Panjab University rekindled spirit of international academic deliberation 

Chandigarh, March 29, 2022: After the hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Panjab University (Chandigarh) rekindled the spirit of international academic deliberation by organising the International Seminar on ‘Right to Vote: Changing Contours of Democracy’ today. 

The seminar was organised under the aegis of the Centre for Constitution & Public Policy, University Institute of Legal Studies, P.U., and sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Chandigarh. Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.G. Masih (Judge, Punjab & Haryana High Court) was the Chief Guest. Keynote address was delivered by Senior Adv. Prof. (Dr.) Balram K. Gupta (Director, Chandigarh Judicial Academy. Chief Patron – Prof. (Dr.) Raj Kumar (Vice-Chancellor, P.U.) presided over the session. Prof. (Dr.) Rajinder Kaur (Director, UILS) welcomed the participants to the inaugural session in the presence of Prof. Rattan Singh, Prof. (Dr.) Shruti Bedi and Dr. Negi. Prof. Raj Kumar addressed the participants by emphasizing the inseparable relationship between rights and duties. This was followed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.G. Masih’s thought-provoking address, as his lordship highlighted the significance of examining the idea of responsible, judicious, and compulsory voting in light of NOTA. In his characteristically learned style, Senior Adv. (Dr.) Balram K. Gupta delivered the keynote address by painting a dynamic landscape of the seminar’s theme at the intersection of constitutional morality and the limitless possibilities of electoral transformation.

The seminar involved more than seven sessions of academic analysis of research papers submitted for consideration, which engaged speakers not just from the length and breadth of the country, but also embraced Prof. Sebastien Lafrance (Crown Prosecutor, Canada; Adjunct Lecturer, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Vietnam), Dr. Amira Paripurna (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia), and Dr. Le Duy (Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Vietnam). The event concluded after a fruitful day of intensive intellectual dynamism, only made possible with the collective effort of the Organising Committee and unwavering support of the university administration.