Page 4 - ICWA Newsletter English April-June 2021
P. 4
INDIAN COUNCIL SAPRU HOUSE
OF WORLD AFFAIRS
During the discussion, it was on the other, indicates the power
mentioned that the book written struggle amongst the ruling elites.
in Hindi is an asset as it attempts The book systematically looks into
to fill a gap in the availability of three aspects of the constitutional
literature on an important theme. process in the country: conflict
The book provides the theoretical between different set of values and
framework and historical norms (tussle between feudalist/
background of Nepal in terms authoritarian and democratic
of polity, society and economy. forces); the power-struggle between
It also throws light on political different political and social
conditions, evolution and demise forces; and the role of India in the
of all constitutions until 2015. A constitutional process, perceptions and preferences
total of seven constitutions were of Nepalese political forces towards India and
made between 1948 and 2015. This vice versa. For India, political priority has been to
repeated change in constitutions support the democratic forces in the constitutional
implies, on one hand, that people’s process. The discussion took note of recent political
aspirations have not been met and, developments in Nepal.
Online Book Launch and Discussion on
'Status of European Integration: Possible Trajectory'
by Prof. Purusottam Bhattacharya
09 April 2021
The ICWA organised a Book Launch & existential crisis? How will it respond to changes?
ADiscussion on its latest publication ‘Status The author has done a stocktaking of what has been
of European Integration Possible Trajectory” by achieved by assessing the success of the European
the late Prof. Purusottam Bhattacharya (ICWA; project, how it has welcomed newer Member States,
Macmillan) on April 9, 2021. The session was chaired expanded its boundaries of integration. He also
by Krishnan Srinivasan, Former Foreign Secretary takes a critical look at integration, ups and downs,
of India. The book was presented by Dr. Ankita compromises while assessing the major challenges
Dutta, Research Fellow ICWA due to the unfortunate faced by the EU, namely Brexit, transnational v/s
demise of the author in March 2020. The panelists national identity, sovereign debt
were Prof. Anindya Jyoti Majumdar, Department crisis, migration, climate change.
of International Relations, Jadavpur University, It was discussed how for India,
Kolkata, Prof. Shibashish Chatterjee, Professor, the EU is both a challenge and an
Department of International Relations and opportunity. Problems within the
Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University, Noida EU are growing as it faces resistance
and Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva, from migrants, difficulties passing
Centre for European Studies, budget, mismanagement of Brexit,
Jawaharlal Nehru University. etc. India-EU ties have grown and
this relationship has gone beyond
During the discussion, it was economic issues. This makes a
pointed out that the book provides fine understanding of EU politics
an overview of where European necessary, which the book facilitates.
integration currently stands and It was mentioned that the book is
attempts to answer some of the not a product of the last 2-3 years of
fundamental questions of the the author’s research but a lifetime of
time—does the EU suffer from an his work on Europe.
ISSUE : 25 | APRIL-JUNE 2021 4
