The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University, USA and Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), Chennai are jointly organising a PhD Workshop on ‘State, Citizenship and Mobilisations in Contemporary India’ on August 10th-11th, 2026 at NLSIU, Bengaluru.

About the Workshop

This interdisciplinary PhD Workshop for doctoral researchers will provide a dedicated space for engagement with contemporary questions concerning the state, citizenship, law, governance, and movements in India. The workshop welcomes projects that examine changing forms of governance and political authority; the evolving role of law, public institutions, and democratic processes, questions of citizenship, belonging, rights, and recognition and emerging forms of civic action and social and political mobilisation. The workshop is particularly interested in research that explores how power, identity, and political claims are produced and contested across different social, economic and geographical contexts.

The workshop is designed as an intensive interdisciplinary forum where doctoral researchers can develop their work through sustained engagement with leading scholars and practitioners from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. It aims to support participants in refining research questions, strengthening theoretical and methodological approaches, and navigating the intellectual and professional challenges of doctoral research. The workshop seeks to foster rigorous scholarship while encouraging participants to think beyond disciplinary boundaries and engage critically with the broader social and political contexts of their research.

The workshop is designed to be relevant to doctoral researchers at different stages of their PhD journey and to facilitate both faculty mentorship and peer learning. It consists of three core components:

Common Sessions
Common sessions bring together participants with invited scholars and practitioners to discuss key questions in contemporary social science research. These sessions will address topics such as research design, methodology, ethics, writing and publishing and interdisciplinary inquiry. They will also explore emerging debates, methods, and sources relevant to the study of contemporary India.

Student Presentations
Participants will be grouped into small thematic cohorts and will present their ongoing research for discussion and feedback. The workshop will accommodate students at different stages of doctoral research, including those refining research questions and those working towards dissertation completion. Faculty mentors and peers will provide detailed comments intended to strengthen participants’ projects.

Individual Faculty Mentoring
Participants will have opportunities for one on-one conversations with faculty mentors through dedicated mentoring sessions and office hours. These interactions are intended to provide focused feedback on research design, fieldwork, writing, publication strategies, and broader academic trajectories.

Beyond research-specific discussions, the workshop seeks to create a collegial environment in which doctoral researchers can reflect on the intellectual, practical, andpersonal dimensions of pursuing a PhD. It aims to foster a community of scholars engaged in collaborative learning, critical inquiry, and sustained dialogue across disciplines.

Workshop Agenda

Day 1 (10th August, Monday)

Day 2 (11th August, Tuesday)