The Director of the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Bharathidasan University (BDU), K. Raja Mohan, represented Indian academia as a special invitee in a conference organized by UNESCO in Paris recently.
At the conference titled ‘Measuring Social Public Policies: Inclusiveness and Impact’, organized in the context of the UNESCO’s Management of Social transformations (MOST) Programme to articulate recommendations on refining methodologies for assessing public policies from the perspective of social inclusion for further nurturing effective research-policy linkages, Prof. Raja Mohan dwelt on the centuries-old hierarchical nature of Indian society and the persistence of extreme forms of discrimination and exclusion in Indian society even 60 years after India became a Republic.
He identified the fault lines in governance and policy formulations in India’s failure for overcoming discrimination and exclusion and changing India into an inclusive democratic society as envisaged by the framers of the Indian Constitution, while suggesting measures to bridge the fault lines. He also highlighted the importance of the Centers for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy established by the University Grants Commission under the 11th Plan in 33 universities as part of Government of India’s commitment towards developing inclusive growth and inclusive society.
The conference was inaugurated by Pilar Alvarez-Lasome, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO. Angela Melo, Director, Sector for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO, delivered the valedictory address.
