ABOUT IASAS

The Indian Association for South Asian Studies (IASAS) is a scholarly and educational association open to all persons interested in South Asia and the study of South Asia. It is based in New Delhi, India. The Association organises Biennial Conference, regional conferences and other activities. It organizes conferences every year and three of its conferences have already been held in BHU Varanasi and Sri Lanka.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE:

The term “subaltern,” popularized by Antonio Gramsci, conceptualized subaltern groups as those excluded from hegemonic power, encompassing peasants, workers, and other marginalized factions. However, in Subaltern Studies led by Ranajit Guha, initiated as a post-colonial theory in India, the term broadens to denote the quality of being subordinate in South Asian society, irrespective of its manifestation in class, caste, age, gender, or office. The collective, initially comprising scholars such as Shahid Amin, David Arnold, Partha Chatterjee, David Hardiman, and Gyanendra Pandey, aimed to give voice to the historically marginalized. Subaltern Studies encompassed diverse subjects, including history, politics, economics, and sociology of subalternity, along with associated perspectives, ideologies, and belief systems. The initiative aimed to counter elitist historiography by allowing subaltern voices to emerge within its pages, representin and amplifying the voices of the oppressed. The theory posited that the elite in India did not merely have a hegemonic role but played a dominant one, enabling the subaltern to be seen as independent historical actors. This perspective countered the notion that the subaltern were passive recipients of elite guidance, emphasizing their independent agency within the political system.

In line with the subaltern understanding, this conference extends a warm invitation to panels and paper submissions that specifically emphasize non-elite discourses. The conference aims to spotlight and explore narratives, perspectives, and voices that have traditionally been marginalized or overlooked in favour of dominant, elite perspectives. Connecting historical studies to disciplines like gender studies, cultural studies, sociology, economics, demographics, politics, psychology, and others are also welcome. By prioritizing non-elite discourses, we aspire to create a space for critical discussions and insights that challenge established norms and contribute to a richer understanding of the diverse, often unheard, voices in South Asian societies. The conference hopes to be able to encourage more research by generating new perspectives by exploring new as well as alternative and evolving research ideas and methods.

ABOUT THE HOST ORGANIZATION:

The institute’s solemn academic ambience has led to grant of A-Category status to it by the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, placing it among the most elite universities of the country. It is accredited by NAAC of UGC in ‘A Grade’. Further, it has received Tier 1 (Washington Accord) accreditation by NBA of AICTE for engineering streams. Washington Accord accreditation enables global recognition of degrees of the University and increased mobility of its graduates to 17 countries, including USA, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan South Korea. KIIT

KIIT, now, is a multi-disciplinary University respected worldwide due to its rich educational culture of excellence. Research and innovation feed into the courses, encouraging the students to think critically and creatively. Its cosmopolitan campus is proud to have more than 25,000 students from all corners of India and around 22 countries, creating a mini metropolis in which a diverse multi-cultural community mingles and meets to study and relax together. Student community of the University is highly disciplined due to its student friendly policies. KIIT University sprawls over 25 sq. km. area with one million square metres of aesthetically constructed built up area. There are 28 constituent schools, contiguously located in impeccably landscaped and modern-technology-enabled campuses offering graduate, post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes in a wide range of disciplines. KIIT started as a modest vocational education institute in 1992 in rented premises in Bhubaneswar. By 1997 (considered as the base year) it commenced graduate programmes in Engineering and postgraduate programmes in Computer Applications and Management. The excellent academic ambience, quality faculty, adherence to strict academic rigor and plethora of other academic activities led to grant of university status to the institute by Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India in the year 2004 just within six years (1997-2004) of its inception.

University is among only six institutions in the country to have this accreditation. KIIT also has one industrial training institute, a polytechnic, and an international school having affiliations with IGCSE-England, International Baccalaureate Programme (IBP), and CBSE India – the only one of its kind in the whole of the Eastern India.

For more info about the organisation, please visit the website www.kiit.ac.in