INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY

Buddhist Monasteries in Rock Art Sites of Central India

Speaker: Dr Shyam Sharan Gupta, rock art expert and former Superintending Archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India (Bhopal).

Chair: K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Moderator: Pratap Bhanu Singh Sengar, former Director (Monuments) Archaeological Survey of India

The session will examine the transformation of prehistoric rock shelters in the Vindhyan plateau of Central India into Buddhist hill monasteries during the early centuries of Buddhism. Drawing on recent archaeological surveys and research, it will examine how these shelters were adapted for monastic life, the architectural and the religious features associated with them.

Book Discussion Group  

Migrants and other poems: A Collection of Reflective Poetry on Loss, Migration, and Displacement

By Prasenjit Mukherjee (Penguin Random House, 2026)

Chair: Parimal K. Brahma, Poet, Author and Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Discussants: Ashok Lavasa, Former Election Commissioner of India; Amb. T C A Raghavan, Former High Commissioner to Pakistan; Dr. Meeran Chadha Borwankar, Writer & Former Police Commissioner, Pune; Dr. Prasenjit Mukherjee, Author of the book

(Collaboration: Poetry Society of India)

Architecture and Art – Processes, Products and Perceptions

Speaker: Rajesh Luthra, Principal of Development Consortium – Architecture & Urban Design, Visiting Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi

Moderator, Mr Partho Dutta, Professor in the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU 

The talk would be a fascinating foray through what are often blurred lines between art and architecture as read via a reading of movements and individuals over time. It intends to explore the processes behind the canvas and the constructed even as it attempts an understanding of societal perceptions and responses. This, while contrasting within realms that may be seen as symbiotic or alternately, parasitic.
 

Decoding Bangladesh

Inaugural Remarks: Anindita Ghoshal, Professor of History at Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Kolkata

Moderator: Rajarshi Dasgupta, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Discussants: Smruti Pattanaik, Research Fellow, MP-IDSA; Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS); Subhajyoti Ghosh, Senior Journalist and head, BBC Bangla

The discussion covers a long period in the prehistory and evolution of Bangladesh, from the 1947 partition of India to present times. Examining the country’s evolution through the lenses of political transitions, institutional change, democratic aspirations, economic reforms, governance challenges, and rising radicalism. Exploring how socio-economic realities continue to shape Bangladesh's political trajectory and regional geopolitics

(Collaboration: @Crossroads)
 

Book Discussion Group

The Immortal King: Yama

By Sudhamahi Regunathan (Bloomsbury, 2026)

Moderator: R Sivapriya, Publishing Director, Bloomsbury, India

Discussants: Narayani Ganesh, Former Editor, The Speaking Tree and Sacred Space, Times of India; Sudhamahi Regunathan, Former Vice Chancellor, Author and Translator
 

Vaccines: Emerging Viral Outbreaks

Speaker: Dr. Virander Singh Chauhan, distinguished scientist, Chancellor of GITAM Deemed to be University, Rhodes Scholar and recipient of the Padma Shri awardee (2012). He is known for his contributions to the development of a recombinant vaccine for malaria and for synthetic structural peptides with biological functions.

Moderator: Prof. (Dr.) Narendra Kumar Arora, Professor, Chief Scientist & Mentor, The INCLEN Trust International, New Delhi and President, AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

The talk will explore the growing importance of preventive vaccines in addressing emerging viral threats such as Ebola, hantavirus and Nipah virus. It will examine the scientific and economic challenges of vaccine development, recent advances in vaccine technology, and issues of affordability, access, public trust and equitable distribution, highlighting the need for preparedness against future outbreaks.
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Jayaprakash Narayan: The People's Leader. 
By Arvinder Singh (Niyogi Books, 2026)

Chair: Vinod Sharma, former Political Editor, Hindustan Times

Discussants: Prof Apoorvanand, Professor, DU; Sanjay Hegde, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court; Qurban Ali, Journalist; Arvindar Singh, Author of the book

Book Discussion Group  

CHINDIA: Journey to an Asian Century.

By Shastri Ramachandaran (AuthorsUpFront, 2026)

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Discussants: V Srinivas, Chief Secretary, Govt of Rajasthan; Dr Rityusha Tiwary, Faculty of Chinese Studies, DU; Santosh Pai, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies and member, Confederation of Indian Industry’s core group on China; Shastri Ramachandaran, Journalist & Author of the book

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Raag Darbari: Polity as Fiction, Fiction as Reality 
Edited by Satyajit Singh (Orient Blackswan, 2026)

Moderator: Dr. Balveer Arora, Former Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU

Discussants: Dr. Yogendra Yadav, Former Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies; Dr. Sekhar Bonu, retired ADB & Visiting Professor, Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay; Dr. Rekha Saxena, Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, DU  and Satyajit Singh, Editor of the book.
 

Fascinating Light and Colour Phenomena in Nature
As part of International Day of Light (IDL) Workshop 2026

Keynote Address: Photonics as a Key Enabling Technology: A Two-Way Link Between Basic Research and Innovation by Prof. John M. Dudley, Professor at the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, France; International Day of Light 2026 Steering Committee Chair

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

Address:  Dr. Tabassum Jamal, IDL Workshop Chair

Organised as part of the International Day of Light (IDL) 2026, the workshop is an introduction to the fascinating science of light and colour through everyday natural phenomena. Aligned with the UNESCO theme "Light for a Sustainable Future," it seeks to promote scientific awareness while highlighting the role of light in sustainable development.

The inaugural session will be followed by a technical session featuring presentations by experts in the field

For more details, please click here 

 (Collaboration: Zaheer Science Foundation, New Delhi and Shanti Foundation International)