Speaker: Sumathi Ramaswamy, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of History, Duke University who has published on language politics, gender studies, spatial studies and the history of cartography, visual studies and the modern history of art, and more recently, digital humanities and the history of philanthropy. Her recent writings on Gandhi include Gandhi in the Gallery: The Art of Disobedience (New Delhi: Roli Books, 2022) and the digital project B is for Bapu: Gandhi in the Art of the Child in Modern India (https://sites.duke.edu/bisforbapu/)

Using a material culture approach, the lecture reflects on the overwhelming penchant for the creation of statues of Gandhi, the most among India’s political leaders to be so “honoured” both at home and overseas, where many a statue has been installed as the official government gift. It is worth reflecting on this phenomenon at a time when across the world, because of varying projects for critically reckoning with difficult inherited pasts, statues of (big) men are being defaced. How might Gandhi respond to such acts, especially since his statue is increasingly vulnerable as well. 

(Collaboration:  American Institute of Indian Studies)
 

Restoring the Yamuna Flood Plains and Drainage Systems

Speakers: Shri P. K. Tripathi, former Chief Secretary of Delhi; Shri Ashok Lavasa, former Union Environment Secretary;
Dr. Faiyaz Khudsar, Senior Secretary, Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre of Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi; Shri Ashok Mandal,  Chartered Engineer; Shri Rajendra Ravi, Co-ordinator, People's Resource Centre; Prof. Yamini Gupt, Professor, Department of Finance and Business Economics, University of Delhi; and Shri Vinay Kumar, former Associate Editor, The Hindu

Chair: Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi and Trustee, IIC

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)

29 May 2024_CR I-Workshop on Indian Economy (1).pdf

Context and Introduction: Dr. Charan Singh, CEO and Founder Director, Egrow Foundation

Inaugural Address: Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member NITI Aayog and former Chief Economic Advisor to the Govt. of India

Panel discussions on The Issues in the Indian Economy

10:30 to 11:15 - The Growth Triangle: Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Insurance

11:15 to 12:00 – Exploring Climate Dynamics

12:15 to 13:15 – Macroeconomic Policy for India’s Evolving Economy

13:15 to 14:00 – Indian in the Geopolitical Crossroads

(Collaboration: EGROW Foundation; and Primus Partners)

Speaker: Amb. Talmiz Ahmad, author and former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE. He holds the Ram Sathe Chair for International Studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune

Chair: Amb. K.P. Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis University and Indian Society of International Law

The grim toll of the war in Gaza has exceeded 30,000 and a deal for releasing a part of the hostages is still hanging fire. Washington is pressing Israel hard for permitting entry of more humanitarian assistance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his plans for an assault on Gaza that most likely will cause thousands of civilian deaths. Amb. Ahmad will address these concerns as well as the strategic and political implications on the conflict for West Asia and world order

Speaker: Prof. Shanta Sinha, formerly Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. Prof. Sinha is a recipient of the Padma Shri Award in 1998 by the Government of India, Albert Shanker International Educational Award, presented by Educational International in recognition of outstanding personal contribution for education in 1998; and Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2003 for community leadership

Chair: Prof. Sucheta Mahajan, formerly Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

An intergenerational narrative on the social transformation of women across a century. Constructed from the forgotten memories about the lives of three generations of women in the speaker’s own family from the early twentieth century, and taking it beyond.

The lecture is based on the paper prepared by Prof. Shanta Sinha as part of the IIC Sectoral Policy Group on History

Surviving Annapurna – The Dangerous 8000 meter Mountain of the World

Illustrated lecture by Anurag Maloo, young Indian mountaineer who has successfully participated in mountaineering Expeditions to Mt. Nun (7135 m) in India and Mt. Ama Dablam (6812 m) in Nepal. An economic development consultant, startup mentor, social activist, engineer, and a global advocate for UN Sustainable Development Goals

Chair: Brig. Ashok Abbey (retd.)

An intriguing talk which recounts Anurag Maloo’s fall into a deep crevasse, during his Expedition to Mount Annapurna (8091 m). His experience of being in a frozen tomb for three days and three nights, his difficult rescue by his saviours especially by the two strong Polish climbers after a tedious and demanding rescue operation…

Ways of Renewing Designs with Communities, Another Way of Building

Discussants: Prof. Savyasaachi, Anthropologist, Professor and former Head, Dept. of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia; Prof. Snehanshu Mukherjee, Head of Interior Architecture and Design, Indian Institute of Art & Design, New Delhi; Anisha Shekhar Mukherji, Conservation Architect, author and Visiting Faculty, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi; Kanchan Joneja, architect, design researcher and visual designer; and Dr. Prabir Das, architect and Consultant on Sustainable Architecture

A continuation of the IIC series of dialogues on architecture, Talking Architecture 13 will discuss ways of ‘Renewing Designs with Communities, Another Way of Building’, through examples of alternative design practices in the 2023 Routledge publication of the same name. The session is dedicated to the memory of Professor Ashish Ganju (1942-May 2021) and his enduring belief in ‘the ability to create well-being in our habitat, a promise inherent in the knowledge-base architecture’
 

Speaker: Prerna Singh Bindra, author, wildlife conservationist and was formerly a member of India’s National Board for Wildlife. Prerna has authored The Vanishing: India’s Wildlife Crisis published by Penguin Random House and co-edited Wild Treasures, an anthology on Natural World Heritage Sites of Asia. A board member of Hathi- Sathi Foundation which works to enable safe shared spaces for people and elephants in north-east India. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Cambridge.

Chair: Ms Prakriti Srivastava, formerly Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Kerala and DIG (Wildlife), Min. of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

India has 42 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities; our rivers are sewers and is ranked second in deforestation after Brazil between 2015-2020. While these figures might be contested, there is no denying that India is an environment basket case, and our wildlife is in a crisis with even some endemic species ie. The Great Indian Bustard and the hangul facing extinction. While India has shown remarkable achievements in conserving endangered megafauna like tigers and Asian elephants, they stand threatened with India’s development juggernaut and consequent demand for energy, power and infrastructure. Troublingly, the legal, policy and institutional framework is being restructured to weaken safeguards protecting forests and wildlife. This lecture will dwell on the issues, explain why conservation matters and why it needs to be a mainstream electoral issue.


 

India and the Global South: Prospects & Challenges
Edited by Amb. Surendra Kumar (Wisdom Tree: 2024)
 
Discussants: Dr. Rajiv Kumar, economist and former Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog; Amb. Lakshmi M. Puri, former Ambassador and Founding Deputy Executive Director, UNWOMEN; Shri T.K. Arun, former Resident Editor, The Economic Times; and Amb. Surendra Kumar, Founder President, Indo-American Friendship Association and Editor of the book

Chair: Amb. Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Speakers: Prof. N. Sukumar, Professor, Dept. of Political Science, University of Delhi; Prof. Sanghamitra Sheel Acharya, Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Prof. Sumeet Mhaskar, Professor, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University; Prof. Y. S. Alone, Professor, Visual Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Dr. Harish S. Wankhede, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
 
Moderator: Suhas Borker, Convener, Working Group on Alternative Strategies and Trustee, IIC
 
This discussion is part of the series on Social Justice and Empowerment  started in 2010 and held every year on 1 May to commemorate the life and work of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
 
(Collaboration: Maharashtra Sanskritik ani Rannaniti Adhyayan Samiti; and Working Group on Alternative Strategies)