RESEARCH CENTRE FOR STUDIES RELATED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CSD) Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla “Life doesn’t always give us what we deserve, but rather, what we demand. And so you must continue to push harder than any other person in the room.” —Wadi Ben-Hirki CENTRE FOR STUDIES RELATED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CSD) The human being is diverse. The proposition is well established and recognized through the development of civilization. It is this diversity which is appreciated by philosophers from the classical to the post-modern era. The same is further acknowledged and admired through the constitutional objectives of transformative constitutionalism. It highlights the principle of equality, autonomy and dignity. The proposition may be substantiated by the Immanuel Levinas concept of ‘One and other as Same. The idea is to see Identity from the pluralistic human perspective, which accommodates and respects all diversity within the human species. The idea is to see the epistemic self from an existentialist point of view. The proposition can further be substantiated by our Vedic literature, which aims at questioning the self until it becomes a selfless self. But on the other hand, there exists a huge gap between wisdom (theory) and materialistic execution (practice). It is primarily because of the construed stereotypes and semantics resulting in binary narratives. In this context, people with disabilities witness discrimination, where people from constructed minority bodies experience different treatment. Despite laws and policies, there is a continuous violation of the right to self-determination, recognition and dignity. This results in the otherization of diverse identities. The proposition can be well substantiated by the works of various human rights philosophers, scholars and activists. The said discrimination was further unearthed during the COVID pandemic, where people with disabilities suffered discrimination while exercising their right to health and dignified treatment. This indicates the vulnerability of the community. The trend of such discrimination is also common among the indigenous population. Moreover, because of harsh geographical locations, lack of education and awareness indigenous people including people with disabilities are denied access to fundamental rights including healthcare. This was the reason that the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and World Health Organization (WHO)has issued directives and showed their concern towards people with diversity. There is a need to study disabilities and people with cultural diversities in light of health and welfare laws, with specific emphasis on healthcare facilities including mental health. As we know ‘Nothing about us without us’, is the basic mantra of deliberation in disability jurisprudence. The mantra is equally applicable to people with indignity. It is about raising the first-person voices and sharing personal experiences. The Centre for Studies related to persons with disabilities (CSD) at Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla will serve as one such platform, which aims at bringing the first person voices along with people from academia, research-activism, government departments, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. The Centre for Studies related to persons with disabilities (CSD) will be one of the research cum activism Centre of its kind in the region, where emphasise will be given to connect and address the welfare and healthcare concerns of people with diversities and related concerns, which includes healthcare, education, employment, social and cultural life and access to justice etc. Through research and deliberation, this Centre will try to create a narrative, which focuses on the issues of healthcare, privacy, dignity, autonomy, right to self-determination, right to social, economic, political and cultural preservation of people with disabilities. Further, it is also submitted that because of harsh geographical conditions, access in terms of awareness, sensitization, and rights perspectives is challenging. Therefore, the Centre will aim at providing the environment for action-research, whereby different stakeholders including community and government institutions are trained to uplift the basic fundamental rights of stakeholders. This Centre will serve as a role model for taking dialogue into practice. While bridging the gap, the Centre will try to set a standard for right to ‘act’ in terms of the modern-day ‘rights’ jurisprudence, as developed under Disability-diversities studies &health justice discourse. Objectives · To promote research in the concerned areas, as also desired under legislations related to disability. This will also promote multidisciplinary studies at the university as required under New Education Policy 2020. · To serve as a Launch-Pad for ‘participatory democracy’ for disability-diversity, equality-accessibility paradigm. · To conduct awareness programmes on issues related to disability sensitization in association with NGOs and Social welfare and related departments. · To develop and facilitate first-person literature on disability jurisprudence through promoting self-narratives, writings and research on various aspects. · To promote local, indigenous, and cultural literature (writings, poetic expressions etc.) related to disability studies and related issues. · To initiate various academic courses and research programs while addressing the capacity-rights and related challenges. · To establish a direct connection with different stakeholders in disability-diversity studies. · To collaborate with different international and national institutions working in the area. · To assist governments in formulating policies in the area. · To convert theory into action while understanding the ground realities and challenges related to the issues. Road Map The road Map of the Centre is divided into three aspects: a) Research Oriented Aspect (specially focusing on first-person narratives and Law-Policy related research measures) b) Course Oriented & Internship Oriented aspects (online/offline certificate/diploma courses; conducting Internship programs) c) Human Resource Development(Training-cum-awareness Programs for various stakeholders) These components/aspects aim at the overall capacity building of stakeholders including people with disabilities, policy-makers, care providers and administrations. The tentative proposed action plan further elaborates on the aforementioned components. CENTRE TEAM Faculty Members Dr. Sachin Sharma, Director, Associate Professor of Law Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Law Dr. Ruchi Raj Thakur, Coordinator, Assistant Professor of English Dr. Bharat Barowalia, Co-Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Law Dr. Rohit, Member, Assistant Professor of Law Student Members Convenor: Ritik, (2019-2024) Co-Convenor: Gaurav, (2020-2025) Co-Convenor: Shriya, (2019-2024) Secretary: Aditi, (2021-2026) Priya, (2022-2023) Harshali, (2021-2026) Parul, (2022-2023) Sreenu, (2021-2026) Aastha, (2022-2023) Bhakti, (2021-2026) Sidhartha Jaswal, (2019-2024) Sidhanta, (2021-2026) Yugal Bhatt, (2020-2025) Deepanshu, (2022-2027) Piyush Raj, (2020-2025) Himanshu, (2022-2027) Ashish, (2021-2026) Adish, (2022-2027) Aastha, (2021-2026) Sorenbeni, (2022-2027) Contact/Email Address: csd@hpnlu.ac.in Dr. Sachin Sharma, Director: ( Profile link) Email address: sachinsharma@hpnlu.ac.in
RESEARCH CENTRE FOR STUDIES RELATED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CSD)
Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
“Life doesn’t always give us what we deserve, but rather, what we demand. And so you must continue to push harder than any other person in the room.”
—Wadi Ben-Hirki
CENTRE FOR STUDIES RELATED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CSD)
The human being is diverse. The proposition is well established and recognized through the development of civilization. It is this diversity which is appreciated by philosophers from the classical to the post-modern era. The same is further acknowledged and admired through the constitutional objectives of transformative constitutionalism. It highlights the principle of equality, autonomy and dignity. The proposition may be substantiated by the Immanuel Levinas concept of ‘One and other as Same. The idea is to see Identity from the pluralistic human perspective, which accommodates and respects all diversity within the human species. The idea is to see the epistemic self from an existentialist point of view. The proposition can further be substantiated by our Vedic literature, which aims at questioning the self until it becomes a selfless self. But on the other hand, there exists a huge gap between wisdom (theory) and materialistic execution (practice). It is primarily because of the construed stereotypes and semantics resulting in binary narratives. In this context, people with disabilities witness discrimination, where people from constructed minority bodies experience different treatment. Despite laws and policies, there is a continuous violation of the right to self-determination, recognition and dignity. This results in the otherization of diverse identities. The proposition can be well substantiated by the works of various human rights philosophers, scholars and activists. The said discrimination was further unearthed during the COVID pandemic, where people with disabilities suffered discrimination while exercising their right to health and dignified treatment. This indicates the vulnerability of the community. The trend of such discrimination is also common among the indigenous population. Moreover, because of harsh geographical locations, lack of education and awareness indigenous people including people with disabilities are denied access to fundamental rights including healthcare. This was the reason that the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and World Health Organization (WHO)has issued directives and showed their concern towards people with diversity. There is a need to study disabilities and people with cultural diversities in light of health and welfare laws, with specific emphasis on healthcare facilities including mental health.
As we know ‘Nothing about us without us’, is the basic mantra of deliberation in disability jurisprudence. The mantra is equally applicable to people with indignity. It is about raising the first-person voices and sharing personal experiences. The Centre for Studies related to persons with disabilities (CSD) at Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla will serve as one such platform, which aims at bringing the first person voices along with people from academia, research-activism, government departments, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. The Centre for Studies related to persons with disabilities (CSD) will be one of the research cum activism Centre of its kind in the region, where emphasise will be given to connect and address the welfare and healthcare concerns of people with diversities and related concerns, which includes healthcare, education, employment, social and cultural life and access to justice etc. Through research and deliberation, this Centre will try to create a narrative, which focuses on the issues of healthcare, privacy, dignity, autonomy, right to self-determination, right to social, economic, political and cultural preservation of people with disabilities. Further, it is also submitted that because of harsh geographical conditions, access in terms of awareness, sensitization, and rights perspectives is challenging. Therefore, the Centre will aim at providing the environment for action-research, whereby different stakeholders including community and government institutions are trained to uplift the basic fundamental rights of stakeholders. This Centre will serve as a role model for taking dialogue into practice. While bridging the gap, the Centre will try to set a standard for right to ‘act’ in terms of the modern-day ‘rights’ jurisprudence, as developed under Disability-diversities studies &health justice discourse.
Objectives
· To promote research in the concerned areas, as also desired under legislations related to disability. This will also promote multidisciplinary studies at the university as required under New Education Policy 2020.
· To serve as a Launch-Pad for ‘participatory democracy’ for disability-diversity, equality-accessibility paradigm.
· To conduct awareness programmes on issues related to disability sensitization in association with NGOs and Social welfare and related departments.
· To develop and facilitate first-person literature on disability jurisprudence through promoting self-narratives, writings and research on various aspects.
· To promote local, indigenous, and cultural literature (writings, poetic expressions etc.) related to disability studies and related issues.
· To initiate various academic courses and research programs while addressing the capacity-rights and related challenges.
· To establish a direct connection with different stakeholders in disability-diversity studies.
· To collaborate with different international and national institutions working in the area.
· To assist governments in formulating policies in the area.
· To convert theory into action while understanding the ground realities and challenges related to the issues.
Road Map
The road Map of the Centre is divided into three aspects:
a) Research Oriented Aspect (specially focusing on first-person narratives and Law-Policy related research measures)
b) Course Oriented & Internship Oriented aspects (online/offline certificate/diploma courses; conducting Internship programs)
c) Human Resource Development(Training-cum-awareness Programs for various stakeholders)
These components/aspects aim at the overall capacity building of stakeholders including people with disabilities, policy-makers, care providers and administrations. The tentative proposed action plan further elaborates on the aforementioned components.
CENTRE TEAM
Faculty Members
Dr. Sachin Sharma, Director, Associate Professor of Law
Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Law
Dr. Ruchi Raj Thakur, Coordinator, Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Bharat Barowalia, Co-Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Law
Dr. Rohit, Member, Assistant Professor of Law
Student Members
Convenor: Ritik, (2019-2024)
Co-Convenor: Gaurav, (2020-2025)
Co-Convenor: Shriya, (2019-2024)
Secretary: Aditi, (2021-2026)
Priya, (2022-2023)
Harshali, (2021-2026)
Parul, (2022-2023)
Sreenu, (2021-2026)
Aastha, (2022-2023)
Bhakti, (2021-2026)
Sidhartha Jaswal, (2019-2024)
Sidhanta, (2021-2026)
Yugal Bhatt, (2020-2025)
Deepanshu, (2022-2027)
Piyush Raj, (2020-2025)
Himanshu, (2022-2027)
Ashish, (2021-2026)
Adish, (2022-2027)
Aastha, (2021-2026)
Sorenbeni, (2022-2027)
Contact/Email Address: csd@hpnlu.ac.in
Dr. Sachin Sharma, Director: ( Profile link)
Email address: sachinsharma@hpnlu.ac.in