The Department of Sociology organized a special lecture on February 10, 2025 by Prof. Ursula Rao, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, titled “The Meantime of Development: The Great Indian Health Insurance Experiment” which was presided over by Prof. Nagaraju Gundimeda, Head, Department of Sociology. The event brought together faculty members, students, and researchers for a stimulating discussion on the implications of health insurance schemes in India.
In her lecture, Prof. Rao critically examined the implementation and consequences of state-sponsored health insurance programs, focusing on the temporal dimensions of development policies. She highlighted the gaps between policy design and everyday experiences, drawing attention to the delays, inefficiencies, and unintended effects that shape people’s interactions with these schemes. Engaging with perspectives from anthropology and development studies, she underscored how such interventions reshape access to healthcare while also producing new forms of uncertainty.
The lecture was followed by an engaging discussion, with students and faculty posing insightful questions on policy effectiveness, healthcare equity, and the broader socio-political implications of these schemes. Prof. Nagaraju Gundimeda delivered the Vote of Thanks and commended the speaker for the highly enriching intellectual experience and contributing to the ongoing conversations on development and health policy in the Department.
On the second day, February 11, Prof. Rao held an interactive session with PhD scholars from the School, creating a space for focused academic exchange. She invited scholars to share their research concerns, engaged deeply with their queries, and provided constructive feedback on methodological and theoretical approaches. This exchange helped scholars refine their research questions, strengthen their arguments, and consider alternative perspectives that might enrich their work. The session also fostered a sense of academic community, allowing scholars to learn from one another’s challenges and approaches.
Dr. Salah Punathil, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Regional Studies delivered the Vote of Thanks.