Blog

CALL FOR CHAPTERS: Edited Book Volume On ‘OUTCASTES OF INDIA’

By |January 20th, 2024|Books|0 Comments

Edited Book Volume
On
‘OUTCASTES OF INDIA’

This edited book aims to provide better insights on the socio-economic reality of the outcastes or the Avarnas of India, commonly known as Dalits. It will try to include the status, change and continuity of various communities within the outcastes - Valmiki, Chamars (Rohit as often called in Gujarat), Bunkar and others. It would not only particularly bring out the intricacies of the status of these communities, in present changing times highlighting new challenges, continuation or changed forms of struggles but could be a unique contribution to the sociology and anthropology of Dalits discourse in India in general.

Read More

Summary Report_Tribal Governance Seminar

By |December 12th, 2023|Seminar:-Summary|0 Comments

National Seminar
Tradition and Modernity: Complementary or Takeover of Governance in Tribal Areas, Issues of Socio-Economic and Political Structures and Processes in India
(December 01-02, 2023)
SUMMARY
By Kanchan Bharati

Political organizations are important components of the political life of a society in a democratic country. Distribution and composition of Indian population show that India is home to the largest numbers of tribes in the world. Tribal communities are known to have their own traditional social and political governing structures. They are mostly governed by self-rule through the collective way of customary methods and traditional systems of social control. The implementation of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as a constitutional form of governance in the country in late 1990s brings out the fact that in tribal areas one can now see dual forms of governing structure; one – an   informal traditional system of ‘Tribal Panch/Councils (TP)’ and the second a formal system of ‘Statuary Panchayats (GP)’. It is also important to note that despite constituting a distinct social category and special constitutional and legal provisions, Tribals are not outside the economic and political framework of India and Indian politics. As a part of the nation-building process, tribal areas have witnessed large-scale development in terms of industry, mining, infrastructure projects such as roads and railways, and hydraulic projects such as dams and irrigation. These have been followed by processes of urbanization as well. The overall impact of these has been that the Tribals, indigenous communities have entered a new phase of struggle and protests against these ‘development and urbanization’ processes. The variables across India have experienced substantial loss of livelihood, massive often coercive displacement, involuntary and distressed migration. The government of India on one hand has initiated several affirmative policies, schemes, enacted laws for the welfare, development and protection of tribal populations; and on the other hand promoted urbanisation and development projects detrimental to participatory and inclusive development of tribals. The end result is that tribals are lagging behind human development, sustainable and inclusive development compared to the other social groups in India.

Read More

Concept Note – Tribal Governance Seminar – December_2023 at CCD

By |June 17th, 2023|Seminar - Workshop, Seminar:- Concept Note|0 Comments

Sixth Foundation Day Lecture_25-02-2023

By |February 28th, 2023|Foundation Lecture|0 Comments

Sixth Foundation Day Lecture_25-02-2023

Valmiki Seminar_Summary Report

By |January 16th, 2023|Seminar:-Summary|0 Comments

National Seminar

“Outcastes among the Outcastes: The Valmiki Community in India”

(December 16-17, 2022)

SUMMARY

 India is a caste-based society. Even today, the varna-caste as a social system determines the nature and characteristics of socio-economic and political life of many Indians. The outcastes or the Dalits are the most discriminated against and excluded social groups. However, the Valmiki among these Dalit communities are the worst exploited, excluded among the outcastes facing the worst kind of discrimination especially due to their occupational practice. Untouchability is practiced against them by most castes and even by the other Dalit groups. Even today, the Valmiki’s are isolated, compelled not to use public spaces, public utilities, and services; discriminated against, and deprived of equal access to social and economic opportunities. In this context, the Centre for Culture and Development (Vadodara) organized a two-day National Seminar on ‘‘Outcastes among the Outcastes: The Valmiki Community in India’ to address the status and situation of the Valmiki community in India.

Read More

National Seminar: ‘Outcastes Among the Outcastes: Valmiki Community in India’

By |June 20th, 2022|Seminar:- Concept Note|0 Comments

Seasonal Migration Search of livelihood choice of Fate

By |December 6th, 2021|Research Project|0 Comments

Anthropological Explorations in East and South–East Asia

By |April 5th, 2021|Books|0 Comments

Book Description   

This volume  is a collection of eighteen ethnographic essays  on Anthropological Explorations in East and South–East Asia, reprinted from the almost forgotten Journal of the Anthropological Society of Bombay, published during 1886-1936. Divided into five parts,  it includes works on history, religion, tea cult, the Torii  of Japan and the Torans of India;  a  paper that deals with the veneration of  dead in China; eight papers on Tibet: on its customs, devil driving processions, book procession of Lamas, Tibetan folklore in eastern Himalayas, and the method of computing distance by means of tea-cups; a paper on Burma on the monastic institution and its Phongys;  and four papers on Malaysia dealing with the tiger in Malay folklore, folk medicine, etiological folktales, Burmese   and Indian folk beliefs about the man tiger and the Malay version of two ancient Indian apologues.The volume suggests that the history of anthropological writings in India is much older than is  believed  to be.  In addition, it also portrays glimpses of  non-tribal societies beyond India studied by indigenous scholars. This book should interest anthropologists, sociologists, Buddhists, and students of East and South-East Asia.

Revisiting Suicide:From a Socio-Psychological Lens

By |March 17th, 2021|Books|0 Comments

Book Description                                                

This book provides a socio-psychological enquiry of the phenomenon of suicide in the Indian context. It addresses the rising trend of suicides across the world and through case studies explores its primary reasons, the after-effects on survivors and families, and measures to prevent them. The volume focuses on deciphering the social and psychological meanings associated with suicide. Through an examination of psycho-social autopsies of numerous cases, it highlights the patterns and trends which emerge around mental well-being, suicide, and bereavement. It examines the primary roadblocks for robust suicide prevention measures and provides great insights into behavioural and personality categories and their relationship with suicide. Offering theoretical and empirical perspectives on the issue of suicide and self-harm, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, and faculty of behavioural sciences, psychology, social anthropology, demography, criminology, social work and sociology. It will also be an essential read for psychologists, counsellors, policy makers, NGOs, CSOs, legal experts and media personnel working in the area of suicide prevention and research.

 

Webinar on- Artificial Intelligence: Boon or Bane?

By |March 16th, 2021|Webinar|0 Comments

Concept Note

Artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings[i]. It was all started in 1950s when a mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing[ii] designed a test, originally called the ‘imitation game[iii]’, to examine the machine’s ability to be ‘intelligent’ if a human interacting with it could not tell whether it was a person or a machine. It was the first step in the development of what would become the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a term first coined by John McCarthy in 1956.

Read More