Reading Latin America: Weaving words into poems", celebrating the work of Aida Cartagena

Speaker: Ambassador of Dominican Republic to India, H.E. Francisco Comprés H

Discussants: Rosa Silverio, Eminent Dominican Republic poet, Minu Bakshi, esteemed Urdu poet, former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Moderator:  Prof. Noorin Khan, Professor and In-Charge, Spanish and Latin American Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia

Aída Cartagena Portalatín was a Dominican poet, novelist, literary critic, and educator. She was an important member of Poesía Sorprendida, an influential literary movement that emerged in the Dominican Republic during the 1940s. Writers associated with the movement expressed political dissent and challenged the oppressive dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, employing complex systems of symbolism to evade state censorship and persecution. Her poetry reflects this surrealist tendency, while also encompassing philosophical, historical, political, and feminist perspectives, reflecting a universalist worldview. Her notable works include Una mujer está sola, Yania Tierra, and Escalera para Electra.

(Collaboration: Embassy of Dominican Republic)

The Quiet Storm  
Taneyev · Chopin · Schumann - Struggle, resilience and the beauty that rises through music.

By British-Indian pianist Rhys Concessao, graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory tours India with The Quiet Storm. 
The recital travels through Russian, Polish and German Romanticism. The evening opens in Moscow with Sergei Taneyev, teacher of Rachmaninov and Scriabin. His Prelude and Fugue written in memory of his lifelong nurse moves from grief to fierce resolve. From Russia we travel to Poland and to Chopin where the storm grows still. A Nocturne of quiet beauty then a Scherzo full of wit, play and sudden flashes of fire. The journey ends in Germany with Robert Schumann whose music never rests. His moods change from moment to moment torn between passion and dream, struggle and tenderness. It is a reminder that the human spirit endures its storms and that beauty is often born within them.
 

European Union Film Festival -India (EUFF)
The 31st edition of the European Union Film Festival brings a diverse selection of European cinema. Screening of 4 films offering audiences an opportunity to explore Europe’s rich cultural landscape, varied perspectives and storytelling traditions.

More details to be announced soon!

(Collaboration: Delegation of the European Union to India)
 

HIMALAYAN DIALOGUES
Between Himalayas and Ocean: Ancient Connections, Modern Relations between India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Chair: Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, MP-IDSA, New Delhi

Moderator: Rajiv Ranjan, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, DU

Discussants: Gaurav Bhattarai, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu; Medha Bisht, Associate Professor of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi; S Sathees Mohan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Strategic Studies, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), Sri Lanka

From the Himalaya to the Indian Ocean, the civilizational connections have been shaped by a shared Buddhist tradition, an interwoven socio-cultural heritage and connected history. The dialogue brings scholars from Kathmandu and Colombo to Delhi to deliberate on how such ancient exchanges, from Lumbini to Anuradhapura via Bodh Gaya, continue to shape contemporary diplomacy, cultural imaginations and regional cooperation.

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Jihad - Tech Complex
by Lt. General Shokin Chauhan (Har-Anand Publishers, 2026)

Discussants: Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, Former High Commissioner of India to UK & Former Amb. To Nepal; Lt. General Rakesh Sharma, Former Adjunct General, Indian Army & Distinguished Fellow, VIF; Lt General Shokin Chauhan, Author of the book

Gandhi Speaks Today
This conversation between historian Sudhir Chandra, former professor of history and Ashutosh Bhardwaj, journalist, author; former Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.

The conversation will explore the continuing relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas in the contemporary world. Reflecting on truth, non-violence, equality, and social harmony, the conversation will highlight how Gandhian thought can inform individual choices and collective action today.

(Collaboration: @Crossroads)

One-Day National Seminar on "The 5th Plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee: Party, Army, and Governance"

Keynote Address: Manoranjan Mohanty, Former Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, scheduled to be held in Beijing from 26 to 29 October 2026, will focus on the sustained advancement of full and rigorous Party self-governance. The seminar will bring together scholars of China to examine the Plenum’s priorities and consider their implications for Party discipline, governance, and China’s external relations, including its relations with India.
For more details regarding the sessions, please visit the website
(Collaboration: Institute of Chinese Studies)

Seeds of Hope
An Exhibition of Portraits by Meena Laishram
Curated by Georgina Maddox

Through intimate portraits of children and women from Manipur.The exhibition captures stories of loss, displacement and uncertainty, while reflecting on dignity, cultural belonging and the strength of human connection.

The exhibition will be inaugurated on 27 Nov at 18:00 hrs

The exhibition will remain open daily from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs