Speakers / Honoured Guests

Born on 12th March 1944, Prof Ghosh hails from an intellectually rooted Bengali family. He is the son of Late Subodh Chandra Ghosh. He is married to Smt. Mitra Ghosh, the Lady Governor, born on 10th February 1953, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree and has been a source of constant support throughout his professional and public journey.
Prof Ghosh is an eminent scholar of political science. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Master’s degree in Political Science and devoted nearly four decades to teaching and academic leadership. He served for 38 years as Head of the Department of Political Science at Maharaja Srischandra College, Kolkata, where he taught at the Honours level and mentored generations of students.
His academic work extended beyond the classroom into research and policy studies. He was associated with several research projects sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Notably, he was awarded a UGC Teacher Fellowship for his in-depth research on the socio-economic backwardness of Muslims in West Bengal, a study that reflected his commitment to evidence-based social analysis and inclusive development.
A respected public intellectual, Prof Ghosh has authored numerous articles on contemporary political and social issues, many of which were published in The Statesman, one of India’s leading national dailies. He has been a regular contributor of scholarly papers and an active participant in All-India Political Science Conferences, where his interventions have been widely appreciated for their analytical clarity and practical relevance.
Alongside his academic career, Prof Ghosh has played a prominent role in organizational politics. He became an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), West Bengal, in 1990 and soon emerged as a key strategist and ideologue within the party. His organizational responsibilities included serving as State Secretary of BJP West Bengal (1995–1997), Vice President (1997–1999) and State President (1999–2002).
One of his most significant contributions has been as Chairman of the BJP Working Group, a multidisciplinary think-tank comprising former IAS and IPS officers, corporate executives, chartered accountants, academicians and management professionals, reflecting his belief in informed, cross-sectoral policy thinking.

Earlier, Saini served as the Member of parliament (M.P.) from Kurukshetra, Haryana, from 2019 to 2024. Before that, he was a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.) from Naraingarh (Ambala district) from 2014 to 2019. He served as the Minister of State in Haryana government from 2015 to 2019. Coming from a humble family background, Saini joined the BJP party unit in Ambala and steadily rose through the ranks, often working closely with party leader, Manohar Lal Khattar

His books and lectures on ethics, values and Gita have become a chaperon to many.  Along with myriad ways in which he has tried to help the society, his efforts augur a virtuous generation of driven countrymen with a clear direction in life. Devoted to the divine ideas of meditation, service and dedication to humanity (satsang, sewa and sumiran) they founded GIEO organisation. He has been teaching practical benefits of meditation and prayers and dealing with the problems and their solutions in day-to-day life since 1990, inspiring and transforming lives. This transnational organisation has been aimed at bringing about a change much required in the society. Standing amidst the crowd but still apart from it, serving mankind self-lessly and inspiring others to do so, enlightening thousands of lives are few of finest qualities that Swami Ji is blessed with. Gurudev has made spiritually a way of living .Distribution of free monthly food to widows , organizing polio operation camps, educating children in remote rural areas, establishment of cow homes, offering free medical services to saints of Vrindavana are only glimpses of noble deeds that are a part of his mission. His commitment to serve God by serving mankind is exemplary.

She serves as the Director of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC) under the University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education of this university (formerly Teaching Learning Centre (TLC) under the PMMMNMTT scheme, GoI). In this capacity, she also acted as the Coordinator for the one-month mandatory Faculty Induction Programme (FIP) for newly inducted Higher Education Faculty and served as the Course Coordinator for 3 online Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT) through SWAYAM in the discipline of Sanskrit from 2018 to 2020. She has convened and coordinated more than 130 national-level programmes organised by the university’s MMTTC and TLC. Holding dual doctorate degrees in both Chemistry and Education, Prof. Bhardwaj brings over twenty-five years of teaching and research experience with specialization in areas of Educational Technology, Curriculum Development, Educational Evaluation and Measurement and Research. She has supervised more than fifteen Doctorate & forty Master levels research. She has contributed to institutional quality assurance and evaluation as Chairperson and Member Coordinator of NAAC Peer Team Visit and has served as an active member of Boards of Studies and Curriculum Committees for Teacher Education Programmes at various universities. She has published over fifty research papers in national and international journals as well as authored, co-authored and edited several books in Education. She has served as Chief Guest and delivered more than 250 lectures as a Resource Person at workshops, training programmes, Refresher Course, FDPs, STPs, seminars, and conferences organised across the country by DIETs, SCERTs, NCERT and Faculty Development Centres, TLCs, MMTTCs of colleges and universities.

He holds a B.A. (Honours), an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, along with a Diploma in Sanskrit and a Certificate in Yoga. At Kurukshetra University, he has served as Proctor, Chief Warden of the Boys’ Hostels, Chief Vigilance Officer, and a member of both the Academic Council and the University Court. He has 40 years of teaching experience, 24 years of administrative experience and 38 years of research experience. He has published three books and 48 research papers in national and international journals and books. He has participated in 80 seminars and conferences, where he presented papers and delivered lectures, and has chaired 21 sessions at national and international academic events. Under his supervision, 58 M.Phil. students and 28 Ph.D. scholars earned their degrees in Philosophy, and one doctoral scholar is currently pursuing research. Kurukshetra University awarded him a University Gold Medal and a merit scholarship for his Ph.D. programme. He was appointed as an external examiner for the University of Mauritius and serves as Chief Editor of Darshan Jyoti, an annual refereed research journal. He specialises in Indian philosophy, with particular emphasis on the Bhagavad Gita and Buddhism, as well as the philosophy of religion. His interests include yoga, meditation, religion and spirituality. He resides at House No. 2142, Block C, Sector 32, Ansal Sushant City, G.T. Road, Kurukshetra. He can be contacted at 094665-22694 or drrkdeswal@gmail.com, and his website is profrkdeswalkuk.weebly.com.

With 17 years of experience as a full professor, he specialises in Sanskrit literature and poetics, Pali, Buddhist Studies and Indian knowledge traditions. He earned his Ph.D. from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and holds master’s degrees in Sanskrit from Osmania University and in Pali and Buddhist Studies from Banaras Hindu University. He also completed a diploma course in Prakrit language and literature. At JNU, he served as Chairperson of the Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies. He also headed the Department of Sahitya at Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, now Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi. His research explores the Ramayana in Southeast Asian inscriptions, particularly those in Cambodia. He has authored and edited 31 books and written research papers in Sanskrit, Pali, Hindi, Telugu and English. His notable books include Essentials of Pali: Language and Literature, The Spread of Buddhist Thought, and Shantideva and Bodhicaryavatara. Prof. Rao has held visiting professorships in Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Vietnam, including an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chair in Cambodia. He contributed to the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project by translating Buddhist sutras from Sanskrit into English. He has also delivered lectures in Lithuania, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Russia and the United States. His honours include the Kadambari Award, Delhi Gourav Samman and the Vidya Sagar Award, along with gold medals from Osmania University and Banaras Hindu University for academic achievement. He has served on the jury for the ICCR World Sanskrit Award and on academic bodies at JNU, Central Sanskrit University and Osmania University. His teaching, publications and international collaborations reflect his sustained work on classical Sanskrit and Pali texts and the study of Buddhist thought across Asia.

With approximately 25 years of dedicated experience as Ayurvedic Physician and Yoga Teacher, he specializes in Ayurvedic and Panchakarma therapies, yoga and public health. He is a registered graduate of the renowned Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar.
Committed to making the traditional knowledge of Ayurveda accessible and relevant to contemporary society, Dr. Bhavsar combines clinical practice with public awareness and community service. Through his centre in Vadodara, he has provided Ayurvedic care to thousands of patients, according to his biographical sketch. Alongside his clinical responsibilities, he actively promotes Ayurveda and yoga and contributes to initiatives aimed at social welfare and healthier living.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided Ayurvedic care to numerous individuals. He has also organised several medical camps for public benefit, extending health-related services and awareness beyond his regular practice. His professional journey reflects a sustained commitment to traditional Indian healthcare, yoga education and community well-being. He continues to work towards wider public understanding and responsible use of Ayurveda as part of everyday health and wellness in online and offline mode.

He earned his BAMS in 1988, MD in 1991 and Ph.D. in Ayurveda in 2007. He has guided or co-guided 40 postgraduate and nine doctoral scholars and published more than 114 research papers.
As Director General of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) from 2015 to 2021, he advanced public-health research, validated Ayurveda assessment tools, digital initiatives including the NAMASTE portal, technological collaborations and development of Ayurvedic formulations. Under his leadership, CCRAS conducted 23 COVID-19 clinical trials and received the Vayoshreshtha Samman. He also contributed to a WHO South-East Asia regional guideline draft on traditional-medicine research methodology.
Since July 2023, he has served as Vice Chancellor of Shri Krishna AYUSH University, Kurukshetra. His tenure has seen approval of a ₹1,300-crore project for a new 102-acre campus, alongside improvements in teaching, hospital infrastructure, research capacity and recruitment. His career reflects sustained contributions to Ayurveda education, research, innovation and institutional development.