The Centre for Health Law, Policy and Governance (CHLPG), Xavier Law School, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, organised a two-day International Conference on “Realising the Right to Health for Persons with Disabilities in India: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Human Rights, Policy and Economics” during July 10–11, 2026. Dr. Md Zakaria Siddiqui, Associate Professor of Economics at Jamia Millia Islamia and Vice-President of the Indian Health Economics and Policy Association (IHEPA), and Prof. Amita Prasad, Director of Manovikas Kendra, Kolkata, graced the inaugural session as chief guests. Delivering the inaugural address, Rev. Dr. Xavier Jeyaraj, Registrar, St. Xavier’s University, emphasised that the right to health is a fundamental human right central to justice, dignity and equity.

A plenary panel discussion featured Prof. T.V.G.N.S. Sudhakar, Professor at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences; Prof. Paul Kind, Visiting Professor at University College London; Dr. Soumak Basumallik, Washington State Health Care Authority, USA; and Dr. Nandini Ghosh, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata. 

The second day featured keynote lectures by Prof. Arijita Dutta of the University of Calcutta and Dr. Vijay Kishor Tiwari of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences. The conference also featured parallel thematic technical sessions and concluded with the valedictory address by Prof. Salim Shah, Professor of Economics at the Central University of Tripura and Secretary of IHEPA, who underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among law, economics and public policy.

Dr. Ranjeeta Mukherjee    Dr. Sovik Mukherjee