International Conference on 'Cooperative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia'

The International Conference on "Cooperative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia," was organised by Global India Foundation in collaboration with the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata from March 1 to 2, 2009 at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. It witnessed the participation of delegates from Central Asia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and from all over India.

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Pic A: Hon. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of External Affairs, India.with Prof. Omprakash Mishra, Member Secretary, Global India Foundation and Pro Vice Chancellor, IGNOU

Pic B: Hon. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of External Affairs, India. addressing the gathering

The Conference was formally inaugurated on March 1, 2009, with the inaugural address by Hon. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of External Affairs, India. The Inaugural Session also featured welcome addresses by Dr. Rashpal Malhotra, Director General-cum-Executive Vice Chairman, CRRID, Prof. Hari Vasudevan, Director, MAKAIAS and Prof. Jayanta K. Ray, Chairman, Executive Council, MAKAIAS. The session was chaired by Prof. Pradip Narayan Ghosh, Vice Chancellor, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and the vote of thanks was tendered by Prof Omprakash Mishra, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Member Secretary, Global India Foundation, Kolkata.

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Pic C: Admiral P. J. Jacob, the Chairman, Global India Foundation, with Mr. M.J.Akbar

Pic D: Mr. Dinesh C. Pathak, the Vice Chairman of Global India Foundation addressing the gathering

The Foundation was represented by Admiral P. J. Jacob, the Chairman, Mr. Dinesh C. Pathak, the Vice Chairman, Prof. Omprakash Mishra, the Member Secretary, the Fellows and the Administrative Staff. Admiral Jacob presented a paper on Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean, while Mr. Pathak gave a lucid exposition of Regional Cooperation in a Globalised World. Admiral Jacob also chaired the session on "Development and Security in South and Central Asia: The Principal Issues," which contained presentations by eminent personalities such as Mr. M.J. Akbar, Ms. Veena Sikri and Prof. P. Stobdan. The next session on "Peace, Security and Development" contained presentations by Fellows of Global India Foundation. Ms. Sayantani Sen and Ms. Cauvery Ganapathy presented a paper on The Spectre of Talibanisation: A Compulsion of Conformity, while Dr. Lopamudra Bandyopadhyay and Ms. Sudhiti Naskar presented a paper on Al Qaeda's Infiltration in Central Asia: The Roots and the Repercussions.

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Pic E: Prof. Omprakash Mishra, Prof. Hari Vasudevan and Dr. Rashpal Malhotra(from left to right) on the podium

On the second day of the conference, there were sessions on "India-South and Central Asia: Emerging Contours for Bilateral Cooperation," and "Democracy and Development." Mr. Anurag Sinha, a Fellow of the Foundation presented a paper on Rethinking Explanations for India's Development. The concluding session of the conference stressed on summing up the deliberations and on chalking out an agenda for the future. The session featured Dr. Rashpal Malhotra, Prof. Hari Vasudevan and Prof. Omprakash Mishra.

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