Engagement with Contemporary India

What is the contemporary, especially in a nation that is experiencing expedited and unusual forms of change? How does social change play out on the national stage? How must academia study and represent these trends and changes? These have been (or should be) concerns that engage academia. An attempt in this vein is the edited volume by Knut A Jacobsen, known for his repertoire of studies on religion and classical Hindu texts of India. The volume seeks to engage and represent some of India’s contemporary conditions. It draws on a structural–functional framework, and locates a range of studies under the themes of foundations, external relations, society and culture, religion and diversity, and cultural change and innovation. Matching such a framework is the collection of essays, most of which provide succinct summaries of trends related to some of the key themes.

Key Issues