Why is the female literacy rate in India much lower than the national average? Who bears the brunt of housing shortage in the country? Why are there more Muslims and Dalits in jails?
Behind such difficult questions, lies the reality that government policies, programmes and laws often function in ways that exclude the most marginalized and vulnerable members of our society. Join us for a discussion with Kiran Bhatty, Gautam Bhan and Harsh Mander on the role that the government (and society) can play in ensuring inclusive growth for disadvantaged groups in India. The participants are all contributors in the India Exclusion Report 2013-14, to be released on 25th June 2014. For more details, read here. The hangout will be moderated by Anjilee Istwal.
Kiran Bhatty is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in New Delhi and is currently working on governance issues in elementary education through action research and policy. Her work is aimed at developing systems of transparency, accountability and community monitoring in education. Prior to joining CPR, she was the National Coordinator for RTE at the NCPCR, mandated to monitor the RTE Act. Kiran has also worked as an Education specialist at UNICEF and on several research projects such as the PROBE report on Basic Education and the FOCUS report on early childhood care. She is also involved with various civil society initiatives such as the Right to Food Campaign, National Campaign for People’s Right to Information and the Indian Association of Women Studies.
Gautam Bhan is a Senior Consultant at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) in Bangalore. He works on the politics of poverty, inequality and development in Indian cities with a focus on housing, social security, governance and urban and planning theory. Gautam co-anchors on-going research at IIHS on ‘Reframing Urban Inclusion’ and has extensive experience in advising public institutions, including providing inputs to the Rajiv Awas Yojana and the New Delhi Municipal Act. He is the co-author of ‘Swept off the Map: Surviving Eviction and Resettlement in Delhi’. Gautam is also an active part of urban social movements as well as a frequent columnist and writer in diverse media.
Harsh Mander is the Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food case and the Director of Centre for Equity Studies (CES) in New Delhi. As a Member of India’s National Advisory Council from June 2010-12, he convened the working groups for a number of important social issues, including the Food Security and Land Acquisition bills. His books include ‘Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives’, ‘The Ripped Chest: Public Policy and the Poor in India’, ‘Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre’, ‘Fractured Freedom: Chronicles from India’s Margins’ and ‘Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger’. He writes regular columns for The Hindu, Hindustan Times and Mint.
Anjilee Istwal is an award winning senior television journalist and anchor with over 13 years of experience. Currently working with NDTV as Associate Editor, she anchors a popular show on real estate and urban issues. Anjilee has worked with India’s other leading channels like Aaj Tak and Zee News. She has covered multiple issues related to the environment, education, health, legal, lifestyle, technology and civil aviation.