The Political Science Department of SAI is pleased to invite you to the Book Talk titled "The Unfinished Quest: India´s Search for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi", with the special participation of Prof. Dr. T.V. Paul. The lecture will take place in the CATS Lecture Hall on Monday, July 22nd 2024, starting from 02:15 p.m.

India’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest growing economies has attracted international attention. Growing tensions between China and the US are contributing to India’s growing significance as an international player, with a pivotal role in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, the dominance of Hindu-nationalist politics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi together with his efforts to establish India as a leading global power evoke global interest. In this context, the impact of India’s changing international status on domestic contestation and electoral fairness has not received much scholarly attention. In his lecture, T.V. Paul will use data from three decades about India’s economic and military growth to assess the country’s achievements and shortcomings in comparison with others, especially China.

T.V. Paul is distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He served as the President of the International Studies Association (ISA) in 2016-17. He is the founding director of the Global Research Network on Peaceful Change (GRENPEC) and the author or editor of 24 books and over 80 scholarly works in the fields of IR, International Security, and South Asia.

On 23 of May 2024 the Independent Panel for Monitoring Indian Elections published the second interim report called "Election Integrity Compromised: Why Election Authorities Must Change Course to Save Indian Democracy". The Independent Panel for Monitoring Indian Elections was constituted to engage with concerns expressed by citizens’ groups seeking to ensure free, fair and genuine General Election (GE) 2024 in India. The panel consists of Prof. Neera Chandhoke, Dr. Thomas Daffern, Mr. Sakhawat Hossain, Dr. Harish Karnick, Dr. Sebastian Morris and Prof. Rahul Mukherji, Head of the Political Science Department of SAI. You can get more information and download the complete report here.