University of Hyderabad
Study India Program
SIP Summer Course
Course:
Contemporary India
Duration:
21 June-17 July 2010 (4 weeks)
Credits:
5 (10 ECTS)
7.5 ECTS (Optional for NCI Students)
Course coordinator: Dr Amit Kumar Mishra
Centre for Study of Indian Diaspora
School of Social Sciences.
E-mail: akmss@uohyd.ernet.in
Phones: 23133043 (Office)
Program Assistant: Ms Bhavani Aadimoolan
Email: shavya3@yahoo.co.in
Mobile: 9705164163
Class Schedule:
Monday to Friday 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Class Room:
SIP Building, South Campus
Course Objective:
This is an interdisciplinary course that introduces the contemporary
India focusing around the foundational diversities of Indian sociocultural and political-economic realm and developmental issues in
an overview manner. The course would also discuss certain aspects
and essentials of ‘India’ like caste, religion, socio-cultural
stratification from historical vantage point in order to make the
students understand the critical interplay of these in ‘contemporary
India’.
Students are expected to have read the book ‘Understanding
Contemporary India’ edited by Sumit Ganguly and deVotta before
joining the course in order to have the basic understanding.
Course Structure:
This course would have four components:
1. Lectures: Approximately 15-17 classes of two hours duration.
A couple of additional lectures may be organized on demand
on topics of interest of students.
2. Interactive Discussion Sessions: 6 sessions of two hours
3. Field Visit and Study Tour: 2 of day long duration (One
historical tour of the city and the other one to the working of a
NGO in nearby region)
4. Seminar Presentations by students: 4-5 afternoon sessions in
the fourth week.
Resources:
Learning in this course will be based on a variety of resources in
different mediums.
1. Books (an indicative list at the end of the course outline)
Available in the University library and SIP library
2. Book chapters and articles (will be made available to
students in form of a reader)
3. Web based resources (Online journals, important portals)
Through University internet network
4. Videos Will be shown to students during the interactive
sessions.
Tentative Lecture Schedule:
Lecture 1:
Spatial Diversity of India
Lecture 2:
Historical Diversity
Lecture 3:
Indian Philosophy
Lecture 4:
Institutions of Governance/Contemporary Indian Politics
Lecture 5:
Religion and Politics
Lecture 6:
Muslim Communities
Lecture 7:
Caste in Contemporary India
Lecture 8:
Identity Issues: Adivasis
Lecture 9:
Identity Issues: Gender
Lecture 10:
Indian Economy: An Overview
Lecture 11:
Trends in Indian Literature
Lecture 12:
Popular Culture
Lecture 13:
Development Concerns: Environment
Lecture 14:
Development Concerns: Agrarian Issues
Lecture 15:
Urban Space in Contemporary India
Lecture 16:
Indians Abroad
There is the possibility of minor changes in the order/themes of the lectures.
Course Evaluation
Field Report:
15% (Students are required to submit a report on either of the field
visits)
Book Review:
20% (Students are required to submit a 600 words review of a
book/novel on relevant theme that has to be submitted by the end
of the second week – a selective list of authors will be provided)
Term paper and Presentation: 40%
5% Research Proposal
25% Written
10% Class presentation
(Students are required to submit a written paper of at least 2000
words on a topic of their choice that has to be submitted in the
fourth week. Proposal of term papers have to be submitted by the
end of first week and will be discussed in the class for finalisation
in the second week. Terms papers have to follow stylistic
requirements of writing an academic paper. Seminar presentations
on the term papers will be scheduled on specified afternoons from
the third week)
Quiz:
15% (Not required for NCI students opting for 7.5 ECTS)
(one quiz test in the class in fourth week)
Class Participation: 10% (attendance in class is compulsory unless a student is unwell
or has informed the teacher; students are encouraged to participate
in discussions during class and this will have positive influence on
their overall evaluation)
Reading List:
A. Compulsory Readings:
Ganguly, Sumit and Neil deVotta (eds) 2003, Understanding Contemporary India, Delhi,
Viva Books
(288 pages)
Chandra, Bipan, Aditya Mukherjee and Mridula Mukherjee, 2008, India Since
Independence, Delhi, Penguin
(750 pages)
In addition to these
1. A reader containing some articles and book chapters on relevant themes will be
provided.
2. One work of Indian fiction (200-300 pages) or a book has to be reviewed for
evaluation
3. Some videos (documentaries/feature films) will be shown in the afternoon
sessions
B. Recommended readings: (For term papers and additional references)
Dreze, J and Amartya Sen (1995) India: Economic Development and Social Opportunity,
Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Guha, Ramchadra (2007) India After Gandhi: History of the World’s Largest Democracy,
Delhi: Picador India.
Gadgil, Madhav and Ramchadra Guha (2000) Ecology and Equity: The Use and Abuse of
Nature in Contemporary India, Delhi: Penguin India.
Harris-White, Barbara (2002, 2009) India Working: Essays on Society and Economy,
Delhi: Cambridge University Press.
Luce, Edwards (2006) In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of India, London: PenguinAbacus.
Menon, Nivedita and Aditya Nigam (2007) Power and Contestation: India Since 1989,
London: Zed Books.
Menon, Nivedita (1999) Gender and Politics in India, Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Rothermund, Dietmar (2008) India: The Rise of an Asian Giant, New Heaven: Yale
University Press.
Srinivas, M.N. (2000) Caste: Its Twentieth Century Avatar, Delhi: Penguin India.
Tharoor, Shashi (2007) The Elephant, The Tiger and The Cellphone: Reflections on India
in the Twenty First Century, Delhi: Penguin India.
Uberoi, Patricia (1994) Family, Kinship and Marriage in India, Delhi: Oxford University
Press.
C. Online journals through the HCU library intranet
http://www.library.uohyd.ernet.in:8000/
D. Web based resources (indicative list)
http://india.gov.in/
http://www.censusindia.net/
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/southasia/cuvl/
http://www.vl-site.org/india/index.html
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/