbitant prices' by Simi Mehta | Counterview
  It is important to engage in healthy debate with all the stakeholders before proposing reforms and such debates should be fostered to understand the looming crisis.
  
• 'India faced with the onslaught of rising temperature' by Gurinder Kaur | India Water Portal
  Despite the nominal emission of greenhouse gases that contribute a larger share to global warming during the lockdown in 2020, an increase in temperature means that the effect of already existing gases in the atmosphere will continue to be felt even after their zero-emission.
  
• 'Constitution, Democracy, and Citizenship - Circa 2020' by Ajay Gudavarthy and Simi Mehta | IndraStra Global
  In the Indian context, the issues surrounding Constitution, Democracy, and Citizenship have taken up a significant amount of space in policy-making of the government, in public debates held by media, and most importantly within the mass movements, protests, and mobilizations organized by citizens against those constitutional amendments and policy changes. 
  
• 'Ecosystem-based approach: The case of Meghalaya' by Arvind Kumar | India Water Portal
  Reviving nature is at the core of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global push to repair lands lost to development that is set to begin in 2021. But now, we must step up on massive-scale actions to restore our degraded ecosystems.
  
• 'Transforming (Urban) India — Bit by Bit' by Soumyadip Chattopadhyay and Arjun Kumar | IndraStra Global
  What is it that drives urbanization? Is it about social mobility or economic mobility? It is more defined by the shift from a hut to a concrete flat than the shift from a concrete flat to a skyscraper.
  
• 'Is There a Solution to the India-China Border Standoff?' by Simi Mehta | The National Interest
  There has to be an increased coordination of the soldiers at the frontier to avoid confrontation, by authorizing them to resolve the tensions.
  
• 'Human rights of Rohingiyas: Livelihood crisis amidst climate uncertainty' by Utpal Kumar De and Simi Mehta | Counterview
  "...Once upon a time migration was motivated by economic interpretations and in search of better livelihood. But now it is motivated by the fact that the state has become intolerant to culture and religious differences."
  
• 'Natural resource management through a gender lens'  by Simi Mehta and Amita Bhaduri | India Water Portal
  Although guilty of simplistic essentialism without challenging biological determinism, there is plenty of truth to the prominence of women in environmental concerns as both helpers and victims.
  
• 'Feminist Media: Contours of an Alternative Mainstream Media' by Simi Mehta and Anshula Mehta | Delhi Post
  The feminist media industry needs to be encouraged to produce gender-transformative content and to develop self-regulatory equality policies, including access to decision-making positions thereby creating gender equality in content, workplace and management.
  
• 'Brazilian Labor Market amid the Coronavirus Pandemic: Impact and the Way Forward' by Arjun Kumar | IndraStra Global
  There is a disproportionate effect between social groups and the way forward must take this element into consideration when redefining the social security system.
  
• 'Fighting Patriarchy: Challenges and Way Forward' by Zakia Soman | Delhi Post
  Fighting patriarchy with young women and men who believe in independence, equality, mutual respect and human dignity is important.
  
• 'Govt of India's stimulus package grossly inadequate, can't revive economy: Economist' by Arjun Kumar and Ritika Gupta | Counterview
  Prof Santosh Mehrotra, retired professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), observed that the fiscal stimulus provided by the Government of India (GoI) post-lockdown was severely inadequate. It was only a fraction of what was provided post the 2008 global financial meltdown where the effects on the economy were comparatively mediocre, he maintains.