Current State: Published

The areas and instructors are as follows.

Monsoon Semester
August-November, 2011 (Application Deadline 20th July):
Short Seminar 'Stars at Work' (SV Srinivas)
'Language and Death in the Epoch of Politics' (Milind Wakankar)
'Rethinking Mental Health: Between the Windscreen and the Rearview Mirror' (Anup Dhar)

Spring Semester
January-April, 2012 (Tentative Titles; Details Forthcoming):
'Culture, Gender, Development' (Tejaswini Niranjana)
Seven-week Seminar on 'Cultural Economy' (SV Srinivas and Ashish Rajadhyaksha)
'Researching Human Rights: Contemporary Challenges' (Sitharamam Kakarala)
'Women, Mental Illness, Clinical-Cultural Histories' (Radhika P.)

August-November, 2011:

1. Course Title: Stars at Work
Course Instructor: S.V. Srinivas

Film stars are a ubiquitous presence in Indian public life today. While all film industries in the world create and are dependent on stars to reach audiences, in the Indian context they have been a visible presence in politics as well. This course examines how stars are produced by cultural industries, how they work in films and the world at large. Students will be introduced to discussions on stardom in the disciplines of film theory, sociology and political science. The general features of stardom will be illustrated with the help of examples from Indian and non-Indian film industries and cultures. Case studies from Bombay and South Indian cinemas will be analysed. 

The objective of the course is provide a conceptual-critical tool-kit to journalists, art practitioners, cultural critics, college/university teachers, academic researchers and creative industry managers, who encounter stars in their line of work. Participants will be required to make brief presentations and take active part in classroom discussions. They are encouraged to bring to class films and other material relevant to the course. Assessment will be on the basis of a mini-research study undertaken by participants. Saturdays 10-1.
For specific course related enquiries write to

2. Course Title: Language and Death in the Epoch of Politics
Course Instructor: Milind Wakankar

Does reticence necessarily entail a form of withdrawal from action? Are there traditions of silence that nonetheless do not leave unheeded the call of politics? The course seeks to imagine a subject of silence beyond will and community, but one that is prior both to individual (spiritual) repose and to self-empowerment.

1. Basic Concepts Hegel, Section on Determinate Being, Science of Logic; Eugen Fink, Selection from Metaphysics and Death; Michel de Certeau, Mystic Fable; Andre Padoux, Vac; Heidegger,' Language in the Poem: A Discussion on Georg Trakl's Poetic Work’;
2. Traditions of Silence:Selections from The  Millenium Kabir Vani; Dnyaneswara, Anubhavamruta and Chhangeopasasti; Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption; Benjamin, Origin of the German Mourning Play; Peter Szondi, Essay on the Tragic;
3. Death and Alterity:Five Sessions on Agamben, Language and Death, juxtaposed with Levinas, Otherwise than Being and Beyond Essence.

Sundays 1-4.

For specific course related enquiries write to

3. Course Title: Rethinking Mental Health: Between the Windscreen and the Rearview Mirror
Course Instructor: Anup Dhar 

This course will look at two kinds of questions that need to be addressed in mental health: one, coming from the present (i.e. coming to view through the windscreen) and the other, coming from the past (i.e. coming to view through the rearview mirror). One set of questions look at the contemporary, from the issues being generated by neurobiology, cognition studies, disability studies, critical legal studies, public health/private health service related debates, incitement to discourse around mental states like stress, anorexia post-globalization, de-institutionalization, de-pathologization, informed consent, living will, ECT, client’s perspective, bio-ethics etc. A second set of questions will look at the Indian past and the Indian context: including issues of faith healing, pre/non-modern and non-western approaches to mental health, debates around Indian Psychology, around plurality of approaches to biomedical psychiatry, institutional and community mental health etc. The purpose of this course is to explore ideal conditions for the patient/client/survivor, and the kind of clinical/community engagement we need to strive towards in the mental health setting.

The course shall be open to pre-PhD and PhD level students as also to 'mental health activists' with appreciable experience of the mental health field/sector.    

Aiming to address a diverse constituency (post-graduate and PhD students, activists, professionals) the courses can have flexible timings (weekends or late weekdays) and duration (intensive or extensive) where desired.

For specific course related enquiries write to

The courses can be taken individually or in combination. The fees for a 14-week course (approx 42 hours) will be Rs.6000/- only.

Participants can convert course credits retroactively to earn a Diploma in Culture and Contemporary Systems (8 credits required at 2 credits per 14-week course).

To Apply: Applicants should send an email to with “Registration: 2011 CSCS Open-mural Course” as Subject. They should mention which course/s they wish to be enrolled in and send in their CV. There is no minimum qualification required. Only applicants who wish to enrol in four 14-week courses to subsequently earn a diploma need to credential their post-graduation. Such applicants should send in a copy of their PG marks-card along with their CV. The last date for applying is 20^th July 2011.