Inaugural Address

Professor Bhalchandra Mungekar

Professor Bhalchandra Mungekar obtained his M.A. and Ph.D.degrees in Economics from the University of Mumbai.He was Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai (2000-2004) and Member of Planning Commission (2004-2009). He was also the Chairman and the President of Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla (2005-2011). At present, he is a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) nominated by the President of India.

A leading development economist, an eminent educationist and a noted social activist, Professor Mungekar served on many official committees of the Government of India.He is a recipient of many prestigious awards for his exemplary contribution to the fields of education and social justice. Founder President of Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Social and Political Philosophy and his historical movement for the annihilation of caste and the emancipation of the Untouchables.

Keynote Address

Dr. R. S. Deshpande

Dr R S Deshpande is currently National Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and former Director of Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, an all-India Institute of interdisciplinary research and training in social sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters’ Degree with a Ph.D. in Economics. Initially, he worked as a faculty member at ISEC till 1988, and thereafter shifted to Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. At Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics he worked as a faculty member as well as Registrar. In 1998, he returned to ISEC and worked as Professor and Head of Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation Centre till he took charge as Director of ISEC. His specialisations include, Agricultural Development Policy, Watershed Development, WTO - Agriculture & Trade, Rural Policy and Poverty, Economics of Drought-prone Areas and Rainfed Regions, Economics of Irrigation, Policy Analysis and Applied Econometrics.

Professor Deshpande has authored 17 books and more that 110 research papers published in national and international journals. Among his books Agrarian Crisis and Farmer Suicides, Where Water Seeps, NGOs and farmers’ Movements in India, Moon in the Mirror: Farmers and MSP in Karnataka are a few. He was invited as visiting Professor to the University of Ottawa, Canada; Saskechewan Institute of Policy Planning, Regina. He worked as a consultant to many organizations that include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Land Equity Australia etc. He was recently awarded Fellow of Indian Society of Agricultural Economics a life time achievement award by ISAE. He is also a recipient of PNASF Gold medal in the year 2010 for his work on Agricultural Policy.

Plenary Address

Professor Pralhad G.Jogdand

Professor Pralhad G.Jogdand working as a Professor in the Mumbai University Department of Sociology.His research areas are,

	Dalit Studies - Movement, Mobility, Politics and Empowerment
	Reservation Policy, Human Rights of the Weaker Sections, Gender issues
	Globalisation and Social Movements

With regard to teaching experience, teaching courses at the post-graduate level:

	Political Sociology
	Sociological Traditions
	Sociology of Weaker Sections
	Population and Society
	Gender and Society
	Sociology of Indian Society

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