Monsoon School on Inequality 2025

Overview
The Monsoon School on Inequality, set to be one of the highlight events of the Inequality Working Group (IWG) of the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) for 2025, is a gathering designed to address discussions and research on socio-economic and educational disparities in India through a series of engaging and insightful activities. The first edition of the school was held from July 20 to July 22, 2024, at the green and beautiful campus of the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum. The Monsoon School 2024 provided a platform for young scholars, particularly undergraduates, masters, and beginner-level PhD students, to engage with and understand the complexities of economic inequality from various academic perspectives and real-world applications.

Monsoon School on Inequality 2025
The Inequality Working Group (IWG) at YSI invites applications for the second edition of the Monsoon School on Inequality, an event that aims at fostering dialogue and collaboration among scholars engaged in the study of socio-economic and educational disparities in India.

The focus of this year’s monsoon school is on pluralistic approaches to research on inequality, bringing together perspectives from varied streams of economic thought. It will provide an interactive platform for advanced-level PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and scholars affiliated with Indian research institutes to engage with diverse concepts, debates, and methodologies related to inequality.

Themes and Sessions 

Major themes covered, but not limited to:

1. Economic Inequality and its measures

• Income and wealth disparities.
• Labor market inequality and wage gaps.
• Diverse measures to estimate inequality: Data Sources and Indices
• Measures of intergroup and intragroup inequality.
• Linkages between governance, institutions, and economic inequality.

2. Social Mobility and equal opportunities

• Disparities in access to education and healthcare.
• Inequality of opportunity and its economic impact.
• Social determinants of health and educational inequality.
• Social mobility and intergenerational inequality.
• Affirmative action and its impact on intergenerational mobility.
• Social mobility across caste, gender, and religion.

3. Environment, Climate Change and Inequality

• Distributional impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups.
• Energy markets, carbon pricing, and taxation.
• Inequality in contributions to and consequences of environmental degradation.
• Financing climate adaptation and inequality.

4. Economic Growth, Government Policy and Inequality

• Taxation, redistribution, and fiscal policies addressing inequality.
• Trade, investment, and their implications for inequality and poverty.
• Role of global supply chains in wage disparities.
• Structural change and unequal effects in development.
• Migration and its effect on sending and receiving economies.

Additional Activities:

1. Mentorship Session: Young scholars will have the opportunity to present their research with allocated mentoring groups.
2. YSI Session: An introduction to the activities and opportunities provided by the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI).

Eligibility Criteria

Target Audience:

• Advanced PhD students (those completed with academic coursework) or early career researchers affiliated with Indian universities or research institutes.
• Scholars enrolled in advanced graduate programs or working as research associates.
• We welcome applicants from all fields in the social sciences; however, preference will be given to those with some background in economics

Application Requirements:

• Submission of an extended abstract showcasing original and high-quality research on inequality.
• Active interest in pluralistic and interdisciplinary approaches to studying inequality.

Application Process
Application Package:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV): Include academic qualifications, research experience, and key publications (if any).
2. Extended Abstract: Up to 1,000 words providing a detailed overview, including research objectives, theoretical framework, methodology, preliminary results, and implications.
3. Statement of Interest (500 words): Explain your motivation for participating, the relevance of your research to inequality, and how you would contribute to discussions at the school.

Submission Instructions:
A. Extended Abstract
Length: 500 to 1000 words
Content: A concise summary of the research, including the objective, methodology, key findings, and relevance to inequality research.

B. Full Paper
Length: Maximum of 4,000 to 6,000 words (excluding references and tables).

The paper should provide detailed information on:

• Background of the study.
• Theoretical considerations/assumptions.
• Research questions.
• Methodology.
• Nature of evidence.
• Conclusions and implications.
• Keywords: Include 4-5 keywords.

Originality: Papers must be the original work of the scholars. All submissions will be checked for originality using one of the plagiarism detection tools.

C. Formatting Guidelines

• Font: Times New Roman, size 12 for regular text and bold for headings.
• Spacing: 1.15 line spacing.
• Alignment: Justified.
• File Format: All submissions must be in PDF format.
• File Naming: Use the title of the paper as the filename. The author’s name or affiliation must not be mentioned anywhere in the paper to ensure anonymity during the review process.

D. Extended Working Paper Submission and Final Selection

• Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full working paper (4,000 to 6,000 words) ahead of the school.
• Final selection will be based on the quality of the extended working paper. Only those whose papers meet the required standards will be selected to attend the school.
• The decision of the organizing committee will be final and binding.

Financial Support:
Selected scholars will be provided accommodation on a sharing basis and a travel stipend equivalent to a III-tier AC train (excluding Rajadhani, Duronto, Vande Bharat, and other premium or dynamic pricing trains). Tickets and proof of travel should be shared with us for reimbursement. Scholars who can cover the travel cost of their own are also encouraged to apply (accommodation will be covered).

Tentative Deadlines:
Call for Applications Open: February 25, 2025
Deadline for Submission of Abstract/Extended Abstract and Application Materials: March 20, 2025
Extended Deadline for submission: March 31, 2025
Initial Decisions made between: April 21 and 25, 2025
Deadline for Submission of Full Working Papers (for Shortlisted Applicants): May 15, 2025
Final Selection Announcement: June 1, 2025
Monsoon School: July 24–26, 2025

Host and Collaboration

This special event organized by IWG-YSI will be hosted at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram Campus, with the institution providing logistical support, accommodation for attendees, and other support. Jointly supported by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) and Economiga (the local organizer) in organizing this event.  

Organizing Team

• Prof C Veeramani                                                                 Director, CDS, Thiruvananthapuram
• Sunanda Nair-Bidkar                                                          Director, South Asia, INET
• Prof Thiagu Ranganathan                                                   Professor, CDS, Thiruvananthapuram
• Nandu Sasidharan                                                               Coordinator,  YSI-INET
• Naveen Hari                                                                          Organiser, YSI-INET
• Dr. Arun Balachandran                                                        Organiser, YSI-INET
• Alan Seemon                                                                         Co-founder, Economiga
• Gayathri P                                                                              Research Scholar, CDS Thiruvananthapuram