For An Informed Ambedkar Age
Kshirod Nag There are numerous tangible and historically grounded reasons for remembering B. R. Ambedkar. However, among the most salient and analytically significant aspects that distinguish him from other thinkers are his conception of the nation as a moral-social formation, his notion of freedom as the essence of life, and his articulation of a universal …
Priti Kumari The Supreme Court of India recently rejected a plea seeking mandatory nationwide menstrual leave. The rationale provided by the Bench was that such a mandate could inadvertently hinder women’s employment, discourage corporate hiring, and ultimately damage career growth. At first glance, this reasoning might appear protective. However, in a society largely structured by …
Samaan Shekhar Dr Ambedkar inherited the legacy of social movements from Jotiba Phule, who pioneered them in modern India. Here, we are referring to social movements that seek to achieve equality, liberty, and justice. For the sake of convenience and brevity, let us call these movements “movements for social equality.” Dr Ambedkar remains the most …
Buddhapal Dumane, Bhavna Shahare In India, people prefer private preschools over government-run anganwadis. This reflects divides based on caste, gender, income, and culture. The shift to English-medium options, which are often unaffordable for low-income families, perpetuates inequalities. The ASER 2023 report indicates that private setups achieve better learning outcomes despite gaps in foundational skills. This …
Dhruv Kumar The well-known adage, “You can kill a person, but you cannot kill his thoughts,” has transformed in contemporary times. Today, ideas can be rendered ineffective not only through suppression but also by distorting them or preventing their dissemination to the public. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of Dr. B. R. …
Umar Nizarudeen The cyclical temporality of Indo-Iranian notions of metempsychosis lends itself to speculative fiction. The work of the Iranian thinker Reza Negarestani is interesting for its melding of petro-fiction with carbon lifecycles. The convoluted movement of energy and life in `Cyclonopedia’ cursorily lingers on theory. This visceral yet short excursus allows us an insight …
Prithiraj Borah In September 2023, Aditya Prakash, a fully funded PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder, was reheating palak paneer—a spinach and cheese curry—in a shared departmental microwave when a staff member approached him with a complaint about the ‘pungent smell’. The staff member instructed him to stop. Prakash’s calm response— …
Dr. Diksha R S What is suffering? Should it be endured, transcended, or even celebrated? This question has troubled the human mind across civilizations and centuries. Human beings have constantly sought to understand why suffering exists, what meaning it holds, and whether it can be overcome. Different philosophical traditions have offered radically different answers, reflecting …
Km Raksha This article investigates the enigma of India’s economic growth and the enduring caste-based inequalities. While India has experienced robust GDP growth since the 1991 economic reforms, caste continues to play a significant role in shaping access to resources, education, employment, and political power. Drawing on data from the NSSO, NFHS, NITI Aayog, and …