Thinking Strategies

Introductory Remarks: K.N Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Chair: Dr Karan Singh, statesman, philosopher and thinker

Speaker: Mala Varma Thapar; Writer and Poet

Vote of Thanks: Usha Munshi, Chief Librarian, IIC

The discussion will examine the importance of reflective thinking in an increasingly complex world, with a focus on education and culture. Exploring thirteen modes of creative and critical thinking, it will consider how different ways of thinking can enrich decision-making, public discourse and interpersonal relationships, while fostering understanding and peace.

1940s–1960s: The 13th Dalai Lama's ‘Declaration’ in Tsepon Shakabpa's Tibet: A Political History

Speaker: Dr. Scott Relyea, Associate Professor of East Asian History and Assistant Chair, Department of History, Appalachian State University

Chair: Prof. Kaveri Gill, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence.

In 1967, Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa published Tibet: A Political History, the first book to focus on the political history of Tibet, based on research begun in the early 1950s. This lecture examines the intellectual, political and geopolitical contexts—from India and the United States to the United Nations and Yale University—that shaped this decision and influenced the framing of Tibet's political history during the era of decolonisation.

(Collaboration: Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS)
 

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY

Buddhist Monasteries in Rock Art Sites of Central India

Speaker: Dr Shyam Sharan Gupta, rock art expert and former Superintending Archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India (Bhopal).

Chair: K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Moderator: Pratap Bhanu Singh Sengar, former Director (Monuments) Archaeological Survey of India

The session will examine the transformation of prehistoric rock shelters in the Vindhyan plateau of Central India into Buddhist hill monasteries during the early centuries of Buddhism. Drawing on recent archaeological surveys and research, it will examine how these shelters were adapted for monastic life, the architectural and the religious features associated with them.

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Migrants and other poems: A Collection of Reflective Poetry on Loss, Migration, and Displacement
By Prasenjit Mukherjee. (Penguin Random House, 2026)

Discussants: Parimal K. Brahma, Poet, and Writer; Ashok Lavasa, Former Election Commissioner of India; Amb. T C A Raghavan, Former High Commissioner to Pakistan; Dr. Meeran Chadha Borwankar, Writer & Former Police Commissioner, Pune; Dr. Prasenjit Mukherjee, Author of the book

Collaboration:  The Poetry Society (India) 
 

Architecture and Art – Processes, Products and Perceptions
Speaker: Rajesh Luthra, Principal of Development Consortium – Architecture & Urban Design, Visiting Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
Moderator, Mr Partho Dutta, Professor in the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU 
The talk would be a fascinating foray through what are often blurred lines between art and architecture as read via a reading of movements and individuals over time. It intends to explore the processes behind the canvas and the constructed even as it attempts an understanding of societal perceptions and responses. This, while contrasting within realms that may be seen as symbiotic or alternately, parasitic.
 

Decoding Bangladesh

Inaugural Remarks: Anindita Ghoshal, Professor of History at Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Kolkata

Moderator: Rajarshi Dasgupta, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Discussants: Smruti Pattanaik, Research Fellow, MP-IDSA; Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS); Subhajyoti Ghosh, Senior Journalist and head, BBC Bangla

The discussion covers a long period in the prehistory and evolution of Bangladesh, from the 1947 partition of India to present times. Examining the country’s evolution through the lenses of political transitions, institutional change, democratic aspirations, economic reforms, governance challenges, and rising radicalism. Exploring how socio-economic realities continue to shape Bangladesh's political trajectory and regional geopolitics

(Collaboration: @Crossroads)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Immortal King: Yama
By Sudhamahi Regunathan (Bloomsbury, 2026)

Discussants: TBC

Vaccines: Emerging Viral Outbreaks

Speaker: Dr. Virander Singh Chauhan, distinguished scientist, Chancellor of GITAM Deemed to be University, Rhodes Scholar and recipient of the Padma Shri awardee (2012). He is known for his contributions to the development of a recombinant vaccine for malaria and for synthetic structural peptides with biological functions.

Moderator: Prof. (Dr.) Narendra Kumar Arora, distinguished Indian paediatrician and Executive Director, The INCLEN Trust International, New Delhi

The talk will explore the growing importance of preventive vaccines in addressing emerging viral threats such as Ebola, hantavirus and Nipah virus. It will examine the scientific and economic challenges of vaccine development, recent advances in vaccine technology, and issues of affordability, access, public trust and equitable distribution, highlighting the need for preparedness against future outbreaks.
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Jayaprakash Narayan: The People's Leader. 
By Arvinder Singh (Niyogi Books, 2026)

Chair: Vinod Sharma, former Political Editor, Hindustan Times

Discussants: Prof Apoorvanand, Professor, DU; Sanjay Hegde, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court; Qurban Ali, Journalist; Arvindar Singh, Author of the book

Book Discussion Group  

CHINDIA: Journey to an Asian Century.

By Shastri Ramachandaran (AuthorsUpFront, 2026)

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Discussants: V Srinivas, Chief Secretary, Govt of Rajasthan; Dr Rityusha Tiwary, Faculty of Chinese Studies, DU; Santosh Pai, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies and member, Confederation of Indian Industry’s core group on China; Shastri Ramachandaran, Journalist & Author of the book