Page 11 - SAU Connect March 2019

The Quarterly Newsletter of South Asian University | Volume 3 Issue 3 March 2019

Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion
New Delhi (14.02.2019) FE News: Development
Study Group (DSG), the student chapter of the
Faculty of Economics, organised a n
interdisciplinary panel discussion on 14 February
2018 on the theme “Debating ‘Quotas’: The Law,
Politics and Economics of the 10 Percent
Reservation”. The panelists for the event included
M. P. Singh (Chair Professor, Centre for
Comparative Law, National Law University, Delhi),
Neera Chandhoke (Former Professor of Political
Science, Delhi University) and Surajit Mazumdar
(Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and
Planning,SchoolofSocialSciences,JawaharlalNationalUniversity),whodiscussedthelegal,politicaland
economic aspects of the topic, respectively. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Prabhash Ranjan
(AssistantProfessor,FacultyofLegalStudies,SouthAsianUniversity).

Prof. M. P. Singh explained that while the architects of the Constitution of India provided for a right to
equality in Article 14, they also recognised the need to address the grave inequalities that existed in the
Indian society and carved out a provision to ensure representation of the backward classes of citizens in
government services under Article 16(4) of the Constitution. The key to addressing the constitutional
validity of the 103rd amendment largely depends on its conformity with the basic structure of the Indian
constitution. Prof. Neera Chandhoke reflected on the philosophical and historical origins of the idea of
equality and urged the audience to reflect if reservation can be a substitute for redistribution in the light
of contemporary context of the job crisis faced by the country. Prof. Surajit Mazumdar argued that the
present levels of inequality in India are not the legacy of the past alone but are recreated by the economic
mechanismsatworkintheeconomy.Reservationfortheeconomicallybackwardcanmakenodifference
to this situation and in fact, can create the problem of wrongful inclusion and wrongful exclusion. The
panel discussion was followed by a question-answer round and a lively discussion between the panellists
and the audience comprising of students, academicians and researchers cutting across disciplines from
withinaswellasbeyondSouthAsianUniversity.

Fourth Alumni Meet 2019, Faculty of Economics

NewDelhi(23.02.2019)SAUFENews:The Faculty of
Economics organized its Fourth Alumni Meet on
23 February 2019, which was attended by several
alumni. The event was live-streamed through
theYoutube channel of the Faculty of Economics
enabling alumni in other countries to watch the
event. Three alumni from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had sent in their video-
recorded messages, for current students and
faculty members, mentioning their current
engagements and how their time at the Faculty of Economics, SAU, helped shaped their careers. The
programme, which included a lively cultural event with music and dance from across the South Asian
region, saw active participation from current students of the Faculty of Economics, as well as some
performers from other faculties. The first year students of the Faculty of Economics staged a comedy
aboutachatshowonclimatechangewithrepresentativesfromacrosstheSouthAsianregion.

9