2305, 2016

A Survey of Delhi Garment Workers Suggests Poverty Comes in Many Sizes

By Shreya Sinha|May 23, 2016|Development, General, India|0 comments

Alessandra Mezzadri is lecturer in Development Studies at SOAS, University of London. Her research interests focus on globalisation and processes of labour informalisation; materialist and feminist approaches to global commodity chains and global industrial systems; labour regimes, labour standards and CSR; gender and globalisation; and the political economy of India. Three years after Rana Plaza, garment workers worldwide still endure poor working conditions. The industry has witnessed several ‘minor’ disasters

2504, 2016

Borderlands, Brokers and War to Peace Transitions in Nepal and Sri Lanka

By Shreya Sinha|April 25, 2016|Conflict, Development, General, Nepal, Politics, Sri Lanka|0 comments

Jonathan Goodhand is a Professor Conflict and Development Studies at the SOAS Department of Development Studies. His research focuses on the political economy of conflict, war to peace transitions and increasingly on the role of borderlands, with a particular focus on South and Central Asia. Oliver Walton is a Lecturer in International Development at the University of Bath in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences. His research focuses on

2801, 2016

‘Future of the Rural World?’ by Edward Simpson

By Nicole Roughton|January 28, 2016|Development, General, History, India|0 comments

The conference “The Future of the Rural World? Africa and Asia” was hosted by SOAS, University of London during October 2015. The event marked the end of a major project funded by the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on “restudying” village India. It also coincided with the launch of an exhibition and film installations at the Brunei Gallery at SOAS, which emerged from the same project. At

2001, 2016

‘Why Development Defines India’s Elections Today’ by Subir Sinha

By Jennifer Ung Loh|January 20, 2016|Development, Elections, General, India|0 comments

This article first appeared on the Development Studies at SOAS blog, on 6 December 2015. Please click here to view the original article. Social science wisdom has long held that Indian elections are determined by ‘primoridial’ collective identities of caste, religion and region. Certainly, all political parties combine these elements in their election calculus, from the choice of candidate to election promises, campaign speeches and historical references which signal to the electorate who

0712, 2015

Panel Discussion with SOAS academics: ‘Assessing Modi’s Track Record Eighteen Months On’

By Jennifer Ung Loh|December 7, 2015|Development, Gender, General, India, Politics, SSAI|0 comments

On 19 November 2015, following Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, the SOAS South Asia Institute hosted a panel discussion featuring SOAS academics whose own social science research engages with the changes of the new Modi era. The panel was an opportunity to assess Modi’s policies to date and the impacts they have had upon a range of different sectors and aspects of society in contemporary India. Please click on the titles

0508, 2015

“Caste – out of the shadows” – Conference: Make a statement!

By Sana Shah|August 5, 2015|Caste, Development, Gender, General, India, SSAI|0 comments

The SOAS South Asia Institute in cooperation with a group of NGOs is hosting a conference on the theme of caste to be held at SOAS on the 5th September 2015. Make a statement! The ‘Out of the Shadows’ conference aims to engage people from a range of development organisations in a debate on the significance of caste to poverty and development in the contemporary world.

2403, 2015

“Mr Modi and the working poor” by Alessandra Mezzadri

By Heewon Kim|March 24, 2015|Development, General, India|0 comments

One thing should be said: the Modi government can hardly be accused of idleness. Since his coming to power last year, Mr. Modi has promised systemic changes to ameliorate the lives of India’s working poor. Not an easy task, considering that India’s informal labour accounts for 86% of total employment in non-agricultural activities and 93% if one considers all economic activities instead (NCEUS, 2008). One of the first systemic changes

1202, 2015

“Power and Pageantry in Modi’s India” by Simona Vittorini

By Heewon Kim|February 12, 2015|General, India, Politics|0 comments

We live not according to reason but fashion – Seneca. In a recent piece, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor aptly called Modi ‘a master communicator at work’ coming up with new slogans, sound-bites, photo ops in quite an unparalleled way. Prime Minister Modi certainly showed his communication skills when US President Barak Obama visited India as chief guest to India’s Republic Day Parade last January. The visit (a highly anticipated and media-crazed

1212, 2014

“The SAARC summit and the Kathmandu facelift” by Michael Hutt

By Heewon Kim|December 12, 2014|Development, General, India, Nepal, Pakistan|0 comments

On 25 November I was contacted by Monocle Radio, who wanted to hear my views on the massive cleanup of Kathmandu that took place during the run-up to that city’s hosting of the 18th SAARC summit (see http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/11/pictures-kathmandu-20m-facelift-2014112392617611.html). The interviewer asked me where the Government of Nepal might have found the $20m it is said to have spent on this project, and I think I disappointed him by saying that

0212, 2014

“A Conversation with PV Rajagopal” by Subir Sinha

By Heewon Kim|December 2, 2014|Development, Environment, General, India|0 comments

PV Rajagopal is associated with the Ekta Parishad, the largest Gandhian non-violent movement for land rights in India today. The levels of deprivation of the rural poor in India are truly shocking. Their key livelihood resources, such as land, forest and water, have been steadily transferred to national and multinational corporations, sometimes by force. I have written up to 70 letters to the Prime Minister and have undertaken 1-year long