Ambedkar Lecture, 2024

AMBEDKAR LECTURE, 2024

On 13th April, 2024, the Department of Inter-Religious Studies (DIRS) at St. Xavier's College Mumbai (Empowered Autonomous Institute) held the annual Ambedkar Lecture, led by guest speaker Dr. Mridul Nile and moderator Prof. Arun Singh.

In this year's thought-provoking lecture, titled, "A Need for Disruption in Social Science Research - An Ambedkarite Paradigm," we delved into Dr. Ambedkar's revolutionary approach to social science research. The lecture culminated into an environment of open discussion and inquiry, facilitating an enriching dialogue.

Session 1 - International Symposium 2024

THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON REJUVENATION 2024

On 21st February 2024, the Department of Inter-Religious Studies (DIRS) at St. Xavier's College Mumbai (Empowered Autonomous Institute) held the annual International Symposium, on the overarching theme of 'Rejuvenation'. The inaugural keynote address was delivered by Fr. Bryan Lobo, a Professor at Gregorian University, Rome.

Thereafter, a panel discussion consisting of 4 speakers was held under the topic "Challenges". The panel was moderated by Prof. Lydia Fernandes, a Professor from the BSC IT department at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. The panel featured tabla exponent Pt Balakrishna Iyer, IIT Bombay Professor Varsha Apte, HR Head of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group Mr. Shankar Krishnan and gynaeocologist Dr. Varsha Degwekar.

DIRS Sangam 2023-24.pdf

SANGAM 2023-24

Sangam, the annual publication of DIRS, is a compilation of student articles on the overarching theme of the year. For the AY 2023-24, the theme of Sangam was, "A Critical Review of Rejuvenation". The premise behind the Journal was that the proposed benefits of rejuvenation are only realizable when rejuvenation becomes decentralized and actionable. It must evolve from a recoiling of hypotheticals and become practically applicable in daily life. The deliberation on the theme aimed to integrate rejuvenation in an acceptable form in everyone's daily lives, and add clarity and pragmatism to the academic substance of rejuvenation.

The Gandhi Lecture 2024

THE GANDHI LECTURE 2024

"Mahatma Gandhi and Human Emancipation"

On 3rd February 2024, the Department of Inter-Religious Studies (DIRS) at St. Xavier's College Mumbai (Empowered Autonomous Institute) held the annual Gandhi Lecture, on the topic, "Mahatma Gandhi and Human Emancipation". The talk was delivered by Prof. Aravind Ganachari, former Professor and Head of Department of History at the University of Mumbai, and moderated by Dr. (Fr.) Arun de Souza, S. J., the Director of Heras Institute at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

VID-20230916-WA0075.mp4

VID-20230916-WA0069.mp4

'RESPECTING THE OTHER'

A collaboration between the West Zone Xavier Board of Higher Education of India, the West Zone Jesuit Higher Education Association of South Asia and the Department of Interreligious Studies of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Mumbai, organized a two-day constructive session titled, “Respecting The Other: Towards Inter-Religious Harmony” for colleges in Nagpur, Pune and Ahmedabad, on 14th and 15th September.

Day 1 of the proceedings saw students visit four different religious places of worship where they spent time learning about the tales of each sanctum. The places of worship included: Shree Vitthal Rukmini Mandir, Dadar Gurudwara, Mahim Dargah and finally St. Peter's Church.

Day 2 began with a rousing group-work session led by Ms. Sabah Khan, followed by Dr. Fr Keith D’Souza who broke down important inter-religious concepts and asked students to craft a religion of their own as an activity. Later, Sufi vocalist Radhika Sood Nayak added to the students’ perspectives through the language of art, poetry and musical notes. In line with this, the Day concluded with a mesmerizing dance performance by Dr. Radha Kumar in lieu of celebrating unity in diversity.

FR CLOONEY'S LECTURE 2023

"India as Vishwaguru: Wisdom for the Larger World"

Prof. Francis Clooney set the tone for the lecture by discussing the concept of wisdom, sharing personal insights and his book. He emphasized the value of gaining knowledge from ancient Hindu texts and explored the wisdom of smaller religious groups and their traditions.

STAN SWAMY MEMORIAL LECTURE 2023

"Indigeneous Peoples of India: Challenges and the Way Forward"

The Stan Swamy Memorial lecture commemorated the International Day of Worlds’ Indigenous people on 9th August 2023. The lecture was moderated by Prof. Radhika Rani. Dr. The speaker, Dr. (Fr.) Joseph Marianus Kujur, addressed the concepts, constitutional provisions, policies, challenges, and the way forward for these communities. He also emphasized the promotion of their rights, culture, and identity. Dr. (Fr.) Kujur highlighted challenges faced by indigenous tribes such as policy issues, limited healthcare access, displacement, migration, and human trafficking and underlined the danger of mainstreaming tribal societies, which can lead to homogeneity and the disappearance of distinct tribal communities.

The Ambedkar Lecture 2023

THE AMBEDKAR LECTURE 2023

"Becoming Babasaheb: Learning From Dr. Ambedkar’s Formative Years"

This lecture was conducted by Prof. Aakash Singh Rathore a Philosopher with specialization in European and Continental thought, comparative politics, Buddhism and Ambedkar studies.

The Lecture was moderated by Prof. Kanchana Mahadevan ( Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai).

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar once said "Be educated, be organised, and be agitated."

DIRS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023

ON THE 21ST AND 22ND OF FEBRUARY, THE DIRS ORGANISED AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE THEME OF BEING INTER-CONNECTED.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE IMAGES FROM THE CONFERENCE.

We live in a time of conflict, in a world that insists on moving fast and making more. Social, political, economic, religious, and environmental conflicts, all stem from an unwillingness to slow down, reflect, and think for the greater good rather than personal benefit. The DIRS is a forum that aims to build a spiritually and culturally harmonious world through research, dialogue, encounter. We conduct unique courses, workshops, and other creative activities to explore the role of religion in our three main areas of work: social justice, ecological justice, and personal and spiritual development.