Concourse: December 2017

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Friday, December 29, 2017

Call For Applications: 2018 COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP IN UK- MHRD Government of India












Online application is invited from Indian national for the ‘2018 COMMONWEALTH  SCHOLARSHIP TENABLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM’  for the Master’s & Doctoral degree programme. The study will commence in September/October 2018.
The candidates are also advised to read the public notice on Commonwealth site url:
Master’s:


PhD: 


Number of nomination and award:
Nomination: Maximum 65 nominations, out of which, 26 nomination would be for PhD.














Online applications:
Candidates are required to apply online at the following portals:
 Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) portal by 7th February, 2018 (till 3:00 PM).
Link for online application: 
http://proposal.sakshat.ac.in/scholarship/
 Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s Electronic Application System (EAS)
by 22.02.2018.
Link for EAS: https://csc.do-it-online.org.uk/csc/electronicapplicationsystem.htm
Note:
 It is compulsory for the applicant to apply in the above portals before the cut-off
date, failing which would make his/her candidature ineligible.
 Since the cut-off date for MHRD portal is prior to EAS cut-off date, it is advised
that the candidates adhere to the respective cut-off date.











Level of course:
(i) Master’s Course (one year)
(Note: Master Degree programs which are less than 2 years in duration, are not
equivalent to Master Degree in India.)
(ii) Doctoral degree (up to three/four years’ duration)
(Note: CSC would fund only few candidates for 4-year PhD programme. The
candidates are advised to choose at least one 3-year PhD option also).
Scholarship would be offered under following development themes and all candidates
must apply under one of the themes:
 Science and technology for development
 Strengthening health systems and capacity
 Promoting global prosperity
 Strengthening global peace, security and governance
 Strengthening resilience and response to crises
 Access, inclusion and opportunity.
Note: More than one application would lead to disqualification of the candidature.












Eligibility:
(i) AGE: The age of the candidate must not exceed 40 years (as on 7th February, 2018).
(ii) Minimum qualifications
(iii) Academic merit


(a) For Master’s course:
One should have completed or is expected to complete the Bachelor Degree by October, 2018. The academic qualification must have direct and applied relevance to the development theme selected by the candidate. Minimum eligibility is 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.
(b) For Ph.D. degree:
One should have completed or is expected to complete the Master Degree/Qualifying Exam, by October, 2018. The academic qualification must have direct and applied relevance to the development theme selected by the candidate. Minimum eligibility is 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.
The minimum prescribed eligibility percentage does not guarantee short listing for interview in any particular theme.
Others:
i) Candidates who have already been abroad for studies/training/ specialization either on scholarships or on their own, for a period exceeding six months are eligible to apply, if they have been in India for at least two consecutive years as on 7th February, 2018
after returning from abroad.
ii) Applications of candidates who are staying abroad will not be considered.
iii) Candidates must not be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university before September/October 2018.
(iv) Candidates are compulsorily required to sign a declaration that they do not have access to sufficient funds to study in the UK.















Requirement of English language proficiency: 
The Ministry of Human Resource Development and CSC does not require any candidates to take an IELTS (English language)test. However, as a further condition of award, the university may ask the candidate to provide evidence of a particular level of English language proficiency.
Participating universities/institutions: Awards are tenable at any approved UK university or higher education institution with which the CSC has a part-funding agreement. A list of these institutions can be found at: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/uk-universities/part-funding/
Preference for universities/institutions: Candidates are expected to give preference for at least one UK institution/university in their application form. The final decision on host institution will be made by the CSC.
Application to preferred universities: Candidates are advised to submit applications directly to their preferred institutions in advance. Many courses have strict admission deadlines. Candidate must check admission requirements carefully when applying. Where formal offer of admission has been obtained, the same should be mentioned in the application.
Supporting statement from supervisor:
All PhD candidates must provide a supporting statement from a named supervisor from at least one of the UK universities to which they are applying. If a supporting statement is not provided for their first choice university, the CSC reserves the right to place the candidate at another institution for which they have a supporting statement. The candidates are required to submit such statement to Ministry of Human Resource Development at the time of interview.
No candidate, for PhD, will be interviewed without such supporting statement/letter.
Candidates are required to give a write up of their Plan of Study (for Masters)
/Research Proposals (for PhD). The Plan of Study/ Research Proposal should have maximum of 300 words and 750 words respectively.














Study Plan:
The students applying for Master’s are required to submit plan of study highlighting:
(i) “Statement of what you want to learn
(ii) Extent to which the proposed course and institution of study have been well researched (including specific options and dissertation topics, where appropriate) and presented”
The above conditions are prescribed by the Commonwealth Commission.
Research Proposal:
The students applying for Ph.D. are required to submit research proposal highlighting:
(i) Clear abstract of the research proposal.
(ii) The work programme should be well researched, and consultation made with the hostsupervisor. 
(iii) Innovation and relevance to current research in the chosen field. 
The above conditions are prescribed by the Commonwealth Commission.
Nomination and final selection:
 Only shortlisted candidates would be called for interview and the Selection Committee consisting of experts will interview the candidates. Nominations would be made purely on merit. The nominations will be sent to Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for the final selection.
 Nomination of a candidate by the Government of India does not, in any way, guarantee final selection or placement. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission will make its own selection from the list of recommended candidates. 
Note: Candidates are advised to go through the CSC’s selection criteria. The specific link has been provided at the end.













Important dates:

Closing date of online application in the Ministry of Human Resource Development portal 07.02.2018 (till 3 PM)
Closing date of online application through CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS) 22.02.2018
Names of the shortlisted candidates (development theme wise) called for the interview 15.02.2018 (tentative)
Tentative dates for the Interview (development theme wise) First week of March onwards













Documents required:
Scanned copy of the following documents are required while applying to the Ministry of Human Resource Development online portal:
i) Marks sheet and certificate for Secondary Examination
ii) Marks sheet and certificate for Higher Secondary Examination
iii) Transcript in respect of the candidate’s higher qualification(s)
iv) Bachelor’s/Master’s degree
Note:
 In case where grades are awarded, the candidates are required to furnish exactpercentage of marks and its conversion formula. 
 Candidates who fail to upload the mark sheets and transcripts (provided by the university/institution) with their application, will not be considered.
 Candidates, shortlisted for interview, are required to bring the following documents at the time of interview:
i) Original Certificates along with mark sheets of Class X, XII & Transcripts and degree (if awarded) in respect of their higher qualification(s).
ii) NOC/ Cadre clearance (in case of Government Servant).
iii) In case applying for PhD, candidate must provide evidence of support from a prospective supervisor.









General Instructions:
1. Candidates who do not possess the essential eligibility criteria need not apply.
2. Canvassing in any form will lead to disqualification.
3. Candidate will not be allowed to appear for interview if he/she does not submit NOC
from the Employer. In case of Government Servant, clearance of the Cadre
Controlling Authority is mandatory.
4. Candidates are expected to have the knowledge of the donor country.
5. All announcements will be available on the Ministry of Human ResourceDevelopment website i.e. www.mhrd.gov.in/scholarships .
6. The shortlisted candidates will be informed through the mail and public notice on the MHRD website. THE DECISION OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE SHALL BE FINAL.
 No correspondence will be entertained in this regard.
7. No TA/DA would be provided for attending the interview.
o Mere fulfillment of above eligibility conditions does not qualify a candidate for interview. Only shortlisted candidates would be called for interview.









Important links: 
 For applying online to the Ministry of Human Resource Development:
http://proposal.sakshat.ac.in/scholarship/ (link would be opened from 28.12.2017)
 Links for Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC)
 2018 Commonwealth Scholarship terms and conditions:
Master’s:
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/terms-conditionsmasters-scholarships-2018.pdf
PhD:
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/terms-conditions-phdscholarships-low-middle-income-countries-2018.pdf
 The list of UK universities:
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/uk-universities/part-funding/
 Details of the CSC’s selection criteria:
Master’s:
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/selection-criteriamasters-scholarships-2018.pdf
Ph.D.:
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/selection-criteria-phdscholarships-low-middle-income-countries-2018.pdf
Guidelines for applying in the Electronic Application System (EAS application) on
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission(CSC) site:
Master’s: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/eas-guidemasters-scholarships.pdf
Ph.D.: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/eas-guide-phdscholarships-low-middle-income-countries.pdf
 For applying to Electronic Application System(EAS) on CSC :
https://csc.do-it-online.org.uk/csc/electronicapplicationsystem.htm.



Thursday, December 28, 2017

5 Day Funded Workshop on LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION & REVITALIZATION- 26th February to 2d March, 2018 , CIIL Mysore














CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF INDIAN LANGUAGES 
Scheme for Protection & Preservation of Endangered Languages 

At present several projects on documenting endangered languages are going on simultaneously in India and in most of these projects there is hardly any emphasis on revitalizing these endangered languages. Responding to this need for revitalization efforts the Scheme for Protection & Preservation of Endangered languages is organizing a 5 day workshop on Language Documentation and Revitalization. This workshop aims to inform and introduce its participants to different models of revitalization & their suitability, designing revitalization programs, community participation in documentation & revitalization, MTBMLE, challenges in developing orthography, training native speaker to record/document, dictionary preparation and use of technology for documentation. 

Invited Speakers

 Dr. Julia Sollabank SOAS, University of London, UK
Prof. Anita Abbi Hon. Director, Centre for Oral and Trilml Literature, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi 
Prof. Peter Austin SOAS, University of London, UK 
Dr. Sheeny Shah SOAS, University of London, UK 
Prof. P.K. Pandey JNU, New Delhi 
Prof. Minati Panda JNU, New Delhi











Interested scholars must f ill the prescribed form attached herewith and send us latest by 10th Jan. 2018. Since seats are limited, applicants have to forward the application forms with approved from their PhD supervisor/Haid of Department. Priority will be given to independent scholars/ doctoral & M.Phil. students/community people who are working in the areas relevant to the workshop theme. However, students enrolled in master degree programme in linguistics, and allied subjects may also apply. 
The Institute will reimburse 3AC fare to shortlisted participants and will also be provided with modest accommodation in the CIIL campus on prior request. 

This link below will give you access to the application form: 















Organizing Committee 
Prof. D.G. Rao Director, CIIL 
Prof. Umarani Pappuswamy Head, Centre for Language Documentation, CIIL Sujoy Sarkar Officer-in-charge, SPPEL 
Venue: 
Central Institute of Indian Languages Government of India, Manascigangotri Mysuru - 570 006 
Contact Information: sppelincharge.ciil@gmail.com

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

CFP: Anxiety and Authority in South Asia- 6th-7th April 2018-Princeton South Asia Conference. New Jersey, United States















Concept Note:
From fears of an imminent environmental crisis to pervasive concerns about security, we seem to be living in an age in which anxiety has permeated public discourse on an unprecedented scale.  While the intensity and scope of many contemporary fears might be new, recent scholarship has shown that anxiety -- broadly understood as fear without a definite object -- has been a longstanding feature of political life. No longer regarded as a purely private experience, anxiety has come to be recognized as an affective state that has shaped not only state policies but political subjectivities themselves.  Through their focus on anxiety, recent studies in disciplines across the humanities and social sciences have revealed the inadequacy of accounts that have viewed politics and the state purely through the prism of reason and rationality. In the context of South Asia, such studies have shown the extent to which the rule of the colonial and post colonial states has been marked by apprehensions emanating from epistemic and ontological uncertainties that have contributed to frequent slippages between the ordinary and extraordinary powers of the state. At a time when a politics of anxiety appears to have led to a surge in populism across the world, this conference invites applicants to probe anxiety as a public phenomenon in South Asia in both historical and contemporary contexts.

















The seventh annual Princeton South Asia Conference will bring together early career scholars (advanced graduate students and junior faculty) across disciplines that engage with South Asia. In keeping with the theme of the conference, we invite papers that engage with South Asia in a broad sense, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Nepal, the Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar or Burma, India, and transnational and diasporic spaces.

Papers may engage, but need not limit themselves to, any of the following topics related to the conference theme:

  • Empire and Colonial Difference
  • Movement and Migration
  • Gender, Caste and Social Hierarchies
  • Tradition and Modernity
  • Propaganda and Mass Media
  • The environmental crisis
  • Finance and Speculation
  • Identity and Culture
  • Science and Development
  • Infrastructure and Urban Crisis



















The event will be held on April 6-7, 2018 in Princeton, NJ. For more details please visit https://southasiaworkshop.wordpress.com
Questions can be directed to princeton.sas2018@gmail.com.

Please submit proposals at https://goo.gl/G48oEG by January 5, 2018. Proposals should include a title, a 250-word abstract, institutional affiliation, and contact information. 

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Call For Publications: Studies in South Asian Film and Media- Intellect Books and Journals














Call For Publications:

We invite contributions from scholars, researchers and practitioners of South Asian film and media. Possible areas include but are not limited to:



  • Film and Media as social history.
  • Feminist analysis and theory in film/media studies and practice
  • Class, caste, and sexuality: The politics of subalterneity and marginalization in film/media studies.
  • Contemporary media/ documentary and the public sphere. Interviews with documentary film makers.
  • Global media consumer culture and labor in the cultural industries.
  • News, citizenship, democracy, and the neo-liberal restructuring of media industry.
  • Nationalism and Regional cinema in the context of neo-liberalism.
  • Globalization/Diaspora/ South Asian representation.
  • Cinema and the other arts. 
  • Contemporary arts practices, cinema, and visual culture.












Submission Guidelines

Articles should be between 6,000 – 8,000 words in length. Please note that articles should be original and not be under consideration by any other publication. For detailed submission instructions please click here

SAFM also, welcomes shorter pieces that are either creative or analytical (between 1,000 – 4,000 words) as well as visual material. All initial enquiries should be sent to the editors at aaj.safm@gmail.com.













Contact Info: 
Aarti Wani (Lead Editor)
Contact Email: aaj.safm@gmail.com

Call For Papers : English Forum: Journal of the Department of English, Gauhati University













CALL FOR PAPERS.
                English Forum: Journal of the Department of English, Gauhati University, invites original and well- researched papers for its 2018 Issue. The journal which is published annually invites scholars to contribute papers on English Literature, other literatures in English, and texts from various cultures translated into English. Texts are never produced in a vacuum and the understanding of any text entails the discovery of numerous themes/issues that are germane to its production. Moreover texts are also read and understood in a variegated environment provoking multiple readings.  Hence the Journal seeks papers which may situate texts in an interdisciplinary framework, point out their dialogue with the social, cultural and historical conditions of their production and grapple with ideas like representation, identity, subjectivity, nationhood, gender, culture, etc.











                English Forum: Journal of the Department of English, Gauhati University, which has been in circulation since 1996, is a peer-reviewed, UGC approved and indexed journal. 

All papers submit for publications undergo a two-tier process of screening. Initially all submissions are screened by the editorial board after which selected papers are sent for blind peer review. Only those whose papers have been selected are intimated with regard to any changes or modifications sought by the reviewer. No other correspondence is initiated by the journal with authors whose papers have not been selected.

 All submissions to the journal must be between 5000 and 8000 words, conform to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition) and endnotes, when used, should be entered manually and not with the automatic Notes and References insertion function of MS Word. 
Articles sent to English Forum should not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. 
Book reviews are also welcome, but they should have the necessary publication details and should not exceed 2000 words.  
All papers submitted for consideration will be scanned for plagiarized materials.
All contributions should be mailed to lalankishoresingh@gmail.com by March 30, 2018.














Contact Info: 
Editor: Lalan Kishore Singh
Department of English, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bardoloi Nagar, Jalukbari, Guwahati-781014

Contact Email: 



Friday, December 15, 2017

ICSSR Funded Workshop on: “Doing Ambedkarism Today: Issues of Caste, Gender, and Community” -19- 22 February 2018,CSSSC, Calcutta.







The Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC), is organizing a workshop on the above mentioned theme sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, for research orientation programmes intended exclusively for researchers from Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) backgrounds, from 19-22 February 2018.









Concept Note on the Workshop

In a poll conducted in 2012, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was voted as the greatest Indian. The inspiration for several Dalit and backward caste parties and movements across India, Ambedkar is seen as a political figure that is simultaneously divisive and unifying. Whether they subscribe to his ideals or not, all major parties are compelled to pay obeisance to this icon. Over the past few decades, excellent academic and theoretical contributions have been made regarding the study of Ambedkar’s thoughts. Yet, as it is with any great thinker, there is still a need to expand Ambedkar beyond conventional readings.

How do we read Ambedkar today? How would Ambedkar want himself to be read and applied today? What are the kinds of political forces which seek to appropriate Ambedkar now and why? What are the new trends and tactics of Dalit assertion? What are the critiques that Ambedkarism and feminism pose to each other? What stake do women have in the present debates on Ambedkarism? Does it make sense to talk about unity among oppressed groups in a caste order? How does Ambedkarism engage with the emergence of other identities and contestations? How do we understand the responses of the so-called upper-castes to Ambedkarite scholarship and politics? How do equations of nationalism, region, and language play today and how to make sense of these from an Ambedkarite perspective? Is conversion an option for those who want to reject the caste order? How can Ambedkarite perspectives inform our debates on counting castes and tribes and categorizing them? Can a capitalist economy provide adequate representation for the marginalized? Has modernity exhausted itself?

The workshop invites applications from students and researchers of SC/ST backgrounds who are currently enrolled in an M Phil or PhD programme or engaged in post-doctoral research. The proposals for papers are expected to address the broad theme the questions that are laid out in the concept note. The workshop is intended to give young researchers an opportunity to share their work with the faculty of the CSSSC and other established and upcoming scholars in the field. The morning session of each day will be devoted to presentations of academics each of which will address a specific topic of significant relevance to the theme, contributing to a critical understanding of Indian politics, society, and history. The afternoon sessions are for participant presentations on pre-circulated papers. Participants will be given twenty minutes for their papers, followed by an interactive session.











Travel & Assistance

CSSSC will bear the expenses of AC three-tier rail travel, accommodation (on twin sharing basis) and food in Calcutta for all selected candidates. Priority will be given to women applicants.

Those wishing to participate in the workshop may apply with their current CV, indicating their current academic affiliation, educational qualifications and mailing address and email IDs. Applications must include a summary (500 - 750 words in Word file doc, .docx, .rtf) of the paper they intend to present at the workshop. It is also compulsory to include a scanned copy of the community certificate clearly indicating the category of the participant, i.e. SC or ST.

Application forms for the workshop are available for download on the CSSSC website.

E-mail applications must reach the organizers latest by 31st December 2017 at: cssscworkshop2018@gmail.com

Selected participants will be contacted at the latest by mid-January 2018 and first drafts of papers are expected by 10 February 2018.












For More Details:
https://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9251:call-for-papers-doing-ambedkarism-today-issues-of-caste-gender-and-community&catid=129:events-and-activism&Itemid=195

Two-day Faculty Development Workshop on TEACHING ENGLISH WITH TECHNOLOGY 24 & 25 January, 2018 | 9 am – 4.30 pm Research Department of English St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu













Concept Note:

The unprecedented development of technology has certainly influenced English language education. The web 2.0 has revolutionized pedagogy, roles of learners, teachers, parents, and policy makers, teaching tools, learning materials, teaching and learning strategies, etc. This dramatic change has thus disrupted the conventional system of teaching and learning English. However, English language teachers are not yet fully prepared to meet the challenges in preparing the Generation Z learners for their future careers that have not yet been created. The Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2012, is growing up in a world that is entirely different from what their parents and teachers grew up in. They are constantly on smart devices. They text instead of calling; they tweet; they instagram; they whatsapp; and they even design their own apps. On the contrary, their teachers lecture, use only blackboards, and expect learners to write elaborately in exams. 


Therefore, this faculty development workshop attempts to bridge this wide gap by familiarizing the participating teachers with the web tools that help them

  • to develop course sites with multimedia resources,
  • to set up discussion forums for engaging learners in creating new knowledge, and
  • to conduct formative assessment to help learners check their learning.
  • to develop course sites with multimedia resources,
  • to set up discussion forums for engaging learners in creating new knowledge, and
  • to conduct formative assessment to help learners check their learning.

Web Tools
The participants will be trained in the following web tools: 
  1. Kahoot
  2. Edmodo
  3. Plickers
  4. Nearpod
  5. Google Sites
  6. Google Drive
  7. Google Docs
  8. Google Forms
  9. Google Sheets
  10. Google Slides
  11. Whatsapp Groups and Broadcasts









Who can participate?

English language teachers (both Arts and Science and Engineering colleges)
Teacher educators from B.Ed colleges
Ph.D. research scholars



Benefits:


Hands-on training in using technology for learning and teaching
Take-home ideas for using technology in classrooms
Training manuals on web 2.0 tools
Network of teachers interested in educational technology


How to Register?

Registration fee is Rs 1000 per participant. Registration is restricted to only 40 participants on first come first served basis. Registration is done online. To register

Visit https://sites.google.com/view/tewt 

Fill-in your details in the online registration form on or before 05.01.2018

Print the filled-in registration form sent to you by email

Pay the registration fee. Either draw a demand draft in favour of The Principal, St. Joseph's College payable at Tiruchirappalli or pay through internet banking [Account Name - ; Account Number - ; IFSC Code - ; Bank, Branch - ; Branch Code- ]
Send the printed registration form along with the DD or the acknowledgement slip for online transfer to The Head, Department of English, St. Joseph's College, Trichy 620002 on or before 10.01.2018.



Trainers


Dr M. S. Xavier Pradheep Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of English
St. Joseph's College (Autonomous)
Tiruchirappalli


For Registration

Dr M. S. Xavier Pradheep Singh
Assistant Professor,
Department of English,
St. Joseph's College (Autonomous),
Tiruchirappalli, India
Email: pradheepxing@gmail.com
Call / Whatsapp: 8220777313



Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Call for Papers on Literature and the Mystical Foundations of Authority-UGC-SAP-DSA-I sponsored National Young Researchers’ Conference 2017 22-23 February 2018; JNU, New Delhi.













‘No, you don’t understand,’ the Knight said, looking a little vexed. ‘That’s what the name is called. The name really is “The Aged Aged Man.”’
‘Then I ought to have said “That’s what the song is called”?’ Alice corrected herself.
‘No, you oughtn’t: that’s quite another thing! The song is called “Ways and Means”: but that’s only what it’s called, you know!’
—Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass



Concept Note:

The White Knight’s formula, which is characterized by Giorgio Agamben as ‘the name of the name is not the name’ sums up the problem of the mystical and ineffable in language. Is it possible in language to express the very fact of the existence of language? The ineffability that all mystical literature essentially discloses is the unnameable opening that must precede language. Walter Benjamin, in a letter to Martin Buber, admits that he ‘can understand writing as such as poetic, prophetic, objective in terms of its effect, but in any case only as magical, that is as un-mediated’. Poetry and prophecy alone are capable of the ‘purest disclosure of language’s dignity and nature’. If literature as such has a relation to the mystical, not through its transmitted content but as pure disclosure, the study of its effectiveness must be channelled through certain critical considerations which this conference will try to outline. 

Contemporary religious discourse in the Indian subcontinent assumes a monopoly over the mystical but in most cases only to legitimize power. The discourse of godmen and saints is almost always willingly co-opted by the state. Literature, on the other hand, now more than ever, is under attack and censorship, usually in the name of ‘hurting religious sentiments’. In a world where censorship has become commonplace, both by state and religious authorities, it is crucial to ask what exactly is the nature of the threat art poses to power? How are we to understand the contemporary prevalence of censorship as rooted in a conflict over the provenance of the mystical?



Stephen Mallarme once wrote that ‘nothing takes place but the place’. Only the work of poets, writers and mystics, is able to bring about the manifestation of language as the space on which the political can be founded. Can the existence of state power and control over literature thought to be premised on a complicated relationship of jealousy, rivalry, dominance, and subservience? In Indian history we have stories of Sufi saints like Baba Shah Palangposh in the seventeenth century whose miraculous powers and knowledge of the ghaib or the unseen was used to prop up the military campaigns of various sultans and satraps in the Deccan. As Azfar Moin has pointed out in his book The Millennial Sovereign, the Mughal Emperors relied on Sufi saints of various orders, like the Nakshbandis and the Chishtis, to legitimize their rule. Even today, godmen and saints play a vital role in propping up political parties and solidifying vote banks. How does their mystical and spiritual appeal translate itself into the political? Can the ever-expanding corpus of what Srinivas Aravamudan called ‘Guru English’ be considered as a form of the literary utilized by such godmen to propagate their creeds and sell their products?

The triumphant return of the mystical can be seen in popular culture’s fascination with the elaborate mythologies of cinematic franchises like The Avengers among others. Can the popularity of such a hyper-technologized cinema be reconciled with its various mystical elements? The relation of the mystical to violence, law, and even technology is also what we wish to consider in this conference. What needs to be proposed are concepts of art and literature which do not merely subvert an existent authority. Rather, literature has to be thought as the provenance of the mystical and thus authority’s inaccessible ground. Can a critique of power be developed which proceeds from this perspective? This conference thus invites papers that engage with the mystical disclosure of literature and art from India and the rest of the world. Our aim is to open up, in a critical and rigorous way, the questions of ineffability, violence, law, language, and sovereignty. We invite papers on mystical texts, esoteric and religious works, popular religious literature, and any other texts which engage with the problems we have outlined above.
















Papers can include but not be restricted to the following themes:
• Modern interpretations, adaptations or translations of Sufi and Bhakti texts
• Popular religious literature 
• Problems of censorship and laws protecting religious sentiments
• Questions of sovereignty and political repression of literary texts
• Mystical elements in literary texts
• Scientism and pseudo-scientism in religious discourses
• Esoteric and occult practices or texts
• Discourses surrounding madness and insanity
• ‘Guru English’
• Messianic and pseudo-messianic discourses
• The space of literature and the role of the university
• Secularism and its discontents
• Subaltern mystical and occult practices
• Superstition and the magical
• Cinema and the technological mystical



Abstracts: of not more than 300 words, along with a brief bio (100 words) of the presenter, must be emailed to the conference coordinators at ces.sap.ugc@gmail.com. Please write ‘NYRC 2018 Abstract’ in the subject heading of the e-mail while sending the abstract.



Important Dates:
Last date of submission of abstract: 5 January 2018
Notification of acceptance of abstract: 10 January 2018
Last date of submission of full paper: 5 February 2018



















Note:
Participants must be registered MPhil/PhD candidates at a recognized university, postdoctoral fellows, young career academics, or independent researchers. Unfortunately, BA/MA students cannot present papers in this conference.
Accommodation for outstation candidates (on a twin-sharing basis) will be arranged and paid for by the organizers from 21–24 February 2018. 

Outstation participants will be provided a travel allowance based on return railway Sleeper Class fare between their point of origin and New Delhi, or actual fare incurred, whichever is less, irrespective of whether the participant has travelled by air, or by a higher class in rail. Please note that, if the travel has been conducted by rail, for reimbursement the tickets must have been booked directly from the IRCTC website or the railway counter, and no rail tickets booked from an intermediate site or through a travel agency will be reimbursed. The participants must provide copies of their tickets (and boarding passes, if the journey is conducted by air) for reimbursement. 

• Queries can be addressed to the Conference coordinators at ces.sap.ugc@gmail.com