Indian English Usage in the 21st Century
Ashoka University
📌 About the event
This session marks the second installment of the CWC’s English & Education (E&E) Online Seminar Series. The seminar acts as an academic forum tackling the sociolinguistic shifts in how English is taught, perceived, and spoken across contemporary India.
The lecture will unpack a critical paradox: how colonial-era linguistic “prescriptivism” (rigid grammatical rules established during the British Raj) manages to survive in modern Indian society through popular local usage guides. The session will explore how actual 21st-century Indian English usage reflects, subverts, or challenges these legacy frameworks.
📅 Critical Timelines & Logistics
- Event Date: June 25, 2026
- Synchronization Window: 06:30 PM – 08:30 PM IST
- Host Institution: Centre for Writing and Communication (CWC), Ashoka University
- Venue Type: 100% Online Environment
- Application Status: Registrations Active & Open
🎙️ The Speaker Profile: Dr. Sachin Labade
The seminar will be anchored by Dr. Sachin Labade, a leading academic voice in sociolinguistics and cultural studies.
- Current Office: Professor & Head at the Department of English, University of Mumbai.
- Institutional Leadership: Former Honorary Coordinator of the Indo-Canadian Studies Centre (ICSC) and Co-Director of the Mumbai Münster Institute of Advanced Studies (MMIAS).
- Academic Pedigree: Awarded a PhD by Savitribai Phule Pune University for his foundational work on the semiotics of queer positioning in Indian cinematic narratives under the guidance of R. Raj Rao. He has held prestigious international visiting fellowships at Bielefeld University and the Dresden University of Technology in Germany.
- Core Research Tracks: Sociolinguistics of English in India, English Language Teaching (ELT), and Queer Studies.
📥 Registration Protocol
Participation is free but requires formal baseline validation via the online registration gateway:
- Access the Form: Navigate to the secure portal at Official Google Registration Form Gateway.
- Submit Credentials: Complete your profile details before the session kickoff on June 25 to receive your direct meeting entry coordinates.
- Inquiries Hub: For administrative support or institutional access loops, clear your queries with the organizing team at cwc@ashoka.edu.in.