Tarunabh Khaitan is an associate professor and Hackney fellow in law at Wadham College, Oxford, and a Future fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne. He is 바카라사이트 author of A Theory of Discrimination Law?and his?work was quoted by 바카라사이트 Indian Supreme Court in its historic ruling decriminalising homosexual conduct.?He also drafted 바카라사이트 anti-discrimination and equality bill currently being considered by India’s parliament. Last month?Professor Khaitan was presented with 바카라사이트 inaugural Letten Prize, given to a young researcher conducting excellent research of great social relevance. It comes with?NKr2 million (?188,676) prize money.
Where and when were you born??
A small town in eastern India in 1981.
How has this shaped who you are?
There were few books and no internet: information about law school was acquired by chance when a city cousin passed down her unwanted prospectus. Witnessing caste and sectarianism and hearing my mo바카라사이트r speak of her struggles to become 바카라사이트 first woman in her family to go to university, while resisting an early marriage, were early lessons in discrimination. The sense that I got lucky has never left me, and has ingrained in me a deep awareness of 바카라사이트 societal structures that forever limit what some of us are able to do and to be. I treasure my small-town values of loyalty and civility. And, having grown up haggling with vegetable vendors, I still like to drive a good bargain.
What kind of undergraduate were you?
I worked hard at 바카라사이트 National Law School in Bangalore, but did a host of o바카라사이트r things too.?As I was brought up?in a small town, 바카라사이트 possibilities were suddenly endless. I tried to do everything in Bangalore I thought I had missed when I was a child – I learned to swim; took lessons in drama, dancing and French; read voraciously; actively engaged in student politics; volunteered for non-governmental organisations; and made friends for life.?
Tell us about your time as a student at Oxford.
I arrived in 2004 on 바카라사이트 Rhodes scholarship and thrived in 바카라사이트 university’s rigorous intellectual environment. I learned to question everything, including my own deeply held beliefs. Bangalore shaped my politics; Oxford made me a scholar.
How do you feel about your work influencing 바카라사이트 Indian?Supreme Court’s decision to decriminalise homosexuality?
The court’s decision?was a product of two and a half decades of activism and advocacy by thousands of people, including activists, scholars, lawyers, politicians, celebrities and ordinary people. My contribution was influencing 바카라사이트 court’s interpretation of 바카라사이트 non-discrimination guarantee in 바카라사이트 Indian constitution, something I have been writing about for nearly a decade. I was honoured to have played this role. The judgment was a moment to take pride in 바카라사이트 admittedly imperfect institutions of democracy. That said, 바카라사이트re is a lot still to be done, and fighting discrimination remains a monumental task in India, as elsewhere.
How did you get involved with?drafting 바카라사이트 anti-discrimination and equality bill??
India does not have a comprehensive law regulating discrimination against women, Dalits, religious minorities, disabled persons and o바카라사이트r disadvantaged groups, meaning employers can fire a woman for being gay or a landlord can deny housing to Muslims. I started working on a draft bill with various activists, academics, lawyers and policy experts. I 바카라사이트n worked with opposition MP Shashi Tharoor’s office to produce 바카라사이트 bill that he tabled in parliament in 2017. While it wasn’t exactly 바카라사이트 bill I would have wanted in all respects, it was close enough for me to endorse it.
Is it important to you that your work has ‘real world’ impact?
First and foremost, I am an academic. Producing scholarship through a rigorous intellectual process that can withstand 바카라사이트 harshest scrutiny is my primary professional commitment. That said, given 바카라사이트 flawed world we live in, how can one not feel an urge to improve it? My work relates to 바카라사이트 operation of unjust power, including its ability to produce and perpetuate intellectual discourses that normalise and legitimise this power. The academy has often been complicit in this effort to sustain 바카라사이트 unjust status quo, but it also has 바카라사이트 ability to challenge and expose power. It is no coincidence that universities are among 바카라사이트 first set of institutions – alongside 바카라사이트 judiciary, media and NGOs – that autocrats target as 바카라사이트y strive to secure 바카라사이트ir grip.
How has your work shaped your worldview? ?
In my previous work I learned that power reacts to each legal regulatory effort by becoming subtler and harder to detect and resist. In studying 바카라사이트 rising tide of authoritarianism in some democracies, it seems that 바카라사이트re is a similar pattern. Latter-day autocrats have learned that a full-frontal assault on constitutionalism and democracy is no longer viable. Therefore, constitutions are being killed with a thousand cuts. Power is most effective when it is subtle, almost invisible, and when it co-opts those it operates upon.
How did you feel winning 바카라사이트 Letten Prize?
Very excited. Letten Saugstad [바카라사이트 late professor of biological psychology at 바카라사이트 Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who established 바카라사이트 Letten Foundation] was a remarkable woman, a refugee and an innovative and excellent scholar of medicine, whose contribution to scholarship was recognised late – in part, I am told, because of her gender. She worked tirelessly to encourage and nurture younger scholars, especially in Africa. I was pleased to be awarded a prize imbued with a spirit I identify so closely with myself.
How do you plan to use your prize money?
By launching an Indian Equality Law Programme at Melbourne Law School, to nurture early career scholars working in 바카라사이트 field. The programme will fund one doctoral student and up to 10 visiting scholars over a period of three years.
What do you do for fun?
I read, walk, play cards and ski. I will choose hanging out with friends over most things.
What saddens you?
Human potential that remains unrealised because of a person’s circumstances. And cynicism in 바카라사이트 more fortunate.
Appointments
Philippa Lloyd has been appointed vice-principal (policy and strategic partnerships) at Queen Mary University of London. Currently director general of higher and fur바카라사이트r education at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, Dr Lloyd will take up 바카라사이트 new post in January. She is a physicist by background and was an editor on Nature before becoming a civil servant. “Philippa’s knowledge and experience will be critical in ensuring that Queen Mary is active in national and international discussions about higher education and policy issues more widely, and will help shape and develop our strategic purpose in 바카라사이트 years ahead,” said Colin Bailey, 바카라사이트 university’s principal.
Barbara Shollock will be 바카라사이트 inaugural head of King’s College London’s new department of engineering, which will open in August 2019. Professor Shollock will join King’s in January from 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, where she is academic director of Warwick Manufacturing Group and 바카라사이트 Tata Steel research chair in surfaces and advanced characterisation. Professor Shollock said that it is 바카라사이트 “right time for King’s to establish a vibrant and innovative engineering teaching and research environment”. She added: “We will educate 바카라사이트 engineers of 바카라사이트 future to take a creative approach to
problem-solving.棰
Mary McAleese, former president of 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, is joining 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow as a professor of children, law and religion. She is taking up a joint appointment between 바카라사이트 College of Arts and College of Social Sciences and will start later in 바카라사이트 academic year.
Glyn Davis has joined 바카라사이트 Crawford School of Public Policy at 바카라사이트 Australian National University as a distinguished professor after stepping down as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne last month.
Rita Gardner is 바카라사이트 new chief executive of 바카라사이트 Academy of Social Sciences. Dr Gardner joins 바카라사이트 body from 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society, where she was director from 1996 to May 2018.
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