Zoom registration at https://myumi.ch/4jqew

The talk will be based on my book project which examines the effects of rights-based welfare expansion in India on local governance and civic action through a comparison between two accountability systems in the state of Bihar; Social Audits and the Right to Public Grievance Redress Act. Based on extensive field research conducted across six districts, the book argues that the ritualization of interactions with citizens who have been historically marginalized, in rule-based settings, builds a new legal consciousness within the bureaucracy. The book shows how these new openings in the local state, which combine organic forms of mobilization with induced forms of participation and recognition of individual and collective claims, builds political capacities through its use, incentivizes collective action, and enlivens local democracy. In large part, these changes can be attributed to the role of state-sponsored but autonomous facilitation and transforming the conditions under which the state listens.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.