• Offered by School of Culture History and Language
  • ANU College ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
  • Course subject Asian Studies
  • Academic career UGRD
  • Course convener
    • Dr Meera Ashar
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in First Semester 2014
    See Future Offerings

Contemporary India finds itself at the intersection of the trajectories of a number of widely varying notions of truth, falsity, authenticity and illegitimacy. The variation in these trajectories—in their cultural origins and in their content—can make their crossings unpredictable and explosive and often unintelligible. This course will explore with students the claims and negotiations that are fundamental to some of the critical debates in Indian history and politics over the past two centuries. In particular it will aim to alert students to the possibility that underlying these contentious events, ideas and processes are contending claims to truth and authenticity.

The course will focus on a set of truth claims that constitute the interface of cultural interactions within India and between Indian cultures and the rest of the world: stereotypes, stories, histories, myths, corruption and claims to authenticity and ethnicity. Such a study of India, by facilitating the study of cultural interactions through the prism of different configurations of truth and falsity, rather than the prism of power, will also encourage students to think more broadly and deeply about the interplay between notions of truth.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to recognize historically and geographically variant notions of truth and falsity
  2. Identify the ways in which notions of truth and falsity are configured alongside power relations in South Asia
  3. Competently discuss the different notions of truth and authenticity that are employed by different groups speaking of the same event/issue
  4. Evaluate the changing role of truth and falsity in history and politics with reference to particular events in India and South Asia
  5. Demonstrate competent use of historical, literary and political sources to speak about notions of truth and falsity in Indian politics and history.

Indicative Assessment

Assessment Task

Word Count

Value

Contribution to discussion

 

10%

Two class presentation (individual or group)

i) written report of 1500 words 15% each
ii) Presentation 5% each

1500 each

20 + 20 =40%

Term end project

i) written report of 2500 words 40%

ii) presentation 10%

iii) Q & A 10%

 

 

2000

40 + 10 + 10 = 60%

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

Three contact hours per week.

Prescribed Texts

Readings will be available on Wattle.

Majors

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Student Contribution Band:
1
Unit value:
6 units

If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.  Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee Description
1994-2003 $1164
2014 $2478
2013 $2472
2012 $2472
2011 $2424
2010 $2358
2009 $2286
2008 $2286
2007 $2286
2006 $2190
2005 $2190
2004 $1926
International fee paying students
Year Fee
1994-2003 $2574
2014 $3246
2013 $3240
2012 $3240
2011 $3240
2010 $3240
2009 $3240
2008 $3240
2007 $3240
2006 $3240
2005 $3234
2004 $2916
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

First Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
4664 17 Feb 2014 07 Mar 2014 31 Mar 2014 30 May 2014 In Person N/A

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions