Projects

The 1001 Scholars Project

The 1001 Scholars project envisages the establishment of a pan-Indian network of researchers, working in Philosophy Departments across Indian universities — the intellectual vein of the country.

According to University Grants Commission (UGC), India there are:

42 Central Universities
130 Deemed Universities
and, 259 State Universities

We intend to contact each of these universities and begin by creating a database, the current target group being MPhil and PhD scholars. The database will be a virtual network, listing the academic profiles of all current MPhil and PhD scholars in Indian Universities. The network will enable a scholar in a remote part of the country to get comprehensive information on contemporary research. It will also deeply enhance peer-to-peer interaction and exchange of ideas.

OBJECTIVES

I. To 'horizontalize' advanced academic research in Indian universities

At present, research students find themselves in 'vertically-oriented’ systems, where the information, content, and contacts of their scholarship is horizoned by their geographical location and dependence on supervisors. The network will provide researchers a horizontal axis which decentralizes knowledge and enables all participants to gain a wider perspective of the whole outside world of scholarship beyond their programs. They will thus be in a position to liberate themselves from parochial limitations, not only in terms of research topics, but also in terms of participation in conferences, seminars, etc.

II. To pluralize and professionalize expertise in theoretical research and scholarship in social sciences-arts-humanities

The network, through its various projects such as database creation, annual conferences and publications, will enable researchers to encounter the critical remarks of their peers across disciplines, departments, cities, states. As a result of this, research will become far more efficient. The synergy between the network and the annual conferences will dramatically improve as well as pluralize participation in ever-higher quality research and scholarship in institutions all across the country. We also plan to hold periodic lectures and tutorials by qualified speakers on academic writing and research methodology. This will inevitably result in the radical improvement and eventual uniformity of academic standards and expectations throughout the country.