The Written Word and Social Progress: How Kerala Achieved 100% Literacy
Keynote Speaker: Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of the Travancore Royal Family

Speakers: Venu Vasudevan, Former Chief Secretary, Kerala; T.K Manoj Kumar, former Secretary, Govt of India; Resmi R., Registrar, University of Kerala; Parvathy S., Director, State Archives of Kerala

The World within the Word
Poetry Reading Session on Nature 
Curated by Malashri Lal and Apoorvanand

Verses from Hindi, English and 6 regional languages

Chief Guest: Ashwajit Singh, Trustee, IIC

Seminar on the Syncretic Traditions of the Subcontinent: Voices Past & Present

Welcome Address: Shyam Saran, President IIC
Inaugural Remarks: Dr. Jyotsna Singh, Convener of the Seminar, Director, Dara Shikoh Centre for the Arts
Keynote Lecture: Dr. Karan Singh, statesman, philosopher and thinker
The seminar shall explore the rich syncretic traditions of India and the subcontinent as expressed through art, architecture, literature, material practices and visual narratives. The seminar examines how diverse communities and cultural influences have intersected and evolved across the region. The programme will also include the release of a publication featuring research papers by students of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. 

For more details about the programme, ,  Please click here 

(Collaboration: Dara Shikoh Centre for the Arts, Parzor Foundation and Bharat Ram Research Grant)

Seminar on the Syncretic Traditions of the Subcontinent: Voices Past & Present

Welcome Address: Shyam Saran, President IIC
Inaugural Remarks: Dr. Jyotsna Singh, Convener of the Seminar, Director, Dara Shikoh Centre for the Arts
Keynote Lecture: Dr. Karan Singh, statesman, philosopher and thinker
The seminar shall explore the rich syncretic traditions of India and the subcontinent as expressed through art, architecture, literature, material practices and visual narratives. The seminar examines how diverse communities and cultural influences have intersected and evolved across the region. The programme will also include the release of a publication featuring research papers by students of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. 

For more details about the programme,     Please click here 

(Collaboration: Dara Shikoh Centre for the Arts, Parzor Foundation and Bharat Ram Research Grant)

Celebrating 100 Years of Thich Nhat Hanh: Launching the Year of Mindfulness
To mark Thich Nhat Hanh’s birth centenary with calligraphy and poetry workshops, practices, a documentary film, reading from the book, Touching the Footsteps of the Buddha, and panel discussion

Panel Discussion: 
Chair: Narayani Ganesh, Former Editor, Speaking Tree and Times of India and Author

Discussants: Shantum Seth, Dharmacharya, Plum Village and Co-founder, Ahimsa Trust; Rajiv Mehrotra, Writer; Managing Trustee, Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H.H. the Dalai Lama; Shashi Banerjee, Senior Educator, Shiv Nadar Foundation; Trupti Bhingare, Youth Leader, Wake Up Asia, Plum Village

For more details & registration, please visit our website

(Collaboration: Ahimsa Trust)

ART MATTERS CXII

An evening on Hindustani classical vocalist Shanno Khurana
Pt. Madhup Mudgal and Naman P.Ahuja will be in conversation with Sushmita Jha about her book on Shanno Khurana.

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

DIALOGUES ON HEALTH & WELLNESS 
Conceptualised by Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Talk & Workshop from 10:00 to 13:00 hrs

Short Talk: Fatty Liver: How to prevent and treat?
By Dr. Sagnik Biswas, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Gastroenterology, Human Nutrition, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi.

Followed by Registration, filling of proforma; recording of basic parameters of an individual participant; fibro scan test to measure liver stiffness & fat content

(Strictly for IIC members and staff members only)

At 16:00 hrs
Short Talk on Pancreatic Cancer: Recognizing the Risks and the Warning Signs! 
Speaker: Dr. Pramod Garg, Prof. & Head, Dept. of Gastroenterology & Human Nutrition, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi
The pancreas is a small organ that produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Its inflammation causes acute pancreatitis or, when persistent, chronic pancreatitis, which can lead to recurrent abdominal pain, diabetes and poor digestion. Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers. Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, family history and chronic pancreatitis. Possible warning signs include new or worsening diabetes, unexplained weight loss and abdominal pain, especially after age 50. If you have two or more of these symptoms, consult a doctor. Diagnosis commonly involves an abdominal CT scan; MRI or endoscopic ultrasound may also be used. Outcomes are better when the cancer is found early.
Followed by a panel discussion on Your Pancreas Matters: How to Keep it Healthy! 
Moderator:  Dr. Pramod Garg, Prof. & Head, Dept. of Gastroenterology & Human Nutrition, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi 
Discussants: Dr. Virinder Kumar Bansal, Prof. of Surgery, General, Laparoscopic & Renal Transplantation Surgeon, Dept. of Surgical Disciplines, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi; Dr. Deepak Gunjan, Addl. Prof., Dept. of Gastroenterology & Human Nutrition, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi.
        
Followed by interactive Q & A session with the audience

Chair: Dr. Ashwani Kumar
 

Nirāmayatā: Healing and Wellbeing in South Asian Texts and Practices

A gathering of Indian and international experts on Ayurveda, Yoga, Sowa Rigpa, Siddha and Unani Tibb, who will trace the development of healing systems in India, the diffusion of these ideas and techniques across Asia, their adaption to regional ecologies, and their significance for biomedical sciences and for public health today

At 9:30 hrs

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

Introduction to the Conference: Sudha Gopalkrishnan, Executive Director, IIC-International Research Division

Inauguration by Anil Rajput, Chairperson, Bharat ki Soch

Remarks: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Keynote Address by Dominik Wujastyk (Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, Canada, and author of The Roots of Ayurveda)

For detail of schedule , Please click here 

An Exhibition following the Seminar  will be inaugurated by Chief Guest Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India at 18:00 hrs on 12th October, 2026

(Collaboration: IIC-International Research Division, Bharat ki Soch Foundation, Indian Council for Cultural Relations)
 

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; G K Pillai, Former Home Secretary; and Vipul Mudgal, Director Common Cause

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.