The Department of Languages, Manipal University Jaipur organized a two-day International Conference (online) on Contemporary Issues in South Asian Literature and Culture Studies from 30-31 March 2021. The conference aimed at exploring the issues like racism, colonialism, gender discrimination and bias, hierarchy, identity, war and partition, trauma, cultural discourses portrayed in the writings, and aesthetics which thwart the upliftment and progression of South Asian developing nations. The critical responses received to such issues can be beneficial for the masses to embrace cultural hybridization, individuality, and globalization in place of conservatism.
Dr M.P. Poonia, Hon’ble Vice-Chairman, AICTE, Ministry of Education, New Delhi was invited as the Chief Guest and Mr Arvind Saraswat, Senior RAS, Special Assistant to Hon’ble Minister of Mines and Gopalan, Govt. Secretariat, Raj Bhavan, Jaipur was the Guest of Honour for the first Scopus indexed international conference in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Manipal University Jaipur. The Writer, Theorist, & Professor Emeritus, Prof. Bill Ashcroft, was invited as the Keynote Speaker. Prof. Ashcroft delivered the keynote address on “The Postcolonial Theory Today and South Asia”. He especially talked on the borders and boundaries with specific references to India. Prof. Alex Taek-Gwang Lee from Kyung Hee University, South Korea, Prof. Joff P N Bradley from Teikyo University, Japan, Prof. Gautam Basu Thakur, Director of Critical Theory, Boise State University, USA, Prof. Tarun Tapas Mukherjee, Editor, Rupkatha Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences and Chitrolekha Journal on Art & Design, and Prof. Somdatta Mandal from Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal , India were the eminent speakers in the plenary sessions.
A total of around 100 participants participated from all corners of the world. The inaugural session, three plenary sessions, nine parallel technical sessions and the valedictory session, scheduled in two days, witnessed more than 200 attendees, respectively in each session. The Best Paper Presentation awards were conferred to best presenters from each of the nine parallel technical sessions. Dr Tanuja Yadav, Dr Priyanka Chaudhary, & Dr Arpit Kothari were the Convener, the Organizing Secretary, and the Joint-Secretary of the conference, respectively. The conference was concluded with Head, Department of Languages, Dr Tanuja Yadav’s presentation of proceedings and expression of gratitude to all the participants and the organizing team for their active contribution to the conference.
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