50th AISC 2025 explores new narratives on mobilities, inequalities

Amaravati: The 50th All India Sociological Conference (AISC) 2025, themed ‘Mobilities and Inequalities: Shifting Contexts; Changing Paradigms’, commenced on Sunday at SRM University-AP. The three-day event attracted around 1,800 sociologists, scholars, researchers, and students from India and abroad.

Former JNU Professor Dr RK Jain delivered a keynote on migration, evolving from national to global perspectives. He explored mobility-inequality intersections via South Asian diasporas, noting mid-20th-century Indian migration driven by political, cultural, and psychological factors beyond economics. Referencing the H-1B visa regime, he highlighted how race, class, and cultural narratives shape modern diasporas and global inequalities.

Eminent participants included Indian Sociological Society president Dr Maitrayee Chaudhuri; secretary Dr Swetha Prasad; Prof Sujata Patel (University of Hyderabad); Prof Satish Deshpande (University of Delhi); Prof Irudaya Rajan (IIMAD); and Prof Anand Kumar (retired JNU).

Dean of Easwari School of Liberal Arts Prof Vishnupad underscored the theme’s relevance amid social-technological shifts. Vice-Chancellor Prof Ch Satish Kumar noted the rise of e-socialisation, redefining identities and values, particularly for Generation Z.

The inaugural day featured release of three publications, including a special Sociological Bulletin issue, and MN Srinivas Memorial Award presentation to Dr Achala Gupta (University of Southampton).