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ZHCES organises a talk by Dr. Shiju Sam Varughese

ZHCES organises a talk by Dr. Shiju Sam Varughese

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ZHCES organises a talk by Dr. Shiju Sam Varughese
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ZHCES Seminar Series

 

SCIENCE, REASON AND DEMOCRACY: READING AMBEDKAR

 

Dr. Shiju Sam Varughese

Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy,

School of Social Sciences,

Central University of Gujarat

 

Dr. Shiju Sam Varughese is currently an assistant professor at the Centre for Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (CSSTIP) in the School of Social Sciences of Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. He is the author of Contested Knowledge: Science, Media, and Democracy in Kerala (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2017). He has also edited (along with Satheese Chandra Bose) the volume, Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces and Practices in Transition (Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2015; paperback edition: 2017).

 

Abstract : The paper attempts to understand Babasaheb Ambedkar’s perspectives on modern science and its role in democratic societies. The starting point for discussion is Meera Nanda’s argument in Prophets Facing Backwards (2003) that Ambedkar’s project was to bring together Deweyan pragmatism and Budddhist philosophy to situate ‘scientific temper’ at the core of associated life. Nanda pitches ‘the Ambedkar-Dewey synthesis’ to reclaim the central role of “modern science as a force for demystification and democratic enquiry” against the cultural relativist defence of ‘local knowledges’ as emancipatory for subaltern social movements in the Global South. The paper develops a critique of Nanda’s standpoint via a close reading of Ambedkar’s writings to suggest that there is a nuanced and rich understanding of science, reason and democracy available in Ambedkar’s thought.

 

DATE: 25th September, 2018 (Tuesday)

TIME: 11:30 am

Room No. 207, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES II

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.