22^nd August 2019

Keynote Address

9:30- 10:45 

Trials and Tribulations: Clinical Research in India

Gagandeep Kang, Executive Director, Translational Health Science Technology Institute (THSTI)

Gagandeep Kang is the Executive Director, Translational Health Science Technology Institute (THSTI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Prior to joining DBT, Prof. Kang was Professor and Head of the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, and the Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences at the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore.

Gagandeep Kang has built a strong inter-disciplinary research program that uses careful and detailed field epidemiology with molecular tools for characterization of infectious agents and host response to infection to understand and change factors that affect transmission, development and prevention of enteric infections and their sequelae. Observational, interventional and mechanistic studies on enteric infection and nutrition have demonstrated the complex relationships between gut function and physical and cognitive development. Based first at an outstanding medical college and now at the THSTI, she has established a strong training program for students and young faculty in clinical translational medicine aiming to build a cadre of clinical researchers studying relevant problems in India.

Gagandeep Kang is a member of the WHO’s Product Development Vaccine Advisory Committee Global Advisory Committee and chairs the Immunization Technical Advisory Group for the WHO’s South East Asian Region. She serves on or has served on the scientific advisory committee of several national and international institutions, including the Wellcome Trust, UK, the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance, the International Vaccine Institute and the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

22^nd August 2019

Panel Discussion

17:30- 19.00

Indian Media in the Twenty First Century

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Independent Journalist and Educator

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is an Indian journalist, political commentator, author and a documentary film maker. Guha Thakurta was educated at La Martiniere Calcutta, pursued his undergraduate degree in Economics from St. Stephen's College and completed his masters from Delhi School of Economics in 1977. With the Emergency of 1975-77, he decided to be a journalist over being a lecturer. In June 1977, he joined a Kolkata-based magazine as assistant editor. Through his career spanning over 30 years, he has been associated with major media houses like Business India, Businessworld, The Telegraph, India Today and The Pioneer. He also hosted the chat show India Talks on CNBC-India which ran over 1400 episodes.

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta has directed many documentaries such as, ‘Hot as Hell’, ‘Coal Curse’, ‘Grabbing Eyeballs: What’s Unethical About Television News in India’, ‘The Great Indian Telecom Robbery’ etc. Some of his notable writings include his books, A Time of Coalitions: Divided We Stand, Media Ethics, Gas Wars: Crony Capitalism and the Ambanis,etc. 

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta was a member of the sub-committee set up by the Press Council of India to look into the malaise of paid news. 

22nd August 2019

Panel Discussion

17:30- 19:00

Indian Media in the Twenty First Century

Sevanti Ninan, Honoraray Secretary, The Media Foundation

Sevanti Ninan is a columnist based in New Delhi writing on media for The Hindu and the Hindustan and founder-editor of The Media Foundation- The Hoot.org, a South Asian media watch website. She began her career at the Hindustan Times and has been development correspondent, special correspondent, and magazine editor at the Indian Express. Her books includeThrough the Magic Window: Television and Change in India(Penguin India, 1995); Plain Speaking with Chandrababu Naidu (Viking, 2000); and Rajasthan (Roli Books 1980). 

22^nd August 2019

Panel Discussion

17:30- 19:00

Indian Media in the Twenty First Century

Govindraj Ethiraj, Founder, India Spend

Govindraj Ethiraj is a TV & print journalist and founder of Ping Digital Broadcast, an online multi-channel network. He is also the founder of IndiaSpend.com and Factchecker.in, two public-interest journalism websites. He received a BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Award in 2014 for his work with IndiaSpend. He is a Fellow at The Aspen Institute, Colorado.

Govindraj Ethiraj is currently the anchor of the weekly show Policy Watch on Rajya Sabha TV. Previously, he was founder editor-in-chief at the television channel Bloomberg UTV. He had earlier worked with CNBC TV18 before moving to Bloomberg UTV. He has also worked with the UIDAI, part of the Planning Commission, Government of India.

Ethiraj has worked with Economic Times, Business World and Business India. He also worked as an Editor (New Media) at Business Standard. He worked with CNBC TV18 for five years from near start-up point before moving to set up Bloomberg UTV. At CNBC TV18, he hosted the nightly bulletin as well as the business strategy show, Managing India.

24^th August 2019

Valedictory and Closing Address

12:30- 13:30

Women, Work, and the Economy

Renana Jhabvala, Chairperson, BoD, Sitara, a SEWA initiative

Renana Jhabvala is an Indian social worker, who has been active for decades in organising women in the informal economy into trade unions, co-operatives and financial institutions in India, and has been extensively involved in policy issues relating to poor women and the informal economy. She is best known for her long association with the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), India, and for her writings on issues of women in the informal economy. She is also the chair of the board of SEWA Bharat, SEWA Grih Rin Ltd., HomeNet South Asia, and WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing). She was also a Member of UN Secretary General’s high-level panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment (2016-2017). She was Chancellor Gandhigram Rural University (2012-2017). In 1990, she was awarded a Padma Shri from the Government of India for her contributions in the field of social work.

Notification of acceptance:

June 30, 2019

Last date for online registration:

August 10, 2019

Conference date(s):

August 22 – 24, 2019