The Silent Whispers: Voice of the Muffled Melodies
Poems by Misna Chanu (Authorspress)

Discussants: Malashri Lal, Convenor, English Advisory Board, Sahitya Academy; Payal Nagpal, , Professor, Dept. of English, Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi; and Misna Chanu, author of the book

Chair: Dr. Amarendra Khatua, Former Secretary, MEA, and Dg, ICCR ; Poet & Diplomat 
 

A Fireside Chat with Prof. Vijay Padaki, Trustee Emeritus, Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation

Prof Padaki, besides being part of the founding faculty of IIM Bangalore and a tenured Professor there, is an internationally recognized theatre educator, having written over 50 original plays in English. He will talk about the challenges in writing and performing in the English language in India, based on the long experience of Bangalore Little Theatre in new play development. The talk, illustrated with excerpts from plays, will be of interest to all followers of original writing in the English language in India.

Chair: Dr Anuradha Kapur, former Director, National School of Drama
 

This talk by Vasanthi Veluri and Anurag Chatrath will take you on a journey into their life in a remote Himalayan village, Satoli — where simplicity is not sacrifice, but a path to deeper connection. Through visuals and personal stories, this talk explores how intentional living, rooted in sustainability and community, can offer a richer, more meaningful way of being, despite the challenges.

Chair: Sunisha Ahuja, Education Specialist with UNICEF India 
 

Odissi Dance: Aesthetics, Therapeutics, Metaphysics

By Reela Hota (Prabhat Prakashan: 2025)

Discussants: Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor in Comparative Religion, McGill University; Sharon Lowen, performing artist, dance guru, writer and Odissi dancer; Swati Pal, Principal, Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi  and poet; Manindranath Thakur, Professor of Political Studies , JNU; Mahavir Singhvi, Joint Secretary at Ministry of External Affairs of India (Central Europe); Reela Hota, Odissi danseuse, Former Senior Fellow, Ministry of Culture, Founder Secretary, Rays of Wisdom Society & author of the book

Chair: Madhu Khanna, Former Professor, Director for the Centre for the Study of Comparative Religion and Civilizations, JMI 
 

Speakers: Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM & Bar, Defence Analyst and former GOC, XV Corps and Chancellor Central University of Kashmir; Amb. Pankaj Saran, Former Dy NSA, Amb to Russia and HC to Bangladesh and Convenor, NatStrat; and Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Dean, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and former Vice Chancellor, Jammu University.

Chair: Amb.  Y.K. Sinha, Former CIC, High Commissioner to the UK and Sri Lanka and Head of the Pakistan- Afghanistan- Iran Division in MEA

CANCELLED

Gandhi and Music
An illustrated lecture by Dipankar De Sarkar

Programme Details

Workshop on “Familiarization with Quantum Sciences and Technology”
Opening Remarks: Dr. D. Shailaja Donempudi, Vice Chairman, Zaheer Science Foundation (ZSF), New Delhi, Distinguished Scientist BD Group, CSIR HQ and former Chief Scientist and Head, BDRM, CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad

About the Workshop: Dr. Zahid H. Khan, Advisor, ZSF, UNESCO- National Node for India for IDL2025 and former Professor of Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Keynote Address: “Quantum Light: Celebrating the International Day of Light and the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology”
By Prof. John M. Dudley, International Day of Light 2025 Steering Committee Chair; Professor, University of Franche-Comté, France

(Collaboration: Zaheer Science Foundation, New Delhi)

Indian National Congress: From Dominance to Decline or Hibernation?

By M.P. Singh and Rekha Saxena (Routledge India: 2023)

Discussants: Prof. Zoya Hasan, political scientist, former Professor of Political Science and Dean, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Prof. E. Sridharan, political scientist and Director & Chief Executive Officer, University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India (UPIASI); Prof. Kiran Walia ; Dr Swapan Dasgupta, Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation and former MP, Rajya Sabha; Dr. M.P.Singh, former Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi and co-author of the book; and Prof. Rekha Saxena, Head of Department and Senior Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi and co-author of the book

GDP Base Revision: Time to regain confidence

Speakers: Shri N.K. Sharma, former Director General (Statistics), National Statistical Office (NSO),  Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI); and Shri Sanjay Kumar, former Additional Director General, NSO, MoSPI

 Discussant: Dr Amey Sapre, Associate Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP)

 Chair: Shri Siraj Hussain, former Union Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture

Speakers: Shri Bikram Singh Sajwan, former Expert Member, National Green Tribunal; Prof. A.K. Gosain, former Professor of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi; Dr. Vivek Saxena, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Member Secretary, State Biodiversity Board, Haryana; and Prof. Akshay Kaul, ecological planner, landscape designer and sustainable development architect

Discussant: Dr. Yogita Shukla, Founder and CEO AddGEO Foundation
Moderator: Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi and Editor, Citizens First TV (CFTV)

Chair: Justice Abhay S. Oka, former Judge, Supreme Court of India

This series is dedicated to the memory of Shri Mahesh. N. Buch, civil servant and environmentalist, who passed away on 6 June in 2015 and who had given the key-note address at the inaugural edition of the Dialogue in 2013.

(Collaboration: Green Circle of Delhi)