Call for Papers: 67th Indian Society of Labour Economics Annual Conference, 19-21 December 2026

Call for Papers: 67th Indian Society of Labour Economics Annual Conference, 19-21 December 2026

About the Conference

The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) is pleased to announce its 67th Annual Conference to be held in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India during 19-21 December 2026. The Conference is being organised by the Department of Economics, BHU and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), BHU. Prof. S. Madheswaran, Visiting Professor, Institute for Human Development (IHD); and Adviser, Jain University, Bengaluru, and ICRISAT; is the Conference President. Professor Nidhi Sharma, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.), is the Conference Organising Secretary, and Professor Anup Kumar Mishra, Head, Department of Economics, DAV PG College, BHU, is the Joint Organising Secretary.

Participation in the Conference is by invitation and registration only. The Conference is international and prospective contributors from both India and outside are invited to contribute papers and participate

Conference Structure and Duration

The Conference Programme will consist of presentations of selected papers on the Conference themes in the thematic and technical sessions. In addition, 3-4 Plenary lectures by eminent scholars/experts /and public intellectuals will be held during the Conference. A Plenary Panel and around 8-10 Thematic (Parallel) Panels will also be organised. The Conference will begin at 9 AM on 19 December 2026 and conclude by 3 PM on 21 December 2026. Participants are advised to reach Varanasi a day prior to the Conference and schedule their departure by 5 PM on 21 December 2026. The hosts would be happy to arrange accommodation on payment basis for participants willing to stay beyond this.

Pre-Conference Events

A Pre-Conference International Symposium, “Driving Inclusive Development: Future Labour Market Trajectories in BRIGS Economies”, jointly organised by Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi and the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, WITS University, South Africa will be held on 18 December 2026, 2:00- 7:30 PM. The Symposium will bring together experts and scholars from BRIGS countries to discuss equity, productivity, and resilience in changing labour markets. Scholars and researchers are invited to submit country-specific or comparative papers aligned with the theme. Extended abstracts of about 500 words may be submitted online at: https://forms.gle/qi1X399qCPXKZs2s7 by 31 July 2026. Accepted authors will be invited to submit full papers by 15 September 2026. Papers must be original and unpublished.

Those willing to participate in the Pre-Conference Symposium should plan their travel accordingly to reach Varanasi by forenoon of 18 December 2026.

CONFERENCE THEMES

• Beyond Globalisation: Work and Employment in a Changing World
• Revisiting Informal Sector: Nature, Measurement and Emerging Perspectives
• Shifting Dynamics in Work and Employment Relations

Conference Participation Details

Participation in the Conference is by invitation and registration only. The Conference is international and prospective contributors from both India and outside are invited to contribute papers and participate.

*Conference Registration includes a Rs.1500 mandatory ISLE Annual Membership.

•  The Conference registration will cover payment towards the Conference kit, modest accommodation, and meals (Breakfast, Tea, Lunches and Dinners) served during the Conference days
•  Young scholars and research scholars will be provided with shared accommodation.
•  Delegates and scholars who prefer to arrange their own stay will get advice from Conference organisers about nearby hotels
•  The Book of Abstracts, containing the abstracts of the papers, will be published online at conference.isleijle.org during the Conference. To avail of a hard copy of the Book of Abstracts, an additional amount of Rs.1000/- will be charged at the time of registration on the Conference portal.
•  Those paying the Conference registration charge after the deadline of 31 October 2026 will have to arrange their own accommodation and transportation.

The ISLE has implemented a payment system to streamline and centralise payment acceptance while ensuring that information is encrypted, providing a secure and convenient transaction process.

Conference registration charges should be paid online at conference.isleijle.org by clicking the ‘Conference Participation Charges’ button.

•  Cancellations prior to one month of the conference start date will be eligible for a 75% refund of the total conference fee, and cancellations made three weeks prior to the conference start date will be eligible for a 50% refund of the total conference fee and no refunds will be issued within three weeks.
•  Refunds will be processed only after the conclusion of the conference.
•  Limited seats will also be available for non-paper presenter general participants closer to the conference date.

Scholars, experts, organisations and stakeholders interested in labour and employment issues who do not want to present papers at the Conference are also welcome to register and participate in the Conference and contribute to its deliberations.

The Indian Society of Labour Economics does not have any regular source of funding and each year the Society tries to raise some limited resources. As such, it is expected that the paper presenters, resource persons and other participants will fund their travel costs through their own institutions or other sources. For some select keynote / invited paper writers and resource persons, who are either superannuated or cannot manage their travel costs, the Society will make an effort to meet their travel expenses.

Travel Subsidy: The Institute for Human Development (IHD) offers partial travel support to young scholars selected on the basis of their papers. Preference is given to scholars from remote and disadvantaged regions of the country.

The host will provide modest accommodation for the conference days only. Delegates will be accommodated in the University guest house/transit house, as well as in hostels and guest houses adjacent to the conference venue/university. Delegates arriving early or departing late are expected to pay for the additional accommodation. Upon completion of registration, detailed accommodation information will be communicated to delegates in advance.

Free creche facilities will be provided during the days of the Conference with full-time daycare staff (9am to 6pm). Those who need the creche facility should inform the organizers during registration process of the conference.

For details about themes and submission process etc. visit: conference.isleijle.org