Keynote Address: Shri Vijay Ramachandran, storyteller and knowledge navigator

Welcome and Introductory Remarks: Smt Reena Ramachandra, former CMD, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd.

(Collaboration: IC Centre for Governance)
 

Stout and Tender: A Collection of Poems Pure and Impure
By Badri Raina (AuthorsUpFront: 2024)

Discussants: Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP; Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, politician and Member of the Indian National Congress; Prof. Ratna Raman, Professor, Dept. of English, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi; Dr. B. Mangalam, Professor of English, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi; and Prof. Badri Raina, well-known commentator on politics, culture and society, former Professor of English, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi and author of the anthology
 

Recitation by Prof. Kesavan Veluthat, formerly Professor of History, Delhi University; and Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, IIC-International Research Division

Moderator: Dr. Naresh Keerthi, Dept. of Sanskrit, Ashoka University

(Organised by the IIC-International Research Division)

Speaker: Prabha Sankaranarayan, President and CEO of Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI). Drawing on her extensive mediation experience across the USA, Africa, and Asia, her lecture will delve into mediation as a transformative experience, emphasizing compassionate interaction over transactional settlement

The fourth edition of IIC-WISCOMP Dialogues: Conversations on Mediation, will present a compelling case for placing compassion at the heart of peace mediation. Drawing on her extensive experience working in Ukraine, Gaza, Colombia and Syria, internationally acclaimed mediator Prabha Sankaranarayan will explore the mediation as a transformative process beyond transactional settlement.

Programmes with Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan

Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan is Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics; Chair Astronomy; Chair Women Faculty Forum, Department of Physics, Yale University

An informal interaction with Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan

Chair: Dr. Pratibha Jolly, physicist and Principal Investigator, GATI (Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions)

Amidst an intellectual revolution in cosmology and astrophysics, the interplay of powerful ideas and innovative instruments is radically reshaping our understanding of the universe. As part of Her Voice: Engendering the Discourse, internationally acclaimed astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan will be in conversation with Pratibha Jolly, Indian physicist and Principal Investigator, GATI (Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions). This special conversation will explore their personal trajectories, glass ceilings breached, the opportunities and challenges for women navigating the discursive terrain of science.

(Collaboration: Wiscomp)
 

A conversation between Madhu Tandan and Richa Vadini Singh on whether dreams are a wasteland or a secret garden

Madhu Tandan, the acclaimed author of Dreams & Beyond: Finding Your Way in the Dark and The Logic of Dreams, brings four decades of experience in researching and interpreting dreams.

Richa Vadini Singh is a writer who explores the fascinating realm of dreams and has studied psychodynamic dreamwork.

Together, they will explore what our dreams might be trying to tell us, unravel why they often seem so bizarre, and ponder their true significance. They will also welcome any dreams shared by the audience for discussion.
 

By Vishwas Hari (mandolin); and Charulatha Chandrasekar (veena)
With Abhishek Avadani on mridangam and Ujith Udaya Kumar on tabla

(Collaboration: Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha)

Leonard Bernstein
Composer, Conductor, Teacher, Humanist
Illustrated lecture by Dr. Punita G. Singh

A charismatic conductor, creative composer, prodigious pianist and erudite educator, Leonard Bernstein was a towering figure in music through the 20th century. Besides composing for the classical concert stage, he wrote for Broadway and Film, the diversity of styles evident in music for ‘West Side Story’, ‘Candide’, ‘Chichester Psalms’ and ‘On the Waterfront’. As a conductor, he championed the music of his contemporaries while also breathing life into traditional compositions, especially the music of Mahler. In addition to leading the New York Philharmonic, he frequently conducted major international orchestras. This presentation celebrates the life and legacy of ‘Lenny’—as he was lovingly called. His artistry, intellect and humanism continue to inspire and educate, demonstrating the transformative power of music in shaping a more compassionate world.

Punita is a musicologist, linguist, acoustician, editor and educator based in New Delhi 
 

An evening of Mindfulness, with Sitting, Walking and Tea Meditation
Led by Brother Phap Dung and other Teachers and Monastics in the Plum Village tradition

The programme includes release of a book ‘The Mindfulness Survival Kit: Five Essential Practices’ by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Aleph Book Company

Chair: Dharmacharya Shantum Seth

(Collaboration: Ahimsa Trust)
 

At the Heart of Power: The Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh
By Shyamlal Yadav (Rupa Publications, 2024)

Guest of Honour: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Govt. of India

Discussants: Prof. Sushma Yadav, Member, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Commission, former Vice Chancellor, BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya and former Pro Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Haryana; Shri Qamar Wahid Naqvi, former News Director, TV Today Network; and Shri Shyamlal Yadav, journalist and author of the book

Chair: Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts