Mahendergarh, 29.01.26-The Department of Political Science, Central University of Haryana (CUH), Mahendragarh, on Thursday inaugurated a two-day seminar on the theme “War and Tariff: Revisiting Globalisation in a Fragmented World Order.” The seminar witnessed the presence of Professor (Emeritus) Ashok Kaul from Banaras Hindu University as the Chief Guest, while the programme was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor of CUH, Prof. Tankeshwar Kumar.
Prof. Tankeshwar Kumar, Vice-Chancellor highlighted the evolving nature of modern warfare and its interlinkages with energy and technological developments. He elaborated on the ongoing global conflicts and tariff wars, remarking that warfare is no longer confined to conventional battlefields and weapons alone. He said that the contemporary world is increasingly witnessing tariff wars as a new form of conflict. He also mentioned that countries are adopting various strategies to counter such challenges, citing India’s efforts towards a free trade agreement with the European Union as one such initiative. Prof. Tankeshwar Kumar expressed confidence that the seminar would provide students and research scholars an opportunity to understand these issues in depth.
Prof. Ashok Kaul, in his address, presented insightful reflections on the historical, political, and sociological dimensions of global politics. He discussed the emergence of the nation-state system through the Treaty of Westphalia, the evolution of borders, and the development of identity concepts. Prof. Kaul further highlighted the failure of modern assumptions in the context of the First and Second World Wars, the erosion of ideologies, and the rise of personality cults in contemporary politics. He emphasised the inclusive and ethical worldview embedded in Indian traditions.
The programme began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. Prof. Payal Kanwar Chandel, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, delivered the welcome address, underlining the relevance of war, tariffs, and the changing contours of globalisation in today’s world. Prof. Rajeev Kumar Singh, Head of the Department of Political Science elaborated on the seminar’s objectives and theme, drawing references from Indian traditions. He explained the contradictions between rising war expenditures and persistent global issues such as hunger, citing the thoughts of Tulsidas and Kautilya.
A plenary session on the theme “Geopolitics and Fragmentation of the Global Order” was also organised during the seminar. In this session, Dr. Amit Singh from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr. Shreya Pandey and Dr. Dheeraj Mani Pathak from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, Dr. Uday Bhadoria from ISPG College, and Dr. Alok Kumar Singh from JIIT Noida analysed contemporary geopolitical conflicts, power rivalries, and their impact on the global order.
The discussion clearly highlighted that war and strategic competition are accelerating the fragmentation of globalisation. Academicians, research scholars, and students from various universities across the country actively participated in the event. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Ramesh Kumar. Several distinguished faculty members, including Prof. Ranjan Aneja, Dr. Manoj Mishra, Dr. Abhiranjan Kumar, Dr. Vikas Siwach, Dr. Jitendra Kumar, and Dr. Ravi Pratap Pandey, were also present on the occasion.