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Compass: The Intellectual Fest
“Compass” is an interactive, integrated and innovative web conversation series with stalwarts in diverse fields: journalism, education, economics, health policy, law etc. held by Caucus under the aegis of IQAC.
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A conversation on "Moving the Needle: Post Pandemic Health Sector in India" with Mrs Preeti Sudan
Preeti Sudan is a retired Indian bureaucrat of 1983 batch. She has degrees in Economics and Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics. She has been trained in public finance management in Washington. Her wide spectrum of work include Health Secretary of India, key strategist in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, consultant in the World Bank and WHO
She shared her expertise in various departments like department of Food and Public Distribution. Apart from this, she has served at various central and state level positions such as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defense as well as in position relating to disaster management and tourism.She has been a key functionary in the planning and implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Since 2020, Sudan has been serving as a member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR).
A conversation on "Prone to Shocks: India & the World" with Amb Kanwal Sibal
Padma Bhushan awardee Ambassador Kanwal sibal graduated with an MA in English from Punjab University. Dr. Sibal later graduated from the World Information Distributed University with the scientific degree of International Doctor of Philosophy and the scientific degree of Grand Doctor of Philosophy, in June 2006. He is the First Grand Doctor of Philosophy in India. He received the title of Full Professor from the European Academy of Informatization and the World Information Distributed University.
He was a member of India's National Security Advisory Board from November 2008 to November 2010. Dr. Sibal also served as Joint Secretary (Administration/West Europe) in the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India the Ambassador of India to Turkey the Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington , the Ambassador of India to Egypt
A book discussion on "The Anarchy" with Mr William Dalrymple
William Dalrymple is one of Britain’s great historians and the bestselling author of the Wolfson Prize-winning White Mughals, The Last Mughal, which won the Duff Cooper Prize, and the Hemingway and Kapuściński award-winning Return of a King. His most recent book, The Anarchy, was long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2019, and shortlisted for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History, the Tata Book of the Year (Non-fiction) and the Historical Writers Association Book Award 2020. It was a Finalist for the Cundill Prize for History and won the 2020 Arthur Ross Bronze Medal from the US Council on Foreign Relations.
A book talk on "Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together" with Prof Rudrangshu Mukherjee
A renowned historian and author of splendid books, Rudrangshu Mukherjee has skillfully unravelled the mysteries of history. He was formerly the Opinions Editor for The Telegraph newspaper, Kolkata. He is currently serving as the chancellor of Ashoka University. He studied at Calcutta Boys' School, Presidency College, Kolkata and later at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Apart from this he is an alumnus of Oxford University.
He has also worked on the history of the leftist movement in India. Furthermore, he was amongst the leftist intellectuals in Kolkata who protested against the violent policies of the left after the Nandigram episode of 2007.
A conversation on "Before the Clock Runs Out: Averting a Climate Disaster" with Dr Vibha Dhawan
Currently serving as Adjunct Professor, Consul General South Asia Partnership, Michigan State University, Dr Vibha Dhawan, a renowned author has been associated with The Energy and Resources Institute since 1985. She also served as the Vice-Chancellor of TERI School of Advanced Studies from 2005-2007 and is currently serving as the Director General. She is among the fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, India.
She is the winner of the Indian Women Achievers Sammaan 2017 by NRI Achievers, also the Women Leadership Agriculture Award 2016 by the Indian Council of Food & Agriculture. She was honoured with the First Biotech Product and Process Development and Commercialization Award of the Department of Biotechnology in 2000, the Kamal Kumari National Award for Science and Technology and the first All India Biotech Association (AIBA) award in 1998. She has authored 6 books and over 50 publications.
A conversation on "Decoding the Ballots: The Road to 2024" with Dr Gilles Verniers & Mr Shivam Shanker Singh
Gilles Vernier is a renowned political scientist and assistant professor who currently teaches at Ashoka University. Mr. Vernier also serves as the co-director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. His major works include understanding electoral and party politics in India, the mechanism of representation and participation in Indian politics, democratisation in South Asia, identity politics etc. He's previously served as Science's Po Paris Representative to India as well as a distinguished visiting fellow at the University of California, Berkley, JNU, and Ambedkar University, among others.
A conversation on "Relevance & Repercussions of Caste" with Prof Surinder Singh Jodhka
Prof Surinder Singh Jodhka is Professor of Sociology at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He researches on different dimensions of social inequalities – old and new – and the processes of their reproduction.
publications include Interrogating India’s Modernity; Caste: Oxford India Short Introductions; Village Society; Community and Identities: Contemporary Discourses on Culture and Politics in India. He is editor of the Routledge India book series on ‘Religion and Citizenship. He is among the first recipients of the ICSSR-Amartya Sen Award for Distinguished Social Scientists, for the year 2012.
A conversation on"Essential reforms for the Post Pandemic Indian Economy" with Montek Singh Ahluwalia
Padma Vibhushan awardee, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia is an author, scholar, and eminent economist whose credibility has been dignified and respected worldwide. He earned his BA Honours and MA, M.Phil degree from the University of Delhi and the University of Oxford respectively.
Dr. Ahluwlia has worked as a member of the Planning Commission and a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime minister.
A conversation on ''Unlocking India's Scientific Potential with Dr Soumya Swaminathan''
Dr Soumya Swaminathan was appointed WHO’s first chief scientist in March 2019. A paediatrician from India and globally recognised researcher on tuberculosis and HIV, she brings with her 30 years of experience in clinical care and research and has worked throughout her career to translate research into impactful programmes. She has received her academic training in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and has published more than 350 peer reviewed publications and book chapters.
She was the secretary to the Government of India for health research and the director-general of the Indian Council of medical research from 2015 to 2017.
A conversation on ''India and the Asian Balance'' with Ms. Nirupama Rao & Mr. Shivshankar Menon
Nirupama Menon Rao has served as the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India from 2009 to 2011. She was also the Ambassador of India to the United States from 2011 to 2013. After her retirement from the Indian Foreign Services, Rao was a fellow at Brown University and also taught there during 2015-16.
Shivshanker Menon has served as the National Security Advisor of India from 2010 to 2014. He began his career in 1972 at the Indian Foreign Service. He held the position of the Advisor to the Atomic Energy Commission and was later posted to China, Japan and Austria. He has also served as the High Commissioner to Pakistan and Sri Lanka and Ambassador of India to Israel and China. Further in 2006, Menon was appointed as the Foreign Secretary of India.
A conversation on ''Freedom of Religion and Secularism'' with Adv Indira Jaising
Indira Jai Singh is a senior advocate and a Padma Shri awardee famously known for fighting for human rights and environmental issues. She had a fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London and has been a visiting scholar at the Columbia University, New York. She became the first woman to be designated as senior advocate by the High Court of Bombay in 1986 and also the first woman to be appointed Additional Solicitor General of India in 2009. She runs the non-government organisation-Lawyers collective, which provides legal assistance to underprivileged sections of Indian society.
Shekhar Gupta in conversation with Caucus on ''Journalism in the post truth era"
Mr Shekhar Gupta is an eminent journalist and author and is the recipient of the coveted Padma Bhushan award. He has been known for hosting the popular interview-based show called as “Walk the Talk with Shekhar Gupta” on NDTV 24X7 for 15 years. He has been a significant news breaker in Indian journalism and has worked with media houses like, the Indian Express, the India Today Group, the New Delhi Television and most recently ThePrint. Mr Gupta founded ThePrint as a digital news website in August 2017 by focusing on the substance of print through the speed of digital.
A Conversation with Harish Salve QC on "Judiciary & Judicial Reforms
Padma Bhushan awardee, Shri Harish Salve is one of India’s leading lawyers. Beginning his legal career in 1980, he worked with former Attorney General of India, Soli Sorabjee, from 1980 to 1986 and also went on to represent high-profile clients like the Tata Group, ITC Ltd, Reliance industries, Vodafone et cetera. His most celebrated case is the Kulbhushan Jadhav case before the international Court of Justice. He is also a part of the English bar and joined the Blackstone Chambers in July 2013 where he was appointed a Queens council in 2020.
A conversation with Prof Arvind Panagariya on Indian Economy Post Covid-19
Professor Arvind Panagariya is an Indian-American economist and recipient of the coveted Padma Bhushan award. Currently, he holds the prestigious Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University. He has served as the Vice-chairman of the then newly founded NITI Aayog between 2015 and 2017. Prof. Panagariya has worked with the Asian development bank, World Bank, international monetary fund and the United Nations conference on trade and development.
A Conversation with Ms Shailaja Chandra on "India's Health Policy"
As Delhi’s first woman Chief Secretary, Shailaja Chandra worked in the sphere of public administration at both the Central and State levels for almost 50 years. She held significant positions in the Ministries of Defence, Power and Health, while serving in Manipur, Goa, Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. She is the President of the Society of THSTI – Translational Health Science and Technology Institute and the Chairman of governing board of CHETNA engaged in furthering projects for women’s health, nutrition and education. She is also a recipient of the UNFPA – LADLI, awarded to her for her work surrounding women empowerment.
A Conversation with Amb Lakshmi Puri on "Women in Leadership"
Having served as an Indian diplomat for nearly 30 years, Lakshmi Puri held the position of the Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. Having earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in History, she joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974. She served in Japan, Sri Lanka and Switzerland and subsequently served as the ambassador to Hungary. She had a strong role in negotiations related to India’s several economic diplomacy initiatives, such as the Look East Policy, Indo-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership and Indian-Ocean Rim Association among others.
A Conversation with Professor Dinesh Singh on "Reforming Education"
Presently the Vice-Chancellor of K.R. Mangalam University, Professor Dinesh Singh is a renowned professor of Mathematics and has previously served as the Vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi. Having graduated from the University of Delhi, he pursued his PhD in Mathematics from Imperial College, London in 1981. He holds several honorary doctorates conferred to him by eminent institutions across the world, such as the University of Edinburgh, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, University College Cork, Ireland and University of Houston. He has also been part of numerous distinguished panels and committees including the Jnanpith Award Jury, President of Ramanujan Mathematical Society, the Chairman of Executive Committee at National Sciences Centre.A recipient of the coveted Padma Shri award, he has received widespread recognition and honour for his work.
A Conversation with Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on India's Softpower
Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is presently a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing the State of Maharashtra. He is a post-graduate in English Literature and a PhD in Political Science. He had previously served as the National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for nearly four years, while also serving as the BJP In-Charge in Madhya Pradesh. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children and Youth and Sports, while also heading the Public Policy Research Centre (PPRC), New Delhi. He has authored books and is a regular contributor to several newspapers and weeklies in Marathi and English. In 1998, Sahasrabuddhe received the award for best literary work from the Government of Maharashtra for his co-edited work Nivadak Manoos, a book in Marathi language.
