New Delhi: Policymakers, bureaucrats, academicians, and journalists from around the world will converge in New Delhi Thursday, July 11 to discuss key issues and challenges facing India and its neighbourhood — at the third annual ‘South Asia Conclave’ organised by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ThePrint is the digital partner for the conclave.
South Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, home to almost a quarter of the world’s population and deep cultural diversity.
One persistent problem accompanying this rapid growth has been inequality — Income disparities, uneven distribution of healthcare and education, and macroeconomic imbalances, among others.
Cultural diversity has posed its own challenges, leading to ethnic violence, terrorism, separatism, and identity politics. Gender violence and environmental degradation are still not adequately addressed.
Despite these challenges, rapid economic growth and potential have drawn intellectuals from around the world to study South Asia.
Encouraging discussion
Discussions at the conclave will be centred on recently-published OUP books, on subjects ranging from India-Pakistan ceasefire violations to patronage democracies and gender violence in India.
Key issues affecting Indian politics and business, and civil-military relations in the region, will also be discussed. Organisers hope to exchange research and bring new ideas into a wider forum for discussion with the broader public.
Confirmed speakers include Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Niraja Gopal Jayal, Centre for Policy Research president and chief executive Yamini Aiyar, and ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta.
The conclave will be chaired by Ashutosh Varshney, editor of the OUP’s Modern South Asia series and an international studies and social sciences professor at Brown University.
Also read: At South Asia Conclave, a discussion on the Indian brand of ideology in divided times