Fifth Chandigarh Social Science Congress started today at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh.

          The prestigious conference is being organised on the theme of 'Governance: Issues, Challenges and Strategies with reference to India'. PU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Arun Kumar Grover inaugurated it at the PU Law Auditorium. Former PU VC Prof. MM Puri gave the presidential remarks and PU Fellow Prof. Ronki Ram delivered the key note address at the inaugural function. The two day conference would discuss and deliberate about vital issues of equity including gender equity, transparency, participation, responsiveness, accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights.

          Addressing the inaugural session, PU VC, Prof. Grover called for evolving some viable model of governance for the India of 21^st century. He said that if India with its diversity, aspirations, challenges posed by its complexity and 1/6 of the world’s population could be governed well and optimally it would provide a roadmap for the rest of the world. He referred to the technological developments that have been effected in India, during the past decade as signs of how the competitive polity has resulted in giving solutions for communication, transactions, commerce and production. He referred to a meeting in which it was said that in the academic community in Delhi, being at the center stage of the power and politics certain key issues do not get discussed with rigour that is needed. Chandigarh being at some distance is strategically enabled to bring more objectivity to debates and PU has taken up the responsibility through CHASSCONG to address and even effect a shift in social science debate.

          In his Presidential remarks former PU VC, Prof. MM Puri brought to the attention the pressing problem of Climate change and its effects on life, groups, and areas. He emphasized the need to study the accelerated climate changes brought about by artificially or by human activity – he reminded that we need to bear in mind the real factum that seismic changes have effects on how societies organize themselves. He suggested that Governance is not only called upon to taming – but to converting the climate change to the advantages of societies, we need to evolve means and methods to convert to our advantage these unforeseen changes.

          Chief Coordinator of CHASSCONG-5 Prof. Ronki Ram delivered the keynote address of the morning. He traced the history of the Governance: that with formalizations of legal issues – identities were given materiality, governance came into being. Identities are not empty but confront with each other. Similarly, governance is also an amorphous phenomenon. What confronts us is a vital question – do we need governance at this level? We must remember that nothing is individual, only deceit is individual and Social scientists never work in isolation. Hence Governance takes on the same route – active participation of people, self governance being the key.

          Prof. Jitendra Mohan spoke about the contextual shifts, figuring out multidisciplinary innovation and clarity which can only be brought about by cultivating a culture of excellence.

          Prof Emeritus Bhupinder Brar, in an astute summing up, outlined how governance was a matter which emerged via historical production. Historical exigencies led to ideological politics giving way to governance where State had to withdraw and let civil society and market forces take over. However much later Governance became a matter of the self driven society – depoliticizing governance became the mainstay. In the present day India, there is a mood for return to the state. He quoted the statistics collected by Prof. Neera Chnadoke which clearly established that average citizen expects nothing from corporate or the NGO Sectors – it is the state that Indians want  to deliver and govern.

          Coordinator of the CHASSCONG, Dr. Swanrjit Kaur gave the formal vote of thanks to the dignitaries, visitors, with a special mention to the delegation from Afghanistan.

          Professor Emeritus History, Dr. Indu Banga was felicitated on this occasion by the VC and Prof. Ronki Ram.