Navarasa: Kavya Sankalan

By Anita Chand and Manoj Krishanan (Novoquill Publications, 2024)

Discussants: Mandira Ghosh, poet, author & researcher; Renu Hussain, author, poet & educator; Manoj Krishnan, poet & founder & The Asian Literary Society & Author of the book; Anita Chand, Poet, Administrator, Asia Literary Society and author of the book

Chair: Dr. Amarendra Khatua, Former Secretary, MEA and DG, ICCR & poet

Souls in the Kalyug: The Politics and Cosmologies of Migrant Workers in Contemporary India

By Shankar Ramaswami (Permanent Black, 2025)

Discussants: Purushottam Agrawal, former Chair, Centre of Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Uma Chakravarti, Former Professor, Department of History, Miranda House, Delhi University; Nandini Sundar, Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi University; Aseem Shrivastava, scholar, writer, and ecological thinker; Shankar Ramaswami, Professor of Sociology, O. P. Jindal Global University and author of the book

Chair : Sh. Ajay Singh Mehta, Former Executive Director, National Foundation for India

Reimagining India's Economy: The Road to a More Equitable Society

By Arun Maira (Speaking Tiger, 2025)

The author will be in conversation with: Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, GoI and Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, The Hero Enterprise

Moderator: Ms. Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18

Echoes of the Past : Deep Threads of Indian Diplomacy

By Lakhan Mehrotra (Heritage Publishers, 2025)

Discussants: Dr. Amit Kapoor, Chairman, Institute of Competitiveness; Amb. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Member, Rajya Sabha; Amb Lakhan Mehrotra, author of the book

Chair: Dr. Karan Singh, eminent author and scholar

South Asian countries rank among the least open to international trade and finance, with very high tariffs and non-tariff trade costs. Amidst a changing global environment and the reshaping of supply chains, can lowering trade barriers serve as an engine of growth and job creation in the region.

The event will discuss the latest edition of the World Bank’s bi-annual flagship Report South Asia Development Update, which examines the region’s current economic landscape and explores the labor market implications of trade reforms.

(Collaboration: The World Bank)

Discussants: Dr Puneet Dwevedi, Chief Consultant in Mental Health and Behavioral Science, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram; Ms. Rita Marathey, Member of the International Society for Substance Use Professionals and Global Women’s Network; Mr Feisal Alkazi, educationist, trainer, theatre director; Ms Vickie Rai, Founder-Member of Sambandh Health Foundation.

Moderator: Ms. Parul Khanna Parashar

Celebrating 50 years of Sanjivini Society for Mental Health on World Mental Health Day

(Collaboration: Sanjivini Society for Mental Health)

An expert panel debating the policy choices that will shape how India safeguards digital sovereignty in Free Trade Agreements and National Security Strategy

Speakers: Shri Parminder Jeet Singh, Digital Society Researcher and Activist ; Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Convenor, Swadeshi Jagran Manch; Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament; Shri Abhishek Bhatt, Secretary General, Bharath Digital Infrastructure Association; and Shri Ashish Sonal, co-Chair, SITARA and CEO, Orkash

Chair: Ambassador Ashok Kantha

Vote of Thanks: Ambassador Smita Purushottam, Chair, SITARA

Follow us live on Youtube at https://youtube.com/live/005dev4-24g?feature=share

(Collaboration: SITARA, Bharath Digital Infrastructure Association (BDIA)

A symposium on “Humanities Matter” which will focus on “Conceptualizing Humanities “. “Humanities and Sciences: An interface” and “Humanities as Bedrock of Knowledge “in 3 sessions.

The Symposium brings together diverse scholars and experts address questions that arise from the perceived threat to humanities across educational institutions. Technical and commercial advancement has marginalized humanistic values, empathy, and social justice.  It will address the role of humanities for science, commerce, and engineering students, exploring how to balance theory with practice, resolve conflict constructively, and incorporate reflection into learning. The discussion aims to highlight the importance of humanities in developing well-rounded, thoughtful individuals and propose practical measures to integrate these values meaningfully into education.

Programme Committee: Sukrita Paul Kumar (Convenor), Prof Swati Pal, Principal, Janaki Devi College, Prof Asani Bhaduri, Cluster Innovation Centre, Delhi University

The Red Woman

By Laksmisree Banerjee (Black Eagle Books, 2025)

Discussants: Prof. Radha Chakravarty, Writer, Critic and Translator, Prof. Seema Jain, Bilingual Poet, Translator and Editor, Ms. Mandira Ghosh, Poet, Researcher, Educator, Writer, Dr. Roopali Sircar Gaur, Former Professor, Delhi University, Poet & Prof. Laksmisree Banerjee, poet, professor and author of the Book

Chair: Dr. Amarendra Khatua, Former Secretary, MEA & DG, ICCR & Poet

Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts of Nepal: Continuity of Ancient Indian Textual Traditions in the Himalayas

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Shanker Thapa, Professor of History (retired), Tribhuvan University.

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

The Buddhist manuscripts of Nepal are the only surviving original literary heritage of Mahayana Buddhism, preserved for over 1,500 years. The lecture will highlight their historical context, their links with Indian Buddhist traditions, and their role in preserving ancient wisdom. It will also cover medieval Buddhist scholarship, Newar manuscript culture, Nepal’s contributions to manuscript preservation, indigenous literature, repositories, and digital databases.

Prof Shanker Thapa is the first Dean of Lumbini Buddhist University, has taught for 40 years and held fellowships in Seoul and Tokyo. Since 2010, he has been digitizing endangered Sanskrit manuscripts and has authored 18 books, 26 chapters, and over 100 research articles on Buddhism worldwide

Fifteenth in a series of lectures organized by IIC-International Research Division with the support of Ministry of External Affairs