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Overview on Academic Conferences
The Department of Social Sciences and Humanities has a distinguished tradition of organizing national and international conferences that promote scholarly dialogue, interdisciplinary research, and intellectual exchange. These conferences bring together eminent academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students from India and abroad to engage with diverse themes related to history, society, culture, governance, education, and public policy. By providing a platform for the presentation of original research and critical discussions on contemporary and historical issues, the department fosters a vibrant academic environment that encourages inquiry, innovation, and collaboration. These events also offer students valuable exposure to research methodologies, academic writing, and global scholarly perspectives, thereby strengthening their analytical and research capabilities while contributing meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
In the year 2014, on 21st-23rd February, the Department of History had the privilege of hosting an International Conference on the theme “ The Asiatick Society, Indology and Indologists During the Late 18th and 19th Centuries A.D.’’ at the Conference Centre, University of Delhi, with the generous Grants-in-aid by ICPR (Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Under MHRD), Govt. of India and ICHR (Indian Council of Historical Research, Under MHRD), Govt. of India. Foreign scholars from Paris, France, Heidelberg, Germany, Sri Lanka, Italy participated along with about 200 participants from India. About 50 papers were read in all. It was all possible because of the valuable academic and intellectual help rendered by our Principal Dr. S.K.Garg. Dr. Radhav Madhav Bharadwaj was the organising secretary of the conference, Dr. Kulvinder Singh, Dr. Manoj Saxena, Dr. Poonam Kasturi (Dept. of Electronics) and Dr. Mahaveer Genwa of Chemistry Dept, Dr. Anand Saxena, Commerce Dept. and Mr. Sikandar Aggarwal (A.O) and others from the staff.
In the same year on 7th August 2014, the Department organized another one-day International Seminar in collaboration with the Dept. of Business Studies (Dr. Nisha Rana and Ms. Monica Bansal) in which scholars from Paris and the University of Rheims, France participated. The Chief Guest was the Honorable Vice-chancellor Prof. Dinesh Singh and the Guest of Honour was the historian Prof.V.K.Jain. Prof. P.S Filliozat (Paris, France) chaired a session and Dr. Bruno Restiff (Rheims, France), Dr. Manonmani Restiff (Rheims) Prof. Radhika Seshan (University of Pune), Diwakar Singh and Ms. Namita Singh (University of Delhi) read papers. It was well attended by the teachers and students from across the colleges and departments. Around ten papers were part of this conference. Dr. Radhav Madhav Bharadwaj was its convener and Principal Dr. S.K Garg was the Patron.
The Department organized its 3rd International Conference on 12th and 13th October 2018 on the theme “Centers of Educational Excellence and Sites of Knowledge in Early India up to the 13th Century A.D.: History, Dimensions and New Research.” The conference was held in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). The conference was convened by Dr. Radhav Madhav Bharadwaj, with Dr. Manoj Saxena serving as Co-Convenor and Dr. S. K. Garg as Patron, Dr. Sushma Jatoo was the convenor for IGNCA. Renowned historians Dr. P. S. Pilliozat and Dr. Vasundra Pillioza from Paris chaired a session and delivered insightful lectures. The conference also featured an address by Late Prof. Badyanath, the Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (Deemed University under the Ministry of Culture).
Adding to the academic engagement, Ria Jain, at that time a student of B.A. Programme at DDUC, presented a research paper. In total, around 45 research papers were presented over the course of this two-day international conference, making it a significant academic gathering that contributed to the exploration of early Indian educational traditions and knowledge systems.
On 3rd & 4th March 2025, the department organised the 4th International Conference on “Prayaga Mahakumbha 2025 and Other Religious Festivals in India: Historicity, Governance, Commerce and Other Aspects” and under the Patronship of Principal Prof. Hem Chand Jain and guidance of Prof. Radhav Madhab Bharadwaj was convenor of the conference. The conference brought together academics, researchers, and students from diverse disciplines, creating a vibrant platform for interdisciplinary dialogue. Over the two days, the deliberations explored the historical roots of the Mahakumbh and other major religious festivals, their evolving governance frameworks, and their economic, cultural, and social dimensions. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference enabled participants to examine how these large-scale religious gatherings have adapted to changing social and administrative contexts while retaining their cultural continuity. The conference contributed meaningfully to academic discourse by deepening understanding of India’s religious festivals with dynamic social & cultural processes. It also encouraged discussions on their effective management and sustainable celebration in the contemporary world, reinforcing their relevance and legacy in the twenty-first century. About 10 students from the department of Humanities read papers in the conference.
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