On Doing Theory in India

On Doing Theory in India

Inaugural Remarks: Dr. Manindra Nath Thakur, Associate Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Chair: Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, Former Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

Discussants: Prof. Savita Singh, Professor, Gender & Development Studies, Women’s Studies and Feminist Thought, IGNOU, New Delhi; Dr. Dhananjay Rai, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Gandhian Thought and Peace Studies, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat; Prof. Hilal Ahmed, Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), New Delhi

Drawing upon the idea of Doing Theory in India, this discussion explores how India can be understood not merely as a subject of theoretical inquiry but as a site of conceptual and intellectual production. The session will examine how lived experiences, social movements, traditions, and historical realities contribute to the creation of new ideas and frameworks for understanding society. It will introduce the concept of Creative Theory, which emphasizes dialogue, democratic knowledge-making, and human creativity as pathways towards addressing questions of justice, freedom, and social transformation in contemporary times.

(Collaboration: @Crossroads)