Student Paper Presentation Conference on Constituting Independence: Tracing how India’s Constitution has defined Independence since 1947

Published On: 23 Jul 2025

Organizer: The Nehru Centre in collaboration with Nehru Dialogues

Details of the Conference

TNC invites young scholars to discover, dissect and study various processes related to the making and functioning of the constitution in historical and contemporary terms and engage with the ways in which it has sustained a culture of and a progressive model of politics and society, with an emphasis on the active role played by politicians, administrators, judges, activists and ordinary citizens alike in their various dealings with the supreme law of the land. They are encouraged to look into the critical questions enveloping its writing and formulation, defining moments of its evolution whether through legislative or judicial means and the various challenges its core values have faced over its long history.

Sub theme suggestions (applicants may select any topics beyond the suggestions that are relevant to the theme of the conference)

1. Exploring diverse movements and voices within India’s fight for independence
2. Examining differing ideas of what a free India should be among various leaders and movements
3. Continuities between trends in the Nationalist movement and significant themes in the constituent assembly debates
4. Salient contentions in the course of the constituent assembly debates
5. Examining how freedom, liberty, equality, and justice were negotiated in the Constituent Assembly and in independent India
6. Understanding the idea of universal franchise and its significance
7. Examining the basic structure of the Constitution
8. Exploring the relationship between the individual and the community
9. Tracing the evolution of the concept of rights
10. Issues surrounding prominent amendments and judicial decisions in the post-Independence era
11. Freedom and Caste Consciousness: What did independence entail for the longstanding problem of caste

Guidelines for submission:

Abstracts along with a short bio have to be mailed to thenehrucentre.india@gmail.com by 5th August (word limit: 300 words) with the subject line ‘Abstract Submission: Student Conference’.

Following review by the team at TNC, applicants will be notified about whether their abstract has been selected alongside detailed guidelines regarding the submission of the written paper and the presentation event. Selected papers will be presented at the conference to a panel of academics. Further details will be conveyed as and when necessary.