The conference examines South Asia’s manuscript traditions, focusing on mathematical thought and the challenges of deciphering diverse texts. It highlights their pedagogical, computational, and global contributions, underscoring the continuing relevance of this heritage.

 At 10:00

Inauguration by Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Keynote Address by Prof. Manjul Bhargava, awarded Fields Medal (2014)

At 16:00

Lecture - demonstration: Sarangi and Vocal by Dr Deepak Paramshivan, IIT Madras

At 18:30

Exhibition Inauguration at Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex

Chief Guest: Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India

Welcome Remarks: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Exhibition Walkthrough: Dr Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Project Director, SAMHiTA and Prof. K. Ramasubramanian, Conference Convenor

Vote of Thanks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

The exhibition will be on view till Sunday, 14th September from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

The Mathematical Sciences: South Asia’s Contributions

This exhibition traces India’s (and broadly South Asia’s) contribution to global mathematics through its historical development, theories and practices, contextualization through lineages, and exchanges and recontextualization through time and space. To understand this multi-layered discipline, the exhibition displays reproductions of manuscripts of works from the Vedic period to the early modern era, including treatises, explanatory commentaries and manuals

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(Collaboration: IIC-International Research Division and Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay)

Indian Political Theory: Possibilities and Challenges

The Inaugural Session and Panel Discussion

Debating Indian Political Theory: Political Theory in India

Coordinators: Prof. Savita Singh and Dr. Manindra Nath Thakur

Discussants: Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Yogendra Yadav, Prof. Gopal Guru, Prof Gurpreet Mahajan

Chair: Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty

Followed by an Open Discussion with the audience

(Collaboration: Association of Creative Theory & Foundation for Creative Social Research; International Herbert Marcuse Society, USA; The Raza Foundation; and Shanti Sahyog)

By Mahati Kannan, a Bharatnatyam dancer from the family of film director K. Subrahmanyam, and a disciple and grand-niece of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, will perform under the Sanskriti-Madhobi Chatterji Memorial Fellowship.

(Collaboration: Sanskriti Pratishthan)

From Isolation to Integration: Navigating the Geopolitics of India's Northeast (1990-2023)

By Patricia Mukhim (Martin Luther Christian University Press, 2025)

Discussants: Ms. Vrinda Grover, Senior Advocate ; Prof. Tiplut Nongbri, Former Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University ; Sh. Shekhar Gupta, Editor, The Print ; Ms. Patricia Mukhim, Social Activist, Journalist and Author of the book

Chair : Sh. Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Moderator: Sh. G K Pillai, Former Union Home Secretary

Business Strategies and Public Policies in India and Europe: Ideas for a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Society

Edited by Bidisha Banerji and Sheetal Sharma (Springer, 2025)

Discussants: Prof. Rumki Basu, Former Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia ; Shri Narayanan Madhavan, Senior Journalist, Columnist and Editor ; Dr. Bidisha Banerji, Deputy Director, Amity University & Editor of the book; Dr. Sheetal Sharma, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University & Editor of the book

Chair : Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG

(90 minutes, 2024, English with subtitles)

Directors: Philip Delaquis and Barbara Miller

Wisdom of Happiness is a deeply intimate and highly cinematic documentary featuring the Dalai Lama, who, at nearly 90 years old, offers practical advice for navigating the 21st century's challenges. The film captures the Dalai Lama speaking directly to viewers, creating a sense of a private audience, and shares his timeless wisdom on achieving inner peace and happiness for everyone.

Introduction to the film by Richard Gere, American actor, Student of the Dalai Lama and Chairman of International Campaign for Tibet

(Collaboration: International Campaign for Tibet)

Images in ‘Handbreak’ explore the interplay of factors influencing choices between personal and societal spheres and how control shifts like shapeshifters. Different situations present various dynamics of control, highlighting that control is always with someone outside oneself.

Rhimon Bose is a visual artist who explores symbolism and iconography, drawing from his roots in fashion photography and the vibrant world of fashion. His work focuses on blending art and fashion to narrate his stories.

Inauguration on Thursday, 4th September 2025 at 18:30 hrs.

The exhibition will be on view till 11th September from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs.

At War with the Single Strand : How Indian Science Fought the Covid-19 Pandemic

Edited By Renu Swarup, Govindarajan Padmanaban and Narendra Kumar Arora

Discussants: Dr. Vinod Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog ; Prof. A K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt. of India ; Dr. Renu Swarup, Former Secretary, Govt. of India ; Prof. G. Padmanabhan, Former Director Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Dr. N. K. Arora, Executive Director, The INCLEN Trust International

How is India fairing in achieving a just and equitable energy transition that benefits both the environment and its people? How is India addressing the socio-economic dimensions of the energy transition? Are ecological impacts, community participation and nurturing local adaptability also being kept in mind? These are question the discussion aims to discuss at the public lecture

Speakers: Dr Atul Kumar, Professor, Energy Studies Programme, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Mr Karthik Ganesan, Fellow and Director, Strategic Partnerships, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); Dr Debajit Palit, Centre Head- Centre for Climate Change & Energy Transition, Chintan Research Foundation.

(Collaboration: Toxics Link)

Trial by Water : Indus Basin and India–Pakistan Relations

By Uttam Kumar Sinha (Penguin, 2025)

Discussants: Sh. Arvind Gupta, Author and Director, Vivekanand International Foundation ; Sh. T C A Raghavan, Author, Historian and Former High Commissioner to Pakistan ; Ms. Shalini Chawla, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) ; Sh. Amitabh Sinha, Senior Editor, Indian Express ; Sh. Uttam Sinha, Senior Fellow, MP-IDSA

Chair: Sh. Gurcharan Das, Author, Commentator and Public Intellectual