Monsoon School on Inequality 2024

Overview

The Monsoon School on Inequality, set to be one of the highlight events of the Inequality Working Group (IWG) for 2024, is an initiative designed to address socio-economic and educational disparities in India through a series of engaging and insightful activities. The event aims to provide a platform for young scholars, particularly undergraduates, masters, and PhD students, to engage with and understand the complexities of economic inequality from various academic perspectives and real-world applications.

Why Participate?

Participants will gain a multifaceted understanding of economic inequality, exploring this pressing issue through diverse lenses including education, gender, caste, socio-cultural dynamics, and policy changes. This is a unique opportunity to interact with leading scholars and policy experts, gain practical skills, and contribute to an ongoing dialogue about creating more equitable economic structures.

Themes and Sessions

1. Economics of Inequality:  The session will explore economic inequality through the historical and theoretical perspectives of different schools of thought.
2. Panel Discussion: This session, which will feature academicians and professors from both mainstream and heterodoxy, will explore the intersections of gender, caste, and sociocultural issues.
3. Economics Education in India: Intended to cover the landscape of economics education in the country given the changing dynamics.
4. India’s Economic Journey: A storytelling session, focusing on the historical and contemporary economic developments in India’s political economy.
5. Policy Changes and Climate Challenge: This session will discuss the evolving dimensions of policy related to climate change.
6. Data Workshop: This practical workshop will introduce participants to important inequality datasets, covering aspects from data extraction to basic data analysis.
7. Skills Workshop: A hands-on session on essential skills for young academics, including LaTeX, CV preparation, proposal writing, and graphing.

Additional Activities:

Poster Presentation: Young students will have the opportunity to present their research during lunch/high tea recesses.

YSI Session: An introduction to the activities and opportunities provided by the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI).

Eligibility:

Registered bachelor, masters and doctoral students in Indian colleges, universities or institutes. Preference will be given for applicants who are new to YSI’s events.

Selection:

Preference will be given to students and scholars with low exposure to academia and research. A set of spots are reserved for candidates selected for poster presentation. So we strongly suggest to upload your research idea through a small poster format. If you have never attended any events at YSI  before, then this is a good opportunity to get through. Fill the application form with utmost priority.

Financial Support:

All selected scholars and participants will be provided accommodation and travel stipend equivalent to III tier AC train. Tickets and boarding passes (in case of flight tickets) should be shared with us for reimbursement.

Host and Collaboration

This special event organized by IWG-YSI will be hosted at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram Campus, with the institution providing logistical support, accommodation for attendees and other support. Jointly supported by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) and Economiga (the local organizer) in organizing this event. 

Key takeaways

Participants will not only gain immediate insights and skills but will also become part of an ongoing effort to tackle economic inequality. The connections made here can lead to future collaborations and continued engagement through platforms like YSI.

By attending the Monsoon School on Inequality, participants will leave better equipped to contribute to discussions on inequality, possess enhanced research skills, and hold a deeper understanding of the socio-economic challenges facing India and the world today. This initiative is not just about learning but also about creating agents of change who can influence both policy and public perception towards a more equitable society.