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The Foundation has also endowed an annual New India lecture,
delivered by a distinguished scholar or writer. Held every year
in a different city, the lecture is held in partnership with a
reputed public institution in that city.
The first New India lecture was delivered by the economist Jean
Dreze at the India International Centre in New Delhi on the 3rd
of December 2004. Dr Dreze spoke on 'The Right to Food'.
The second New India lecture was delivered in January 2006 by
the historian and political theorist Sunil Khilnani. He spoke on
the theme of ‘India as a Bridging Power’ at the National
Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore.
The third New India lecture was delivered in March 2007 by the
political scientist Yogendra Yadav. He spoke on 'The Paradoxes
of Indian Democracy' at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai.
The fourth New India lecture was delivered on 18 January 2008 at
the India International Centre in New Delhi. The speaker, the
Gandhian social activist Ela Bhatt, spoke on the fascinating
journey of the organization she founded, SEWA.
The fifth New India lecture will be held in Kolkata in the early
months of 2009. The lecturer will be the distinguished
sociologist Professor André Béteille. He will speak on ‘Caste
and the Middle Class’.
Through 2005 and 2006, the Foundation ran an ‘Independent India’
lecture series in collaboration with the India International
Centre, New Delhi. Twenty lectures were delivered, by
distinguished scholars and analysts such as Professor Meenakshi
Mukherjee, Dr Shankar Acharya, Lt. Gen. V. R. Raghavan, Urvashi
Butalia, Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, and B. G. Verghese.
Future activities planned by the Foundation include the
publication of a journal to be called Indian Opinions.
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| The first New India lecture was
delivered by Jean Dreze in New Delhi; the second was
delivered by Sunil Khilnani in Bangalore. |
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