The humanities department of Mount Carmel College, in association with Janaagraha, recently organised a day-long seminar sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the topic, ‘Reinvention of Democracy by Civil Society: A Case Study of Lokpal Bill’. The seminar bought together speakers who are well-versed in the subject.

The various sessions were intended to give the students an insight into the issue of Lokpal Bill. Among the prominent speakers were Justice Santosh Hegde and Prof Venkat Lokanathan, department of political science, St Joseph’s Post Graduate College.
Addressing the students, Justice Hegde envisioned an India with an efficient and
accountable Lokpal Bill.

Alice Mathew, the convenor of the seminar, said, “The seminar on re-invention of democracy by civil society delved into the issue of what should be done to improve the quality of parliamentary democracy without compromising on the issue of autonomy and accountability as well as quality of governance.”

Students of the college too shared their views on the seminar and said that they found it useful.
 
Gayathri Kunte, president of the student union of the college who also presented a paper during the seminar, said, “In today’s age, it is believed by many in our nation that democracy has lost its real value and that the government we elect does not directly reflect the aspirations ‘of the people’ and pursue objectives ‘for the people’ . However, this is just another stepping stone towards an era of progress and reform.” The young are definitely the future of the nation. They understand and share the responsibility of being a part of the development and progress of the country.
  
Monita Bala, a second-year student of journalism, highlighted the responsibility of the youth. She said, “The seminar is not only informative, it is in a way an effective platform to get youngsters like us to take active part in bringing about a change in India.”

Jasmine James, a second-year student of economics, added, “The seminar was a very interesting in terms of the knowledge we gained on the Lokpal Bill and the freedom of expression we as the youth of a democratic nation are entitled to. It is up to us to make a difference.” The seminar closed with paper presentations by two students.