BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 
 

Aainakhana
Translated by Gauri Shankar Raina  

Discussants:  Dr. Roop Krishen Bhat, Eminent Short Story writer, Linguist, former Professor, CIL and former Director, ADULT Education, Ministry of HRD; Prof. Pankaj Bhan, Editor & Translator, Former Professor of English, DU, Shri Deepak Budki, Former Director General, Postal Services of India, Critic & Short Stories Writer; Dr. Gaurishankar Raina, Eminent writer and translator, former Advisory Board Member, Sahitya Akademi & Translator of the Group

Moderator: Prof. Payal Nagpal, Department of English, Janki Devi Memorial College, DU

IIC WINTER FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & DANCE

Odissi Recital
By Prapti Gupta from Ghaziabad, disciple of Guru Aruna Mohanty & Guru Alpana Nayak

At 18.30
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Sowmya Laxmi Narayanan from Delhi, disciple of Guru Geeta Chandran  

IIC WINTER FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & DANCE

Sitar Recital
By Saptarshi Hazra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Netai Basu, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta and Pratyush Banerjee.
Accompanist: Pt. Ashis Sengupta

At 18.30
Hindustani Vocal Recital
By Priyanka Mitra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar & Guru Anjan Majumdar
 

Curtain Raiser Show of Nalanda Literature Festival 2025
 

The Nalanda Literature Festival is a unique celebration of India’s cultural and literary heritage, with a special focus on Bihar and north eastern states’ rich linguistic traditions — Angika, Bhojpuri, Bajjika, Magahi, Maithili, Surjapuri, Bodo, Mizo, Assammese and many more. Through thought-provoking sessions, heritage, creative exchanges, the Festival seeks to revive and promote our regional languages, inspire younger generations, and position Bihar and north eastern states’ literary culture on the national and global stage.

(Collaboration: Dhanu Bihar Trust)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 
Bharata before the British and other essays: Towards a new Indology
By Shonaleeka Kaul (Vitasta, 2024)

Introductory Remarks: K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Discussants: Prof. Meenakshi Jain, Hon’ble. Member of Rajya Sabha, Author, Historian; Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Former Chairman, University Grants Commission, Professor (formerly Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi), educationist and columnist; Prof. Shonaleeka Kaul, Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Former Malathy Singh Distinguished Lecturer, Yale University; Jan Gonda Fellow, Leiden University; Visiting Professor, Heidelberg University. Sanskritist and author of the book.
 

Connections, Collaboration, and Cross-fertilization: The Enduring Importance of Cross-Cultural Exchanges Between Institutions of Higher Education for the Future of Asian Studies

The talk explores how institutions of higher education in Asia, the US, and Europe have shaped the development of Asian Studies and enabled cross-cultural understanding during periods of geopolitical tension. Highlighting influential centres such as the Royal Asiatic Society, EFEO, and the Harvard-Yenching Institute. The session will also consider current challenges, including shrinking international funding and how the future of Asian Studies can be re-imagined.

By Prof. James Robson is the James C. Kralik and Yunli Lou Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University and Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, he has conducted extensive research across China, Taiwan, and Japan, and is the award-winning author of The Power of Place.

Chair: Sabaree Mitra, Professor Centre for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, JNU, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.

(Collaboration: Institute of Chinese Studies)
 

DIALOGUES IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS 
Conceptualized by Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Talk and Workshop from 10:00 to 13:00

Part I: CPR from 10:30 am to 11:30 am

Short Talk on: Hands to Restart Heart to Save Lives by Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques.
By Prof Rakesh Garg, A.I.I.M.S, New Delhi

This technique helps to revive persons whose heartbeat or breathing may have stopped. This session will help participants to recognize and respond to cardiac arrest and give high quality CPR. This is a repetitive extensive training on CPR techniques

Followed by Demonstration and performing of CPR techniques including Automated External Defibrillators (AED) by the participants.

Organized by Dr. Ambuj Roy, Professor of Cardiology & Head, Skill, e-Learning & Telemedicine Facility, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi. Conducted by Prof. Rakesh Garg, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi, & associates.

Part II: From 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
‘Meaningful Life Despite Arthritis, with Rehabilitation Medicine!’

Organised & conducted with a short talk by Dr Sanjay Wadhwa, Prof. & Head, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, AIIMS, New Delhi.

(Strictly for IIC members & staff members only)
At 16:00                      
A short talk on Freedom from Arthritis, Move Freely Again: The Gift of Joint Replacement
By Dr Vijay Kumar, Professor of Orthopaedics A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi 
Joint replacement surgery is a transformative procedure that significantly reduces chronic joint pain and restores mobility for individuals with severe arthritis or joint damage. It offers a renewed chance to move freely and embrace an active, fulfilling lifestyle.

Followed by Panel Discussion on
Restoring Mobility with Conservative Treatments/Joint Replacement 
Panellists:  Dr Vijay Kumar, Professor of Orthopaedics A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi; Dr. Sanjay Wadhwa, Prof. & Head, Dept. of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi; 
Dr. Danveer Bhadu. Addl. Prof., Dept. of Rheumatology, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi

Chair: Dr Ashwani Kumar

Followed by interactive Q & A session with the audience
 

Financing Climate Adaptation in States: Challenges and Opportunities
With climate change aggravating and leading to adverse impacts on social and economic sectors.  India urgently requires investment in climate adaptation. The discussion identifies the challenges faced in implementing adaptation actions by states, the current sources of climate finance, particularly adaptation finance, the instruments and methods of current financing, and suggests possible ways of scaling adaptation finance for states.

Paper presented by:  RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI; and Dhriti Pathak, Climate Change Researcher and Analyst.
Discussant: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Distinguished Fellow CEEW, Former Additional Secretary MOEF& CC

Moderator: C.K. Mishra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India

(Organised by the IIC’s Sectoral Policy Planning Group on Environment under the Convenorship of C.K. Mishra)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 
The Dark Hours of the Night
By Salma; translated by G J V Prasad (Simon and Schuster, 2025)

Discussants: Professor B Mangalam, English professor at Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi; Prof. Swati Pal, Principal, Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC), University of Delhi; Prof. Nishat Haider, Professor of English, Jamia Millia Islamia University; Prof. Salma, Autor of the Book; Prof G J V Prasad, Translator of the Book

Moderator:  Prof. Malashri Lal, Convenor, English Advisory Board, Sahitya Academy and poet
 

Ahaetuki – The Grace of a Master
 

An evening dedicated to the revered Kathak Maestro, Guru Munna Shukla. Ahaetuki, a Sanskrit term meaning “that which is without cause,” is a tribute to the Guru–Shishya parampara. Through the film The Kettle and the Cup and the Kathak Baithak that follows, the evening celebrates not merely an art form, but the devotion, discipline, and humility at its heart. Through the film The Kettle and the Cup and the Kathak Baithak that follows, it is a celebration not merely an art form, but the spirit of devotion, discipline, and humility that lies at its heart.

At 18:00
Screening of The Kettle and the Cup 
(40 mins;2025; Hindi)
Director & Producer: Ruchi Saini
The documentary is created in the loving memory of the revered Kathak Maestro, Guru Late Munna Shukla Ji of the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana. The film honours the sacred bond between Guru & Shishya, offering a rare glimpse into the Maukhik Vidya. 
.
At 18:45
Kathak Baithak
The Baithak will feature Aranya – The Forest Within, a Kathak offering by Ruchi Saini and her students. Aranya journeys into the quiet, breathing spaces where nature and Kathak meet.