The Talk
Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta is India’s foremost public intellectual, a conscience keeper, and the best commentator on politics and society.
Dr Mehta speaks at Manthan Samvaad 2020 on ‘The Crisis of Democracy in India’. The Talk looks at the longer term undercurrents that led to the current situation of democracy in India. It lays down several sharp propositions to think about.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Professor of Political Science and Former Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University
Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta is one of India’s foremost public intellectuals. He is most respected for his deep understanding of politics and society, clarity of thoughts and their articulation.
He was previously President, Center for Policy Research. He has been a Professor at Harvard, JNU, the Global Faculty Program at NYU Law School. He has published widely in political theory, constitutional law, society and politics in India, governance and political economy, and international affairs.
His most recent publications include The Oxford Handbook to the Indian Constitution (co-edited with Madhav Khosla and Sujit Choudhary); Rethinking India’s Public Institutions (with Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav); Non-Alignment 2.0 (with Srinath Raghavan, Sunil Khilnani et al, among others.
Dr Mehta has also served in a number of policy roles including, Member Convenor of the Prime Minister of India’s National Knowledge Commission, Member of the National Security Advisory Board, Member of the Lyngdoh Committee. He Chairs the Jury for the Holberg Prize.
Dr Mehta has a prolific engagement with public affairs. He is an editorial consultant to Indian Express, where he writes a regular column. In addition, he has written for the Financial Times, and a number of leading national and international publications. He is on the Editorial Board of American Political Science Review and Journal of Democracy.
