Abstract:

My PhD thesis has explored the question of how student organizations mobilize students inside and outside the university campuses in India such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Allahabad University and IIT-Bombay. While doing so, the study also reflects on 'student politics' using the Weberian lens of 'party'.  Three elements and tools have emerged in my research findings to understand the mobilization, - physical sites, regular events, and leadership. Moreover, in order to analyze the regular events, I have used the work of Veena Das's (1995) framework of 'critical events' in my thesis. In this presentation, I will discuss the scope of further investigation of my research that lies central to my future research objective and being an ethnographic study, the research would explore student politics and the mobilization of students in Indian university campuses' and would analyze the phenomenon of independent leaders and mobilization of students using the Weberian lens of 'charismatic leadership'. The study will also further frame the issue of 'gender' in the context of organizations and movements by posing the question of 'women and leadership' in student organizations in the case of Allahabad University in particular.