Seminars

Speaker: Dr. Sudhir Bansal, MD, New Delhi, India

Abstract: The talk will commence with an examination of Hinduism and the essence of Hindu scriptures. This will be succeeded by an elucidation of the concept of mysticism. Subsequently, a concise overview of the speaker's medical career and his journey into the world of Hindu texts will lay the groundwork for identifying the principal sources of wisdom that can be harnessed to navigate the contemporary world. According to the speaker, the profound knowledge contained within Hindu texts revolves around divinity and its relevance in the present world. The speaker will illustrate how he applies this understanding of divinity in the field of medicine, offering case studies that highlight the application of Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, and Raja yoga in his practice. Furthermore, the discussion will include insights on how this knowledge can be instrumental in mitigating burnout. While the examples will draw from clinical practice, it's important to note that this realization can be readily adapted to various other fields.

Speaker :  Mr. Sanjeev K. Pathak, Chief General Manager (Projects), GAIL (Retired)

Abstract :  In 2009, GAIL(I) Ltd was executing the prestigious cross-country gas pipeline connecting Punjab to the nearest gas pipeline at Bawana on the outskirts of Delhi. The proposed Bawana Nangal gas pipeline was being constructed to supply gas to a fertilizer plant being run by NFL(National Fertilizers Ltd) which was getting ready to convert to gas as feedstock. The pipeline was also supposed to supply gas to the industrial belt of Jallandhar besides Bhatinda where another gas-based thermal plant was getting ready for production of electrical power. On a rainy morning in August 2010, the ship collided with a smaller container ship (MSC Chitra). MSC Chitra was badly damaged resulting in tossing of hundreds of containers in the water channel leading to Mumbai Port. SOS were raised to prevent both the ships from sinking. 45 days of intense cleaning was involved to clear the path and put the port back to operation! With litigations all around, it was a mammoth task to convince all external stake - holders, get the cargo unloaded mid-seas, and get the same transported to Kandla via alternate means!

Speaker :  Dr. Rashmi Chaturvedi, Director of Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Jaipur, India

Abstract :  Non-Violence is the Ultimate Dharma” has been taken from the ‘Mahabharat’ and later it became a dictum of Jainism propounded by Bhagwan Mahaveer. Though it is rife with inner contradiction, historically and ideologically, non-violence- love, compassion, kindness and empathy have permeated Indian Philosophy which is evident by going through its cultural representation. Philosophy of a society / civilization is a continuous and incessant process of formulating and refining ideas and identifying values for defining the purpose of living, whereas Culture is a collective form of its literary and artistic manifestations – in other words its texts. Indian civilization has seen the origin and rise of many religions both Vedic and Non- Vedic but the central ethos of all of them is that of Non-Violence. Indian Metaphysics culminates in ‘I am Brahman’ or Super Soul which eliminates the duality of existence and diminishes all differences and division created by social structures bringing life to a platform of equality for human existence preparing it for compassion, kindness and non-violence.

Speaker :  Dr. Sudhir Kumar Sopory, Indian educationist, plant physiologist, New Dehli, India

Abstract :  With 1000 plus universities and 42,000 plus colleges. Despite this expansion, the gross enrolment ratio is still low. The entry of the private sector in opening new universities and colleges has partially helped. However, taking note of those educational institutions which impart teaching at the Master’s and run Ph. D programs, an area I will mostly dwell on in this lecture, the access still remains unequal across the socio-economic status, regions and gender. The quality of teaching and research is affecting employability as also in generating new knowledge. I feel that with commitment from the Government or other funding agencies, and of the faculty and students, the ecosystem can be made more conducive for taking new leads in knowledge generation and technology development on one hand and bringing out trained and aware citizens with values who would play a constructive and leading role in meeting the demands of the society and the Nation and work towards addressing the goals laid down by the UN.

Speaker : Dr. Suyasha Singh Isser, Amity University, Noida, India

Abstract : Digital surveillance is an unescapable fact in our daily life. We unknowingly facilitate gathering of information about us by all kinds of organizations - government, private, non-profit, etc. For women the challenges to privacy are greater and can cause more physical, mental, and emotional damage. How can principles of Indian philosophy (e.g., dharma, ahimsa, karuna, etc.) be applied to face this modern challenge? Our seminar speaker has thought deeply on this topic for many years.