Social Science Congress opens at PU

CHANDIGARH: The 5th Chandigarh Social Science Congress (CHASSCONG) started at Panjab University’s Law auditorium on Friday morning. The two-day conference carries the umbrella theme ‘Governance: Issues, Challenges and Strategies with reference to India’.
The national congress’s contemporary theme concerns governmental as well as non-governmental stakeholders involving a wider inquiry in issues of social science and beyond.
While most of the discussion on the definition of governance is based on making institutions and rules more effective and efficient, CHASSCONG aims to draw in debates about vital issues of equity including gender equity, transparency, participation, responsiveness, accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights.
The main objectives of the conference are to identify gaps for improving efficiency of all public institutions; promote public-private interface; ponder over concretizing the way forward in specific areas. For this, key subthemes have been invited and open participation was invited from all disciplines of studies – beyond the core social science as well.
Over 60 abstracts from scholars, professors and students were received for the conference. After the inaugural lecture by Dipankar Gupta, academic sessions in various departments of the university will be conducted. Gupta is a distinguished professor and the director of Centre of Political Affairs and Critical Theory in Shiv Nadar University. The valedictory address on February 22 will be delivered by Arun Bandopadhyay, Nurul Hasan Professor of history and former dean of the post-graduate faculty of arts, University of Calcutta.
To encourage an interdisciplinary approach amongst scholars, the sessions have been arranged according to the core issues dwelled upon by the presenter and its affinity with the department where it is schedule. There will be a ‘Best Research Paper’ prize presented by research scholars from each department and for this Academic Committees of the concerned Department have been involved. The conference has received huge response from disciplines of education, music, Communication Studies, Economics, Medical Sciences, Psychology, and Fashion Technology. University School of Open Learning, Regional Centres of PU at Ludhiana and Muktsar, GGDSD College and DAV College in Chandigarh and participation from PGI as well.
The papers and presentations vary and some of the themes include: Kautilya’s idea of good governance and its relevance in the modern times, Citizen Journalism, Social Media, Free Speech, Environmental Governance, Social parameters’ effecting Governance, Issues of implementation of Public Policy, Delivery of Governance and also suggestions and interventions regarding issues of corruption, tolerance, inclusive decision making.