The project “The History of Punishment in India,” led by Adaner Usmani, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Harvard University, explores the paradox of low violence rates in India despite limited policing and high poverty.
Pranab Bardhan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading Indian economist and author of a new memoir, Charaiveti: An Academic’s Global Journey. The book weaves together Pranab’s observations and anecdotes about the economy, politics, and culture, his life travels, his professional endeavors, and more. Ahead of his Oct. 3 book talk at Harvard, Pranab gave us a glimpse into his book and some themes he will share at the talk.
This summer, the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office hosted a series of impactful events and visits, fostering intellectual engagement, artistic exploration, and dialogue on critical issues across various fields.
This summer, the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office hosted a series of impactful events and visits, fostering intellectual engagement, artistic exploration, and dialogue on critical issues across various fields.
The Mittal Institute’s CommunityHATS project, funded by Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, was conceptualized as a way to address a major gap in the data related to heat impacts. Often macro-level data on temperature fails to capture the impacts on the most vulnerable, including informal workers who labor in exterior spaces without protection from extreme temperatures. This summer, two members of the CommunityHATS team traveled to Ahmedabad City in Gujarat, India, to work with the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in deploying sensors to collect temperature data from poor working women and their environments. Their work occurred concurrently with one of the most extreme heatwaves India has ever faced.
In an op-ed in The Indian Express, members of the Mittal Institute’s climate team + partners working on climate change adaptation in South Asia write on heatwaves and the need for a detailed understanding of how different communities are impacted by and react to the heat.
The burden of climate mitigation needs to be borne by all countries globally and equitably, but South Asia urgently needs to focus on adapting to the impacts of climate change the region is already seeing. In 2023, with the goal of increasing focus on adaptation, The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute (the Mittal Institute) launched a climate platform.
As the summer approaches, the Mittal Institute extends a warm invitation to Harvard’s community to visit the New Delhi Office. Whether using the office space to conduct research, participating in scholarly discussions, or immersing oneself in the vibrant academic milieu of the region, the office offers a unique opportunity to engage with South Asia’s rich cultural heritage and scholarly legacy. The office has planned several events that will connect Harvard with India’s intellectual scene. Come and be a part of it!
