27th & 28th May 2023
Dr. Ritu Bhandari
Presidential Secretariat
Dr. Nagesh Bhandari
Presidential Secretariat
Bharatiya “Jeevan Drishti” (Life Vision) and “Jeevan shaili” (Lifestyle) are at the core of LiFE; a working group dedicated to the exploration of lifestyle practices in tune with the environment. It is one of the most significant engagement groups of Civil20, working towards achieving the objective of the upcoming G20 agenda. The purpose of Civil20 (C20) is to bring together voices, ideas, and solutions from civil societies across the globe.
Indus University in collaboration with LiFE is organizing a two day conference on the most revered ecological concept of India: Acharana.
India has produced crucial thoughts and ideas in the domain of nature and ecology since time immemorial. These ideas have inspired saints, scholars, and activists to shape the ecological consciousness of India implicating all aspects of life. Having understood the deeper unity of life and its varied manifestations, Indian seers have ensured and built a mechanism to transform this perception into practice.
Acharana is the cultivation of daily practices, emanating from profound wisdom that has shaped the Indian mind with regard to nature and ecology. It has been emphasized repeatedly that mere perception and intellectualization are not enough, if they are do not manifested in behaviour and regular practices. Indians have always revered and have highest regard for those who are the embodiment of these profound values and call them ‘Acharaya’ (those who embody and manifest sublime teachings).
Indic wisdom is the culmination of the ceaseless exploration of the relationship of man with nature, sacredness and ultimate reality. For thousands of years, this wisdom has been explained and expounded upon through India’s sacred scriptures such as the Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Dharma Shastra, Arthasastra, Natyashastra, etc. This corpus also constitutes the knowledge fabric of India’s oral traditions – classical as well as folk.
Indic scriptures have explored and taught, for generations, ways to inculcate ecological consciousness into daily behaviour and conduct. These scriptures use various educational methodologies such as sutra, mantra, doha, kavya, stories, and related mnemonic techniques for easy transmission of ideas into practices. They have guided the daily living of seekers, aligned with the cycle of nature to restrain excessive consumption of resources and enhance the overall well-being of society. Indic scriptures highly value and encourage the art of simple living. This helps individuals to live a calm and peaceful life and ensures a harmonious balance with nature.
This conference would like to explore, understand and compile how Indian society has incorporated these various sublime teachings, from the scriptures, in our daily lives. Mediated by some of the finest Indian minds, this two-day conference will delve deeper into the knowledge fabric of India that has shaped innumerable defining practices (acharana) for individuals, institutes, and communities with the aim of maintaining the ecological wellbeing of the planet.
Indic Wisdom for Sustainable Lifestyle 27-28th May 2023, Indus University, Ahmedabad LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
| Name | Tentative Topic | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Inaugural Session | 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM | |
| Session 1 : Shastric Foundation of Ecological Consciousness |
03:15 PM - 04:45 PM | |
| Dr. R. Rangan | ||
| Dr. T. S. Shanmukha Sivacharyar | ||
| Prof. Sachchidananda Mishra | ||
| Prof. Rajnish Kumar Mishra | ||
| High Tea | 04:45 PM - 05:15 PM | |
| Session 2 : Folk Wisdom, Health and Ecology |
05:15 PM - 06:45 PM | |
| Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy | ||
| श्री लक्ष्मण सिंह | ||
| Smt. Indumati Katdare | ||
| Dr. Hitesh Jani | ||
| Name | Tentative Topic | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Session 3 : Economic Sutras and Sustainable Lifestyle |
09:00 AM - 10:30 AM | |
| श्री आशीष कुमार गुप्ता | ||
| Dr. P. Kanagasabapathi | ||
| Prof. Satish Deodhar | ||
| Shri Ashutosh Jani | ||
| Tea Break | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | |
| Session 4 : Science, Sustainability and Indic Wisdom |
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | |
| Prof. Kattesh V. Katti | ||
| Prof. Dr. Ajayan S | ||
| Prof. Chaitanya Giri | ||
| Shri Aravindan Neelakandan | ||
| Ms. Deepali Patwadkar | ||
| Lunch | 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM | |
| Session 5 : Lok Parampara, Agriculture and Self-Reliant Villages |
01:30 PM - 03:30 PM | |
| Shri Rahul Deshpande | ||
| Shri Gopal Bhai Sutariya | ||
| Dr. Sunita Pandey | ||
| Shri Prithwi Singh | ||
| Tea Break | 03:30 PM - 03:45 PM | |
| Concluding Session | 03:45 PM - 05:15 PM | |
Dr. R. Rangan
Dr. T. S. Shanmukha Sivacharyar
Prof. Sachchidananda Mishra
Prof. Rajnish Kumar Mishra
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy
श्री लक्ष्मण सिंह
Smt. Indumati Katdare
Dr. Hitesh Jani
श्री आशीष कुमार गुप्ता
Dr. P. Kanagasabapathi
Prof. Satish Deodhar
Shri Ashutosh Jani
Prof. Kattesh V. Katti
Prof. Dr. Ajayan S
Prof. Chaitanya Giri
Shri Aravindan Neelakandan
Ms. Deepali Patwadkar
Shri Rahul Deshpande
Shri Gopal Bhai Sutariya
Dr. Sunita Pandey
Shri Prithwi Singh
Pradyumna Vyas
Professor Pradyumna Vyas is the former Director of National Institute of Design (NID), India’s premier design institute. He is currently a Senior Advisor of Design Promotion and Innovation at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s premier industry association, and is on the Board of Directors of the World Design Organisation (WDO).
Prof. Dr. Ajayan S
Dr. Ajayan S was born and brought up in the lineage of an Agastya Marma practicing family, and he was trained in the traditional Gurukulam for Agastya Marma shastra and Kalari. Dr. Ajayan is currently working as President of the Center for Indian medical heritage (CIMH) at AVP Medicinal plant garden in Kanjikode, Palaghat, Kerala.
Shri Aravindan Neelakandan
Aravindan Neelakandan is a co-author of the hugely successful and bestseller book, Breaking India. He has done a Cultural Economics project from the Junior Research Fellowship from Department of Culture, Government of India on the ruins of Kanyakumari district and has field experience of culture conservation.
Ms. Deepali Patwadkar
Deepali Patwadkar is a writer, columnist and illustration artist with 2 decades of experience in the software industry. She is also the founder at KalaaPushpa.com. Her published books include – 1) Illustrated Dnyaneshwari Karma Yoga, 2) Aryabhata – Life and works for children and 3) Mindful Coloring Books for Indian Folk Arts.
Prof. Chaitanya Giri
Chaitanya Giri is Associate Professor – Environmental Sciences at FLAME University. Chaitanya’s research interests traverse between analytical astrochemistry and planetary science, exploration technologies for applications in the global commons, technostrategy and ethics, space economy, and science diplomacy.
Dr. P. Kanagasabapathi
Dr. P. Kanagasabapathi is a Professor and former Director of Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies, Coimbatore. He is a professor, author, writer and a social worker. Known for his pioneering field studies in industrial and business clusters in different parts of the country, he is involved in studying the Indian economic, social, business and management systems from the native perspectives.
श्री आशीष कुमार गुप्ता
मूलतः जबलपुर के रहने वाले श्री आशीष गुप्ता जी पढ़ाईयों से ग्रामीण प्रबंधन संस्थान, आणंद से ग्रामीण प्रबंधन विषय के स्नातकोत्तर हैं। कॅरियर के शुरुआती 12-14 वर्षों में ग्राम-विकास, लघु-वित्त, सामाजिक उद्यमिता, कारीगरी, आदि के क्षेत्र में सक्रिय रहे।
Shri Ashutosh Jani
Ashutosh Jani is learning about the rural societies by living with them in the Eastern part of Gujarat. Formerly an engineer from IIT Madras and having worked in education in the rural areas of Gujarat, Ashutosh along with his wife Sneha is interested in learning and documenting traditional knowledge systems and traditional crafts.
Prof. Satish Deodhar
Prof. Deodhar has worked on imperfectly competitive market structures, World Trade Organization (WTO), agricultural trade, food quality & safety, and CSR issues. Besides, he has conducted research projects for India’s Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Indian Bank, and Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture.
Shri Rahul Deshpande
Shri Rahul Deshpande has implemented environment awareness and education programs, and educated thousands of students about environmental. He has assisted in conducting nature camps, and advised wildlife departments through workshops.
Shri Gopal Bhai Sutariya
Bansi Gir Gaushala was established in 2006 by Shri Gopalbhai Sutariya as an effort to revive, regain and re-establish Bharat’s ancient Vedic culture. In Vedic traditions, the Cow was revered as Divine Mother, the Gomata, and one which bestows health, knowledge and prosperity. In Sanskrit, the word “Go” also means “Light”.
Shri Prithwi Singh
Prithwi is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and College of Veterinary Science, Bikaner. He has 15 years of rich experience in multiple domains like Agri-business, Marketing, Sales, Retail, Analytics, consulting, new business development etc.
Dr Sunita Pandey
Dr. Sunita Pandey is Professor in the Department of Agronomy at the Govind Ballabh Pant University Of Agriculture & Technology, Dehradun. Her fields of specialization include Medicinal Plant Agronomy, Weed Management, Agriculture Heritage, and Vrikshayaurveda. Dr. Sunita Pandey has a teaching experience of more than 20 years and has published over 24 research papers.
Prof. Sadashiv Dwivedi
A leading specialist of Sanskrit Literature and Poetics at one of the premier institutes of Sanskrit learning, Prof. Sadashiv Dwivedi has over 23 years of teaching and research experience at two central universities viz. Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University.
Dr. R. Rangan
Dr. R. Rangan was awarded Yoga-Vidya-Varidhi (a doctoral degree in Yoga from S-VYASA University, Bangalore). He is a master of Vedas, Vedic Sanskrit, Upanishads and epics. His main inspiration is Sri Rama, whom he calls as his friend, philosopher and guide.
Prof. Sachidananda Mishra
Prof. Sachchidananda Mishra is a Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research since 8th June 2021. He is a well-known academician in the areas of Indian Logic and Epistemology, Conceptual development of Navya-Nyāya, AdvaitaVedānta, ŚuddhādvaitaVedānta, Kashmiri Śaiva Schools, and Indian Aesthetics, besides being an erudite scholar in classical philosophy and literature in Sanskrit.
Dr. Nanditha Krishna
A historian, environmentalist and writer based in Chennai, Nanditha Krishna has a Ph. D. in Ancient Indian Culture from Bombay University, where she specialized in Indian art and religion and was also a Heras scholar. She has been a Professor and Research Guide for the Ph.D. programme of CPR Institute of Indological Research, affiliated to the University of Madras.
Prof. Rajnish Kumar Mishra
Rajnish Kumar Mishra specialises in the theories of meaning and interpretation, both Indian and Western, in order to locate the interface domain of linguistics, literature, and philosophy.
Dr. T. S. Shanmukha Sivacharyar
Dr. T. S. Shanmukha Sivacharyar is an experienced traditional ādiśaiva religious priest and a Śaiva spiritual practitioner. He is also an academic scholar of Vedānta Śiromani. He holds Masters and Doctorate in Sanskrit with special focus on Śaivāgama.
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy holds degrees in engineering and management from the University of Pune and IIM Calcutta. She has taught an introductory course on Śaiva Siddhānta at the Department of Saiva Siddhanta, University of Madras.
Dr. Hitesh Jani
Dr. Hitesh Jani is the founder of Garbhopnishad Foundation, Jamnagar (Gujarat). He is a practising Ayurvedic physician and an expert of Panchakarma.
Smt. Indumati Katdare
Smt. Indumati Katdare is a well known educationist. She is the director of Punarutthan Vidyapeeth which is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She has published various works on education and conducted successful experiments in reviving the Gurukul system of education.
श्री लक्ष्मण सिंह
राजस्थान जयपुर जिले के दूदू ब्लॉक के लापोड़िया गांव निवासी लक्ष्मण सिंह (LAKSHMAN SINGH LAPORIYA) को पद्मश्री अवार्ड देने की घोषणा की गई है। उन्हें उनके सामाजिक कार्य के लिए अवार्ड दिया जाएगा।
Prof. Kattesh V. Katti
Professor Kattesh V. Katti, globally recognized as the ‘Father of Green Nanotechnology, is a distinguished Curators’ Professor of Radiology, Director of the Institute of Green Nanotechnology, University of Missouri Medical School, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
