Sadanandan's talk kicks off Spring Speaker Series

Over 200,000 farmers in India have committed suicide in the last 15 years. Dr. Anoop Sadanandan of the Department of Political Science at the Maxwell School will unpack this somber reality as the first speaker in the South Asia Center’s Spring 2012 Speaker Series on Tuesday, January 24th, 12:30 p.m. in 341 Eggers Hall.

The majority of these suicides have taken place in five of India's 28 states, and Sadanandan is focusing on the underlying causes behind the incidence of farm suicides in the most affected states. The talk also looks generally into why farmers in India commit suicide. Sadanandan seeks to explain the suicides in terms of broad structural changes that India’s economy has experienced in the past few decades and he identifies specific policies that contribute to the tragedy.

Sadanandan specializes in political economy, political and economic development, political parties, ethnic politics, and India. He joined the Maxwell School as an assistant professor in the summer of 2011, shortly after completing his Ph.D. from Duke University.

For the complete Speaker Series schedule, click here.