Adlakha,
Hemant
Assistant
Professor in Chinese of Jawaharlal Nehru University pursuing Ph.D. research
on contemporary Chinese political development.
Bagchi,
P.C (1696-1956)
Modern
India’s first great Sinologist who was also a great authority on Indology.
Was Director of Research and Vice-Chancellor of Visva-Bharati, and a
visiting scholar sent by the Government of India to teach in Beijing
University (1947-49).
Bagyalakshmi
Having
pursued an intensive study on Guanyin (the Chinese version of Avalokitesvara)
for ten years after she completed her MA in Chinese from Jawahartal Nehru
University, she obtained her Ph.D. degree from JNU, and is preparing for a
book on Guanyin to be published by IGNCA.
Banerjee,
Dipankar
Retired
as Major General of the Indian Army, he was the first Indian Army Officer
after 1957 to have visited China at the invitation of PLA in June 1991;
served for many years on the India-China border and is an authority on
PLA’s modernisation and China’s defence capability and strategy in the
new era. He lectures on these issues extensively in India and abroad and
also publishes frequently on these topics in academic journals. He is now
co-Director of the centre for peace and conflict studies.
Banerjee,
Priyatosh
Studied
Sanskrit along with Epigraphy and Numismatics and obtained Ph.D. in History
in 1950 from the Patna University, Patna. He was Officer on Special Duty for
the Buddha Jayanti Publications in the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting in 1955 and 1956 and officer in charge of the Museum Branch,
Archaeological Survey of India in 1957-59. He joined the National Museum,
New Delhi in 1950 and had served the Museum in various capacities as Editor,
Assistant Director, Director and Consultant till 1980. He has visited all
the important Museums in India and abroad. Authored a large number of
research papers and several books with a new book in the offing.
Banerjee,
Radha
Obtained
Ph.D from Delhi University in Buddhist Studies, she was awarded a fellowship
by the UNESCO, travelled and visited major museums and historical monuments
in China, Central Asia, Britain, France and Germany. She is research
associate in the East Asian Programme in IGNCA.
Bhattacharjea,
Mira Sinha
Her
first career was that of an IFS officer posted in the Indian Embassy in
Beiiing. After resigning from the office, she was selected by the University
of Delhi to the Columbia University, USA, to be trained as prospective
faculty members of the newly established Department of Chinese Studies, She
joined Delhi University in late 1990, and retired form it as Reader in
Chinese Studies in 1995. Thereafter, she became the Director and Project
Coordinator of the institute of Chinese Studies. She is a leading expert on
India-China relations, and has written articles and lectured in government
institutions on it on innumerable occasions.
Bhattacharyya,
D.C.
Professor
of History of Art at the Panjab University, Chandigarh, he has been engaged
in teaching and research for about three decades. Ten books and more than
one hundred research papers published in research journals have established
him as a leading scholar of art history.
Bhattacharyya,
Manik
Associate
Professor of Chinese and Chairman of the Centre for Chinese and Southeast
Asian Languages in Jawaharal Nehru University, he was educated in Calcutta,
Delhi and Beijing and received his Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
He also taught Chinese in Banaras Hindu University. He has kept Himself
engaged in studies and writing on China particularly on the works of Lu Xun
for nearly two decades.
Bhutani,
S.K.
Retired
from the Indian Foreign Service in 1991, he studied Chinese language at the
Beijing University and was a member of the Embassy of India in China from
1957 to 1962. He shows keen interest in observing the current Chinese
development, and is a regular participant in the China Forum discussions
Chandra,
Lokesh
A
leading scholar in culture and art of India and other Asian countries, he
heads the International Academy of Indian Culture. Besides being an active
author and lecturer in public meetings, he has also other public interests,
and was one time the Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research
and a member of Rajya Sabha. He has visited China many times, and has a
collection of valuable Chinese artifacts and historical materials. Author of
many books and research articles on culture and art.
Chakrabarti,
Sraemati
Currently
Reader in Chinese Studies in the Department of Chinese and Japanese Studies,
University of Delhi, she holds double MA. degrees, one in Political Science
from Delhi University and another in East Asian Studies from Harvard
University and also Ph.D. in Chinese studies from Delhi University. She was
a post-doctoral scholar 1 Beijing University. She is working on her second
book entitled ‘Mao, China’s Intellectual and the Cultural Revolution”.
Coomaraswamy,
Ananda Kentish (1877-1947)
Son
of a Tamil father and an English mother, and born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, he
was a man of prodigious learning, equally at home in Vedic, classical,
mediaeval European and Islamic literatures. With a D.Sc. degree from the
University of London, he came to the field of art by way of science.
Conversant with French, German, Finnish, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek, Latin,
Italian, Gaelic and even Icelandic, he was an art critic, a historian,
philosopher and metaphysician whose mind encompassed the sum total of the
Eastern and Western traditions of learning and thought. An exponent of the
Philosophia Perennis - where all traditional philosophies are seen as the
dialects of the same spiritual heritage - Coomarawamy has left behind a
plethora of writings on philosophy, metaphysics, religion, iconography,
music, geology, theatre and the place of art in society.
Das,
Sisir Kumar
Tagore
Professor of Bengali Literature in the Department of Modern Indian
Languages, University of Delhi, he had an excellent academic record in the
Presidency College of Calcutta University. Obtained his Ph. D. from Germany
he has taught in Delhi University for more than three decades. Apart from
being an authority on Bengali Literature, especially on Tagore, he is also a
pioneer of Comparative Literature in India. With a large number of books and
research papers to his credit, he has made substantial contribution in
establishing the chronological studies of Indian literatures.
Damodaran,
A.K.
Before
starting a full career of Indian Foreign Services, he taught English
Literature. His rich experience in dealing with China in various capacities
from the Beijing Embassy to the China Desk of the Ministry of External
Affairs, in addition to his discharging higher responsibilities in the
Ministry and in its division of policy planning, has resulted in a special
interest and profound insight vis-a-vis China. For some time, he was also
Senior Research Fellow (Professor) of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Deshingkar,
Girl
Trained
in University of London and Yale University as a China scholar, he was one
of the pioneers of Chinese studies in Delhi University, in addition to being
the co-founder of China Report (one of the only two academic journals in
English language specially on China in the world during the 1960s). After
teaching in Delhi University, he became a senior researcher and, later, the
Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. He was one of
the founding members of the Institute of Chinese Studies, and was its
Director for a number of years.
Deshpande,
M.N.
Former
Director-General, Archaeological Survey of India, is an archaeologist and
art-historian, He was invited as Visiting Professor and Fellow by the
Allahabad University and was Advisor to the Nehru Centre, Bombay for the
Discovery of India project and the Aditi exhibition in the Festival of India
in USA. Among his publications on cave art, his essays on Pitalkhora, Tabo
and Ajanta and book on Panhale-kaji caves are notable. A close associate
with IGNCA, he helped to convene the first and second international seminar
on “Cave Art of India and China” in 1991 (New Delhi) and 1994 (Dunhuang)
respectively.
Duara,
Prasenjit
After
completing post-graduation from Delhi University, he was sent to USA for
higher studies on Government of India scholarship. Completed Ph.D from
Harvard University, he began to teach in various US universities and is now
Professor of History in Chicago University. Author of many books on China
and also winner of Fairbank Award. He has initiated a new discourse on
History which strives to break away from the dominent western-oriented
opinions.
Gandhi,
Mahatma (1969-1949)
Mahatma
Gandhi is universally regarded as the “Father of Modern India”, as he
was the main architect of Indian independence. Not only a man of action but
also a sage (hence the title “Mahatma”) of noble ideas. Dedicating all
his life and energy to the salvation of India from the colonial rule, he is
the icon of ‘non-violence” which has become one of the most powerful
political trends of the 201h century. Within India the Gandhian legacy will
long endure both inside and outside the circles of Gardhian workers,
Gandhian scholars, Gandhian politicians etc.
Gandhi,
Rajiv (1942-1991)
Son
of Indira Gandhi and grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, he was the fifth Prime
Minister of India and the third generation of leaders whose regimes have
gone down the history of independent India as the continuum of a family
tradition in Indian politics. His great contribution to India-China
relations was his China visit in 1968 which helped inaugurate a new era of
positive cooperative partnership, bringing confidence building measures into
active play between New Delhi and Beijing.
Gonsalves,
Eric
Joined
Indian Foreign Service in 19.50, he served in various capacities including
Counsellor London: DCM Washington, Ambassador to Japan and to EEC. Secretary
in the Ministry of External Affairs. Never retires after official
retirement, busy as Director of India international Centre (1986-1991)
attending international conferences in the UN General Assembly, Commonwealth
Summit etc. Received Distinguished Service Award from T.M.A Pai Foundation
for outstanding Konkanis 1994. Currently President Indo-German Social
Service Society, (funding agency mainly concerned with rural development)
and Editor-in-Chief, South
Asia Survey.
Gupta,
S.P.
A
Ricardo and Jevon scholar of London University and Hallsworth Fellow of
Manchester University, he received education at the universities of Calcutta
and London with the final degree of Ph.D. (Econ.), London. Was Adviser of
Perspective Planning Division, Planning Commission, Member of the Governing
Council of the National Sample Survey Organization, India; Vice-President of
the Indian Association for Research in National Income and Wealth, Adviser,
Global Modelling, World bank, Washington DC (1971-1987); Professor of
Calcutta University on economic theory and Indian economic problems, Senior
Lecturer in Department of Econometrics in Manchester University, U.K. for
nearly five years. Then, he served as the Director and Chief Executive of
Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi
for almost, a decade, and is at present the Chairman of the Indian Society
for Economic and Social Transition.
Haidar,
Salman
Member
of the Indian Foreign Service, he was Indian Ambassador to China and many
other countries, and retired from the post of the head of IFS, i.e. the
Foreign Secretary. After a gap of hardly a few month,
he once again assumed diplomatic mission as India’s High Commissioner
to London.
Joshi,
MC.
An
eminent archaeologist, after ending his career as the Director-General of
the Archaeological Survey of India, he immediately assumed the duty of
Member Secretary of IGNCA. He has specialized in historical archaeology and
Indian art
including
Islamic architecture; excavated historical sites like Purana Qila, Patna.
Mathura, etc. Is also a prolific writer, having contributed a large number
of research papers on Indian archaeology, Indian art and culture. He visited
China in 1996, and delivered lectures on Indian archaeology at Luoyang and
Lanzhou.
Kamal
Sheel
Educated
in Benaras Hindu University, Taiwan and USA, he was Research Associate of
the Department of Chinese and Japanese Studies, Delhi University, then,
Lecturer and Reader in Chinese Studies of Panjab University, then Reader,
and now Professor of Chinese Studies and Head of Department of Foreign
Languages, Benaras Hindu University. Author of many books and research
articles and editor of the journal organ Asia-Prashant of the Man Congress
of Asia and Pacific.
Khanna,
Vinod
During his thirty years in the Indian Foreign Service, he had several opportunities to be involved with China-related work. After retirement he served briefly as Director of institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi, and Director-General Indo-Taipei Cultural Centre. Again working as the Director of the institute of Chinese Studies currently.
Mansingh, Surjit
She
was a member of the Indian Foreign Service, before taking up academic
assignments in universities in the US, Italy and India, was Senior Fellow at
the Centre for Contemporary Studies,
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, took her Ph.D. in
International Relations at the American University, Washington DC. Presently
Professor of International Politics at the School of International Studies,
Jawaharlal Nehru University. Is an author of many books and research
articles.
Menon,
K.P.S.
Entered
the Foreign Service in 1951 he had several postings in Delhi and abroad,
mostly to do with India’s neighbours, and participation in bilateral and
international conferences. Head of Policy Planning in the Ministry of
External Affairs between 1970 and 1975 was Ambassador/High Commissioner in
Hungary, Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan and China. Recalled from China to Delhi in
1987 to take over as Foreign Secretary and Head of the Foreign Service.
After retirement pleasantly occupied with advisory groups, seminars, etc.
Mishra,
Brajesh
During
his career as a member of Indian Foreign Service, and when he was Indian
Charge D’affaires in Beijing, he had the distinction of being the
recipient of the internationally known ‘Mao Smile” in 1970. He served as
Indian ambassador in many countries and Secretary in the Ministry of
External Affairs. He has recently been appointed as the Principal Secretary
to the Prime Ministers Office.
Mitra, Sabaree
Assistant
Professor of Chinese in the Centre for Chinese and South East Asian Studies
in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and specializes in contemporary
Chinese Literature for which she was awarded the doctoral degree. Other
areas that interest her include Political History, Culture Studies and
Gender Studies.
Mohanty,
Bidyut
Obtained
her Ph.D. from Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University. She is Research
Officer at the Institute of Social Sciences directing a programme on
Women’s Development and Panchayati Raj in India. She wrote several
research papers on Famines and Agrarian Structure and edited two books. She
has visited China several times, and was a delegate to the Fourth World
Congress on Women in Beijing at the NGO Forum in 1995.
Mohanty,
Manoranjan
Obtained
Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, he is Professor of
Political Science and Director, Developing Countries Research Centre,
University of Delhi and Co-chairperson of the Institute of Chinese Studies,
New Delhi. Has studied China’s rural reforms in Wuxi through many field
visits since 1979. He has authored three book, in addition to a forthcoming
bock on China’s rural reforms, and several tens of research papers.
Narayanan,
K.R
President
of the Republic of India, he had a versatile career as teacher, journalist,
diplomat, Vice-Chancellor (JNU), parliamentarian, ambassador, minister,
Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Was the first Indian Ambassador
to China after the resumption of full-fledged diplomatic relations between
India and China. Author of many books and articles. Recently, winner of the
World Stateman” award.
Nehru,
Jawaharlal (1889-1964)
Independent India’s first Prime Minister, he was the main architect of the political infrastructure of modem India, and father of India’s foreign policy wedded with ‘Panchsheel”, non-alignment and peace and peaceful use of nuclear energy. He loved children, and was affectionately called Chacha Nehru”. His autobiography and Discovery of India have become have become classics, being translated into various world languages. After his death (in office), his legacy was carded forward by his daughter, Indira and grandson Rajiv, both were his successors as Prime Ministers, Perhaps no political leader of any country outside China has been so endeared to China’s civilizational grandeur and chequered modern development, and spoken and written so much on China as Nehru. No one has broken his world record of a state leader being greeted on his arrival by from a half million (according) to Chinese reports) to a million (according to Indian reports) foreigners on the arrival to a foreign capital in his state visit to a foreign country - in Beijing in 1954.
Oberoi,
Patricia
A
graduate in Oriental Studies from the Australian National University,
Canberra, she has taught sociology in both the University of Delhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru University, and is currently Reader in Social Change and
Development at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi. She started her
academic career as a student of Chinese literature more than three decades
ago, has never left Chinese studies in between, and is actively organizing
lecture programmes for the institute of Chinese Studies.
Paranjpe,
V.V.
An
ex-IFS retired from his last posting as Indian Ambassador to Korea, he is
known as the best Chinese language user among all Indians in modern times.
Beginning his career as a government sponsored scholar studying in Beijing
University, he acquired high proficiency in Chinese language and interpreted
for Prime Minister Nehru and other Indian leaders in their talks to the
Chinese counterparts in the 1950s. Joined Foreign Service and looked after
the China desk for a number of years. Still taking a keen interest in
promoting understanding between India and China.
Patnaik,
Utsa
Is
Professor of Economics in Jawaharlal Nehru University, author of many books
and research articles. She has been a keen observer of the development of
political-economy in China.
Rao,
Narasimha
Has
a long political career both in his home state, Andhra, and in the central
government. Was an important cabinet member and minister during the regimes
of prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Was elected the President
of the Congress Party and the Prime Minister of India after Rajiv Gandhi’s
assassination. His visit to China in 1993 was a milestone in India-China
relations and contributed to the improvement of India-China relations.
Raghavan
V.R.
Served
in the Indian Army for thirty seven years until he retired as Lieutenant
General. Being the Director General of Military Operations from 1992 to
1994, he was closely involved in the formulation of the Sin4rxfian Accord on
maintaining peace on the borders and in the series of negotiations with
Pakistan on the Siachen Glacier dispute. Was Chief of Staff of Northern Army
Command, also the Commanding General in the Siachen Glacier during some of
the fiercest combat actions in the area. After his retirement his expertise
in defence strategy is still treasured by the Indian army, and is a visiting
lecturer at the principal defence services college in India. Author of many
books and research articles, he is currently a Director in the Delhi Policy
Group.
Rana,
Kishan S.
Served
in the Foreign Service from 1960 to 1995, and describes himself as “a
lapsed student of China affairs”, the served as Consul General in San
Francisco, and as Ambassador/High Commissioner to Algeria, Czechoslovakia,
Kenya, Mauritius and Germany. He specialized in economic diplomacy, and
currently does business advising, free-lance column writing.
Ranganathan,
C.V.
Member
of the Indian Foreign Service from 1959 to 1993, he began his career by
learning the Chinese language in Hong Kong University. Thereafter he served in Beijing twice in
the Indian Embassy, from 1965-66 as First Secretary, and from 1967- 91 as
Ambassador of India. He has also served in New York, Bonn, Hong Kong, Addis
Ababa, Moscow and Pads, He is presently a Nehru Fellow for a research
project on Sine-Indian relations, and also an active member of the Institute
of Chinese Studies, in addition to being the President of India Association
of Asia-Pacific Twenty First Century.
Ray,
Haraprasad
Retired
in 1996 after a long career of four decades first as a linguist with the
Government of India and then as Associate
Professor of Chinese at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Author of a book
on the maritime trade between India and China during the 15th century, and
has contributed to a number of international seminars and scholarly journals
in the U.S.A., Great Britain, Germany, France, Hong Kong and China. He is
presently a research scholar funded by the Indian Council of Historical
Research and engaged in translating materials on South Asia in Chinese
historical writings.
Roy,
Rammohun Raja (1772-1333)
He studied Bengali in his
village home, Persian and Arabic at Patna and Sanskrit at Benares. He
started learning English at the age of twenty-two. The phantom emperor of
Delhi, Akbar II, appointed him as his envoy to the King of English in
1630.and conferred on him the title of ‘Raja’. Well versed in both
Indian and Western Iearnings, he was a great scholar, educationist, and
reformer of modern India. Above all, he was the pioneer of the Indian
renaissance.
Sengupta,
Arputharani
Specialising
in the problem of style and identity in the Buddhist Art during the Kushan
Period, she teaches in the National Museum in addition to her own research.
Singh, Swaran
A
product of Jawaharlal Nehru University, he is a Research Associate-in the
Institute of Defense Studies & Analyses, New Delhi. He has authored a
number of books many articles on strategic topics often pertaining to China.
A very senior Research Associate in the Institute of Defence Studies &
Analyses, ad author of many articles and hocks.
Tagore,
Rabindranath (1861-1941)
He
had the distinction of being the first Asian, indeed, the first non-white
writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915, for which his name
became a household word among the intellectuals in China during the 1920s.
At home, he was Gurudeva to not only the comma Indians, but even Mahatma
Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, A versatile genius combining in himself
a poet, novelist, drama wright, essayist, musician, painter, choreographer,
and also thinker and visionary. His idealism of “universal man” was
translated into practice by his “universal university”, Visva-Bharati.
He was particularly keen in forging a Sine-Indian fraternity, and had a
Cheen Bhavana built on the campus of Santiniketan. He was the most admired,
most influential and most translated Indian writer in China.
Tan
Chung
Retired
(in 1994) from thirty six years of teaching, first, in the National Defence
Academy, Khadakvasla, then, in the School of foreign Languages, New Delhi,
then, University of Delhi, and, finally, Jawaharlal Nehru University, having
served as Lecturer, Reader and Professor, headed the Department of Chinese
and Japanese Studies (DU) and Centre for Asian and African Languages and
Centre for East Asian Languages (JNU) at different times, he is now
Professor-Consultant, IGNCA.
author
of seven books and innumerable research articles (some form chapters of
books edited by other scholars).
Thakur
Ravni 3
Educated
in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Beijing University, and the Netherlands, she
obtained her Ph.D. from Holland. Author of a book on gender problems in
China, she has also contributed research papers for learned journals.
Vatsyayan,
Kapila
