National Seminar on 'Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Philosophical Legacy & India's Quest for Social Justice’

Chandigarh, February 7, 2025: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre, Panjab University today organised a National Seminar on 'Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Philosophical Legacy & India's Quest for Social Justice’. 

Professor Vidhu Verma of the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi delivered the Keynote Address and Sardar Harbhajan Singh, Cabinet Minister in the Government of Punjab was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the seminar. The seminar was sponsored by the ICSSR.. 

Professor Vidhu Verma argued that Ambedkar's approach to social justice had a profound impact on the development of legal and political structures as well as the intellectual and social movements in postcolonial India. She elaborated on the key components of Ambedkar's theory of social justice and showed how recent academic engagements with the concept of caste and marginalisation by subaltern communities and groups across the world drew on the Ambedkarite framework. 

Punjab Minister Sardar Harbhajan Singh spoke of Ambedkar's contributions to the key aspects of the Indian Constitution including the provisions regarding fundamental rights and the federal structure of the political system. The Minister also sanctioned a sum of Rs. 1 Lakh to the Centre for books and infrastructure and assured continued financial support in the future.

Earlier, Professor Navjot, the Co-ordinator of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre introduced the theme of the seminar and underscored the importance of engaging with Ambedkar's philosophical legacy and its implications for state policy and social reform for contemporary India. 

Professor Rumina Sethi, DUI, delivered the Inaugural Address, Professor Upasana Joshi, Director, ICSSR NorthWest Centre was the Guest of Honour and Professor Bhupinder Brar presided over the session.

This session was followed by a panel discussion featuring Professors Kuldip Singh, Rattan Singh, Manvinder Kaur and Latika Sharma and Mr. Keshav Hingonia, Special Secretary, Social Security and Women & Child Development Department, Goverment of Punjab. 

This was followed by parallel technical sessions (in both offline and online mode) in which researchers from different universities presented papers on the different sub-themes of the seminar. Professor Ronki Ram, Shheed Bhagat Singh Chair Professor, Department of Political Science, Panjab University delivered the Valedictory Address at the concluding session of the seminar. Professor Simrit Kahlon delivered the Presidential Address and Professor Emanuel Nahar chaired the session.