The Infrastructure of Chinese Civilizationism

Speaker: Prasenjit Duara, Professor Emeritus, Oscar Tang Distinguished Chair of East Asian Studies at Duke University. Formerly, Chairman of the History Dept at University of Chicago and Raffles Professor and Director of the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore.

Chair: Amb Shivshankar Menon, former NSA and Foreign Secretary

The Civilizationisms project is a global collaboration that examines how contemporary states use the idea of civilization for political legitimation. The talk analyses the rise of Chinese civilizationism as a mode of global power that seeks not only to challenge Western dominance but to reshape the world order through infrastructure. It traces this development through ecological civilization, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the expansion of Chinese digital and financial networks across the Global South. These initiatives operate as an “infrastructure of civilization,” embedding norms, standards and digital dependencies into governance and economic life, reflecting a broader transformation in global power towards infrastructural integration.

Police Reforms – 20 years

Chair: Justice Vineet Saran, former Judge, Supreme Court of India

Discussants:  Prakash Singh, Former Director General BSF, DGP UP, and DGP Assam; Vipul Mudgal, Director Common Cause; G K Pillai, Former Home Secretary

The British left behind a colonial police structure at the time of Independence, which continues nearly eight decades later. Despite the Supreme Court’s directions of September 22, 2006 for comprehensive police reforms, implementation by the states has remained largely half-hearted. Police reforms are a must for a progressive India. The vision of a Viksit Bharat cannot be achieved without the solid foundation of good law and order, which only a professional police force upholding the rule of law can provide. Twenty years after the judicial directions, it is essential that the campaign for police reforms is sustained and given greater impetus. 
 

DIALOGUES IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Conceptualised by Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Talk & Workshop from 10:00 to 13:00
Short Talk: Recognition of Stress, Anxiety & Depression!

By Dr. Rajesh Sagar, Professor of Psychiatry, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi

Followed by Registration, Assessment through Standardized Questionnaire and providing Stress Management Techniques

(Strictly for IIC members and staff members only)

At 16:00
Short Talk on Depression: The Invisible Burden- Making it Visible & Restoring Hope!
Speaker: Dr. Rajesh Sagar, Professor of Psychiatry, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi
Depression is an important public health issue. It is a common and serious mental health condition, yet often misunderstood. Emphasis will be laid on how it can impact physical health, relationships and day-to-day functioning. The session will discuss the difference between normal sadness and clinical depression, early recognition of symptoms and warning signs, and common misconceptions. It can be effectively taken care of through psychological interventions, lifestyle measures, social support and medication, wherever required. A key message will be the importance of empathy, encouraging professional help and creating supportive families, workplaces, schools and communities.
Followed by a panel discussion on Mind, Brain and Behavior: An Integrated Approach to Mental Health!
Discussants: Dr. Rajesh Sagar, Prof. of Psychiatry & Moderator of the session; Dr. Achal K. Srivastava, Prof., Dept. of Neurology, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi; Dr. Sujata Satapathy, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi.  
        
Followed by interactive Q & A session with the audience

Chair: Dr. Ashwani Kumar
 

ART MATTERS
Austrian Art Historian Simone Wille in conversation with Ashutosh Bharadwaj

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 

Meet the Author:  Dr Vikas Swarup

(Collaboration: Sahitya Akademi)
 

Taş Tepeler – The Genesis of Myths: An Archaeological Talk by Prof. Necmi Karul
Speaker: Prof. Necmi Karul, Head of Prehistory at Istanbul University, Coordinator of the Taş Tepeler Project, and Director of the Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe excavations

Moderator: Prof. Ravi Korisetter, distinguished archaeologist and Adjunct Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The Taş Tepeler Neolithic Research Project, is rewriting the story of human history across an extraordinary archaeological landscape that also includes Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South-eastern Türkiye. Over 12,000 years old, these remarkable Neolithic sites and the discoveries emerging from them are transforming our understanding of the origins of human civilization.  A cross-cultural conversation on archaeological discoveries, interpretations and the shared questions they raise about early human societies.

Entry for Registered participants, please register here

Changing Climate, Land & Life Interplay: Spatial Intelligence for Sustainable Futures
Spatial Approaches for Biodiversity, Agriculture, and Land Resilience in Emerging Economies

Context Setting: Dr Renu Swarup, Former Secretary to GoI

Authors presentation - Dr (s). P. S. Roy, Swati Basu, Sanjay Kumar on the rationale, spatial approaches, and key highlights
of the monograph.

Address by K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC; Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA, GoI; Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Ex Member of NITI Ayog

Moderator: P. S. Roy, Swati Basu and Sanjay Kumar
Discussants: Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati, Country Head, UNEP India; Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director & Vice-Chancellor, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi; Dr. Rajarshi Dasgupta, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi
(Organised by the IIC’s Sectoral Policy Group on Science and Technology under the Convenorship of Dr Renu Swarup)

China’s Grand Strategy: India’s Long-Term Response in an Asymmetric Strategic Environment

Chair: Amb. Shivshankar Menon, former NSA and Foreign Secretary

Discussants: Rear Admiral K. Raja Menon (Retd.), former Indian Navy. Author and Expert on Maritime and Nuclear Strategy, and on defining Emerging Geostrategic Scenarios; Amb. Ashok Kantha, Subhas Chandra Bose Chair Professor of International Relations, Chanakya University, Bengaluru, former Indian Ambassador to China and former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor of Chinese Studies, Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Dean, School of International Studies.

The discussion examines the concept of grand strategy in circumstances where war is not the preferred instrument of national policy. Drawing upon official Chinese documents and strategic writings, it explores the long-term objectives that underpin China’s grand strategy and assesses their implications for India.
 

ART MATTERS CXI
 

Protest and the Arts

Discussants: Ananya Vajpeyi, Veer Munshi, Aditi Mangaldas 
 

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)

IIC/Media Dialogues

Digital News Media: Easy to Set Up, Difficult to Sustain?

Moderator: Dr. Vibodh Parthasarathi, Centre for Culture, Media and Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia

Discussants: Ritu Kapur, Co-founder & Managing Director, The Quint;  M.K. Venu, Founding Editor, The Wire; Rahul Kotiyal, Founder Editor, Baramasa.in; Priyanshi Sharma, Co-founder, Peek TV

(Collaboration: The Media Foundation)