ICSSR Sponsored Multi-disciplinary International Conference on Envisaging Viksit Bharat @ 2047
In collaboration with NITI Aayog

The conference was inaugurated in the presence of Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India on 11 March 2024 in the college auditorium at 9:30 AM. Shri Sanjeev Sanyal Ji talked about the need to reform existing processes rather than coming up with new policies or changing the structures. He highlighted that the present time is a turning point in the history of our country as we are the fastest growing economy.

The panel discussion on Envisaging Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Scientific & Technological, Environmental & Developmental Perspectives included stalwarts like Prof. E. Somnathan (Economics and Planning Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi), Prof. Rohini Somnathan (Delhi School of Economics), and Dr Nilanjan Dey (Associate Professor, Techno International New Town, Kolkata) chaired by Shri Sanjeev Sanyal. The panel discussed the importance of further decentralization and empowering local governments to bring the reality of development take shape at the grass root level, preserving what is invaluable with a sense of reciprocity unique to our culture and at the same time embracing technology based on data science focusing on not just big data but clean and variable data for better results.

Three subject specific technical sessions were held on the first day, namely – ‘Viksit Bharat Through Technological Advancements’, ‘Scientific Advancements @ 2047, ‘Empowering Nation: Charting Crossroads of Social Justice, Gender, and Health @ 2047.

On the second day Prof. John Joseph Puthenkalam SJ from Sophia University in Japan  focused on Japan’s approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through his talk titled Theoretical Understandings of SDG’s and Japanese Perspectives, Prof. Puthenkalam examined the evolution of the term “developing countries” over the last century, linking population growth to overconsumption of natural resources—a scenario he described as “full planet, empty plate.” According to Prof. Puthenkalam, the goal of development should be to ensure healthy living, education, and the expansion of human capabilities by offering more choices. He proposed that the true measure of a Developed India (Viksit Bharat) by 2047 should be based on the well-being of its people, rather than their wealth.

During the panel discussion titled Envisaging Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Governance, Entrepreneurial, Social Justice, Gender, Health, and Cultural Aspects, chaired by Prof. Vinish Kumar Kathuria, Director Institute of Development Studies Jaipur. Various perspectives on the future of India were shared by esteemed panellists. Dr. Pradeep Trikha underscored the critical role of the Humanities in a technology-driven era, debating the dynamic interplay between intuition and reason, as well as imagination and knowledge. Addressing mental health and gender equality, Dr. Sruthi Sivaraman argued that India has substantial progress to make towards these ideals. Dr. Tannen Neil Lincoln examined the government’s developmental blueprint, urging the implementation of robust policies illustrated by initiatives like Samaras Gaanv and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting a Neo-liberal development approach. Lastly, Dr. Rajeev Sijarya delved into India’s demographic potential and the expansive possibilities that technological breakthroughs in AI and Machine Learning could herald for the nation’s future.

Four technical sessions were held on the second day of the International Conference on 12 March 2024. Besides erudition being shared we had nearly 60 papers being presented by academics, professors, research scholars, students from the across India, Nepal and Sudan. The conference has been successful in forwarding the dream of India becoming a developed nation by 2047 as new perspectives developed out of the confluence of these two days of knowledge.