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)

Book Discussion Group  

Stories Carved in Stone Voices Rooted in Earth

Silent Walls, Speaking Stones & Indigenized/ Tribalized

By Nishi Chawla (Human Error Publishing, 2026)

Discussants:  Prof. Amrita Bhalla, Academician, Author and critic, Associate Professor, Department of English, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi; Prof. Sukrita Paul Kumar, Guest Editor, Indian Literature, Poet, Academic and Critic; Prof Ratna Raman, Dept of English, Sri Venkateswara College, DU; Dr Nishi Chawla, Author of the book
 

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 

Climate Change and Conservation Challenges for Earthen Heritage Structures in the Northwestern Himalayan Region: A Case Study of Ladakh

Speaker: Mr. Sunder Paul, Director (Conservation), ASI, New Delhi. He has led conservation efforts at significant sites including Leh Palace, Hemis Monastery, and Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia, and currently oversees monument conservation projects across the country.

Chair: K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

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

Climate change is emerging as a major threat to the earthen architectural heritage of Ladakh and the north-western Himalayas. Focusing on iconic sites such as Leh Palace and historic monasteries, this presentation examines the impact of increasing rainfall, flash floods, and changing weather patterns on centuries-old structures, while exploring conservation approaches that combine traditional building knowledge with modern scientific interventions to safeguard this fragile cultural legacy for future generations.
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Busy Women: Building Commerce and Culture in Middle India
By Shinjini Kumar (Penguin, 2026)

Moderator: Nishtha Gautam, Journalist, author-translator, Academic

Discussants: Amb. Pavan K Varma, Politician, Author, Former Diplomat; Milee Ashwarya, Publisher and Group Senior VP, Penguin Random House India; Shinjini Kumar, Author of the book