Here I list the conferences that I have organized or will be organizing.
The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, is hosting a significant national meeting for the cosmology community.
Dates: July 28 - August 1, 2025 Venue: Ramanujan Auditorium, IMSc, Chennai
This meeting aims to bring together researchers across India to discuss the evolution of the universe and foster collaboration. The central theme focuses on connecting our understanding of the universe's different eras, from its earliest moments to the present day.
Key Discussion Areas:
Early Universe: Inflation, Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), primordial gravitational waves.
Intermediate Universe: The Dark Ages, Cosmic Dawn, reionization, latest results from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Late Universe: Dark energy, large-scale structure, galaxy surveys, 21cm cosmology, current cosmological tensions.
Objectives:
Provide a platform for in-depth discussions and collaborations.
Unite and strengthen the Indian Cosmology community.
Enhance India's role in global mega-science projects and future missions.
Format: In-person only.
Registration Fee: None.
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2025.
Selection: Selected participants will be notified via email.
Meeting Website: https://sites.google.com/imsc.res.in/cosmic-connections
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/euK7hq388M33vAPq5
Title: India's Cosmic Odyssey: From Earth to the Edge of the Universe
Date: July 31, 2025 (evening, the time will be updated later)
Details: This session, open to the public, will focus on India's involvement in major cosmology observations like LIGO-India, SKAO and proposals like ECHO of CMBBHARAT, and discuss the broader benefits of astronomical research. The entire meeting, including this session, will be live-streamed on the IMSc YouTube channel. The registration link to participate in this event will be made public at a later date. While the session will be open to the general public, we may have to limit the number of participants due to the limited capacity of the venue.
Susmita Adhikari, IISER, Pune
Pravabati Chingangbam, IIAp, Bengaluru
Dhiraj Kumar Hazra (Convener), IMSc, Chennai
Ranjan Laha, IISc, Bengaluru
Aseem Paranjape, IUCAA, Pune
Tirthankar Roy Choudhury, NCRA-TIFR, Pune
Tarun Souradeep, RRI, Bengaluru
L. Sriramkumar, IUCAA, Pune
List of invited speakers are available at:
The schedule and the list of participants will be released at a later date.
Summary of the AKR Centenary Program (October 5-7, 2023)
Here's a look back at the successful AKR Centenary Program we organized:
Event: A three-day mini-conference celebrating the birth centenary of the distinguished physicist Professor Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri.
Dates: October 5th - 7th, 2023.
Venue: The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai.
Purpose:
To honor Professor Raychaudhuri's legacy and discuss his seminal contributions to gravitation and cosmology (especially the Raychaudhuri Equation).
To remember the scientist, teacher, and visionary through shared memories.
Program Highlights:
Technical Sessions (Oct 5-6): Featured seminars and discussions led by eminent scientists, focusing on AKR's work and related modern research.
Distinguished Speakers & Affiliations: The program included talks by:
Narayan Banerjee - IISER, Kolkata
Sumanta Chakraborty - IACS, Kolkata (Delivered the T. Padmanabhan Memorial Lecture)
Sudipta Das - Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan
Ghanashyam Date - IMSc & CMI, Chennai
Pankaj Joshi - Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad
Sayan Kar - IITKGP, Kharagpur
Parthasarathi Majumdar - IACS, Kolkata
Palash Baran Pal - Calcutta University, Kolkata
Sreerup Raychaudhuri - TIFR, Mumbai
Soumitra SenGupta - IACS, Kolkata
L. Sriramkumar - IITM, Chennai
Amitabh Virmani - CMI, Chennai
Spenta Wadia - ICTS, Bengaluru
Student Outreach (Oct 7): A dedicated day aimed at engaging and inspiring students with the concepts of gravitation and Prof. Raychaudhuri's contributions.
Outcome: The conference fostered significant scientific exchange, paid tribute to a key figure in theoretical physics, and helped inspire the next generation.