Indian Sociology B. K. Nagla

Indian Sociology is presented as a humble tribute to the memory of the eminent Indian sociologist, the late Professor Yogendra Singh, whose critical analyses and theoretical-philosophical reflections on Indian sociology have long enriched the discipline of sociology in particular and the social sciences more broadly. The scope of Indian sociology is vast, and no single volume can fully encompass it. This book offers a glimpse into both traditional and emerging theoretical perspectives, thematic domains, and contemporary concerns within Indian sociology.

The volume critically examines conventional Indological and civilizational approaches, Saran’s indigenous perspective, and recent engagements with Ambedkar’s sociology. It also addresses Professor Singh’s conceptualization of Islamization and his contributions to liberal democracy. In addition, the book explores transformations in key sociological domains such as caste, class, and village life.

Further, the book provides an overview of research trends in tribal studies, population studies, and disability studies. It also engages with emerging concerns, including the future trajectories of Indian and South African sociologies, the shift from the globalization of sociology to a sociology of globalization, and the need to rethink and transform narrowly defined area studies toward broader planetary conversations.

Most chapters are contributed by Indian sociologists, with additional contributions from international scholars. The introductory chapter offers an analytical overview of the development of Indian sociology over the past century, highlighting major debates and future directions. The critical orientation of the volume distinguishes it from other works in the field.

This book will be particularly valuable for graduate, postgraduate, and research students of sociology and social anthropology, as well as for scholars in the social sciences more generally. Its discussions of issues such as changes in caste structures, village life, and Ambedkar’s sociology will also be of interest to general readers.

B. K. Nagla is a former Professor of Sociology at M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana. He obtained his master’s degree from Udaipur University and his M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Before joining M.D. University in 1978, he taught at M.S. University, Baroda, and at the Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, New Delhi.

After his retirement in 2006, he worked as a consultant at Kota Open University and as Professor of the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair at Banaras Hindu University. Professor Nagla has published twelve books in areas such as political sociology, Indian sociological thought, and social stratification. His major works include Factionalism, Politics and Social Structure, Political Sociology, Development and Transformation, Social Stratification and Social Mobility, and Indian Sociological Thought.

He has authored around seventy research papers in national and international journals. He received the ISC Fellow Award from the Council of the Indian Society of Criminology, affiliated with the International Society of Criminology, Paris, for his contribution to the development of the discipline. In 2017, Sulabh International Social Organization awarded him the Sulabh Swachhata Samman with a Gold Medal for his book Sociology of Sanitation. He has also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Rajasthan Sociological Society and the Indian Sociological Society. Additionally, he served as editor of the Indian Sociological Society’s Hindi journal, Bhartiya Samajshastra Sameeksha, published by Sage.

Kameshwar Choudhary is a former Professor of Sociology at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Lucknow, India. Previously, he served as Professor of Sociology at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Associate Professor at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (Gujarat); and Lecturer in Sociology at the Institute of Social Sciences, Agra.

He was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and an Associate at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. He completed his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. at Jawaharlal Nehru University. As a coordinator or team member, he has worked on numerous research projects sponsored by institutions such as the National Dairy Development Board, Gujarat Ecology Commission, Ministry of Rural Development (Government of India), the Forest Department of Gujarat, and UNDP India.

His books have been published by reputed national and international publishers, including Globalisation, Governance Reforms and Development in India (edited volume, Sage Publications) and Intellectuals and Society: A Study of Teachers in India (Popular Prakashan). He has also published extensively in academic journals, edited volumes, and newspapers such as The Times of India and The Hindustan Times.

Professor Choudhary has served as Head of the Department of Sociology and as Dean of the Ambedkar School of Social Sciences at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Lucknow. He was a member of the Twelfth Plan Working Group on the Empowerment of OBCs, DNTs, and EBCs constituted by the Planning Commission of the Government of India. In 2017, he was honored with the Professor L. P. Vidyarthi Memorial Award by the Indian Social Science Association.