Shimla, July 27, 2026: The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla, organised a Special Lecture today, delivered virtually by Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, on the theme “The Idea of Bharat – IKS as an Alternative Narrative Architecture.” The event witnessed the participation of the Institute’s National Fellows, Tagore Fellows, Fellows, and IUC Associates. The lecture was also live-streamed through Cisco Webex and the official Facebook page of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, enabling academicians, researchers, and students from across the country to benefit from the deliberations.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi, Director, IIAS, who welcomed the participants and introduced the keynote speaker. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the importance of serious academic engagement with Indian Knowledge Systems and underscored the significance of such lectures in enriching contemporary intellectual discourse.
In her lecture, Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit reflected on various dimensions of the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and their relevance in contemporary global intellectual discourse. She emphasised the need to develop a Bharat-centric intellectual perspective as an alternative framework for understanding knowledge, drawing upon India’s rich civilisational heritage, philosophical traditions, and cultural continuity. She observed that the Indian Knowledge Systems should not merely be viewed as a legacy of the past but as a robust intellectual foundation capable of contributing meaningful perspectives towards addressing present and future global challenges. The lecture also explored the pluralistic nature of Indian thought, its holistic approach to knowledge, and the relevance of Indian Knowledge Systems in higher education and research.
The lecture was followed by an interactive discussion during which the Institute’s Fellows, Associates, and scholars engaged with the speaker through a wide-ranging question-and-answer session on Indian Knowledge Systems, higher education, research, and contemporary intellectual debates. Professor Pandit responded to the questions in detail, making the interaction both insightful and intellectually enriching.
The programme was conducted by Dr. Rajeev Kumar Mishra, Librarian and Academic Resource Officer, IIAS, who also proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the keynote speaker, the Director, the participants, and all those associated with the successful organisation of the event. Delivering the Chair’s concluding remarks, Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi observed that such lectures at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study continue to foster meaningful dialogue between diverse knowledge traditions and contemporary intellectual discourse, while providing fresh impetus to the Institute’s academic pursuits.
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study regularly organises special lectures by distinguished national and international scholars. The present lecture served as another significant academic occasion, facilitating meaningful deliberations on the contemporary relevance of Indian Knowledge Systems and their potential contribution to global intellectual discourse.
Author: Public Updates 24
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