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CSLG organises a seminar by Manohar Kumar

CSLG organises a seminar by Manohar Kumar

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CSLG organises a seminar by Manohar Kumar
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ENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF LAW AND GOVERNANCE
 
Jawaharlal Nehru University
 
 SEMINAR SERIES
 
 MANOHAR  KUMAR
 
 Assistant Professor, Department of Social Science and Humanities,
 
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi
 
 On
 
 Speaking Truth to Power: A Theory of Whistleblowing
 
 Abstract
 
 
Whistleblowing is the public disclosure of information with the purpose of revealing wrongdoings and abuses of power that harm the public interest. In this seminar I argue that whistleblowing is a response to a democratic dilemma that is a product of secrecy in a democracy: secrecy enables security but limits accountability. Unrestrained secrecy limits the epistemic entitlement of citizens to know under which conditions their rights are limited by security policies and corporate interests. On the other hand complete transparency enables accountability but limits security and hence exposes the citizens to unknown threats. Political philosophy has sought to resolve this dilemma through procedural safeguards that ensure greater publicity of decision making in the process discounting the informational asymmetry posed by secrecy. Contrary to ideal theorisation this seminar seeks to shift the attention of democratic theory from the procedures of consent formation to the mechanisms that guarantee the expression of dissent. I argue that whistleblowing represents a legitimate form of political agency that safeguards the fundamental rights of citizens against the threat of unrestrained secrecy by government power.
 
Finally, I argue that whistleblowing is a distinctive form of civil dissent, a form of modern parrhesia, that aims to speak truth to power. In doing so it contributes to the demands of institutional transparency in constitutional democracies. Furthermore, the way institutions are responsive to dissent determines the robustness of democracy, and ultimately, its legitimacy. What place dissenters have within a society, whether they enjoy personal safety, legal protection, and safe channels for their disclosure, are hallmarks of a good democracy, and of its sense of justice.
 
 
 
 
 
3.00 PM, Thursday, 04 April 2019
 
Conference Room, CSLG, JNU
 
 
 
 
About the Speaker: Manohar Kumar is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Social Science and Humanities, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi. His current research interests are around questions of civil disobedience, democratic secrecy, digital dissent, and epistemic injustice. His works have appeared in Philosophy and Social Criticism, and in edited volumes of Routledge. He holds a PhD in Political Theory from LUISS University, Rome and has held post-doctoral positions at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and at Aix Marseille School of Economics, Aix Marseille University.
 
 
 
  
 
 PLEASE JOIN US FOR TEA AFTER THE SEMINAR
 
ALL ARE WELCOME
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTIONS: From the JNU main gate (North Gate), proceed straight until you get to a T-junction. Turn left. Continue until you reach a second T-junction. Turn right. Follow the road for just 0.7 km until you see a bus stop labelled ‘Paschimabad’. About 50 m past the bus stop take the first right turn. The CSLG building is on the right at the blind end of the lane. The conference room is on the first floor. A lift is being installed at CSLG and we hope the conference room will be more accessible in some time.

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.