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Science Seminars

"Eminent scientists working in diverse fields are invited to Azim Premji University once every week to talk about their research in a way that is accessible to undergraduate students. Apart from the talk, they also interact with the students and the faculty. The aim of these seminars is to provide an exposure to contemporary research."


TOPIC SPEAKER DATE Abstract
A longitudinal study of perceived stress and cortisol responses in an undergraduate student population from Azim Premji University Anuradha Batabyal and Anindita Bhattacharya, APU. January 21, 2020 In around 75% of adult mental health cases, individuals have their first mental health experience and stress issues before 25 years of age. Past studies have also confirmed concerning rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal cases from university students. Young adults entering college, experience immense shifts in personal and professional environments which therefore might result in stress. Such a potentially stressful event may trigger multiple psychological and physiological effects. In a repeated-measures longitudinal survey (N=6 time-points) of first-year undergraduate students of Azim Premji University, the current study evaluated multiple psychological parameters: PSS14 (Perceived Stress Scale), K10 (distress scale) and positive mood measures, along with salivary cortisol levels (physiological stress parameter). Men showed significantly lower levels of salivary cortisol compared to women and also showed a decrease in perceived stress (PSS14) and distress (K10) with time. By contrast, women reported similar perceived stress and distress levels all year round and had higher cortisol levels at the end of the year. Academic stress was reported by the students to be the most important stressor, whereas financial stress was reported least. This study highlights notable sex differences in psychological and physiological stress responses and adds a valuable longitudinal dataset from the Indian undergraduate student cohort which is lacking in literature.
Industrial Ecology: Analogies and Case studies Megha Shenoy January 14, 2020 Industrial ecology is a field of study that takes a holistic or systems view to understand interactions between human activities and the environment and draws comparisons from ecology to develop methods and models for implementing sustainable resource use. One of the first articles in this field was published in 1989. Ever since people working in this field have developed and applied tools and methods such as industrial symbiosis, urban and rural metabolism, input-output analysis and life cycle assessment to identify and implement ways to reduce wastage and circularize flows of resources in a system. In this talk I will describe the main tenets of industrial ecology and describe five analogies between natural and anthropogenic systems, using case studies: i) food webs and industrial symbiosis, ii) material and energy flow analysis of humans and industrial clusters, iii) resource utilization maps of oxygen in the human body and water in Bengaluru, iv) substance flow analysis of glucose in human body and expanded polystyrene in Bengaluru, and v) life cycle of an frog and life cycle assessment (LCA) of products.
Brief bio:
Megha Shenoy is interested in the field of environmental studies and sustainable resource management. She currently teaches at The Valley School, Bengaluru. She is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Climate Change Mitigation and Development Program at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Atree). Megha was trained in industrial ecology during her post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Industrial Ecology, Yale University, USA in 2009. Ever since, she has been involved in various projects that apply concepts and tools of industrial ecology to optimize resources (energy, water, and materials) flows and stocks in various systems. These projects range from examining waste management policies and practices of residential bulk generators in Bengaluru to enabling industrial symbiosis and collective recycling strategies in industrial areas and clusters across India. Megha completed her Integrated Ph.D. (Masters in Biological Sciences and Ph.D. in Ecology) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Hunting for fractional statistics: Anyon there? Smitha Vishweshwara, University of Illinois; Urbana Champaign January 7, 2020 The world and the Universe we live in are composed of fermions and bosons. The quantum statistics of these particles overwhelmingly governs what we see around us, from stability of terrestrial matter to exotic superfluid states to the existence of neutron stars. But now, one could wonder, can other kinds of quantum particles exist?
In this talk, following an introduction to fermions and bosons, I will discuss the fascinating possible existence of anyons, particles which obey 'fractional' statistics. The two-dimensional quantum Hall world is a prime candidate for hosting such "quasiparticles". I will then offer proposals for detecting these quantum Hall anyons, borrowing from the success of quantum optics beam-splitter principles in demonstrating bosonic behavior of photons. I will finally point to a beautiful connection between these concepts and dynamics in black holes.
Highly Intermittent Phytoplankton at Micro-scale level (Observed Phytoplankton Data at Tokyo bay): A Rational Need for a New Modelling Approach “Closure Approach” Anupam Priyadarshi, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi November 14, 2019 Abstract: Rather than spatial means of biomass, observed overlap in the intermittent spatial distributions of aquatic predators and preys is known to be more important for determining the flow of nutrients and energy up the food chain. Recent observations have revealed that phytoplankton distributions display consistently high degrees of mm scale patchiness, increasing along a gradient from estuarine to open ocean waters. Starting with a simple interactions of nutrient-phytoplankton, closure NP model accounting for this intermittency, we show that it that this micro-scale variability impacts plankton ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity. Further, study on higher trophic levels suggest that such intermittency enhances phytoplankton growth and trophic transfer to sustain zooplankton and ultimately fisheries. It consistently enhances trophic transfer efficiency (TE), i.e. the transfer of energy up the food chain, and expands the model stability domain. Our results provide a new explanation for observation-based estimates of unexpectedly high TE in the vast oligotrophic ocean and suggest that by enhancing the viable trait space, micro-scale variability may potentially sustain plankton biodiversity.
Chat time Sam B. Sury, Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru. November 7, 2019 Abstract: We take a journey through some puzzles and games and try to discover some mathematics. Partly, these are at a high school level and partly at a slightly higher level but no special prerequisite in mathematics is expected of the auditor.
Probing the physical basis of living systems Shashi Thutupalli, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru and International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru. October 31, 2019 Abstract: Feynman, in his Lectures on Physics, notes: "Physicists always have a habit of taking the simplest example of any phenomenon and calling it “physics,” leaving the more complicated examples to become the concern of other fields — say of applied mathematics, electrical engineering, chemistry, [or biology]."
What then is the physics of life, one of the most diverse and complex phenomena in the universe?
In this talk, I will try to make a case for studying metabolism, the veritable signature of life. Complex organisms, with a diversity of shapes and abilities, span about 25 orders of magnitude in body mass. In the face of this diversity and scale, the metabolic activity of organisms scales in a seemingly simple relationship with organismal body mass, the so-called “Kleiber’s law” or allometric scaling. Might this point to some underlying universality? After discussing the data and also some theoretical frameworks addressing this question, I will briefly describe our own proposal and efforts in this direction. Along the way, I will also briefly allude to the similarities to studying human activity -- from cities to companies.
Planets around other stars and the physics of the early universe: The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics Rajaram Nityananda, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. October 24, 2019 The talk will introduce the two very different areas recognised by this years Nobel award for physics, lying at the two extremes of length and time, which are some of the most hotly pursued in astronomy today. I will try to touch not just on the work of the two laureates but the background and the aftermath.
GABA: Oscillator, Decorrelator, Regulator Joby Joseph, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad. October 17, 2019 GABA is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. In popular literature, one encounters it often in the context of epilepsy as a regulator that failed. So what role does GABA play in the context of coding? perception and memory formation in the brain? There are two subtle functions that are attributed to GABAergic network in the brain, decor-relation, and oscillatory synchronization. In this talk, I will introduce some of the results from our lab giving clarity to the role of decorrelation and oscillations and how they may arise in the system. I will also briefly touch upon various questions we work on currently in our lab.
Time - an enigmatic juggernaut Patrick Das Gupta, Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi. October 10, 2019 In this lecture, I will discuss the fundamental nature of time and its role in entropy, life, free will, art and creativity. Various paradoxes associated with Time will be reflected upon. The perennially asked question on Time Machine will also be addressed. Finally, Einstein's and Hawking's views on time, and its role in the context of the origin of the universe will be taken up.
Sine of Sign Shailaja Sharma, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. September 26, 2019 Study of the origins and motivations of scientific and mathematical concepts helps to gain insight which may be missed when they are studied without such reference points. Trigonometric functions were used in India in the study of astronomy from the time of Aryabhata (c.499 ce) or earlier. In a short overview, we look at some highlights of this tradition.
What is string theory? Dileep Jatkar, Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI), Prayagraj (Allahabad). September 19, 2019 I will give a broad overview of string theory. I will start with a review of the current status of elementary particle physics. I will then motivate what ordered string theory and what it has morphed into. Finally, if I get time I will also talk about how it can be used as a tool for studying other subjects in physics.
Light, Gravity — Action! Sumati Surya, Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, India. September 12, 2019 The theory of relativity challenges some of our most intuitive ideas about space and time. We are taught from an early age how to measure distance and time using rulers and clocks, and these help form our understanding of the physical world. However, relativity tells us that these quantities are not invariant — they change depending on the relative velocity of observers. Instead, what is invariant is a space-time distance, which redefines what we mean by near and far. In this talk we will journey into our world of lightcones and causality, and begin an exploration of the underlying geometry of our universe.
An integrative approach to mosquito-borne disease in urban areas Michelle Evans, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia (US). September 5, 2019 The global malaria burden has been declining since the 2000s, but other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, are on the rise, particularly in urban areas. The process of urbanization is complex, resulting in ecological, social, and demographic changes to the landscape and its population, and these changes are not evenly distributed across an area. Like the city itself, mosquito-borne disease risk is spatially heterogeneous, with hotspots of cases in clusters, and understanding the drivers of these patterns requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this seminar, I will briefly introduce the ecology of mosquito-borne disease in urban systems and present in-progress work that uses a mixed-methods approach to explore how household water practices relate to mosquito community ecology in Sarjapur, with implications for disease transmission. By integrating multiple disciplines and epistemological lenses, an integrative approach helps identify the ultimate, and not just proximate, causes of disease with the goal of developing long-term, structural solutions to reduce inequality in mosquito-borne disease burdens.
Spin, Statistics and Fundamental Physics Sachindeo Vaidya, Centre for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. August 29, 2019 The relation between the spin of a particle and the statistical properties of a collection of such identical particles is one of the most profound connections in modern quantum physics. It is responsible for a diverse variety of phenomena, ranging from stability of matter, to the formation of white dwarfs and neutron stars. We will discuss this spin-statistics connection, its experimental consequences, and its emergence from the principles of locality and causality.
Why is physics so difficult? Bikram Phookun, St. Stephen's College, Delhi. August 22, 2019 Most of those who have encountered physics would agree that it is difficult. In my talk I will try to identify what it is about the subject that makes it so. I will also try to point out that certain difficulties are unavoidable whereas others arise from the way it is traditionally taught.
Brain Machine Interface Govindan Rangarajan, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. August 8, 2019 In this popular talk, we will give an overview of the exciting new field of Brain Machine Interfaces (BMI). The goal of BMIs is to "read" the mind of a person albeit in a limited sense. For example, by recording signals from the brain, one attempts to infer what kind of motor action a person wishes to perform. This research is interdisciplinary in nature and involves neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, robotics, signal processing etc. This research can be applied to help paralyzed patients, amputees and others.
Sea level rise and the sinking Sundarbans Chirag Dhara, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune April 23, 2019 The Sundarbans, shared between West Bengal and Bangladesh, is densely populated yet highly biodiverse. It is also rapidly - visibly - being inundated by the Bay of Bengal. But why? How are climate change and flawed developmental paradigms conspiring to sink the Sundarbans? We will explore the physical mechanisms for why sea level rise is abnormally rapid in the Sundarbans and what it means for its future.
Communication in the cacophony Rohini Balakrishnan, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. April 16, 2019 Many animal groups such as crickets, frogs and birds use long-distance acoustic signals for mate attraction. The senders are typically males and the ‘intended’ receivers are females of the same species. Each species has a unique acoustic signal and females use its spectral and temporal properties to recognize and locate calling males of their species. In tropical rainforests, where large numbers of species may call together, acoustic masking interference is believed to pose a serious problem for communication. Over the past 18 years, my research group has worked on an assemblage of acoustically communicating species of crickets in the tropical evergreen forests of Kudremukh National Park. We have examined sender and receiver strategies for communication in the complex, noisy acoustic environment of the dusk chorus. In this context, signal structure, signal degradation and signaler behaviour have been examined for evidence of sender strategies to avoid masking interference. Receiver strategies are also being examined in terms of auditory mechanics, physiology and behaviour. A detailed understanding of senders, signals and receivers should ultimately provide insights both into the functioning of natural acoustic communication networks and the evolutionary forces that do, or do not, shape them.
Unpacking the Canine Conundrum: From ecology to public health Abi Tamin Vanak, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru April 9, 2019 Dogs are an integral part of the development story of human civilization, from early hunting companions to beloved family members. However, as the global human footprint has increased, our faithful companions have also followed in our footsteps. Now, dogs in most human societies occupy a range of ecological and sociological niches - from best friend to mortal enemy, from life-saver to life-taker, from conservation aide to invasive species. In this talk, I’ll explore some of these internal contradictions in our relationship with dogs, and attempt to unpack the canine conundrum.
Frugivory and seed dispersal by hornbills: are they truly farmers of the forest? Aparajita Dutta, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Bengaluru April 2, 2019 Asian forest hornbills are known to be highly frugivorous, and believed to play an important functional role as seed dispersers in tropical forests. Our long-term research over 20 years in Arunachal Pradesh has unravelled the role of hornbills as seed dispersers by showing how effective they are in terms of both quality and quantity of seed dispersal. Hornbills consume a wide variety of fruits with a high proportion of fruit in their diet, while their large gape size enables consumption of large-seeded fruits. Hornbills have high fruit removal rates, short visitation length at fruiting trees relative to seed processing times ensuring the dispersal of seeds away from parent trees. However, the quality of seed dispersal varies based on the type of deposition site. Hornbills disperse seeds in a clumped manner at roost and nest trees which leads to high seed and seedling mortality. But hornbills range widely during foraging, and during these movements they scatter-disperse large numbers of seeds, the bulk of which are dispersed at considerable distances from parent trees. I will also briefly talk about the threats hornbill face and a model of hornbill conservation that we have initiated in Arunachal Pradesh.
Moving together: birds do it, fish do it, even photosynthetic cyanobacteria do it! Varuni Prabhakar, Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai March 28, 2019 Collective motion is ubiquitous in the natural world, and is observed across a range of physical scales, from flocks of birds to shoals of fish. Such behaviour arises even at the level of microbial colonies, where individual cells respond to external cues by integrating information, while coordinating motion with other cells in their neighbourhood. Perhaps one of the most striking examples of this is phototaxis in photosynthetic cyanobacteria, such as Synechocystis sp., which respond to incident light of different intensities and wavelengths. In addition to using their type 4 pili (T4P) as ‘grappling hooks’ to move along a surface, the bacteria can use the pili to attach to and pull on each other. Cells also secrete ‘slime’ that decreases surface friction, which in turn increases motility. We propose an ‘agent-based’ model for cyanobacterial phototaxis that incorporates slime deposition and pili-mediated cell-cell interactions. I will outline how our results capture observations from recent experiments on cyanobacterial colonies under various illumination schemes. Our model provides a theoretical framework to quantitatively study the emergent nature of the observed collective motion of such systems.
Caring for a landscape, can ecological restoration reverse the effects of forest fragmentation? Divya Mudappa, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Bengaluru March 19, 2019 Over the last century, deforestation and degradation of tropical forests have driven biodiversity losses and declines in vital ecosystem functions. Recent assessments indicate that around 8 million ha of tropical forest is lost annually and a majority of remaining forests are in a fragmented state. Ecological restoration of deforested and degraded lands is now identified as a strategy for reversing biodiversity declines, mitigating climate change, and enhancing ecosystem functions and landscape health.

In the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, over two decades, we have assessed the effects of rainforest fragmentation on various taxa and found that even small, isolated patches have high conservation value. We therefore carried out ecological restoration of degraded rainforest fragments. We discuss our experiences and the role of restoration in reversing the effects of forest fragmentation.
Growing up on a poor diet: Insights from Drosophila on the role of intracellular Ca2+ signaling in neuroendocrine cells. Megha, NCBS, TIFR, Bengaluru March 12, 2019 Post-fertilization, a tightly orchestrated sequence of time-sensitive events leads to the emergence of a fully developed animal. A sufficient supply of nutrients is essential for this process, but a disruption in supply does not necessarily halt development or delay it indefinitely. To investigate the biology underpinning this phenomenon, Drosophila development on a nutrient restricted diet was used as the model system. In particular, we focused on neuropeptides, the oldest known class of signaling agents which directly or indirectly influence almost all aspects of behaviour and metabolism. We find that intracellular Ca2+ signaling in neurons that make neuropeptides (neuroendocrine cells) is required for successful larval to pupal development on a nutrient restricted diet.

In this talk I will describe the discovery of a small set of neurons that make two specific neuropeptides and how we think intracellular Ca2+ signaling regulates these, in order to finally promote development on poor food. Additionally, I will share preliminary studies on adapting Drosophila as a model to study the effects of early life malnutrition.
Computational Solving in Indian Tradition Shailaja Sharma, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru February 26, 2019 The scholarly tradition in India placed a lot of importance upon computation, and saw computation as underlying all phenomena. The extent of alignment of computed values to observed values was taken as the indicator of model reliability and usefulness in this regard as the measure of any posited conceptual device. Moreover, such computational alignment was trusted more than the results of a purely deductive logical reasoning process. The sutra literature focuses on methods (or algorithms) for computation, rather than on causal theories about the subject matter. In this talk, the speaker will try to summarize the findings of a few contemporary scholars on the computational aspect of the Indian tradition of enquiry.
Do we know the black holes are real? Prajval Shastri, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru February 19, 2019 We know today that black holes are plentiful in the universe. I will describe the ways in which astrophysicists have arrived at this understanding in the process of hunting for black holes, from the smallest to the largest.
Neutron Stars: Cosmic Laboratories Arun Thampan, St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru February 5, 2019 Neutron star research has received much attention in recent times with the discovery of gravitational waves inferred to be from merging neutron stars.

On the one hand, there exist the possibility of existence of exotic states of matter created in such violent events and on the other such events and related observations lead to possibility of ascertaining the structure parameters of neutron stars. One aspect each of these two possibilities are explored in this talk. In addition, we discuss a third line of inquiry, through computations, the effect of seed magnetic fields on differentially rotating systems (this would pertain to early stages of neutron stars).
Traffic rules for cargo movement in neurons Sandhya Koushika, Tata Institutue of Fundamental Reasearch (TIFR), Mumbai January 29, 2019 Cargo movement in neurons is essential to maintain the architecture and function of the nervous system. We asked if there are rules for cargo traffic in neurons. We learnt that traffic jams occur naturally in healthy neurons due to physical crowding. Cargo trapped at these traffic jams appear to respond to needs of the neuron. Movements on roads, by ants and within neurons all appear to share some of the same traffic rules.
Taking the Twinkle Out of the Stars Proteep Mallik, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru January 22, 2019 Adaptive optics involves the real-time correction of atmospheric turbulence to create near-perfect images of the night sky. This depends on our ability to accurately model the atmosphere and to develop technologies that will perform this complex task. I will discuss how adaptive optics has revolutionized the field of astronomy over the last decade or so, and show you lots of pretty pictures!
Naturalised Inference for Scientists Rajesh Kasturirangan, Office of Open Learning, MIT, USA and Centre for Data in the Public Purpose, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru January 15, 2019 Inference is central to the practice of science. A streak in a cloud chamber might tell us about the existence of a new particle. Or a discolouration in a scan about a tumour. In these situations, inference is part of the practice of science, a key tool in the scientist's chest. However, there's been a great deal of interest in a different idea of inference: as a topic of study. "Naturalised Inference," i.e., inference as it might happen in the real world has been central to the study of perception and cognition, and is increasingly being applied to a whole host of other fields, including, arguably, biology as a whole. In this presentation, I will introduce the abstract problem of inference, show how naturalised inference might be the right model for a range of problems in the cognitive/neuro sciences and then speculate about how these ideas might find wider applicability.
TOPIC SPEAKER DATE & TIME Details
Protein Design and evolution Clément Nizak, ESPCI, Paris, France November 13, 2018 Understanding the relation between the amino-acid sequence of proteins and their function has been a major challenge for decades, in spite of major advances in structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics. Beyond academic research, such understanding would open up to the design of artificial proteins of arbitrary function, with obvious potential for various applications. However, even predicting the effect of single point mutations in natural proteins remains in general very difficult. Recent statistical analysis of the protein sequence evolutionary record that has been developed to successfully tackle this problem. I will present my research that consists in performing large-scale protein evolution experiments to produce relevant data for these new methods. These experiments combine large-sale screening (based on droplet microfluidics and phage display) together with high-throughput DNA sequencing in order to map sequence to function for thousands to millions of proteins.
The importance of (not) being earnest: How incorrect answers can help you avoid drawing incorrect inferences Sriram, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru November 6, 2018 In science (and in other disciplines), it is routine to choose one's analysis procedures after looking at the data that has been collected. In fact, data analysis typically proceeds iteratively: one keeps trying different methods till one finds something "interesting" or "statistically significant". This kind of adaptive analysis can easily lead to false discoveries. In this talk, I will first point out why adaptive analysis through conventional methods is problematic. I will then try to present some recent work on performing adaptive data analysis while retaining validity. Interestingly, these new methods borrow ideas from an area of statistics/computer science known as differential privacy: how to perform aggregate analysis on databases with individual data while minimizing loss of individual anonymity. In essence, the new methods rely on clever use of randomness and "incorrect answers" to lower the probability of incorrect inferences. Time permitting, I will highlight other examples where careful use of randomness leads to better outcomes than purely deterministic schemes. I will conclude by pointing out the vital importance of (not) being earnest.
Microbe hunting in the Global Village Chitra P, from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. October 30, 2018 Disease causing microbes have shaped human civilization and human interactions since the beginning of time. Such that the black plague – that terrorized medieval Europe, Spanish Flu- that infected one in three humans and killed 50 million people, Small Pox – that erased entire civilisations when introduced into the Americas by the Spanish invaders, and the current HIV epidemic sweeping the globe, are integral parts of the human story. In a growingly connected world, conditions are rife, one could argue, for the emergence and spread of pathogens as never before.

So how do humans come into contact with pathogens – both novel and known? How do we detect an outbreak in a timely manner? What do outbreaks mean for our world? These are open questions with evolving answers. In my talk, I will focus on how we detect pathogens, particularly the use of genetic sequencing, to identify known pathogens and discover new ones. I will also share my experience of working with brain infections that occur in a seasonal pattern in North India- introducing the challenges of working in the space between lab-based-science and medicine/public health.
Untwisting Twisted Matter: A Brief Overview of Topological Insulators Vijay B. Shenoy, Indian Institutue of Science, Bengaluru. October 23, 2018 Understanding observed phases of matter has been an important scientific pursuit throughout human history. Focusing on phases of electrons in materials, I shall review recent advances in condensed matter physics culminating in the discovery and classification of topological phases of electrons. The most striking feature of topological insulators is their insulating character in the bulk, but a perfect metallic character on the surface. Use of these materials for electronics promises to usher in a new era of energy efficient devices.
Benefits of cooperation and communication in bacteria Sandeep Krishna, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. October 16, 2018 Individual bacteria secrete many molecules into their surroundings, which they use for a wide range of functions such as acquiring resources, competing with other bacteria, or changing their environment to make it more suitable for their own survival. These "common goods" can benefit the functioning and growth of not only the individual that produces them but also other individuals in the surroundings.

I'll discuss how the precise form of this benefit affects the decision of whether to turn on or turn off production of the common good, and how communication between nearby bacteria may then become crucial for making such decisions correctly.
The philosophical antecedents of bioinspiration and biomimicry Sanjay Sane, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. October 9, 2018 As a philosophical question, the problem of how to translate biological observations into machines is at least as old as Aristotle, but its more modern conceptualization owes to Renaissance scientists such as Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and Rene Descartes (1596-1650) who first observed that biological organisms followed, in large part, the laws of mechanics. Contemporaneous scientists such William Harvey (1578-1657) and Giovanni Borelli (1608-1679) discovered the mechanical underpinnings of heart and the circulatory system, and of animal locomotion. Others like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) tried to engineer machines based on biological observations. Thus, the philosophical antecedents of Biomimicry and Bioinspiration have deep history that continues to inform us in the current times. They also tell us that there remain fundamental questions that are as open today, as they were in the 16th century. A key issue that earlier thinkers grappled with was the lack of proper Biological data, which meant that many early projects of Biomimicry were misguided and often failed to produce the desired results. As modern engineers strive to develop technology that is inspired by the biological world, it is helpful to recall some of this history and ask what lessons can be learned through collaborations between engineers and biologists. I will argue that, for such intellectual and training programs to succeed, it is essential for them to incorporate systematic education of both biology and engineering fields. My talk will also showcase examples of successful translation of basic biological research into technologies that are modernistic, yet nature friendly.
Science at Satopanth Bamak R. Shankar, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai. September 11, 2018 Satopanth is a glacier (bamak) a little above Badrinath, Garhwal Himalaya. The stream that emanates from this glacier becomes the Alaknanda river. A group of us have been studying this glacier for the past several years. Why are we doing so ? What have we learnt so far ? What do we expect to learn in the future? This talk will attempt to answer these questions.
When a condensed matter experimentalist decides to investigate a theoretical computer science problem... Murthy OVSN, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. September 4, 2018 In this talk I report on my 'experiments' with satisfiability (SAT) - supposedly the mother of all computer science problems! The approach was to take a small number of variables and see how Boolean expressions constructed from them behave. In the hope that this might unravel the hidden structure in the SAT problem and provide some insight into the bizarre nature of the satisfiability problem. Namely, it is very hard to find a solution to a given Boolean expression or even to determine if one exists whereas it's utterly trivial to verify once a solution candidate is provided. After going through the preliminaries I will set out the problem and talk about my journey. Though unsuccessful in achieving my grand goal (different from the famous P vs NP!), I shall present the little discoveries I made on the way: 1. the progression from completely satisfiable to unsatisfiable, and 2. a novel algorithm to decide (un)satisfiability.
NMR spectroscopy in the study of tumor metabolism Sudha Deshmukh, Jain University, Bengaluru. August 28, 2018 The silent global epidemic of non-communicable diseases has recently caught the world’s attention, of which cancer is a major contributor. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, claiming around 8 million lives annually. It is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth caused by genetic alterations and is characterized by metabolic reprogramming of the cells. Understanding the consequences of this differential metabolism may be one of the best ways to find biomarkers for cancer detection, diagnosis and disease management

Metabolomics is a fast growing field of research which mainly involves the multicomponent analysis of cell extracts, tissues and biological fluids. It provides a snapshot of the metabolic dynamics that reflect the response of living system to both pathophysiological stimuli and/or genetic alterations. Since tumor metabolome differs significantly from that of normal tissue, exploring tumor metabolome may be the best way to look for phenotypic changes accompanying tissue tumorigenesis.

Nuclear magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique is a popular tool to analyse cell extracts, tissues and bio-fluids since it is a fast and relatively accurate technique capable of supplying abundant biochemical information at molecular level. It is a non-destructive and non-invasive technique that can provide complete structural analysis of an extensive range of organic molecules in complex mixtures. Its application in metabolic profiling of a variety of tumor cells has provided novel insights into the internal physiological state where subtle changes may occur in the cell during the process of tumorigenesis. 1-D proton NMR spectra of biological samples usually have hundreds of peaks and therefore poses major challenge in extracting all the useful metabolic information. Use of some novel multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), partial least squares (PLS), artificial neural networks (ANN) etc. have, however, yielded very useful information on the underlying biochemical processes involved in the development, progression, treatment outcome and also the development of multi drug resistance (MDR) in cancer. Some recent results highlighting the importance of this technique along with some results from our studies carried out at Cancer Institute, Chennai will be discussed.
False memories – fake news? Evaluating claims in the neurobiology of fear and stress Alo Baso, College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts, USA August 7, 2018 Studies in the neurobiology of learning and memory have attempted to isolate and manipulate the minimum sufficient set of physiological changes to which a “memory” can be ascribed. They have focused on fear memory because of the ability to induce and monitor fear-related behavioral responses in animals. Recent headlines in science news have included: “Scientists plant false memories in mice –and mice buy it” (Scientific American), “Scientists made snails remember something that never happened to them” (New York Times), and “Study finds that fear can travel quickly through generations of mice DNA” (Washington Post). In this talk, we will critically evaluate reports of planted, transplanted, and inherited fear memories in experimental systems. In contrast to these studies, the broader neurobiology of stress is concerned with how activation of specific neural circuitry during a traumatic experience results in a more generalized set of physiological changes. In the second part of the talk, we will touch upon the relationship between psychosocial trauma, particularly in early life, and a diverse array of deleterious effects on health including asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. We will consider how the concept of memory as a set of long-term changes in the physical matter of the body might be updated.
Sleeping to mend broken wings: A Drosophila wing circuit mediates an adaptive function of sleep Krishna Melnattur, Washington University, St. Louis, USA July 31, 2018 Sleep as a behavioural state is widely prevalent through much of the animal kingdom, from jelly fish to humans, yet its function(s) remain(s) unknown. The adaptive inactivity hypothesis postulates that sleep evolved on a diurnal planet to maintain visual animals in a state of inactivity at a time when risk of predation and accidents are high. Sleep thus viewed, is an adaptive state shaped by ecological factors. Much of the evidence in support of this hypothesis thus far however, has remained largely descriptive. Here using genetics, and environmental manipulations, I show that manipulations that disrupt flight, and thereby generate flies that unable to mount an effective escape response, dramatically increase sleep. Further, I will describe a neurobiological mechanism that mediates this adaptive increase in sleep following flight disruption.
TOPIC SPEAKER VENUE DATE & TIME
Through the Mind’s Eye: Encountering Difference in the Cross-Cultural Context Heidi Soneson Programme Director, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Dec 02, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
What Caste is Not: Division in a Village Society Lee I. Schlesinger University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Nov 25, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
India’s New Company Villages: Extractive Firms and Rural Development in Eastern India Sunila S. Kale Associate Professor, Jackson School of International Studies and Director, South Asian Studies Program, University of Washington, Seattle. 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Nov 18, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
India’s 3E Regime : Challenges and Opportunities in Employment, Employability and Education Manish Sabharwal Founder and Co-Chairman, Teamlease Services and Member, National Skills Mission 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Nov 11, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Beyond the Development Trap? Ten Years of Community Radio in India Vinod Pavarala Professor and Head, Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Nov 04, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Islands of Excellence: The Corporatization of Urban Space in Bangalore Nicole Rigillo PhD Visiting Scholar, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Oct 28, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Intermediaries and Indian Democracy Josy Joseph National Security Editor, The Hindu 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Oct 21, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Mummy, Why did Rama send Sita to the forest if he loved her? Arshia Sattar Independent Scholar and Researcher, Bengaluru 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Oct 14, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Mental Health Care for All - Can Civil Society take over from the Professionals? Dr Manoj Kumar Clinical Director, The Mental Health Action Trust, Calicut 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Oct 07, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Building the Economic Power of Women: The IVDP Story Kulandai Francis Founder-President, Integrated Village Development Project (IVDP) 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Sept 30, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Dil Se: Love, Fantasy and Negotiation in Hindi Film Songs Rita Kothari Professor of Humanities and Translation Studies, IIT, Gandhinagar Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Sept 23, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Agroecology and Sustainability Debal Deb Professor of Agroecology, Centurion University, Paralakhemundi, Odisha Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University Sept 8, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Faculty Seminar: Panel discussion on Ajit Sinha’s ‘A Revolution in Economic Theory: The Economics of Piero Sraffa’ (London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) Speakers:
Goddanti Omkarnath, Romar Correa, and Ajit Sinha
Chair:
Chiranjib Sen		 Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 31, 2016,
11.00am - 12.30pm
The ‘Economic Man’ Premise Professor Mark Lindley Ecological Economist Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 26, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Fighting in the Courts and on the Streets: The Situation of Precarious Worker Sudha Bharadwaj General Secretary, People's Union for Civil Liberties, Chhattisgarh Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 19, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Businesses, not Projects: Large-Scale Promotion of Small Businesses for Poverty Reduction Liby Johnson Chief Operating Officer, Kudumbashree, Thiruvantapuram Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 12, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
A Development Vision for India Dr. R Balasubramaniam Founder, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysore Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 05, 2016,
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Faculty Seminar: "Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future" Harini Nagendra Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 03, 2016,
09.30am – 11.00am
Building Systemic Leadership to Transform Education Aditya Natraj Founder and Director, Kaivalya Education Foundation Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 29, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
THE CONVERSATION: A Brief Introduction and Interactive Session Kashish Gupta Journalist and Former Anchor, NDTV Room 617, Pixel B, Azim Premji University June 22, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.00pm
Philosophy and Freedom: Between Comparison and Reconstruction Rakesh Pandey Assistant Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University May 05, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
Faculty Seminar: My Work, My Profession: An Interaction with Students Ravish Kumar TV Journalist, NDTV Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University May 02, 2016,
01.30pm – 03.30pm
The Real “Brain Drain”: Schools and the Experience of Democracy in Contemporary India Janaki Nair Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 28, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
Between the Law and the Street: Political Publicity in Tamil News Media Francis Cody Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 21, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
Democracy contra Democracy: Reflections on Values, Violence and the People Manas Ray Professor in Cultural Studies, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 14, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
Em and the Big Hoom: A Reading and Discussion Jerry Pinto Writer, Mumbai Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 7, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
A Story of a Social Intervention: The Promotion of Self-Reliant Organic Farming in Haryana Rajinder Chaudhary Advisor, Kudarti Kheti Abhiyan, Haryana Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 31, 2016,
02.00pm – 03.30pm
Faculty Seminar: “Globalization Lived Locally: A Labour Geography Perspective” Neethi P Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 30, 2016,
9.30am – 11.00am
Liberal Nationalism: An Oxymoron? Narayan Ramachandran Social Entrepreneur and Columnist Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 24, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Martyrdom Day lecture: Bhagat Singh and the Ideological Redefinition of Revolutionary Nationalism Mridula Mukherjee Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 23, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Paradox of Culture and Development and the Spread of Gender Inequality: Questioning Tradition in The Sudan Lina Fruzzetti Professor of Anthropology, Brown University and Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies, JNU, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 25, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Faculty Seminar: Losing labour: what does loss of work mean for women workers? Madhumita Dutta Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 24, 2016,
9.00am – 10.30am
The Natural World at a Time of Crisis and Opportunity Meera Subramanian Independent Journalist and Researcher, Cape Cod, USA 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 19, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Engaging with Uncertainty: Shared Governance in Indigenous Conservation Landscapes Michael Adams Associate Professor, School of Geography and Sustainable Communities and Indigenous Studies Unit, University of Wollongong, Australia Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 11, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Sport and Social Transformation in the 21st Century

(Watch Video)		 Dileep Premachandran Editor, Wisden India 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 04, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Policy Engineering: Paradoxes, Pitfalls and Pathways Nitin Pai Co-founder and Director, Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 28, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Social Observatory: Building Adaptive Capacity in Large-Scale Projects Vijayendra Rao Lead Economist, Development Economics Research Group, World Bank Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 21, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Global Development Goals: If At All, Why, When and How? Sanjay G. Reddy Associate Professor of Economics, New School for Social Research, New York 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 14, 2016,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
TOPIC SPEAKER VENUE DATE & TIME
Ethical Issues in the Mahabharata Trichur S Rukmani Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Concordia University, Montreal 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 26, 2015,
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Panel Discussion on Listening to Children’s Voices: An Agenda of Caring Shantha Sinha, Harsh Mander and
S. Anandalakshmy Moderator: Rohit Dhankar		 Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 20, 2015,
3.30pm – 5.30pm
Reading Indian History (with Reference to Tipu Sultan) S Settar Visiting Professor, School of Humanities, NIAS, Bengaluru 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 19, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Conservation, Crop-loss and Coffee: The Adverse Effects of Banning Customary Practices in an Indian Tiger Reserve Nitin D. Rai Fellow, ATREE, Bengaluru 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 12, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Panel Discussion on: August 2015 Accord between the Government and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland Khekiye Sema Consultative Member, ACAUT
Pradip Phanjoubam Editor, Imphal Free Press
Theja Therieh President, Chakhesang Hoho, Kohima & Chairman, Media Cell, Nagaland Tribes Council
Anil Sethi Professor, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru		 Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 30, 2015, 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Understanding Soft and Hard Irrationalism (Annual lecture in memory of Narendra Dabholkar) Gopal Guru Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A , Azim Premji University October 29, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Interaction with Dr. Ramachandra Guha Dr. Ramachandra Guha 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 15, 2015, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Thinking afresh toward a Swaraj for Health: Strengthening Democracy, Strengthening Health Care Madhulika Banerjee Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 15, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Global Knowledge, Local Insights: Contestations around Maternal Health in India Jashodhara Dasgupta Senior Advisor, SAHAYOG, Lucknow 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 8, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Challenges of Educational Provision for the Marginalized Praveen Kumar (IPS),
Secretary, Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society		 10th Floor Seminar Hall, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 27, 2015, 11.00am – 12.30pm
Sadvaidyasala: 100 Years of a Healthcare Organization B.V. Sreekantan,
Visiting Professor, NIAS
Rajesh Sreenivsan,
Director, Sadvaidyashala		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 27, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Hindu Nationalism in Power: Paradoxes and Possibilities Ashutosh Varshney,
Director, Brown-India Initiative, Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences & Professor of Political Science, Brown University (USA)		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 21, 2015, 2.30pm – 4.00pm
Himalaya Environment and Development: Experiences of the ‘Chipko’ Movement Chandi Prasad Bhatt Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 14, 2015, 3.30pm
Faculty Seminar: People, Princes and Purifiers: The Holi Festival in Nineteenth-and-Early-Twentieth-Century Punjab Anil Sethi Seminar Hall, 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 9, 2015, 11.00am – 12.30pm
Poverty and the Quest for Life: Spiritual and Material Striving in Rural India Bhrigupati Singh
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Brown University, USA		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 13, 2015, 2.30pm – 4.00pm
Faculty Seminar: Theorising the Informal Sector in India Rahul De
Azim Premji University		 Somapura Campus, Azim Premji University August 5, 2015, 11.001m – 12.30pm
Faculty Seminar: Double Discrimination: Dalit Women’s Education in Modern Maharashtra Dr. Shailaja Paik 618, 6th Floor, Pixel B, Azim Premji University July 29, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Education of Desire in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics Roopen Majithia Professor of Philosophy, Mount Allison University, Canada 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 30, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Functioning of the Indian Parliament M R Madhavan Co-Founder and President, PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 16, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Faculty Seminar: The Passionate Journeys of the Gods: Towards an Anthropology of Wonder Tulasi Srinivas Associate Professor of Anthropology at Emerson College in Boston Activity Room, First Floor, Pixel B, Azim Premji University July 23, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Theory and Practice of Nonviolence in Building Social Movements C P V Rajagopal President and Founder-Member, Ekta Parishad 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 23, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Metabolism as Metaphor: Imagining an Ecology of Labour Purnendu Kavoori Professor, Azim Premji University 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 22, 2015, 2.30pm – 4.00pm
Economic Survey of India 2014-15: Growth Theory and Policy Alex M. Thomas Activity Room, First Floor, Pixel B, Azim Premji University May 11, 2015, 9.30am – 11.00am
NAMES ARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S LANGUAGE: REVISITING LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION IN INDIA Rita Kothari, Associate Professor, Humanities, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 30, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Development Paradigms: Challenges and the Way Out Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan and National Alliance of People's Movements 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 28, 2015, 4.00pm – 6.00pm
Quality Learning: Its Science and Critical Theory Rajan Gurukkal, Soundararajan Chair Visiting Professor, Centre for Contemporary Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 23, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Governing Monsoon Landscapes: The East India Company’s Expansion on Its North-Eastern Frontier in the Early 19th Century Gunnel Cederlöf, Professor of History, Uppsala University and Research Fellow, KTH/Royal Institute of Technology 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 16, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Ideas and Practices of the Dalit Movement in Karnataka Du Saraswathi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 14, 2015, 3.00pm – 5.00pm
The Functioning of the Indian Parliament M.R. Madhavan, President, PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi
 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 9, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Rethinking Development Dr. Atul Sood
 Room No. 514, Pixel B, Azim Premji University April 6, 2015, 2.30pm – 4.00pm
The National Green Tribunal of India: Emerging Socio-Legal Perspectives Rita Brara,
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics.		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 2, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Political Ecology of Palk Bay Fisheries: Geographies of Capital, Fisher Conflict, Ethnicity and Nation-State Ajit Menon,
Associate Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies.		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 26, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Martyrdom Day Special Lecture :

Relevance of Bhagat Singh’s Ideas in Our Times		 Prof Chaman Lal,
Former Chairperson of Centre of Indian Languages in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 23, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
On Philosophy and Economics Frank Thomson,,
Lecturer Emeritus, University of Michigan		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 19, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Can India’s Welfare Programmes be Reversed? : Reflections on the Politics of Public Services in India Vivek Srinivasan,
Academic Research & Program Manager, Liberation Technology, Stanford University.		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 5, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
The Post-Language Human Imagination Ganesh Devy,
Professor, Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar, and Founder-Director, Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 26, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Radical Ecological Democracy: Towards a Sustainable and Equitable Future Ashish Kothari,
Founder Member, Kalpavriksh, Pune		 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 19, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Revisiting transfer of learning in Mathematics: insights from an urban low-income settlement Arindam Bose 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 18, 2015, 11.00am – 12.30pm
What is Wrong with the Media and What Can Be Done About it Hartosh Singh BalPolitical Editor, The Caravan Magazine 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 6, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Revisiting Caste, Re-imagining India Surinder S Jodhka, Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 5, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Globalization, Higher Education and Inclusive Development: Redefining the Policy Paradox Sangeeta Kamat, Associate Professor in Education Policy Studies, University of Massachusetts at Amherst 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 29, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Stranger than fiction: The true story of the Indigenous Cotton Textile Industry of India (ICTI) Uzramma, Decentralized Cotton Yarn Trust, Hyderabad 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 22, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Reflections on Urban Ecologies: Governance of Land, Water and Informal Settlements in Chennai Karen Coelho 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 20, 2015, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Art in Education Catherine Z. Elgin, Professor of the Philosophy of Education, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 16, 2015, 4.00pm – 5.30pm
A Dialogue on Framing Sustainability from the South Marcel Burstzyn,
Professor,Universidade De Brasilia, Brazil
Ruth DeFries, Professor, Columbia University, USA
Sally Duncan , Director,OSU Policy Analysis Laboratory, Oregon State University, USA		 Room No 616, Pixel B, Azim Premji University January 14, 2015, 2.30pm – 4.30pm
TOPIC SPEAKER VENUE DATE & TIME
Gandhi: Putting Courage at the Center Uday Singh Mehta 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University December 16, 2014, 11.00am – 1.00pm
The Economics of Sustainable Transportation S. Sriraman, Walchand Hirachand Professor of Transport Economics, University of Mumbai. 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 27, 2014, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Unequal Youth: Disadvantages, Challenges, Possibilities & Aspirations Dialogue with Harsh Mander Seminar Hall, 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 26, 2014 4.00pm
How Relevant is the Public Sector in Contemporary India? Panel Discussion: S. Krishnan, S. Prabhala and Dr VK Koshy, Authors, Inside The Solid State The Story Of Bharat Electronics (Westland Books, 2014) 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 9, 2014, 2.00pm
The Databased Citizen” Usha Ramanathan, Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 25, 2014 - 2:00pm
Nature without Borders: Opportunity and Challenge in an Emerging Economy Mahesh Rangarajan, Director of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A
"Child marriage and submarines in Sakha and Sandesh Notes on tones and half tones in magazines for children" Rimli Bhattacharya (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta) 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 11, 2014 - 2:00pm
Law and Language Policy in Education E. Annamalai, Visiting Professor, Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 4, 2014 - 2:00pm
A Working Model of Decentralized Governance by Elango Rangasamy Elango Rangasamy 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 28, 2014 - 2:00pm
What's gone wrong with the Indian media? Siddharth Varadarajan 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University August 14, 2014 - 2:00pm
Meaningful interventions in Primary Education K.K. "Subbu" Subramaniam 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 31, 2014 - 4:00pm
“Reflections on empowerment of poor” and “Scaling through shared values” Dileep Kamat Cafeteria, ground floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 24, 2014 - 4:00pm
A “Reflections on empowerment of poor” and “Scaling through shared values” Ashok Kamath 10th Floor Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University July 24, 2014 - 4:00pm
Reinterpreting IEC - The Politics of Information, Education, Communication Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh Basketball court, Azim Premji University July 17, 2014 - 3:30pm
Colloquium: Community Monitoring of the RTE Act: Impact of a Unique Pilot Kiran Bhatty 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University May 8, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Community Management System ‘Oran’ Conserves Biodiversity and Protects Rural Livelihoods: Experiences from KRAPAVIS Aman Singh, Founder, Krishi Avam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 24, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Reflections on the Broom: Material Culture, Caste and Development Rustom Bharucha, Professor, Theatre and Performance Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, New Delhi 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University April 10, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Unequal is Unhealthy: How Growing Inequality Impacts on Health and Education P Sainath 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University March 27, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Getting the DNA right in our City Governance Eco System V. Ravichandar, Chairman, Feedback Consulting 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 27, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: The Poster as the Personal-Political Archive Uma Chakravarti, Feminist Historian, Teacher and Democratic Rights Activist 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 20, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Naughty Children Make Sense: An Ethnographic Account of Children, Misbehavior and Control in Preschool Sally Galman 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 13, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Drifting Cities, Sinking Villages Mogalli Ganesh 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University February 6, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Land as Commodity Dr. V Krishna Ananth, Associate Professor, Department of History, Sikkim Central University, Gangtok 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 30, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Natural Inequality: Conceptualising Justice in Brahminical Discourse Kunal Chakrabarti, Professor of Ancient History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 23, 2014 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Towards A Modern Indigenous Historical Framework Teesta Setalvad 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University January 16, 2014 - 4:00pm
TOPIC SPEAKER VENUE DATE & TIME
Colloquium: Nature as the Mother of Learning Dr. Claude Alvares 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 21, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: What is the Dignity of Labour? Prasanna, Theatre Director 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 14, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Sedimenting Labour through Schooling: Colonial State and Working Children in Early Twentieth-Century India Sarada Balagopalan, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University November 7, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Reimagining Self: Parables for a Liveable World Siddharth, Founder, Pipal Tree 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 31, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: From Doon Schools to Doom Schools: Rethinking English in a Multilingual Education Framework Ajith K. Mohanthy 10th Floor, Pixel A, Azim Premji University October 24, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Class, Quality and Pedagogy Dr. Padma M. Sarangpani Room No 308, Pixel B, Azim Premji University October 17, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: How Might We Evaluate Politicians? CV Madhukar, Head, Governance Initiatives, Omidyar Network India Advisors 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 26, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: When does MGNREGS work? Notes from Field Experiences in Andhra K. S. Gopal, Director, Centre for Environment Concerns, Hyderabad 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, Azim Premji University September 19, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Jurists, Clerics and Merchants: The Rise of Learned Law in Medieval Europe and its Impact on Economic Growth Prof. Dr. Hans-Bernd Schaefer, Professor Emeritus, University of Hamburg and Affiliate Professor, Bucerius Law School 10th Floor, Pixel A, APU September 12, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Silenced and Marginalised: Voices from an ordinary sarkari school of Delhi Farah Farooqi 10th Floor, Pixel A, APU September 5, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: The Chronicle of a Birth Foretold? The Emergence of Bangladesh, 1971 Srinath Raghavan 10th Floor, Pixel A, APU August 29, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: The ‘Invention’ of Tradition: The Case of Classical Indian Dance Sadanand Menon, Art Critic, Chennai 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 22, 2013 - 4:00pm
Colloquium: Beyond Right to Education: Political Economy of Accentuated Disparities in School Education Prof Sachidanand Sinha, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU, New Delhi 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 8, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Is There an Indian Way of Doing Science? A. V. Balasubramanian, Director, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 1, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Mainstreaming the Marginalised in Development: Conceptualising the Challenge in India Pulapre Balakrishnan, Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU July 25, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Social Institutions in Development Interventions: Towards Inter-organizational Collaborative Processes Vijay Padki 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU July 18, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Criminalising Dissent: PUCL’s Struggle against attacks on Human Right Defenders and the Anti-Democratic Laws in India Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the PUCL General Secretary, Rajasthan Branch 10th Floor, Pixel A, APU May 9, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Witness: Humans, Animals, and the Politics of Becoming Naisargi Dave, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto 10th Floor, Pixel A, APU May 2, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Self, Sovereignty and Tradition in Modern Indian Political Thought Ananya Vajpeyi, Visiting Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU April 25, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Thinking in the Bhashas Rakesh Pandey, Associate Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU April 18, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Why do the Children of India get a Raw Deal? State Programmes on Child Health and Nutrition Biraj Patnaik 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU April 4, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: The Making of Garm Hava MS Sathyu 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU March 28, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Engaging Modern Indian Political Thought Ramachandra Guha 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU March 21, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Shrink Wrapped Souls: Managing the Self in India’s New Economy Carol Upadhya 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU February 28, 2013 - 3:45pm
Faculty Seminar: The Ethos of Public Management: A Reconsideration Dr Chiranjib Sen Room No. 103, Pixel B, APU February 27, 2013 - 2:45pm
Colloquium: The Pakistan Military in Politics: Predicament of a Garrison State Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU February 21, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: International Assessment Research in Education (1964-2012): Cause for Optimism Jack Schwille, Professor, Michigan State University 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU February 14, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Contemporary Economic Challenges in Historical Perspectives Shankar Jagnathan 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU February 7, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Adversity and Development: Dissociation… Friend or Foe? Fiona Kennedy and David Pearson 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU January 31, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: The Making of the Indian Entrepreneurial Class Raman Mahadevan, Independent Researcher and Economic Historian based in Chennai 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU January 17, 2013 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: From Education for All to Learning for All: Why development actors should rethink their support to teacher education Dr Kattie Lussier, Asst Professor, Hankuk Universiry, Seoul, South Korea 10th Floor, Seminar Hall, Pixel A, APU January 10, 2013 - 3:45pm
TOPIC SPEAKER VENUE DATE & TIME
Colloquium: Towards a Social History of Conflict: Saivas and Vaisnavas in Sixteenth-Century Vijayanagara Ajay Rao, Assistant Professor, Department for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto 10th Floor, Seminar Hall, Pixel A, APU November 29, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium: Rural Livelihoods in India: The Challenges Ahead Mihir Shah, Member, Planning Commission of India 10th Floor, Auditorium, APU November 22, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium: The Politics of Knowledge: The Pharmaceuticalisation of Ayurveda in India Madhulika Banerjee 10th Floor, Auditorium, APU November 15, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Culture and Entertainment Girish Karnad 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU November 8, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Building a Sustainable India Aseem Srivastava, Environmental Economist and Writer 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU October 25, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Adivasis Here, Adivasis There Vidyarthy Chatterjee, Independent Researcher 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU October 18, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Revival of the PDS, the National Food Security Bill and the Question of Cash Transfers Reetika Khera, Assistant Professor of Economics, IIT, Delhi 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU September 13, 2012 - 3:34pm
Colloquium Series: Placing the Garden Variety under the Lens Probal Dasgupta, Professor and Head, Linguistic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU September 6, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Theatre, Community and Nation: the Mimetic Imagination of Ritwik Ghatak Jisha Menon, Assistant Professor of Drama at Stanford University 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 30, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: On the Grounds for Recognition of Cultural Difference Prof Jeremy Webber, Canada Research Chair in Law and Society, University of Victoria 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 23, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Ethics of Receptivity Gopal Guru, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 16, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: Rethinking Partition Historiography: The Quest for Pakistan in Colonial India Venkat Dhulipala, Department of History, University of North Carolina, Wilmington 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 9, 2012 - 3:45pm
Faculty Seminar: “Hindu Water”, “Muslim Water”: Syncretism, Commensality and Community in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Punjab Anil Sethi, Azim Premji University Room No. 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU August 8, 2012 - 4:00pm
Colloquium Series: Welfare versus Empowerment? Governmentality in the ICDS and Mahila Samakhya Programs Akhil Gupta, Department of Anthropology and Director, Center for India and South Asia, University of California, Los Angeles 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU August 2, 2012 - 4:00pm
Colloquium Series: Integrated Trans-disciplinary Inquiry Abilities through Education K. P. Mohanan, Centre for Integrative Studies, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU July 26, 2012 - 3:45pm
Colloquium Series: The Making of Zoology in Eurocolonial India John Mathew, Department of History, Duke University 10th Floor, Auditorium, Pixel A, APU July 19, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: Efficiency: A Three Hundred Year Social and Political History Deepak Malghan, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU April 26, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: The Child Friendly School Initiative journey – reflections from the field practice Umashankar Periodi, Azim Premji Foundation Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, PESSE Campus, APU April 19, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: The Arts amidst the new Growth: An Audacious Dream Sanjna Kapoor, Director, Junoon Theatre Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU April 12, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: Science, Knowledge Swaraj and Democracy C Shambu Prasad, Professor, Rural Management, XIMB Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU April 5, 2012 - 3:15pm
Weekly Seminar: Reading as Bee-ing: The Case of Commonplace Books Varadarajan Narayanan, Azim Premji University Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU April 3, 2012 - 3:30pm
Colloquium Series: Postcolonial Relations: Gandhi, Nehru and the Ethical Imperatives of the National-Popular Rajeswari Sunder Rajan, New York University Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU March 1, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: Living with Tribes, Working with the State – A Personal Narrative Anant Gangola, Azim Premji Foundation Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU February 23, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: Verbal Skepticism and Visual Gullibility: Methodologies for Studying Mass Media Effects Frode Steen Associate Professor, Dept. of Communication Studies, UCLA Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU February 16, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: Biopiracy, Biodiversity Conservation and Food Security in India Leo F. Saldanha & Bhargavi S. Rao, Environment Support Group, Bangalore Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU February 9, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series: What one Indian NGO can tell us about social innovation, civil society and nonprofit management? Nidhi Srinivas, The New School of Social Research, New York Room 307, Third Floor, Pixel B, APU January 12, 2012 - 3:15pm
Colloquium Series The Indian Legal System: How do we fix it? Mohan Gopal, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, New Delhi Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU December 1, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Panel presentation on "Early Childhood, Diversity, Leadership and Teacher Education: Perspectives from Canada" Prof Blair Mascall, Prof Carl Corter, Prof Mark Evans & Prof Reva Joshee, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU November 24, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Environment, Law and Democracy in India K Sivaramakrishnan, Department of Anthropology and Director, South Asian Studies Council, Yale University Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU November 16, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Plastic Photovoltaics: Towards Sustainable Solar Energy K. S. Narayan, Chemistry and Physical Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU November 3, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Ambedkar in His Time and Ours Anupama Rao, Department of History, Barnard College, USA Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU October 20, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: A Space for Our Own Words Jane Sahi, Independent Researcher and Activist Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU September 29, 2011 - 3:00pm
Weekly Seminar: Politics and Governance: Some observations based on a primary data set V. Santhakumar, Azim Premji University Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU September 20, 2011 - 3:30pm
Weekly Seminar: The Contested Canvas of Mithila Painting Sandali Thakur, Azim Premji University Room 103, Pixel B, APU September 13, 2011 - 3:30pm
Colloquium Series: The Origin of Kannada as a Literary Language Prof. U R Ananthamurthy, Kannada writer Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU September 9, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Civil Society and Education for All Karen Mundy, Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto Room 103, First Floor, Pixel B, APU August 25, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: Has Indian Federalism Succeeded or Failed? Ashutosh Varshney, Department of Political Science, Brown University Seminar Hall 1, Ground Floor, Main Building, APU August 18, 2011 - 3:00pm
Colloquium Series: The Political Economy of Liberalization in India Akhil Gupta, Department of Anthropology and Director, Center for India and South Asia, University of California, Los Angeles Seminar Hall 1, Ground Floor, Main Building, APU August 11, 2011 - 3:00pm


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