Ananda : An Exploration of Cannabis in India

By Karan Madhok (Aleph, 2024)

Discussants: Sh. Omair Ahmad, acclaimed novelist and journalist; Dr Khagesh Gautam, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Sh. Karan Madhok, author of the book

Moderator: Sh. Saurabh Sharma, Freelance Journalist and Culture Critic

The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day

By Daneesh Majid (Harper Collins, 2025)

Discussants: Dr. Mujibur Rehman, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University) ; Sh. Dinesh C. Sharma, Journalist ; Mr. Daneesh Majid, Author of the book

Chair: Shri A.S. Dulat Former Head, R&AW

Moderator: Shri Ruben Banerjee, Journalist

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)

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

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)

Life and Works of Dr Jayant Narlikar : A Talk

Prof. Somak Raychaudhury, Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University (Speaker)

Amb. K. P. Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis University (Chair)

From Fire to Light: Rereading the Manusmrti

By Arvind Sharma (Harper Collins, 2024)

Discussants: Prof. Purushottam Agrawal, Former Chairperson, Centre of Indian Languages, JNU; Prof. Bharat Gupt, Vice-Chairman, National School of Drama & Former Professor, Delhi University; Prof. Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University & Author of the book

Moderator: Prof. C. Upender Rao, School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

The talk will focus on the 12-day Israel-Iran war that began on June 13 with an Israeli strike and escalated when the U.S. joined on Day 9. With President Trump claiming to have destroyed Iran’s nuclear program—a claim still disputed—a U.S.-brokered ceasefire followed. The discussion will explore why Israel initiated the war, whether the ceasefire will hold, and the broader implications for regional stability, global geopolitics, and India.

Speakers: Ambassador K P Fabian, Distinguished Fellow, Symbiosis University; and Wing Commander Praful Bakshi, well-known expert in geopolitics.

Tianxia System in the New Era and Limits to China–Pakistan All-Weather Relations

Speakers: Dr. Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR; Dr. Atul Bhardwaj, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Policy and Global Affairs, City St George’s, University of London; Fellow (2022–2024), Prime Minister Museum and Library, New Delhi, and an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune; and Prof. Sriparna Pathak, Professor of China Studies and Founding Director, Centre for Northeast Asian Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University, NCR

Moderator: Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi

A panel discussion on the evolving contours of China’s strategic worldview through the ancient yet resurgent concept of Tianxia — “All under Heaven.” The idea, deeply embedded in Chinese philosophical and political thought, is being reimagined by the Chinese leadership to structure global hierarchies in the 21st century.

The Prime Minister: Discourses in Indian Polity

By Dr. Anil Singh (Kaveri Books: 2014)

Discussants: Shri. B. P. Singh, Former Governor of Sikkim and Former Home Secretary, GoI; Prof. M. P. Singh, Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for Multilevel Federalism, Formerly Professor, Department of Political Science University of Delhi; Prof. Prateek Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Delhi Technical University; Prof. Sushma Yadav, Member of Justice (Retd.) KG Balakrishnan Commission, Former Vice Chancellor, BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya; Former Pro Vice Chancellor, Central University Haryana; Sh. K.C. Tyagi, Senior Politician, Former Member of Parliament and Dr. Anil Singh, Editor, STAR Views and author of the book.