Speaker: Dr. Neera Agrawal, independent historian who has taught history at Mithibai College and Patkar College, University of Mumbai

Chair: Prof. Sucheta Mahajan, former Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Convenor, IIC-Sectoral Policy Group on History

The fascinating tale of the Merchants of the port town of Cambay begins from the time when Queen Elizabeth I of England sought permission to trade with India in 1583 and addressed the Mughal Emperor Akbar as “the King of Cambay” to 1818 when Peshwa Baji Rao II was deposed by the English and Cambay came directly under British rule. Cambay, which had
become a major centre for the manufacture and supply of agates and cotton piece-goods, occupied a strategic position in the maritime trade of western India as it lay mid-way between Arab-Persian and East African coasts to the west and South East Asian and Chinese coasts to the east. The Merchants of Cambay, during this turbulent and disruptive period tactically
negotiated their way through with the Mughals, the Nawab of Cambay, the Marathas and the English to protect their trading world and overcome their existential crisis.
 

Speaker: Prof. Akhil C. Banerjea, former Professor Emeritus, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi and former Director, Institute of Advanced Virology, Kerala

Chair: Dr. Kalpana Luthra, Professor of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

Stem cells have the unique ability to renew themselves. There ae several categories – pluripotent, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (ipsc) and adult stem cells. Stem cells can potentially recreate functional tissues. Moreover, human adult cells may be reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. The talk will reveal how human hematopoietic stem cells are engineered to interfere with the replication of HIV-1 in two important immune cells (T-cells and Macrophages)

General Elections: 2024

Challenges and the World’s Largest Electoral Movement

Speaker: Ashok Lavasa, former Election Commissioner of India

Moderator: Suhas Borker, Trustee, IIC

Introduction: Vinay Kumar, former Associate Editor, The Hindu

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

Opening Remarks: Gautam Lahiri. President, PCI

The series of Conversations with Media is jointly organised by IIC and Press Club of India; and is hosted by them alternately every month

Speakers: Prof. C.R. Babu, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi; Shri Rajendra Ravi, Co-ordinator, People’s Resource Centre; Prof. Shreekant Gupta, former Professor, Delhi School of Economics and IPCC author; Dr. Yogita Shukla, Founder and CEO, addGEO Foundation; Shri T.K. Shah, Member, Green Circle of Delhi; and Col. Anuj Srivastava (Retd.), architect and heritage conservationist
 
Chair: Shri Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi and Trustee, IIC
 
The programme will commence with the release of the book edited by Rajendra Ravi, Exploring New Urbanism – Food, Farm and Wastelessness (Bookwell, New Delhi: 2024)
 
The occasion marks the 88th anniversary of Lodhi Garden and the 32nd anniversary of Green Circle of Delhi. NDMC Horticulture Department will present a sapling to each participant, kindly please bring a cloth/jute carry bag
 
(Collaboration: Green Circle of Delhi)

Speaker: Adv. Dr. Muktesh Chander, IPS (Retd.), Special Monitor for Cybercrime and Artificial Intelligence, National Human Rights Commission

Chair: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

In the ever expanding digital landscape, cyber crimes is an every growing menace that millions face each day. The fastest-growing crime worldwide, as technology improves, cyber criminals get bolder, innovating new methods to cheat people.Dr. Chander who has specialised in Cyber Security will address some of these methods and highlight the importance of netizen awareness and the need to take certain cyber safety precautions.
 

India’s Tipping Point: The view from 7 Race Course Road
By S. Narendra (Bloomsbury India: 2023)
 
Discussants: Shri R. Prasannan, Resident Editor, The Week, New Delhi; Amb. K.P. Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis University, Pune; and Shri S. Narendra, former Principal Information Officer and concurrently Information Adviser to Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and author of the book
 
Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC 

Speaker: Prof. H.M. Desarda, Professor Emeritus, MGM University, Aurangabad, former Member, Maharashtra State Planning Board. Prof. Desarda is a well-known researcher, thinker, and writer on the issues of land, water, ecology, employment, and environment

Chair: Prof. Alakh N. Sharma, Director, Institute for Human Development

 
Although the third-largest economy in purchasing power parity, India is besieged by pervasive poverty, chronic malnutrition, and mass deprivation. Although well-endowed with natural resources, India ranks 131 in the Human Development Index among 189 countries, 94th among 107 in the Global Hunger Index. While radical redistribution of land and other means of production is not possible, Prof. Desarda argues for a feasible option through guaranteed employment to create income support for vulnerable people

A Democracy in Retreat: Revisiting the ends of Power
By Ashwani Kumar (Har Anand Publications: 2023)
 
Discussants: Justice Arjan Sikri, eminent jurist and former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Ms Neerja Chowdhury, journalist, columnist and political commentator; Amb. Pavan K. Varma, diplomat, politician, and author; and Dr. Ashwani Kumar, eminent lawyer, thinker, veteran parliamentarian and former Minister for Law and Justice and author of the book
 
Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

The Roma Exodus and Reconnection with a Forgotten Diaspora

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Punita G. Singh, acoustician, musicologist, linguist, editor and educator based in Delhi. She has taught at Washington University in the US, McGill University, Canada and is currently, Visiting Faculty at Ashoka University, Sonipat

India is regarded as the original homeland of the Roma, yet most history books in schools omit mention of a Roma exodus and research and scholarship on the subject has been sparse. If the emigration of Roma out of India dates back to a millennium or earlier as posited by some scholars, the parallel influx of traders, invaders and colonizers over the intervening period seems to have overwritten their story. This presentation reviews the story of the Roma and their connection, disconnection and reconnection with India.