Deccan News Service | Amaravati

50th AISC 2025, hosted by SRM AP, Explores New Narratives on Mobilities and Inequalities

SRM University–AP hosted the opening day of the 50th All India Sociological Conference (AISC) on a grand scale, drawing nearly 1,800 sociologists, scholars and students from across the country and abroad. Centred on the theme “Mobilities and Inequalities: Shifting Contexts; Changing Paradigms,” the conference examined how sociology as a discipline is reinterpreting social realities in a rapidly changing global order.

The inaugural session witnessed the participation of several eminent sociologists and anthropologists, including former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor and keynote speaker Dr R. K. Jain, Indian Sociological Society President Dr Maitrayee Chaudari, Secretary Dr Swetha Prasad, retired University of Hyderabad professor Dr Sujata Patel, University of Delhi professor Satish Deshpande, Prof. Irudaya Rajan, Chairman of the International Institute of Migration and Development, and Prof. Anand Kumar, retired professor from JNU.

In his keynote address, Dr R. K. Jain spoke extensively on migration, beginning with a national framework and expanding to a global context. He highlighted the complex intersection of mobility and inequality, particularly through the lens of South Asian diasporic migration. Referring to the mid-twentieth-century Indian diaspora, he noted that such migration was shaped not only by economic factors but also by political, cultural and psychological dimensions. He cited the H-1B visa as a contemporary example reflecting the evolving dynamics of race, class and cultural narratives in global migration.

Dean of the Easwari School of Liberal Arts Prof. Vishnupad underlined the relevance of the conference theme and spoke about the institution’s academic journey, observing that the interaction between social and technological forces is reshaping sociological thought. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ch. Satish Kumar, in his address, remarked that traditional socialisation is increasingly giving way to e-socialisation, redefining identity and values, especially among younger generations.

The inaugural day also featured the release of three publications, including a special issue of the Sociological Bulletin, and the presentation of the prestigious M. N. Srinivas Memorial Award to Dr Achala Gupta of the University of Southampton. Parallel research committee sessions, a plenary discussion and a memorial session in honour of R. K. Mukherjee marked the academic proceedings. The day concluded with a cultural gala night followed by a Chancellor’s Dinner hosted by the Vice-Chancellor.