Play: Shunchhe Shey Shongeeter Moto
 

Presented by Rabi Parampara, Kolkata

A gripping account of facets of the unsung heroes of our freedom struggle with narration and songs

(Collaboration: Impresario India)

Two short plays

Sandhikhon
Written by Soumitra Basu
Director: Ayan Banerjee
Presented by Theatrewala, Delhi

Followed by
Uttara
Written by Sisir Kumar Das
Director: Rabishankar Kar
Presented by Prarambh, Delhi

(Collaboration: Impresario India)
 

Recent Archaeological investigations in Tamil Nadu
Illustrated lecture by Dr. K. Rajan, Academic and Research Advisor, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and former Professor, Dept. of History, Pondicherry University

Chair: Dr. B.R. Mani, Director General, National Museum, New Delhi

Recent archaeological investigations carried out in Tamil Nadu provide new insights for understanding various cultural phases and transformations in this region. Excavations conducted at Attirampakkam, Pattaraiperumpudur, Mayiladumparai, Kilnamandi, Porpanaikottai, Keeladi, Korkai, Sivakalai, Adichanallur and many other sites have raised several important historical questions. The AMS dates received for the Iron Age and the Early Historic period at these sites have changed our hitherto held perceptions. The dates demonstrate that the existence of Iron Age in South India was contemporary to the chalcolithic age of North India. Other important discoveries include the early dates for the Brahmi script, the development of technology-driven industries such as gemstone, copper, iron, steel, shell and textile industries, and the emergence of trade and trade routes in resource zones. The lecture will highlight these and other results of recent archaeological explorations and excavations.

(Collaboration: Ashoka University, Sonipat)

Speaker: Shri Mohit Soni, Group CEO, WhiteLint Global Pvt. Ltd

Chair: Prof. Sunita Narang, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi

The talk will focus on the evolving threat landscape, best practices for online safety, emerging technologies in cybersecurity
 

Unseen Paths: Spirituality and Consciousness
 By Romola Butalia (Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House: 2024)

Discussants: Shri Umesh Kabir, spiritual master, educationist, researcher of theology; Shri Himanshu Joshi, classical singer and Member of the Indian Ocean band; Ms Sunita Pant Bansal, mythologist, publisher and author; Prof. Trilochan Shastri, Professor, IIM, Bangalore; and Ms Romola Butalia, spiritual practitioner, teacher and Editor of the book

The Many Routes to Bhav in Thumri                                                                                                                         
An illustrated lecture presented by Vidya Rao

If there is one thing that clearly marks thumri as different from other musical forms, it is its emphasis on bhav, on the creation of the emotional universe(s) of the sung text. What is less clear is how exactly this magical affect is to be created.

This presentation will devote to thumri and dadra in the voices of some singers to understand the many ways that they use sound and silence, voice modulations and rhythmic play to create bhav--the many meanings in what becomes the multiple narratives within a single text.

Vidya Rao is a performer of thumri-dadra and ghazal. For many years the disciple of the legendary singer, the late Vidushi Naina Devi, she continued her study of this form under the late Vidushi Shanti Hiranand and the late Vidushi Girija Devi. In addition to her work as a performer, she has also researched and written extensively on music and the performing arts.

Speakers: Prof. Deepak Pental, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi; Prof. A. K. Gosain, Professor of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi; Dr. Asad Rahmani, former Director Bombay Natural History Society; Justice Swatanter Kumar, former chairperson of the National Green Tribunal and former judge of the Supreme Court of India; and Ms Reena Mahajan, founder Studio DiverCity, Paris; architect, urban planner and advocate of sustainable cities

Chair: Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi

The city of Delhi alone continues to contribute more than 70% of the pollutant load (untreated sewage and industrial effluents) in river Yamuna. The Yamuna floodplain ecosystems along its 22-kilometer stretch through Delhi is highly degraded and lost in some stretches. Expanding and upgrading sewage treatment plants (STPs) is essential; stringent measures are required to stop industrial pollutants from entering the river system.  Maintaining minimum river flow is critical as the river's reduced flow during the dry season spirals the concentration of pollutants. The idea of riverfront development which concretizes the floodplains and permits construction at the edge of the main channel has to be avoided at all costs. Maintaining a high level of ecological integrity of the river ecosystem has to be a critical part of the rejuvenation strategy. A concerted action needs to be taken at the national level to save river Yamuna.

NDMC Horticulture Department shall present a sapling to each participant; please bring a cloth/jute carry bag.

(Collaboration: Green Circle of Delhi)

Programme Details

Interplay, Impact, Policy Framework and Way Forward

Full day seminar based on the Report on Climate Change, Land Use & Biodiversity prepared by Dr. P.S. Roy, Dr. Swati Basu and Dr. Sanjay Kumar as part of the IIC Sectoral Policy Group on Science & Technology under the Convenorship of Dr. Renu Swarup

Inauguration
Welcome Address: Dr. P.S. Roy
Context setting and about the monograph: Dr. Renu Swarup, former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology

Address about SPGs: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Under the S&T Policy group, there have been detailed discussions on S&T interventions for important issues of relevance to Civil society. A very detailed monograph has been prepared by the group of experts on the important issue of Climate change: Land use and Land cover and Biodiversity including Agrobiodiversity. The discussions have focussed on the current landscape, the challenges, the science and technology component and the policy framework for actions which need to be taken

Conceptualised by Dr. Ashwani Kumar

To Mark World Health Day 2025

Workshop from 10:00 to 13:00
Special session on Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Techniques
A training session on CPR techniques as well as Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a medical device designed to analyse the heart rhythm & deliver an electric shock to the victims of ventricular fibrillation to restore the heart rhythm to normal. The session will also include First Aid in Common Emergencies (F.A. C.E.) – an evidence based first response to acute health emergencies and how to avoid common myths and mismanagement in these situations

Conducted by Dr. Nitish Naik and Dr. Ambuj Roy and associates

Open to IIC members and staff members of IIC

At 16:00
The Ten Commandments for Nurturing Heart
Speaker: Prof. Ambuj Roy, MD, DM, FACC, FAMS, FRCP, FNASI, Professor, Dept. of Cardiology, Head, Skill, e-learning & Telemedicine Facility, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

Panel Discussion on Heart Attack: How do we prevent and abort?
Panelists: Dr. Nitish Naik, Prof. of Cardiology, A.I.I.M.S. New Delhi; Dr. Ambuj Roy; Dr. Yashdeep Gupta, Addl. Prof. of Endocrinology A.I.I.M.S, New Delhi; and Dr. Suparna Ghosh Jerath, Program Head,Nutrition, The George Institute of Global Health, India

Chair: Dr. Ashwani Kumar
 

Illustrated lecture by Nandini Purandare, writer and editor, President, The Himalayan Club, editor of The Himalayan Journal; and Deepa Balsavar, writer, award-winning illustrator, Adjunct Professor, IDC School of Design, IIT – Bombay; co-authors of the internationally acclaimed book The Sherpa Trail: Stories from Darjeeling and Beyond (Roli Books) which received the Climbing Writing Award at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festiva, Canada and the Boardman Tasker Award at the Kendal Mountain Festival, UK.

Chair: Brig. Ashok Abbey

The story of a fast-disappearing community of Sherpa climbers without whom any exploration in the Himalaya would have been impossible. Nandini and Deepa set out on an adventure that began in 2012 and culminated on a book ten years later. The book focused on the Darjeeling Sherpas, who, centuries ago, first migrated from Tibet to Nepal and then to the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India, becoming renowned for their skills as expedition porters from the turn of the 20th century

(Collaboration: The Himalayan Club)